Going to do something a little different today as I want to see everyone’s opinion on this. How do you think teams should handle a game when they are, for lack of a better word, killing their opposition?
For example, last night in a 6-2 game, I watched as the Penguins tried to score until the final buzzer. I understand the theory of playing the same whether it’s the first minute or the last minute and I don’t think a team should stop playing in the final minute when a game is out of the reach. But I watched Nick Bonino do this:
[protected-iframe id=”24b95f03cb7d02b571e639d9de1a2e23-114320562-36203241″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/boninos-backhander-beats-raanta/t-283247406/c-47586903?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″](I apologize for the Root broadcast.)
Why? Why is that necessary at that point in the game? I understand the Rangers turned it over but why is Bonino deeking Raanta and putting a backhander behind him with 10 seconds left in the game? The game is completely out of reach at that point so why prolong the buzzer (and then celebrate no less, although to Bonino’s credit it looked like his teammates wanted to more than he did)?
I asked this question on twitter last night and had a few people tell me good teams keep trying to score until the final buzzer. No, good teams know how to play keep away as well as (1) what it feels like to be in that situation and (2) that they didn’t forget when they were. Why do that? Ten seconds remaining, ice the damn puck. Who cares what you do. The Rangers weren’t scoring four goals in ten seconds.
I would be fine if that happened with five minutes to go. I get it, you never know with the way the league is now. Under a minute, to me, it isn’t necessary. (For the record, I would feel the same way if the Rangers did this.) Curious how others feel about this…
(Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
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