Hockey Trash Talk & BS thread

It was really just a bunchhhhh of odd man rushes in the second that broke things open. Just about every shift was getting one.

 

I think Spector is an idiot but this one is hard to argue

Why it's time to call NHL goaltenders' bluff

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/why-its-time-to-call-nhl-goaltenders-bluff/

 

Personally I think the lack on scoring in recent years is hugely influenced by how structured defenses have become. Defenseman don't try to score near as often, blocked shots are way more common, lanes are always being closed off, and in general it's harder to get good quality shot on net.

Look at the all-star game where everybody is afraid to get hurt. Hardly any hitting, blocked shots are non-existent, and there really isn't any defensive scheme. The result? 10+ goals per team, even with top of the heap goaltenders.

Just my $0.02

 

Read the part about save percentage at the end though

 

Yeah I saw that. I have no doubt that the way larger equipment is having an affect as well, just that the goalies are also benefitting from much better D in front of them.

I have no doubt cutting down on gear size would still cause more goals though. But so would actually calling penalties late in the third period of close games. The refs hate giving a team a PP at the end of a game when it's close haha

 

remember when Garth Snow looked like Optimus Prime?

 

With the 6" tall shoulder pads

 

Interesting. they already made gear smaller once before, I think it was in 2007ish. they trimmed the leg pads by 1 or 1.5 inches in width. they also made blockers and catch gloves smaller. and the jerseys are more form fitted than they used to be in the early 2000's. I dont disagree that materials have come a long way and there is still more to take from the tops of the shoulders on the chest protectors and the thighs of the pants. I would love to see a more athletic breed of goaltender back in the game. missing watching brodeur.

 

I think increasing the size of the nets is almost blasphemy as it is a fundemental part of the game . Changing the net size puts an asterisk beside all goal and point records going forward

I'm not a fan

 

They either shoud put a height limit on goalies, say 5'9" or mandate female only goalies. That might help...

 

Agreed.

 

I was onboard until i read this comment then it made sense why the author is an idiot on this:

"Goalie equipment does not tell the whole story. If you think so, you're obviously not a goalie. I'm all for the changes in equipment size if it's still protective, but you know nothing about the position if you think it's all in the equipment.

Yes, it's equipment size that prevents the cheesy 5 hole goals from the glory years, not the fact that goalies simply drop to their knees to block that part of the net. Fun fact: they could have done that in the 80s, but elected to keep their 5 holes open via skate save.

Yes it's equipment size making those low corner saves that would have been (Easy) goals in the 80s, not the fact that goalies react properly to to the shot with the low portion of their legs (which, is actually SMALLER than it's been since the early 1900s).

Yes it's equipment size taking the top portion of the net away in close, not the fact that goalies stay up instead of doing something stupid like sprawling or stacking the pads.

Goalies training harder than ever before? Equipment size.

Goalies not freaking out emotionally during a game, leading to even more bad results? Equipment size.

Defense blocking high quality scoring chances for the good of the team? Goalie equipment size.

Defense rarely allowing a breakaway? Goalie equipment size.

Back checking? Goalie equipment size."

Like evreything in life, people learn to adapt and get better. Same with the positions of Defense and Goalie. Look how many defensemen play the puck now a days and can skate? Hell half of them would embarrass the scoreing leaders of the 80s if you put them on offense. The last thing i want is to see hockey turn into a basketball or something like that, right now its almost a chess match with the low scoreing.

 

I guess for me, being a younger person who wasn't around in the 80's and still too young to even remember hockey from the 90's or early 2000's I just don't see the huge deal with the average goals per game being around 5... To me, when I think of a 5 goal game, either something like 3-2 or 4-1 that seems like a pretty normal scoring game and not boring by any stretch. Thats likely at least a goal per period and probably some good back and forth action. Maybe I'd feel different if I had been around when way more goals were scored but for me i don't quite get all the hubbub about scoring

 

The games now are a lot more exciting from a speed and skill standpoint. The games back then were far more physical. I grew up going to hawks games in the 90s when my parents had season tickets and i would take a low scoring game now, over a high scoring one back then.

 

Goalie equipment is huge right now

 

If you reduce the size of goalie equipment and still teach the butterfly technique people are going to get hurt more often.

 

What they need to do is allow a bouncier puck to be used. Or maybe even use the pinball bumpers on the end boards. That will make the game more exciting!

I don't understand the issue...they want more scoring to make the game more exciting? Look at last nights scores. Nothing is wrong with that.

 

Please god no. Have you ever linesed hockey? It's hard enough to keep control on the drop of an unfrozen puck and have the players actually be able to keep control of it too, that's why the NHL and most high level hockey leagues keep there pucks frozen to keep them from getting to bouncy. If the puck was made even softer... no control, out of play all the time... I know you're joking but it would be my nightmare.

 

I guess that question is has the NHL seen some loss in viewers that they can directly attribute to slightly lower scoring games?

Or do they just want higher scoring games just for fun?

 

Goals are exciting, plain and simple. I agree with equipment regulation, but like the rest of you purists I see no reason to make any other changes at this point.

That said, I love the 3 on 3 and the fact that they started calling the hooking and holding of the 90's. It improved the game 100fold