San Jose Sharks Gameday: The Newtional Hockey League

Haha, "tween."

What the hell? What are you talking about?

I haven't ever accepted the argument that the shootout sucks because it isn't a "team" thing. Do the same people who make this argument believe that all breakaway goals are awful and invalid because they were individual triumphs?

If the shootout is dumb, we should just get rid of it completely. This bizarre 2-on-1 thing is just bonkers.

I'm rating this proposal completely insane.

#2: 3-2-1-0 point format

Give 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an OT/shootout win, 1 point for an OT/shootout loss and zilch for a regulation loss. Put the value back on winning games outright rather than playing for overtime.

Back when I first heard this idea proposed I was against it, but now that I think about it again I don't really see a big problem with it. I don't like how messy it is, and would prefer a more elegant system, but I think something like this would be better than what we have now. Let's call this proposal possibly good.

#3: Inverted trapezoid

This proposal suggests not eliminating the trapezoid as many would like but actually reversing it. Now goalies can play the puck only outside the trapezoid, not inside it. Doesn't it stand to reason to create more excitement to allow the goalie more chance to get away from his net rather than staying close?

I'm not in favor of instituting funky rules to try and create excitement out of players screwing up. This is probably dumb.

#4: Goals don't end power plays

There is always a lot of talk about if you want to increase scoring then increase penalty minutes. Teams are obviously more likely to score when there are fewer opponents. Instead of making up new rules or calling the game stricter, why not say a two-minute penalty is a two-minute penalty no matter if they score or not?

Intriguing, but flawed. As Earl said in the comments to my last post, the league should focus on increasing 5-on-5 scoring, rather than looking for ways to call more penalties or making those penalties last longer. I worry that something like this would warp the league by placing so much more emphasis on drawing penalties, diving, and special-teams play. This is another idea that is probably dumb.

#5: Seven-minute overtimes with 4-on-4 then 3-on-3

There would be a seven-minute overtime with one skater being removed from each side at the first dead puck after four minutes. The idea would be to decrease the chances of a shootout. Fewer guys on the ice equals greater odds that a team scores.

Jesus Christ, if you people hate the shootout that much just get rid of it. Don't create bizarre nonsense rules that make the game sound like something a bunch of kids made up.

SEVEN minutes of OT? SEVEN? Fuck off.

Completely insane.

#6: Two-point goals

The objective is to award two points on goals that are scored -- untouched by anybody on either team sans the goalie -- from beyond the blue line.

Man, remember Pro Beach Hockey? That shit was great.

This idea, however, is completely insane. I bet this would actually DECREASE scoring, as more players would shoot from too far away to have a realistic chance of scoring. Not every goalie in the league is Roman Turek, after all.

#7: Goalies serve penalties

This is one that I have long believed in. Why should a goalie get to stay on the ice when he does something against the rules while all skaters get banished to the box?

Why? Because putting a cold goalie into the game would 1) punish the penalized team more than penalties incurred by skaters 2) take too fucking long. This proposal is probably dumb.

#8: No more matching minors

If two guys get sent to the box on the same play, make the teams play 4-on-4 for the duration of the penalty.

This is a brilliant idea. Why doesn't the NHL already do this?

Oh, they do? They have for years?

Oh, okay. Moving on.

#9: Goalies can't freeze the puck outside of the crease

If they do, it's a delay of game call. This presumably will lead to more mad scrambles in front of/around the net.

I would be more in favor of this if I thought there was a big problem with goalies freezing the puck way far away from their net. I don't remember seeing that happen too often though, do you? I don't think a rule is necessary here, and I can't think of a way to write the rule where you wouldn't have people arguing and video-reviewing about whether the puck was actually in the crease when it was frozen or whatever, and that would suck. This proposal is probably dumb.

Share your thoughts on these rule changes or others in the comments. Do you agree or disagree with my assessments? Am I brilliant or probably dumb?

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