I like how there's no red line. I like how there is a salary cap. I like how there are no more ties. I don't like the massive amount of penalty calls. I know the League wants to see more offense, but I'd like to have the game flow more than have players be able to score more.
Defenders can't really defend away from the puck anymore. They're essentially screens in front of the goalie. I also don't like the ridiculous amount of power plays. Power plays, if you ask me, are boring. Both teams spend most of the power play at the same end. The team with an advantage passes the puck around, waiting for a hole to open up. The shorthanded team stays at home trying to prevent a hole from opening. It isn't very exciting hockey to watch. I prefer to watch 5 on 5 hockey with forechecking, backchecking, and good ole transition hockey.
The Bruins 5-4 loss (I hate this add a goal thing for shootout victories, why not call it 4-4 with the Devils winning on penalty shots) pissed me off immensely. It was actually a good hockey game until with about 4 minutes left and the Bruins up 4-3, Glen Murray was called for hooking. The Devils scored on the power play, the game went into OT, and the Devils won on penalty shots.
I'm sick of special teams hockey determining the outcome of almost every single game. I'm also sick of the constant stoppages in play. The face-offs that used to be due to offside passing have been replaced by faceoffs after penalties. The game is losing flow because of ticky-tack penalties. It's getting old.
Most people in New England probably don't care, but the New England Revolution did something astonishing last night. Down 2-0 in the series against New York/New Jersey, the Revs needed to score 3 goals within 30 minutes in order to advance to the 2nd round of the MLS playoffs. That's exactly what they did. New England scored 68 minutes into the game, then at the 73rd minute and finally at the 83rd minute. New York teams just love to collapse to New England teams, don't they?
