from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

The instant classic U.S. shootout victory over Canada in the world junior gold-medal game featured passion that is missing from the NHL season that simply is too long, too packed in, and features way too many monotonous games which are all but devoid of scoring chances and hitting, let alone actual goals.

Fighting had to and has to go. It is simply too unsafe for the athletes. But nothing has replaced the emotion in buildings and on the benches that accompanied brawling. Hitting is on the way out. Nothing has replaced the juice of a big hit. It’s blue-line-to-blue-line, send it in, get it out, quick change, minute by minute, game after game.

It is indisputable that the players are better than ever, but the games are not. They’re just not. The NHL pretends every game is critical in the standings that are artificially close because of the loser’s point, but if every single game is critical, then none assumes particular importance.

The move to diminish the number of divisional games so that every team visits every arena at least once each season — abetted by the NHL Players’ Association — has played a major role in reducing passion historically stoked by rivalries. It is ridiculous. The Islanders’ two games at the Garden — Two! Or, one more than Arizona — are separated by more than five months.

Yes, the kids were great to watch in a game filled with energy, emotion and passion. You should have enjoyed it while you could.

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