Goal scoring in the NHL is, as you may have heard, a lot harder than it used to be. In the early 1980s there were roughly 8 goals scored per game. That number fell to about 7 by the early 90s, then down to just 5.3 in the late 90s, as the clutch and grab era slowed the game to a standstill. The obstruction crackdown at the start of the 2005-06 season brought goal scoring temporarily back up to 6 goals a game, but as powerplays have declined, the number has rested relatively consistently around 5.3 GPG in recent years.
One simple rule change to boost NHL scoring
