Size Matters The NHL is in the Dead Puck Era, and the key cause for the lack of scoring is that today's netminders use such oversized equipment that they blot out the goal. See for yourself

Author:
SI Staff

1930s
GEORGE HAINSWORTH
Toronto Maple Leafs

1940s
MIKE KARAKAS
Chicago Blackhawks

1950s
GLENN HALL
Chicago Blackhawks

1960s
BERNIE PARENT
Philadelphia Flyers

1970s
KEN DRYDEN
Montreal Canadiens

1980s
GRANT FUHR
Edmonton Oilers

1990s
PATRICK ROY
Montreal Canadiens

2000s
J.S. GIGUERE
Anaheim Mighty Ducks

FOR THE MODERN GOALTENDER BIGGER GEAR MEANS LESS NET. PITY HIS
PREDECESSOR

UPPER BODY PADS
Luongo's all-in-one is bulky but lightweight, expanding his arm,
neck, shoulder and chest area. By comparison, Mio's pads are
tiny.

BLOCKER
Luongo's is considerably thicker than Mio's on the underside by
the fingers, but both blockers are 16 inches long by eight inches
wide.

GLOVE
The trapping area (from wrist to pinkie) of Luongo's mitt is 18
1/2 inches; the cuff is 8 1/2 across; Mio's trapping area is 11
inches; the cuff measures 7 1/4 inches.

LEG PADS
Luongo's are each 38 inches in length and 12 inches in width, the
legal limit; Mio's are 34 inches in length and 10 1/2 inches in
width.

STICK
The dimensions are the same, but Luongo's version (foam injected
into fiberglass) weighs about half that of Mio's all-wood stick.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Of the net's 24-square-foot opening, Luongo covers an estimated
14, leaving only 10 square feet of the cage open for shooters.

Mio covers approximately 11.4 square feet of the net, leaving
12.6 open for shooters--26% more than Luongo does.

Goals per game in 1985-86, Mio's era: 7.9. Goals per game in
2002-03, Luongo's era: 5.3. A 33% decline.

B/W PHOTO: IMPERIAL OIL-TUROFSKY/HOCKEY HALL OF FAME (HAINSWORTH)

B/W PHOTO: HOCKEY HALL OF FAME (KARAKAS)

B/W PHOTO: CORBIS (HALL)

B/W PHOTO: B. BENNETT STUDIOS (PARENT)

COLOR PHOTO: M. DIGIACOMO/B. BENNETT STUDIOS (DRYDEN)

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID E. KLUTHO (FUHR)

COLOR PHOTO: DAMIAN STROHMEYER (ROY)

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID E. KLUTHO (GIGUERE)

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID E. KLUTHO ROBERTO LUONGO, Florida Panthers, 2003-04

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID E. KLUTHO ED MIO, Detroit Red Wings, 1985-86

October 13, 2003