NHL mod's being negotiated

[404 Not Found]

Interesting new modifications to rules in the NHL.

Goalie not allowed behind the net
No center Line
No Ties...shootoff's to determine final outcome/score.

Interesting...should make the game faster paced as well as diminish the off side penalties.

I definately agree on the No Tie outcome....give them 1 overtime and if no scores then go to the shootout.

Could make hockey a bit more interesting if the NHL resumes for the 2005/06 season.

[Miku19]

The no center line thing was pretty negative in Finland at least, since one defender has to stay a bit lower to avoid breakaways, usually making the game somewhat 4vs5 when attacking. At least that's what my opinion is.

[Troll King]

I wonder if it's too late to include any rule changes to the next EA game. It's already too much to expect the CBA to affect the franchise mode, but if the gameplay won't match either then the game won't be that good.

[Fit of Rage]

What's the point of not allowing the goalie behind the net?

[Troll King]

One of the ways to get past the neutral zone trap is to dump the puck deep into the opponent's zone and then beat them to it. To counter that, goalies go behind the net to get the puck first and then they fire it back up. Because of that, the offensive team also can't risk sending two men aggressively into the zone to chase the shoot-in if the goalie will just shoot it back up past them. That means less forechecking pressure which means more focus on defence which means less entertaining hockey.

[Kim]

Damn the devilS

[Adman]

my opinion on those rule changes.

The goalie should be free to do whatever he wants. It's going to kill the power of a stick handling goalie, the best ones in the league, Brodeur, Belfour, Joseph are the ones who play the puck a lot to clear their zone.

Getting rid of the centre line to me sounds like it could be fine. Lead to a few more scoring chances and a little excitement. Help eliminate the neautral zone trap.

No ties to me the absolute worst thing i've heard. People want to see a shootout? I don't, you're giving a team who played a mediocre game a chance for 2 points. A tie should remain part of the NHL. And god shootouts are the worst thing ever. Look at soccer, i think shootouts wreck the game, FUCK SHOOTOUTS.

Let's forget about rule changes just get these guys back on the ice.

[Exotic]

goalies should be allowed to go behind the net, im not sure about the no center line, shootouts would be okay

404, where did you hear this?

[Subjugation]

One of the ways to get past the neutral zone trap is to dump the puck deep into the opponent's zone and then beat them to it. To counter that, goalies go behind the net to get the puck first and then they fire it back up. Because of that, the offensive team also can't risk sending two men aggressively into the zone to chase the shoot-in if the goalie will just shoot it back up past them. That means less forechecking pressure which means more focus on defence which means less entertaining hockey.

Omfg, I wish I understood a word you just said.

I wish I liked hockey, but I couldn't care less that it's in lockout. It sucks, because I know it's a fast game, and I like the fighting, and combination of power and grace. I respect it, but I just can't figure out the minutiae of the game, so it's not that intersting for me to watch.

[Troll King]

I don't think they'll completely ban goalies from going behind the net but do what they tested in the AHL last season. There are limits to where a goalie can move. In the AHL, they drew more lines behind the net in a sort of a trapezoid pattern from the net and flaring out towards the boards. The rule is that the goalie is allowed to move into that trapezoidal space and anywhere in front of the goal line/icing line. That basically means that they can't get into the corners. That's a good compromize because any dump-ins that actually get stopped behind the net aren't good dumps at all.


And hockey's easy to understand. I don't know why a lot of people, especially Americans, can't grasp it. I find basketball's rules a bit more confusing, as well as some of baseball rules (the average fan would probably have more difficulty explaining the infield fly rule than anything about hockey). Learning hockey's pretty easy. Just watch a game with a Canadian

[Troll King]

Here, let me try translating that post for you, J=T.

One of the problems affecting hockey is the use of defensive systems including the neutral zone trap where the defence lines up and tries to slow the offense down. To get past this, the offence often just shoots the puck deep into the other end and sprint down to get it. That's kind of like making a punt in football and then trying to beat the receiving team to the ball. Unlike in football, the puck is always considered in play for either team. One way to counter against this play is to have your goalie stop the puck and then shoot it back up (continuing the analogy, it'd be like the punt returner catching the ball and then punting it back the other way). The offence will be rushing hard to get the puck first, so if the goalie can shoot it past them, their momentum will keep them going forward leaving a 5 on 3 advantage going behind them. That forward momentum is actually stronger than most non-hockey fans realize. Even a microsecond's hesitation is enough for a clear breakaway. When a team tries this shoot-in strategy (called a "dump and chase") they won't try to go in as aggressively because they're afraid of the counter-attack.

[Subjugation]

Oh, I know what you mean now.

So how is that rule going to affect the game? So if the goalies can't go behind the net, when the offensive team dumps the puck forward, it just creates more of an offensive oriented style of play?

From what I've read in this thread, I think maybe the NHL is trying to resolve some of the public relations problems it has with the sport not being as popular in the USA, because of the low-scoring, and the ties.

Is that anywhere close to correct?

[Troll King]

Pretty much. What it does is force the defencemen to go back to get the puck more often, giving the attacking team a chance to "forecheck" which basically means to force a turnover in your opponent's end. Again, momentum plays a bigger role in this than non-hockey fans realize. The defencemen basically have to sprint their 230 lb bodie back to catch a small object and then turn around and try to move it out of their own zone as quickly as possible in the opposite direction. The attacking team however have the momentum on their side, and use their forward momentum to keep the puck deep in the zone. Their first goal is to keep the puck in play in that side of the ice so that the rest of their team can set up their offensive sets. When you have more forwards going in to forecheck, you have a better chance of success, plus your team can get set up faster.

That would put more emphasis on offence which would help the sport, but also, a good forecheck is a thing of beauty in itself and can create some of the most exciting plays.

[Ewan]

Will removing the centre line only have an effect on the 2 line pass rule, or will it affect some other rules? (I can't think of any that it would, but hey, I did learn pretty much all the rules from the EA Sports games.)

[Miku19]

Whatever, Brodeur, Belfour and Joseph are old enough to have retired 5 years ago.