The talk of the first weeks of the NHL season has been the blocking of goaltenders and the subsequent disallowance of goals. There always seems to be a discussion around the topic of eternity, but what’s really confusing is that the league and its judges can’t seem to find a consensus on policies.
Edmonton and New York Rangers in particular were left wide open in their matches to watch how they were denied a goal, even though there was almost no contact with the goalkeeper.
Edmonton to Philadelphia Matvei Mitshkov was able to force the puck into the net from the front corner protected by the goalkeeper. After the challenge, the first rejected goal was accepted.
In the end, does anyone know what is and isn’t goaltending?
– I don’t seem to know now, but I see that we should be even more precise with this and I believe that the guardians of the goalkeepers’ interests will make sure that this happens. Goalkeepers must be protected from injury in some way. I predict that this will get even more specific, that the blue area is to be kept clean, ‘s ice hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen says.
– It must only be approved by the coaches.
The performances of the goalkeepers bring their own challenge to the interpretations. For example, Edmonton, who was already coming back from behind on Wednesday Stuart Skinner suddenly decided to return behind the goal to make contact with the hairy player and threw himself spectacularly onto the ice after the hit. However, the judges did not fall into the trap this time.
– We know that advantages are sought in all ways to get the opponent on the ice shelf. A certain type of ice fishing has increased, and maybe that’s something the GMs would do well to think about. Could sanctions be given for them, Lehkonen wonders.
Who surprised?
of Pittsburgh Yevgeni Malkin. Malkin was one of the brightest stars in the NHL for a long time, but the last few seasons have not gone well.
The Penguins desperately need top-level performances from the 38-year-old Malkin if they still want to make the playoffs. In this respect, autumn is responsible for the head coach by Mike Sullivan to prayers.
After Thursday’s round, Malkin leads the entire NHL point market after five games with 2+9.
– This is a damn big deal for Pittsburgh. Malkin has to be this effective or his legacy to the sport will crumble even a little. He has all the tools, has the size, skill and stuff, but the workload has to be put in as well. Coaching can no longer sit guys of that age on videoconferences. Much depends on the player himself.
Who cheated?
The champion Colorado Avalanche from a couple of years ago is the biggest disappointment of the first rounds: four games, four losses and a goal difference of 13-25.
The team’s goalkeeper game is leaking, Alivoima is killing the ice with 50 percent power and the superiority game has also rained.
On top of everything, the coaching pushes the player into the goal, a player who has apparently completely lost his self-confidence Alexander Georgieveven Finland Justus Annunen too would be an option. In four matches, Georgiev has conceded an average of 5.79 goals per match.
The Russian Georgijev is a goalkeeper familiar to Finns, as he left for the NHL at the time from Turku Palloseura.
Of course, it should not be forgotten that injuries plague Colorado greatly. Captain Gabriel Landeskog hasn’t played for two and a half years, and besides that, important players are on the sidelines Artturi Lehkonen, Valery Nitshushkin, Jonathan Drouin and defender Devon Toews. On Thursday morning, a depth forward went down Miles Wood.
Colorado’s superstars have scored points, but at the same time Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have accumulated a balance of -6 in the power statistics, Mikko Rantanen -5.
Colorado is a good team, but the beginning of the season can be called a budding crisis with good reason.
– Now it doesn’t help to cry that there is this and that guy out of line. Starting with the key players, you have to be able to tighten your belt and find ways to win matches. The quintet took a hit when Toews went down, but the cornered man has only one direction to go: forward. Crying doesn’t help, you should get your first win as quickly as possible, otherwise it will be difficult, Lehkonen sees.
– At the same time, you have to remember that four games have been played here. They haven’t lost anything yet.
Finnish goal of the week
Becomes the Finnish goal of the week by Anton Lundell messy finish in Boston. A well-read break behind the goal in a close game and persistently pressing the situation to the end resulted in the first hit of the season. Lundell made a total of 3+1 impressive performances in the away games against Boston and Columbus.
– Classic Lundell. As soon as Alexander Barkov got injured, he took his game up another notch. This is what Lundell has done in the past when players have been dropped from Florida. You can’t help but greatly appreciate it, Lehkonen praises.
What next?
In the coming days, it is worth following Nashville, who tore the wallet strings in the summer to strengthen the team. By Steven Stamkos and Of Johathan Marchessault star players like Nashville quickly put Nashville among the top teams in the Western Conference. However, the beginning has been sticky.
The coat came first from Dallas, then from Detroit, and from the beginning of the week, ugly from Seattle (3–7). Three losses is certainly not a start that the coaching staff by Andrew Brunette with management applied. And the job won’t get any easier, as last summer’s finalist Edmonton and the ever-successful Boston will face each other in the next week.
– I’m not worried about this group. Of course, it has a little bit of the same thing with the first win as in Colorado. You should get it quickly, and the pressure will ease a little. But there the team is healthy, it has a lot of experienced guys at the core and a clear game identity. Nothing but forward. I still trust Nashville, Lehkonen assures.