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When I searched for a photo for this post, I typed “Gary Bettman,” I was going to use a photo of ol’ Gary and then spin a nice post about a league-wide CONSPIRACY to keep the Bruins down.
However, the first picture that showed up was a close-up of a puck...propped on the boards at Nassau Coliseum...before the Bruins vs. Islanders game.
HOW DEEP DOES THIS GO??????
As you know, the Bruins have had trouble scoring three games into the season. As you may not know, the NHL was planning on using microchipped pucks this season to help with player/event tracking.
The league did use some tracking pucks during the playoffs last season, but apparently the pucks used so far in the regular season weren’t up to snuff.
The league announced this afternoon that it would be pulling all microchipped pucks and putting that whole project on the shelf for a little while, citing quality issues with those pucks.
From a press release:
The National Hockey League announced today that, effective with tonight’s games, the League will be using game pucks without the imbedded [sic] tracking technology. The decision was made after concerns were raised about the puck’s performance during the first few days of the 2020-21 season. A review by the League determined that the first supply of 2020-21 pucks did not receive the same precise finishing treatments during the off-season manufacturing process as were used during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
My God, will the league stop at nothing to persecute the Bruins?
Surely you see the connection here: the Bruins haven’t scored 5v5 all season, and now the league makes a statement about faulty pucks?????
FOLLOW THE THREAD, FOLKS.
Now plenty of you will claim “oh come on, that’s a conspiracy, you’re nuts.”
But tell me something: you think THIS goal could have been scored with a regular puck?
what a ridiculous goal lmao pic.twitter.com/axAvbMCxmg
— Dan (@bruinshockeynow) January 15, 2021
That is clearly a remote-controlled puck. Someone at the league office got bold with that one. Clearly they fear no repercussions.
It’s unclear what finally got the league to stop messing with the Bruins, but one has to assume it was another wacky, batted-in goal last night that was the icing on the cake.
Thankfully, some brave soul in the league office stood up and shouted “ENOUGH.”
If you think this is off-base, just watch: the Bruins will score 5v5 on Thursday.
MAEKS U THINK!
I am curious to see how many people, particularly on Chowder FB, don’t get it.
In all seriousness though, good for the NHL for making a statement and explaining why they were stopping the program, rather than just pulling the plug with no explanation.
The league did say that they plan on reintroducing the tracking pucks in the near future.