We are halfway through the NHL, so what’s have we learned?

For years the NHL has searched for more goals. It may have finally found them. 

Probably shouldn’t use a picture of Mike Smith to prove this. He just plain sucks. But anyway…

For what seems like forever, the NHL has been concerned about goals. It wants more of them. It thinks it needs more of them. So they’ve been declaring war on goalies, and goalie equipment more specifically, for a while. No longer did they want the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in net and preventing the high action the NHL is seeking.

They may have cracked the code.

Last year, two goalies maintained a .930+ save-percentage. No one has managed it this year. Last year, eight guys cleared .925. This year only two have done so. As we said earlier, the Lightning are on pace to be the first team to average over four goals per game in decades. Last year, the Lightning were the only team to do better than three-and-a-half goals per game. This year five are there.

The overall save-percentage has dropped from .912 last year to .909 this year. Goals per game per team are up to 3.05 from 2.97. There are an abundance of players on pace for 100-point seasons, when that used to be only reserved for the truly freakish and blessed.

Maybe the NHL finally got something right.