Mike Babcock calls for bigger nets

[elocomotive]

Babcock: It’s impossible to score. All you gotta do is a math equation. You go to 1980 when the puck went in the net. You got the average size of the goalies in the NHL and the average size of the net. You keep growing the net bigger, that would make the game the same. We change the game every year because we don’t want to change the game. The net’s too small for the size of the goalies. Period.

What do you think?


(pssst... i totally agree with him)

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I think he's getting sick of Kadri's million shots not finding the net.

 

[dash]

I would prefer to shrink goalie equipment rather than make the net bigger.

/Somehow, the Hawks and Blues found a way to pour in 11 goals last night.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

somethings gotta be done so Jannik Hansen can score

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I would prefer to shrink goalie equipment rather than make the net bigger.

I saw chicken parm tweet the other day that THE Ryan Miller wears the same hockey pant size as Carey Price

Ryan Miller is 55 pounds lighter than Carey Price

 

[jstewismybastardson]

its not just the pads ... its too much "draping" they say

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I SAID "DRAPING" PARTRICK KANE!!!!

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I would prefer to shrink goalie equipment rather than make the net bigger.

/Somehow, the Hawks and Blues found a way to pour in 11 goals last night.

There's no question though that the average size of goalies has gone up too. I remember when people thought Ron Hextall and Patrick Roy were big goalies at 6'2". But now I think you'd be hard pressed to find too many starters (confession: too lazy to look them all up) under 6'2".

And that doesn't even consider a guy like Bishop.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

There's no question though that the average size of goalies has gone up too. I remember when people thought Ron Hextall and Patrick Roy were big goalies at 6'2". But now I think you'd be hard pressed to find too many starters (confession: too lazy to look them all up) under 6'2".

And that doesn't even consider a guy like Bishop.

they discussed it in the cesspool ... 40 nhl goalies total (starters & non starters) are over 6'2

 

[jstewismybastardson]

20 goalies currently on NHL rosters are over 6'4

 

[DragonfromTO]

I'm inclined to agree with him, but it's also a rather complicated change to make. There isn't really a problem with offense at any level except the highest I don't think, so is that the only level that gets bigger nets? And if so, how much harder does that make it to evaluate players (both goalies and shooters) who aren't playing at that level and under those conditions?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

And none of those play for the Leafs

 

[DragonfromTO]

I saw chicken parm tweet the other day that THE Ryan Miller wears the same hockey pant size as Carey Price

Ryan Miller is 55 pounds lighter than Carey Price

Miller is 7 years older than Price, he doesn't go for that skinny jean shit.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Miller is 7 years older than Price, he doesn't go for that skinny jean shit.

could be adult diapers

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

What I think they should do is change the size of the goalie pads back to what goalies wore in the 70's & 80's.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

What I think they should do is change the size of the goalie pads back to what goalies wore in the 70's & 80's.

 

[DragonfromTO]

What I think they should do is change the size of the goalie pads back to what goalies wore in the 70's & 80's.

The PA would never go for it, and the first time a goalie was injured by a shot it would unleash a torrent of backlash.

With all of the (proper and just) concern about safety nowadays, a rule on less protection is probably not an option. It's going to be perceived (accurately or not) as risking goalies' health for entertainment.

The other thing is that it's not just goalies (and their equipment) that are better nowadays. Going back to 70s style equipment would swing things too far in the other direction I think, deadly accurate super hard shooters with space age composite sticks helping them would tear those goalies wearing 70s style pads apart.

 

[RP-29]

I think a good solution is to require the goalies to wear tight-fitting jerseys with greater elasticity to open up the 6 & 7 holes. The advancement in clothing materials within the past decade would allow such a thing without hindering mobility.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

The PA would never go for it, and the first time a goalie was injured by a shot it would unleash a torrent of backlash.

With all of the (proper and just) concern about safety nowadays, a rule on less protection is probably not an option. It's going to be perceived (accurately or not) as risking goalies' health for entertainment.

The pads goalies wear today are to big. I realize these guys are bigger than goalies of yesteryear, but the pads don't have to be as wide. They don't have to be as bulky. It's hard enough to score as it is. When goalies are made even bigger than they are by the pads they wear it makes it that much tougher to score. The pads would be made of the same stuff they use today. I don't see how there would be a health risk. Their bodies would still have plenty of padding.

 

[forty_three]

Why not just ban goalies from using team training facilities and nutritionists?

The problem isn't necessarily goalie size but goalie athleticism. A guy like Pekka Rinne isn't going to give a up a lot more goals on a 20% larger net. He's just going to have to move a bit more. And a big goalie like Bishop (when standing) has the crossbar hit him just above the glutes. So he crouches more otherwise he's got body covering places no pucks can go in. Raise the crossbar six inches, and he simply has to crouch a little less. Won't make a lick of difference.

So are they going to make the rink bigger too? Because EVERYONE is bigger now than in the 80's. Look at Gretzky. He probably wouldn't even get invited to camp nowadays. Johnny Hockey is ridiculed for his "miniscule" size. He's only two inches shorter than Gretz was. A lot of players were that size back then. Lindros came in and everyone was like "OMG 6 feet 4!". He was a giant.

The game is different now. Equipment and training regimens make players so much faster. Defenders can attack better, faster forwards run out of space so much sooner now. Remember Messier dancing the D man and streaking down the wing and shooting off the top of the circle? Now if you streak down a wing and beat a defender, by the time you look up the shot is coming from the faceoff dot or below. Shots from there are easier to stop. Even if you had Panger in there. Most guys are not sniping one in from the half wall below the faceoff dot on an NHL goalie regardless of net size.