NHL HANDICAPPING

NHL IS UNLOCKED - NHL RULE CHANGES

With the NHL on strike last year the powers that be put their collective heads together and made some significant rule changes, all of which I feel will make the sport more exciting to watch. Of course a year without the NHL was torture for someone like me who has loved the game since I was fifteen years old. I always considered hockey players the purest of all athletes. It has always been said that hockey players just want to play hockey, but when you have billionaires fighting millionaires more times than not the public loses out. I'm willing to forgive and forget but don't let it happen again.

Lets get to the rule changes. The rule change that will have the biggest effect on the game is that you will now be able to pass the puck from your own zone to the other blue line. In the past you had to be outside your own blue line to pass to the other blue line. In essence what this will do is render ineffective such defensive schemes as the neutral zone trap and the left wing lock. This will allow more space on the ice for the skill players to be more creative.

The nets have been moved back two feet to encourage more play in front of the net. They also brought back the tag up rule regarding offsides. In the past if you were in the offensive zone before the puck got in it would be offsides. Now under the tag up rule if you enter the offensive zone before the puck goes in you can go back outside the line and as long as you don't touch the puck you can re-enter the zone and be onsides. Another fan friendly rule change is that if the game is tied after regulation there will a five minute sudden death overtime period of four on four hockey. If the game is still tied after overtime it will go to a three player shootout with each team taking three shots with the team with the most goals being the winner. If the score is still tied it will go to a sudden death shootout.

Two other significant rule changes involve the goaltenders. Their pads, blocker glove, upper-body protector, pants and jersey will all be reduced in size by about eleven percent. Goaltenders will also be restricted as to where they can handle the puck.

What the NHL is doing with these rule changes is letting the skill players show their skills. The skaters will be able to skate and the goal scorers will get plenty of scoring chances and NHL games will have a flow to them reminiscent of the seventies and eighties. I'll be back before the start of the season to give you my division winners and Stanley Cup Champion.

Tom Freese is well on his way to making it six winnings seasons in MLB in the last seven years. You don't want to miss Tom's NFL releases this year. Tom has cashed 60% the last four years in Pro Football.

BET ON THE NHL STANLEY CUP CHAMPION TODAY WITH UPDATED NHL HOCKEY LINES FROM MYSPORTSBOOK.COM

By: Tom Freese
Tom Freese has been a successful handicapper on the Internet for six years. Tom has a simple formula. It is that hard work breeds success. Tom works 12 to 14 hour days so that you the customer can count on him keeping you in the plus column.