Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Goal, goal, goal, goal, goal , goal, goal, goal.

It's a frantic pace that has everyone talking. Goal after goal after goal, it seems like the day of the 1-0 game is a goner. If current trends continue it may be a rather lengthy list of names of those chasing the Rocket Richard trophy at the end of the season.

Current projections suggest that at the current pace, thirteen players will score 50 goals or more by the time the first round of the playoffs get underway. It would rival that amazing season of 1992-93 when fourteen players broke the 50 goal mark. The turn around from the last full season of hockey is amazing to watch. In the 2003-04 season three players tied for 41 goals and a share of the Rocket's trophy. The way things are going this year, 41 goals means you've been a slacker.

The key to goal scoring so far this year has been to be on the power play. With the crackdown on fouls in the offensive zone, there has been a huge increase in the amount of power play chances each game. If a player is a key component of that power play then his scoring chances increase by quite a bit and so do his chances of holding the Richard trophy at the end of the season.

With 50 the benchmark for success and so many on a path towards it, the real debate now will be what will be the highest amount of goals this year? Some suggest that over ninety may not be out of the question. The way the scoring pace is going right now, even ninety might be a low ball figure. This could be the season where we have multiple 100 goal scorers.

One has nothing but empathy for the goaltenders union, this is a year that will test their resolve greatly not to mention leave them with many a sleepless night.

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