The regulation is clear: a player must make every effort to avoid contact with the goalkeeper, whether or not in a semicircle. If this is the case, the referee can tolerate accidental contact. Lucic made no effort to avoid Miller. Forward Bruins knew, too, he had no chance to take possession of the puck and he prepared to come into contact with the goalkeeper.
It is true that the attacker Bruins did not target the head of Miller. He did not hit his stick or with the elbow either. But that's not the point. Being knowingly, Miller could not expect to be hit by Lucic.
As custodian, we know there is a risk to venture away from our net to retrieve a loose puck. We recognize that there may be a violent and accidental contact. It's a calculated risk that we are willing to take for the good of the team to prevent a direct scoring chance of the opponent. We can, however, that our opponent "complement" its defeat.
If the goaltender's equipment is designed to counter fire to more than one hundred miles an hour, it is not adequate to protect loads of players arriving at full speed. Ditto for the mask that protects the face of a greater impact than the brain of a contact.
Finally, my colleague Vincent Damphousse brought a good point vis-à-vis the evolution towards the elimination fights. If the NHL through his prefect of discipline and his committee for the protection of athletes, not only prevalent in more severely than a minor penalty for a similar gesture, then it is an invitation to settle scores on the ice . And since none of the skaters Sabres seemed inclined to drop the gloves against Lucic, there is possibly a door open to a move that unsightly tarnish, a little more, the image of the sport.
It will now be interesting to see what level of interest in protecting goalies will lead the meeting of general managers.
Numerical superiority?
The failure of Canadians with the benefit of a player were highlighted by many. Following the game against Buffalo, their success rate comes 26th among the NHL.
While a lack of effective staff affects the efficiency of the massive attack, I think what the CH is most needed is an identity. When you find yourself short of staff, athletes enjoy the comfort of some automation. Thus, in flagrant lack of a quarterback, instead of improvising entries territories, assigning tasks clear recovery disc will lead to a greater time of possession in the offensive zone. If Jacques Martin wants to get more shots from the fulcrum, then it will work more consistently near the goal line to release the firing lines for Subban and Weber on the blue line.
I did not score goals on the power play, but I remember very well the units that gave me the most trouble.
