The Stanley Cup Playoffs Have Ruled So Far, But We Need Way More Water Bottle Pops
I don't remember exactly when it happened. Maybe 10 years or so ago. But the NHL stole something sacred from all of us, and we did absolutely nothing about it. Honestly I don't even think we noticed it happened until it was too late.
There was a time when goalies would just lay their water bottle down on top of the net. Any time someone blasted one upstairs, there was a good chance that water bottle was getting unalived. The bottle went flying through the air, the cap was busted, high quality h2O spewing out everywhere, it was immaculate.
But at some point, the NHL made a new rule where the goalie's water bottle had to be placed in a holder secured to the back of the net. And while not impossible, it takes a very specific shot to pop the water bottle now. They are very few and far between. It can't just be any ol' heat seeking missile to the top bunk. It needs to be the perfect angle which hits the bottle dead on.
All I'm saying is that we, the fans, deserve a little treat. We've made the first two rounds of these playoffs the most watched in league history. We practically pay Gary Bettman's salary. So we've earned a few more bottle pops. I think if the salary cap can essentially not exist once the playoffs roll around, then neither should the water bottle holder on the back of the net. Get rid of it entirely. Force the goalies to throw the water bottle back on top of the net and let's have a bottle massacre out there for this last month of the season. It gets the people going.