Firstly, the reason I started thinking about this is that Calgary this year has been lighting it up. It’s awesome. With 250 goals in 70 games, they are on pace for 293 goals this year, and with a very strong finish could push for 300. I wanted to look back and see how that stacked up over time. (Also that led to a look at goal scoring over time, including before and after the dead puck era, and some factors that impacted it.)
300 is still a stretch, but it has only been done 3 times in the NHL from 1996-97 forward!
Here are all of the 300+ goal seasons in the NHL since 1995-96.
2009-10: Caps had 313.
2005-06: Ottawa 312, Detroit 301
Fun facts:
- Flames have scored over 300 goals 13 times. The last time was 1993-94
- In 1987-88 they scored a franchise high 397.
- Flames passed last year’s dismal total of 226 goals last month, ie. in February. I think it was the game against Ottawa.
So the last time the Flames scored over 300 was prior to the ‘dead puck era’.
Then I looked back at the years prior to that and trying to remember what exactly changed.
I kind of remembered the dead puck era as generally post 1994 lockout. People talked about the trap, goaltending getting better, etc.
Around 1995-96 and 1996-97 is where the massive step down seems to have happened, but it was kind of over two years.
The top team, the Penguins, dropped from 362 to 285 GF. Mario’s points went from 161 to 122 that year.
Mind you, league average goals did not drop as substantially immediately.
NHL team goals per game and PP goals per game from 1990 onwards
* 1990-91: 3.46 - 0.89
* 1991-92: 3.48 - 0.97
* 1992-93: 3.63 - 1.03
* 1993-94: 3.24 - 0.90
* 1994-95: 2.99 - 0.77 (Lockout shortened. Jersey wins first cup trapping)
* 1995-96: 3.14 - 0.90 ( increase in ‘calling the rules by the book’ - note the PP goal bump)
1996-97: 2.92 - 0.67 (tag up rule change implemented)
1997-98: 2.64 - 0.70
1998-99: 2.63 - 0.69
1999-2000: 2.75 - 0.65 (crease rule removed)
2000-01: 2.76 - 0.76
2001-02: 2.62 - 0.65
2002-03: 2.65 - 0.73
2003-04: 2.57 - 0.70
2004-05: * Lockout - many rule changes - tag up rule reinstated, red line removal, goalie equipment major changes, trapezoid rule
2005-06: 3.08 - 1.03
2006-07: 2.95 - 0.85
2007-08: 2.78 - 0.76
2008-09: 2.91 - 0.79
2009-10: 2.84 - 0.68
2010-11: 2.79 - 0.64
2011-12: 2.73 - 0.57
2012-13: 2.72 - 0.61
2013-14: 2.74 - 0.59
2014-15: 2.73 - 0.57
2015-16: 2.71 - 0.58
2016-17: 2.77 - 0.57 - goalie pants reduced mid season
2017-18: 2.97 - 0.61
2018-19: 3.03 - 0.59 - goalie chest protector reduced prior to season . Flames are awesome again.
Here are some more detail on the rule changes that were implemented to influence scoring.
Selected rule changes taken from
https://records.nhl.com/history/historical-rule-changes
with some added notes
Quote:
1990-91 The goal lines, blue lines, defensive zone face-off circles and markings all moved one foot out from the end boards, creating 11 feet of room behind the nets and shrinking the neutral zone from 60 to 58 feet.
1991-92 Video replays employed to assist referees in goal/no goal situations. Size of goal crease increased. Crease changed to semi-circular configuration.
... Penalties added for crease infringement and unnecessary contact with goaltender. Goal disallowed if puck enters net while a player of the attacking team is standing on the goal crease line, is in the goal crease or places his stick in the goal crease.
1992-93 ... Minor penalty for attempting to draw a penalty ("diving"). Game misconduct penalty for instigating a fight
1993-94 High sticking redefined to allow goals scored with a high stick below the height of the crossbar of the goal frame.
1995-96 - (DM: no rule changes, but an increase in ‘calling the rules by the book’ leading to a boost in power play goals )
1996-97 ... All players must be clear of the attacking zone prior to the puck being shot into that zone. The opportunity to "tag-up" and return into the zone has been removed.
1998-99 Goal line moved to 13 feet from end boards. Goal crease altered to extend one foot beyond each goal post (eight feet across in total. Sides of crease squared off, extending 4'6". Only the top of the crease remains rounded. Only the top of the crease remains rounded.
1999-2000 (DM: After Stanley Cup embarrassment.. ) Crease rule revised to implement a "no harm, no foul, no video review" standard. Teams to play with four skaters and a goaltender in regular-season overtime. If a goal is scored in regular-season overtime, the winner is awarded two points and the loser one point. In no goal is scored in overtime, both teams are awarded one point.
2005-06 The NHL adopted a comprehensive package of rule changes that included the following: Goal line moved to 11 feet from end boards; blue lines moved to 75 feet from end boards, reducing neutral zone from 54 feet to 50 feet. Center red line eliminated for two-line passes. "Tag-up" off-side rule reinstituted. Goaltender not permitted to play the puck outside a designated trapezoid-shaped area behind the net. A team that ices the puck is not permitted to make any player substitutions prior to the ensuing faceoff. ... The size of goaltender equipment reduced. If a game remains tied after five minutes of overtime, winner determined by shootout.
(DM: Goalie gloves and jersey sizes reduced. Pad height proportional to player height and width reduced from 12 to 11 inches)
2011-12
(DM: Goalie pad height reduced)
2015-16 Teams to play with three skaters and a goaltender in regular-season overtime. Coaches may request video review of off-sides or goaltender interference when a goal is scored.
2016-17 - (DM: Feb 2017 - goalie pants size reduced)
2018-19 (DM: Goalie chest protector size reduced )
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I know that over time, we saw scoring dry up in the dead puck era
- the trap was implemented, perfected, imitated and subsequently rules instated to try and negate it
- Goalies got better and equipment size got silly
- The tag up rule survived a while and correlated as well with that dead puck era, except for year 1.
To get scoring back, there were a lot of rules specifically to thwart the play elements that made the trap successful, crackdown on obstruction, the removal of the red line, introduction of the trapezoid.
Is the impact of the tag up rule as part of the dead puck era underestimated?
There is a lot more review of goals due to goaltender interference and offside now. It doesn’t seem to have impacted overall scoring though
I don’t know what the point of this was. Just interested in looking over time and seeing how we got here, thinking about what worked and what didn’t.
Do you think we are at a sweet spot for hockey now in terms of overall offense?
Anything you would like to see changed?