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Friday, April 15, 2011

If figuring out how many decimals you can calculate pi (or π ) is dull, what does it say that through 7 playoff games last night that the NHL had combined to average 3.14 goals a game?  Same as pi, minus a whole lot of decimal places.  The Montreal Canadiens downed the Boston Bruins 2-0 last night to take the lead in their seemingly annual playoff series.  Buffalo topped Philadelphia 1-0, and San Jose beat LA 3-2 in overtime to bump the average goals per game all the way up to 3.375.  No, those scores aren't typos.    Somebody needs to tell Brendan Shanahan et al to get back to the drawing board for ways to open up the game.

Now that the Houston Astros held on to win last night, every team has twice as many wins or more than the Boston Red Sox. The Toronto Blue Jays open a four game set in Boston this weekend where they'll look to pile on the Sox miseries.

Good thing the New York Yankees pulled it out in the 10th. Will gloss over Derek Jeter hitting - wait for it! - another feeble grounder to finish the 9th with a runner in scoring position. It would have got real hot if not for that.  So thank Tex, A-Rod and Swish, DJ.

The Detroit Red Wings were the Winnipeg Jets playoff opponent their last year before they were sent packing to Phoenix.  It would only make sense that the Wings were the Coyotes last opponents before the team goes back to the 'peg, no?  Of course, the NHL denies that a move is imminent.

Crazy what old Yankee Stadium looks like right now.  You can only recognize it by the bat in the distance.

Atlanta Brave Jason Heyward has walked 11 times this year and not once scored a run on those. Alex Gonzalez is 1-11 following those BB.  Maybe don't bat him 6th, Bravos?

The Tampa Bay Rays drew 10,042 last night.  What do you figure they'll draw in the middle of August if they aren't in the race?  Could be NHL-in-the-south crowds in attendance.  Move them or get a new stadium.  There's no other option.

Steve Simmons says that Toronto is futility city.

It should frighten Dallas Cowboys anytime you hear their coach Jason Garrett wants them to be like the Washington Redskins, but he's referring to how the 'skins players worked out during strike years and how that lead the team to Super Bowl wins.

Minnesota Twin Joe Mauer is on the DL with "leg weakness".  That's the weakest thing I've seen since Jose Calderon repeatedly going to the "soreness" card to skip out on games periodically.

The Toronto Blue Jays are seeking government cash for missing their home series against Philadelphia last year because of the G20 meeting.  Classy.  Guess they forgot who paid for that stadium that they ended up buying for pocket change.

If you were at all interested, the Miami Heat win four less games (57) than the Cleveland Cavs did last year when it was LeBron James and a bunch of relative nothings.

Back for more tomorrow, two vids to close out.

Check out what Alex Ovechkin calls teammate Alexander Semin during a post-game, broadcast through the arena and on TV interview. Hilarious.


Watch out for that chair, backyard wrestler.

41 comments:

gary said...

Smaller goalie pads...that's what I'd like to see as a start.

Enforcing penalties around the crease would also help. Seems like guys are allowed to freely cross check people just b/c the puck is around their G. But this would also depend on the subjectivity of the refs, which I don't care for.

Goalie pads...do it.

DeKev said...

I don't get how a guy (Tbek) can be so big on soccer, who averages around 0.3375 goals per game and has a net that has 168 more square feet of space than a hockey net, can cut down the NHL for averaging 10x more goals per game than soccer.

Oh - and there's also 30 more minutes of time played in a soccer match.

TB said...

Allow me to explain.

1) guys in soccer actually *intend* to score when they shoot. Crazy, I know. It isn't a "put it on the net and pray" thing or a pinball action off two skates and a guys ass. They also don't routinely let them play against an opponent for a time, multiple times a game, to increase the odds of scoring.

2) I make those arguments because the typical hockey fan - and I'm going to assume you're being facetious as a bright guy - thinks there is no scoring in soccer (especially since I know you go to TFC games). Have you seen what the best players in the world have scored this year? 48 goals for Messi, 44 or more for Ronaldo. And they did that in 45 or so games. No, they don't score all their teams goals. Far from. And they'll top Corey Perry's 50 in 82 easily. Probably before the next two games are out for Messi.

3) the NHL by its own admission is trying to sort out why scoring is so far down from (a) last decade (b) the previous decade and (c) every other decade. So let's not pretend there isn't a problem, or Brendan Shanahan wouldn't have a job testing different rules, bigger nets and so on. Pick up a paper today - any paper - and you'll likely read how boring the first two nights of games have been save for San Jose/LA last night if you have somebody paying attention writing.

4) Just for fun, I'll bite on the score thing. MLS lone score from last night: 4-2. Europa League scores yesterday: 5-2, 2-2, 3-1 and a scoreless draw, after the previous match day's 4-1, 1-1, 5-1 and 5-1 scores. Not great with math but that's a lot more than .3375, which I understand was for effect...and a lot more than hockey's playoffs are scoring thus far, again, in games where there has to be a goal.

6) to achieve the above scores, teams will on a good day put about 20 shots combined on goal (usually it is 15ish). Not the 111 the Habs/Bruins/Flyers/Sabres put on net to score three last night (and there HAD to be a minimum of two combined in the rules, of course). It's either really hard to score, or your skill players suck. One or the other. I'm accepting the latter isn't the case. So there must be an existence of and reason for the former and it isn't just stellar goaltending.

5) Soccer games are indeed 90 minutes, and they take 90 or so to play. Not 60 minutes that take 270. Or 80 minutes that take 360. or 100 that take 450. You get the trend.

6) Good to see you did your homework though on the sizes of goal though. Oh, and if the net is 8 times as big, suppose I should mention that the ball is 3 times as big in diameter as a puck, and 27 times as big as a puck in height. Only fair if you're looking to be apples to apples.

I don't crack on hockey - the NHL especially - because I hate the game (on the contrary, I love international and junior hockey, and used to watch NHL hockey nightly by the boatload). Rather, I'm bored with what the game is today in the NHL - low scoring, mostly boring - and it is hilarious that most hockey fans treat it as perfect when it is not even close, relative to the games we watched years back (right?). It is lower scoring. That is a fact. As Gary highlited above, cutting the pads some might be a start. But comparing it to soccer with tired cliches that aren't accurate doesn't do shit for the reality these games aren't what they were, or what they could be.

gbvh said...

Soccer is like snooker ... the goals that go in are intended to go in. (Vast majority are, anyway.)

Hockey is like playing pool when you're six years old . . . Just hammer the balls and hope that something, somehow, goes in.

My favourite is when they show the slow-motion replays and they still can't figure out whose skate the puck bounced off last before going in.

The clock doesn't stop in soccer so there is not 30 more minutes of playing time. Thought that would have gone without saying. Guess not.

gbvh said...

Apparently the undertaker is killing all the NHL bookies out there.

TB said...

Now now GBVH, I resent that "six year old" comment...that's exactly how I shoot stick now.

gbvh said...

The guys on AM550 Buffalo (big Sabres fans, let it be said) were discussing hockey goals about two months ago.

They said it's like having a football team that does a Hail Mary every single play. That's it. Every play. Hail Mary.
Just keep throwing them, and eventually you'll luck into a touchdown.

"Is that the way we really want the game to be played?"

gbvh said...

TB:
Respect the game! Call your shots!

bukkake said...

I like to party.

TB said...

I'm like an NHLer...can't call the shot as I don't know where it is going or how it'll get there.

I kid, KD!

DeKev said...

"Soccer is like snooker ... the goals that go in are intended to go in. (Vast majority are, anyway.)"

So what you're trying to tell me by this statement is that the shots that go flying over the net by 10-15 feet are 'meant to go flying over the net by 5-10 feet?" I'm confused.

I don't think the intention of any hockey player is to smack it off a guy's ass / skate and into the net. But it does make for the argument that a hockey goaltender is far more skilled than a soccer goaltender. You don't just have to watch a ball float in from 30 yards out (And 95% of shots I've seen in soccer that come from such a distance don't stand a hope of being anywhere near the 192 square feet it's meant to hit), you have to watch a puck, moving at speeds far faster than any soccer ball could travel, potentially hit a few things along the way. Not sure how the argument of deflections makes hockey suck works? Look at Logan Couture's goal from last night - broke in over the blueline, dodged what could have been a huge hit and went 5-hole from in close. Or Joe Pavelski's - Got the puck 20 feet out and found the top corner. Lots of NHL goals come from something other than a guy's ass or skate.

I do recall going to a TFC game last year. Went to 3 actually. I like the taste of beer, hanging with friends and generally like sports / sporting atmosphere's of most kinds. I also recall, as predicted by Bukakke pre-game, a 0-0 tie and at least 1 dude rolling on the ground grabbing his ankle amidst my & Bukkake's "Pussy" Chant.

And pardon me for finding some good, quality body checks or, I'll admit, even a fight, more entertainig than someone dropping to the ground to roll around for awhile after a slight shoulder bump? I'm not saying hockey players don't take dives to draw penalties sometimes, but I am saying they don't over-exaggerate an injury too often. If they're down for awhile, they're down for a reason. Usually something's broken.

I really don't see what's wrong with stopping the clock when the whistle goes? Or when the puck goes out of play and up into the stands. Or when a hockey player is faking an injury and rolling around on the ice. Oh wait, that last one doesn't happen.

By point #6 below, (The 1st #6, not the 2nd) you are saying that shots / great saves by goalies are not entertaining? Unlike soccer,
"Goals being scored" is not the only entertaining side to a hockey game.

Good exaggeration, but I've never known a hockey game to take 4.5 hours to play 60 minutes of hockey. And there's little better in sports than sudden death overtime. I'll argue that til I die as it relates to any sport. Continuation of sudden death beats a soccer shootout every time for entertainment value in my opinion.

And there typically is 30 minutes more playing time in soccer as the ref will simply "Add time on" at his discretion. Which is just stupid. How long is each game? 90 minutes? 94 minues? 96 minutes? One will never know...

R4L said...

I think you're being a little false with your comparisons. When you say that a guy like Messi or Christiano Ronaldo scores more goals, you don't mention that they play a lot more minutes and that goals come from a lot more players in the NHL. Because Corey Perry may score 50, but he also has Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne scoring over 30 goals as well.

Or that in the Spanish league there are only two teams that score more than two goals a game with Real Madrid and Barca. The next highest is Valencia with 51 in 31, hardly a lot of goals. It's the same thing in the Premier league with only United and Arsenal scoring 2.

In the NHL every single team in the league has scored at least two goals per game, most cleared that by a bunch. The Canucks scored over 3 a game.

I think the NHL would like to see more goals, but comparing it to football doesn't make much sense.

I just don't really see the logic in comparing the two games when they're pretty vastly different when it comes down to it.

R4L said...

Also would agree that there is nothing in sports more exciting that overtime playoff hockey.

I don't watch anywhere near as much hockey as a I used to a few years back, I barely follow the Leafs anymore, but I will always watch a overtime game in the playoffs.

gbvh said...

Go puckheads!!

bukkake said...

I remember the time I took my shirt off at a soccer match. I have never done this at a hockey game.

Advantage: Soccer

I like to Party.

gbvh said...

^ Hockey fans are a bit thick that way.

Whereas most soccer fans agreed the last World Cup was, generally, a disappointment entertainment-wise, hockey fans just seem to keep keeping on.

Listen to soccer commentators when a game happens to be dull. Spade is spade. On the flip side you get what's-his-face going "HOLY MAKINAW" when the puck misses the net by four feet.

Which is why I've always preferred hockey on the radio . . .

TB said...

So what you're trying to tell me by this statement is that the shots that go flying over the net by 10-15 feet are 'meant to go flying over the net by 5-10 feet?" I'm confused.
TB: no more so than the shots that go over the net in hockey are intended to kill a fan. At least the NHL figured that one out quickly. A lot quicker than how long it is taking them to figure out how to open the game again. Shanahan et al are on what, year six or seven of that project and failing almost as spectacularly as Gary Bettman is in making the NHL game relevant beyond Canada's borders?

I don't think the intention of any hockey player is to smack it off a guy's ass / skate and into the net.
TB: not saying that's their intent. That's just what the reality is to score today far too often. Just watch the goals today/tonight - there won't be many, so it shouldn't be tough to figure out - and count how many were inadvertent deflections. Fill us in.

But it does make for the argument that a hockey goaltender is far more skilled than a soccer goaltender.
TB: if by "more skilled" you mean "cover 98% of the goal", sure, they're way more "skilled". [/sarcasm] And that isn't to mention the three guys lying on the ice to cover even more of the goal, rendering them more "skilled".

You don't just have to watch a ball float in from 30 yards out (And 95% of shots I've seen in soccer that come from such a distance don't stand a hope of being anywhere near the 192 square feet it's meant to hit), you have to watch a puck, moving at speeds far faster than any soccer ball could travel, potentially hit a few things along the way.
TB: if I need to explain to you how tough it is to hit a ball with the same thing that you use to move around with at the same time, then I can see why it is so easy to simplify it down to the size of the net. But I'll play for fun.

(I'll pause for a commercial break at this point. You know, give everyone a break from all the action, NHL style. Gotta get our revenues however we can, so we'll mess with the game to do so.)

Look at Logan Couture's goal from last night - broke in over the blueline, dodged what could have been a huge hit and went 5-hole from in close. Or Joe Pavelski's - Got the puck 20 feet out and found the top corner. Lots of NHL goals come from something other than a guy's ass or skate.
TB: funny you cited the one game that was actually entertaining (though there was two last night to be fair). So thanks for the agreement, unstated though it may be. Lots come from intent. Sure. Plenty also come from a completely unintended bounce or deflection. Far moreso than is the case in any other sport even where putting something into a net is the objective I'd wager. So that isn't skill purely, that's chance. In football, it is a "Hail Mary". In hoops it is a "prayer".

TB said...

I do recall going to a TFC game last year. Went to 3 actually. I like the taste of beer, hanging with friends and generally like sports / sporting atmosphere's of most kinds. I also recall, as predicted by Bukakke pre-game, a 0-0 tie and at least 1 dude rolling on the ground grabbing his ankle amidst my & Bukkake's "Pussy" Chant.
TB: hit YouTube. Plenty of hockey vids of same. To pretend otherwise is naïve, and those guys are wearing armour head to toe. Pussies, indeed. Both sides. I agree completely.

And pardon me for finding some good, quality body checks or, I'll admit, even a fight, more entertainig than someone dropping to the ground to roll around for awhile after a slight shoulder bump?
TB: more of the tired cliches. Yawn. I'll spare the hockey ones, we all know them.

(And it is the first intermission now. Sit back and watch a zamboni resurface the playing surface while enjoying the finest in 70's rock you dinosaurs you!).

I'm not saying hockey players don't take dives to draw penalties sometimes, but I am saying they don't over-exaggerate an injury too often. If they're down for awhile, they're down for a reason. Usually something's broken.
TB: It is hard to get hurt too badly when you've got a suit of armour on. That's why they wore suits of armour in the medieval days anyways. But more on that below.

I really don't see what's wrong with stopping the clock when the whistle goes? Or when the puck goes out of play and up into the stands. Or when a hockey player is faking an injury and rolling around on the ice. Oh wait, that last one doesn't happen.
TB: A quick Google search of NHL and diving sees that in the last year, no less than Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos were called divers (and two are...gasp...Canadian!). Stamkos accusation was uttered by Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, not some mere fan, just last month.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/content/tampa-bay-lightning-star-stven-stamkos-diver-according-capitals-coach-bruce-boudreau

There's also this lovely bit of fakery of diving and "injury" that wasn't tough to find from last year's playoffs. So much for "doesn't happen". Love the way he turned into the glass a good second after the hit. WWE would love a guy that sells that well if he could just speed it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhShrOAMZ-E

TB said...

By point #6 below, (The 1st #6, not the 2nd) you are saying that shots / great saves by goalies are not entertaining? Unlike soccer,
"Goals being scored" is not the only entertaining side to a hockey game.
TB: I didn't say that was the lone entertaining end of the game, would love to see where you got that. Fighting is entertaining too, albeit as a sideshow that isn't germain to the game. I also said that the game isn't as entertaining as it was, but interesting you ignore a degree discussion for a black/white one.

Good exaggeration, but I've never known a hockey game to take 4.5 hours to play 60 minutes of hockey.
TB: Ahh, so you can drop a ".3375" goals per game and I can't exaggerate. Got it. At least I'm providing more than tired cliches in the form of stats and actual discussion. Is 111 shots and three goals just good goaltending? Methinks not likely.

And there's little better in sports than sudden death overtime. I'll argue that til I die as it relates to any sport.
TB: yep, except they only do it for what, two months of the year? So? I'll take bases loaded, bottom of the 9th personally.

Continuation of sudden death beats a soccer shootout every time for entertainment value in my opinion.
TB: which only happens in the rarest of occasions. But good example (not really). Why then don't they do it in the regular season, which is so often tedious and dull? Last I looked, they use a shootout, which fans seem to like more than a little for all its faults and how it isn't "part of the game" (though fighting is, for reasons nobody can reasonably articulate). There's more flip flopping of rules in the NHL than the XFL made on the fly.

And there typically is 30 minutes more playing time in soccer as the ref will simply "Add time on" at his discretion. Which is just stupid. How long is each game? 90 minutes? 94 minues? 96 minutes? One will never know...
TB: There has never, ever, ever been 30 minutes added on. Ever. Your 60 minutes isn't 60 either, is it? Who knows how long it'll go? Should they stop the clock when a guy goes down or for subs? Hell yes. Funniest thing is if you ask a soccer fan, they'd tell you the shootout sucks, and they don't like guys that dive (like hockey, it is far, far from all). But suggest hockey is less than perfect and look the hell out. But that's where hockey fans are, umm, unique.

And R4L, it wasn't me that initiated the comparison, for the record. I agree the two are greatly different. That said, the goal totals for those two included more than league play - included league cup and Champions League play.

Now go watch sports, but don't pretend the NHL isn't as good as it was, or could be. That's simply disingenuous.

And, finally, it is worth repeating...Bukakke likes to party.

S-Dub said...

Beatdown.

KD said...

Not entirely sure how "Dude rolling around on the ground grabbing his ankle like a little pussy" is cliche. Rather, it's something I prefer to call "Fact" when it comes to soccer and is something I see far too often when I watch soccer.

You mis-read my point about 30 minutes longer. I meant 30 minutes longer than a hockey game (90 mins vs 60 mins) to which gbvh tried to argue:

The clock doesn't stop in soccer so there is not 30 more minutes of playing time. Thought that would have gone without saying. Guess not.

Correct, the clock doesn't stop. But the ref just 'adds time on' to make up for the fact the clock doesn't stop. So, indeed, there actually is very close to 30 minutes more of soccer played than hockey in a regular game.

Just finished watching the Red Wings - Coyotes game, which was great by the way. So after your rant after day 1 of the playoffs that hockey is boring, there have been a number of great games. Guess it's not that boring after all, eh?

PK said...

MK, I've seen you own some suckers at RC, but this is something else. Kudos to you.

KD said...

Only 6 goals in the 1st period of the Sabres-Flyers game. Some solid rough stuff too.

But scoring's down and hockey's boring.

TB said...

Wow, the most hits in months and most comments in RM history out of this. Crazy. I digress.

Once again, you struggle with this "shades of gray" thing. Not all games have sucked (I said that, in fact. I'll type slower here on to eliminate all the confusion). But *most* have been dullsville, and I've seen more than you given you said San Jose was your first on Thursday night and it was the last of the night. Let's not forget, zero is "a number" too, and it is closer to that than it is the majority being great games, at least so far.

But for fun, let's ask yes or no questions and call this a day, even though you've ignored the two previous requests for answers, which is probably answer enough:

1. do you believe the games are as entertaining as years back? Say pre-Devils-let's-suck-the-life-out-of-the-game era. I won't ask if that was fun to watch for fear of the response. It wasn't.

2. are they as entertaining as you think they could be?

Yes or no are the only answers, since we love black and white options so much. No other bullshit. Anyone can chime in, though I suspect most agree based on the email comments. Anyone who says no is completely oblivious, or disingenuous. That's a nice way of saying lying.

We'll call the silence on the balance of the points a nice capitulation in any case.

Thanks PK, what's your screen name? DeKev isn't a sucker, he's a good dude who I think is missing the point for the most part.

TB said...

DeKev, you forgot to sign that one:

Yours,
The Lone Goal They Scored In Game One Despite 56 Shots

DeKev said...

Oops. Went back to the old KD by mistake and not DeKev. Adjusting to the new name still.

TB said...

It's all good...I think KD was smarter anyways.

Heyyyooooooooooo!

TB said...

To help anyone needing it, I'll take three decades and list the the number of goals scored by the most goals. You can tell me which you think is 80's, which is 90's, and which is the last decade.

(1) 328, 355, 417, 424, 446, 401, 426, 372, 297, 354

(2) 348, 342, 321, 367, 356, 362, 277, 242, 248

(3) 248, 262, 249, 295, 262, 314, 308, 266, 295, 318, 259

If you had them in order 1-2-3, that's bang on. And before you trot out the "yeah, but that was the Oilers in the 80's!" think again: there were 9 teams in 88-89 that scored north of 300, and EVERY SINGLE TEAM scored more than the leaders had in 2010/11, except for one who had as many. The difference is even bigger years prior to that, and they were only playing 80 games then, not 82.

Just dial into ESPN classic and see what the goalies looked like back then. Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out what might be a contributing factor there.

FUCK I love talking sports!!

DeKev said...

Was hoping to not spend my Saturday on my computer debating sports. Would prefer to chew up solid work time doing so. But since you called me out, here goes...

I suppose I took gbvh's comment that 'Goals that go in are intended to go in' slightly too literally. I re-read that as 'Shots that miss the net are done so intentionally' as well.

"Just watch the goals today/tonight - there won't be many, so it shouldn't be tough to figure out - and count how many were inadvertent deflections. Fill us in."

5.75 goals per game last night and on pace for 7 per game today at this point. That seems 'up there' to me. Watched most games yesterday and saw many great goals including Darren Helm's after Datsyuk makes a great play. Also saw Daniel Sedin's deflection from in close to change the direction of the puck. From what I've read on here soccer fans probably thought that was a 'boring goal' vs respecting the skill it takes to deflect a puck past a goalie. Add to that the heads up play by the Vancouver defenseman to notice the opportunity at the front of the net and get a quick shot off. {Yawn} All boring stuff, I know.

Love the exaggeration on 'covering 98% of the net'. However, I do agree that 1 way to add more goals is to decrease goalie equipment. However, I still don't think the only way to make hockey more exciting is to make sure 'more goals get scored'. That seems to be a theme in your arguments.

If you think trying to strike a ball with your foot is tough, you should try deflecting a small piece of rubber moving at 100 mph with a thin stick, while you're trynig to fight off a 240Lb defenseman. And to score you have to deflect it 'just right' as you have someone in your way taking up 98% of 24 square feet.

Oh. On our way to 7.5 goals per game tonight now. Better than the odd NFL score. {Yawn} {Boring} {Yawn}

Not sure if you saw Johan Franzen's face today. Returned to play after taking 23 stitches to his face after a clean hit by Shane Doan. Don't think you'd ever see a soccer player return after something like that. Oh, and he's not even North American.

When you said all of this:

TB: A quick Google search of NHL and diving sees that in the last year, no less than Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos were called divers (and two are...gasp...Canadian!). Stamkos accusation was uttered by Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, not some mere fan, just last month.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/content/tampa-bay-lightning-star-stven-stamkos-diver-according-capitals-coach-bruce-boudreau

There's also this lovely bit of fakery of diving and "injury" that wasn't tough to find from last year's playoffs. So much for "doesn't happen". Love the way he turned into the glass a good second after the hit. WWE would love a guy that sells that well if he could just speed it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhShrOAMZ-E

You clearly missed that I had said this:

I'm not saying hockey players don't take dives to draw penalties sometimes, but I am saying they don't over-exaggerate an injury too often.

DeKev said...

The Seattle-Philadelphia 1-1 tie in the MLS today must have been a thriller. A goal every 45 minutes! Fact. Not cliche. Just did a quick check of Philadelphia's games this year: Averaging an exciting 1.9 goals per game! Oh - and that's for both teams combined. Fact. Not cliche.

Amazingly they actually do sudden death overtime year round and not just for 2 months of the season as you mentioned. In fact, the # of games that went to a shootout this year in the NHL was down even though the # of games that went to overtime remained relatively the same. I'll call that a win for sudden death overtime.

To answer your 'yes / no' questions...

1) Are games as exciting as in years past? Believe it or not, I'll actually argue that yes they are. This is probably against the norm, even for some serious hockey fans. I wouldn't say 'better', but I do think there is still an exciting product being put on the ice. The game is very different, but I think the stronger, faster, more skilled players add to the game. Some of the guys coming over from Europe are adding a new dimension to the game with skill and creativity. It isn't as open as it used to be, which is dominantly due to the size of the players on the ice. Add bigger players and larger equipment without increasing the size of the ice surface and you'll get that. I think increasing the size of the ice will make for a more exciting game. Not necessarily to the size of European ice, but adding a bit more space in each zone will open it up a little.

I've also had the enjoyment of watching some rising stars from a very young age (Jeff Skinner and Tyler Sequin to name a couple) and you could tell pretty early that Skinner was going to add a new level of excitement. There's plenty more of him being produced in years to come as the era of "Must be 6'3" or taller" seems to be coming to an end.

2) I think any sport can be more entertaining than it currently is. It just needs the right heads to come together. And for hockey, for Gary Bettman to take a backseat. Can't wait for his time to be done. Hopefully in 2016, the forces that be will realize just how wrong for the game he is.

Nearly half-time in the Chivas USA - Vancouver Whitecaps game. 0-0. 8 goals per game average for hockey tonight.

DeKev said...

Lastly, you've successfully not replied to my comments that a ref simply 'adding some more time' at the end of a soccer game is stupid.

I'll take it that we're in agreement on that.

PK said...

Do you know MK at all? He's gonna love that you're missing playoff hockey to respond, especially when you're still missing the point badly IMO. How exciting could it be, etc. I'm sure he'll ask.

As exciting as before? That's a joke, right? About as funny as I'd imagine Sheen was at Massey last night. Mark me in the no side of both.

Look up sample size dude. You can't object to MK going on about 7 games and come back talking about 2. That's weaksauce.

And the Bruins haven't scored in 4 periods. Go Habs!!

DeKev said...

I'll assume MK = TBek? Know him. Quite well. Apparently not well enough to call him MK though.

Not missing a thing. Laptop, couch, TV.

I'm talking about tonight's games. Didn't feel like digging back in time / grabbing a calculator. Since I can now add a 3rd game in, 6.3 goals per game tonight for NHL.

And speaking of tonight's games, an update on MLS scores:

3-0
0-0
0-0
2-0
1-1

1.4 goals per game tonight for MLS.

My original point (Which is explained above) to this whole string of 33 comments now is - don't cut down the lack of scoring in hockey when soccer is far worse. That original point got spun into about 100 different topics here.

PK said...

I think the decrease in scoring has been shown in perception and fact. The NHL has people trying to find ways to increase scoring. That isn't because they like where things are or are trending, most would think (that's the perception part). The goal scoring stuff above seems pretty fact based, not that I looked, and the comment yesterday over the first seven games was truth, after all.

The soccer bit, as R4L mentioned, had no business being introduced. About as logical as saying now that neither score as much as basketball so they must both suck. Different things entirely. Pointing out there were barely 3 goals a game was fair play, it being fact and all. More than a few on Twitter and the papers were killing the opening days as dull. Lighten up, man, he's not saying it sucks eternally. Luckily, it is picking up.

DeKev said...

The good news is we can all agree on one thing... For those who know him:

Bukkake likes to party.

TB said...

Yes, the time keeping thing is stupid (I did say that, by the way, above). Only slightly less stupid than saying fighting is part of the game in hockey but the clock stops during fights. Or worse, staged fights. But not as funny as thinking scoring hasn't decreased. It was only the 2009 cup that saw 31 goals over seven mostly dire games. But enough about actual numbers.

I'm stunned you think it is as good as previous times. Gary must be doing something right! And I know not to argue with Gary, or his type. End of. ;) (Admittedly, I should be suspended for that hit from behind).

Later bro. You can still name your first born after me. Or Lionel Messi.

TB said...

And yes, Bukakke likes to party.

gbvh said...

Of course hockey players are tough.
They're meatheads.

gbvh said...

If only "legit" (note quotations) goals counted in hockey, each game would be about 1-0.

Bounce. Carom. Pinball. Bump. Ding.
Hey! We scored! Awesome!
Let's check the replay to see who gets credit!!

gbvh said...

For the record, I think both soccer and hockey can and should do a lot of things to increase scoring and scoring chances.
I just like that in soccer the majority of goals aren't garbage.

bukkake said...

I would like to add that the time I went to a soccer match I pissed my fucking pants on the bus. True story. My cargo shorts were soaked in urine. On a bus. A yellow school bus.

I have never done this en route to a hockey game. Soccer made me piss myself like a fucking infant.

Advantage: Hockey.

I like to party.