You didn’t answer my question. You enjoyed seeing players lying on the ice concussed? You think it’s manly to put your elbow and shoulder into the face of an unaware player?
It was a different era then. I recall seeing those hits and squirming, but I also remember my hockey coaches saying similar things about personal safety.
Being older now, I can't fathom supporting a sport with all we know about concussions and brain injuries now. If those were my kids, then I'd be outraged.
That would have been something to see. Never saw anyone as good at giving that space wide only to close it quickly. By the time the forward had realized what was happening, it was too late. Hemsky was the worst for falling into that trap.
Regehr was the best.
"You want that puck in the corner? Go for it. In fact, I dare you to take it. Come on!"
Good, clean, aggressive hits...no blindsides. Hemsky is the perfect example.
"Lets be honest...you knew this was coming...and you went for it anyway."
'Closing space' is an excellent way of putting it. Here is some space...oops, now its gone! You know how much good a puck in the corner is when you're on your ass wondering where that train came from? Not a whole lot.
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"You want that puck in the corner? Go for it. In fact, I dare you to take it. Come on!"
Good, clean, aggressive hits...no blindsides. Hemsky is the perfect example.
"Lets be honest...you knew this was coming...and you went for it anyway."
'Closing space' is an excellent way of putting it. Here is some space...oops, now its gone! You know how much good a puck in the corner is when you're on your ass wondering where that train came from? Not a whole lot.
I remember one where he practically picked up Hemsky, turned him sideways and threw him into the boards.
I'm sure the wear and tear shortened Hemsky's career. But the thing is – he kept falling for it. He kept trying that same play over and over, and getting hammered into the end boards.
It's hard to feel sympathy for someone who keeps choosing to go back for more punishment.
Yeah. He came back from injury after a hard Regehr hit once… his first game was against the flames and Regehr hurt him again with a head, clean hit in to corner. Left that game… back on the injured list.
A big con being the career ending injuries way too soon for gifted players.
But call me mad but I'm a sucker for a 2-1 or 3-2 war of attrition type of game over a 6-5 shootout result where you watch both sides pulling back in their zones and killing the clock.
I love goalie battles.
Gold medal game 2010, 3-2 in overtime. Two star studded teams held in check by two great defenses and elite goalies. Hard fought all the way to the end peoducing the golden goal moment. Chef's kiss.
More recently Dallas-Calgary in 2022 was a throwback series in a way. Highly physical and two goalies playing out of their minds. Made for a can't miss 7 game series.
Contrast that with round 2 against Edmonton which turned into an amalgamation of everything that's wrong with today's game. Constant penalties, constant diving, not physical, 9-6 games, terrible goaltending and defense. Just awful. Sucked the tension right out of it.
And the oilers are the poster boys for this type of glorified "right of way" pond hockey. Not only are they a repulsive team but they represent what's broken about the league right now.
If there’s one positive from this era of the Oilers, is that fans from other markets are finally experiencing what Flames fans have had to endure for decades. You can see other fan bases of HF starting to turn on them.
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There was so much more passion in hockey in the old days. Players hated each other and you could feel this passion. Today, they are all buddies like in a rec league. They want to win, but it is not the same.
There was so much more passion in hockey in the old days. Players hated each other and you could feel this passion. Today, they are all buddies like in a rec league. They want to win, but it is not the same.
The Florida Panthers don't care who is on the ice.
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I hate just about everyone and just about everything.
If you don't want to get hit by the train, get off the tracks.
Sure. But also hear me out. I enjoy watching skill players doing skilled things as well. I didn't want to watch a bunch of third line checkers take runs at star players and for retaliation fights. Watching hockey in the late 90s early 2000s was brutally boring hockey. The fast and mobile players such as Makar, McDavid, Hughes, MacKinnon, Kaprizov, and now Bedard and Celebrini are so much fun to watch.
I loved Rock'em Sock'em when I was a kid and there will always be a nostalgic place in my heart for that era of hockey but knowing what I know now about head injuries and the impact it has on people's lives, I don't really miss it.
I always had it in my head when Reggie saw Hemsky heading into the boards with a "Oh no you first ma'am, I'll hold your purse" Then a Acme dynamite explosion.
I always give Hemsky credit for being willing to go in against Reggie and not turning tail and running.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Contrast that with round 2 against Edmonton which turned into an amalgamation of everything that's wrong with today's game. Constant penalties, constant diving, not physical, 9-6 games, terrible goaltending and defense. Just awful. Sucked the tension right out of it.
And the oilers are the poster boys for this type of glorified "right of way" pond hockey. Not only are they a repulsive team but they represent what's broken about the league right now.
BUT...the NHL wants more goals (why do you think the kicked-in goal counted last night?) and one way they can "manage" that (read "cheat") is via refs calling penalties and giving PP opportunities all over the place. The lousy part is that the Wonder Twins are good at that, so find "success" where they suck the rest of the time. The NHL doesn't care: MOAR GOALS!
So, until fans let them know that is unacceptable (hint: they won't because most fans are Murrican and MOAR GOALS.....) nothing will change.
