Joe: Yea, that shirt is funny. I admit it.

Let me guess, We have a Leafs fan here.:rolleyes:
Finn

Pens are looking good so far tonight.

..that would be me.

I am cheering for the Kings as in being a Leaf fan you have become accustomed to rooting for the underdog.:p

Um, FYI, the Sens are not playing Boston. The Caps have the privilege starting tonight.

The Flyers showed some real grit and came back from 3-0 to win in O.T. The B's won the cup last year with that same never-quit attitude. Yeah, I know, Briere got the first goal after being off sides. Stuff happens. They still had to get 3 more to win. You could also say that the bad call should have fired up the Pens to a higher level of determination but I think they sat back and said to themselves "we've got this one".

In other news,
The Canuck lose the first one and everyone is shocked. A first game win or loss means little other than to look at how it was played. Looks like it could be a rough and tumble battle. Bitz: ugly boarding.

Catfish or Octopus? I predict the Wings in 7 and last night was a good indicator that it will be a 7 game series. Maybe the best one to watch other than the Panic in Pennsylvania. Sheas needs to sit in the corner for a game and think about what he did.

Tonight its Ovechkin versus Chara. The rest of the teams will be there but that will be the matchup to watch. The supporting cast of Seguin, Seidenberg, Bergeron, Backstom, Semin... Holtby could be the surprise star player or crush under the pressure. If he crushes (or Ovi does his usual crash and burn in the clutch it will be a short series. I won't say who I'm rooting for to win :D

Joe, I got 10 bucks, sayin I know who your pullin for.

I didn't see the Canucks Kings game but I did read that the hit was bad. Shanahan has done quite a bit to help clean up the game this year but still not enough. I've always thought that a suspended player should start his suspension after the injured player returns. Look at Danny Sedin, out for 10 games so far and regardless of your team loyalty he is one of the premier players in the game and Duncan (I'm an azzhat) Keith served his 5 games and is playing, to me Keith should have been suspended untill Sedin comes back and then start his 5 game suspension. Some might say it was in retaliation to Hank Sedins hit, it was a hit that should have got a 1 game suspension but was not a deliberate hit like Keiths was.
Your comments on the cheap hits and Shanahans performance please.
Finn

Finn,
Gee I thought I had my prejudice for the Bruins well hidden. ;)

The vid of the hit: Video: Canucks’ Bitz ejected for boarding Kings’ Clifford | ProHockeyTalk
The Weber incident: Should Shea Weber be suspended for roughing up Henrik Zetterberg? | ProHockeyTalk

I was shocked to just hear that Weber skated (pardon the pun) on that one with only a fine. I like the Preds and the Wings both but if you look at the end of the vid you will see Weber actually take his hand and put it on the back of the head and push the head in the board. I really figured it was one day on the bench.

As far as the Shanibans...he started out a little too strong in the pre-season and early games but since then he seems to have found a decent level. My main concern is that it is the same for everyone. Crosby, Sedin, or Briere should get the same bench as Marchand, Carcillo or Downey.

I will give the "most improved award" to Matt Cook he still plays rough but not dirty like he used to. Remember that it was Cook that ended Mark Savard's career. If your suspended until the hurt player is back rule happened, Cook would be unemployed.

Well, there you have it. I'm often in error but never in doubt (like "Grapes"?)

Now, a question for you:
Tradition has it that in the playoffs the referees are more lenient with the penalties for everyone. Do you think it is starting out this way and should it be this way?

There were a couple of dodgy non calls last night. But I can't be certain they were non calls or just plain missed.

It is hard to be lenient and consistent. I usually say let them play but then you get knuckheads that go too far. And you simply must protect the players.

I agree, to me the play offs should be hockey stepped up a notch it has to be hard and fast or its not the playoffs but it can't be done at the risk of injury to the players, its tough enough out there with out the cheap crap. I don't know if its only me but have any of you guys noticed that the more they try and take fighting out of the game the more we see these kinda hits, just because you can doesn't mean you have to but tempers do flare.
I'd like to see no touch iceing from the circle to the red line and bring back the centre line for iceing passes, the players are going too fast and looking back for the puck and a goon like scott stevens would end their playing days, I still hate that man, he was out there looking to injure people same with Cook, guys like that should be Mcsorrlyed right outta the game. they have to rethink the boards as well, they're to solid, they and the glass has to have more give. Check out the larry robinson hit on gary dornhoffer ??? you can see the boards ripple for 20 feet on either side off the contact, dornhoffer got up and skated away, I'm sure he hurt for a while but was still able to play. the new breed of NHL'er has no respect for his fellow players.
Finn

Matt Cook should be unemployed, I'm sure Safeway would hire him - in the meat dept., suckin farts outta rump roast. Savard was a good player and did'nt deserve his fate from a player like Cook.
Finn

Less fights means more pent up anger that "needs" to be settled.
I question how many concussions come from icing races. Besides there is already a rule in place that says you have to play the puck and can't play the man.
Center line? No way! The game is so much better with fast pace break aways.
I think they are already talking about changing the glass.
I like the idea of "legal holding": OK to wrap your arms around a man when following him into the boards as another option to neutralize the player without having to knock him into the 3rd row. Sometimes hit, sometimes wrap him up.

Cook: He cost the Bruins a cup in 2010 when he took down Savard. I am sure of it and he was on the top of my all time hated players. That said, check the stats for this year. He's a hard hitter but a much cleaner player for 2011-2012.

& gaw-damned stupid too! Gotta agree with ya on that one Joe. There had to be at least a 1-2 second count for Bitz to see the guy's number & at least let up without trying to 'wallpaper' him. The Canucks have to lift their game, because a repeat of last night's performance (Luongo & Jannik Hansen excepted) could turn this into a short series & and early tee times for the Canucks.
Hey Finn, I think that hit on Gary Dornhoffer also might make a good case for smaller shoulder pads (as they were smaller back in those days) & lessen the effect of them being 'body armour' & their somewhat prevalent use as 'weapons'.

Edit: I think this (smaller shoulder pads) has already been tabled by the 'rules & regs' committee.

Cheers
JB

BTW did you guys see Briere's offside goal? Sacred feces how did the linesmen miss that?

Any more offside & he'd have been in Fleury's crease.

Briere's off-side was big enough to fit a player or two between him and the line. Yikes. If it was a 1-0 game that would have stunk but the Pens let them have 3 more after it.
The game between the B's and the Caps turned out to be a thriller. OT winner. As I mentioned earlier, Holtby may be the surprise star of the series. The Caps would have been sacked badly if it weren't for his excellent saves.

I don't know how many games Holtby has played but that was his first playoff game, the B's snuck 1 in there cause anything can happen in OT, coulda gone either way. While the shoot out is exciting its no way to decide a playoff game. I was at a tourney for my son last year he was 11 and after the game both teams kined up at centre ice and the ref's grabbed sticks to move the pucks around and every player got a shoot out shot that counted for a half a point, it was great and I always wondered why they didn't do this at the other touney's we've been to, it was exciting for the kids (and thats what its about) and for the people in the stands too.
I'm sure we will see a different Canucks team for tonights game.
Finn

This round, yes.

The Penguins need to show a bit more moxie tonight. Not rough & tough stuff just resolve.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!

fixed it for you

Let me guess, the Canucks saw how last year the Bruins kept coming from behind after losing the first two at home and they thought that they would try it this year? :rolleyes:

Also, wassup with everyone thinking the Pens were the odds on favorite to take the cup this year? I know they came on strong at the end of the regular season but I didn't see them being that much better and it sure doesn't look like the Flyers are too impressed.