USA-Finland Gold Medal game tonight ...
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Cowtown
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I'm wearing my USA jersey as I write!
Cowtown
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Damn. The US seemed more focused on outskating the Finns (tough job) than getting the puck into good places. They accomplished A but not B. Whenever they were in a finishing position, they were always off balance or on the wrong hand. And too much passing, for so many passes were picked off. There comes a time to carry the puck and drive to the net, and we didn't do much of that. We could have won it, but we didn't go get it. That's hockey.
Cowtown
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The evolution of hockey over the last dozen-15 years has made it difficult to watch. There is little artistry or finesse in the game anymore. How did we get here? I'm glad you asked.
1.) Tighter enforcement of obstruction (hooking, holding, interference) rules.
2.) The virtual elimination of the "enforcer" role.
3.) The removal of the red line for passing purposes (which was necessary to break up "the trap").
All of those on their own seem like good rules and should all be applauded. I have no problem with anything in that. But what has really happened is that at the elite levels, the overall speed of play has increased substantially because the bigger & slower, more physical players are no longer around. Players are smaller and everyone is fast as hell now, so there's no open ice anymore. You rarely see any odd numbered rushes (2 on 1, 3 on 2). All the forwards come back hard now, and what were once passing and/or shooting lanes are now clogged up with sticks and skates. You don't have to be physical, just get in the way.
Even strength offense is now all "chip and chase," get bodies in front of the net and blast away, and sooner or later you get the goalie screened; or a deflection or a rebound.
My pet peeve is shot-blocking. It's a huge part of playing in your own end now, and I hate it. Anyone can block shots. Why would I pay $250 to watch someone do something I can do? And sliding/lying down to block passes is the same. Big deal, even I can do that. I still like to play - there's a lot of skill & speed disparity in our bunch - but watching the pros isn't so much anymore. Now it's just an excuse to drink beer.
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