Is Goalie equipment still too big?

[yave1964]

  The league shaved a half inch there and a inch and a quarter there. Goal scoring is up, slightly around the league.

  Should the NHL step in and shrink down the size of equipment even more?

 

  My opinion is an unequivocal yes. Cory Crawford is the poster child of why I say this.

  Last year the ungodly talented Chicago Black Hawks stormed to a cup, winning wire to wire. I picked them to run away with the West with the only Caveat being that Crawford was a very ordinary goaltender who would either have to step up or be replaced for them to go far in the playoffs.

  Crawford had a solid post season, and I watched a few interviews with him. My God.

  His shoulder pads were as tall as his ears. His other equipment seems to belong to a much larger species than his own. I watched a game in the finals against the Bruins, very specific memory of a breakaway shot by Lucic which was turned away by Crawford who then blocked the rebound on the other side and blocked to the corner. The announcer was losing his mind about how much Crawford has matured but to me what struck me was Crawford DID NOT MOVE. He did not have to, of course he probably could not. I see in my minds eye Duncan Keith and Seabrook wheeling him out and positioning him in front of the net to start a period, and then a couple of other guys pushing him to the locker room at the end of the period.  he has so damn much equipment on that skill no longer matters he is the stay puff marshmallow man on steroids in net for Gods sake. He don't move in net because he cannot move in net.

  Do goalies need equipment for protection? Oh God yes, I would not want that damn puck fired at me with any speed without much more than Crawford even wears on. Look at these snipers today, they are more accurate than a brain surgeon, the NHL shaved a couple of inches off the three hundred pounds of stuffing and scoring goes up. I marvel at the exact accuracy of todays players.

  But do players need six foot shoulder pads? Or leg pads that go up to their nipples? Or a blocker that goes into the first row? Hell no. Cmon.

  This is an amazing skill game, it is ridiculous that goaltending equipment, not designed to protect the goaltender but designed to give an unfair advantage to the lesser skilled goalies has such a big impact in todays game.

  So I say shrink the equipment, allow more offense quit making average at best goalies look like Jacques Plante every night and let the chips fall where they may. What say you?

Edited November 8, 2013 by yave1964

[bunnyman]

I see what you're saying. Materials have gotten better as time has elapsed so the argument can go away for equipment becoming larger and larger. The fans are more interested in scoring.

I don't want to see a larger net. I would like to see the trapezoid go away, myself. That could incidentally increase scoring if the goalie could come out further to play the puck. I think goalie sweaters should definitely be more form-fitting, and the leg pads should be shorter, particularly for the butterfly goalie style currently in vogue.

The only thing I see wrong with shrinking the equipment is for the economics of the game for youth. But that can be grandfathered in, like giving a cut-off date for the old stuff to go away in five years. NHL and other pro bodies can and do change equipment on the fly. Lower level college programmes and such don't have that luxury, but a five year period could solve those problems for all but elite competition.

Interesting thought.