from Tim Wharnsby of CBC,
We're not quite back to the glory days of the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s or the incredible firewagon Montreal Canadiens a decade earlier. But the NHL has transformed itself from a tedious trap game that was contaminated by clutch-and-grab tendencies to an entertaining high-octane skill spectacle.
"The first thing I heard when I broke in was to bulk up, get bigger, get stronger," said Vancouver Canucks' 33-year-old centre Jay Beagle, who won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals last spring. "Now it's lean out. Get faster.
"Kids can come into the league right now at [age] 19, 180 pounds and dominate. You couldn't do that in the slower, clutch-and-grab game. Now the game is tailored to speed. It makes for a more interesting game and one that is more exciting to play in."
The NHL released some mid-season statistics to illustrate the increase in offence.
Goals-per-game average has increased to 6.1 goals from 5.9 at the halfway mark last year. This was the highest goals-per-game average since 6.2 in 2005-06.
A team has scored seven or more goals in a game 41 times this season. That total is the most at the midway point since 70 in 1995-96.
Twenty-two players have scored 20 or more goals through the first 635 games.
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