You can give the NHL general managers this much: They’re trying. But even as they attempt to improve their game, they likely know they’re turning away from one of the root problems.
Here’s one premise laid out when they were slumming it this past week in Boca Raton, Fla., for annual meetings: The game needs more scoring. OK, good. Solution? Make the goalie pads smaller.
That should help, and let’s second what Arizona GM Don Maloney told reporters: “We all want it. It’s unanimous across the board: You want to make sure the goalies are protected, but you have to look at pictures now versus 10 years ago, it’s too much. It has to be scaled back.”
But is that really the answer? How about asking a GM — or anyone who watches the sport on a nightly basis who never made a living in zebra stripes — what they think of the officiating? It’s impossible not to go down this route having seen the mockery Tim Peel and Greg Kimmerly made in Anaheim for Ducks-Rangers on Wednesday, and then the inconsistency from Brian Pochmara and Dean Morton in Los Angeles on Thursday for Kings-Rangers. (The non-call on goaltender interference that tied the game — well, let Henrik Lundqvist tell you what he thought about that one.)
Lundqvist, of course, has been one of the unfair poster boys for pads that have grown too large. Lundqvist cut down his leg pads by an inch earlier this season as he works with Bauer to develop the lightest and most effective pads, allowing him to play to the strengths of his athleticism and quickness. He’ll likely be affected by what the league — headed by senior director of hockey operations Kay Whitmore, a former goalie — has to say about tightening the pads around the pants, shoulders and arms. And in conjunction with the NHLPA, Lundqvist is likely to take it in stride.
“Whatever happens, it’s going to be the same for everyone,” Lundqvist said when asked about it this week.
The unavoidable fact is that through Wednesday’s games, NHL teams were combining for 5.38 goals per game, the lowest since the 2003-04 season — you know, the one that led to the entire next season being lost to a lockout and precipitating the rules changes to stop the clutching and grabbing.
But there is just as much, if not more, clutching and grabbing now as there was before the lockout. It seems teams were OK with the extra calls right after the lockout because they knew the game needed a change. That honeymoon period has slowly worn off, and now we’re back to referees feeling the pressure of not making too many calls to determine the outcome of the game. Now they only make occasional calls — with zero consistency.
As for the coach’s challenge, the most glowing reviews are only as lukewarm as the way Rangers headman Alain Vigneault explained it before the Kings game.
“I think we’re all trying to understand what’s goalie interference, what’s not goalie interference,” Vigneault said presciently. “As we go through it more, I think we’ll have a clearer picture of what the NHL is trying to do. But I do think it’s a good thing. It’s about getting it right. There’s a learning curve. We’re in that learning curve, and it’s only going to get better as it moves on here.”
After the game, he likely was filled more with the emotion verbalized by his predecessor on Broadway, John Tortorella, who said three weeks ago: “If we can’t get it right … then just get rid of the coach’s challenge.”
So shrinking the goalie pads, sure, that’s a good thing. But the real issue lies with the officials’ union, and making it clear that the rules set in 2004-05 still apply. The league offices can fight with the players every decade or so to stop the game entirely, but they need to dictate to the officials how they want their game called. Otherwise no shrinking of pads will make it better.
Ageless Jags
If you keep holding your breath waiting for 44-year-old Jaromir Jagr to slow down, make sure your living will is in place. How’s this for protecting the puck with his quintessential hockey butt, and then the vision to set up young teammate Jonathan Huberdeau for this goal on Saturday?
The Panthers might have slowed down just a touch coming into the stretch run, going 5-4-1 over their past 10. But they have their sights on the postseason, and that will surely be fun to watch — with Jagr leading the charge.
The Habs’ freefall continues
It’s getting somewhat embarrassing — OK, totally embarrassing — for the Canadiens. Their season will not stop spiraling violently out of control. When they started the season 9-0-0, who could have imaged this would be happening in mid-March?
Some rookie named Mike McCarron being in the lineup should have been a surprise in itself, then this kerfuffle with the lowly Sabres?
Goodness. Well, at least coach Michel Therrien will be back next season, and Carey Price is facing shots again. Happy times in Montreal are ahead! How long before they realize that losing your goalie should not entirely derail a season like this? Bigger changes are needed.
Stay tuned …
… to the Flyers. Yup, the same Flyers who looked dead in the water not too long ago are now in playoff position after going 10-2-2 in their past 14, most recently beating the defending champion Blackhawks, 3-2, on Wednesday night. With captain Claude Giroux making plays like the one below, and with Jake Vorachek set to return as soon as this Saturday from a lower-body injury that has kept him out since Feb. 25 — well, might not want to face them in the first round. Just sayin’.
Parting shot
It was a fine career for Brenden Morrow, who officially hung up the skates on Thursday after a distinguished 15-year career. Morrow had not played this season after finishing up last year with the Lightning in the Stanley Cup final. His first 12-plus years were with the Stars, who honored him on Thursday night with a video-board tribute.