[Erick Estrada]

Ben Bishop is an average goaltender that just happens to be massive. It's all about covering the net and making yourself big. JS Giguere made a very nice career out of wearing oversized equipment and being big rather than outright skill.

I don't think there's a fix for the lack of creativity because coaches will always create the systems to take away the opposition's skill and level the playing field. It only took one season for the league to put the clamps down on the Flames stretch pass transition game. Plus teams all collapse in front of the net taking away shots as it's pretty rare that shots from the blue line even make it to the net and if it does it has to beat a goaltender that's so big he covers 2/3 of the net. You aren't going to see guys like Lafleur skating in on the wing shooting pucks on the net because defensemen are back and are going to get a stick or their body in front of the shot. Also now 4th line players can play hockey. There's no room for goons and plugs which means top lines can't exploit substandard talent on the ice like they could in Lafleur's days. Matt Stajan in the early 80's would be a 60 point player but today he's a 4th line center in the NHL.

I don't think you will ever see the fire wagon hockey that Lafleur misses but at least shrinking the equipment would result in more goals and more goaltenders to sink or swim with actual elite skill over these hulking guys that use their bodies to take away the angles and space. There's no quick fix though as the game has changed and players are all bigger, faster, and better.