On Thursday night, the Bruins and Flyers played what apparently passes for a hockey game these days.
It was stop-and-go, sloppy, choppy and, at times, hard to watch.
“It’s a debacle out there,” said the Bruin forward after the game.
He wasn’t wrong.
The Bruins and Flyers played nearly 65 minutes of hockey in their Thursday night game. The two teams combined for 15 minor penalties. 15 penalties!!!!
This means nearly half the game was played at something other than even strength, whether it was 5v4 or 4v4.
Lest you think the game was some kind of fluke, it’s become the new norm in the NHL this preseason.