Let's Go Blues

So... NHL Network did a segment on why they believe scoring is up and came up with completely different reasons from my own:

Mine from the Bruins thread:

1) Influx of talented players who are starting at much younger ages resulting in them having more NHL experience sooner allowing them to take advantage of that talent at an age which used to be reserved for the very rare high end players.
2) A major shift in coaching. Most of the defense first grognards are gone and the few that still try to force that style over a more balanced game aren't keeping their jobs.
3) Rules changes and coaches implementing things to take advantage of those changes. This has been a more gradual change since the lockout.

Combine the above 3 things and it isn't surprising, even though it still seems like one. In regard to 1) & 2). Look at the 100 point players this season. 4 of the 5 started young while the old guy, Gaudreau, has straight up responded to Darryl Sutter whose changed the style he expects when compared to what he did in LA. Matthew flipping Tkachuk will be a 100 point player this season. Someone tell me anybody saw that happening ever based on his style of play.

Jon Cooper went first:
1) Expansion which while it only added one roster worth of players added goaltenders. Some teams are blessed with depth in that position while those without tend to be really without.
2) Teams ranked 1 thru 8 compared to 9 through 16 in each conference are further apart talent wise than they've been in a long time. Teams that chose to get better got better while those that decided to be better 2-3 years from now, (paraphrasing) threw in the towel earlier than teams have in a long time. This leads to teams that got better playing teams that got worse. When he said this he referenced when was the last time you've seen multiple 9+ goals on one side of the ledger in multiple games in one season. Last time he recalls was the Oilers era.

Then NHL Network chimed in and added:
1) Pandemic related stuff - shortened rosters at different points of this season
2) Most goalies used in a season ever - 116 thus far. (my thought, this ties directly back to Covid stuff when teams had to sit both starters and even a 3rd goalie due to positive covid tests)
3) The condensed season - more games being played in shorter time spans than a normal regular season for every team in the league. It leads to tired legs and teams not executing their structures as well as they should resulting in increased scoring.
4) Most teams not having played a full 82-game schedule since 18-19. The regular season is a grind and not having had to play through it will show for especially older players.
5) That goaltending thing - 6 really good goalies retired after last season and while a couple of been replaced with quality netminders, the others have not.

So there are LOTS of factors as to why scoring is up and every single one of them makes sense, but no single one of them can be pointed to as THE reason. We'll see next season if this trend continues. I think it will for my reasons, but could be completely wrong if it's the pandemic, shortened schedule stuff as the reasons.

So The Athletic weighed in on this topic also, yesterday.

Summary:
1) More skill, speed, and confidence which has been given the space to use their skill (this will tie in #2)
2) Neutral zone freedom - the number of rules changes since the lockout have done more and more to free up play in the neutral zone and the latest, emphasizing cross-checking in front of the net, has tied the hands of defenders while freeing up players to make more skilled plays in a formerly dirty area. MacInnis and Armstrong both commented on how players no longer get clobbered Scott Stevens style when they skate up the center of the ice on zone entries. Armstrong also mentioned how taking away the hooking and slashing on the hands has opened up zone entries more also and created more space. Same thing with interference and trying to fence off the blueline. This has allowed teams to play the possession game better, which the Blues shifted to the moment Berube took over.
3) Defensemen on the attack. D-men are allowed more freedom to join the rush now than ever in NHL history. Back in the 80s, it was Paul Coffey and Brian Leetch. MacInnis was a great offensive defenseman due to his shot, not being a rush guy. Now, every team has one or more defensemen who are strong on the rush.
4) Condensed schedules resulting in fewer practices. Teams work on perfecting their systems in practice. Teams haven't had the opportunity to practice near as much which results in systems breaking down and more goals being scored.
5) Empty net and extra attacker goals. This season has already broken the record for most empty net goals. This is largely due to coaches gambling more and earlier with the extra attacker when down 1 or 2 goals. Even leaving the goalie pulled if a goal is scored in some instances. League is on pace to break the record for most goals with an extra attacker for the same reason.
6) Just like NHL Network mentioned - fewer "star" goalies. Instead, there is a wide variety who fluctuate in performance from year-to-year. (Hate saying this, but even though the Blues shelled Saros, that was a very rare bad game for him. He's one of the next "star" goalies. He wound up being my #2 fantasy point producer in Yahoo Fantasy and is top 10 among all positions in points - which is nuts)

So there you have it - even more reasons.