You have to shoot to score! You are going to score on 10% of your shots so throw the stupid puck at the net! Again and again and again, we need 50 shots per game! Period! AND 10 per power play!
Burgee60
Mon, 11/14/2011 - 9:42pm
Why set up for the perfect shot on the power play, keep that goalie hopping and punch a rebound in.
Alan
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 9:01am
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Alan
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 10:01am
That was a pretty good article, Blake. Lots of things to consider when trying to come up with a reason.
I'm wondering something. The recent trend in "AA" hockey in the United States has been a reduction of franchises. Logically we would think that the better players would survive this reduction and "push" the fringe players out, thus making the game more skillful both in the offensive and defensive zone. However, I'm wondering if that fact correlates with a similar reduction in the European leagues. Maybe there are more franchises there to absorb the increased player per team pool.
I absolutely hate the fact that some players would rather make a great pass than score a goal. Everything is important, for sure, and usually a great pass will result in a scoring opportunity, but the object of the game is to score goals and to stop goals.
Speaking of passing, there is a vast chasm between the "AAA" and "AA" leagues when it comes to passing. This may be one of the biggest reasons why scoring is down. I believe the players can fool themselves into thinking that they are better than they are. ( The last two Wednesday night "games of the week" have been replays of the "AAA" Komet games. One from 1993 and one from 1997. The passing was so far superior to today's game that it was just simply remarkable.) The players were much better which would mean that their passing skill was better, too.
There are many reasons. Equipment, better teaching, more youth leagues, more college hockey, yet the rule changes were supposed to help the offense.
As I was growing up listening to Bob Chase on the radio, he always shouted this: "He SHOOTS, he SCORES!!!"
I never once heard him exclaim: "He PASSES, he SCORES."
Frowdawg
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 10:52am
That's a good point Alan.
kyle hunt
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 12:22pm
Good one Al, every since I read that title I have been singing that crappy song!
Steve
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 5:09pm
The chasm between AA and AAA hockey includes more then just passing Alan, but that should be expected.
Passing, you've already covered this and I agree.
Speed, The higher you go the faster the game gets. The transition is much faster, many times a thing of beauty and grace.
Physical Presence, same here, the players get bigger and play a rougher game.
Shooting skills, AAA and NHL the players' shots are almost always on net, you see a lot fewer shots over the net, beside the net, or completely off the net, and open nets (goalie down or on wrong side) rarely get missed.
Back when the Komets left the IHL for the UHL I was very disappointed with the differences, it took some getting use to. I remember Grant Richison, after being sent down too Quad City for rehab commenting that he could skate faster backwards then some of their players could forward. Probably an exaggeration, but he really cracked on the difference in speed between the Colonial and International leagues.
In my opinion the greatest differences will be in the passing, shooting skill, and speed categories.
Jerad Shaw
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 7:25pm
They covered this topic on the NHL channel on Sirius this afternoon. The guys on there say that there is more of a focus on defensive hockey in all positions in youth and junior leagues. Now and days, even on those levels, you have multiple coaches, specializing in there certain areas. I have no facts on this, was just kind of opinions of the 2 guys on this show.
JR1
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 8:02pm
There are also much tighter budget's and salary cap's in these leagues these days.... Goal scorer's with families cant afford to keep playing hockey when good jobs present themselves in the real world...
Blake Sebring
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 8:04pm
Very true. Kind of tough to blame a guy when he can make two or three times as much overseas.
Steve
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 9:26pm
Good point JR. I wonder how much more a FWFD firefighter makes then a high scoring forward in the CHL for example..
JR1
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 9:32pm
It could be the same Steve, honestly; but the long term outlook for making money as a "firefighter" is better than a scorer in minor league hockey (in most instances...)... Its the stability of a good job on the outside that starts to attract these guys as much as anything...
JB
Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:28pm
Lot of things to consider in addition to the salary. You have fringes, retirement plan, possibility of an injury, absences from home, possibility of long term employment, etc., etc., etc.
Blake Sebring
Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:47pm
Plus, you know you're not going up, and do you really want to make another 20-hour bus ride? In the late-80s and 90s you could make a really good salary in the minors, but not really any more. Most guys work their butts off to supplement their contracts.
Comments
You have to shoot to score! You are going to score on 10% of your shots so throw the stupid puck at the net! Again and again and again, we need 50 shots per game! Period! AND 10 per power play!
Why set up for the perfect shot on the power play, keep that goalie hopping and punch a rebound in.
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
That was a pretty good article, Blake. Lots of things to consider when trying to come up with a reason.
I'm wondering something. The recent trend in "AA" hockey in the United States has been a reduction of franchises. Logically we would think that the better players would survive this reduction and "push" the fringe players out, thus making the game more skillful both in the offensive and defensive zone. However, I'm wondering if that fact correlates with a similar reduction in the European leagues. Maybe there are more franchises there to absorb the increased player per team pool.
I absolutely hate the fact that some players would rather make a great pass than score a goal. Everything is important, for sure, and usually a great pass will result in a scoring opportunity, but the object of the game is to score goals and to stop goals.
Speaking of passing, there is a vast chasm between the "AAA" and "AA" leagues when it comes to passing. This may be one of the biggest reasons why scoring is down. I believe the players can fool themselves into thinking that they are better than they are. ( The last two Wednesday night "games of the week" have been replays of the "AAA" Komet games. One from 1993 and one from 1997. The passing was so far superior to today's game that it was just simply remarkable.) The players were much better which would mean that their passing skill was better, too.
There are many reasons. Equipment, better teaching, more youth leagues, more college hockey, yet the rule changes were supposed to help the offense.
As I was growing up listening to Bob Chase on the radio, he always shouted this: "He SHOOTS, he SCORES!!!"
I never once heard him exclaim: "He PASSES, he SCORES."
That's a good point Alan.
Good one Al, every since I read that title I have been singing that crappy song!
The chasm between AA and AAA hockey includes more then just passing Alan, but that should be expected.
Passing, you've already covered this and I agree.
Speed, The higher you go the faster the game gets. The transition is much faster, many times a thing of beauty and grace.
Physical Presence, same here, the players get bigger and play a rougher game.
Shooting skills, AAA and NHL the players' shots are almost always on net, you see a lot fewer shots over the net, beside the net, or completely off the net, and open nets (goalie down or on wrong side) rarely get missed.
Back when the Komets left the IHL for the UHL I was very disappointed with the differences, it took some getting use to. I remember Grant Richison, after being sent down too Quad City for rehab commenting that he could skate faster backwards then some of their players could forward. Probably an exaggeration, but he really cracked on the difference in speed between the Colonial and International leagues.
In my opinion the greatest differences will be in the passing, shooting skill, and speed categories.
They covered this topic on the NHL channel on Sirius this afternoon. The guys on there say that there is more of a focus on defensive hockey in all positions in youth and junior leagues. Now and days, even on those levels, you have multiple coaches, specializing in there certain areas. I have no facts on this, was just kind of opinions of the 2 guys on this show.
There are also much tighter budget's and salary cap's in these leagues these days.... Goal scorer's with families cant afford to keep playing hockey when good jobs present themselves in the real world...
Very true. Kind of tough to blame a guy when he can make two or three times as much overseas.
Good point JR. I wonder how much more a FWFD firefighter makes then a high scoring forward in the CHL for example..
It could be the same Steve, honestly; but the long term outlook for making money as a "firefighter" is better than a scorer in minor league hockey (in most instances...)... Its the stability of a good job on the outside that starts to attract these guys as much as anything...
Lot of things to consider in addition to the salary. You have fringes, retirement plan, possibility of an injury, absences from home, possibility of long term employment, etc., etc., etc.
Plus, you know you're not going up, and do you really want to make another 20-hour bus ride? In the late-80s and 90s you could make a really good salary in the minors, but not really any more. Most guys work their butts off to supplement their contracts.