What a difference a year can make. Two years ago, the NHL was in a mire, trapped in a code of laws that prioritized defense, and the boar that laid within. One lockout later, the NHL decided to emphasize offense, and the result has been a far superior product to what hockey fans had to endure before.
Last Saturday, my brother and I went to Madison Square Garden to join 18,200 people in watching our hometown Rangers face the Washington Capitals. It was my first Rangers game, and second NHL game this season (although it is debatable whether the Blues can be considered an NHL team). Given that the Rangers had an actual shot at winning, I was excited.
Within minutes of the game starting, it was obvious that this was not a game for those with bad necks. There was end-to-end action, with both teams having scoring chances early. Both goalies were solid, though. The goalies were two men at opposite ends of their hockey career. The Rangers had rookie Henrik Lundqvist in net, while his counterpart for Washington, Olaf Kolzig, has been in the NHL for as long as I can remember. Despite the differences, each was spectacular.
The Rangers scored initially, late in the first period, getting their first shorthanded goal of the season. They would add another goal just 14 seconds into the second period. The Capitals would soon strike back though, scoring twice in the period. Unlike in other major sports, the big stars for either team were mostly silent. Former MVP Jaromir Jagr on the home team and super rookie Alexander Ovechkin for the visitors were clearly the best players on the ice, but as far as points go, all Ovechkin mustered was a measly secondary assist, and Jagr was kept scoreless.
Lundqvist and Kolzig dominated throughout a tense third period. The Capitals played better, but Lundqvist was unwavering, just like Kolzig for the Rangers few scoring chances. Already dramatic, the game took an intriguing turn in overtime, when the Capitals called Jagr on using an illegal stick. If the stick was indeed illegal, Jagr would be sent to the penalty box for two minutes, and the Capitals would have a huge power play to start the sudden death period, but if Jagr was exonerated, then it would be the Rangers who would have a power play. The Capitals were correct though, and the crowd let out a collective groan, scared that the game had slipped away. But yet again, Henrik was there, and overtime went by without a goal. Thus, we got to witness The Most Exciting Play In Sports: the shootout.
The shootout is a product of the new changes, implemented to end ties and add excitement to the game. As the overtime period ended, a blind man in New Jersey would have been able to see that the shootout had achieved its desired effect. Everybody in the sold out crowd rose to their feet, screaming “HEN-RIK” to support Lundqvist. The first shooter for the Caps was Ovechkin, who had yet to be stopped in a shootout. But our Swedish hero saved the day again, stoning Ovechkin cold. Unfortunately, Kolzig did the same for our star, and after the three “regulation” rounds, the score ended up tied at 1. Lundqvist stopped the first sudden death shot, bringing up Petr Prucha, the winner of two previous shootouts. With the raucous crowd screaming, Prucha came in for what would certainly be the game winner. But Olie the Goalie thought otherwise, and we kept going.
No one, from Ort to Harvard Boy to Toots, could send us home happy until we got to the record 15th round. The Rangers had only two healthy skaters left to shoot. Henrik was still relentless, making what would be his 47th save of the night. Out came Marek Malik. Malik is known more for making big hits than big shots – he had yet to score a goal all season. Getting tired and hoarse, the crowd was a bit quieter for Malik. He, for some ungodly reason, tried to make a trick shot. He faked a backhand, then shot from the forehand with his stick between his legs. We were all shocked. And so was Kolzig. The puck flew by him, clearing the Rangers bench and drawing deafening screams from the crowd. The Rangers were the winners, and many of the 18,200 people in attendance spilled out onto 33rd and 7th yelling “We want the Cup!” only a quarter of the way through the season.
The whole game – the big saves, the chants of “asshole” to the referee, the shootout – was perhaps the most exciting sporting event I have ever attended. While not unbearable before, hockey is certainly about to regain its place as the fastest growing sport in the U.S. (NASCAR? Please.) It took a disaster for the NHL to reform to get themselves back on track. The NHL should serve as a lesson for campus groups that are starting to have some trouble. If campus groups are starting to see their attendance dip, their impact lessen, they shouldn’t try to simply increase advertising. Change the ways you go about business to make your group more appealing before something terrible happens. Or implement a shootout.
Daniel is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences and a Forum Editor.