Fix what's obviously broken, NHL needs more goals

[Mathgod]

There's a MUCH better way to increase scoring and flow of the NHL game than to increase the net size.

I'll share it.... once Bettman ponies up for it.

[GirlySports]

I made a thread addressing similar issues.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=145809

One I like is how about when a team takes a penalty they can't change. Guy goes to the box and the same 4 guys must start the penalty kill.

[VladtheImpaler]

Completely agree with OP. When you factor in equipment, Bishop covers as much net as 3 Jacque Plante's. The net is exactly the same, yet the average man is, I am guessing, 6" taller? With the proportionally greater wingspan. The equipment is ridiculous and has nothing to do with safety anymore.
Yes, actually calling infractions would help too, but let's at least account for human evolution and make the nets proportional to the athlete. It's much more fun to watch a goalie move than to watch man-mountain on his knees blocking the whole net.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I made a thread addressing similar issues.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=145809

One I like is how about when a team takes a penalty they can't change. Guy goes to the box and the same 4 guys must start the penalty kill.

That is a player safety issue.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

That is a player safety issue.

it's no different than icing.

[mhsyyc]

I like the idea of making the nets bigger. Goalies today are massively bigger than the we're even 20 years ago. Making the nets a few inches bigger and higher wont substantially change the game but it would result in some more goals. Unless, of course, GM's start drafting fat guys like me to fill the net.

[kn]

One thing no one ever brings up is making a powerplay a full two or four minutes, even if the team scores. Why should the team taking the penalty be given a reprieve if the other team scores within 15 seconds?

I'd really like to see 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an OT win, 1 for a SHO win, and 0 otherwise.

The more I think about it, the less problem I have with making the nets one inch bigger all the way around. I doubt most people would even notice but it might give shooters a little more daylight.

[CliffFletcher]

There's been talk in the league of penalizing shot blocking. Not only does it decrease scoring, it increases injuries.

[Oil Stain]

I've seen a few calls to tweak powerplays to make them more effective.

I don't think this is the way to go for one reason:

1. Powerplays are already at basically at an all time low and that's a big reason for the drop off in scoring among the top tier players this season. If you increase the effectiveness of powerplays then the refs will just call fewer of them.




They could try to enforce the rules again, but that never seems to stick.

I wouldn't be opposed to banning full body shot blocking.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Green text in a couple of these posts I'm assuming?

Ban shot blocking? Good one.

[nik-]

It's just the size of the goalie equipment imo. That's the easiest fix. We've got the best tech ever in gear and they've stacked it with also increasing the size way too much. You're never going to take away the blocking from the game at this point and you're never going to get back to small goalies. I'd also rather not watch a penalty parade in every game.

[Alberta_Beef]

I would make 2 changes.

1. Full 2 minute penalties.
2. Long change in periods 1 & 3, rather than the 2nd.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Good thread. For me, refereeing the game properly is #1. Stop trying to manage the game. The stakes don't matter, call the game by the rulebook.

#2 is also definitely goalie equipment size.

#3 take away hybrid icing. Are injuries actually down from this rule change?

[nik-]

hybrid icing seems like an odd thing to complain about when it comes to goal scoring

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by nik-

hybrid icing seems like an odd thing to complain about when it comes to goal scoring

How many times does the team who "iced" the puck actually win or at least equal the race to the hashmarks? I guess I just see it a lot. Then you have a faceoff at the opposite end of the ice, when it could have been a scoring chance.

It discourages a crazy forecheck.

[calf]

I hate when a good cycle is interrupted because the puck goes 3mm over the blue line to be called offside.

What if once a team gained the offensive zone, the puck has to cross over the red line before the attacking team has too clear the offensive zone?

It could keep plays going longer, allow for more creative use of the ice. Might be tough to transition/change on the fly though.


...or try those extra thick blue lines again.

[troutman]

All we need to do:

Reduce size of goalie equipment. The big goaltenders of today can sit in the butterfly all night and shots just hit them.

More importantly - stop refs from putting the whistles away in the playoffs. It gets worse as each round passes. TB was getting away with a ton of obstruction in the last two rounds.

I love shot blocking and wouldn't do anything to curtail it.

[Mister Yamoto]

I don't know how I feel about making the nets bigger. But if it happens, make the nets taller. Bring back the stand up goalie.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

How many times does the team who "iced" the puck actually win or at least equal the race to the hashmarks? I guess I just see it a lot. Then you have a faceoff at the opposite end of the ice, when it could have been a scoring chance.

It discourages a crazy forecheck.

It discourages a crazy forecheck? It discourages dumping it in from two zones away and trying to beat a guy into the boards. That's not a crazy forecheck. There's more forechecking in the game now than I can ever remember.

I'd rather have the game much safer and lose the one time out of 50 that it might result in a goal.

[Hanna Sniper]

You want to increase scoring then bring back the 350 PIM goon by eliminating the instigator rule