Three exhibition games are not much of a quantitative empirical database, but the early results of the NHL’s experiment to increase scoring and the flow of its game are satisfying to many Avalanche players.
“They are definitely calling it tighter, and guys have been conscious of it,” Avalanche left wing Steve Konowalchuk said. “That’s been the big thing so far, to try to keep your stick on the ice. You know you’ve got to break some old habits, but I think that’s good overall. You can’t get your stick above the waist now; you touch a guy in the hands or the waist at all and they’re calling it. As a result, guys are skating more and the game has been faster.”
Konowalchuk scored the winning goal in overtime Saturday night in an exhibition against the Los Angeles Kings in Las Vegas, finishing off a pretty crossing pass from Alex Tanguay.
The game featured numerous power plays, as have Colorado’s previous two exhibitions. But with previously sped- up faceoff and line-changing rules, the games haven’t dragged because of increased penalties. Even with a lengthy second-period delay Saturday night and an overtime session, the Avs-Kings game finished in a tidy 2 1/2 hours.
The only change that doesn’t seem to have affected the game is the elimination of the red line for two-line pass purposes. Players say they are still feeling that one out.
“The red line thing doesn’t seem to have crossed too many players’ minds. I think we’re still so defensive-oriented anyway, that you don’t want to cheat behind that defenseman,” Konowalchuk said. “Everybody’s playing on the defensive side still, but I think it’s going to take maybe a couple new teams to try a new system and then you’re going to have to counter that.
“But right now, everybody’s still thinking defense first, and that’s still what wins hockey games. I definitely think there will be a couple of surprises with teams, and you’re going to have to react to that.”
Kings veteran Luc Robitaille is thrilled by the renewed crackdown on obstruction, but he has been through enough broken promises on previous crackdowns to be a little leery.
“Will they keep calling it? That’s the question,” said Robitaille, who began his career with L.A. in 1986. “And it’s up to you guys (in the media), though. Because what always happens is, we’ll start the year and there will be a ton of penalties, then everybody starts complaining and the league seems to feel the pressure to change it. But if the press always is for it, I just don’t see it changing as much. I think all of the veterans have to stick by it, and the league, too. They told us it was going to stay that way.
“To me the key is, if you’re up 2-1 or 3-1 and they hook you, they keep calling it. That’s what they do in football. But the pure hockey fans in Canada are always like, ‘Ah, you gotta let them play.’ It’s not about letting us play; it’s about the rules.”
Avs veteran Rob Blake, a member of the NHL’s new rules and competition committee, is convinced a penalty will be a penalty, no matter where or when throughout the season.
“It’s something we need to stick to,” he said. “We all want to make the game exciting again for the fans, and it’s something we can’t stop again like in the
past.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
