The trapezoid…no, it’s not the name of the monster composed primarily of Devils players from the 1990s. It’s that almost triangular box of hate behind the goal line which demands that goalies remain within its confines, for the tiniest portion of skate found outside this geometric talent-inhibitor smacks the poor goalie with a two-minute minor for delay of game.
Listen. The only thing that’s being delayed are all those extra goals the league wants so badly. The trapezoid has neither created goals nor prevented them, but it has come with an unfortunate side-effect. Players chasing the puck into the corner, an area which was once playable by the goalie, are now far more susceptible to head injury.
It is for this reason that the NHLPA is discussing removing the trapezoid, to prevent further career-threatening injuries. But there will be a very important secondary gain to removing the trapezoid. While it was once believed that offense would be stimulated by preventing the goalie from clearing the puck, the rule conveniently overlooks the truly great puck-handling goalies, who can actually create breakaways and 2-on-1s with their headman passes, and even score some goals themselves! Martin Brodeur has already done it, and other goalies like Rick DiPietro have concrete evidence on film proving they could as well if given the opportunity.
This is strange considering that those same goalies (read: Martin Brodeur) are the reason the trapezoid was put into place to begin with. I mean, the thing probably would have been called “The Martin Brodeur Memorial Trapezoid” if the league wasn’t trying so hard to pretend Marty’s sick puck-handling skills didn’t scare them to death.
I, for one, hope the trapezoid goes the way of the inflatable dartboard, the underwater screen door, the solar-powered flashlight, and yes…even the glow puck. Not just to help curb headshots and injuries, but also to show that there is just as much upside in allowing goalies to play the puck wherever they so choose as there is downside.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Resolve
It’s time to see what this team is really made of.
Since assuming the full-time starting job for the Devils, Martin Brodeur has never played less than his 67 games in 1996-97. It’s fairly safe to say that since he usurped Chris Terreri as #1 goalie in 1994-95, he has unquestionably been the backbone of the New Jersey Devils. Never before in his career has Brodeur had an injury that will keep him out of commission for as long as his elbow surgery will require. Around 3-4 months on the shelf will ensure Brodeur a 100% recovery, but what’s a team to do without their franchise player?
While the unabashedly Devils-hating hockey media would kill to see New Jersey miss the playoffs for the first time since 1996, that will revolve not around backup goalie Kevin Weekes, but on the team in front of him.
It takes a special player to be a Devil; the job requires a level of character and discipline that most clubs could not ask of their players. And yet, despite the discipline, despite the character, recent history has shown an aura of laziness around Devils camp. Sure you have to work hard for your breaks, be strong on both sides of the puck, be responsible defensively…but if all else fails, chances are #30 will bail you out. This security blanket has come back to bite the team before, as there has been many a game where the team has relied too heavily on Marty and not enough on themselves.
But that is all about to change. The greatest player in franchise history is now out for half a season, and while Kevin Weekes has shown he is ready to take the reins, the question remains how the team will play in front of him.
Will the Devils roam the ice like lost puppies when they find themselves in a pinch and the old standby can’t help them, or will they take some responsibility for once and realize that they should have been the ones winning games all along, rallying in Brodeur’s absence?
That will be the deciding factor in whether this already injury-plagued season can be salvaged, or if we’ll be counting down the days to October.
Since assuming the full-time starting job for the Devils, Martin Brodeur has never played less than his 67 games in 1996-97. It’s fairly safe to say that since he usurped Chris Terreri as #1 goalie in 1994-95, he has unquestionably been the backbone of the New Jersey Devils. Never before in his career has Brodeur had an injury that will keep him out of commission for as long as his elbow surgery will require. Around 3-4 months on the shelf will ensure Brodeur a 100% recovery, but what’s a team to do without their franchise player?
While the unabashedly Devils-hating hockey media would kill to see New Jersey miss the playoffs for the first time since 1996, that will revolve not around backup goalie Kevin Weekes, but on the team in front of him.
It takes a special player to be a Devil; the job requires a level of character and discipline that most clubs could not ask of their players. And yet, despite the discipline, despite the character, recent history has shown an aura of laziness around Devils camp. Sure you have to work hard for your breaks, be strong on both sides of the puck, be responsible defensively…but if all else fails, chances are #30 will bail you out. This security blanket has come back to bite the team before, as there has been many a game where the team has relied too heavily on Marty and not enough on themselves.
But that is all about to change. The greatest player in franchise history is now out for half a season, and while Kevin Weekes has shown he is ready to take the reins, the question remains how the team will play in front of him.
Will the Devils roam the ice like lost puppies when they find themselves in a pinch and the old standby can’t help them, or will they take some responsibility for once and realize that they should have been the ones winning games all along, rallying in Brodeur’s absence?
That will be the deciding factor in whether this already injury-plagued season can be salvaged, or if we’ll be counting down the days to October.
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