NHL Hockey Time!

Click here for the ESPN game review.

Well we were sure in the mood for a hockey game. It was like we were doing it Canadian style. Filled to the brim full of beer and ready for a fight with anyone. Bring it on!! Well maybe not the fighting part, but hokcey fans sure seem to be a rowdyer bunch than your basketball fans. It's probably mroe like an intimate version of AFL. Imagine all the angry supporters in a more tightly compact space - similar to the old VFL days with games played at Windy Hill or the Junction Oval. Everyone just loud, boisterous and flying the colours of their team with passion.

We were running a bit late to the game but got their early enough so that the only thing we really missed was the teams coming-out, the anthems and the opening tip off. No goals were missed. We saw plenty of goals. Hockey is such an awesome sport. Scoring means so much, yet it's not done on such an irregular basis so that 1 goal really means you are screwed if you are down. Plus the agility required, the need to handle your stick and pass, all the while mixing in just bone jarring hits. Its a game with the skill of soccer, but with the physicality of football.

Hockey is so much better to watch at the stadium than on TV too. you jsut don't get a feel for the action at home. Sure you can supposedly see more on TV, but hockey is about being there and feeling the buzz of the action. You also feel you can see more at the game if your seats are decent. This is because you choose where you are looking - you don't have a camera moving your eyes for you. You choose what to watch and what to focus on and you get a feel for the overall action.

Firstly, let me talk about the stadium. It's really just like any other pro sports stadium that is used for basketball and ice-hockey. You have your concourse surrounding the inner arena where you can buy beverages, food, relieve yourself in the designated spots and the merchandise shops. What I will say about this arena in particular is that everything was so white, bright and modern. You could almost expect to see a hockey game played in some dingy tavern like an underground boxing match. But this legal sport is presented professionally and works like a treat. It's amazing that the energy and persona of the sport has not really changed considering the modernization of the stadiums. If you look at other sports such as Australian rules, basketball etc. you can notice that the way supporters barrack and the way that the game is played have totally changed.

down 0-1 after 10 minutes

Back in the good ol' days of Charles Barkley, the Detroit Bad Boys and games played at grounds such as Princes Park and Morabbin - the games had a real different feel. The sports were more full on with contact. They were rough sports where contact was always expected. And not always legitimate contact. Stadiums were merely places to fill as many people as possible. It didnt matter that facilities wree lacking. You were there jsut to see the game, drink some beer and barrack for your team.

Power Play Time

Now these sports are huge money-makers and are more faimly orientated. Stadiums are massive modern arenas. The stadiums and the sports have been sanitised. Everything is picked up by camera, rules have changed to make the games supposedly more spectator friendly. Well maybe more spectator friendly in that different skills are on display and that these skills are things that we can show our children. But both games have lost a sense of their personalities which made the games great - I'm speaking more so in terms of Aussi Rules here, basketball in my opinion is in a better place now. But hockey, despite the changes in arenas still has not lost it's personality.

Down 1-2. Cool shark Goal graphic above

Fight! Fight! Fight! FIGHT! Ayeeeee!

That'll do pig. That'll do.

The one thing I do regret about my first NHL experience was missing all the non-hockey action. I didn't see the zamboni's, the pre-game show, the player warm-up. None of it. I was either draining my lizard or out drinking more alcahol to fascilitate draining my lizard. So I cannot report on the non-game action. I will say that teh lighting, use of the massive scoreboard were all awesome. A big highlight was when the Sharks are on the powerplay and the jaws music starts up. Teeth start crunching on the scoreboard as the music goes. Dana....Dana...Da na Da na. The crowd then uses their arms to jaw crunch. It's pretty similar to the College Football Florida Gators and their hand chomp manouvre.

Now, on the actual game. I haven't watched it yet so I may do some editing of this content. However, I will say this. It was the most exiciting sporting event I have ever been to. Not just because I was pumped up about going to my first ever pro hockey game - but because of how the game panned out.

Gooall! - Notice the siren above the net.

The whole game was close until the final 15 minutes of the last period as the Sharks found the net over and over. So not only was it close, edge of your seat stuff for 2 and a bit periods - but we could celebrate towards the end with the win in the bag. Not only was it close - but goals were constantly being scored. I think at the end of the second we'd levelled it at 3-3 and in the final period we went on to bang home 3 straight goals. the final result was 6-3 - including a hat tirck by Dany Heatley. That was awesome because it meant we got to see the tradition of the hats being thrown onto the ice. Pity we had to leave so early in the morning, because I'm pretty sure the hat-trick would have meant that we could get really cheap hats the next day at a sports store if we showed our game tickets. Oh well. What a game though - awesome goals - a hat-trick by Dany Heatley, a 4 assist effort by Nathan Horton and it was close until the end. We were only up 4-3 with 7 minutes remaining.

Everyone booed Chris Pronger too. Pronger used to play for the Sharks and everyone let him have it every time the puck came near him. I also wasn't a big fan of Scott Hartnell. The man with the mullet used to play for the Nashvillle Predators so I definitely wasn't going to let him off the hook.

Our seats were right on the goal line, unfortunately for our goalie for the first and third periods. So the majority of goals were scored at the other end of the ice. We were about 10 rows from the front so we were in really decent seats. Kind of like being a bit more to the side of our normal Melbourne Ice games. This time there was no netting to try and look through. The glass makes s uch a difference and really gives you a good view of all the action.

A couple of times the puck went into the crowd. One time it came out kind of near us - i guess about three rows in front and about 15 seats to the left. So there was no chance of a catch but we needed to be ready in case it did fly that far. The last thing anyone needs is a puck to the face.

There were some pretty big barneys on the ice too. It almost looked like the benches were going to be cleared at one point as a huge fight broke out near one of the nets. There was also a ibg one-on-one fight where the players were allowed to go at it. At first it looked like our man would win, but it became a stand off with no real winner.

One more time. GOOAAAALLLL!!!!

There were a few good hits - but mostly it was a game where the players dumped the puck in the corner. There was some good passing and possession play though too. Probably the biggest highlight was the shorthand goal. I just could see the goal happening. Typically when an opponent does have a powerplay they can overload the offense and if the defnding team on the shorthand can get the puck you can get a pretty decent break-away oppoortunity. This one wa a 2-1 drive and I called it before it happened. GOAAALLL!!!

I'll write more after watching the game and will try to oficially post-game review it. For now I'll just say that it was an awesome night and an awesome game. Watching sport is hard work. I'd ove to watch every game of a team - maybe my preds but I've got a sneaking suspicion that they are goign the way of the Fitzroy Lions. Plus the NBA - takes up a lkot of time. I've got to make more time for this somehow.

OFFICIAL ESPN GAME PHOTOS BELOW

San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, right, shoots as Philadelphia Flyers' Matt Carle blocks in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Flyers goalie Ray Emery is at left.

Philadelphia Flyers' Danny Briere is greeted by teammates at the bench after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks in the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.

San Jose Sharks' Scott Nichol (21) goes down while fighting for the puck against Philadelphia Flyers' Darrol Powe in the first period

San Jose Sharks' Manny Malhotra (27) smiles with teammate Jason Demers after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period

San Jose Sharks' Patrick Marleau, second from left, celebrates with teammates, from left, Dany Heatley (15), Dan Boyle (23), Joe Thornton (19) and Douglas Murray (3) after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period

 San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, second from left, celebrates with teammates, from left, Patrick Marleau (12), Dan Boyle and Kent Huskins (40) after scoring his third goal of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period

San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley reacts after scoring his second goal of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period

San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, center, scores his third goal of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 in San Jose, Calif. The Sharks beat the Flyers 6-3. At right is Flyers' goalie Ray Emery (29) and at right is Jeff Carter.

San Jose Sharks' Dan Boyle, center, falls between Philadelphia Flyers' Ryan Parent, left and Dan Carcillo in the third period

Ray Emery #29 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jed Ortmeyer #41 of the San Jose Sharks look to make a play on the puck

Ray Emery #29 of the Philadelphia Flyers makes a save on a shot from Joe Thornton

David Laliberte #9 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Logan Couture #39 of the San Jose Sharks skate up the ice

Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Douglas Murray #3 of the San Jose Sharks look to make a play on the puck

Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Dan Boyle #22 of the San Jose Sharks look to make a play on the puck

Mike Richards #18 of the Philadelphia Flyers tries to tip the puck in on goaltender Evengi Nabokov #20

Blair Betts #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jason Demers #60 of the San Jose Sharks try and make a play on the puck

Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers takes a shot on goaltender Evgeni Nabokov #20 of the San Jose Sharks

Blair Betts #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Evengi Nabokov #20 of the San Jose Sharks look to make a play on the puck

Dany Heatley #15 and Evengi Nabokov #20 of the San Jose Sharks look to defend a shot during an NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers

Dany Heatley #15 and Evengi Nabokov #20 of the San Jose Sharks look to defend a shot during an NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers

Dany Heatley #15 and Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks look for a shot

Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers looks to score on goaltender Evengi Nabokov #20 of the San Jose Sharks