CBC-Sports

Time to stop the whining

April 22, 2009 05:56 PM | Posted by   Mike Milbury  

Oh it's cryin' time again.

It happens every spring when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin: it's the annual attack of the goaltender.

In Philly, the Flyers are in the face of Marc-Andre Fleury at every opportunity.

Martin Brodeur is seeing red, not from the Carolina Hurricanes jerseys but from the lack of a call by officials as he gets bumped before the winning goal against him. And Roberto Luongo has apparently taken acting classes as he embellishes every little brush back from an opponent.

And it should come as no surprise to anyone when the defending Stanley Cup champions have shown how to perfect the art of goaltender "interference" without breaking the rules.

I can appreciate the angst of the goaltender concerning this issue. Marty Brodeur certainly wasn't faking his emotions after the incident in Raleigh. He believed he was impeded from doing his job.

The rulebook states otherwise. When the goaltender is outside the crease, there can be incidental contact. That is exactly what occurred. On the other hand, maybe it's time to revisit the size of the crease. It has been suggested that adding, say, another foot to the crease would ease this. And it might. The guys are so big and so well-padded that going to the crease for a screen makes it impossible for goaltenders under the present dimensions. Making contact in the crease without being pushed should become an automatic penalty. And adding another foot to the crease would do something even more important. It would shut them all up!!!!

Let's face it: goalies don't play hockey. They play goal. All alone. Their world revolves around stopping the puck. That requires focus and ability to manoeuvre. When that is compromised, we see the result: a world of whine and it's not Barolo.

I say give them the extra space. Let them play their little self-absorbed game of goal. I would ask only one thing in return. We should agree to give them their own little planets if they agree to stay there.

If the goalie leaves the crease, he can be beat like a rented mule. Run them over, I say, when they wander out to play defence. Crash into them as they try to make a pass (usually to the other team), and when they take a hit, there should be a new rule to the code: No rushing to the aide of the bruised goaltender when he receives a hit.

I have never seen such an unnecessary fuss made over these people of a different world when they are bumped while roaming where they don't belong.

I say give these weirdos their own planet and be done with it.

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