Below is an excerpt from The Hockey News article by Edward Fraser about ways the NHL can alter some rules to help increase scoring.
With goals per game declining each season (5.24 GPG in regulation last season; 5.53 in‘06-07; and 5.94 ‘05-06) after the lockout (it was 5.02 in ’03-04), here are a few suggestions to help boost offense, without doing something extreme (like making the nets bigger).
• The idea LeBrun put forward on the Hotstove was one from St. Louis Blues GM Larry Pleau. He proposed whistling the play dead on a delayed penalty call when the offending team clears its defensive zone, not when it simply touches the puck. “How many times do you see pressure after a penalty is called and the defensive team touches it and the whistle is blown,” Pleau told LeBrun for his ESPN.com blog. “Instead, let’s bring on the sixth attacker, which fans love, and let the play continue until the puck is cleared.”
Rocket:
Does any other major sports league do as much navel gazing and tinkering as the NHL?
Face it. No matter if soccer nets were installed in the arenas, most Americans would not flock to the game. So who cares, Bettman and co. should focus on their core fans.
I will say that the NHL missed its opportunity a few years ago to expand the ice surface when so many new arenas were being built (somewhere between NHL and Olympic sized).
I agree with Brian Burke on this issue. Scoring chances are much more important than goals.
Speaking of soccer, teams can go weeks without scoring. And somehow it is reported that it is the most popular team sport in the world.
They should do the obvious (I’ve been saying this for the past 5 years) and most simple thing.
MAKE THE NET A LITTLE BIGGER.
Instead they keep dicking around, tinkering and confusing everyone, WITH NO DEMONSTRABLE RESULTS.
…sure, and while they are at at, they should really lower the nets in the NBA…and carve up greens in the PGA with man-hole size targets…and make movable goalposts in the NFL so no field goal is more than 20 yards…and move the fences in about 100 ft in MLB. All these things will increase offense and are on par with making nets bigger in the NHL.
The point is that an 8-5 game can be just as exciting or just as boring as a 2-1 game. It all depends on scoring chances. A save can be as exciting as a goal. Improving scoring chances should be the focus of any changes to rules in the NHL.
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