CBC Hot Stove - Switch Ends for More Offense?
Mar 17, 2008 NHL
Scott Mellanby was on CBC’s Hot Stove segment between periods of their Leafs/Sabres coverage, and had an interesting theory on how to increase scoring without an equipment change - switch the ends of the ice you defend around, so you have the longer skate to the bench in two periods instead of one. There are some stats that back it up:
Entering play Saturday, 2,058 goals had been scored this season in the second period, compared to 1,683 in the first period and 1,844 goals (excluding 185 empty-net markers) in the third frame.
Defensemen would have a harder time getting off the ice with the longer skate to the bench, especially if the puck doesn’t go all the way down the ice on the clear. That would mean more would stay late on their shifts, giving forwards an added advantage. GMs may not like it - their best defenders would be getting more of a rough ride. From a purely business standpoint, arena/ticketing changes would have to happen as many season ticket holders pay to sit at the ’shoot twice’ end of the arena. Otherwise, they’d have to switch up the locker rooms (another expense, although a one-time one). It’s better than the stale ‘BIGGER NETS! SMALLER GOALIE EQUIPMENT’ idea that always gets floated around.
Tags: cbc, hnic, Hockey, hockey night in canada, hot stove, mellanby, NHL, scoring
