The modus operandi of “back in the day” hockey was if you couldn’t beat ‘em, beat ‘em up.
That was then and this is now; now being the “new” NHL.
In today’s 60-minute hockey game, speed, skill and talent are the prevalent forces that make the difference between victory and defeat. Physicality–or outright goonism–only allows said forces to flourish.
Want evidence?
Then look no further than the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins’ two most recent games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively.
Against both, the flightless birds were supposed to be squashed and mangled.
Instead, they waddled away unscathed and with four [...]

If you’re a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, you’ve probably heard at least some version of the following:
Person A: I’m tellin’ ya, that Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin line is a great top line!
Person B: Yeah, its a really good line. But Fedotenko-Malkin-[insert player here] is the real top line.
Typically, the two persons would continue the argument for the next little while before concluding that you can’t really go wrong with either. Undoubtedly, they’d be correct in their conclusion, right? But consider this:
Person C: You’re both wrong! Cooke-Staal-Kennedy (Kennedy…) is the team’s top line.
“Are you serious?” you ask.  ”Yes,” Person C responds empathically. I know this, [...]

Many wondered–players and coaches included–how the defending Stanley Cup champions would handle the pressure that is attached to opening night and weekend glitter like an umbilical chord to an infant.
A let up would’ve been understandable, if not outright acceptable.
But the Pittsburgh Penguins–a team that has evolved into a resilient, never-say-never bunch since day one of the Sidney Crosby Era–lived up to its reputation two-fold, defeating the Empire State on consecutive nights, beginning with the New York Rangers, 3-2, Friday night and the New York Islanders, 4-3 in a shootout, the following evening.
“It’s not an easy week,” said Dan Bylsma–who is [...]