....maybe someday. i agree...I hate that pass up the ice and the tip in to the zone....definitely takes away creativity.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 13841.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NHLTIM wrote:....maybe someday. i agree...I hate that pass up the ice and the tip in to the zone....definitely takes away creativity.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 13841.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He lost me when he said:
"You wanna pump up goal-scoring? Call more penalties. And then change the rules on the power play to give a heavy advantage to the team with more man power."

Turk Sanderson wrote:

NHLTIM wrote:....maybe someday. i agree...I hate that pass up the ice and the tip in to the zone....definitely takes away creativity.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 13841.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He lost me when he said:
"You wanna pump up goal-scoring? Call more penalties. And then change the rules on the power play to give a heavy advantage to the team with more man power."

Yeah...I didn't care for that at all. I think that's a problem with the game now. I want more games decided based on 5v5 play.

NHLTIM wrote:

Turk Sanderson wrote:

NHLTIM wrote:....maybe someday. i agree...I hate that pass up the ice and the tip in to the zone....definitely takes away creativity.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 13841.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He lost me when he said:
"You wanna pump up goal-scoring? Call more penalties. And then change the rules on the power play to give a heavy advantage to the team with more man power."

Yeah...I didn't care for that at all. I think that's a problem with the game now. I want more games decided based on 5v5 play.

Exactly...nothing kills the flow and excitement of a game like a bunch of penalties.....that and TV commercial breaks.

I've said it before...the best way to increase scoring is to eliminate the ability of PK to ice the puck during a PP. You could also require that the penalized team play short-handed for the entire 2 minutes. That would probably be good for about a goal a game.

As far as 5v5 play....yeah, I got nuthin'.

They need to make the nets slightly larger. Simple and easy. Scoring is down so much because goalies are just too huge and athletic compared to what they were even 20 years ago. Remember when a .910 save percentage was at the top of the league? There's not much room on the ice but when average goalies like Steve Mason are routinely stopping 92% of the shots they see, there's a real problem. I miss seeing goals scored by wingers on their off wing off the rush.

ratonmono wrote:They need to make the nets slightly larger. Simple and easy. Scoring is down so much because goalies are just too huge and athletic compared to what they were even 20 years ago. Remember when a .910 save percentage was at the top of the league? There's not much room on the ice but when average goalies like Steve Mason are routinely stopping 92% of the shots they see, there's a real problem. I miss seeing goals scored by wingers on their off wing off the rush.

You could probably accomplish something similar just by reducing the profile of the goalie's padding. With all of the advances in lighter yet more protective equipment for skaters, they can certainly make protective equipment for goalies that can withstand a 105 mph slapper without making them any larger than an average skater. There are some goaltenders out there that look more like sumo wrestlers than hockey players.

MissouriMook wrote:

ratonmono wrote:They need to make the nets slightly larger. Simple and easy. Scoring is down so much because goalies are just too huge and athletic compared to what they were even 20 years ago. Remember when a .910 save percentage was at the top of the league? There's not much room on the ice but when average goalies like Steve Mason are routinely stopping 92% of the shots they see, there's a real problem. I miss seeing goals scored by wingers on their off wing off the rush.

You could probably accomplish something similar just by reducing the profile of the goalie's padding. With all of the advances in lighter yet more protective equipment for skaters, they can certainly make protective equipment for goalies that can withstand a 105 mph slapper without making them any larger than an average skater. There are some goaltenders out there that look more like sumo wrestlers than hockey players.

Possibly but they've restricted goalie equipment several times and still the guys look like Michelin men, the goalies themselves are just so big. I mean Ben Bishop is 6'7"?! I remember when Marty brodeur was considered to be a big goalie at 6'2".
There will always be cheaters on the pads, but you can't cheat the net size. I'm not even suggesting much of an increase in size, maybe 1/2" wider and 3/4" taller along with more slender pipes that curve inward. Baseball lowered the mound, the NHL can increase the goal size. They won't but it would sure as hell help the entertainment value.

Only problem I see with altering the configuration of the net is that all the goals around the world would need to be changed for the sake of conformity. How hard would it become to scout goaltenders if even the nets changed across leagues?

ledzeppelinfan1 wrote:Only problem I see with altering the configuration of the net is that all the goals around the world would need to be changed for the sake of conformity. How hard would it become to scout goaltenders if even the nets changed across leagues?

You would need to sell the international hockey community on new net sizes as well. I'm sure the Canadian Juniors, US development leagues, and even college hockey would be a relatively easy sell, but internationally yeah it might pose an issue.
Still. I'm convinced that slightly bigger nets would increase goal production and would require goalies to be more athletic rather than rely on their size and positioning. I really believe that it's the best course of action.

More penalties is OK during the regular season as this year they called the fewest number of penalties ever. That needs to change, they gotta call the rules. But still more penalties does not equal more flow and excitement. More goals off the rush, more goals from the high slot, and more movement from goalies would be more exciting to me anyway.

Why not eliminate the stick curve rules?

Another vote for smaller goalie equipment. These guys are so huge and athletic these days, and with the size of the paraphanalia most times there is literally no shooting window to score. That's not even close to what it used to be like.

For me personally, if they change the net size, that probably ruins the game for me.

I have never looked, but don't international leagues with their larger rink have more scoring? I know NHL owners would resist losing those prime seating spots, but I would think a larger ice rink would open things up more and allow for more offensive scoring opportunities.

Could larger rink sizes be the simplest answer?

The only issue with widening the rinks play wise is that it does open things up, but it also just adjusts the game to be more east-west play not necessarily more exciting and definitely not higher scoring. Most of the international leagues are pretty low scoring. Never mind the fact that owners will never crop out prime seating. Decrreasing the goalie's size or increasing the nets is the only thing that makes sense to me and since we've tried limiting goalie pads to no avail, the nets need to be ever so slightly bigger. I'm not talking soccer sized nets, just something as little as 1" wider & taller would add maybe 20% more goals (just a guess).

ratonmono wrote:...they've restricted goalie equipment several times and still the guys look like Michelin men, the goalies themselves are just so big. I mean Ben Bishop is 6'7"?! I remember when Marty brodeur was considered to be a big goalie at 6'2".

I'm talking about a significant reduction in pad size, using stronger material, so you can normalize their physical profile without exposing the goalies to injury. Ben Bishop should look more like Zdeno Chara with "shin pillows" when you're done. I'd try to make that happen long before I messed with the net dimensions.

MissouriMook wrote:

ratonmono wrote:...they've restricted goalie equipment several times and still the guys look like Michelin men, the goalies themselves are just so big. I mean Ben Bishop is 6'7"?! I remember when Marty brodeur was considered to be a big goalie at 6'2".

I'm talking about a significant reduction in pad size, using stronger material, so you can normalize their physical profile without exposing the goalies to injury. Ben Bishop should look more like Zdeno Chara with "shin pillows" when you're done. I'd try to make that happen long before I messed with the net dimensions.

I'm all for this. Players are blocking so many shots now you can't tell me the goalies need that much more protection.

I have no problem with a large goaltender body-wise but I would like to see the return of goaltenders having to be more agile instead of being a shot-blocking pylon.

Take a gander at what was, and what is...."gee, where did the scoring go?"
http://sportsthenandnow.com/2013/10/23/ ... trictions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NHLTIM wrote:....maybe someday. i agree...I hate that pass up the ice and the tip in to the zone....definitely takes away creativity.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 13841.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And how long before the 95 Devils show up again? Besides, everyone knows Ken Hitchcock is what takes away creativity.

They don't need to "create" more penalties. What they need to do is start calling the ones we have differently.
Quit calling all these dual penalties where neither side goes short handed.
If Player A cheap shots Player B and Player B bounces up and gives him one in return - don't penalize both! Player A gets the penalty. No penalty to Player B.
Start nailing the first offender, and you'll eliminate a bunch of this nonsense. When neither team goes shorthanded, nobody cares, players or coaches, so nothing gets done.

MissouriMook wrote:

ratonmono wrote:They need to make the nets slightly larger. Simple and easy. Scoring is down so much because goalies are just too huge and athletic compared to what they were even 20 years ago. Remember when a .910 save percentage was at the top of the league? There's not much room on the ice but when average goalies like Steve Mason are routinely stopping 92% of the shots they see, there's a real problem. I miss seeing goals scored by wingers on their off wing off the rush.

You could probably accomplish something similar just by reducing the profile of the goalie's padding. With all of the advances in lighter yet more protective equipment for skaters, they can certainly make protective equipment for goalies that can withstand a 105 mph slapper without making them any larger than an average skater. There are some goaltenders out there that look more like sumo wrestlers than hockey players.

This has been eating at me for years, especially when any chatter pops up with all the changes they talk about to try to raise scoring. The freaking goalies are twice the size they were in the good old days, thanks to the ridiculous size of the padding. The catching glove alone is the size of a wheelbarrow now. In the offseason some goalies rent their gloves out to offshore fisherman to haul in lobsters. It's absolutely insane.

NHLTIM wrote:For me personally, if they change the net size, that probably ruins the game for me.

Changing the net size would ruin thr game for you, but ruining the game with re-adding the 2 line pass would not ruin the game for you?

Fair enough.

Probably too late bit i will add my 2 cents.

Goalie pads need to shrink. Immensely.