Preseason game 6: Tampa Bay at Bratislava

Okay, at first I was thinking that this pre-season NHL in Europe thing was a good idea. But now I've changed my mind and want to register a complaint. It shouldn't be done ever again. Unless - unless - there's much better coverage involved online. The NHL barely acknowledges that these pre-season games against European teams are going on, and there's no official statistics or scoring available.

Do you know how frustrating it is to know that you could be watching a hockey game online, but you can't because you're at work? It drove me completely crazy. I hate an unsatisfied curiousity! Grrr...!!!

Yeah, great, scores are wonderful. Whatever. Wins and losses matter most at the end of the season when trying to get into playoffs. Individual player statistics matter most during the pre-season, and none of that is getting out of Europe. At least none of that is getting out of Europe for Tampa Bay.

When the Lightning played in Berlin, the most helpful site was Eisbären Berlin's website. Sure, it was still in German, but at least you had an idea of what was going on on an individual basis. HC Slovan Bratislava's website isn't so helpful in that way.

However, if you're able to, you can watch the game streamed live over the internet. Wasn't that kind of someone? Especially for a 1 o'clock in the afternoon start during the work week on the East Coast of North America? It probably would've been in Slovak, anyways, but at least you could see what was going on.

Seriously, if the NHL wants to promote the idea of going to Europe, it should not just do that in Europe. It should also do that at home in North America. Let the North American fans experience the European games as well, pre-season and all. Most sports fans have heard about the crazy football (soccer) fans over there, and some of us might like to see that.

We'll be more forgiving of you when the players start getting injured later on in the season. Because, you know, people will be saying, "if they hadn't gone to Europe, then so-and-so wouldn't be injured now." I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying that it's going to happen.

Everyone can totally understand the Olympics. Who wouldn't want to participate for their team and their country? But just to go hop the pond for a couple of games? What do the North American fans get out of that except tired and rundown teams?

Again, I'm not saying it's right, but that's what people are going to start thinking if key players go down later on this season.

Okay, I'll get off of my soap box now.

By the way, Tampa Bay beat Bratislava today 3-2 in an overtime shootout. A reason that it might've been so close is that there was a rumor going around before the game that the the owner of HC Slovan promised $14,000 (US) for each player if they beat the Lightning. And HC Slovan is the defending champion of their league, so let's give them a little credit for actually being a good team.

Sphere: Related Content