Damian Cox wrote in yesterday's Toronto Star that all you have to do is
let NHL players know what will and will not be allowed and they'll
adapt. We may all agree about the general intelligence of the
professional hockey player, but it certainly does not appear that
Damian is right at the moment.



I'm sitting at my desk listening to the webcast of the
Bruins/Pittsburgh pre-season game just as I did last Tuesday night for
the game in Toronto. (Quick interjection --- it's a sad and sorry
commentary on the life of a hockey fan that I'm even doing this.
I've got a crucial Red Sox/Tampa Bay game on television, I'm actually
listening to the hockey game, and I'm writing a blog for Eklund's
website. I HAVE NO LIFE!) I have not bothered to keep track
of actual full strength time in this game, but I can tell you there
hasn't been much.



I wrote in an earlier blog that after watching the NHL's video on rule
changes and areas of enforcement that there might be 75 power play
chances per game. I was trying to overstate for the sake of
making the point, but I might actually have been close. Harry
Sinden was quoted as saying it's going to be hard to sell NHL fans on
20 power play tries per night, and I think he's right. Real
hockey fans like special team play, just as they like good goaltender
play, hard hits, tough defense and tape-to-tape passes. They just
like to see all those things mixed together, not too much of any one
thing.



I am not suggesting that the NHL alter its' penalty calling one bit, by
the way. I'm just asking intelligent NHL players to figure things
out before we drop the puck on October 5th. They have had
training camp practices, scrimmages and now pre-season games to
understand what it not going to be allowed. I assume other NHL
teams have placed the same emphasis on this as the Bruins have, and
that's a lot. Prove Damian Cox right, and let's cut back on this
parade to the penalty box.



By the way, I just heard Paul Steigerwald say that the one thing all
these power plays have shown him is how bad all the hooking, holding
and interfering had to have been in the old NHL. He hit the nail
on the head, and if players can just clean this up, we'll all have the
fast-paced, hard-hitting game we all want and expect.



A couple of quick Bruins updates: GM Mike O'Connell claims there
is no truth to the rumors that the team is looking to peddle defenseman
Hal Gill to clear salary cap room for an imminent Nick Boynton
signing. That may be true, but some money will have to be cleared
to account for the difference between Boynton's qualifying offer of
$1.178 million and the $1.7 million the Bruins have reportedly
offered. A trade of Andy Hilbert for a draft pick, clearing his
$627,000 may do the trick. By the way, the run of nagging
injuries around the league has not left Boston unscathed either.
Sergei Samsonov is out with a strained back (not serious), while Glen
Murray, Dave Scatchard and Travis Green have also been sidelined.
Maybe that forward depth put together by O'Connell will be put to an
early test.

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