The NHL was a lot better before the lockout

[Telly Savalas]

Back then, the Leafs would win games on at least a weekly basis. :cry:

[imouttahere]

1. C'mon Telly, they'll turn it around....

They've been missing McCabe for quite some time, and Lindros too.

[Telly Savalas]

2. They won one!

I know they've had a few injury problems, but it's not enough to justify their dismal performance for the last month. They've got a good enough team on paper, that the results are a bit puzzling.

Hopefully they can come back from the Olympic break with a fresh perspective.

[Captain Hilts]

3. NO, it wasn't. It's more of a skater's game now. That's better. nt

[LisaM]

4. I like a lot of things better, with a couple of exceptions

I don't like how the goalies are restricted to that little zone, and I wish that the game would toughen up a LITTLE! If they're going to call hooking for basically crooking your little finger at someone, then you need to call diving.

I like the shootout a LOT.

[Oreo]

6. I agree

The Goalie boundaries are silly

I love the loss of the redline.

As for the Laffs...errr..Leafs. Belfour is killing me on my fantasy team.

[imouttahere]

7. Watch games in the 80's....

I have several tapes of games from the 80's and two things stand out:

Penalties (besides fighting majors) were a RARITY! Why? Because players knew what they couldn't do, and they used a little something called a poke-check - my god, you never see anyone poke-check anymore. It's truly a lost art!

Players didn't skate halfway accross the ice to make a hit - I see far too much unnecessary hitting - don't get me wrong, I love the physical game, but I hate seeing guys trying to make hits just for the sake of making a hit - and often times they put themselves out of position anyway.

I hope they keep calling the hooking and holding until the players get it into their heads that they can't do it. It will be great for the game in the long run.

Oh, and they should move the nets back yet another foot.

[Captain Hilts]

9. To be frank, I'd prefer if the NHL played by the women's rules vis a vis..

hitting. There is too much senseless hitting in the game.

I'm THRILLED they're actually stopping all that clutchin' and grabbin' in the neutral zone. That's not hockey.

Yes, the little goalie zone stinks. I'm not sure why they did that.

[imouttahere]

10. Exactly right, Mookie, it's not hockey!

One of the things I remember most about watching hockey in the 80's was that you rarely saw power plays - oh, and more good dust-ups!

[akarnitz]

5. I'm reserving judgement until playoff time.

Lets see if the refs swallow their whistles come playoff time.

[imouttahere]

13. A penalty is a penalty.....

regardless of the time of the year, time of the game, etc. The players have to play the game the way it is supposed to be played, the way it was meant to be played. If you think the game was less physical back in the 80's, you need to watch some games from that era. I don't want to watch hooking & holding in the playoffs either. Sure, I don't want to watch a ton of power plays either, but if the players don't want to play that game, then don't take penalties. Learn how to poke-check instead of hooking. Improve your positional play. Whatever it takes.

[LSdemocrat]

8. Just be lucky you're not a St. Louis hockey fan

[madinmaryland]

11. I thought they were at their best during the lockout.

:evilgrin:

:hide:

[MrSlayer]

12. Disagree completely.

I am still against the shootout but the game is being played properly again. The stars can do their thing without being held up by people who shouldn't even be in the league. The flow is good and the game is better than it has been in years, it's just never going to be as good as it was in the 80's.