Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
Hockey fans are too often guilty for being nostalgic. The game is faster; the players are bigger, stronger, and universally better conditioned; the goalies are better in every aspect; and the coaches are collectively far more creative and adaptable than at any other time in NHL history. This pining for the "high-flying eighties" is nonsense.
|
Problem is, as the players got bigger and faster, the rinks stayed the same size. So there's no time on the ice for plays to develop. And yes, I do miss end-to-end action with frequent two-one-ones and three-on-twos. They were entertaining to watch. And yes, I do miss when goalies relied on agility and a quick glove hand, rather than filling the net.
Nobody doubts the players today are better. The question is whether bigger, faster, better-coached players make for more entertaining hockey. Nobody doubts the top-ranked men's tennis players are better than the top-ranked women's players. But a lot of people find women's tennis more entertaining (and not just because of the skirts). Less power can mean more opportunity for rallies to develop, rather than degenerating to a game about returning serves.