Edmonton, Alberta – You never would have known it by watching the Avalanche against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, but goal scoring is down in the NHL this season.
Theories vary as to why, but a general consensus seems to be coaches – with a year to adapt to new rules changes – have devised defensive systems to keep more pucks out of the net.
“They’re finding ways to, maybe not trap it up, but slow it down a bit,” said Avs winger Andrew Brunette, who recorded his first career hat trick in Tuesday’s 7-6 victory over the Oilers. “If it’s not clutching and grabbing, it’s other ways. There’s more (defense) in the neutral zone this year than last year, I think. It’s a copycat league. There’s five guys in the neutral zone at all times more now. Teams are more disciplined now.”
Through the first 491 games this season, an average of 5.8 goals were scored per game – down from 6.1 through the same number last season. Scoring still is well up from the 5.0 goals a game that were averaged in 2003-04.
Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville likes a fast-skating, transitional type of team – not a plodding, neutral-zone trapping style. But with defensemen not able to get away with clutching and grabbing, the Avs have had to focus on defensive play in the neutral zone, like every other team.
“Everybody moves around the ice pretty well now, pretty consistently and predictably,” Quenneville said.
“They give you certain areas of the ice, which doesn’t really enhance your positioning, as far as scoring or creating more offense. That’s kind of where it’s at right now.”
The NHL does not want scoring to sink back to the pre-lockout days, which many refer to as the “Dead Puck Era.” NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell believes the time may have come to make goal nets bigger.
“I know this is going to rock some traditionalists, and I can say this because I’m one of them, but I really think we’ve got to look long and hard at bigger nets,” Campbell told The Canadian Press.
“I’m not saying it’s going to be the final result. But certainly we have to look a little bit harder than we have.”
For such a change to take place, the NHL’s general managers would have to agree to it, along with the competition committee, which is made up of players and GMs.
Predictably, some NHL goalies sampled aren’t too keen on the idea.
“I think we’ve had a lot of rules changes already the last couple of years to help the offensive players,” Avs goalie Jose Theodore said.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
