Around the NHL 2015-16: Part II

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Jim Bob]

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2...-rule-change-to-boost-nhl-scoring-long-change

This is a very interesting idea to boost goal scoring.

 

[haseoke39]

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2...-rule-change-to-boost-nhl-scoring-long-change

This is a very interesting idea to boost goal scoring.

This is interesting, and I'd be okay with giving it a shot.

I'm also in favor of trying bigger nets in the AHL for a year. Babcock's right, the goalies are just bigger now. Even without pads, they are mostly bigger human beings.

If you did both of those things, I'd even be in favor of getting rid of the trapezoid. Goalies who can play the puck used to be a big part of the game, and letting them loose encourages more carry-in entries, which are better entertainment than dump and chase.

 

[Moskau]

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2...-rule-change-to-boost-nhl-scoring-long-change

This is a very interesting idea to boost goal scoring.

Teams will find a way to adjust and game plan around it if it's a focus which is why physical alteration is going to be the only way to permanently increase scoring.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

Call the interference, plain and simple.

 

[Samsonite23]

In a very strange turn of events...

That is crazy.

 

[Jim Bob]

Teams will find a way to adjust and game plan around it if it's a focus which is why physical alteration is going to be the only way to permanently increase scoring.

If team's haven't figured out a way around it since the beginning of time, I doubt it would change too, too much in the future.

Call the interference, plain and simple.

I believe that should have been something that the NHL never let slip.

 

[Der Jaeger]

The immediate way to increase scoring is calling interference. You'd get 06-07 like play.

And, interestingly, the current Sabres would be good in that type of play.

 

[joshjull]

Teams will find a way to adjust and game plan around it if it's a focus which is why physical alteration is going to be the only way to permanently increase scoring.

Yep. The biggest factor in the drop in scoring is the increase in goalie size, growth in the size of their equipment and the increased skill level/techniques of goalies. Increasing the net size is the easiest and smartest solution. The amount of net area to shoot at has decreased incredibly from the high scoring 80s.

Lots to shoot at there.

For these clamoring about interference. The amount of hooking holding, tackling and interference that went on back in the 1980s was incredible. Scoring was off the charts back then. Today's game is far more open.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I actually think calling penalties very strictly and adjusting the rules for PPs (enforcing icing with no line changes for PK team, maybe full 2 minute minors), would work out very well long term. Short term, a year or so, it would make for lots of PPGs and artificially inflate scoring. Long term, players would realize that the obstruction isn't worth it because the PK is very risky. Then the ice would open up. If the ice opened up I wouldn't care how much the scoring increased. PPs would go back down a little but the action would be more exciting to watch, goals or no goals.

 

[joshjull]

I actually think calling penalties very strictly and adjusting the rules for PPs (enforcing icing with no line changes for PK team, maybe full 2 minute minors), would work out very well long term. Short term, a year or so, it would make for lots of PPGs and artificially inflate scoring. Long term, players would realize that the obstruction isn't worth it because the PK is very risky. Then the ice would open up. If the ice opened up I wouldn't care how much the scoring increased. PPs would go back down a little but the action would be more exciting to watch, goals or no goals.

I have zero interesting in handing that kind of power over the outcome of a game to the judgment of a NHL official.

The beauty of increasing the net size is it empowers the players to make a difference offensively. As opposed to hoping the league does something for several years and relying on the good judgment of NHL officials for several years.

 

[Zman5778]

The beauty of increasing the net size is it empowers the players to make a difference offensively. As opposed to hoping the league does something for several years and relying on the good judgment of NHL officials for several years.

Yep.

Increase the size of the nets some, decrease the size of the pads some and call the rules on the book.


Do that and scoring should go up dramatically.....and 2 of those 3 aren't based on judgement.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I have zero interesting in handing that kind of power over the outcome of a game to the judgment of a NHL official.

The beauty of increasing the net size is it empowers the players to make a difference offensively. As opposed to hoping the league does something for several years and relying on the good judgment of NHL officials for several years.

I agree that I wouldn't expect the NHL to get much right with rule enforcement, but in theory the long-term result would be that the players themselves would be taking a lot of responsibility away from the refs. By simply playing a cleaner game (after a very rough transition period) the players would take a lot of pressure off the refs because there just wouldn't be as much obstruction to judge and influence a game with calls.

Edit - to be clear, back in 2005 it was about calling more penalties, which led to a pinball effect that many people didn't like and it forced the league to revert back to it's former officiating. What I'd like is not just to call more penalties (that's just a side effect), but to actually make PKs HURT. By that I mean make players HATE being the guys out there for a PK. They can't ice the puck and get off, they have to grind it out and it will suck, and they'll get scored on much more than a paltry 15% average. Eventually, nobody will think obstruction or other ticky tac penalties (spearing, roughing, non-'two to the box' scenarios) are worth it. There's a LOT of crap that would die down when going to the box is a game-losing proposition. Once the players get it, they'll stop the unnecessary stuff. Then the ultimate goal of less penalties and more open ice would take over.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

How do you make the nets bigger without making smaller goalies extinct, and how do you collect the data to make that decision?

 

[old kummelweck]

The interference in the prime scoring areas is brutal.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

The interference in the prime scoring areas is brutal.

I think one in every 20 cross checks is called in front of the crease.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Yep. The biggest factor in the drop in scoring is the increase in goalie size, growth in the size of their equipment and the increased skill level/techniques of goalies. Increasing the net size is the easiest and smartest solution. The amount of net area to shoot at has decreased incredibly from the high scoring 80s.

I think the game could be more exciting, and more goals doesn't necessarily mean it's a more exciting game. Dealing with the goal tending issue is something that certainly needs to be done. However, I don't think it solves the problems of the modern NHL. I've gone to enough games with 7-9 goals scored that I've yawned beginning to end. You have to change the dynamic of the game, like the NFL did, so that Offense > Defense when it comes to winning.

From the widening end you need to get the nets wide enough to make all out defense untenable, but at the same time if you make the nets so wide that you see players hitting 30+% shooting then you're just getting cross the blue line and shoot tactics. There's a reason you don't watch the first 3 quarters in the NBA, the scoring is so common it doesn't matter anymore. I have no problem with the grinding in zone offenses. I love watching a team get the puck down low and cycle and probe, get shots, good puck retrieval, and so on. Make the nets too big and there's no incentive to play that style or to create quality scoring chances. Just shoot, the goalie can't butterfly out and every other point shot goes in. I'm really not interested in seeing more point shots that the goalie never sees, they're not overly impressive and I don't consider those goals exciting hockey. Sometimes goals are just goals.

It also doesn't address any other parts of game play, in my opinion the NHL's problems happen before the shot is taken and not after. For me at least, exciting hockey comes from fast break hockey, pin point passing, manly man physical play, and great puck work. Making the nets bigger doesn't open up the neutral zone for fast break hockey, it doesn't fix 9 ft wingspans on players that clog passing lanes, it doesn't fix the obstruction, it doesn't fix the 'when I feel like it' reffing.

step 1: consistent reffing, either make it harder to take a penalty and call it every time, or make it easier to take a penalty and call it every time, just for the love of god call penalties when they happen

step 2: make it legal to play the puck with your hand when it's off the ice, give a short window that a player can catch a puck and move it with his hand, make play making a 3 dimensional part of the game

step 3: make the crease larger and no one is allowed in it without the puck, push the blockers away from the net, eliminate the layers of people a shot has to get through and create more free for all pucks

step 4: add an extra 4-8 sq ft to the net mouth, don't make nets taller, just wider, big goalies should have an advantage, but big immobile ones shouldn't

 

[Megaera]

How do you make the nets bigger without making smaller goalies extinct, and how do you collect the data to make that decision?

Smaller goalies are well on their way to extinction anyway.

You wouldn't even need to increase the size of the nets all that dramatically to make a difference. I think it's definitely a better option to address the lack of scoring than the ticky-tacky little things they've been trying thus far.

 

[sabrebuild]

How do you make the nets bigger without making smaller goalies extinct, and how do you collect the data to make that decision?

Who cares? I could care less if short goalies disappeared if it meant an extra goal a game.

Small net increase and an inch off goalie pads and goalies have to make saves instead of being there.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Alternatively, reduce the size of the puck. Accomplishes basically the same thing.

 

[Mit Yarrum]

Start by reducing pad size.

 

[Beerz]

More goals should not be the objective.

Just make the game better.

I can deal with a 2-1 game as long as it's entertaining.

Call obstruction/interference.

Get rid of the stupid coaches challenge.

Bring back the physicality.

Quit whining about bad hits.

Quit trying to stop fighting.

Need to promote more hate and rivals between teams.

Fire all coaches that go into a shell when they get a 2 goal lead.

I find the goons to be much more entertaining for hockey then watching the Dan Clearys and Legwands on the 4th line.

Just make a good product. Doesn't have to be about more scoring.

 

[DJN21]

More goals should not be the objective.

Just make the game better.

I can deal with a 2-1 game as long as it's entertaining.

Call obstruction/interference.

Get rid of the stupid coaches challenge.

Bring back the physicality.

Quit whining about bad hits.

Quit trying to stop fighting.

Need to promote more hate and rivals between teams.

Fire all coaches that go into a shell when they get a 2 goal lead.

I find the goons to be much more entertaining for hockey then watching the Dan Clearys and Legwands on the 4th line.

Just make a good product. Doesn't have to be about more scoring.

If I could somehow nominate this for post of the year I would...

 

[NotABadPeriod]

More goals should not be the objective.

Just make the game better.

I can deal with a 2-1 game as long as it's entertaining.

Call obstruction/interference.

Get rid of the stupid coaches challenge.

Bring back the physicality.

Quit whining about bad hits.

Quit trying to stop fighting.

Need to promote more hate and rivals between teams.

Fire all coaches that go into a shell when they get a 2 goal lead.

I find the goons to be much more entertaining for hockey then watching the Dan Clearys and Legwands on the 4th line.

Just make a good product. Doesn't have to be about more scoring.

I don't mind fighting, but I could do without those staged goon fights where they line up for a faceoff and are just like "hey you wanna go" and afterwards both teams tap their sticks and say good job.

Fighting is fine, but it has to happen organically within the context of the game. And unfortunately, those 4th line goons don't contribute to that very much. They come, play for 3 minutes, do a staged fight, then sit on the bench the rest of the game because coaches realize that goals win games, not PIM.

John Scott added nothing of real value. Him fighting George Parros simply because they were playing each other did nothing for me--I'd watch boxing if I wanted to see that. But fights generated out of real bad blood? Yeah, those can stay.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Yep. The biggest factor in the drop in scoring is the increase in goalie size, growth in the size of their equipment and the increased skill level/techniques of goalies. Increasing the net size is the easiest and smartest solution. The amount of net area to shoot at has decreased incredibly from the high scoring 80s.

Lots to shoot at there.

For these clamoring about interference. The amount of hooking holding, tackling and interference that went on back in the 1980s was incredible. Scoring was off the charts back then. Today's game is far more open.

I went back and watched parts of classic games on NHL.com from the 1980s. And I remember games from the later parts of the 1980s. I saw similar or less interference. Lots of skating room on smaller rinks.

What I did notice was the size of goalies. Grant Fuhr, for example, looks tiny in his gear in 1981 compared to later in the decade.

Also, I think it's important to notice the explosion of butterfly style goalies.

So, on your first point, I don't agree. I think refs can call interference and open up the game. Worked in the NFL with pass interference.

On your second point, completely agree.