Hockey: Discover an Exciting Game

Why is hockey such a secret? Exciting, fast and fun, the sport is a great combination of speed and strength. It has toughness, precision and great playmaking skills. Give it a chance and hockey grows on you.

On any given night, any team can win in the National Hockey League (NHL, www.nhl.com) making most games unpredictable. It used to be three or four teams would dominate and many teams were out of the playoff hunt before Thanksgiving. Few games are blowouts and many of the games end up in overtime.

A late game save by the goaltender can make all the difference. Or a neat play by a player results in a goal that can shift the momentum of the game. When Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby faced off in the playoffs in the spring of 2009, the fans never knew who would make a great play or score a key goal. In fact, in the second game of the series, both superstars scored a hat trick with Ovechkin's third goal being the difference to give Washington the win. In a thrilling seven game series, Pittsburgh came away with the series and went to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year.

The final went the distance before the Penguins triumphed over the defending champs the Detroit Red Wings in an exciting and unpredictable seven game series. Six of the 15 playoff series went the full seven games while ten of 15 ended a six or seven game series.

With parity in the league, most teams are in the hunt for a playoff spot until the end of the season. Last season offered close races for the playoffs. It took until the final day of the schedule to determine all the participants for the Stanley Cup. Every season promises even more competition with a number of young teams challenging for playoff spots.

Thanks to the rule changes in the past few years, the game speeds along with few shortage of play. The National Hockey League created opportunities for players to tag the red line to avoid endless stops that were prevalent in the 1990's and early 2000's. It used to be, a player could literally hang on to an opponent slowing the game down considerably and minimizing scoring opportunities. Speed is now a crucial part of the game with players no longer able to hold an opponent.

Check out the great game of hockey and see how exhilarating this fast-paced sport that features quick passes, slap shots, body checks (and yes, the occasional fights).