They say hockey is a scoring game. The NHL is called the entertainment industry. These two terms happily go hand in hand in the fabled North American hockey league.
People want to see goals and superstars do them in the most artistic way. NHL hockey is more entertaining than it has been in decades, maybe ever.
In the last two seasons, the teams have scored an average of more than six goals per match. Such numbers can be found in the history of the league almost 30 years ago.
At the center of everything are young, fast and unprecedentedly skilled superstars Connor McDavid’s in the manner of.
Listen to the latest episode of the Ika änäri podcast, which discusses the current topics of the NHL playoffs:
Open doors
However, there are aspects more important than entertainment. Although the NHL wants to be a money-making machine, it is primarily a competitive sport, where 32 teams seriously aim for the Stanley Cup.
However, the league has not given a very flattering picture of five-man and defensive play, especially this spring. In the era of individualism, defending seems to be a value for few.
There are currently four teams in the playoffs with an average of less than three goals per game. In the future, only Carolina will be of these. The last time they defended equally poorly in the playoffs was 30 years ago.
It’s raining dangerous scoring chances: only two teams have given less than ten scoring chances in the first sector in a match with five ties. Two years ago, nine teams were able to do the same, and the year before that, ten teams.
In the regular season, the average percentage of underpowered play by the teams was 78.7. To find an equally weak reading, you have to go back to the 1985–86 season.
– It seems that the appreciation of defending has gone down over the years. Maybe there is some kind of turning point going on here, that we are looking for the right way to play. The league, of course, likes goals to be scored and thus the product is entertaining. Now, the game is pretty explosive attacking, played 479 games in the NHL Ossi Väänänen says.
Ville Nieminen played 385 games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with Colorado.
– Totally incomprehensible that expense at times. We are talking about a back triangle, two defenders and a centre. That is, about things that are absolutely basic in Finnish football. How to play, with what readiness to defend, how to fill one’s own area and so on. They talk about a lot of things there, but some of them seem to be completely Hebrew, Nieminen downloads.
– If that’s the model we want to play with and it brings goals, then so be it, Nieminen snorts.
“Game from the downtime side”
Hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen describes New Jersey’s series against Carolina as gut-wrenching.
– I thought they would have done their homework. However, certain basic things in the defensive game were constantly missed, Lehkonen describes.
– Look Jesper Brattia in the 2–2 goal of the last Carolina game. Really rough tube. Top defender Dougie Hamilton there must have been 11 goals in the freezing cold. Coach (Lindy Ruff) hasn’t been able to sell his stuff to the guys, Lehkonen continues.
And Ruff hasn’t been the only one who hasn’t been able to, wanted to, or dared to sell his team the idea of the importance of defense.
– Everyone is wondering why Toronto and Edmonton were left with a bone in their hand again. Because they play stupidly and have no defensive readiness. There, we always place ourselves basically on the attacking side and hope for the best. This is also what intermediate model players do there. In Finland, the idea is that we always go more confidently from the side of the game stoppage, Nieminen opens.
– The focus is on tactical choices. Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft couldn’t get his defensive game and humility right. Leon Draisaitl took -4 from the decisive match and I can directly blame two of them. Vegas pilot Bruce Cassidy absolutely burned his colleagues in that series. Woodcroft made wrong choices in the game, Lehkonen comps.
From time to time, the question also arises as to who knows how to steer the ships in the NHL: the superstars making millions or the coach.
– I wouldn’t say that big guys use power verbally, but they do have some kind of silent power. It’s a big deal how this situation is handled, Väänänen states.
Nieminen drives the bend straighter.
– This is a matter of star status. Some of the players are obviously not coachable because the coach doesn’t make them do those things.
Carolina looks from the front
Stardust is weakly correlated with winning. 46 of the 55 best scorers in the regular season have already dropped out of the game before the conference finals.
After 1990, they have only managed to win the points exchange and the Stanley Cup in the same season Mario Lemieux (1991, 1992) and Martin St. Louis (2004).
– I don’t think that the old truth about the relationship between playing defense and winning has disappeared anywhere. Let’s look at Edmonton, for example, and the superstars will deliver, but is playing defense high in the world of values there. It’s certainly talked about, but it doesn’t show in action, Väänänen says.
Carolina is ahead of the rest of the remaining teams in terms of defensive play.
– Look at how Carolina plays. It will not come as a surprise with that coach, Väänänen refers to the Carolina pilot known for his hard work ethic already in his playing years Rod to Brind’Amour.
– There is a coach who loves hard work and commitment and also appreciates it. I know that hard workers are also really appreciated there and that is always important.
While Alivoima is languishing in really weak readings for many, Carolina, known as a strong stick pressure team, has killed the ice 90 percent.
– It’s great to see that, in part, the NHL is moving more towards the way of playing, rhythm and commitment. Carolina is a good example of that. Their Alivoima is very connected to the active way of playing five against five, and that’s why it works. They have longer experience with it and skate underpowered pairs very well, Nieminen praises.
You can trust a Finn
You rarely get to criticize Finnish players in this regard. Finland hasn’t produced puckish defenders comparable to the NHL, but a high-quality basic broom is even better. Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää are the NHL’s most elite as basic defenders and have a long career as well Olli Määttä.
Miro Heiskanen excels in the puck game, but at the same time is excellent overall and good even without the puck.
– It’s a sweet thing that Finns always know their identity. We are talking about very responsible players who do not eat from the team’s load. In this respect, we become ideal players. Lindell and Hakanpää in particular are players who are not talked about enough. Selfless, reliable and irreplaceable guys for your gang, Väänänen praises.
We’re giving a final award to a defender who has played more than 600 NHL games in his career To Marc Methot.
– Ice hockey is a team game. You can’t win in the playoffs with two or three individuals. Championships are won with strong defense and goalkeeping. The teams are simply too good now, Methot wrote on Twitter.
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