The point total of the top players is a joke

[Coastal Kev]

I enjoy watching skilled players snipe.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

I dunno, I like watching a 2-1, 3-2 game

 

[drganon]

I would settle for better officiating.

 

[billybudd]

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.

One might argue that greatly increasing goaltending equipment size (while even more greatly reducing the weight of said equipment) and not calling rule violations that are on the book are not less "artificial" methods of depressing goal totals than making the nets bigger is of increasing it.

Not that I'm in favor of making the nets bigger, exactly, but "artificiality" isn't why. Artificial means got us into this mess in the first place.

 

[Nolanitis]

One might argue that greatly increasing goaltending equipment size (while even more greatly reducing the weight of said equipment) and not calling rule violations that are on the book are not less "artificial" methods of depressing goal totals than making the nets bigger is of increasing it.

Not that I'm in favor of making the nets bigger, exactly, but "artificiality" isn't why. Artificial means got us into this mess in the first place.

that would not make much of a difference with the way teams bring 5 players to protect the "house". Every shooting angle seems to have someone there to block shots

 

[gphr513]

I've thought about what it would be like to make the nets just an inch taller and wider. Most of the shots off the pipe/bar would then be goals.

I'd be interested to see it.

Would an inch wider and taller be a negligible difference for goalies, or would that like, throw off their whole equilibrium?

 

[startainfection*]

I dunno, I like watching a 2-1, 3-2 game

do u not like watching 5-4 or 6-5 games too?

 

[startainfection*]

I would settle for better officiating.

i always say how i want everything to be called but the games where there have only been one penalty a side have been way more exciting but then again both teams were way more disciplined in those games which means the game was that much faster with out the borderline picks and hooks

 

[billybudd]

that would not make much of a difference with the way teams bring 5 players to protect the "house". Every shooting angle seems to have someone there to block shots

That's another "artificial" equipment problem. Reason no coaches tried that strategy in higher-scoring eras is because the injury toll would be extremely high. I think it was Craig Muni who used to tape catalogues behind his shinpads so his legs wouldn't break when he was blocking shots. Later in his career, he'd drop to his knees and block shots with his thighs because the bones in his lower legs had taken too much damage. Most guys just didn't bother with this.


But yeah, it's a separate problem that has nothing to do with the rulebook.

 

[SuperUnknown]

Disallow butterfly goaltending

 

[Derrty]

Players aren't very talented these days. I could probably play on most teams 2nd line.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

people keep bringing up the 80s. Scoring was super high in the 90s too. At least up until around 98.

 

[cassius]

Sophisticated defensive systems, michelin man goalie equipment, and bad reffing is why point totals are so low

 

[tampa pred]

that would not make much of a difference with the way teams bring 5 players to protect the "house". Every shooting angle seems to have someone there to block shots

This. Everybody blocks shots in today's game. Protective equipment (i.e. kevlar boots) have made players not think twice about stepping in from of a booming slap shot. No way to get around it; unless your going to tell players that they can't wear shin guards.

 

[drw02]

They need to stop calling offsides when it's so close. So many rushes (and probably offense) are killed by overly eager linesmen looking show off their amazing ability to tell if someone was in ahead of the puck by a fraction of a second.... If it's bang-bang just let it go...the purpose of offsides is to prevent players from just chilling in the offensive zone all game not to kill legitimate offensive rushes.

 

[Pavelski2112]

ITT and every thread like it:

If there's any problem with the league, it's just consistency in officiating. Not necessarily calling anything more or less, just calling it the same every game.

 

[Bradys Boys]

We're in a time where the league is pretty balanced out and there isn't a few teams stacked that will always be on top.

Sure the Hawks and Kings will be favourites but it's really anyones game. Hawks got beat by Phoenix of all teams a couple years ago so it's possible to knock the tops dogs out.

 

[Team_Spirit]

people keep bringing up the 80s. Scoring was super high in the 90s too. At least up until around 98.

goalies in '98 :

 

[mike14]

with the regard to the more lenient off-side rules, would it work if you just made the bluelines wider? For example, if you made them a few feet wide it should get ride of a lot of those "just over the line" offside calls

 

[rumrokh]

people keep bringing up the 80s. Scoring was super high in the 90s too. At least up until around 98.

Not really. In 96-97, only there were only .32 more goals per game. And only .2 more even strength goals per game. And that's for both teams. So if your team was average, you could expect them to score one more total goal every six games. You have to go back to '92 before the number really climbs.

 

[kingsholygrail]

The last traditionally defined dynasty team was in the 80's, which was not only before the salary cap, but was before free agency and money really became a thing.

The dead puck era was with no cap too.

Not everything was on video back then either. Now, every little thing players do or don't do, can or can't do, is known, by everyone.

What we need to recreate the 80's are the conditions in the 80's.

So we get rid of HD coverage and review. Bring back the old grainy coverage. Was there even an NHLPA in the 80s? We could get rid of that too..

 

[Daishi]

The thing I hate the most about the suggestions regarding goal size is the fact that hockey is a global sport. Should NHL have different size goals than every other country? Should every other country and league automatically follow suit? Otherwise people in KHL or SEL or whatever play a different sport, and the players might not be able to make the transition either. Likewise consider junior hockey. Should goal size increase in juniors too? How would you develop goalies and their technique if the size of the goal isn't set in stone and varies from league to league?

Basically I don't see changing the size of the goal as an option at all. The whole idea is dead to me.

The goalie equipment can be adjusted though, and I'm mostly talking about chest and shoulder protectors, not the pads since they were already adjusted enough. The shoulder protectors are clearly elevated a few inches just to cover the top corners in butterfly better and don't actually protect the goalie at all.

Other than that I'd look at officiating and the rules regarding icing and other delays of game. That's about it.

 

[the_fan]

One of the reasons the scoring is down is goalies are bigger and better now days, but mainly it's because the offensive talent is not what it was lets says back in 80's and 90's.

Look at how many 100 point players they had back in 90's and compare it to today. Outside of Crosby no one gets 100 points today.

 

[SladeWilson23]

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.

My goal is to give shots off the goal post a better chance of going in. The only chance a shot off the post has of going in the net is if it's off the very inside of the post.

 

[Frank Garrett]

goalies in '98 :

Yo, that's Sergei Fedorov! He was da man!