Polemic Hockey

All you need to see to be convinced that the "new rules" or "post-lockout rules" in hockey are complete, utter bullshit is the first 20 seconds on this clip. This is clearly "interference" by Recchi—Kennedy isn't within 5 feet of the puck and hasn't touched it yet—but it's guts and it's an awesome play. Assuming you're not a Sabres fan, would you rather plays like this are made, or called dead by a ref's whistle? If you answer is the latter, you must reject the new rules, reject the spin of calling the decade prior to the lockout the "dead puck era" and rename it the "guts counted" era.



Hell, the Associated Press seemed to think it was the lead story of the game.

P.S. You could also call it "when everything other than finessy scoring counted." Goaltending counted more. Everything mattered. But, hey, why care about hardcore fans when you can sell Ovechkin and Crosby pinups to fair-weather fans in Kentucky.