Hockey

[jobiwan]

Anyone know what that strangulated choking noise coming from the canucks changing room is.....oh dear outscored 12-1 in 2 games by the Broad Street Bullies Lite....worrying!

I don't believe the Canucks really ever left Vancouver!
They might however want to leave Luongo in Boston!

 

[Siriuscat]

I've always felt that Luongo was a bit shakey when it came to the pointy end of things, just as well he had Sid around in the Olympics. On this form Boston in 6, anyone know if the sedins have shown up yet???

 

[Siriuscat]

Officiating is dire but on the ice it's dire for both teams, eachare getting dumped on at various times!!

 

[Granville57]

Play-by-play

One thing that always is impresses me is the live commentators.
These guys have to be SO engaged for every single second of fast-paced action (which would be the entire game); keep a clear head about what's going on and who's doing it; and balance a level of professionalism with flat-out excitement and enthusiasm for the sport!

I would never want to try that job on too little sleep.

 

[the delgados]

I'm always a little surprised when teams are called for too many men.

Given the speed of the game and everything referees have to look for, I wonder when they have time to count the amount of players on the ice.

 

[Siriuscat]

Linesmen can call too many men.

Surprised Vancouver pulled that back, interesting few days ahead

 

[the delgados]

Hey, thanks for clarifying.

It's kind of embarrassing to admit I grew up playing hockey and never knew that linesmen could call a too many men penalty.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

BEFORE the final game of the Stanley Cup breaks out tonight, I have to compliment the 1000's of Canuck fans who actually sing their national anthem. And for Anthony letting them take the lead in singing it. Refreshing! Wish it was that way more in the US.

 

[Siriuscat]

Hey, thanks for clarifying.

It's kind of embarrassing to admit I grew up playing hockey and never knew that linesmen could call a too many men penalty.

My idiot son is a stripey.......years of coaching him, cajoling him etc etc....****** pulls on the stripes!!

 

[Granville57]

Three more hours until Game 7!

Please triple overtime, please triple overtime, please triple overtime...

 

[Hugh Januss]

To me the only thing that is clear is that Boston has a much better chance of winning a game 7 in Vancouver than if it was the other way around.

 

[fatandfast]

Three more hours until Game 7!

Please triple overtime, please triple overtime, please triple overtime...

Go Bruins!!
wish I was in Sudbury or Eastham to watch this game

 

[the delgados]

@Siriuscat: Sounds like he's rebelling against dad.

@On3m@m@rmy: Spontaneous crowd chants and synchronized cheers are one of my favourite things about watching sports. But please, let's do away with national anthems. It's an exercise whose best before date expired shortly after WW2. They're so tedious, and have nothing to do with the game.

@Granville57: Agreed!

 

[ansimi]

@On3m@m@rmy: Spontaneous crowd chants and synchronized cheers are one of my favourite things about watching sports. But please, let's do away with national anthems. It's an exercise whose best before date expired shortly after WW2. They're so tedious, and have nothing to do with the game.

I totally agree. Teams should all come up with really catchy songs that the whole team can sing along with the fans. Canucks fans love to sing the anthem together but I think it could be even better if they had a fun song that Henrik Sedin could lead them in.

As for the game, the whole series has seemed so tense. It just hasn't been a whole lot of fun. I want Vancouver to win because of what it means to the community but the actual team and the way they've played haven't inspired me at all.

I think that one of the things that got me so into following cycling was that Canada is barely relevant and I don't have to concern myself with any allegiances.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

so,

on top of the ref'ing issues that have clearly favoured the Bruins we have the farce of Nathan Horton.

"Out for the rest of the series" says Mike Murphy as he consults Brian Burke to decide what penalty to give Aaron Rome.

Rome is out for 4 games to match how long Horton is out.

Now we find out Horton is dressed for tonight's game, Rome is out.

That Burke guy they consulted ? He was fired by Vancouver. He has traded Boston for a draft pick and the placement of that draft pick depends on whether Boston wins this series.

You think Burke has an interest?

Then we have Mason Raymond, out for 6 months with a broken vertebrae in his back. Boychuk? Should have got, at a minimum, an Interference call. He got nothing.

Does Mike Murphy have a double standard? yep.

We have seen 3 too many men calls against Boston not made in this series. But the ref'ing is fair. you bet.

QQ more.

Go Burins! lets go Murphy's...!!!!! lets go Murphy's!!!!!

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Well that ends it. Not with a bang, but a whimper.

I like both teams, but was cheering a little more for Boston. Disappointing to see Vancouver sort of slowly fade away like that tho, and the fans rioting afterward. The first goal was hard earned, the second seemed to be a lapse, and the third was almost surreal the way the Bruins were still playing full assault short handed with strongman Chara in the box, while the Canucks seemed to be almost asleep until the puck got a few feet from the net, but by then, the game, and cup, was over.

Vancouver fans rioting was just shameful, and some may want to crucify Luongo and blame refereeing, but when your offense can't put any goals in the net, and with the 2nd and third goals it was the defense that lapsed... But for Boston, Tim Thomas was the human wall, and that really was the difference.

 

[Granville57]

+1 on all of that.

I've seen more dramatic Game Sevens, that's for sure.

I still can't believe they allowed that third goal though.
Thank god that wasn't a deciding factor or, much worse, an OT goal!
The league really needs to look at that for future reference. There really wasn't a "shot" leading up to it. Two players sliding on the ice basically forced the puck passed the goalie. I don't even think Boston would've objected much had it been disallowed. That could've been a nightmare call under different circumstances.

But the real "tale of tape" for me is this:
Goals scored over the seven game series: Boston 23 -- Vancouver 8

With 37 more saves in Game 7, Tim Thomas now owns the NHL record for most saves in the postseason (798) and a Stanley Cup Final. He allowed only eight goals in the Final and became the first goalie in NHL history to win Game 7 with a shutout on the road. He is only the fourth goalie in history to post a shutout in Game 7
http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2010030417&navid=DL|NHL|home

Lastly, not too many Bettman fans in Vancouver, eh?

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Agree with you Alpe and Granville. Was the 3rd goal the short-handed goal? Don't matter... sad when the 'nucks are trying to get back into the game and allow the shorthanded goal. That happened too often to Vancouver during the series.

 

[fatandfast]

fell asleep before the 4th goal was scored. Tim Thomas was great throughout

 

[VeloCity]

and some may want to crucify Luongo and blame refereeing, but when your offense can't put any goals in the net, and with the 2nd and third goals it was the defense that lapsed... But for Boston, Tim Thomas was the human wall, and that really was the difference.

Yep, came down to the Vancouver guns completely disappearing and Luongo letting in the umpteenth soft goal.

But I do have to say...the refereeing was atrocious. Marchand was running amok the entire series and nothing called. Amazed he didn't seriously injure someone.

 

[Siriuscat]

@Siriuscat: Sounds like he's rebelling against dad.

You could be right....only stripey in my career ever to give me a game misconduct....while I was coaching a game!! Little toerag! Even in Scotland refs are hated!

Anyway....disappointed in the Canucks had the Sedins shown up this might have been over in 4 or 5 games. Boston deserved it though, the scored when they hadto and defended superbly. One of these year by beloved Leafs will get a cup again.....one year!!

 

[pedaling squares]

It wasn't officiating that beat the Canucks, but man was it awful. Against both teams. You build a team around the current rules, then watch those rules get ignored in the playoffs under the guise of "good playoff hockey". The game became a caricature of itself. Slashes to the backs of the legs were ignored, so punches to the face had to be ignored. Hooking was ignored, so interference had to be ignored.

The best was in Game 7, when the (according to the NHL) two best referees in the sport were working. Tim Thomas strikes Jannick Hansen in the face with his stick. Clearly high-sticking. Ref looks right at it - no call. So Hansen runs over Zdeno Chara from behind. The puck isn't even in the area code. Clearly interference. Ref looks right at it - no call. Later, Chara lifts his stick into Hansen's face. His lip is cut, clearly a double minor. Ref looks right at it - no call. So Hansen runs over Andrew Ference... clearly interference. The ref makes his first call.

And that was the standard for the entire series. Players getting away with behaviours that were penalties all year, so they pushed further to see where was the line. And when a lesser penalty was called after several more grievous offences were ignored, well then the players don't even know where they stand. The games were slower and more boring at a time when we should have seen the best hockey of the year.

Congrats to the Bruins though, that was a long time coming for them.

 

[palmerq]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYRsSXMjO8E&feature=player_embedded

 

[palmerq]

hello everyone, would anyone like to join a yahoo fantasy nhl mini league? i am struggling to find people and I set the draft for this sunday, if anyone is interested I will post the details here all you need is a yahoo email address

 

[VeloCity]

Woohoo! A new hockey season is (almost) upon us! Insert obligatory "Go Leafs!" and "Red Wings suck!" etc etc etc here.

With formalities out of the way, who's thinking what for this year? What team improved the most over the off-season?

East: Going to go with the hometown Caps (even though I'm not a huge fan) - with Vokoun in net and the additions of solid depth players like Brouwer and Ward and Hamrlik, I think they're greatly improved over last season, even though I'd still like to see them deal Semin for a more dependable player or two. The Flyers, imo, also made some good moves over the summer, even if they gave up WAY too much for Bryzgalov.

West: I think Vancouver again - they've still got the core that made them fairly dominant last season. The big question mark is Luongo - either he'll bounce back from that Final Series Hell or he'll just suck from beginning to end. And if the latter, then the Canucks will be in a heap of trouble, as there's no chance they could trade him with that contract.

Oddly, even though I can't stand either the Flyers or Jaromir Jagr, I'm really curious to see how he does this year. Also not a big Oilers fan, but that's quite an impressive crop of youngsters they've got stashed up there - if they can keep it together, might be a real powerhouse for the future.

EDIT: oh and totally forgot the biggest individual story of all: Sidney Crosby. What a shame it'll be if he can't come back or isn't the same player he once was.