what's the trapezoid behind the goal in the nhl for?
470162
The goaltender can handle the puck anywhere between the goal line and center ice, but is limited to the trapezoid when handling the puck behind the net.  This rule was put in place to limit goalies such as Brodeur and Turco from stopping the puck in the corner and clearing it out of the zone, to increase the amount of time the puck was handled inside the zone.
426634
The most confusing rule is OFFSIDE. This mainly means that an opposing player cannot be closer to the other team's goalie than that teams defensemen. He cannot take the pass from his teammate and go ahead if he is in an OFFSIDE position. This is the job of the linesmen (referees) to see and wave their flags. The linesmen also decide which team gets the THROW-IN, if there is a CORNER KICK or if the ball goes to the goalie for a KICK-IN. PENALTY SHOTS are awarded if a player is tackled unfairly in the goal area or if a defenseman touches the ball with his hand within the goal area. Yellow cards, warnings, are given by the referee for a lot of reasons, but mainly for dangerous play or for protesting or for delaying the game. Two warnings in the same match result in a RED card, meaning the player has to leave the field. There are more details but I think I covered the important points. Points are usually 3 for win, 1 for tie and 0 for loss.
673313
It's easier to understand if you know why it's there, rather than what it is:\n\nImagine what would happen if a team was allowed to line up loads of its players right in front of the opposition goal mouth - it would be really easy for one of them to knock the ball into the net if it was passed to them.\n\nSo to prevent players from 'loitering' near the goalmouth like this there's a rule which says that a player from team A is offside if (and only if) he receives the ball while the only team B player standing between him and the goal is the goalkeeper himself.
667373
Accuracy comes from the player not from the stick.\n\nHowever, having said that, many players get a better 'feel' for the puck with a curved blade, especially for wrist shots.  The puck rolls off the blade with more spin and more control.\n\nThe other side of the coin (the other side of the blade?), is that you lose accuracy and the ability to lift the puck on your backhand. \n\nSo there you have it, a curved stick might help your wrist shot but will probably hurt your backhand.  Backhand shots are less common these days but they are also effective ways to score goals.\n\nIt all comes down to personal preference and playing style.  Oh yeah, and the rules, you can only curve your stick so far and stay within the rules.  Check the rulebook.
522658
This rule eliminates the "cherry pickin" of the game.\nIf there wasnt offsides there would be a player of the opposit team standing next to your goalie waiting for a pass. \nIf the forward gets a pass from his teamate and he is passed the last defender when he recieves the pass it is offsides.\n\nI think i just confused you even more
853669
Hugh Adami, The Ottawa Citizen\nPublished: Sunday, October 08, 2006\nThe big hint could be Martin Biron's new goalie mask.\n\nIt's as white as freshly fallen snow and isn't painted with the team colours and logos you see on those of other NHL goalies.
840350
Your answer is here:   \n\n\nhttp://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/stats/byposition?pos=G\n\n_
505976
The NHL keeps a large supply of pucks in a freezer next to the rink.  Many people believe they do this to increase the performance of the puck, but it actually reduces it.\n\nA puck at room temperature has more stored (potential) energy than a frozen puck.  When a warm puck is shot off the boards it would act like a tennis ball and just bounce everywhere.  A puck with less potential energy stays down on the ice where it is easier to control and shoot.\n\nYou can try this at home.... take a baseball (or puck) and place it in the freezer for a few hours.  Now take a similar baseball and leave it on the counter next to the freezer (this is to remind yourself that you have one in the freezer so your friend doesn't come over and think you've gone crazy).  Now take them both to a level piece of cement, hold them out evenly at shoulder height, and drop.  The warmer one bounces more... this is what the NHL is trying to avoid.
194575
shoot outs are not really telling of who really won the game. I remember in the Olympic when Canada lost to Czech republic in a shootout Canada was all over then in the first over time Czechs had nothing Canada would have stomped a mud hole in there butts but the shoot out saved them. Hockey is a team game teams win not one guy and the goalie. Shoot outs are for the fans only. Just picture yourself giving it your all you have the other team on there heels in over time you know just a few more minutes and you've got em beat then buzzer sounds its shoot-out time you lose. down with the shoot-out go to one 20 minute over time if no score then shoot-out. Not very often does a whole period go by without a goal in the new NHL and certainly not in overtime play.
828491
Because whenever there's a delayed penalty the play continues until the team that got the penalty touches the puck.  So there's no chance of getting scored on because when that team touches the puck and the play is stopped.  So the goalie heads to the bench to put a 6th man out to try to score a goal if they can keep possession of the puck.  \n\nIt's usually a longshot to score on a delayed penalty with 6 guys, but it's worth trying because there's nothing you can lose.
206148
According to the official rules published by USA Hockey: \n\n"When a stoppage occurs between the end face-off spots and near the end of the rink, the puck shall be faced-off at the end face-off spot on the side where the stoppage occurs, unless otherwise expressly provided by these rules."\n\nUsually the goalie is on the side of the ice from which the shot came meaning the face-off is in the face-off dot on the side that the shot came from.
856701
Why is this Question in the Hockey section?
39268
To make it safe. That puck is flying.
65498
Your question isn't clear, but I think there are two things you might be thinking of...\n1) 3-16-4 for a goal scored would mean the goal was scored by 3 and assisted by 16 and 4.\n2) 3-16-4 for a team record would mean that the team won 3 games, lost 16 games, and lost 4 games in overtime.\nHope that helps.\nP.S. Melancholy, there aren't ties in hockey anymore (unless its a high school league)
823842
I agree entirely. Goalies are safe within the crease and if they go out to meet the puck, they are fair game. The only time I think that the same rules apply concerning goalies out of the crease is when they are being pulled.
437611
Actually, they don't do it when a hat-trick occurs.  The tradition in yesteryear was to throw it on the ice for the first goal of the playoffs (and/or series).\n\nBack when the league was formed and there were only six teams, four made the playoffs and you'd need to win four games in each series to win the Stanley Cup.  Four wins in each series meant eight wins total... one win for every leg of the octopus.\n\nNowadays, Detroit fans throw them on the ice every chance they can.
802569
Shutting down the other team is as valuable or even more than scoring. There are a lot of guys who can score goals but the coach won't play them. They figure the guy is a liability because he won't back-check or that he doesn't deserve the ice-time when other guys are working hard but he is a floater ( like Gretzky). If he wasn't surrounded by other star players he would have been a horrible liability.