A local talk show host brought up a point today and I tend to agree with him. I think that all games should be worth a collective 3 points, not just the ones that go into OT. I think there would be a problem with how games would be played much like teams who would play OT "not to lose," before the shootout. A team should be rewarded for winning a game in 3 periods more than winning in OT or a shootout, IMO. Also I wouldn't mind seeing OT go from 5 to 10 minutes and perhaps changing a penalty in OT from 2 to 1 minute.
The local afternoon talking heads have been banging the "3 point game" drum for 3 seasons and I totally agree with them.
What other sport do you get rewarded for failure? Bettman LOVES it though. It keeps more teams in the playoff mix, allowing fans to be fooled into thinking their team has a chance which sells more seats and brings in more dough.
The NHL will always have a problem though because the game is being over coached. You know damn well that if a team was up 1-0 in the middle of the 2nd period they would go to the trap and suffocate the other team into making a mistake. There is no way they would play offense, risking the 3 points.
I think the NHL should do a few things. Some of these are related to the way points are handed out, some would just make the game better....IMO.
1.) Stop allowing coaches to "over coach" the sport. Take the headsets away. Have as many coaches as you want BUT on game day the only people allowed on the bench are the head coach, one assistant and the head trainer. Make the head coach and the assistant make adjustments on the fly from ice level. The coaches in the coaches box can communicate with the bench but only between periods.
2.) Force teams to fore check. The NBA has illegal defense and I think the NHL HAS to consider bringing in something similar. If you have too many players in the neutral zone on a breakout, forcing teams to run the damn gauntlet just to get the puck into the zone, only to have the goalie ring it off the glass and make you do it all over again it is not going to make the game "offensive".
If a team is trapping, and has too many players in the neutral zone then you blow the whistle and move the face off into the defending teams zone without letting them change lines, just like icing. If the offending team does it three times in a game then they get a one minute penalty. It would be very easy to enforce IMO. Make the replay official responsible for it, he does not have anything else to do while the play is going on.
3.) Get rid of the damn instigator rule. Let the players police themselves. It worked for 100 years and worked well. It only changed when a ****ing New York lawyer took over.
4.) Make the goaltenders equipment smaller. I love it when the goalies moan that it is about "personal protection". Bull ****. Make the shoulder pads smaller, make the pads narrower, make the blockers smaller and the trapper smaller. Simple. If the players can see more net they will score more goals. Make goaltending about MAKING a save instead of letting the puck hit you.
5.) Start enforcing the rules THEY HAVE. I see 5 "non calls" on charging or boarding every game. Players are getting hurt and someone is going to get killed if they don't make players THINK.
To be honest, this would get taken care of if they got rid of the instigator rule. You would not see Jordan Tootoo take a 90 foot, full speed skate, leaving his feet to run a defenseman through the boards if he knew he'd have Derrick Boogard coming over the boards to kick the crap out of him on the next shift.
6.) Put a line in each zone at the top of the face off circles. This would be called the "hold up" line. If a team dumps the puck into the zone the defending team would be allowed to "hold up" the forechecker anywhere past this line. This would ONLY be on dump ins and the "hold up" would have to be within reason. I'm tired of seeing defenseman get hurt because they are turning for the puck and some idiot has skated 120 feet unimpeded and runs them through the wall.
7.) Loosen up the boards in every rink. I remember the days of the old "Aud" in Buffalo or the Garden in Boston when guys would get HAMMERED into the wall, it would make a huge "crashing" sound but the guy would not be hurt.
8.) 1 minute penalties in OT works for me unless it is a grievous penalty (major high stick/boarding etc.).
9.) Stay with the 5 minute, 4 on 4 overtime. That said, make every game worth three points. If you win in regulation you get 3 points and the other team gets nothing. OT or shootout win gets you 2 points and the loser gets one. It is idiotic that a team that wins in regulation only gets one more point then a team that loses in overtime. It's also idiotic that games are worth different amounts of points, some worth 3 some worth 2.
That's my rant...LOL!
:up:
Buying myself a lottery ticket this week-end.