RugbyMuffin
ASFN IDOL
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2003
- Posts
- 30,485
- Reaction score
- 4,877
First off it was cool as heck. Flyer vs Pengiuns it was a great game even tho the Pengiuns lost.
For what I learned:
1. Line changes are insane. The amount of times and guys that come off and on the bench is crazy. How the do it without screwing it all up is impressive to say the least.
2. Guys are on the ice for only about 1 minute MAX at a time. I always thought it was longer than that.
3. TV does the game no justice because there is soooo much going on and the rink is much bigger than I thought.
4. I believe I have figured out how the two blue lines dictate the game. Tell me if I am off base on any of this.
A. First off the pluck has to pass the blue line before any players on offense. If a player on offense cross the blue line before the puck, and the puck then enters the zone they are offsides. Thus this causes the offense (front row) to try and time themselves so that they are crossing the blue line the split second after the puck does. Optimally you would want your center and two wings to all be going towards the goal together, creating options on what they can do.
B. Once the puck is brought past the blue line into the "offensive zone" they must try to keep the puck in that zone. Because if the puck is "cleared" out of the zone (meaning the puck is shot back across the blue line to the center of the rink by the defense) then the offense cannot bring the puck back accross the blue line into the offenses zone until all the offensive players have retreated out of the offensive zone (meaning back across the blue line to the center of the rink). Because if the puck were to be brought back across the blue line into the offensive zone and the offensive team did not get all their players back out of the offensive zone (across the blue line) then it is offsides.
THUS when the front row (or player) brings it into the offensive zone (across the blue line) the two defensemen for the team that is on offense position themselves right in front of the blue line in the offensive zone to try and prevent the puck from comming out of the zone.
Through these rules I can see how the pace of the game was dictated.
5. The games are much more exciting live.
6. I could not heed the advice given and not follow the puck. I forced myself a couple times to look around at line changes, and defensive and offensive setups but once the game started to get serious my habit kicked in again.
7. I have to start studying the angles that players will take shots at. There are times I wonder why they don't shoot the puck, and times when they do shoot it I don't know why.
Edit: 8. This was acutally one of the "cooler" things I saw. There is a close correlation to penalties when comparing rugby and hockey. I saw last night that the "it is only a penalty if it is called" rule applies to hockey. The pengiuns Yarko Ruutu was instigating, and doing "illegal" stuff ALL NIGHT. But he would not get caught because he would do it in a way that would "hide" what he was doing. In rugby it is the same way, were cheating is almost an art form.
Thanks as always. I think I am starting to get the feel of the sport, and I am enjoying it.
For what I learned:
1. Line changes are insane. The amount of times and guys that come off and on the bench is crazy. How the do it without screwing it all up is impressive to say the least.
2. Guys are on the ice for only about 1 minute MAX at a time. I always thought it was longer than that.
3. TV does the game no justice because there is soooo much going on and the rink is much bigger than I thought.
4. I believe I have figured out how the two blue lines dictate the game. Tell me if I am off base on any of this.
A. First off the pluck has to pass the blue line before any players on offense. If a player on offense cross the blue line before the puck, and the puck then enters the zone they are offsides. Thus this causes the offense (front row) to try and time themselves so that they are crossing the blue line the split second after the puck does. Optimally you would want your center and two wings to all be going towards the goal together, creating options on what they can do.
B. Once the puck is brought past the blue line into the "offensive zone" they must try to keep the puck in that zone. Because if the puck is "cleared" out of the zone (meaning the puck is shot back across the blue line to the center of the rink by the defense) then the offense cannot bring the puck back accross the blue line into the offenses zone until all the offensive players have retreated out of the offensive zone (meaning back across the blue line to the center of the rink). Because if the puck were to be brought back across the blue line into the offensive zone and the offensive team did not get all their players back out of the offensive zone (across the blue line) then it is offsides.
THUS when the front row (or player) brings it into the offensive zone (across the blue line) the two defensemen for the team that is on offense position themselves right in front of the blue line in the offensive zone to try and prevent the puck from comming out of the zone.
Through these rules I can see how the pace of the game was dictated.
5. The games are much more exciting live.
6. I could not heed the advice given and not follow the puck. I forced myself a couple times to look around at line changes, and defensive and offensive setups but once the game started to get serious my habit kicked in again.
7. I have to start studying the angles that players will take shots at. There are times I wonder why they don't shoot the puck, and times when they do shoot it I don't know why.
Edit: 8. This was acutally one of the "cooler" things I saw. There is a close correlation to penalties when comparing rugby and hockey. I saw last night that the "it is only a penalty if it is called" rule applies to hockey. The pengiuns Yarko Ruutu was instigating, and doing "illegal" stuff ALL NIGHT. But he would not get caught because he would do it in a way that would "hide" what he was doing. In rugby it is the same way, were cheating is almost an art form.
Thanks as always. I think I am starting to get the feel of the sport, and I am enjoying it.
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