Brian Morris writes ([log in to unmask]):
>bothering edge up when you approach the crease.  And of course the refs will
>never call a penalty when the forward "snows" the opposing goaltender, to
>the point where forwards can pretty much goad a goaltender with impunity.
 
I haven't been able to find my notes to post the results of the Saturday
11/11 BC at Northeastern game yet, but referee Rich Fowkes did call one of
the Northeastern forwards for unsportsmanlike conduct for "snowing" BC's
Greg Taylor.  I agree this is rarely called, but I was glad to see a
referee recognize its impact on the game and make the call.  Similarly,
the 10-minute misconduct that NU's Rich Schuhwerk received in Friday
night's game was for diving after taking a slash from BC's Don Chase.
Rich is a big, solid defenseman, took the hit, and fell like he had
been shot -- it wasn't that bad a slash (in fact, I didn't think it even
deserved a penalty.)  Again, a referee made the judgment (correctly, I
think) that the player was trying to "stretch" the rules past the legal
boundaries, and made the call.  The advantage of this type of refereeing
is that it reduces the amount of after-the-whistle jockeying and shoving
that often results in subsequent brawls.  Hockey East seems to have
emphasized protecting the goalies and keeping players from jamming the
crease in the last couple of years, and there has been a subsequent
improvement in this area.  I don't have any statistics, but I would
guess that the number of runs at goalies and injuries have been reduced.
 
Goalies can be aggressors, too.  NU's Todd Reynolds got a penalty Friday
night for "roughing"; it was more elbowing as he took a shot at a BC
forward as he sped by the net in search of a puck behind the goal.
 
My feeling on this is that a goalie near the net needs protection, but
when they go wandering away from the net they should get less.  At the
same time a goalie has less mobility and less vision, and in general
the other players are responsible for avoiding the goaltender.  There is
a big difference in my mind between a goalie just going behind the net
to stop the puck and wandering all the way to the corner and using his
relative "immunity" to prevent opposing players from checking him to
get the puck free.
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Rick McAdoo                        [log in to unmask]
Read the FAQ!!!                    A patient BC fan.  GO EAGLES!
 
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