from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

It seems as if the dead puck era is as much a thing of the past as the Flyers winning Stanley Cups and the Maple Leafs winning playoff series.

Because while we are operating under a small sample size of 70 games having been played through Thursday, NHL clubs are scoring an average of 3.3 goals per game, the highest threshold in 30 years, since teams recorded an average 3.63 GPG in 1992-93.

Over the first 10 days of the year, seven or more combined goals had been scored in 39 of the first 70 contests. That does not include the two — only two — shootouts that have transpired.

It’s a veritable offensive explosion. Games are fun, even if lacking in uniform intensity. The league’s average save percentage of .902 is the lowest since 2005-06, the first year of the hard cap era, in which the new-age rules meant to open up the game were instituted following the Shanahan Summit and power plays were cheaper by the dozen.

A footnote: Brendan Shanahan, who conceived, convened and covered all the expenses of the congress, deserves credit for imagining the ultra-modern game.

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