Is there a new type of goal scorer/sniper that could be classified?

[bert]

Old style player actually but Reinhart absolutely snipes.

 

[Legionnaire11]

John LeClair was a tremendous clean up guy around the crease. First US player to hit back-to-back-to-back 50 goal seasons and many of them were in tight collecting Lindros' garbage.

 

[NickyFotiu]

The Garbage Man, and it's not new.

Andreychuck scored 640 goals and he could barely skate.

Neely made his living in front of the net.

Tim Kerr was one of the best PP power forwards in the 80s.

Neely Scored goals from a lot of places. He was a very good shooter imo.

Tim Kerr was often a higher out from the crease. More towards the slot sort of like Esposito than a crease garbage cleanup guy.

 

[BLNY]

Neely Scored goals from a lot of places. He was a very good shooter imo.

Tim Kerr was often a higher out from the crease. More towards the slot sort of like Esposito than a crease garbage cleanup guy.

Neither were off the rush. They made a living posting up like a low post player in the NBA. They could bounce out and shoot - and yes Neely could shoot - but they terrorized D and goalies by being in their faces.

 

[PaulD]

Not new. Just add these terms to your hockey lexicon: "Crease rats", "garbage goals", "dirty areas". As previously mentioned, Esposito and Cicarelli (among others) had great success as that type of scorer.

In the bygone era a player had to have the attitude/willingness to absorb an inordinate amount of punishment, abuse, and cheap shots to make the crease their office combined with quick hand/eye and close-quarter skills to make it pay off. They were the antithesis of a soft, perimeter player.

Changes in rules/penalties have made playing on or near the crease far more benign and has diminished the notion of it being a specialized role not unlike being a "power forward". Better goalies mean more players have become adept at the skill of redirecting/deflecting/tipping pucks.

Of course, redirects/tips and cleaning up rebounds were never garbage, and lucky deflections from simply being there creating chaos/screens aren't exactly either. It just means they aren't pretty. Despite the changes, players who have a consistent knack for being there to exploit and finish fleeting, close-in opportunities will always get noticed.

Good post.
And yes, the net front presence far less punishing on forwards than it used to be.

 

[boompuffboom]

yeah thats all i got, have a nice goal--day!

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

The way OP phrased this thread makes it sound like the idea of players trying to get as close to the net as possible before shooting is some new strategy that was created by Zach Hyman. The front of the net has always been the spot on the ice where players battled the hardest for every inch of ice.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Pavelski was doing that forever.

 

[Szechwan]

He might have invented the stand on the far post and wait for McDavid to bank it off him. A backboard specialist.

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