Hockey is back

Well tonight was the first real game of the “new look” NHL and I got to go see it all go down at GM Place. For the first time since the Canucks lost in overtime to Calgary in Game 7 I got to wear my jersey in the bleachers at the Garage. The result of this game was much better (Canucks won 3-2).

Having now seen it in person, I am a big fan of the new changes to the game. Making the offensive zone bigger, allowing two-line passes and cutting down on clutching and grabbing looks like it will lead to a more exciting end-to-end game.

As for the Canucks play… Naslund looked in top form with two beautiful goals. Bertuzzi looked surprisingly good considering he hasn’t played in something like 18 months and is fighting through some soreness. I’m liking what I see out of Kesler and Park. Carter is looking great too. Cloutier also had a great game and kept the Canucks in it during the first period when they were getting badly outshot.

This game was also Gretzky’s first as a head coach and I must say, I think he looked pretty nervous. I was a little annoyed at the fans in gm place who started tauntingly chanting “Gretz-ky… Gretz-ky” when the Canucks took a 3-1 lead. To me taunting the names of people from the loosing team shows a little lack of class. But what can you do…

And while I’m complaining… What up with those guys who showed up halfway through each period? They only saw half of the game and during that half they were drunkenly yabbering to the people behind them. They would have been better off at a bar and put the $50 they spent for tickets towards beer that isn’t 8 bucks a cup.

Go Canucks and all that, etc. and so forth