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GMs to discuss size of goalie equipment


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http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/19/gms-to-discuss-size-of-goalie-equipment/   GMs to discuss size of goalie equipment

Jason Brough

 

Feb 19, 2013, 1:20 PM EST

 

 

With only five NHL teams averaging more than three goals scored per game, general managers are expected to revisit the size of goaltenders’ equipment during their upcoming meetings on March 20,reports ESPN’s Craig Custance.

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http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/19/gms-to-discuss-size-of-goalie-equipment/   GMs to discuss size of goalie equipment

Jason Brough

 

Feb 19, 2013, 1:20 PM EST

 

 

With only five NHL teams averaging more than three goals scored per game, general managers are expected to revisit the size of goaltenders’ equipment during their upcoming meetings on March 20,reports ESPN’s Craig Custance.

 

All they have to do is look at old videos from the 70s and 80s.  Huge difference.  Nets looked so much bigger behind the goalies back then, then they do now. 

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queen-marty.jpg

 

What gets me about these pads, isn't just the shear size, it's the fact that the shoulder doesn't contour to the body. Padding is protection, not for helping you be a goalie, so it's an egregious violation of that to make shoulder pads that stand up to a guy's ears.

And Lundqvist is wearing one of those lame neck protector's. For shame.

I think this is a decent topic. I think leg pads need to be reduced to the point where everyone has a 5-hole, all the time and shoulder pads need to go back to be pads, not plates of armor for the space next to your head.

Also, don't the GMs bring this up every year or two, then decide to do nothing because no one wants to find out their goalie is all pads and no skill.

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It's a delicate subject because nobody wants to get goalies hurt. However what can be done is reduce the size of the shin pads. Right now 11 is the max...they can chop that down to 10 or 10.5. Also thigh rises are bigtime cheaters as they help eliminate 5 holes. You want to have risers? Fine, just make sure they taper to the thigh. Look at Osgood here. They go up mid thigh but are still tight to his body and narrow as they go up mp8A5oA-g-c6TDD2QLWUYHQ.jpg

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Won't happen.  All it'll take is one injury that can arguably be traced to reduced padding that will lead to lawsuits.  Also, enough teams benefit from more padding so that you won't get enough GMs to go on board.   I believe even Marty has switched to the bigger padding.

 

In any event, I don't think it'll make much of a difference.  The goalies today are quicker, bigger and just plain better.  If you could transport Marty Biron back to the pre-Roy days, same pads from the time and all, he'd be considered one of the best goalies of all time.

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They should use Brodeur as an example in more than just his equipment size. The sheer amount of games he has played and has not suffered any serious puck related injury should be a strong enough case.

 

Once Marty retires they should just increase the size of the nets by the % of increase the padding adds to the goalie outlines. The goalies would have to move faster to cover the gaps and the padding will slow them down.

 

The other thing is you have skaters throwing themselves in front of slap shots without goalie equipment now. If they were that concerned about safety that would not be an allowed practice.

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Won't happen. All it'll take is one injury that can arguably be traced to reduced padding that will lead to lawsuits. Also, enough teams benefit from more padding so that you won't get enough GMs to go on board. I believe even Marty has switched to the bigger padding.

In any event, I don't think it'll make much of a difference. The goalies today are quicker, bigger and just plain better. If you could transport Marty Biron back to the pre-Roy days, same pads from the time and all, he'd be considered one of the best goalies of all time.

Lawsuits for what, a bruised upper thigh? I don't see any concern for safety with the shootouts or the fastest skater at the All-Star game. They're not asking these guys to play without a mask.

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Won't happen.  All it'll take is one injury that can arguably be traced to reduced padding that will lead to lawsuits.  Also, enough teams benefit from more padding so that you won't get enough GMs to go on board.   I believe even Marty has switched to the bigger padding.

 

In any event, I don't think it'll make much of a difference.  The goalies today are quicker, bigger and just plain better.  If you could transport Marty Biron back to the pre-Roy days, same pads from the time and all, he'd be considered one of the best goalies of all time.

 

This is how I feel. I think every GM has sat in his chair thinking about this and saying, "Do I want to roll the dice and see if my goalie is a quality one or if we pay $4M/year for a set of big pads" and the answer is always no, because no GM cares about having a goalie as opposed to a set of pads, so long as it prevents goals and wins games. Except for maybe Lou, he seems to seek out back ups that don't wear oversized pads and all of our prospect goalies are from NA, compared to the overflow of oversized, overpadded Euro goalies that are everywhere else in the NHL.

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Lawsuits for what, a bruised upper thigh? I don't see any concern for safety with the shootouts or the fastest skater at the All-Star game. They're not asking these guys to play without a mask.

 

Believe me, a creative lawyer can sue anyone and get a nice chunk of change.  "Just" a bruised upper thigh?  Well my client missed a few weeks, lost his starting job and lost out on the gazillion dollars he would have made for the rest of his career.  Gimme, gimme, gimme.

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For what it's worth, Brodeur's padding (both legs and upper body) has gotten noticeably larger the past 2+ seasons. It's still not the size of most guys but the gap has closed considerably.

Marty's pad have gotten bigger, and I think it's why his save percentage hasn't decreased like we would normally expect. He's slowing with age but he's using bigger pads to help mitigate the change, which shows that bigger pads do make a noticeable difference in goals allowed.

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I say no to bigger nets, leave the rink the way it is. If they can't slim the goalies down at all then just leave it the way it is. The game is fine, it doesn't need to be constantly changed.

Arguably, the fact shooters have less and less net to shoot at is the constant change and going to a slightly bigger net would be to cancel out some of that change.

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Believe me, a creative lawyer can sue anyone and get a nice chunk of change.  "Just" a bruised upper thigh?  Well my client missed a few weeks, lost his starting job and lost out on the gazillion dollars he would have made for the rest of his career.  Gimme, gimme, gimme.

 

I understand what you're saying, but any player who gets hit with a puck could use that same argument. Ian Laperriere's career basically ended from taking a puck to the face.

 

The pads should be for protection. For the upper leg example, the pants goalies wear have hard plastic padding in them. The high upper part of the leg pads are purely for closing the five hole when the goalie is in the butterfly. They don't serve much purpose otherwise.

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