Shot blocking should be banned

[smokes]

19 hours ago, Dombrova22 said:

If we're going to ban shot blocking... might as well enforce that no pucks leave the ice level or automatic 2 minute penalty. 

To me, it's risk assessment. If I was a coach would I rather chance having a player injured over a shot that might or might go in the net? If the goalie had a clear look at the shooter then why not let him make his money and let him try to make the save.

[IBatch]

On 12/2/2018 at 5:21 AM, smokes said:

I think shot blocking stifles the game and causes needless injuries. If head shots should be out of the game to protect players from head injuries then standing in front of a potential 99mph puck because you feel you need to help your goalie do his job should be next. Why is the league so adamant on just head shots are there no players who have had to quite the game because of injuries to the body? The thing that bugs me the most is that the coaches are the ones encouraging it, "Yeah go out there block a shot let's worry injuries later." As a fan, I would rather not see a player block a shot so I can continue to see him in the line up for further games and not risk injury. I understand that the players do it because they want to protect a goal, but isn't that why there are goalies in the game? If players get in the way, or if the shooter didn't get the shot far off like the Pettersson block on the Boeser goal that's one thing but coaches actively letting players purposly shot block the amount players do in a game it's no wonder there are so many injuries.

Not a huge fan of it on our team given the man games lost in the past and that most of these would be saved anyways.  It’s a testament into how much they trust the goalie to a certain degree,  Andersson faces a lot more shots becuase he doesn’t want or need his guys to do it as often for him because it screens the play to a certain degree and makes it harder to track the puck which he doesn’t like and has told them as much.

 

 It’s all the rage now, Ludwig popularized it by dropping infront of anything that moved in his day, before that it was not as commonplace...which shows that it’s not really needed either.   Surpisingly Karlsson is a top shot blocker but if you watch the way he does it he doesn’t lay down much, Instead he plays goal from the blue line and directs the rebound to the outside or smothers them enough to collect them right away and move it out.    Sometimes I wish a soft forward would take one for the team too though. 

 

It it does have its place, but I cringe whenever Tanev does it (but not MDZ ha ha) waiting for the worst.  

 

The shot tally including blocks tells a much different story too.  

[IBatch]

On 12/2/2018 at 11:36 AM, Alflives said:

Hasn’t Don Cherry come out and said that guys should let the goalie see the puck?

More than once.  Blocking everything that moves often backfires, as in the opposition just tees off again as the shot blocker ends up down and loses his man.  And of course a lot of goals are scored anyways as it caroms of a skate or a butt and into the net because it’s impossible for the goalie to track.  I’d bet a lot of goalies would rather they just see the shot, ones out close to the blue line often don’t make the net and are easy to save low percentage shots anyways.   Ones in the slot are a little different, good blocks are when the goalie takes the shooter, and he passes to an empty net, block those.  It’s something of an art form and the defensive coach should be teaching this stuff.

[Toews]

On 12/2/2018 at 12:30 PM, Baer. said:

Headshots are banned, equipment is as fine tuned to be light but protective. They are using world class equipment.

 

Expand the size of the rink? So modify every single rink in the NHL to facilitate a bigger ice surface, costing the owners millions? Yeah that'll work....

 

https://www.tsn.ca/burke-on-a-mission-to-increase-size-of-nhl-ice-surfaces-1.425938

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, Toews said:

 

https://www.tsn.ca/burke-on-a-mission-to-increase-size-of-nhl-ice-surfaces-1.425938

This makes so much sense it’s kind of sad greed is the biggest reason that this isn’t getting done.  Those five feet would make a difference in all three zones, particularly with the way the game is heading with speed and skill taking the front seat over brawn and some ability at the draft.  

[Baer.]

1 hour ago, Toews said:

 

https://www.tsn.ca/burke-on-a-mission-to-increase-size-of-nhl-ice-surfaces-1.425938

2016 lol

[Toews]

29 minutes ago, Baer. said:

2016 lol

Burke is the eventual successor to Cherry, I wouldn't underestimate him. 

[erkayloomeh]

I think all players should play naked and we should switch to a sponge puck. 

[erkayloomeh]

9 hours ago, IBatch said:

This makes so much sense it’s kind of sad greed is the biggest reason that this isn’t getting done.  Those five feet would make a difference in all three zones, particularly with the way the game is heading with speed and skill taking the front seat over brawn and some ability at the draft.  

Just get rid of the blue lines.  Make the center line the blue line for both teams.  That way your are always in the offensive zone 30 %more of the time.  

[brokensticks]

Shot blocking became more a part of the game when defensemen were penalized for manhandling forwards in front of the net. There was a time when you were whacked, hacked and physically pushed if you dared stand in front of the opposition net. Now, it seems just the opposite - forwards can crosscheck and run over defensemen with impunity but the D get sent to the box if they do the same thing.

If forwards are allowed to stand in front of the net, block the goaltender's view and tip pucks on the way in then the only way to defend is by blocking shots. Banning shot blocking could not be done in isolation - you need to change a few other rules. Good luck with that.