theminister Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 The NHL scoring leader may have as little as 85-87 points this year. While most of the players competing for the scoring leader prize this year are players that we should expect to be at the top of the table, the Art Ross will be awarded this year to the lowest scoring league leader in 50 years!!! It isn't an embarrassment on the players but on the league and their inability to maintain a level of stability across league generational scoring. Even through the 'Dead Puck' era of the trap and low scoring years we have never seen such a limiting factor on the elite players in the league. No new regulations for interference, holding, face-offs, the trapezoid, etc. has improved league scoring at the top end despite the league mandate. Clearly, the level of competition and parity is greater than ever before but doesn't this require a response from those that dictate the National Hockey League? What is to be done about this? Is it a problem? Does it change the way we evaluate league records? Does it kill some of the excitement for the game? How dire is this circumstance? Or is it a One-Off? Now naturally, we aren't requiring a return to 200 point seasons to make the trophy relevant again but wouldn't a return to the Art Ross winner being in the 130-150 point range be better for the NHL? My personal belief is that goalie equipment needs to be paired down to the size required for safety only, not helping them save goals, but there must be greater reasons for the ridiculously stringent offence from the most physically talented players to ever play the game. What are your thoughts? Are we going backwards? FYI the last Art Ross winner to have less than 90 points in a full season was Stan Mikita in '67-68 with 87. If no player reaches that level, which seems entirely possible, the next threshold is Bobby Hull with 84 in '61-62. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightHawkSniper Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Damn goalies getting to be so amazing now ;better think of some crazy net constructs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 But we got the Dubes and the Hamburglar this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 Damn goalies getting to be so amazing now ;better think of some crazy net constructs... Although it may sound crazy, I heard a suggestion that they make goal posts oblong as opposed to round for this exact purpose. In this way, shots to the inner half of the post would deflect in rather than out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 But we got the Dubes and the Hamburglar this year. Correlation or causation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Last year's winner, Crosby, had 104 points. The differences in the game between this year and last are minimal. This year is just an anomaly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 More and more becoming a four line game, and overall more parity and competitiveness throughout the league has a pretty big effect imo. Teams are so evenly matched throughout = more important games, hence tighter and more often "lower scoring" games. The standings this year show the parity throughout the top-20 teams or so in the league.... And of course goalies are better than ever and have probably bigger equipment than needed. Shrinking em down a bit would defintley help as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2SKATES1STICK Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 coaches coach defense first 'cause LA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dral Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 We should just get rid of goalies all together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King_Canuckian Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Crosby might be closer to 90 points if he didn't lose time for the mumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Goalies are too good considering the equipment they have. I'd agree that your decision with paring down the equipment to the bare minimum would be a good decision. Of course, goaltenders won't like it, but fans generally prefer more scoring than less, lest hockey become more like soccer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 too many teams using defensive systems too. so much for the new nhl. this is worst then the dead puck era in the late 90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsedin33 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Analyzing and shutting down elite players has probably become so in depth and thorough that they can't really play the same game as they used too. I think with replays, tons of camera angles, stats up the ying yang, it can be easier then ever to shut down high scoring players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S.Strowbridge Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 More and more becoming a four line game, and overall more parity and competitiveness throughout the league has a pretty big effect imo. Teams are so evenly matched throughout = more important games, hence tighter and more often "lower scoring" games. The standings this year show the parity throughout the top-20 teams or so in the league.... And of course goalies are better than ever and have probably bigger equipment than needed. Shrinking em down a bit would defintley help as well. I was about to say something similar about the four-line teams. The Canucks have 11 players with 10 or more goals this season, but only one player with 20 or more goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownUndaCanuck Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Something interesting worth noting - the top scorers of 2015 are all down about 1 to 2 minutes per game in ice-time compared to last season, and seasons past. Crosby - 19:59 minutes/game Ovechkin - 20:19 minutes/game Tavares - 20:40 minutes/game In fact, Tavares leads the league amongst forwards in ice-time per game at 20:40. Last season, Crosby lead the league's forwards at ice-time with 21:58 minutes per night - a whole 2 minutes more than he's playing right now. The fact of the matter is that every single coach in the NHL has cottoned on to the fact that you need to roll 4 lines to have success, not just Desjardins. Top lines are being played less, fourth lines are being played more and as a result we're seeing less top end talent dominating the league like we used to, and more depth scoring. This season, there's been 6578 goals scored so far, with 2 games remaining for most teams (2 x 30 games, around an extra 60 x 2.5 GF average = 150 plus goals). Last season, there were 6751 goals scored for. Assuming there'll be another 150ish goals scored in the next couple of days of hockey, this season's goals for total will fall about 20-30ish goals short of last season's total. Not much difference to be honest. The big difference, and the reason the Art Ross winner and top stars aren't scoring as much is because their ice-time is down by a minute or two every night, which equates to about 60-80 minutes worth over the entire course of a season which, divided by their average ice time of around 20, equates to the equivalent of 3-4 games less. I suppose you could tack on an extra 4-5 points to those stars and it wouldn't seemingly make that much of a difference, but their drop in ice-time and teams rolling their 3rd and 4th lines more this season is the biggest reason for the stars dwindling numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatedkid666 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 It's honestly just because of depth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer. Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 It's a 4 line NHL. No more 130 point superstars and 1 goal a season enforcers. Guys on 4th lines are starting to put up 20-30 points now. It's not anything to do with the rules or the NHL itself, it's just a deeper more talented NHL and ice time is spread out more evenly. Goalies are even getting better. You see guys like Price and Rinne who look inhuman in the net at some times. If you can score 80-90 points in today's NHL that's elite production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S.Strowbridge Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 On a side note, I was really hoping the Sedins would score a point a game pace this year. That won't happen, but they are both in the top 20 in the league, so that's an amazing comeback from last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 how about a small 2 foot diameter round net elevated 8 feet in the air worth 3 points.... seriously though, it's an anomaly. if it happens for 3 or more seasons in a row then there is something that needs to be addressed. no changes need to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiggs50 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Seguin would of had 90+ if he hadn't got injured. Same with Crosby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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