Familiarize
yourself with puck movement. Keep in mind that hockey is a game
played on a frictionless surface, and that the puck, as well as the players,
are in constant motion.During face-offs
(when the linesman drops the puck between two opposing players) watch the
players outside the faceoff circle. Watch for their positioning, especially
deep within a team's defensive zone (usually right in front of the
goaltender). Players will try to muscle their opponent out of the way for a
shot on a goal or to clear the pressure off their goaltender by shooting the
puck down the ice.
Hockey is a territorial game much like football.
Pay attention to the "neutral zone," and teams that can control the neutral
zone have a good chance of winning. One way to tell if a team controls the
neutral zone is to watch which teams' players can carry the puck through it.
Watch the benches periodically for line changes.
Hockey is the only sport in which substitutions are made while play is
ongoing, and often a team will get "caught" changing lines at a crucial
time. Defensive breakdowns result, and many times this will lead to an
excellent scoring chance for the other team.
Watch the time clock when a player is in the
penalty box. Sometimes teams use this opportunity to execute a
breakaway. If a team has possession of the puck in their defensive zone (in
front of their goaltender) the player coming out of the box up ice will
usually be uncounted for by the other team, and if a teammate can
successfully complete a pass to him chances are that he'll be alone with the
other team's goaltender.
Hockey is a game of fast-paced action,
and after you become familiar with puck movement, watch the players away
from the puck. Since only one out of 12 players on the ice can have the puck
at any given time, watching what the players away from the puck are doing is
extremely important. You'll get a much better "feel" for the game after
watching them skate, hit and shoot their way around the ice.
Watch the referee (the "zebra" with
the orange armbands) periodically , particularly if his hand is raised. This
means he will be calling a penalty or stopping play for a face-off. If he
skates near the scorer's table, he probably has a penalty.
Powerplays are the best time to get used to
hockey's flow. When a team has a one or two-man advantage, they
will usually spend a good deal of that time in the other team's defensive
zone. Since there are more offensive players than the defense can account
for, play is slower and more methodical. The two offensive team players at
the blue line are called the "point men" (usually defensemen who pass the
puck well), and it is their job to get the puck "down low" to the forwards
swarming near the goaltender.
The point men accomplish this in two ways: they can shoot the puck at the
net very hard (with a slap shot, which can travel upwards of 100mph), and if
the goaltender gives up a rebound, the eager forwards bang it home. Another
way point men help the team to score is by threading pinpoint passes to
their teammates positioning themselves for an open shot. Former Montreal
Canadien great Ken Dryden (a regular on U.S. Olympic hockey broadcasts on
ABC in 1980, 84, and 88) used to comment to American hockey fans that the
power play most resembled a basketball game, with its emphasis on movement
and location in order to get a good shot off.
Watching the scrums near the net can be
confusing. With bodies flying everywhere and sticks flailing
wildly, a fan's view can be obstructed and attention taken away from the
important goal scored or stopped. Here's a good rule of thumb: when play is
in tight near the goaltender, take your eyes from the chaos in front and
watch the back of the goal. This way, you can see the puck either hitting
the mesh in the back of the net or squirting through the goaltenders' legs
at ice level. You'll also be the first out of your seat to cheer the goal,
assuming it's your team that scored. If you find it hard not to watch the
players, watch the referee. He will signal that a goal is scored by pointing
at the net and blowing his whistle.
