Good goaltending is essential for a team’s success. Look at a team like Pittsburgh. They have arguably the best player in the world in Sidney Crosby. But with a top net minder like Fleury, they don’t necessarily need Crosby in the lineup to win games. They sure as heck need Fleury though. Want more proof? Here are some examples of teams with current goaltending woes…
Vancouver– Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo hasn’t been 100% all year, and is now out with an upper body injury. This is really noticeable in the standings. The Canucks, who have been a perennial powerhouse, are currently sitting 11th in their Conference. This isn’t just on Lou’s shoulders; the whole team isn’t playing great. But a healthy number one goalie would have them well above .500.
Toronto– The Leafs were on a tear to start the season. They went 5-1-1 through their first 7, with number one goalie James Reimer going 4-0-1 over that period. But disaster struck as Reimer took a cheap shot from Habs forward Brian Gionta on October 22nd. He has been out with concussion like syndromes since that day, and there is no timetable for his return. Since then the Leafs have gone 5-6-1, and are desperately searching for an answer to their goaltending woes.
Buffalo– It’s a similar situation for the Sabres. They were on a roll to start the season, and their starting goaltender Ryan Miller was playing well, accompanied by rookie Jhonas Enroth. That was until this Saturday when Miller took a vicious hit from Bruins forward Milan Lucic. Miller, just like Reimer, is now out with concussion like syndromes. The Sabres have only played two games since then, one being a shoot-out win, the other a loss. So it’s a little early to tell how this will impact the team, and rookie sensation, Enroth. But we can all agree that it is a major loss.
The worst thing is, Luongo, Reimer, and Miller aren’t the only goalies getting hurt. Goalies are getting hit, bumped, and run over in the crease, on a nightly basis.
So what’s with all of the goalie contact these days? Why aren’t they protected better? And what is happening to the players that are hitting them?
Good questions. Well first, there are two reasons why they are getting hit. One is, teams like to use the “goalie screen” or “crash the net” methods for scoring goals. This usually results in goalies getting bumped or interfered with. And since the goalie interference rule isn’t enforced as often as it should be, and suspensions typically aren’t handed out for “bumping” the goaltender. Players are taking more and more liberties with opposing net minders (Gionta). The other reason is, goalies going out of their crease to play the puck. Goalies used to come out of their net and play the puck all of the time back in the day. They would come out, play the puck, and usually take a big hit for their efforts. They were also known to dish it out on occasion too (Ron Hextall comes to mind). But goalies were starting to get hurt on a more frequent basis. So a rule was put in place that said that goalies were off limits. The problem with that was, when the trap was popularized, and teams had to use the dump and chase method to fore-check, goalies would be waiting there to play the puck to safety with no consequences. So instead of putting the goaltenders at risk of injury again, the NHL instituted the trapezoid. Which was supposed to keep the goalie in his crease, and stop him from going out and playing the puck. Well it did. For a while anyway, until coaches found a way around it. All you have to do is send your goalie out to intercept the puck ahead of the trapezoid area. The problem with that is, your goalie is that much closer to the fore-checking winger coming into the zone, chasing the puck at top speed. Incidental contact is unavoidable. And so is contact-contact (Lucic). Especially when it doesn’t end in supplemental discipline.
As far as protecting the goalies… well like I said, the NHL does have rules in place to protect the goaltenders from both forms of contact, they just aren’t enforced the way they should be. But it looks like that is going to change. Given the recent incidences, and the impact it is having on the teams themselves. The NHL, and the General Managers, thought it was a pressing issue that needed to be addressed at their latest meeting. They did talk about it, and they did agree that the rules needed to be enforced tenfold. And also, that suspensions needed be issued for malicious cases.
So the players that have been running, or knocking down goaltenders up until this point, will be safe. But as of now, penalties will be more frequent, and goaltenders will be protected like NFL quarterbacks. Oh, and for malicious or repeat offenders, Brendan Shannahan, will be breaking out his yardstick!
