How you watch a hockey game.....

[sandysan]

One more thing to add, it's often very informative to just focus on one player and watch him throughout a whole play. Especially if things are quiet and there's not too much drama. That, to me, is where you really come to understand the nuances of the game. Watch a very successful player up and down the ice, then watch his lower-caliber teammate. You start to see where that extra step of speed, that split-second of extra anticipation, or that little bit of floating out of position adds up and makes all the difference.

With gamecenterlive you can isolate on one player in the mosaic thread and as someone who has watched a lot of hockey, the novelty of that wares off quick. If people are new to the game, I think this would be the least useful way to watch because it lacks context like 90% of the time.

And a distinction has to be made, I watch games at the arena completely differently than I watch games on TV.

to answer the question, on TV I generally chose my home teams feed, sit back with a cold beverage or two and watch whistle to whistle. Stuff that happens between plays is where the color guys usually chime in and although I'm listening, its passive listening.

I also yell at the screen ( that was offside! no goal!) all the time. it infuriates my wife to no end. that the least of the crosses she has to bear being married to me.

oh one more thing never yell " shoooooooooooot!" under any circumstances.

 

[tarheelhockey]

With gamecenterlive you can isolate on one player in the mosaic thread and as someone who has watched a lot of hockey, the novelty of that wares off quick. If people are new to the game, I think this would be the least useful way to watch because it lacks context like 90% of the time.

I would absolutely hate that on TV. I can't imagine that it's useful for much of anything at all. You have to be able to see the whole ice for one player's movements to make any sense... otherwise you're just watching someone skate up and down the rink.

It makes more sense to just watch the regular feed and keep your eye on that guy, than to isolate him with a camera.

 

[nhllondon]

The strong similarities are there: a goalie, defensemen, forwards, need to put an object in the opponents net. The differences are mostly in the rules (example: the offside in hockey resembles nothing of the offside in football), but the core of the game is similar.

I'm having trouble with the changing on the fly. It's hard to keep track of who is on the ice for both teams without the aid of substitutions. I'm interested in following matchups i.e. strength against strength, first line versus second line etc and mismatches i.e. strength against weakness

 

[sandysan]

I would absolutely hate that on TV. I can't imagine that it's useful for much of anything at all. You have to be able to see the whole ice for one player's movements to make any sense... otherwise you're just watching someone skate up and down the rink.

It makes more sense to just watch the regular feed and keep your eye on that guy, than to isolate him with a camera.

the one difference is the goalies which is pretty cool but still wears off quick. but I suspect you might have to had been a goalie to find this in the least bit interesting.

 

[Hockeyholic]

By watching the game on tv..

 

[tarheelhockey]

I'm having trouble with the changing on the fly. It's hard to keep track of who is on the ice for both teams without the aid of substitutions. I'm interested in following matchups i.e. strength against strength, first line versus second line etc and mismatches i.e. strength against weakness

It's extremely hard to follow on TV. In person it's one of the more interesting parts of the game because you can clearly see what they're doing behind the play, you can see the mad scramble to get everyone changed after a PK clear, etc. On TV? I don't think you ever get to a point where it's easy.

I think one way to at least make it a little easier, is to keep an eye on who's playing center. Usually the center matchups are really crucial to the whole line-matching system, so if you can notice when a new center comes on the ice it's often a giveaway as to what the coaches are trying to accomplish. Of course this means memorizing the numbers of all 8 centers, but it's better than nothing.

 

[sandysan]

I'm having trouble with the changing on the fly. It's hard to keep track of who is on the ice for both teams without the aid of substitutions. I'm interested in following matchups i.e. strength against strength, first line versus second line etc and mismatches i.e. strength against weakness

lots of people have problems with this. it helps if you know your team's players by number, but I dont think anyone knows all of the players in the league by numbers. I think that the PBP guys have cheet sheets based on the fact that they will often misread a guys number and call him the wrong name.

and the lines are not static ( especially on some teams), so I often associate lines with numbers and if I see them not being represented then I know the line blended is in effect. also if you know that there is a player on your team that is say bad defensively, seeing him out there makes you become more aware of what could happen defensively. Say when I see Jamie benn on the ice, I know that I have to focus on the other guys who will have to cover for him whem he makes a bad pinch.

I think that if you are really interested in what you say that this would be exceedingly difficult to do in real or close to real time. A lot of times I will watch a bang bang play, see the play, make some decison about it and then determine who was in on it ( like say for deflections in from and such).

 

[Weitz]

I just let it wash over me while I get drunk and eat chicken fingers.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Highly recommend going to as many hockey games in person (no matter what the level) to fully get the grasp of the game and what the players are trying to accomplish at any given moment. Hockey is so random at times and if you're new, you'll constantly be asking "why did he do that?"

It's really hard to tell a relative novice what exactly to watch for because you might miss what's important in that respect. I do tend to gravitate towards the front of the net. I like watching the battles and body positioning going on in front of the net and the goaltending. But I've seen so much hockey that I can kinda keep one eye on the perimeter AND the front of the net if that makes sense

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

 

[BruinLVGA]

I'm having trouble with the changing on the fly. It's hard to keep track of who is on the ice for both teams without the aid of substitutions. I'm interested in following matchups i.e. strength against strength, first line versus second line etc and mismatches i.e. strength against weakness

It's because you are new at it. But you'll get used to it quickly.

The best suggestion is to make a mental note of the composition of a line - if you follow a certain team all the time, it's very easy because you see them all the time - right before the game starts and when you spot one player, you will immediately know what line is on or trying to get on (not always line changes are smooth, on account of various situations).

I mean, there's all sorts of exceptions... Like the coach juggling players (moving a player to another line that is struggling, to kick start it), double shifting players (doesn't happen that often these days but still...), having mixed up lines for special situations (like for example when there's an important defensive face off to be taken - say for example being up by 1 goal at a couple of minutes from the end of the game - a coach might want to have two centers on the same line because if one gets chased off the face off circle for some violation, the other center can take that very important face off). But again, it will take patience. If you can watch football and understand all its nuances, you will take to hockey like a duck takes to water. No problem.

 

[dechire]

I'm having trouble with the changing on the fly. It's hard to keep track of who is on the ice for both teams without the aid of substitutions. I'm interested in following matchups i.e. strength against strength, first line versus second line etc and mismatches i.e. strength against weakness

It's always going to be difficult to follow while watching on tv since it usually doesn't show the changes taking place. I think the biggest help is to have play by plays that actually describe what's happening. A lot of commentators around the league get caught up in stupid stories or only focusing on certain players. It might be more helpful to listen to a radio feed while watching instead since they're usually a lot better at describing what is really happening rather than how many points X got 5 seasons ago.

Also you should follow at least one beat writer for your favorite team since they'll usually give you the lines in practices and before games. Lines do change around during the game but you'll at least have a reference for who will probably be playing together. And then you won't need to see every player on the ice to know that it's a certain line and defense pairing on.

 

[Summer Rose]

I rather frequently glance at the officials. Having been an official myself, they're the most in tune with what's going on the ice other than the players themselves.

 

[Smart Alek]

One more thing to add, it's often very informative to just focus on one player and watch him throughout a whole play. Especially if things are quiet and there's not too much drama. That, to me, is where you really come to understand the nuances of the game. Watch a very successful player up and down the ice, then watch his lower-caliber teammate. You start to see where that extra step of speed, that split-second of extra anticipation, or that little bit of floating out of position adds up and makes all the difference.

I would second this... focus on the highly, highly skilled players - the outliers (McDavid, Kucherov, Malkin, Forsberg, Karlsson, Klingberg, Bobrovsky, Luke Schenn, etc.). Firstly, you get to see what makes the most talented players so great, and secondly, you can then contrast them with everybody else, and see how they handle situations differently.

Also (and this may be difficult for a relative newcomer to the game), just keep an eye out for things you haven't seen before... moves you haven't seen attempted, strategies you haven't seen implemented. The more you watch, and the more your brain understands the flow of the game, the more these moments will stick out for you. Traditionally, I'd say that Malkin has been the most creative player in the game for the last several years (at least since Datsyuk fizzled out), and most games he'll try something you may never have seen before... but I've seen less of that from him this season.

 

[Mallard]

I just watch to count how many shutouts Bieksa ruins for Gibson.

I also watch now just to see Gibson make wild/acrobatic saves.

I also watch and hope to witness Bieksa superman punch v3.0

 

[Fatty McLardy]

With my shirt off cuz i get real sweaty during games, don't know why.

 

[D Wakaluk]

I hate that I'm constantly counting the passes and other various stuff when "my guy" is on

Damn fantasy.

 

[Summer Rose]

I would second this... focus on the highly, highly skilled players - the outliers (McDavid, Kucherov, Malkin, Forsberg, Karlsson, Klingberg, Bobrovsky, Luke Schenn, etc.). Firstly, you get to see what makes the most talented players so great, and secondly, you can then contrast them with everybody else, and see how they handle situations differently.

Also (and this may be difficult for a relative newcomer to the game), just keep an eye out for things you haven't seen before... moves you haven't seen attempted, strategies you haven't seen implemented. The more you watch, and the more your brain understands the flow of the game, the more these moments will stick out for you. Traditionally, I'd say that Malkin has been the most creative player in the game for the last several years (at least since Datsyuk fizzled out), and most games he'll try something you may never have seen before... but I've seen less of that from him this season.

I can only assume that the inclusion of Luke Schenn on this list is sarcastic, or?

 

[nhllondon]

I think that if you are really interested in what you say that this would be exceedingly difficult to do in real or close to real time. A lot of times I will watch a bang bang play, see the play, make some decison about it and then determine who was in on it ( like say for deflections in from and such).

Being so reliant on replays feels foreign to me. The plays become clearer once slowed down. I sometimes find it difficult to see blocks, deflections, tips and saves in real time.

I don't think I've ever clearly seen a puck go into the players benches on TV. I lose track of the puck amongst a see of colour. Having a restricted view of the ice on one side of the rink also feels foreign to me.

 

[bukwas]

Leafs games i watch first as a fan then often watch again to focus on certain players, system successes/failures etc. The rest are strictly for the love of the game and the entertainment it provides.

 

[613Leafer]

I usually have a beer and browse this and another sports forum. So I'm not intently watching every play, but catching most of it. Usually change the channel during intermission, except sometimes on TSN.

 

[sandysan]

Being so reliant on replays feels foreign to me. The plays become clearer once slowed down. I sometimes find it difficult to see blocks, deflections, tips and saves in real time.

I don't think I've ever clearly seen a puck go into the players benches on TV. I lose track of the puck amongst a see of colour. Having a restricted view of the ice on one side of the rink also feels foreign to me.

if you want to "see" a puck going into the bench, if you see a bunch of guys sitting beside each other on the bench suddenly throw their hands up in front of their faces, chances are pretty good it is in the bench.

I would try to focus less on the precise physical location of the puck ( like the fox glow puck) and learn to anticipate where to look ( we all can't be gretzky and know where the puck is going). but like say on a power play if I see a D man lay a pass out for his partner who is either set up for a one timer or is known for them, I move my eyes to the front of the net before the shot. Or it a guy rims it around the net, I'm looking to for the guy who will be receiving the puck before he does. Same for draws, if we win a draw I know where the next pass is likely to go, if we lose a draw I know where out guys should be going.

I think that if you tried to focus on the puck exclusively at all times, it would be exhausing. plus they shoot the puck at 100 mph, I'm old. I have no problem saying that when a guy shoots a slapper, the puck vanished off his stick and appears somewhere else later.

As for not being able to see a tip, looking at the goalie is a pretty good indicator.

I routinely think that pucks that went off the post were in when looking at in in real time.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I turn on the tv and sit in front of it

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I've gotten to the point that I've watched so... much hockey, that I just need to look at the player's face, body and his numbers to see how good he is.

I only watch the Jets, catch highlights and read the boards since I've been so... busy with work.

 

[These Are The Days]

I first look at what forecheck is being used by both teams to get an idea of who is pushing the pace and the tempo of the game. Once I have an idea of what is happening I start watching by briefly scanning to see who is open for a pass and at the same time see if a player is immediately defending them. I only pay attention to the puck carrier if he has it for more than a moment.

It's a pain in the ass sometimes to have to constantly change your attention but it's the best way for me to really see what's happening.