From what i understand the 2 line rule goes back to the days of skates that would fall apart on a fast break...lol. Before Bobby Hull, you have to remember even the slapshot was rarley seen, and before Bobby Orr the Defense ALWAYS played with one foot stuck next to the Blue line. So as the skill of players increased only cosmetic changes have been made, moving the goal line etc... A Smaller neutral zone, and the end of the 2 line pass also ensures the death of the "Neutral Zone Trap" a system I have ALWAYS HATED, making the game so slow, they should have used a baseball instead of a hockey puck. So New Jersey Fans, sorry, your glory days are OVER.

Yes, I hated the Devils for winning with that trap...........it worked so well that half the teams in the NHL started using it until they had turned one of the fastest and most exciting sports on the planet into greco-roman wrestling.

Exacly, the trap put a once great game to sleep.

And Alphabassettgrrl, In Hockey the speed of the game is one of it's greatest assets opposed to other sports. Regardless of scoring (Which will be improved) End to end rushes and breakaways will have fans jumping from their seats several times a night.

And this comes from me, an Ex-Defenseman who used to have nightmares and fits about break-aways...lol. It will be good.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT :snap: PUCK DROPS- ICE ROCKS :snap:

WOW...did you see some of those scores in the last 2 days?...5-6 goals!...yeeeeeha!

And you Southern Cali people, L.A. might be so-so, but it seems the Ducks quietly put together a VERY fast, and good team! Giggy might have problems now with the smaller pads though...

AND the Sharks will be AMAZING. California will have some GREAT Hockey this year! (Once again, Sorry L.A. Kings....not you....lol)

I learned something about this year tonight....anything can happen....I'm watching the Sharks- Blues and following the Bruins-Penguins games and both my teams are again getting thier collective azzes handed to them. Sharks down by 3, Bruins down by 2...

My Wife talks me into going out to dinner, we leave for dinner. Come home the Sharks scored 4 GOALS in the 3rd, and the Bruins 2 to tie and a third to WIN in OT. Both teams WIN!!!

Look at these scores! Bruins-7 Pens-6 (Crosby gets #1)... Sharks score 7, Blues 6....Atlanta SCORES 8!, 3 more end in shootouts!

WOW.... Dont leave the game or the T.V. early, you might miss it all.

And what do you think of this---


Bobby Hulls #9?....I know Brett is his son, but what will be next?...#99 for a little Gretzky? I don't like it. Unretiring a number makes retiring them less meaningful.

Oh...and Gretzky got his first win behind the bench, 2-1 tonight, congrats to him :snap:

I know, I know :blush:

I left a WHL(junior hockey league that mirrors NHL rules and which most NHL players come from) game early tonite because my team was down 4 - 2 with 8 minutes to go and I hate traffic........I missed my team scoring 3 goals in 3 minutes :eek: / :(

Hearing your team win on the radio when you just left the game is about as bittersweet as you can get.

I don't really see how that is all that much different then the previous years, there were many high scoring games in the pre-rule change seasons.....

and as far as not leaving the game or TV, that has always been true in hockey, as far as I'm concerned.... Things have always happened in a matter of seconds in hockey, things have always changed very quickly....

Thas why I love the game.

True enough. I guess the best way to tell the difference would be to watch a tape of New Jersey and Detroit playing each other a couple of years ago and then go see the Sharks play Anaheim now..........

Back in 1998(when the trap was starting to take off in popularity) my local team won the Memorial Cup(North America Junior Hockey Supremecy). Driving back home from the game with my friends we got to talking about how this year, even though they won more games then ever before, was just about the most boring year. The players won using a system instead of a melding of talent....sure they all were quite talented because no system in the World is going to win you a championship of that caliber without it; but it was the system that really won it for them. We fondly recalled better and greater teams in their history and wondered aloud how they could never get out of the Division to play for the championship........the answer came to us all at once...Kamloops(rival city) was using the trap and we finally got by them by playing their game :(