from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,

When he is asked about how the game is today, and specifically about how teams now leave the points open and collapse down low to take away chances in the actual scoring zones, he pointed out how while the change in the placement of the blue-lines some 10 years ago was made to generate offence, these changes never seem to have the desired effect.

“What happened when they moved the blue-lines out four feet on each side toward the red line, they thought they were creating more room in the offensive zones where the goals were scored,” said Bowman. “But it wasn’t long before the coaches figured out that when defending in your zone, it’s now too big to do everything, so they said, let’s leave the points open and close down toward the net to take away chances closer to the net. Now you can’t get anything through.

“Before they changed it, the defending team used to play its forwards higher out toward the point, which meant once their team got the puck they were out of the zone quicker and there was more room in the neutral zone to make things happen on the rush. Now, unless you’re really good on the stretch pass the way (Victor) Hedman made that one last night, not much happens on the rush. So maybe that was better, but all the changes they make, like taking away interference the way they did, when they enforce it, was supposed to open the game up for more goals but it doesn’t always work out.”

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