Let's get physical

We have all heard coach John Tortorella bemoan the lack of physical play in the game. You don't even have to ask him about it sometimes and the conversation turns in that direction. Well, it was interesting timing Friday, when the coach went on a pretty colorful rant and called the league a "ballet'' and "soft.'' That night, the Lightning lost to the Devils and defenseman Dan Boyle said he wants to see the team be more physical, especially with the opposition's defense.

A nice thought, and one Tortorella acknowledged. But how can the players possibly be physical with the way the game is being called. The game that night against the Devils was a case in point. Considering the lack of physical play, it was possible zero penalties could have been called. But the refs found the smallest transgressions to call. Andre Roy's penalty was bewildering. Nick Tarnasky's slash a love tap and when the refs finally got around to calling a penalty on the Devils, a trip on Patrik Elias, it was as bogus as the calls made against the Lightning.

I grew up watching the Islanders on Long Island when guys like Gary Howatt, Bobby Nystrom and Gerry Hart hit everything that moved. It was a slower game back then but man it was fun to watch the physical play. There has to be a happy medium between letting the players skate and calling absurd penalties that have no effect on the game other than making players afraid to play physically.

I know we've discussed this before. I've written at least two stories about it, but after Friday's game I just think there is a disservice being done to the players and fans. Don't know how to solve it either. The powers in Toronto and New York seem to like it. I agree with Tortorella, though, in an attempt to bring in new fans by showcasing scoring and speed, the league is losing the die-hards. It's too bad.

Interesting moment: I recently spent an evening in the NHL offices in Toronto where they make the video reviews of all disputed goals. There wasn't much going on that night so the guys were free to talk and critique the games and the way the penalties were being called. At one point, NHL senior vice president Mike Murphy was disappointed a call was made against a player during a battle for a puck. The transgression was a shove. Said Murphy, "you should be able to shove in this league.''

Yes, at the very least.

For anyone interested, check out hockeyfansunite.com. It's a site run by an old-time hockey fan who hates seeing what the game has become.

Comments

That game was ridiculous. All of the penalties we were "called" for were nothing. And finally when they called the other team for something they nearly killed poor little Marty. The refs were terrible. What a waste of money to go see that game.

[Phantom]

America the Nation is dying, so why not hockey as well? The Nations' borders are wide open to any hack that wants/gets everyone else's standard of living lowered so they may feel more comfortable. Schools are dumbing down everything to build 'self esteem'. A few corporate fatasses became many sleek jet-setting weasels grabbing all the money they can get. We are a bunch of rats gnawing on each others' tail. No one went to the polls to vote for the correct folks to stop the slide. Essentially, we bought the hype and this is what we have. Don't you just love it?

Hockey is boring to nit wits that find their intellectual stimulus in comic books and televised wrestling. Go back to watching baseball! They ruined that sport with sensationalism--lowered pitching mound and more home runs through chemicals--so you dilettantes won't be 'bored' after paying $65. to attend a game. Hockey is already ruined with the sissy European style because a nil-nil tie game is, "Whaaa, boring!" You're not watching the true game, the battles within the 'main event'. If you are not happy with the current product of "NBA on Ice" then make the necessary changes to support your fragile esteem. We purists will continue to leave, with only a slight and casual interest in the once grand sport now relegated to the funny pages.

Personally, I am forever amazed at how well any and all of these guys can ply their craft. That's ICE! They're standing and swishing around on BLADES! How does one box on ice and skates? How do they stand on their heads to score goals? Or prevent them? For over forty years I've loved this game and am going to miss it very much.

[Nan]

The officiating is a joke and the fans are bored with seeing the same teams all the time. And then on top of that they took the fighting out of the game too. The NHL has managed to alienate many fans. I agree with Torts, let the players police themselves. It would be a lot more interesting.

[JB]

I think the rule change is a clear indication that we should outlaw abortion and the death penalty, and legalize glue sniffing, which poor Phantom must have been doing when drawing those perpendicular parralells. Sorry, just couldn't resist.

Yeah, the game is lame, now. Let's hope it comes back to the middle. Someone should tell the powers that be in the NHL to watch a few tapes of the 1993 playoffs: I think that was Hockey's best year in that it was both fast and physical

[keith]

Let 'em fight. I love to hear the hockey dumb talking heads on ESPN compare NBA players going into the stands with "every day hockey" players.
The game needs some balance between the old style and what has evolved today. Players should feel they can go into the corners and dig without fear of a hook or hold call that will put their team in jeopardy. At the same time, some consistency has to be achieved in interpretation of the "new" rules.If the refs get their heads out of their glass stomachs we may have a better, more consistent game.

[keith]

What's a dilettante? Must be some kind of french hockey term!

[h29]

Notwithstanding the panoply of tangents in this thread, I have to agree with the overall chorus. I think the NHL needs to be both fast AND furious. It should be more like the NFL on Ice with big open field/ice hits while still keeping some finesse.

I could not watch the all-star games, it was gutless! If this is where the league wants to go, expand the net to be the entire width of the rink, give the defensemen waterguns versus sticks, have the forwards skate with petticoats so no one can come within 10 feet of them, etc...

Improvement often leads to oversteering. It's part of the process, we can all accept that. But now's the time to correct the skid!

Toronto... right the ship or more hardcore fans will leave and all you'll be left with all those TV viewers... Oh yeah, I forgot. There are no TV viewers.

[Ron]

Phantom, that was an excellent post and I couldn't agree more.

I've been watching the game daily since 1968 and for us "old timers", it's kind of like seeing an old friend die. You miss that friend very much and cling to the better times when hockey was played in its purer form.

You make interesting analogies with soceity in general. Hasn't society, in fact, gotten softer in a lot of respects? Too much liberal philosophy in the educational system teaching people how to look inward and over think everything IMO. (Maybe that's Torts' problem, but we'll leave that for another post!) It's almost like this liberal bias now permeates hockey. But I'll tell you this; when Roy was kickin' the crap out of Richardson last night, I didn't hear one liberal wimper in the crowd of 20k! Suddenly, all the intellectual malarkey got thrown out the window and the 'real' emotions that we hall have kicked in. People LOVE fighting. Gives them a major adrenalin rush as the inner animal gets released (LOL).

I will say this. I AM glad the NHL cleaned up what was bordering on VIOLENCE in the 70's. Players climbing in to the stands is not sport; let the British soccer leagues do such foolish things. But a line was crossed when attempts were made by the NHL 'brains' to dumb down almost ALL hitting and as you say, to NBA the game. Hockey is now at the other extreme and it MUST come back to its pure form, because if it doesn't, it 'aint hockey anymore.

BTW, I tried the link someone posted hockeyfans unite and it was a dead link?

Long live the sport we all love...