| Tuesday, August 7
By Al Morganti
Special to ESPN.com |
|
Isn't it funny how so much attention is paid to plans that fall apart,
but when things go as planned, it's treated in terms of "business as usual."
More than anything else, the first half of the NHL season has been a study
in plans going as expected. In fact, you can make a pretty strong case that some of
the plans initiated by commissioner Gary Bettman and guided by committees of general
managers have gone even better than expected.
What we have seen is Bettman's
stamp as the commissioner being placed across the product on the ice. Through his initial
seasons, Bettman was smart enough to realize that he had more than enough of a workload to ponder away from the ice. And he wasn't really savvy enough in the mechanics of the game to tinker with the rules.
Well, call him a quick study. During the past year, Bettman directed the
league to make a series of changes that have markedly improved the game. And, at the
same time, he has also managed to convince the league's owners and general managers to
apply some pressure in terms of escalating salaries.
Let's take a look at a few issues, on and off the ice, that the NHL wanted to address for this season:
More results in overtime by using four-on-four.
More scoring.
No more "in the crease" horrors with video replay.
Control payrolls.
The change to four-on-four in overtime was one of the most dramatic in
recent NHL history. It is a rule that actually altered the basics of the game, although without the emotional reaction that would have followed a decision to go to a shootout.
From the beginning of the season, there has not been much sentiment against the four-on-four, and for good reason. "We were basically told by the league office that we were not to criticize it," said one general manager. "Looking back, the way it's worked out, I think it was a good idea. But at the time, you know, a lot of guys
just don't like change."
The net result of the four-on-four overtime is twofold:
In terms of sheer numbers, after Monday night's action (579 games), the
NHL had 53 decisions in 134 overtime games. By comparison, it took 200 overtime games to get the same 53 decisions last season, and 208 games in 1997-98.
That constitutes a huge improvement in deciding games. However, the bigger
upside has been the style of play before the game is decided. The sight of
wide open four-on-four hockey has some fans and analysts suggesting that the league
consider four-on-four for the full 60 minutes.
Well, that's not about to happen for a number of reasons, not the least
of which would be the drop of about 20 percent of the jobs in the NHL, an issue which
the players' association would consider; and there really aren't enough skill players in
the league to make four-on-four reasonable for a full 60 minutes. In a short burst it is
fine, but over the long haul, there just aren't enough guys with the wheels and stamina to make it work.
As for scoring being up, you can look at the raw statistic of 5.5 goals
per game after 579 games as compared with 5.26 at the same point last season. But there
are other variables.
Also, coming into this week, five players were on pace to score more than 100 points: Jaromir Jagr (147), Pavel Bure (111), Mark Recchi (110), Pierre Turgeon
(109), and Jeremy Roenick (105).
Last season, only three players surpassed 100 points, and Jagr won the
scoring race with 127 points. the previous season (1997-98) only Jagr reached 100,
and in 1996-97 only Mario Lemieux and Teemu Selanne reached that level. This season could very easily produce the most 100-point scorers since 1995-96 when 12 players
reached that level.
Another view of the increased goal scoring is to take a look at the
goaltenders' goals-against averages. Last season, four goalies finished with a GAA of under 2.00: Ron Tugnutt, Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour and Byron Dafoe. At the midpoint of this season, there were no regular goalies with a GAA beneath 2.00, and the leader of the pack was Roman Turek of the St. Louis Blues at 2.05.
Finally, take a look at the rookie scoring leaders. This has become the
year of the rookie with New Jersey's Scott Gomez leading the way with 40 points in 42 games. Last season, the top rookie scorer was Milan Hejduk with 48 points in 82 games.
At this pace, Gomez could finish with 78 points, the most for a rookie
since the 1993-94 season when Alexei Yashin had 79 for Ottawa and Mikael Renberg had 82 for the Flyers. The combination of Jagr's relatively huge first half, and the quick start by Gomez and other rookies, has given the NHL the offensive punch it has needed to market.
New crease rule makes difference
All of these "additions" have come in part because of the biggest
"deletion" in recent seasons. You don't need any statistics to tell you the story, just
watch any game and you'll see that the decision to be far more lenient with the
"in-the-crease" rules and do away with video review has put the excitement back in the building when a goal is scored.
No longer does it seem like every goal is in doubt until it is reviewed.
Now, it's back to score, celebrate, drop the puck.
Common sense, not collusion
As for off he ice, take note that Keith Primeau of Carolina and Nikolai Khabibulin of Phoenix are still unsigned Group II free agents. Also note that veteran Group III free agents such as Pat Verbeek, Bob Corkum, Kirk Muller, just to name a few, signed what would be considered bare bones contracts in terms of some free agent contracts of the recent past.
Also note that Alexei Yashin is still not playing in Ottawa, nor has he been traded.
There are those who have tried to pin the word "collusion" on the
situation, but that would be improper. There is no set of "rules" issued by Bettman.
Instead, the commissioner simply gathered the GMs and owners in the same place, explained the league's financial situation, and then asked that each come up with a payroll
figure, and live within those means.
There was no arm twisting, just a direct message that was given to general managers and owners. The implication was obvious -- the owners had to allow the GM to do his business within some sane parameters, but parameters that were determined by the team, not the NHL.
As a fan, you miss the talents of a Yashin, Primeau and Khabibulin, and
you have to wonder if there will come a point where management just wants to get the
player back to win games. However, that point is already a lot later than most
anticipated. And whatever happens from here, the word has been delivered that the contract
tug-of-war is no longer a case of the players dragging the owners into a pool of debt.
Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN. |  |
