The new NHL rules

[Frequitude]

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The league really needs to start awarding 3 pts for a regulation win.

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Can you give a reason at least?

I think it would be a terrible idea for the exact reason the league gave...it would cause way to large of a gap in the standings way to early in the season. The playoff race wouldn't be as close and exciting, thus lowering interest and revenue for the league come March and April. And now everyone in the league, from players to owners, need to care about revenue.

Go Flames Go

[Frequitude]

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I hate the idea of shootouts deciding hockey games, it's like if a baseball game was tied after 11 innings and they went to a home-run derby to decide the winner. Ties are a part of hockey, people need to get over that.

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Yeah, but baseball games play until there is a winner. How would you like only 1 or 2 extra innings, and then awarding a tie?

The shootout may not be "the way the game was meant to be played", but it is good for the NHL right now. They need to get the star players faces on TV and use it to market the game to the USA.

As a Canadian and a big hockey fan, I don't really like it, but I can live with it and maybe be entertained by it. Even though my flames can't put up a very good shootout line up (Iggy's 0-4, but there's always one-move Donovan)

[razor]

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The league really needs to start awarding 3 pts for a regulation win.

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Can you give a reason at least?

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I kinda figured that people who have made there way to Two Plus Two wouldn't need the reasoning explained to them...


Games that end in regulation are worth 2pts

Games that end in OT are worth 3pts (2pts to winner/1pt to loser)

The same number of points should be awarded for EVERY game, that this doesn't happen is redonkulous.

The reason it keeps the playoff races closer is because some teams are not fairly rewarded for their results.

While excitement and fan interest are important, this is still a sport and as such, the competition needs to be fair and results rewarded appropriately. Now that EVERY game will have a winner and loser, it is more important that regulation wins are rewarded appropriately.


An example from several years ago...

Teams A, B & C are in a playoff race

Team A plays Team D and beats them soundly
Team A receives 2 pts

Team B plays Team C and regulation ends in a tie, Team B wins in OT, Team B receives 2 pts and Team C receives 1 pt

This is TERRIBLE for Team A - they win their game in regulation time easily... yet gain NO ground on Team B which failed to win in regulation and only gained 1 pt on Team C which LOST. The playoff race stays close, but only because Team A gets screwed by the point system.

[zephed]

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Shootout goals will not count for scorers, and will not be counted against goalies. My guess is they will be kept as a seperate statistic.

I like most of the new rules, except the removal of the red line - this will jam up the neutral zone even more because teams will be looking to prevent home run passes. I think it's going to take away some of the transition game, ironically enough. Larry Robinson has already said he will have to play a 1-3-1 formation.

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I think it's going to do the exact opposite. It will clear some space for the players to skate in the neutral zone and pick up speed.

The two line pass rule was the dumbest idea. Ever.

[Wes ManTooth]

Most new rules seem ok, its if they actually call them (especialy the obstruction calls such as holding and hooking).

The one new rule that I know right away that I will not like is limiting the room a goalie can stick handle the puck. This new rule is a joke... goalies have become much better over the past five years or so at stick handling and now the league is taken that away. Goalies like Brodeur and DiPietro which are two of the best stick handling goalies in the league are now going to be extremely limited. Hopefuly the league will realize that this is new rule is stupid and drop it at the end of next season.

[razor]

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The one new rule that I know right away that I will not like is limiting the room a goalie can stick handle the puck. This new rule is a joke... goalies have become much better over the past five years or so at stick handling and now the league is taken that away. Goalies like Brodeur and DiPietro which are two of the best stick handling goalies in the league are now going to be extremely limited. Hopefuly the league will realize that this is new rule is stupid and drop it at the end of next season.

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I am not particularly opposed to to goalies playing the puck, but I don't like that they were untouchable. I get that people want them protected from injury or getting run at... but come on, if you are playing the puck you should be fair game for physical contact.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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I am not particularly opposed to to goalies playing the puck, but I don't like that they were untouchable. I get that people want them protected from injury or getting run at... but come on, if you are playing the puck you should be fair game for physical contact.

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Exactly. If he's going to go out skating to the corner to dick with the puck, he needs to know that it's not a free pass and there are consequences to him going out there. He should be able to be hit. That said, if this is allowed, you're pretty much setting the goalie up for a full-on run from the other end of the rink. Charging/boarding would definitely have to be strictly enforced here.

[Zurvan]

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The one new rule that I know right away that I will not like is limiting the room a goalie can stick handle the puck. This new rule is a joke... goalies have become much better over the past five years or so at stick handling and now the league is taken that away. Goalies like Brodeur and DiPietro which are two of the best stick handling goalies in the league are now going to be extremely limited. Hopefuly the league will realize that this is new rule is stupid and drop it at the end of next season.

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Have you watched the Devils play recently? How about the Devils vs the Leafs - Brodeur & Belfour are two great puck handling goalies. Combine that with the Devils trap, the Leafs & Devils love of dumping the puck, and you have a game of one team dumping it in, and the goalie shooting it out... back & forth, over and over.

I love hockey, but watching that is enough to make you want to flip on a soccer game. I like the advantage a goalie like Belfour gave the Leafs, but this should move things more towards offense.

[Wes ManTooth]

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Have you watched the Devils play recently? How about the Devils vs the Leafs - Brodeur & Belfour are two great puck handling goalies. Combine that with the Devils trap,

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The devils have not run "the trap" since 96-97. The last two cups they won 2001 and 2003 was with out the "trap" that they once used with coach Jacques Lemaire. Other teams such as Ottawa, The Wild, Calgary, some others have at times run trapping similar systems since.

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the Leafs & Devils love of dumping the puck, and you have a game of one team dumping it in, and the goalie shooting it out... back & forth, over and over.


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eliminating the red line and the two line passing rule as well as the changes to the icing rule will effectively stop constant puck dumping. Also these rule changes will effectively open up the neutral zone and increase break outs and two-way play.

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I love hockey, but watching that is enough to make you want to flip on a soccer game. I like the advantage a goalie like Belfour gave the Leafs, but this should move things more towards offense.

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Overall with all the other rule changes, these rules on the goalies are not needed.

[Zurvan]

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eliminating the red line and the two line passing rule as well as the changes to the icing rule will effectively stop constant puck dumping. Also these rule changes will effectively open up the neutral zone and increase break outs and two-way play.


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Actually this won't open up the neutral zone. I watched some Swedish Elite League hockey this winter. They have no red line, and the wide ice, and it was just as clogged up in the neutral zone, and players were still dumping it in. And the goalies were throwing it back out. In fact, it was as bad as the worst NHL games.

The only thing that will open up the game is correct use of the obstruction/interference penalties. If the defensemen have to turn around to get pucks out of the corner, that will lead to more mistakes in the defensive zone, which creates scoring chances.