The point total of the top players is a joke

[Doctyl]

Do people really have such a hard time appreciating the game as it is that they would want the league to do something crazy like add an extra foot to the nets? That's just artificially increasing goals for the hell of it. Scoring chances makes for exciting hockey, not goals.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Do people really have such a hard time appreciating the game as it is that they would want the league to do something crazy like add an extra foot to the nets? That's just artificially increasing goals for the hell of it. Scoring chances makes for exciting hockey, not goals.

Nostalgia.

 

[colchar]

56 points? This is *****ed honestly.Scoring has to go up again.

The top players are struggling to stay above a point per game.

Would you prefer the NBA on ice?

 

[member 151739]

Do people really have such a hard time appreciating the game as it is that they would want the league to do something crazy like add an extra foot to the nets? That's just artificially increasing goals for the hell of it. Scoring chances makes for exciting hockey, not goals.

It's not artificially increasing goals for the hell of it, it's adapting. But that's not the biggest issue. The obstruction is the biggest issue, and calling that would lead to more scoring chances and more goals and better saves. And like I said earlier, sure we'd have a season or two with outrageous amounts of PPs, but sooner or later, the players would get into the pattern of not freaking interfering, holding up on guys, setting picks, and what have you. It would take time. Can't expect players to change overnight.

 

[Hounsy]

I'd like to see zero tolerance on stick work. The little taps to the hands and arms the slight tugs with the blade that rarely get called. If your stick gets into someones hand and it wasn't due to lifting of the stick from below first it should be a penalty every time.

 

[Canadian Wampa]

Goalies have also gotten much bigger. 20 years or so ago the average height of a goalie was 5'11'', Nowadays the average goalie height is 6'2'', while the nets have stayed the same size.

 

[Cory Trevor]

IMO, try a different shape tubing for the goalposts. Give any shot that hits the post a better chance at entering the net just from the ricochet of the puck.

I've never even thought of this, and it may be a bit hokey but it certainly is an interesting idea. I don't know how much it would affect it, but still I find it rather interesting.

 

[penguins2946*]

Don't even worry about the net sizes or goalie equipment. Just start calling obstruction penalties like they are supposed to. That would solve a lot of issues.

 

[DJJones]

Do you guys have boring teams to watch or what? Haven't enjoyed the game so much in over 10 years.

6-1 games are infinitely more boring to watch than a 2-1 game. Feels like a goal is earned now adays.

Is it nostalgia? If you put Crosby and two other elite players on a non salary cap line, tell them to not give a **** about defense all while playing them 30 minutes a night you would see some ridiculous numbers. Wouldn't go back to that if I had the choice.

Look at NFL, it's getting hard to watch with all the rules banning defense. All time records should not be getting broke every other year.

 

[cassius]

You can thank the refs

 

[startainfection*]

Expansion and making the cap floor and ceiling gap closer than what it is would do wonders for the league

 

[Captain Bowie]

I'd rather see higher point toals too, even the early 00's had more impressive numbers.

It did?

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

5 100+ point seasons in 4 years. We've had 26 in the 9 years since.

 

[Bending and Tending]

It's not artificially increasing goals for the hell of it, it's adapting.

It's not adapting as much as it is taking the easy way out to appease a handful of fans. Players score less goals, so they haven't adapted to better goalies.

Might as well give up the blueline too with this logic. Players still go offside, so they haven't adapted to the rule, time for change right?

 

[Chileiceman]

Within one season more powerplays would increase 5 on 5 goals because players would clutch and grab a whole lot less. Eventually power plays would be reduced just by players being more disciplined. Problem is the league never makes refs do their job.

Again, I watch a ton of hockey, not just my team, and I fail to see uncalled clutching and grabbing as a major problem. Are the referees inconsistent at times? Yes. But I don't think clutching and grabbing is currently having a major effect on 5 on 5 play. Like I said before, go back and watch pre-lockout hockey. There it was having an indisputable effect on players ability to generate offense at even strength. The two-line pass rule didn't help either.

What you are describing has already happened. After the lock-out, there was an insane amount of power plays due to players having not yet adjusted to the new rules. Eventually the "new NHL" forced players like Derian Hatcher or other big, slow defensemen out of the league. Once these guys were fazed out and players got used to the new rules, there was less clutching and grabbing and fewer power plays. Fewer power plays led to less scoring.

I attribute the decline in 5 on 5 scoring to parity (there are fewer terrible teams and fewer unbelievably stacked teams like 80's Oilers or 90's Penguins, Avs, Red Wings), improved defensive systems and lack of teams willing to play run and gun hockey, emphasis on shot blocking and bigger goalies / goalie equipment.

I think the Dallas Stars are a good example of how much coaching can influence scoring. They trade chances a lot, and play pretty wide open hockey. As a result, they are first in the league in ES goals per game. They are also 26th in the league in ES GA. Part of this could be attributed to having received some substandard goaltending, but it could also mean that they give up high quality chances. The point of this is that they play old school run and gun hockey, have 2 very dangerous lines, get significant depth scoring from guys like Roussel and Garbutt and get a lot of offensive contributions from defensemen like Goligoski, Daley and Klingberg. Because they are one of the few teams that puts offense above defence or even puck possession (I'm looking at you Minnesota), they are proof of the big role coaching has in the way the game is played today.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Personally, I think they should just make the nets a bit bigger and not tell anyone. I don't think anyone is going to hold a ruler up to their TV screen if scoring starts going up again.

 

[PsYcNeT]

Goalies have also gotten much bigger. 20 years or so ago the average height of a goalie was 5'11'', Nowadays the average goalie height is 6'2'', while the nets have stayed the same size.

This is just as dumb as the "raise the nets to 11 feet" thing that gets bandied about on basketball forums.

 

[quackquackquack]

How the hell would expansion help the scoring problem? You'd be spreading talent thinner.

But seriously, it boils down to officiating. Call the holds and interference, drive up the amount of power plays, scoring increases, rinse and repeat.

 

[Chileiceman]

This is just as dumb as the "raise the nets to 11 feet" thing that gets bandied about on basketball forums.

Except if anything basketball players are getting shorter, so the arguments are not similar at all, as one makes some logical sense, while the other doesn't.

For the record, I'd rather they make goalie pads even smaller before tinkering with the nets.

 

[Bending and Tending]

No defensive zone line change during play stoppage
No line change after a penalty (for the PK team) during play stoppage.

This would keep tired players in the zone when the goalie covers the puck and a tired PK unit for the start of the powerplay. In addition, the PK unit would almost always have to clear the puck to make a change, rather than a goalie covering the puck. I see this particularly effective during the second period

 

[MilanKraft*]

Strikeouts are insanely high in baseball, and walks are also down. Not to mention there's been 18 no-hitters since 2008. There was a grand total of ZERO from 2004-2007.

Yeah that's why I stopped watching baseball since 2000

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Yeah it's terrrible. Even Crosby had 56 in 36 during the lockout, it seems like scoring went down even more.

 

[Number 57]

The two ideas I like the most in this thread are having a longer playing surface (not wider) and not calling offsides when it's close.

Longer surface = stretching out the D and allowing speedy and skilled forwards more room in the neutral zone to create offense and gain the zone in control. Offensive dman that can breakout well would be very important and more offense would get created. Less dump and chase would happen. Forwards could stretch out the Ds by cherry-picking which would allow for easier zone breakouts.

Not calling close offsides = I mean who cares if the teammate is 1cm across the line. It really doesn't change anything in the grand scheme of things. Gaining the zone with control of the puck is the best way to create offense, and this rule change would certainly help in that regards. I mean players wouldn't do it on purpose to be off-side, because refs can still call it if it's too obvious. But having a bit of a leeway would back the defenders off and would allow forwards more room to make moves and plays. Puck passing and possession in the offensive zone would increase instead of dump & chase and board plays.

More exciting play, more offense and more scoring, without changing the game too much.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Make a rule that goalies can NOT train during summer, and they must gain 25 pounds of fat between their last game of the previous season and their first game of the next season. If they break this, they get a lifetime ban and lose their life long "free donuts" card that can be redeemed at any donut shop.

That'll fix'er.

 

[Sky04]

It did?

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

5 100+ point seasons in 4 years. We've had 26 in the 9 years since.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

And since 10-11 we've had 3 100 point scorers and only 6 times has 90 points been reached.

Where as in those 4 years you posted, 100 points was scored 5 times and 90 points 14 times with more obstruction and hooking none the less.

 

[mja]

The two ideas I like the most in this thread are having a longer playing surface (not wider) and not calling offsides when it's close.

Longer surface = stretching out the D and allowing speedy and skilled forwards more room in the neutral zone to create offense and gain the zone in control. Offensive dman that can breakout well would be very important and more offense would get created. Less dump and chase would happen. Forwards could stretch out the Ds by cherry-picking which would allow for easier zone breakouts.

Not calling close offsides = I mean who cares if the teammate is 1cm across the line. It really doesn't change anything in the grand scheme of things. Gaining the zone with control of the puck is the best way to create offense, and this rule change would certainly help in that regards. I mean players wouldn't do it on purpose to be off-side, because refs can still call it if it's too obvious. But having a bit of a leeway would back the defenders off and would allow forwards more room to make moves and plays. Puck passing and possession in the offensive zone would increase instead of dump & chase and board plays.

More exciting play, more offense and more scoring, without changing the game too much.

1) Changing the rink dimensions is a logistical impossibility.

2) If you start to get fuzzy on off-sides, players will abuse it.