Hi Guys,
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy physical hockey, but clean checking and hard clean hitting. None of this cheap-shot crap that was more common before the rule changes. We have some of the most skilled players in today's game. The speed of the modern game is one of the things that just amazes me, especially when you see it in person. Also, the creativity of some of these players (guys like Crosby, etc.) is something I pay to watch.
I'll take today's style any day over that boring neutral zone trap of the NJ Devils in the 90's. They won games but it was soooo boring to watch. I'll take the 2007 Red Wings any time over that style of hockey. Even though I'm a Detroit hater, it's hard to not respect some of the great Red Wing teams through the years, including the 1996, 2001 and 2007 teams. I was in the stands when the 2007 Wings beat the Pens in Pittsburgh (at the old Mellon Arena) during the Stanley Cup finals and don't know if I've ever seen a better team than that Detroit bunch. They were amazing to watch, and they played the game the way it was meant to be played.
Today's Hawks team is very fast, and they are probably deeper than any team I have seen. They have four strong lines and have been getting scoring and strong defense from all four. Still, it's the NHL playoffs and anything is possible. The Wings have a very good chance against the Hawks and nothing would surprise me. There have been too many "surprise" teams in the playoffs (who thought the Senators would make it this far?).
Lastly, for me, nothing compares to the games at the old Chicago Stadium, the MADHOUSE on Madison, especially when I was a kid seeing games with my father. I remember seening so many great teams play the Hawks through the years and so many great (or really good) Hawks players skate in that place. Guys like Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, Magnuson and
the great Bobby Hull. I had to pleasure to meet and watch Bobby Hull when I was a kid, and to meet Keith Magnuson before his tragic death. These guys paved the way for today's stars and paid a heavy price. Keith Magnuson appeared to be in pain with every step he took, yet I never saw him turn down an autograph or handshake when I'd see him in the lobby of a supermarket buying office when he worked for Coca Cola (I was calling on the chain for another company).
The days when I'd sit up in the nosebleed sections of the old stadium with my drunken friends cheering for guys like Steve Larmer, Jeremy Roenick, Ed Belfore, Denny Savard, Chris Chelios (before he defected to the dark side), and Ed Olzcyk seem like yesterday. Still, the changes were necessary because the brutal nature of the game prevented it from being accepted by a larger American audience. The new game is more friendly to the casual fan and I believe it keeps players healthier.
It's hard to believe (I can still recall) there was a time when most players did not wear helmets, and even harder to imagine the days when goalies patrolled the net without face guards (long before my time).
I recall when goalies would wear those "Jason" masks which offered limited protection to the face. Some people may disagree but for my money, old school NHL Hockey players were the toughest athletes on the planet.
Go Hawks!
