THN.com Blog: One-minute OT penalties a terrible idea
Daniel Sedin of the Canucks celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Wild Feb. 19, 2008. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/Getty Images)
Rory Boylen
2008-02-21 11:59:36
The NHL is trying to increase scoring and excitement, while decreasing obstruction and deadlocked games.
So why are they even considering implementing one-minute penalties in overtime?
Why would the league want to decrease the length of penalties in a period that is supposed to be all about offense; that is why they decided to make overtime 4-on-4 in the first place.
Having two-minute penalties in a five-minute period is crippling. More than one-third of the time when a team is shorthanded in the extra frame it comes back to bite them, but that is what makes players wary of using stickwork at such a crucial point in the game.
If you cut the length of the two-minute penalty in half for overtime, it makes players twice as likely to gamble on committing obstruction. It also panders to the team committing the foul, which is a 180-degree turn from where the NHL said it was heading coming out of the lockout.
If you’re going to mess with rules surrounding a penalty, why not make the penalized team kill the full two minutes – in regulation, of course – regardless of how many goals the other team scores?
There’d be more offense, more of a deterrent for obstruction and, hopefully, a more wide-open game. Is this not what the NHL claims it’s shooting for?
I fail to see the logic in reducing the length of penalties in overtime. I guess the argument is a penalty that takes up nearly half the period puts a team at a major disadvantage – duh – and a one-minute call would lead to more games going to a shootout.
What makes an overtime penalty any less deserving of time in the box?
What’s next? One-minute penalties in the last five minutes of regulation? Or how about three-minute penalties to try and stimulate comebacks and push more games into overtime?
I’m a traditionalist at heart, but I’m not against the shootout – and I acknowledge that some change is necessary. Heck, if the game never changed, we wouldn’t even have forward passes today.
But, no matter how you look at it, scoring a big goal in sudden death overtime is the best way to end a game, period. Not only is it more exciting and gratifying, but it is also more of a team victory than an individual triumph.
It is a hockey ending.
Make penalties more harmful to a team, not less. Keep two-minute penalties in overtime. They’re supposed to put teams at a disadvantage.
NOTHING FOUL ABOUT LIDSTROM HIT
In the office yesterday a few of us were having a debate on the Ian Laperriere check on Nicklas Lidstrom. Was it clean, or did the elbow come up enough to warrant a penalty?
To me there is no question: It was a clean hit.
When I first saw the check I didn’t think there would be much of a discussion about it, but some argue Laperriere’s elbow intentionally drove Lidstrom in the chin.
Give me a break!
You can see Laperriere with his shoulder down heading into the check. You are taught to go in with your shoulder low and explode up into a hit. That is exactly what Laperriere did and it was only the awkwardness Lidstrom went into the boards with that made it look sketchy.
Not every hit that leads to an injury is dirty; it’s a rough game and guys will get hurt. Here's the difference: Elbow. And no elbow.
What was Laperriere supposed to do, just let Lidstrom, one of the league’s best defensemen, take the puck?
If you are going to start calling penalties and/or suspensions for a hit like this, you might as well either a) take hitting completely out of the game or, b) hand out one-minute penalties to any player hitting a guy with an ‘A’ or ‘C’ on his jersey.
Rory Boylen is THN.com's web content specialist. His blog appears Thursdays.
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John Desjardins (Posted 2008-02-25 00:16:28)
bettman is a once a year groundhog. eventually all hockey players will only play for the money and not for the love of the game because of her. don cherry rules.
Adam Moos (Posted 2008-02-22 15:03:01)
Penalties in OT should remain 2 minutes. The NHL needs to adopt a rule about minor penalties with less than 2 minutes left in regulation or OT. Since the penalty cannot be served in full, the team going on the power play should have the choice of the power play or a penalty shot. A penalty shot is awarded for some minors, but not all and that should be changed.
Jason Williams (Posted 2008-02-22 12:23:16)
Great points Rory. Good clean hit on Lindstrom. Unfortunate that his leg twisted down behind him on the way down. Glad to see that there wasn't any move for discipline from the league Hopefully Lindstrom makes a speedy recovery.
I think if you tinker with the rules too much it can have a negative effect like possibly increasing obstruction in this case. Interesting point about the full two minute penalty regardless if a PP goal is scored though.
Rich Davis (Posted 2008-02-22 10:21:34)
I think that two minute penalties are totally fine, if everyone agrees that a better overtime period is ten minutes, and not five. Overtimes have become really wide open and I hate seeing them stop after five minutes.
Jason Harbluk (Posted 2008-02-21 19:22:46)
Keep 2 minute penalties at anytime of the game, but place the next face-off in the penalized team defensive zone, similar to icing faceoffs. This would encourage set plays, with instant offence off a face-off win. You could even go as far as to limit line changes to penalized teams right after the infraction, like the new icing standards. Think of a 4th line taking a clutch & grab penalty in the neutral zone as a team is breaking out. They go down 5-4, with a face off right beside their net against the other teams 1st line coming fresh onto the ice. If this does not start instant offense, I do not know what would.
Chris Silcox (Posted 2008-02-21 16:21:29)
The hit on Lidstrom was definitely clean and I can't understand why anyone would think otherwise. I've also got to say that I've been waiting to see that for a very long time. Last year in the playoffs I kept thinking, for crying out loud Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the NHL and no one will hit him. A job well done by Lappy for creaming Lidstrom.
Matt Bull (Posted 2008-02-21 14:55:44)
Well argued Rory. Very Bob McCown-esque.
One minute penalties in overtime makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The only reason to even think about doing that is to try to send more games to the shootout, which I personally hate (not the shootout itself, it's entertaining and exciting, but the fact that a team game is being decided by a skills competition by individuals). Since Bettman seems to think the shootout is the coolest thing since sliced bread, it's hardly surprising the league would consider a rule change that would send more games to the shootout.
Gary, hockey is a team game. Why not let the best TEAM decide who wins rather than the individuals in that particular game that have the most skill.
Marcus Dallas (Posted 2008-02-21 14:19:08)
I agree completely.
Furthermore, I say the icing rule should remain in effect during a penalty kill. Its ridiculous that a team that violates one rule is then allowed to break another. T
James Finney (Posted 2008-02-21 13:55:41)
I agree with you that any penalties in OT should be the same amount of time as penalties in regulation. Setting OT penalties to 1 minute wouldn't help anything and could actually make the game less exciting. For example, the last Caps vs. Penguins game was on Versus. It went to OT and the Caps got 2 back-to-back penalties. Their PKers did an amazing job killing off the 5-on-3 - some of the best penalty killing I've ever seen - with one-minute penalties, it would be less impressive and easier to kill off the penalty. However, I don't think they should have powerplays be the full two-minutes whether a goal is scored or not. In fact, I believe a shorthanded goal should end the other team's powerplay personally.
Eduardo (Posted 2008-02-21 12:45:54)
I agree completely with Michael Scioli. I watched a 3 on 4 OT last night and that was not hockey offense on display, that was a boring turkey shoot.
Michael Scioli (Posted 2008-02-21 12:34:48)
I think you've got it all wrong Rory. The thrill of 5 minute 4 on 4 overtime is the frantic up and down pace, and exchanging of chances (like the recent Habs/ Rangers game). A 4 on 3 powerplay crawls play to a standstill. I'll admit it has its charm, its enjoyment, but it doesn't come anywhere near a good back and forth tilt where BOTH teams are in on the scoring chances.
In a 1 minute powerplay situation, there's the added caveat that the game is all but over for the team with the powerplay. With half the power play time theres double the chance the penalized team can come back and make for a much more exciting finish.
Geoff (Posted 2008-02-21 12:34:37)
I have to agree on both points. A one minute penalty is lame. As a die hard Detroit fan the check on Lidstrom was clean. He put himself in a bad position and got hit hard. Kudos to Downey for droping the mitts later that period. Also a giant middle finger to Bettman on last Suday's game on NBC. It was a wonderful game and only one goal scored... Not what Gary wants on National TV. But a great game that didnt need scoring to make it exciting.
Ian Kirby (Posted 2008-02-21 12:11:31)
I completely agree with the stupidity of a 1 min penalty in OT! Has anyone else noticed that it is Brian Burke who is pushing for it.... with his most penalized team.... if you do not count all of Philly's suspensions! Retarded!
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