What would you do to increase offense?

[nfreeman]

I think calling more interference penalties and increasing the size of the nets would help. No way they will shrink the pads out of supposed safety issues and you can't limit players based on size. I also like the idea of getting rid of the trapezoid and finding some way to reduce the number of offsides calls by not calling offsides once the team with the puck gets it past the red line.

 

Just curious -- why do you (and anyone else who supports this) think this would help?  The point of the trapezoid, and I think it's been effective, is to prevent goalies from fishing the puck out of the corners on dump-ins and getting it either out of the zone or to defensemen -- i.e. the trapezoid benefits the forecheck.

 

 

Everyone keeps saying this, but it has never happened in the history of the league, even during the playoffs of the no-touch years, so I think this can be left off of the list of solutions.

 

Huh?  This is exactly what happened in 2005-'06.

[Bob Malooga]

My "other" idea would be to have a two point shot...beyond the circles.

 

A team down by a goal could win the game with one shot, a team down by two could tie it with one shot.

 

(But, the goal has to be clean...it cannot be tipped from the front of the crease, it has to beat the goalie clean from beyond the circles.)

[Drunkard]

Everyone keeps saying this, but it has never happened in the history of the league, even during the playoffs of the no-touch years, so I think this can be left off of the list of solutions.

People keep saying it because the first 2 years after the 04-05 lockout they called more interference penalties and it lead to a more up tempo games and increased overall scoring as shown by the stats in the first post. It still wasn't the Gretzky era flurry of pucks in the net, but games definitely felt more offensively driven.

Just curious -- why do you (and anyone else who supports this) think this would help?  The point of the trapezoid, and I think it's been effective, is to prevent goalies from fishing the puck out of the corners on dump-ins and getting it either out of the zone or to defensemen -- i.e. the trapezoid benefits the forecheck.

 

 

 

Huh?  This is exactly what happened in 2005-'06.

I don't know if getting rid of the trapezoid would aid in scoring at all, I just don't like it in general so if the league is going to make a number of changes I would like that to be part of it. Sure the trapezoid aids forecheckers which could add to turnovers and create offense but goalies who are good at playing the puck can also help to set their team up with scoring chances in transition as well so it's kind of a wash in my eyes with respect to scoring. I just don't care for the trapezoid. I probably should have listed it separately in my post so it didn't get lumped in with the other items that I think would increase scoring.

[mjd1001]

I don't think it is the size of the nets or the goalies alone...I think there is just too much traffic in front of the net.

Too many times I watch a game, and if a shot is taken from more than 15 feet out..odds are it is going to be blocked or hit a leg or arm or something. There is just too much traffic in front of the net.

 

How can get you get rid of that?  making rules, like the 3 second rule in the NBA, might be too hard to enforce and change the game too much. So I go back to what many have said, reduce ALL equipment, not just goalies.  If the skaters have less padding, SOME of the guys might be more reluctant to hang around in the shot lanes...and there is a chance they might be a bit "smaller" (due to less equipment) to let an extra shot or two go though. That is part 1.

 

Part 2..more shots will get through, but the goalies will see more...they have to have reduced padding and/or SLIGHTLY larger nets.

 

A more (and very radical) idea....D-zone wingers cannot come any closer to the net than the faceoff dots.  Only the 2 d-men and Center can...it will allow the offensive team a little more room to work in the O-zone..and maybe clean up the area right in front the the net (although the wingers aren't there all that often)

 

Bottom line..I'm not so much upset with the lack of goals scored..but rather the fact it seems like half the shots are blocked or deflected on the way to the net.

Edited May 15, 2015 by mjd1001

[Samson's Flow]

I think the biggest issue is the defensive team's willingness to shot block till they are blue in the face. The reason everyone is doing this? Because player pads and skate technology is so good that it doesn't even hurt to be hit with a slapshot from the point anymore. Back in the 80's, only a select few crazy mofo's were willing to black shots because they were gonna have a big bruise/welt as a result.

 

If there was a way to reduce player padding to a reasonable level so that they are not skating tanks, then shot blocking would go down, shooting lanes would go up, and we would eliminate the big injuries/concussions from hits using the super hard elbow and shoulder pads as weapons.

 

I am aware that this is a very unconventional solution. softer pads = more scoring chances.

[Doohicksie]

The reason everyone is doing this? Because player pads and skate technology is so good that it doesn't even hurt to be hit with a slapshot from the point anymore.

 

This statement displeases Zemgus.

[Hoss]

My "other" idea would be to have a two point shot...beyond the circles.

 

A team down by a goal could win the game with one shot, a team down by two could tie it with one shot.

 

(But, the goal has to be clean...it cannot be tipped from the front of the crease, it has to beat the goalie clean from beyond the circles.)

Yuck.

[Samson's Flow]

Yuck.

Yeah what is this? bouncyball?  :ph34r:

[SwampD]

Just curious -- why do you (and anyone else who supports this) think this would help?  The point of the trapezoid, and I think it's been effective, is to prevent goalies from fishing the puck out of the corners on dump-ins and getting it either out of the zone or to defensemen -- i.e. the trapezoid benefits the forecheck.

 

 

 

Huh?  This is exactly what happened in 2005-'06.

I wasn't very clear. I meant that even though they called it during the regular season those years, they stopped during the playoffs.

[dudacek]

Defence is eliminating time and space in the slot.

Don't allow defending wingers to back check below the top of the circles.

Ever.

 

Eliminate offside completely

Edited May 15, 2015 by dudacek

[Drunkard]

People should stop trying to factor in shrinking pads. Leagues are already getting sued left and right by players seeking aid/money for injuries sustained while playing so any attempt to reduce pad sizes or do anything to shrink protective gear would be met with huge resistance from the players associations as well as open the leagues up to even more lawsuits if they somehow managed to sneak it through. The first player to get seriously injured while wearing the newly reduced pads would lead to grandstanding the likes we've never seen so I don't think it's even a possibility.

[SwampD]

Has anyone suggested contracting the league by 3 teams?

[LastPommerFan]

Has anyone suggested contracting the league by 3 teams?

 

Taking the worst players out of the league would reduce scoring, I think. 

[Bob Malooga]

Yuck.

Yes, limiting the size of goalie's...now, that's a genius idea!

 

"Hey, you've been playing goalie all your life, but you are over 6 feet tall...go find a new career."

 

It's the most realistic idea that has been proposed...you wanted more scoring right?

 

Tell players they can't block shots? Don't allow players to backcheck? Eliminate offsides? Lol, incredible.

[nfreeman]

Yes, limiting the size of goalie's...now, that's a genius idea!

 

"Hey, you've been playing goalie all your life, but you are over 6 feet tall...go find a new career."

 

It's the most realistic idea that has been proposed...you wanted more scoring right?

 

Tell players they can't block shots? Don't allow players to backcheck? Eliminate offsides? Lol, incredible.

 

This is a pretty obnoxious post.

[pi2000]

Don't mess with the nets, but the goalie equipment needs to be much much smaller without sacrificing protection.   Glove, blocker, leg pads should be narrower and shorter above the knee.    The amount of pad sticking out above the knee is ridiculous these days due to the butterfly style.  Also put restriction on chest protector and pant width.   There is no restriction on the size of those, which is just plain stupid.   They can still be the same material and same thickness to provide the same protection.    Not sure how you would regulate that tho.   NHL would need to work closely with equipment manufacturers to create an NHL certified line of equipment.    Same can be said for players shin pads, making them narrower would make it harder to block shots.   

[nfreeman]

Don't mess with the nets, but the goalie equipment needs to be much much smaller without sacrificing protection.   Glove, blocker, leg pads should be narrower and shorter above the knee.    The amount of pad sticking out above the knee is ridiculous these days due to the butterfly style.  Also put restriction on chest protector and pant width.   There is no restriction on the size of those, which is just plain stupid.   They can still be the same material and same thickness to provide the same protection.    Not sure how you would regulate that tho.   NHL would need to work closely with equipment manufacturers to create an NHL certified line of equipment.    Same can be said for players shin pads, making them narrower would make it harder to block shots.   

 

I agree with this.  It really seems like most of the increase in goalie pad size is for puckstopping purposes, not protection.

[LastPommerFan]

 

More ways Garth Snow is Ruining Hockey

[dudacek]

There is so much pad used to block the net, not protect the keeper.

Get rid of it.

 

While you are at it, make him use a regular stick.

[mcbainforprez]

Increasing the size of nets by even one inch would throw of goalies angles dramatically and seems a little unfair to them. It might be needed (if you really want to increase scoring), but what I would like to see first is smaller changes. I would start by changing the structure of the posts. Leave them the same distance apart but taper them toward the net. This would increase the likelyhood of a shot that hits the post finding its way to the back of the net as opposed to bouncing wide. I do t know what the increase would actually be but let's say that 33 percent of shots that hit the post go in now, maybe this could be increased 85 percent and maybe lead to an extra goal a game?

[dudacek]

I don't care about scoring going up. I just want scoring chances to go up.

The goalies could keep their pads if we went to four on four.

[Kruppstahl]

If you want to increase the excitement factor in the NHL DRAMATICALLY, go to permanent 4 on 4.  Hell, 3 on 3 would be even better.

 

No, it's not going to happen and yes, that's dramatic.  But nothing is as fun as the 4 on 4 in OT in the regular season.

 

The bottom line is players are too fast and too big now.  This takes away time and space and the ice surface is too small and crowded now.

 

When you get rid of a skater on each side, all kinds of room and time opens up.  Further, defensive responsibility becomes absolutely critical.  One small mistake usually leads immediately to an open, un-checked man and a prime scoring opportunity. 

 

If we are unwilling to go this far, and if you want to truly impact the game in a very simple way, completely re-think the equipment used by the goalie.

 

Make it all safe, of course, but make it ultra streamline so that the size of the goalie's body and little more is what is in front of the net mouth.  That alone would not only shift things more to how they used to be for historical continuity, but it would open up a ton more scoring.  I'm talking about making a goalie's knee pad 1 inch wider than his leg on either side and that type of thing.

 

Make the nets slightly bigger too.  I am not a fan of basketball at all, but I guarantee you the inventors of the game did not envision the "big man" power game we have in the NBA today involving power dunk moves and guys who can very easily dunk the ball while getting their elbow at rim height.  The NBA should have gone to 11' nets a long time ago.

 

I am not a fan of any change in the NHL that would see more power plays.  Power play hockey sucks.  I don't want to see 6 or 7 PPs per side per game, with the best PP unit winning games.  That crap is boring.

I don't care about scoring going up. I just want scoring chances to go up.
The goalies could keep their pads if we went to four on four.

Good point, but I think this is implied in the conversation.  And see my comments about 4 on 4.

 

Most hockey fans (I suspect) and those who control the NHL probably don't want to even talk about that, but it's easily the fastest way to make hockey 10 times more exciting than it is right now, without changing a damned thing, other than what constitutes too many men on the ice.

 

The NHLPA wouldn't like it if it meant lower roster slots, but it need not do that.  Keep a 20 man unit dressed for games...but 4 at a time go on the ice, plus goalie.  

 

The key to 4 on 4 play is the defensive responsibility it creates for everyone on the ice.  One man slips, falls down, spaces out for a moment, breaks his stick, fans on the puck...anything...and the other side has an immediate, decisive advantage.

 

It creates tons of anticipation and excitement, inherently, as a result.

 

I love 4 on 4. 

 

3 on 3 would be better.

[Hoss]

Yes, limiting the size of goalie's...now, that's a genius idea!

 

"Hey, you've been playing goalie all your life, but you are over 6 feet tall...go find a new career."

 

It's the most realistic idea that has been proposed...you wanted more scoring right?

 

Tell players they can't block shots? Don't allow players to backcheck? Eliminate offsides? Lol, incredible.

I agree that limiting goalie size is a pretty farfetched idea, too. Would put it in the same category as your two-point goal proposal.

 

There are something you can't change... How much a goal counts for is one.

[Kruppstahl]

I agree that limiting goalie size is a pretty farfetched idea, too. Would put it in the same category as your two-point goal proposal.

 

There are something you can't change... How much a goal counts for is one.

Can't put any limits or restrictions on players' size.  No way.

Check out this piece of Sabres history!

 

1988.  Reggie Lemelin.  5'11" 170 lbs.  

 

Not just his size, but the equipment.  He looks like a kid in net compared to what we have now.

 

I agree with this.  It really seems like most of the increase in goalie pad size is for puckstopping purposes, not protection.

For sure.  This has been going on for a long time now and it officially got out of control about 10 years ago. 

 

By the way!  I'm not sure this has anything to do with creating more offense or making the game more exciting at all, in fact, it may have the opposite effect....but....

 

BRING BACK WOODEN STICKS.

 

This high tech crap has to stop.  MLB was very, very smart to keep wooden bats all these years.  

 

It's just "right" and should be done, as long as we are taking about rule changes and making the game "better".

[wjag]

No goalie masks.. Old school. That should solve everything.