For those of you spilling over from the Olympics and into watching NHL hockey, welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.
You’ll notice that there are a few differences between the international game and the one popular in North America. Don’t let these changes scare you off, they’re for the best.
The first thing you might see upon an initial glance is the prevalence of goals being scored on a nightly basis. Sure, every now and then there is a tight game—sometimes even a goaltender duel—where nobody tallies until overtime or even the star-studded shootout, but more often than not, there are pucks put into the nets.
This is largely due to the fact that the rink is smaller than it is abroad—10 feet shorter in length and 13 feet shorter in width. With less room to move, there is also less room to hide. It’s a lot harder to bury the offense, meaning there are more chances to make a scoring play. This also translates into more excitement.
Don’t believe that the smaller ice surface is a factor? Ask Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith, who served as a third-string back ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Ryan Boulding
Welcome to Hockey: An Introduction to the NHL for Olympic Ice Fans
February 28th, 2014 by Ryan Boulding Leave a reply »
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