from Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press,

The size of a regulation NHL goal is 72 inches by 48 inches. Coincidentally, the size of a regulation NHL goaltender is 72 inches by 48 inches. The latter is increasingly rapidly.

Because goaltenders, with all their equipment, now plug into nets like corks into wine bottles, we are forced to witness a never-ending quest for “greasy goals.”

That is a term I have come to regard with the same disdain as “tax hike” and “rain delay.”

With the evolution of goaltenders and their equipment, the hockey phrase “putting the biscuit in the basket” has been replaced by “putting the biscuit in the bread basket.” It’s almost impossible to miss the goalie when shooting.

Instead, we now have a group of world-class athletes forming a large clump near the crease. By creating their own mosh pit, the offense hopes to jab or stab a puck behind a large, armored goaltender. This is how most NHL goals are scored.

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