There are five games left in the National Hockey League's regular season. The Phoenix Coyotes are six points out of the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference.
I wish I cared.
A league that I used to follow closely has gone by the wayside, and now I can only hope that the league makes some changes to entice me back into the fold.
The games themselves are too long and have way too few goals or even opportunities to score.
As this year's regular season comes to a close, the team with the most points is the Detroit Red Wings. This doesn't mean they're the best team - the Stanley Cup playoffs will determine that.
The Red Wings average a measly 3.16 goals per game. The Coyotes are at a whopping 2.66. For a game that has 60 minutes of ice time, the lack of scoring results in a snooze fest for fans.
Never mind capturing my attention on television, it can be complete torture attending a game live when you add in the 40 minutes of intermission time.
I attended my first live hockey game in 1986 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Up to that point, I dreamed of the day when I would be able to see my beloved (at that time) Rangers play in person.
I was eager to attend the Pittsburgh Penguins-Rangers game. I took the PATH train over to Manhattan, walked to the Garden, and then was crushed.
The marquee said, "Rangers - Sold Out."
I ventured to the front of the arena just to reminisce about the few times I had gone to the Garden as a youngster. I was staring at the model of the seating arrangement located in front of the ticket windows. I silently wished there was some way I could get into the magical palace.
From nowhere, a guy approached me then and asked, "Do you need a ticket?"
"What do you have?" I asked.
He showed me a red ticket. I looked at the model and my eyes lit up. Red seat! That would be right behind the glass! "How much?" I asked.
"Ticket value," he said.
For only $20 I sat right behind the glass for my first hockey game. I had a fight break out right in front of me, and without hesitation, I became a glass pounder.
When I left that game, however, I was glad that it was over. It was a night filled with anticipation that ended with major disappointment. Three periods of hockey, two intermissions and an overtime period that ended in a 0-0 tie. Not exactly what I would call fun.
Even then, I knew that hockey needed to spice things up some.
In a recent discussion with my boss about the state of hockey, we arrived at a couple ways for the game to be improved, and maybe, bring us back into the fold.
Eliminating the center line would be a good start. Keep the two-line passing rule, but get rid of the middle line to allow for more fast breaks. More scoring would lead to more excitement.
That's what baseball did. They lowered the pitcher's mound in 1969, and more runs have been produced. Additionally, stadiums are now built to encourage more home runs. When a pitcher throws a shutout today, it really means something.
It would be the same for hockey.
When a goalie keeps another team scoreless, it would have more meaning than it does now.
Another rule that we decided would add some excitement would be a take-off from basketball's three-seconds rule.
On power plays, a defensemen could only be in a predetermined area in front of the goal for five seconds. The defensemen would have to skate out of the area, opening up the inside for an attack by the team with the advantage.
These two simple changes would allow me (and maybe my boss) to watch the Coyotes' last five games like a fanatic, and whether or not Phoenix made the postseason, I would tune into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I really miss the days when the NHL meant something to me.
Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, April 12, 2010
Article comment by:
Joe McCauley
