Screening the Goalie really bugs me

[renojedi]

One thing that has always bugged me but never seems to be addressed in any rule change is a foward screening the goalie for many seconds at a time. Anyone know why no one cares about this?

What bugs me is that there seems to me no defense for it. If you clear the guy out you risk an interference or roughing call or maybe even a cross check. So the guy just stands in front of the goalie. Now one can argue that goalies have adapted and can respond since goals against is still in a manageable range but it still bugs me.

I guess I'd like a three second rule like in basketball (obviously a little longer since they may be trying to set up a play) but when I see a guy backing into a goalie and in some cases bumping into him with no calls whatsoever it is really annoying. Setting up a play is one thing. Trying to physically affect the play is something else.

Anyone else feel the same way or is it just me?

[Donovan]

It's just you, a three second rule would be atrocious in hockey, it's a physical game and that element is already being removed in terms of rule changes. If it becomes a no contact league I would completely lose interest as I'd much rather watch a 2-1, 3-2 game with a lot of physical play than a 7-5 shootout where a guy can skate freely through the entire team because any contact results in a penalty.

And screening the goalie, as well as the shoving with defenceman is a fun part of the game thats always been there. They've already limited the defenceman to how he can control that forward as yes its a penalty to just shove him out of the way if he doesnt have the puck, as it should be, but a little shoulder to shoulder bumping is all good. The defence can still lift his stick, get his stick over top of the forwards and restrict him from having it free for a shot or tip (legally restrict him, not hold it with his hand or knock it out of the forwards hands) and so on. It's a battle in the trenches similar to the O-Line/D-Line battle in football and something I really enjoy.

[renojedi]

Great response, Donovan. My only objection is that these guys aren't trying for a tip in a lot of the cases but are instead just trying to obstruct the goalie's view. And then when they back into them it means the goalie may not have full range with his stick or glove and, even if that obstruction only slows the goalie down for a half second, that could be the difference in a goal or save. What you said is valid though so I guess that is why it is allowed. But the forward has to practically knock the goalie down before they call anything. I see it like a late hit on the QB...the refs have to call it every time to fix the behavior. But then maybe what Polamalu said about the NFL applies here: "The rules have taken the physicality out of the game and made it touch football". Though I agree defensemen are limited (thank the days of all the grabbing and obstructing in the neutral zone) I don't think goalies should be by something that is purely designed to block their view of the puck and slow their response.

[Donovan]

They used to give the goalies all the space in the world and forwards werent allowed to have even a toenail in the crease or a goal was called back, as you recall. But that led to so many called back goals when the goalie was unobstructed and it should have been a legit goal that they got rid of the rule, it was terrible. As it is now screening a goalie seems fine by me, as long as you aren't making serious contact, since its almost impossible to score a goal from the point without a screen, if the goalie can see it all the way he will save it 99.9% of the time.

If it gets to the point where the forward is obstructing the goalie by sitting on him, or standing deep in the crease so he can't move side to side, thats supposed to be a penalty and goals scored that way are supposed to be called back. As it is the refs arent exactly stellar at calling goalie interference these days, and if the refs wont call it the defenceman has to take it on himself and clear the crease penalties or no penalties.

The funniest is when a defenceman shoves a forward into his own goaltender and an easy goal is scored, the goalies arent too happy with their defenceman then.

[bad_philanthropy]

Donvoan said it well. I Definitely don't want to see a three second type rule as screening and play in front of the net it's a big part of the game and it is much more of a risk reward thing than you might think.

It's not like it's an easy thing to just stand in front of the net in hockey, whereas in basketball if you stand in the paint you aren't going to take the same physical beating as a forward in hockey. These guys take a good pummeling from the shoving, to cross checks in the back, if the puck hits them or they try to bounce on a rebound they often get buried by a defenseman.

I played hockey for a bunch of years and I remember that one year our coach was having trouble finding guys that wanted to play in front of the net consistently. I remember my own experiences, getting hit with the puck unexpectedly, getting chopped with a stick in the back of the legs, getting cross-checked in the back, the puck rebounding onto my stick and suddenly I'm on on my way to the ice and my head smashes into the goalpost. So I think the physical consequences makes it enough of a fair strategy.

[Scottdau]

I wish you could hit them more and not get a penalty. It would be better, because then you really have to earn it. But that is just me.

[Donovan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scottdau

I wish you could hit them more and not get a penalty. It would be better, because then you really have to earn it. But that is just me.

That hinders scoring though as defenceman take liberties with forwards and players without the puck. I don't agree with being able to hit someone without the puck, but jostling and fighting for position is fine, it should take a bit of skill for a defenceman to keep a forward under control. The new NHL has removed what people used to call this, "Playoff Hockey"

I want to see a balance of having to fight for that goal, outwork the defence, but also no illegal interference by the defencemen. Its a fine line.

[Scottdau]

Quote: Originally Posted by Donovan

That hinders scoring though as defenceman take liberties with forwards and players without the puck. I don't agree with being able to hit someone without the puck, but jostling and fighting for position is fine, it should take a bit of skill for a defenceman to keep a forward under control. The new NHL has removed what people used to call this, "Playoff Hockey" I want to see a balance of having to fight for that goal, outwork the defence, but also no illegal interference by the defencemen. Its a fine line.

Yeah I agree, that is basically what I meant.

[Cardot]

This will make you feel better:

[Donovan]

lol man, Belfour was by far the worst for giving punishment as a goalie, he would take a minor penalty every other game for roughing up forwards who were in his crease. So yah, the forwards take the abuse to sit in front of the goalie.