There's nothing new there. Solid goaltending and a team commitment to sound defense have always provided the foundation for most championship teams.
But has it gone too far this postseason? That's the concern of some around the game, who feel all the stifling defensive systems and shot blocking are blocking fans from enjoying the full entertainment package of the sport.
Similar concerns about the defensive side of the game gaining too much prominence led to the implementation of a number of rules changes coming out of the owners' lockout seven years ago. And with a new CBA due to be negotiated this summer, there's sure to be plenty of calls for more rules to open up the game again.
Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail offered one of those potential changes by relaying former NHL coach and general manager Pierre Pagé's idea to adopt basketball's three-second rule to the ice.
Basketball bars offensive players without the ball from remaining in the key for more than three seconds. Pagé's idea, as relayed by Duhatschek, would limit the number of bodies in front, for both offensive and defensive teams, rather than attempting to put a time limit on anyone in that area.
"Teams all collapse back toward the goal, with every player instructed to get in front of shots, even if they happen to screen the goaltenders," Duhatschek wrote. "Under the Pagé plan, hockey could create a zone in front of the goaltender that perhaps only three, or even two, players a team could enter at the same time."
The idea is to cut down on the number of shots blocked in front, clearing the logjam in front and, theoretically, producing more offensive chances. That plan seems to have a few flaws however.
First, can the league's referees, who are already struggling to properly call the rules currently in place, really keep track of the number of skaters darting in and out of the slot at all times? Will every goal be subjected to a review so the replay official back in Toronto can study the video frame by frame like the Zapruder film to count the bodies in front of the net? That sure sounds like it will add some excitement back to the game.
There's also no guarantee such a measure would cut down on blocked shots. If anything, the shot blockers would just be encouraged to pressure the puck further away from the goal, blocking shots outside the slot and further cutting down offensive chances.
And last, let's not forget that these are NHL netminders behind all that traffic in front. Take away the bodies in front and those goalies will see every shot coming at them. That's not a recipe for increasing scoring. Goaltenders at this level don't let many pucks they see get past them.
That's why coaches like Claude Julien harp so constantly on the need for more net-front presence. The only way to beat today's highly-trained and heavily-equipped goalies is to create traffic in front. Moving those bodies out from in front may cut down on the number of shots blocked by defenders, but it will also eliminate a lot of the screens, tips and rebounds that produce the bulk of the goals. Those goals may not all be pretty, but they all count the same.
Goal-scoring should not be equated with entertainment. It is part of the package, and those true displays of skill when a team scores off a breathtaking rush or a slick passing play are a very enticing part of the package. But watching netminders like Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist or even a youngster bursting on the scene like Braden Holtby work their magic preventing goals can be just as exciting.
And the guys in front of those goalies shouldn't be shunned for helping out either. Shot blocking isn't some scourge the game has to eliminate. The commitment and sacrifice it takes for a player to put his body in front of a booming slap shot is one of the things that makes the game so compelling.
The Capitals and Rangers have paid the price to get where they are, which is facing off in a Game 7 Saturday night at Madison Square Garden with a trip to the Eastern Conference Final on the line. Washington has blocked an astounding 22.5 shots a game in the playoffs, while New York is averaging 19.5.
But that's not the only way to succeed in the playoffs. New Jersey is already in the East Final, and the Devils were last in the NHL with just 928 blocks in the regular season (11.3 a game), and have averaged even less in the postseason (10.9 a game).
Is scoring down in the postseason? Well, three of the five teams still alive have team goals-against averages under 2.00, a number only St. Louis managed during the regular season. Conversely, five of the 16 teams that made the playoffs scored two or less goals per game. That includes Ottawa, Chicago and Vancouver, each of which was eliminated in the first round after finishing in the top five in scoring during the regular season.
But has the excitement of this Cup chase been lost? Not a bit. Almost every game has come down to the wire, and many extended well beyond it with 21 overtime games already. Is a well-played 1-0 game with passion, intensity, big hits and great saves really not as compelling as a 6-5 shootout?
You won't find anyone who watched Game 7 of last year's East Final between the Bruins and Lightning arguing that. Not every game will pack that kind of drama into 60 minutes, but there's nothing wrong with a good, competitive game where the scoring may be low but the stakes are high.
The NHL has tinkered with the rules enough in its endless quest for more offense. It's time to stand up in defense of the defenders. Defense does win championships, and it doesn't have to lose fans along the way.
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