Around the NHL 2020-2021 | Offseason Edition

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jaster

My dog from Belgium came with frites.
Jun 8, 2007
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As for eliminating off-sides, it's too extreme a measure. It would fundamentally change hockey into a different game. Go watch some A-level pond hockey tournaments, where off-sides usually doesn't exist, to get a glimpse of what this might look like. The game is near unrecognizable. It would be a boring product; bubble hockey with no physicality. A glorified, 60-minute 3v3 OT. No thanks.
 
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Ghost of Ethan Hunt

The Official Ghost of Space Ghosts Monkey
Jun 23, 2018
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yep I read the original post incorrectly. I have color deslexia JK

Disclaimer: This may help with the dyslexia, or make it worse.


The Bruins dressed like a Fruity Peebles themed 80's boy band @ Lake Tahoe.
Bergeron w/a fanny pack! :laugh:

upload_2021-2-21_19-24-42.png
 

MBH

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I'd rather f***ing remove bluelines that change the size of nets.
All bluelines do is create artificial pressure points.
Beer leaguers make the game unrecognizable because it's beer leaguers.
 

jaster

My dog from Belgium came with frites.
Jun 8, 2007
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I'd rather f***ing remove bluelines that change the size of nets.
All bluelines do is create artificial pressure points.
Beer leaguers make the game unrecognizable because it's beer leaguers.

I said A-level. Go to the US Championships in Minneapolis, or Eagle River in Wisconsin. Last time I played in Minnesota, we got knocked out by a team with 2 or 3 former major junior players, and at least one who was a former ECHLer. All were in their 20s and 30s. And that was the damn C division. There were former AHLers and NHLers in the A division. Phil Housley has played there. John Madden. Ryan Malone. Bunch of others I can't remember. The speed is fast in A. But the pace is screwed up, because the transition game is nothing like normal hockey. And, most importantly, there's nothing that shows it would even increase scoring anyway.

Bluelines do much more than create "pressure points." They dictate the structure of the game, from transition to pace to physicality, etc. You're not realizing how much you are changing the game by removing the blue lines. The ice surface would effectively be drastically expanded, without actually making it bigger. It's not feasible. If hockey ever went in this direction, which it won't, it would have to be some kind of compromise. Stagger offsides (puck has to cross the red line before the player crosses the blue line or something), or bring back the two-line pass, or whatever. Something that wouldn't so fundamentally change the game.

Changing the size of the nets is less drastic, but also really stupid.
 

MBH

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I said A-level. Go to the US Championships in Minneapolis, or Eagle River in Wisconsin. Last time I played in Minnesota, we got knocked out by a team with 2 or 3 former major junior players, and at least one who was a former ECHLer. All were in their 20s and 30s. And that was the damn C division. There were former AHLers and NHLers in the A division. Phil Housley has played there. John Madden. Ryan Malone. Bunch of others I can't remember. The speed is fast in A. But the pace is screwed up, because the transition game is nothing like normal hockey. And, most importantly, there's nothing that shows it would even increase scoring anyway.

Bluelines do much more than create "pressure points." They dictate the structure of the game, from transition to pace to physicality, etc. You're not realizing how much you are changing the game by removing the blue lines. The ice surface would effectively be drastically expanded, without actually making it bigger. It's not feasible. If hockey ever went in this direction, which it won't, it would have to be some kind of compromise. Stagger offsides (puck has to cross the red line before the player crosses the blue line or something), or bring back the two-line pass, or whatever. Something that wouldn't so fundamentally change the game.

Changing the size of the nets is less drastic, but also really stupid.

I can't fully realize it... I'd need to see it. I can only imagine what coaches would do to try to slow things down, etc...
The NHL doesn't really want more offense, because more offense creates points disparities.
 

jaster

My dog from Belgium came with frites.
Jun 8, 2007
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I can't fully realize it... I'd need to see it. I can only imagine what coaches would do to try to slow things down, etc...
The NHL doesn't really want more offense, because more offense creates points disparities.

You think? That's actually an interesting proposition I haven't thought about.... the possibility of increased scoring resulting in decreased parity. My initial thought is that the former shouldn't affect the latter, but I don't know. Either way, ultimately, the league cares most about revenue, right? And increasing scoring sells more tickets and merch I would think.
 

MBH

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You think? That's actually an interesting proposition I haven't thought about.... the possibility of increased scoring resulting in decreased parity. My initial thought is that the former shouldn't affect the latter, but I don't know. Either way, ultimately, the league cares most about revenue, right? And increasing scoring sells more tickets and merch I would think.

That's why coaches coach low-event hockey.
It's easier to steal a point in a game that's 2-1 going into the third than it if it's 6-3.
Offense is good for the in-game experience.
But parity sells hope. Ticket sales in shitty markets fall if a team's eliminated 1/2 way into the season. Keep the standings close and more tickets sell.
 
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ArGarBarGar

What do we want!? Unfair!
Sep 8, 2008
44,069
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I don't think parity on a season-by-season basis is as important as parity over the course of multiple years. Teams can be shitty (people can watch superstars beat up on them and show how great they are), but it becomes a problem when they are shitty for 10+ years because they have fewer opportunities to get better.
 

Winger98

Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
23,109
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Cleveland
I said A-level. Go to the US Championships in Minneapolis, or Eagle River in Wisconsin. Last time I played in Minnesota, we got knocked out by a team with 2 or 3 former major junior players, and at least one who was a former ECHLer. All were in their 20s and 30s. And that was the damn C division. There were former AHLers and NHLers in the A division. Phil Housley has played there. John Madden. Ryan Malone. Bunch of others I can't remember. The speed is fast in A. But the pace is screwed up, because the transition game is nothing like normal hockey. And, most importantly, there's nothing that shows it would even increase scoring anyway.

Bluelines do much more than create "pressure points." They dictate the structure of the game, from transition to pace to physicality, etc. You're not realizing how much you are changing the game by removing the blue lines. The ice surface would effectively be drastically expanded, without actually making it bigger. It's not feasible. If hockey ever went in this direction, which it won't, it would have to be some kind of compromise. Stagger offsides (puck has to cross the red line before the player crosses the blue line or something), or bring back the two-line pass, or whatever. Something that wouldn't so fundamentally change the game.

Changing the size of the nets is less drastic, but also really stupid.

I keep coming back to this when trying to think through removing the bluelines. I think it would take skill out of the game, and we'd see a more extreme version of the type of game we see now where teams will throw the puck up ice, play for a tip to eliminate the icing, and just try to out skate each other. I haven't actually seen a game without the bluelines, so I have a hard time really picturing it, but I get what you're saying. Fast but disjointed.

I still want to see the rinks widened a couple of feet and goalies allowed to play the puck.
 
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MBH

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I don't think parity on a season-by-season basis is as important as parity over the course of multiple years. Teams can be shitty (people can watch superstars beat up on them and show how great they are), but it becomes a problem when they are shitty for 10+ years because they have fewer opportunities to get better.

In hotbeds, I agree with you.
But I think the league disagrees.
Personally, I'd prefer a league that lets the stars be stars.
 

Ghost of Ethan Hunt

The Official Ghost of Space Ghosts Monkey
Jun 23, 2018
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41st Anniv. of Miracle On Ice. USA defeats USSR. (at the height of the Cold War, East vs. West).

I was lucky to have watched this live with my Dad, both of us glued to the tv. One of our best memories together. RIP Dad. As soon as we won, we both knew USA was gonna go on & win Gold later in the tourney. I remember Jim Craig after the buzzer, wrapped in the US Flag, skating around looking for his Dad in the stands. Growing up in Long Island, my childhood team (NYI) went on to win 4 straight Cups starting in '80 & the Strive for 5 until they met Gretzky's Oilers (again). The eyes of the world were on this game (it transcended sports). If you think the Wings 4 Cups were special/electric etc. (they all were), multiply that feeling by 5-10x.

upload_2021-2-22_18-20-7.png


&

1st Anniv. of "Mini-Miracle", Zamboni driver beats his own team (TML).

Ayres' win with Hurricanes still surreal on one-year anniversary
 
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Ghost of Ethan Hunt

The Official Ghost of Space Ghosts Monkey
Jun 23, 2018
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Seriously? Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but I thought if anything, we're still coming out even, if not ahead.

What if Skinner bounces back (in a better hockey culture/O6team/Yzerman impact) & he's played on the 2nd/3rd line w/o the pressure. Not bounce back to 40G pre-contract, but ~25g-20a shouldn't be asking too much. He has the skill & I've never been a Skinner fan, or even a Skynyrd fan. Knew that contract was league-wide terribad before it was signed.

Or, give him til seasons end to find his game. Then shop him in the offseason, even if he finds his game, some retention may be required, but we'd have an elite 1C!
 
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