Familiarize yourself with puck movement. Keep in mind that hockey is a game played on a frictionless surface, and that the puck, as well as the players, are in constant motion.

During face-offs (when the linesman drops the puck between two opposing players) watch the players outside the faceoff circle. Watch for their positioning, especially deep within a team's defensive zone (usually right in front of the goaltender). Players will try to muscle their opponent out of the way for a shot on a goal or to clear the pressure off their goaltender by shooting the puck down the ice.

Hockey is a territorial game much like football. Pay attention to the "neutral zone," and teams that can control the neutral zone have a good chance of winning. One way to tell if a team controls the neutral zone is to watch which teams' players can carry the puck through it.

Watch the benches periodically for line changes. Hockey is the only sport in which substitutions are made while play is ongoing, and often a team will get "caught" changing lines at a crucial time. Defensive breakdowns result, and many times this will lead to an excellent scoring chance for the other team.

Watch the time clock when a player is in the penalty box. Sometimes teams use this opportunity to execute a breakaway. If a team has possession of the puck in their defensive zone (in front of their goaltender) the player coming out of the box up ice will usually be uncounted for by the other team, and if a teammate can successfully complete a pass to him chances are that he'll be alone with the other team's goaltender.

Hockey is a game of fast-paced action, and after you become familiar with puck movement, watch the players away from the puck. Since only one out of 12 players on the ice can have the puck at any given time, watching what the players away from the puck are doing is extremely important. You'll get a much better "feel" for the game after watching them skate, hit and shoot their way around the ice.

Watch the referee (the "zebra" with the orange armbands) periodically , particularly if his hand is raised. This means he will be calling a penalty or stopping play for a face-off. If he skates near the scorer's table, he probably has a penalty.

Powerplays are the best time to get used to hockey's flow. When a team has a one or two-man advantage, they will usually spend a good deal of that time in the other team's defensive zone. Since there are more offensive players than the defense can account for, play is slower and more methodical. The two offensive team players at the blue line are called the "point men" (usually defensemen who pass the puck well), and it is their job to get the puck "down low" to the forwards swarming near the goaltender.

The point men accomplish this in two ways: they can shoot the puck at the net very hard (with a slap shot, which can travel upwards of 100mph), and if the goaltender gives up a rebound, the eager forwards bang it home. Another way point men help the team to score is by threading pinpoint passes to their teammates positioning themselves for an open shot. Former Montreal Canadien great Ken Dryden (a regular on U.S. Olympic hockey broadcasts on ABC in 1980, 84, and 88) used to comment to American hockey fans that the power play most resembled a basketball game, with its emphasis on movement and location in order to get a good shot off.

Watching the scrums near the net can be confusing. With bodies flying everywhere and sticks flailing wildly, a fan's view can be obstructed and attention taken away from the important goal scored or stopped. Here's a good rule of thumb: when play is in tight near the goaltender, take your eyes from the chaos in front and watch the back of the goal. This way, you can see the puck either hitting the mesh in the back of the net or squirting through the goaltenders' legs at ice level. You'll also be the first out of your seat to cheer the goal, assuming it's your team that scored. If you find it hard not to watch the players, watch the referee. He will signal that a goal is scored by pointing at the net and blowing his whistle.

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