# Has a hockey team ever opted not to have a goalie? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 31, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610 "2017-12-31T01:48:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610/21 "2018-01-01T07:12:04Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Consider the double power play, and how much more often the full-strength team scores in that 5 on 3 situation vice the conventional 5 on 4. That a big difference. If I understand it right, couldn’t the team receiving (?) the double power play pull their goalie to make it 6 on 3? That seems like a HUGE advantage ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610/22 "2018-01-01T16:53:01Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Which leads to the question of whether the advantage in unequal headcount situations comes more from the offense having players who’re free from man-to-man coverage, or is it from the defense simply running out of enough people to block all the avenues of approach to the net? > > Said another way, from evenly matched teams in a 5 on 5 situation, does going 5 on 4 or 6 on 5 produce the bigger increment in benefit to the team with more men? Logically 5 on 4 (in hockey terminology the goalie is never counted in labels like that except 6 on 5 means you pulled the goalie) is less of an advantage than 4 on 3 if you think about it. It’s also true that more goals are scored 4 on 4 and 3 on 3 than the normal 5 on 5. That’s the reason they play overtime 3 on 3 now and 4 on 4 a while back. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610/23 "2018-01-02T18:22:01Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > I’m not an avid hockey fan, but I was watching a game the other night and they mentioned pulling the goalie out towards the end of regulation to have an extra player. > > Has a team ever just gone a whole game without a goalie? > > Having an extra guy could keep your opponent from having too many shots on the goal, and if things are looking rough couldn’t a player just hop into goalie mode momentarily? never. But I wonder if the world largest man could cover the entire net by himself? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610/24 "2018-01-02T19:04:17Z")
Maybe, until he gets shoved out of the way and someone makes about ten goals before he gets a chance to get back into position. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610/25 "2018-01-02T19:13:30Z")
> [@Silver\_lining](#): > > never. But I wonder if the world largest man could cover the entire net by himself? [Nope.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP8ZVWiZUMA) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-hockey-team-ever-opted-not-to-have-a-goalie/805610.md?page=1)