NHL...new rules should open the game up a bit.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Hmm, that surprises me. I would have thought the opposite. I would have thought it would lead to more penalty calls and more wide-open scoring, reducing the average time between stopages.

So far the 4 games that have been played by the Portland Winterhawks:

3-0
6-3
5-2
3-4

So, at least with us, it has not really resulted in much more scoring. There has been a little bit more penalty calling.....but the goalie can't freeze the puck anymore except when an opposing player is slamming away at it; defenders can't throw the puck into the stands under threat of 2 minutes; and most importantly of all---the blasted 2 line rule is gone so mid-ice stoppages are all but gone.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

and most importantly of all---the blasted 2 line rule is gone so mid-ice stoppages are all but gone.

Good point on that. Always thought the 2 line rule was dumb. There's already off-sides, why restrict it more than necessary?