Fast start to the season! (Oct. 2002)
It's been called the fastest game on ice. This season, hockey is finally living up to that billing. With the referees calling the games the way they should be called, the 2002-03 campaign may be the most exciting hockey since the Oiler style of the1980's.
There's an added bonus or two as well. If the league continues to give the refs the authority to call obstruction penalties, they won't have to eliminate the red line. They won't have to make the ice surface bigger. That's three birds with one whistle, folks! Yes, the game has opened up that much in two short weeks. Combine that with those quick faceoffs and a night at the rink no longer feels like a night at an interminable rock opera. Halleluja! Less time between plays means less time for that awful thumping music and cheesy arena promotions. We're there to watch hockey, Mr. Bettman!
And we're finally seeing what the game can be. Those break-out passes up the middle ending in a chance and then a quick return down the ice the other way for another chance; end-to-end action that doesn't mean multiple turn-overs in the neutral zone. It's not just the Jagrs and the Mogilnys who are getting these chances either, it's Jan Bulis, Tie Domi, Chad Kilger and Brendan Morrow who have all found room on the ice where there used to be none. Teams that can adapt will be a treat to watch while those who live by the clutch will die by the trip to the box. Have you watched the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs this year? 'nuff said.
The Montreal Canadiens have already seen both sides of this puck. In New York, they were able to fly up through centre, creating two-on-one after two-on one. Size didn't matter, but speed sure did and Montreal has plenty of that across four lines. Which is why the game against the Sabres was so puzzling. Except for a short-handed Chad Kilger and Jan Bulis two-on-one and a Saku Koivu spin-o-rama in close on Martin Biron, Montreal looked slow. They rarely got to the puck first. They lost most battles along the boards. They just plain stunk.
Not to make excuses or anything, but perhaps the Habs underestimated their opponents. The Buffalo Sabres, a franchise on the brink of extinction, was supposed to be one of those clutch and grab teams that wasn't going to be able to adapt to this kind of hockey. They sure surprised me. They too have speed up and down the lineup - who knew? - and made Montreal pay break after break.
Am I worried? A little. Especially after the last game against the Flyers. Ugh! But there's a lot of hockey to go yet, and Montreal has always done badly against Philadelphia in the regular season. Ne panic pas. The first month of this season, all of the teams will be feeling each other out in a whole new way. Assumptions and scouting reports will have to be re-thunk. For Montreal, how they approach the Red Wings and the Leafs this week will say a lot about how they can adapt to the new NHL. Just look around the league. The Canadiens aren't the only ones having a mysteriously bad-to-average start. The Islanders, Colorado, San Jose and Carolina are all having a tough time. There will be rough patches and inconsistencies for a while.
The Habs know that already. They've seen some inconsistent refereeing in this short season. In the Ranger game, Eric Lindros blatantly smacked his stick across the back of Stephane Quintal's head. He got a 2-minute penalty (the NHL later reviewed it and assessed a 1-game suspension). At home against Buffalo however, Saku Koivu received a 4-minute high sticking penalty and Buffalo scored the backbreaking 4th goal of the night with just seconds remaining in the penalty. Same thing happened in the next period when Bill Lindsay was given 4-minutes for a high stick.
I know, it's early days for the referees as well as the players so there will be some adjustments over the next few weeks. I'm willing to put up with some of the inevitable confusion and error for a while. But please oh please let the games be called the right way and let the terrific speedy hockey continue. If we must watch this game for 10 months of the year, let it be worth our while.