Two Line Passes

If there is any post-lockout rule change that fans actually seem to like, it would have to be the decision to allow two line passes. Of course, there are still some who don’t like this change. I am among them.

For those who don’t know, a two line pass is when the puck crosses two lines between the player who is passing and the player who takes the pass. In the past, such a pass resulted in a whistle being blown, and a faceoff taken to the side of the offending team’s goal. Now, such a play is perfectly legal.

There are two primary issues that I have with this change. The first is that it seems to reward laziness. A player who fails to contribute defensively could be the lone player out of the zone. If a bounce goes in the favor of his team, his poor positioning could be rewarded with a breakaway. Similarly, penalties are frequently rewarded as well since a player coming out of the box will have to be out of the zone and out of position. If such a player receives a pass, he will be all alone.

The other issue I have is with the elimination of defensive pressure. Breakaways were never against the rules, but the two line pass prevented them from getting too far ahead of the defense. As a result, anyone on a breakaway had to keep moving to stay ahead. By comparison, post-lockout breakaways lack that pressure, and players are frequently seen coasting from center ice toward the net. Without defensive pressure, breakaways have become slow and boring.

Even when I see the Canucks try to pass across two lines, I cringe. That has become one of the laziest plays in hockey, and I want the Canucks to earn their victories. Fortunately, there are far bigger offenders when it comes to this misguided rule change. Unfortunately, I have seen the Canucks lose their share of games to weak teams thanks to this horrible mistake of a rule change.