Sorry for the delay all, had a but of an emergency to take care of but all is well. Anyway on to your "Friday Spotlight."

One of the biggest questions walking out of this years Olympic break was how the NHL was going to handle the resumed play.

Not only does the Olympics cause the NHL to compress their already jam packed schedule into two less weeks, but it also is a huge transition for the players who go-who are usually the start players on their respective teams. What made this Olympic break more interesting than others was also the fact that the trade deadline came just three days after Canada took the gold, making even more drama for the NHL.

And since we are a couple of weeks in, it seems like a good time to say that the NHL has handled the change well. For starters the trade deadline was a success, even though the big names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Olli Jokinen dropped a few days before. We still saw teams like Washington, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh make huge splashes by buying from teams like Toronto and Carolina. We also saw teams like the Rangers and Philadelphia sit pat and do nothing (as surprising as that may have been).

And while big names didn't drop the NHL still saw more trades and player movements than ever before, which was good for viewership.

Join me after the jump for more.

The NHL also had the benefit of playing on an NHL sized rink. You would be astounded at how difficult it is for NHL players to adjust from international ice to NHL ice. This year that wasn't a problem, and there have been no issues from the players. You might be surprised at how much this helps the NHL "swing back into the motion" of the playoff finish. And thus far there have been no complaints.

But the biggest change I have noticed on the NHL level is the hunger. From a Rangers standpoint Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury have never played harder. After watching the Devils demolish the Rangers a few nights ago I can tell you that Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner haven't wanted a cup so bad in their entire lives.

It would seem that the momentum that the NHL was hoping to transfer from the Olympics to the NHL happened with the players, which makes games better, which-in turn-makes the games more exciting. And while most fans will tell you that they still wished that the schedule wasn't so compressed, the fast paced games do make life within hockey more exciting.

As for the compressed schedule tiring out players, only time will tell. And with that in mind, this playoff push will be interesting to see how the Olympians handle it. Regardless all has been good thus far, and as hockey fans that's all we can ask for right?