NHL Rules: Less Coaching For Increased Scoring

The Board of Governors have spent months discussing the proposed changes to certain NHL rules in great detail. As much as the league means well I don’t see many of the suggestions causing a dramatic increase in goal scoring. Most of these changes are cosmetic and will be coached around.

That’s the problem with how coaching has evolved. Players are bigger and faster with sticks that flex like slingshots. Equipment makes skaters look like Olympic weight lifters and goalie equipment remains a hot topic. Most of that coaches can plan for that giving a team the advantage.

Blocking shots, positioning and entering the attacking zone are all things that get coached into players among many others.  No NHL rules changes are going to erase coaches ability to adapt to their environment.  Players receive coaching in every aspect of their professional lives from diet and exercise to power play execution and proper face-off technique.  It’s all calculated and results in Sidney Crosby leading the league in scoring with less than 90 points.

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Systems are created within the NHL rules to slow players down and make low-scoring hockey the norm (thanks Lou Lamoriello).  Because the more the pace of play is dictated, the more influence coaches can have on the game by adjusting players and strategies on the fly.  The best players in the world become handcuffed by NHL rules and coaches that use them to every advantage

The easy answer is to have less coaches.  With less coaches there are more demands on their time so you don’t have as much video shot or covered during practice time.  If you aren’t practicing in such detail the players aren’t programmed.  You force highly talented people to communicate and make up more as they go. The results could put more natural skill on display.

The game is also slower because players get away with more.  In 2009 the average number of power plays per game was 3.71 according to sportingcharts.com.  This season that number has dropped to 3.08.  What good are NHL rules changes if you aren’t going to enforce the ones already on the books?

Look at the math.  Teams are on pace to average 252 power plays per season compared with 304 only five years ago.  This season the average power play scores on 18.6% of chances.  That’s nearly an extra ten goals per team per season compared to 2009.  Another 300 biscuits in the basket.  Enforcing the existing NHL rules makes a quick impact.

I’m not a big fan of increasing net size.  If you want to watch a game with a tiny goalie and massive net, soccer is available.  I hate the trapezoid and clearly by the numbers above it’s not increasing scoring on its own.  Because coaches can game plan around it and it’s a penalty that, like many others, isn’t called.

Cutting down equipment size across the board doesn’t sound great either.  The Department of Player Safety can’t seem to consistently enforce discipline when NHL rules aren’t followed.  Do you think reducing equipment makes players safer considering the size and speed of the men playing is greater than any other point in league history?  Neither do I.

I’ll continue to argue that changing the point system will force coaches to game plan differently to chase extra points instead of being conservative and taking what they can get playing scared.  You will force coaches to take chances, more so during playoff races.  Instantly the regular season gets more exciting with extra points on the line every game, and coaches can’t help but react to that.

Whether in business or sports, being a micromanager is another way of saying “I don’t trust those working for me to do their job” and it’s a plan that doesn’t make the best use of talents.  While the zebras have clearly taken advantages away from teams by reducing power plays, over coaching has done more to reduce the natural talent of players than anything else.

Next: No Top Two Pick? No Problem!

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