Why Goal Scoring Isn't the Problem

The continued improvement of NHL goaltending culminated in record high save percentages this season. Many NHL executives see this improvement as a cause for concern as goal scoring drops towards pre-Lockout levels. Desperate to combat the growing size and skill of goaltenders, changes to increase offense are everywhere. While good intentioned, I believe many of these changes are doomed due to the failure to recognize the problem behind the lack of excitement.

To offset the rising save percentages, some of the more popular proposals include decreasing goalie’s equipment and increasing the size of the net. However, I disagree with the premise that artificially increasing the number of goals will increase excitement. The NHL is less exciting not because of a lack of goals but because of the lack of scoring chances. Thanks to defensive innovations such as the neutral zone trap and collapsing defensive zone coverage, most teams struggle to generate chances. Games in which teams abstain from these defensive strategies are widely entertaining. I want to watch teams go end-to-end trading chances; the goaltender’s ability makes no difference.

Rather than focusing on the goaltenders, we need to focus on the players in front of them. First the NHL needs move the blue line back in to its original location, creating a larger neutral zone. Yesterday, Scotty Bowman discussed the unforeseen implication of the original change. “They thought they were creating more room in the offensive zones…. but…. coaches figured out that when defending in your zone, it’s now too big to do everything, so they said, let’s leave the points open and close down toward the net to take away chances closer to the net.”

Today most team’s defensive system focuses on collapsing around the slot and preventing players and pucks from getting to the front of the net. A smaller offensive zone makes defensemen more of an offensive threat. As a result, wingers are forced to take the extra step out to cover them more closely. By pulling the wingers towards the blue line, you are opening more space for chances in the slot.

However, this change is only effective if players are able to use their speed and skill to attack the open space. Thus, the league needs to emphasize obstruction interference again. Even through my rose-colored glasses, I am aware the Red Wing’s should be penalized for their trademarked subtle interference. We need to let the stars shine, and continually penalizing obstruction will lead to decreased inference in the future.

Due to the quality of the teams, the playoffs are always incredibly exciting but this only makes it harder to watch the regular season. The NHL needs to spice up the game, but it has nothing to do with the goaltending. The skill of the players is at an all time high, now the league needs to let them shine. By allowing teams to use their speed and skill, they will generate more scoring chances, and the goals will surely follow.