good ol' hockey game (stompin' tom)

*** warning... i may overuse the word "finesse" in this post***

i was at the oilers game tonight. the good ol' hockey game my ass!! i can't even imagine how frustrating it is to be a player having to abide by these new "finesse" rules. as a fan though, i can tell you that i am thoroughly pissed off!

delay of game. let's start there. never in my entire life of hockey fandom have i ever been one to yell at a ref. in fact, i used to watch hockey in another room because it was so annoying to listen to my dad do it during a televised game. tonight, i couldn't help it. pucks get deflected. now we call a penalty each and every time this happens? i call delay of game on the ref for calling it a penalty, having to escort a spiteful player to the box who is complaining all the way because he was called for delay of game. you couldn't just blow the whistle and have a face off?

next, we have the issue of fighting on the ice. "what fighting?" you ask? my point exactly! as soon as any player makes any sort of motion that could imply "i'm about to be unfinesse." there are linesmen and refs all over him. tonight, poor laraque. i hardly noticed him. why? not much ice time when the enforcer isn't allowed near anyone. i remember when i discovered that there was this unwritten rule that gretzky was untouchable. "check him, but do it gently. he's a finesse player, you know." i was so mad. that's not hockey. and now the whole game is like that.

just so we're clear... i'm still a hockey fan. there's no denying that i saw a great game tonight. but this isn't the same nhl i grew up living and breathing and loving.