from Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun,

I almost feel like a traitor writing this.

But the truth is, the last few years, it’s been increasingly difficult to sit through an NHL game - and this from a guy who grew up playing and loving the sport.

There’s something about the NHL game that turns me off now. Hockey people talk about how the skill level has never been higher. And they’re right. But that’s part of the problem - all these big, fast-skating players, and the fact that they’re all playing suffocating, tight checking systems, have choked out space and time and with it offence and creativity. There’s no room for dashing offensive play anymore. Why do you think 4-on-4 hockey is so exciting? Because there is room to create. There’s room to skate.

Not only is goal production down this year (2.65 goals per game), the types of goals we see are often less than spectacular. The idea now seems to be just try to get the puck towards the net and hope for a deflection or a rebound. But even getting shots on goal is increasingly difficult with 10 big guys crowding the defensive zone and wingers diving at shots. So many shots and passes are blocked now it’s maddening.

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