By Joseph Durie
"You can’t always get what you want, but if you try some times, you get what you need."
As we near the end of the decade, it has been five years since the NHL had a work stoppage and lost the entire 2004-05 season.
Many positive things resulted from the lockout including the salary cap and the rule changes which have provided more scoring and increased the speed of the game.
However, one thing that has been a negative is the NHL’s television deal with American TV network ESPN ended when the lockout ended. Sky Sport in New Zealand broadcasts a ESPN channel, which provided kiwis with at least one or two live games per week.
Now without ESPN’s coverage Sky has only showed the Stanley Cup Finals leaving hockey fans searching anywhere and everywhere to try and get their NHL fix.
God bless the internet.
Since early last year I have been watching NHL games either live or delayed via a number of different websites. Although it may not be TV quality, the fact that you can basically pick any game on any day and stream it live is almost heaven sent.
If you do not have the fastest internet connection and get frustrated by constant stoppages and low quality streams www.tsn.ca has delayed coverage of every game they broadcast available on their website free of charge.
So if you feel like your basically chasing the dragon watching short and poorly made highlight packages take some time to search the internet and your computer will now become your window to the NHL.
In this editions game of the week the Pittsburgh Penguins smashed cross state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1 as Sidney Crosby picked up a goal and two assists.
The Flyers fired coach John Stevens last week and replaced him with Stanley Cup winner Peter Laviolette, however things have not changed having lost 11 of their last 14 games.
In a feisty match-up there were three fights in the first 5 minutes, as the Flyers literally tired to fight their way out of the downward slide they are in.
But the Flyers aggressiveness was no match for the Penguins skill with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal providing the offence and leaving the Flyers still searching for answers.
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