The NHL is getting what they want.
Look at the scores today. 8-5. 6-5. 5-4. 5-3. 4-2. The league wanted to feature speed and elusiveness and hamstring the defense somewhat so that there isn't a situation in a majority of games where a 2-0 lead means the game is over. Everyone here talks about the importance of playing for 60 minutes. Well, that's what an opened-up game does. With the recent low-scoring era, if a team got ahead they would sit on their lead like a hen on an egg. And far from the worry that "if you sit back, that's the way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory," most teams COULD hold on to multiple-goal mid-game leads a large majority of the time. Now if you try to sit back in the new opened-up game, you can get steamrolled; and once a goal or two go in and a goaltender loses his sense of invincibility goals can rain down in a hurry.
Welcome to the new NHL. Vintage Tom Wilson NOT welcome.
Good observations and reasoning for such, Black, IMHO!
I’m honestly trying to determine your personal pro, or con, take on the subject!
I, for one, strongly dislike much of the new NHL stuff, including the inevitable results that you just mentioned.
Unfortunately, the NHL, has shown, by its ever increasing viewership, year by year, that they were correct in assuming that manipulation of the game rules to create more offense, was what was needed!
Although true, I believe it has scarred the game for most of their original, loyal fan base!
True hockey purists, have real appreciation for, and understand how difficult it is, for a team to
pull off a great “shutdown D”, in order to preserve a win!
Today’s NHL realizes the time investment necessary, to really understand the game of hockey, and that today’s insta-gratification, “average fan”, WONT BOTHER to put in the time!
There was a “proud” differential, amongst hockey fans, from a time gone by, that had a bonding effect, especially at the arena!! This created a stronger loyalty to the sport, amongst many of them, across Canada, and the US! This feeling has been diminishing for quite sometime now!
For me, a high scoring game, many times feels cheap, like street basketball! Admittedly, I do like the flood of action. The hard, gritty, physical, defense oriented game, is almost non existent, and to the “fair weather fan”, is considered boring, and uneventful! Cries mostly heard from the “hockey ignorant”, IMHO!
Would appreciate your expanded view on the matter! Thanks!
Rush
