And away we go NHL thread!!!!

[goodwood]

Gonchar quietly goes about being, IMO, the second most important player on the team...

I don't know where to 'rank him' in team importance but the Pens were a mere 'also ran' last year until Gonchar came back and then about 10 games later the team was transformed.

Prior to Gonchar coming back last year Sid was acting like he did in the game today...no success, b!tching a lot and losing focus. The first game Montreal was too gassed to do anything. Today was an afternoon game - those are always strange. Next game should be more indicative of what both teams are like.

[Spivonious]

Flyers played pretty well considering they had 9 days off. I think Flyers in 7.

As a Flyers fan, I am encouraged to dislike Cindy, but I do admit that he has improved the other parts of his game in the past couple of seasons. He no longer whines to the refs after every play, takes obvious dives, or acts cocky.

Losing Staal is huge. He is a big part of the Pen's offense.

[Razor]

Losing Staal is huge. He is a big part of the Pen's offense.

Even a bigger part of their defense. That's a huge loss for us Pens fans.

[clifffclaven]

Sharks up 2-0. Listening to the fans on hfboards, the refs are up 2-0 LMFAO. Wings lose=refs screwed us. Wings win= we "outplayed them"

[atomic charvel guy]

I turned the Pens game off yesterday, my favorite announcer was too over the top for me to watch it all the way
through, good thing they didn't start Price.
Too much playing on the penalty kill for the Wings. I'm still not convinced the Sharks are going to wi nthat series.
Do you think they should key on Pavelski? I mean c'mon, I think he's the first guy to have 3 straight multi goal playoff games
since Mario.

[clifffclaven]

I turned the Pens game off yesterday, my favorite announcer was too over the top for me to watch it all the way
through, good thing they didn't start Price.
Too much playing on the penalty kill for the Wings. I'm still not convinced the Sharks are going to wi nthat series.
Do you think they should key on Pavelski? I mean c'mon, I think he's the first guy to have 3 straight multi goal playoff games
since Mario.

Agreed. I still think the wings win both at the joe. Then its a best of 3.

[Shawn Lutz]

Sharks up 2-0. Listening to the fans on hfboards, the refs are up 2-0 LMFAO. Wings lose=refs screwed us. Wings win= we "outplayed them"

Cliff, did you watch the game? I can say for sure if the Blackhawks only had 4 PP's to Vancouver's 10PP's you'd be in here complaining about it.

I don't think thre refs gave that game away myself, I'm a grin and bare it guy, you can't control the refs. Having said that something isnt right when the 2nd least penalized team in the league during the regular season is the most penalized team in the playoffs. The ref's were terrible last night on both sides. A 10-4 power play advantage isn't right for a team that typically plays clean. No team is going to win when they are in the box that much, let alone 5 times inthe 3rd period.

San Jose also got hosed by 2 bad calls but that was after the refs figured they should try to even out the lopsidedness lol.

You cant change what the refs call but what the Wings could have done was win more faceoffs...they flat out sucked in the circle in all 3 zones last night. The Wings still had a 3-2 lead heading into the 3rd, then the parade to box started and another 5-3 for the Sharkies. The last straw was the too many men on the ice call when we pulled the netminder ans attempting to tie it.

Back to Detroit they go, hope the home team keeps getting the more power play attempts

[Shawn Lutz]

Game 3 is huge, if Detroit loses it the series is over. it may already be over, tough to beat San Jose 4 outta 5 times but who knows, stranger things have happened.

[clifffclaven]

Cliff, did you watch the game? I can say for sure if the Blackhawks only had 4 PP's to Vancouver's 10PP's you'd be in here complaining about it.

I don't think thre refs gave that game away myself, I'm a grin and bare it guy, you can't control the refs. Having said that something isnt right when the 2nd least penalized team in the league during the regular season is the most penalized team in the playoffs. The ref's were terrible last night on both sides. A 10-4 power play advantage isn't right for a team that typically plays clean. No team is going to win when they are in the box that much, let alone 5 times inthe 3rd period.

San Jose also got hosed by 2 bad calls but that was after the refs figured they should try to even out the lopsidedness lol.

You cant change what the refs call but what the Wings could have done was win more faceoffs...they flat out sucked in the circle in all 3 zones last night. The Wings still had a 3-2 lead heading into the 3rd, then the parade to box started and another 5-3 for the Sharkies. The last straw was the too many men on the ice call when we pulled the netminder ans attempting to tie it.

Back to Detroit they go, hope the home team keeps getting the more power play attempts

O i know there were some bad calls, i watched most of it. But some of them were obvious- slashing a stick in half, too many men, etc. Those were obvious. I wouldve been pissed at a couple, mostly both the "penalties" on bert, but like you said, you cant control that. Believe me, ive got bigger things than the refs to worry about tonight Like, chicago actually showing up?!? I still say its gonna be 2-2 going back to san jose.

[atomic charvel guy]

as commisioner i now enforce that all sticks are to be made of wood again, and this breaking another players stick bullshit
will go away. what a sissy call that is.

[Shawn Lutz]

Cliff, I feel the Blackhawks are giong to respond tonight, they'll be looking to redeem themselves and player harder and more physical. I'm sure they made some adjustments. I think tonights game will be what everyone was expecting in game 1, I predict a nail biter close game...dunno who's gonna win tho

Tommy, I'm with you on the wooden stick mandate. I've never seena wood stick snap while takin a pass, or giving a pass like you see with the composites, at $150-200 a pop I think it scam but the stick mfg's

Wood works in MLB, can't stand the "chink" sound of the aluminum bats college uses

[6string40]

I don't care what the sticks are made of, the call is just silly. It's a defensive move to try to disrupt the stick of the puckhandler. You slash the player...fine. You slash the stick...who gives a shit...it's a good play. Hell...in lacrosse, it's normal defense to constantly slash the ball carrier's arms...and it's completely legal. You'd think in hockey you could at least hit a guy's stick without a penalty.

[Shawn Lutz]

not anymore 6stringer, hell pretty soon its going to be a penalty if you lift the stick up and jack the puck away lol. That wil come just before the remove any contact from the sport. Then there will be no penaltys as we know em, it will be a charge or a block and the player will not sit in the sin bin they'll just give the guy a free penalty shot...NHL is turning into the NBA with the pussification and the MLS for the over embellshing

[6string40]

No shit Shawn...I think there have been more 'dives' called in the playoffs than were called all of the regular season. Maybe we should just have shootouts instead of playing three periods. That way, there wouldn't be anyone to defend or commit a penalty. No physicality at all. Just one on one...player vs. the goalie.

[atomic charvel guy]

if hockey starts to stop as much as play does in the NBA i'll promise all of you
that i'll take the fall and go to prison for choking bettman. i absolutely love hockey, i have for 40 years now,
but i really think it has lost something along the way.