Quote:
Originally Posted by Scary Eloranta
Watching the game as I work and so many things stand out to me. How small the goalies look for one thing. Also - how great were Bob Cole and Dan Kelly at calling the games. In contrast, I find Jim Hughson really flat and rather dull.
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Goaltenders then were small and for the most part terrible (vastly inferior goaltending techniques based mostly on angles and reflexes) by today's standards and talent at the position lagged behind the boom of offensive talent. It is one of the main reasons the 80's were the pinnacle of offensive NHL hockey. Things started to change when Patrick Roy stormed the league with his butterfly style that lent to more athletic goaltender play as well as coaches developing better defensive systems. Now we are kind of on the opposite side of the spectrum with proven defensive systems, large goaltenders, and ridiculously oversized equipment where it's hard to score for even the most gifted players.