Terrible hockey

[HabzSauce]

I like it. Goon hockey is the best hockey

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

You just notice it more because there's nothing else going on.

 

[Fatass]

I like it. Goon hockey is the best hockey

Doesn’t “goon” imply a knuckle dragging guy whose only skill is fighting?
I like big boy hockey too. But I wouldn’t classify it as gooning it up. These are the core core guys playing this big boy style.

 

[The Marquis]

I think this years playoffs have been a lot better than any previous post-Covid playoffs so far. Lots of drama. I say that as a person THOROUGHLY disappointed in the results.

The only thing besides the results that I would bitch about is the reffing, which has been wildly inconsistent, but drama has been high.

Unfortunately the teams making this playoffs fun have mostly been eliminated.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Good physical playoff hockey with hooking and interference and proper crease clearing is the best hockey , what we are watching is certainly not goon hockey though , probably the softest playoffs I've seen in a while so I don't understand your complaints. If anything the playoffs this year are being played with less interference less physicality and less violence than before so you should be enjoying them

 

[GordonGraham]

Only 3 games in but yeah so far third round has been awful

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

That was kind of the Wings thing.

Lol wut? Every team who actually won did this. Detroit was especially known for it.

I always love it when people parrot Olzcyk's whining about the Wings. They Wings were "known for it" because Blackhawks homer Olzcyk would cry about it on every national broadcast.

Yes yes, those ref Wings magically got away with more "subtle interference" as Eddie likes to say, than the other teams in the league.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

The so called „new NHL“ after the lockout in 05 was different…

Agreed. There was an insane number of penalties as players adjusted. Then they started allowing Dmen to interfere at the blueline to keep them from getting crushed in the corners on a dump and chase.

More than interference I'd say the amount of hooking allowed around the hands, especially when the puck carrier isn't in a scoring position, keeps getting worse and worse over the years. You can't waterski off guys like in the Dead Puck Era, but you can hook the hell out of their stick up around the hands and usually get away with it, unless they're on a breakaway.

 

[Pogotheclown]

I´ve been playing and watching hockey for 50 years now.

The first three games between leafs and panthers is the best hockey that i´ve ever seen.

 

[HabzSauce]

Doesn’t “goon” imply a knuckle dragging guy whose only skill is fighting?
I like big boy hockey too. But I wouldn’t classify it as gooning it up. These are the core core guys playing this big boy style.

Yea you are correct. My definition of goon hockey includes big boy hockey, fighters, cheap shots after the whistle, Cross checks, interference, etc

Give me alllll of it

 

[Commander Clueless]

Welcome to the NHL playoffs, where the rules are made up but the points definitely still matter.

 

[Fatass]

Yea you are correct. My definition of goon hockey includes big boy hockey, fighters, cheap shots after the whistle, Cross checks, interference, etc

Give me alllll of it

100% agree. When played like you describe hockey is fast, and intense. It’s why the playoffs are so much better than the (very soft imo) regular season games.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

The nutty Edmonton comeback and the Rantanen 3rd period performance alone made this playoffs very memorable. The ECF has been lame in terms of competitiveness, but overall I've enjoyed this playoffs so far.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Wow this years playoffs full of interference not allowing the fast teams to flex their strength. Missed holding the stick penalties complete boring hockey the worst I have ever watched. Hope the NHL fixes this mind you today’s hockey is nothing compared to what it was

Yes, but it's not one thing. There's very little space due to the speed of today's game with teams rolling 4 lines, the goalies are too big and their equipment is a joke and coaches that only coach Defense first, second and THIRD.

League needs someone with foresight to improve the sport. Sadly it's run by morons

 

[Grifter3511]

Hockey’s rules allow for bare knuckle fighting. The game is extremely physical. Guys take ice and play in straight lines and force opponents to either move off their path (which isn’t as direct to the puck) or take contact. This is not interference. It’s big boy hockey. And it’s fun as hell to watch.

One of my favourite playoff memories is still of Adam Graves scoring on a wraparound with Scott Stevens draped all over him. In 'today's NHL' Stevens would have taken 2 to 3 different penalties on the play, but Graves just kept fighting through it and was rewarded with the goal. That's what playoff hockey is all about.

 

[Grifter3511]

Good physical playoff hockey with hooking and interference and proper crease clearing is the best hockey , what we are watching is certainly not goon hockey though , probably the softest playoffs I've seen in a while so I don't understand your complaints. If anything the playoffs this year are being played with less interference less physicality and less violence than before so you should be enjoying them

Yes...when OP says these are the worst playoffs he's ever seen in his life because of the clutching and grabbing, it makes me assume he started watching hockey April of 2025.

 

[Dirtyclapper]

The only thing I will comment on this is I don't like how there's 2 sets of rules, one for regular season one for playoffs. Just make it all playoff hockey or regular season hockey. I'll take playoff hockey, but stop changing the rules..

 

[HabzSauce]

Yes, but it's not one thing. There's very little space due to the speed of today's game with teams rolling 4 lines, the goalies are too big and their equipment is a joke and coaches that only coach Defense first, second and THIRD.

League needs someone with foresight to improve the sport. Sadly it's run by morons

Defence wins championships. This ain't a skills competition.

And goalie equipment already got slashed multiple times. How many goals per game do you want man? There's already enough sieves as is

 

[PistolPete]

Welcome to the playoffs. Been this way since the dead puck era.

The 80s and 90s called me, they asked me to ask you why aren't you answering their calls?

 

[PistolPete]

Defence wins championships. This ain't a skills competition.

And goalie equipment already got slashed multiple times. How many goals per game do you want man? There's already enough sieves as is

No more than usual. But their Save % is higher than some previous generations

 

[Daximus]

The 80s and 90s called me, they asked me to ask you why aren't you answering their calls?

Are they calling my landline? I ditched that in the 2000s.

 

[PistolPete]

The only thing I will comment on this is I don't like how there's 2 sets of rules, one for regular season one for playoffs. Just make it all playoff hockey or regular season hockey. I'll take playoff hockey, but stop changing the rules..

And then you have PO regulation rules up to 50 minutes, POZ regulation rules for final 10 minutes and PO OT rules

 

[Pablo El Perro]

No more than usual. But their Save % is higher than some previous generations

Yeah, goalies used to suck. Check out some Eddie O highlight goals.

 

[PistolPete]

Yeah, goalies used to suck. Check out some Eddie O highlight goals.

Stand up style to blame for that

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Stand up style to blame for that

Oh, I know. I used to thrive on it as a kid, particularly when the opposing goalie had those little starter kit pads.