*Breaking News* Composites reason for scoring decline

[mack 44]

Wood is good, according to Fox sports, leader in sucking at sports coverage.

Maybe could have gone in a wood-related thread but it would have been buried by retards wondering what Spezza's curve is like.

[Chadd 916]

I'll agree on the feel aspect, but the performance difference on wristers and snappers is undeniable with composite tapered shafts. Cue the kids saying they can feel the puck better with comp in 3..2..1..

EDIT: added bold to clarify

[mack 44]

Bullcrap reasoning; I think not having pitchers die is the reason baseball doesn't allow them:

Baseball doesn't allow aluminum bats because they change the nature of the game. A quality pitcher will break a bat with an inside pitch, whereas if the batter is using an aluminum bat, that pitch will probably become a hit down the line. Recognizing this, major-league baseball insisted that all bats must be made of wood, Sammy Sosa notwithstanding.

Hypocrisy, but then again it's Gretzky so I can't expect much:

And Wayne Gretzky, a guy who knows a bit about scoring, wishes composite sticks were banned.

"I think every coach in the league feels the same way," he said.

[Chadd 916]

I've had several NHL goalies tell me that they can feel that the shot is "heavier" when it hits them, from a guy like Sakic, a guy known for lethal snappers. One goalie told me that he thought his heart was going to stop he got hit so hard!

I'll agree on the feel aspect, but the performance difference on wristers and snappers is undeniable with composite tapered shafts.

EDIT: Bold added to clarify my point

Hypocrisy, but then again it's Gretzky so I can't expect much:

And Wayne Gretzky, a guy who knows a bit about scoring, wishes composite sticks were banned.

"I think every coach in the league feels the same way," he said.

Maybe he just bought a wood stick company. His personal financial interest seems to drive his comments more than anything else lately. Great player but I've lost a lot of respect for him lately.

[mack 44]

Who knows. He did go back to wood for the last season or two but aluminum, though not composite, was his standard for about 10 years before. Plus he was using those goofy ass sticks with Coyote logos on them. Whatever it takes to pay for the wife's vices I guess.

[kosydar 0]

I could have sworn that Doug Wilson was one of the first to use aluminum sticks.

[Chadd 916]

Who knows. He did go back to wood for the last season or two but aluminum, though not composite, was his standard for about 10 years before. Plus he was using those goofy ass sticks with Coyote logos on them. Whatever it takes to pay for the wife's vices I guess.

He was using Hespeler 9009s with wood blades at the end if I remember correctly

[mack 44]

I could have sworn that Doug Wilson was one of the first to use aluminum sticks.

Good eye, he did use them for a bit. I think these guys just hate the Lorax and trees everywhere.

Chadd-

I may be wrong but maybe one of the couple of guys who liked the Rangers in the Gretzky era (JR, Jay, DS?) can verify but I think he used his Silvertips, those shafts then went to woodies in his Rangers days.

[Chadd 916]

I could have sworn that Doug Wilson was one of the first to use aluminum sticks.

Good eye, he did use them for a bit. I think these guys just hate the Lorax and trees everywhere.

Chadd-

I may be wrong but maybe one of the couple of guys who liked the Rangers in the Gretzky era (JR, Jay, DS?) can verify but I think he used his Silvertips, those shafts then went to woodies in his Rangers days.

Quick google search shows just about everything. Easton, Hespeler wood and the 9009s at the end.

[mack 44]

Then there were the TPS sticks during the Oilers/Hab heritage game. The man is full of crap and knows no bounds to his treachery!!1!

[Keith 0]

Easton silvertip-->hespeler wood-->comp with wood blade hespeler setup.

Wasn't he using a response + at the heritage classic?

[kosydar 0]

Easton silvertip-->hespeler wood-->comp with wood blade hespeler setup.

Wasn't he using a response + at the heritage classic?

Pretty sure he was. I also remember seeing him using one during some fantasy camp filmed around that same time.

[mack 44]

Then there were the TPS sticks during the Oilers/Hab heritage game. The man is full of crap and knows no bounds to his treachery!!1!

At least he went out using a woodie before stabbing the composite companies in the back with this slander.

[Chadd 916]

Easton silvertip-->hespeler wood-->comp with wood blade hespeler setup.

Wasn't he using a response + at the heritage classic?

Pretty sure he was. I also remember seeing him using one during some fantasy camp filmed around that same time.

Pretty sure that was the debut of the R+

[Keith 0]

Tapered Comp is def tops for snap and wrist shots. Aside from maybe a fresh xn10, nothing gets off a harder slap than a fresh, top quality wood stick. Problem is, the thing starts giving up the ghost after a couple dozen shots. The main reason for the scoring decline is goalies got a hell of a lot better since the 80s than the other position players have, in relativity. Look at footage of players form 20 years ago+. A lot of those guys look like they could still thrive, but look at the goalies and half of them look like rec g. They are clumsy, play an outdated style and have gear so small and shoddy I wouldn't let a criminal play in it. Forwards and D have also gotten larger as has their gear. There is just less room on the ice. Scouting much like baseball, is probably a hell of a lot better too. Finally, the talent pool is just diluted and with the new salary structures, guys can't stay together for years to gel. It is a formula for less scoring. If they really had a problem with the comp sticks, they would just set rules for their performance like they do with aluminum bats. It is apparently easy to make a comp that performs more or less like a wood, just look at the original busch balance or nitro.

[Duder84 0]

+1 for the response +, seen him use one of those at a coyotes' practice. I personally would not take anything Al Strachan says seriously, but thats just me. For some reason he always comes off a weasel to me.

[mack 44]

Equipment is just a copout response because hockey purists are like creationists and refuse to think that goalies have evolved in 20+ years.

[Viking 1]

As soon as I read that Al Strachan wrote that article, I closed the window.

[supa 3]

some the comments on the bottom were even worse

" I cant use a composite stick to stick check or lift a players stick up, they are too flimsy. I need a wooden stick to do this "

[odp 0]

If wood sticks were so good they wouldn't be going out of business and everybody would be using them.

Wow, I see soooo many players not receive passes because they use composite sticks. I swear, it's like watching timbits hockey to see these professionals lose the puck half the time because the pucks just "fly off them" trying to receive a pass. They're also so inaccurate I'm surprised they can hit the net with them.

I love Al MacInnis and his booming shot but I can't remember him winning any scoring titles.

I also don't remember Doug Wilson being a scoring machine either. But then again, he has to be, if he's got a big shot.

Finally, is Sherwood really the world's leading hockey stick company?

[mack 44]

He did?

At least he went out using a woodie before stabbing the composite companies in the back with this slander.

Yes, unless they made a woodie look like a shaft/blade combo or all the "Gretzky's last game" pictures for sale have been p'chopped.

[B-Nads 0]

If anything, I'd say they have added scoring opportunities - how many times have we seen wingers head up the ice with a puck that was given to them by an opposing point man whose stick just exploded - lol. Goalies are better, and their gear is better, which means they are able to be a bit braver. Anyone with a decent form who has used a composite blade in their flex range can see they give better snap - guys who can score goals will continue to do so - a XN10 won't suddenly turn Steve Begin into Joe Sakic.

[Storm 0]

And Wayne Gretzky, a guy who knows a bit about scoring, wishes composite sticks were banned.

I guess he doesn't know anything about skating.

[DarkStar50 679]

I think home runs are down because outfielders are using bigger gloves and snatching more long balls over the wall that would normally be a home run. I think scoring is up in football because defensive linemen and linebackers no longer can wear forearm pads to deliver a good old-fashioned forearm shiver to a running back's head.

I don't think composite sticks have squat to do with scoring being down in the NHL.

Brad Park was also one of the first to use a first generation aluminum shaft.

The owner/president of TPS is John Pagotto. He worked with Titan in the 80s with Wayne Gretzky. Once Pagotto bought TPS a few years ago, he hooked up Gretzky with his TPS product. Nothing out of bounds there. Sometimes its what you don't know, that you don't know.

[Rabid Ranger 0]

I'll agree on the feel aspect, but the performance difference on wristers and snappers is undeniable with composite tapered shafts. Cue the kids saying they can feel the puck better with comp in 3..2..1..

EDIT: added bold to clarify

I could agree more. I've used several high-end one pieces through the years and the best performance I've ever had is with a Warrior Dolomite tapered shaft/blade combo.