[trader220]

So.... as soon as someone taps your stick you'd better let it go unless you're pretty damm sure you're about to score or set up a goal... Basically any play not in the offensive zone where your stick is tapped by an opposing player better result in you dropping you stick as if it were knocked, excuse me "slashed" out of your hands.

My question becomes this... when do NHL coaches start practice the art of drawing these penalties like the soccer teams who practice the fake injuries, and the bogus hits ?

On another note... I was just watching the NHL network, jones'ing for a little hockey and they were talking about the pre "dead puck" era. You remember... when 99 scored over 90 goals a season, and 200 plus points. When there was plenty of 50 goal scorers in a season. I am not saying I miss all of that but when 70 points is considered really good and no one has 50 goals, with only the top 3 scorers having over 40 its getting pretty tight out there.

The obvious solution is bigger ice surface or bigger nets. The first they cant do and the second cheapens the game if you asked me.