The Hockey News: Adam Proteau's Blog: THN.com Blog: Stinking game highlights problems

THN.com Blog: Stinking game highlights problems

Alex Auld is enjoying life with his new team thanks to their defensive style.

Adam Proteau
2007-12-10 12:01:35

Every time I start thinking perhaps I’m wrong and the NHL really is fine the way it is right now, I have the misfortune of seeing an absolutely dreadful game like the Bruins/Maple Leafs match from Saturday (watch highlights). Then I apologize to myself for ever doubting myself in the first place.

I’d say about 80-85 percent of the Boston/Toronto game was played along the boards between the bluelines. Other than the three goals that were scored, there might have been five or six exciting scoring chances at most. The rest of the contest was all about chipping the puck in, blocking shots, or fighting to free the puck from six-man scrums.

Even Leafs coach Paul Maurice called the game “a dog”, and when any NHL coach chimes in on the boringness of a game, you know it had to be unspeakably awful. But the most telling quote came from Bruins goalie Alex Auld after the game, when the newly acquired netminder spoke of the pleasure he got playing under coach Claude Julien’s trap system.
"One of the first things Claude Julien told me when I joined the team (was) that (the Bruins employed) a system that was conducive to goaltenders," Auld told the Canadian Press. “That’s nice.”

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That’s nice for goalies, I’m sure. Pretty nice for coaches, too. But nice for fans? Not even close.

And that, in a nutshell, is what is wrong with the NHL; on one level, they must truly believe their employees are their customers, and their customers are their employees.

So, one more time with feeling: Sorry, myself. It’ll be a long time before I question you/me again.

• On the other side of the coin: What was going on in the Colorado/St. Louis game (watch highlights) Sunday night?

Fourteen goals scored in a single game? Did Andy Murray, Joel Quenneville, and their respective coaching staffs get kidnapped on the way to the arena or something?

And has the NHL’s coaching fraternity been notified about such an egregious abuse of offense? This level of excitement cannot continue to be tolerated!

COMMENTS (15)

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Patrick Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:28)

Once again lightning hit it on the head. Smaller Goalie equipment is what is needed, and not just small changes but a major reduction in all areas. They look silly out there with those giant pads and gloves. Thats why the trap can work, coaches know they can win because when a team wants to play a Buffalo style wide open game, all they have to do is limit the quality of shots on net. The large goalie shrinks the area and space of what constitutes a quality shot. Unlike the past when a scoring chance was almost anywhere in the offensive zone, which constitutes a large area to defend. Today, quality is a one timer that forces a goalie to move across his crease or a shot right in front of the net. Only the superstars can fly down the ice and blow one by the goalie. Most players have no chance of finding those tiny holes given by some mass of equipment in the net. So, sit back and just limit those chances, and its a very easy thing to do. So NHL please just SHRINK the equipment

Jeff Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:27)

That game was boring, yes, but scoring doesn't necessarily make a game more exciting, and 1-0 games can definitely be exciting. I was at a 1-0 Bruins shootout victory vs. NYR earlier this season and it was very exciting.

Fred Bartsch Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:27)

As being a Ranger fan going on 51 years, I have to say that I understand when a team has 1-2 players hitting the brick wall in trying to score, but the Rangers have ALL their forwards hitting the brick wall. This I think is (in my opinion) that the Rangers are playing DEFENSE first, (Not a TRAP system)and the offense will take care of itself. A good amount of the Rangers scoring is coming from the defense, NOT the forwards. Jagr, Shanahan, Straka, Gomez, Drury, Dubinsky, Callahan, Betts, Hollweg, have NOT scored on any kind of a regular basis. Jagr especially looks like he is skating in 3 feet of cement. Just the Facts.

cj ahrens Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:26)

thats why i watch the old games on the nhl network.the game has problems and bettman needs to go.we need someone like bret hull or messier to take over and have someone with passion for the game running it

Wonder Bread Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:26)

Gotta mention that the Canucks-Penguins game after Leafs-Bruins was one of the best games I've seen all season, and it ended with a score of 2-1 in a shootout. More goals isn't everything. That said, there's nothing worse than watching a team play the trap.

adam Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:26)

right on proteau thanks for not putting on the "rose colored glasses" when it comes to hockey. the game is boring right now and it's not just the low scores, but the lack of creativity and flow. maybe it's because I am a forward, but I would love to see smaller goalies and/or bigger nets to give players something to shoot at and for the refs to actually call all of the penalties in a game to give skilled players the space that they were supposed to have after the lockout.

Fred Bartsch Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:26)

If you thought the Boston/Toronto game was boring, then i assume you did NOT watch the Rangers/Devils game yesterday. BORING!

Bill Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:26)

I absolutely agree that the NHL has become increasingly boring over the last decade or so. The neutral zone trap is the main reason for this. I have a suggestion that may help matters somewhat. I would like to see some experimentation with allowing the offense to dump the puck from their own end of the neutral zone. I know this isn't really an ideal way to combat the neutral zone trap, but perhaps it may open things up a little. Another thought I've had that would certainly add more scoring chances is to stop allowing penalty killers to ice the puck with impunity. I would allow the penalty killers to change lines when they ice the puck, but I would bring the puck back down the ice for a face-off in the attack zone. This could also serve as an added deterrent to taking obstruction penalties.

lightning Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:25)

in response to the last post, i suppose it is perspective that counts. die hard purists do not think changes are needed. however, the game is obviously too boring to attract new or casual fans. i don't think that any changes are needed except one: downsize goalie equipment. i'm sick of seeing michellin men blocking shots night after night. it would be nice to see astounding athleticism for once.

Tree Posted
(2009-04-30 05:56:25)

In 6 hours of Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, viewers were treated to 5 goals (Pit won in SO). What we witnessed was Boston and Vancouver employing the trap to perfection, and stifling the entertaining style of offensive hockey that both Toronto and Pittsburgh usually play. The other posters here say that we don't need more goals to make hockey entertaining, but I would counter that we do need less 'trap' crap. That's what killed the excitement of these games. Heck, the Leafs-Bruins game feautred 44 total shots, no fights and 3 goals. That is not entertaining. The rating reflect this: less than 2 million viewers combined for both Saturday games. When CBC draws that poor viewership on a snowy Saturday night in December, I don't know how anyone can trumpet the 'entertainment value' of those games!

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