Reason No. 53,476 why I hate Americans

So many times I've heard sports fans whine about how they don't like hockey, how it's always dull and low scoring, how every game invariably ends 1-0, or worse still, in a tie.

Ostensibly this is a criticism of the excessive reliance by most NHL teams on defense-first philsophies, and the unfortunate prevalence of the trap in its various manifestations -- neutral zone or otherwise.

Now, savvy hockey fans, folks with more than a casual or sarcastic interest in the game, will often articulate this very critique. Yet they couch their criticisms in much more intelligent and sympathetic terms. Yes, the trap is unfortunate. Yes, ties are unsatisfying to all parties involved. But fundamentally the game is great; we just need to tweak the sport slightly so that the incredible athletes playing it can show off their breathtaking talents. And even still, a low-scoring affair might seem dull on the surface to the uninformed, but many a great and exciting tilt has featured hardly a goal.

Take last night's contest, Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Calgary Flames. Sure, the score was 1-0. But I challenge you to find a more aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable match. Tampa scored the lone goal barely two minutes into the game on a well-executed two-man advantage, then managed to hold on for the bulk of the game. The Flames battled valiantly, generating many golden chances and having some beaucoup opportunities thwarted only by stellar goaltending or timely defense. This game featured odd-man rushes, fantastic saves and plenty of hard-nosed physical play. If you're capable of appreciating something other than the puck meeting twine, then this game featured plenty to hold your interest.

For that matter, this entire series has been like that. Not a glut of goals, but lots of excitement and energy. Both teams play hard, hit a lot, but also generate scoring chances. Tampa has some of the finest skill players in the sport at the moment, and they are capable of Kodak-quality puck movement. Calgary has skill, but also lots of grit; you won't see a team work harder to get the puck to the net. Both squads make for fun watching. Hell, in the first period of Game 3, the two stars of each team, Tampa's Vincent Lecavalier and Calgary's Jarome Iginla, dropped the gloves. These are skills guys mixing it up with one another, all because they're leaving it all on the ice in their respective quests for the Cup. You don't see anything quite like that in any other sport.

Back in late February, I had the good fortune to watch the Lightning in person in the only NHL game I made it to this season. I was thoroughly impressed with the way they controlled the ice as an offensive-minded unit, making an art form of puck movement, and playing with the speed and skill that is often too lacking on most teams. That night, I knew that I wanted to see Tampa Bay go deep into the playoffs, simply because it would make for good hockey to watch (especially if, as it happened, my beloved Kings weren't around in the postseason to pique my interest even higher).

And as these playoffs progressed, it became apparent that Calgary was another team to watch. Or rather, another team that would be fun to watch. Beyond being the plucky underdogs, having missed the playoffs for seven straight years prior to this, not having won a playoff series since their lone Cup in 1989, they bring an intensity to their skill that makes for great TV. By the time the conference finals rolled around, as I was gauging potential championship matchups, I really wanted to see a Tampa Bay-Calgary final. Not only because I find it blasphemous that "O Canada" hasn't been sung prior to a Finals game in a full decade, but also because I thought it would make for edge-of-your-seat viewing and a terrific, well-played, hard-fought series. The first four games have borne this out.

Unfortunately, the rest of America (still) doesn't get it.

Ratings thus far for the series have been abysmal. The lowest for the Finals since broadcast and cable networks began carrying them.

Granted, I'm sure they're suffering because 1) half the teams in the series play outside the United States, 2) the two teams represent two of the league's smallest markets and 3) neither squad is a marquis name to the general public. But it's still really sad to see. All those folks not tuning in to a hockey series that is all you could hope for as a spectator.

Just another reason I'd fit in so much better in Canada.