So this is what we've been missing for the past decade.
Whether you call it shinny, fire-wagon hockey or pond hockey, the first four nights of the 2002-03 regular season gave us some scintillating action, thanks to the enforcement of obstruction rules.
No matter what your term of choice is from the above, play has been more wide open than Mick Jagger's mouth.
It hasn't quite gone back to the freewheeling '80s or the ridiculous All-Star Game scores of a few years back, but it has been more exciting than in the past half decade.
The trap has been trashed. Obstruction is on the outs. Clucthing has gotten the kibosh. And the game is better for it.
More penalty calls mean more power plays. More power plays mean more scoring chances. More scoring chances mean more excitement. More excitement means more ... you get the picture.
Buffalo has scored 11 goals in two games. While it's very unlikely the Sabres will continue on that pace and score 451 for the season (the 1983-84 Oilers currently hold the record with 446), we could have our first 300-goal team since Pittsburgh (362), Colorado (326) and Detroit (325) all did it in 1995-96. The Sabres averaged just 2.6 goals per game last season, 17th in the league, so their offensive outburst is rather unexpected.
Despite the appearance that scoring is up significantly, it has increased only marginally from the same time period last year. There were 171 goals scored in 31 games in the first four days of the season, for an average of 5.52 per game. Last season, 139 goals were scored in the first 26 games (the first four days) for an average of 5.35.
But 14 teams have goals-against averages above 3.00, and it would be hard to convince Vezina Trophy winner Jose Theodore (3.50 GAA, .865 save pct.) or third-place Vezina finisher Sean Burke (4.50, .857) that something isn't different.
These numbers haven't been seen since our own Darren Eliot was putting up a 4.59 goals-against average in his 89-game NHL career in the late '80s. OK, so Darren was far from the only netminder getting lit up in that era. And you should hear the stories he has to tell about playing Gretzky's Oilers teams from back then. He'll admit that he had the best seat in the house for the Edmonton shooting gallery.
So while goals aren't up drastically, scoring chances and the excitement level clearly are. It's fun to see players gliding through the neutral zone unimpeded again. The game is better. The NHL's band-aid worked. Let's hope the fast and furious pace continues.
Instant impact Several free-agent acquisitions and rookies have made their presence felt early. Dallas' Bill Guerin leads the league with three goals and three assists in three games. Ed Belfour made 33 saves to record a shutout in his first start for Toronto, but then missed the Leafs' Saturday game with an infected right index finger. Washington's Robert Lang scored the game-winning goal Friday and assisted on Jaromir Jagr's deciding tally on Saturday. Jochen Hecht has two goals in as many games with Buffalo. Ruslan Fedotenko scored twice Saturday for Tampa Bay. Atlanta's Shawn McEachern had a hat trick in a losing effort on Saturday. Chris Drury had three assists for Calgary in Saturday's loss to Philadelphia. And Columbus rookie Rick Nash scored a goal in his debut, but also suffered his first injury, leaving with leg cramps.
Ranger regression The Bryan Trottier era got off to a promising start, with a 4-1 win at Carolina on opening night. But after scoring four goals in the first 45:42 of the victory against the 'Canes, the Rangers have just one goal in the past 136:18. Free-agent acquisition Darius Kasparaitis is minus-5 after three games, including a horrible minus-4 night on Saturday in New York's 6-0 loss at Pittsburgh. With Eric Lindros back in the lineup Tuesday against the Leafs, and Pavel Bure back from his bout with strep throat soon, the Rangers' offense should kick into gear.
Edmonton @ Dallas -- Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
The Stars lead the league with five points and have been one of the most impressive teams so far. In their two games, the Oilers have rallied from two goals down to tie and then blew a two-goal lead before pulling out a win on Saturday. This will be a matchup of two of the hottest goaltenders, with Marty Turco facing off against Tommy Salo, who sports a tidy 1.94 GAA and .931 save pct. in helping Edmonton to a 1-0-1 start.
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay -- Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT The Lightning are off to their first 2-0 start in team history, and the only previous time they were unbeaten was in 1995, when they started 1-0-1. With games in the next two weeks against the Thrashers, Penguins, Rangers, Blue Jackets, Capitals and Devils, the Lightning have a chance to get off to a pretty good start and possibly build momentum toward a playoff berth.
Colorado @ San Jose -- Saturday, 4 p.m. EDT
The Avs and Sharks played one of the best playoff series in recent memory last spring, with Colorado prevailing in seven games. Former Avalanche center Mike Ricci always seems to play well against his old team, while Peter Forsberg had six goals, six assists and was plus-2 in the seven-game series against the Sharks.
Plus: Marty Turco The Stars gained a ton of confidence in their new starting goaltender as he posted a 1-0-1 record with a .955 save percentage and a 1.44 goals-against average. Playing a jumpy, unorthodox style, Turco was impressive in both an opening-night tie at Colorado and a win over Anaheim on Friday. His leaping save against the Avs was one of the highlights of the week.
Minus: Atlanta Thrashers After blowing a 3-1 third-period lead in their opener against the 'Canes on Friday, the Thrashers lost a 4-3 lead in the final period Saturday to the Panthers before bowing in overtime. Shawn McEachern's hat trick went to waste and Ilya Kovalchuk's 10-ruble brain continues to overshadow his million-dollar personality and talent, with the Russian youngster getting caught with an illegal curve late in overtime.
Plus: Diminutive Ducks If it's true that good things come in small packages, Anaheim could be in for a magical season. Andy McDonald (5-foot-10) and Stanislav Chistov (5-foot-10)had four points each in the Ducks' opening win in St. Louis. Anaheim's mini-mites will certainly lead the NHL in points per inch, especially once Paul Kariya (yep, you guessed it -- 5-foot-10) gets on track.
Minus: Miikka Kiprusoff And on the other end of the goaltending spectrum from Turco we find the Sharks' temporary starter. The "temporary" is there because general manager Dean Lombardi surely is scrambling to re-sign Evgeni Nabokov after watching Kiprusoff record a miserable .722 save percentage (10 goals allowed on 36 shots) and 6.00 GAA in the first two games.
Plus: Vaclav Prospal If you had Prospal to be tied for second in the league in scoring after the first week, your name is either Jay Feaster or Carnac the Magnificent. Vincent Lecavlier is only the second best guy named Vinny on his team right now, though Vinny Lecav had three helpers Saturday, too, to go along with two more for Vinny Pros.
Minus: Eric Boulton Eric, why so angry? Apparently there are some anger management issues that need to be addressed. After Boulton dropped the gloves three times (29 PIM) in the Sabres' season opener, one must wonder how someone could have so many vendettas to settle so early in the season. Boulton calmed down in Game 2 against the Habs, miraculously managing to keep his mittens on during his 7:27 on the ice.
"Nobody really gave us anything to stir our pot last year during the playoffs, so we're going to keep playing our same game and try to bore everybody to death out there."
-- Carolina's Erik Cole after the Hurricanes lost their season-opener 4-1 to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
"With all the new rules and stuff, you figure the refs would be at the top of their game, ready to go. But all those things happen. I don't know how many penalties there were, but it's a joke. Half the game is played with the power play. It's not fun."
-- Predators winger Scott Hartnell after Nashville's 5-4 loss in Washington on Friday night, a game that had 21 penalties.
Bill Guerin is off to a fast start, thanks to his two-goal, two-assist, one-fight performance on Friday. Guerin's "Gordie Howe hat trick" racked up some big fantasy points. Find out who has done what so far this season on our stats pages.
Stanislav Chistov, LW, Mighty Ducks
The Ducks' top pick (No. 5 overall) in 2001, Chistov had one goal and three assists in his NHL debut, the best first game in 25 years. Chistov (19) also became the youngest player in NHL history to record four points in his NHL debut. Playing with fellow Russian rookie Alexei Smirnov and playmaking 25-year-old center Andy McDonald, Chistov could emerge as a Calder Trophy candidate if that trio continues to support Anaheim's top two lines with some occassional scoring punch.
.953
Martin Biron's save percentage (41 saves on 43 shots), second-best in the league among goalies with two or more starts.
8
Red Wings' winless streak (0-6-1-1) at Staples Center, after the Kings' 3-2 victory on Saturday.
93.8
Blue Jackets' penalty-killing percentage, having been scored upon just once in 16 short-handed situations.
1,000
Games played by Calgary's Craig Berube, the first true enforcer to hit that longevity milestone.
Our latest best guess at what the postseason seeding will look like.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Philadelphia Flyers
Colorado Avalanche
Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings
Washington Capitals
Dallas Stars
Toronto Maple Leafs
Los Angeles Kings
Carolina Hurricanes
San Jose Sharks
New Jersey Devils
Vancouver Canucks
Montreal Canadiens
St. Louis Blues
New York Rangers
Edmonton Oilers
Each week during the season, this space will be devoted to your comments on a particular issue.
Last week's topic: Which team will hoist the Stanley Cup next June?
You guys seem to forget that the Vancouver Canucks were the best team in the NHL after Christmas last year. I'm here to tell you that with Todd Bertuzzi and Marcus Naslund leading the way, the Canucks will skate away with the Stanley Cup this year. David Persons, Portland, Ore.
Based on past history, the Devils aren't due to win the Stanley Cup until 2005, but I believe they will make a surprising run at the Cup this year. With the new rules and a quicker team, they have a legitimate shot. Their early exit from the playoffs last year at the hands of the 'Canes will be an incentive. I can only hope that if they meet them in the playoffs this year, they will hit somebody. Let's go Devils and whoever plays the Rangers, Flyers and Islanders. John Gallagher, Kendall Park, N.J.
Do you know the way to San Jose? I think the Stanley Cup will really like it in the Bay Area -- nice weather, beautiful scenery, etc. The Sharks have all the tools, and they have been through the disappointment of almost knocking off the reigning champ. That should fuel them throughout the season and get them to their ultimate goal. Fans of Original Six teams might cry -- a California Cup ... unthinkable -- but I think it may happen this year. Adrienne, San Diego
I believe the Dallas Stars will win the Cup this year. They will come back from the one-year absence from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Mike Modano and Co. will get the job done in the playoffs by ousting the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference finals. I expect Ron Tugnutt to be the goalie in net by January, and he will lead the Stars to the playoffs and have Belfour-like numbers in the postseason. New coach Dave Tippett also will make big decisions early in the season that will validate this prediction. Jason Bennett, Arlington, Texas
Washington Capitals. And the color of the sky in my world is none of your business! Brad Brooks, Arlington, Va.
About 4 million others and I are hoping for a Cup in Toronto. But, honestly, I expect Detroit to host another parade with the big mug. A long shot for the prize: Boston, if it can play in the playoffs like it did last year during the regular season. Dave Bettiol, Mississauga, Ontario
They haven't won a playoff series in something like 17 years, but they added a No. 1 right wing in Tony Amonte, proven leadership in No. 4 center Kelly Buchebrger and a future No. 1 goalie in Brian Boucher. They also have the reigning Jack Adams winner as their head coach in Bobby Francis. The Phoenix Coyotes will win the Pacific Division and then beat the San Jose Sharks in five games, the Colorado Avalanche in seven games and then sweep the Detroit Red Wings to have the honor of beating Michael Handzus, Robert Esche and Jeremy Roenick and the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers to raise the most coveted Cup in all the world. Tony Stevens, Phoenix, Ariz.
I think the Mighty Ducks will win the Cup. They added firepower around Kayria and they have a top-notch goalie. This team is on the rise and will at least make the playoffs, if not win it all. Hey, you wanted brevity and humor. Daryl, Ontario
I am gonna have to go with my Avalanche because of two things: one, the agonizing 7-0 defeat in Game 7 is only gonna make Patrick and the gang hungry for the Cup, not to mention get home ice in the playoffs; and two, the Chris Drury trade is going to make the Avs better in depth and at the blue line. Look for Derek Morris to have a great year. Mathew, Covina, Calif.
This week's topic: Who will win the Hart Trophy?
Click here to send us your choice, with a short (75 words or less) explanation. Brevity and humor are good; naughty words and personal attacks are not so good. And don't forget to include your name, hometown and home state/province.
Jon A. Dolezar covers the NHL for CNNSI.com. "Week at a Glance" will appear each Sunday during the regular season.
Got a comment, question or scoop for Jon? Click here.
Stanislav Chistov, LW, Mighty Ducks
