Simpson was criticizing every player in sight at every opportunity, and just generally giving pretty negative commentary.
Hughson sounded like he would have rather called a senior hall BINGO game than be at the hockey game. A little part of him died when the Canucks got knocked out in Round 1.
Maybe Simpson was finding some balance after having to spit-shine the turd the Canucks laid out in the first round.
I wasn't even paying attention to the commentary. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed watching that game last night. Those Rangers D-men are going to be hurting next game for sure, that's the type of effort which in my opinion results in long term pain. What a long, tough season for the Rangers! I still like the Caps coming out of this.
I get a different take than many on the board here and perhaps more similar to Simpsons. Its hard for me to take to the Eastern Clubs. To like them. Really any of them. Given NHL conference interlocking games being minimal and me not having Center ice its like I've really lost familiarity with half the NHL. So even in the playoffs when these Eastern games are on I tend to ignore them. I watch a bit, but mainly channel surfing and have no real connection to any of the Eastern clubs.
But moreso its harder for me to discern what those clubs do well or how they compare contrast with Western clubs. It looks to me that the Western games are being played at a higher level with better team play. Or just play that I prefer.
Given a choice I'll watch WC play any time.
I think the NHL really made a common mistake with years of Conference heavy scheduling. Its like its created two leagues that seldom see each other. Even in the playoffs.
I'm not sure I am any better with the TSN Pang factor for the Coyote/Predator series, his past colour guyness for Phoenix shows through too heavily for my liking.
I'm having a hard time getting into this round. I guess I just don't care enough unless they're fighting or scoring. I watched a good chunk of that game last night and I applaud how hard they're playing but that type of hockey just doesn't do it for me as a third party fan.
I'll admit freely if it was the Oilers I'd love it though. Need a lil more hate between the teams perhaps hehe.
NSH might as well let Kostitsyn and Radulov go to the WC. If they win they won't play Friday, if they lose they are down 3-0 and probably out anyway.
So, they won without them. Now what?
Listening to Trotz answering the question on whether or not his good-time-charlies would be back in the line-up for game four...he certainly chose some deliberate language and gave no indication he was sastisfied with just one games worth of punishment.
Trotz talked about the playoffs being 'sacred' and 'a priveledge'. Of course, he's right. And these two turkey's took terrible advantadge of that.
Its a tough call.
The original punishment was announced as a one game suspension, yes?
With that in mind...I don't think its fair to tack on arbitrary & additional games under the guise of "suspension."
There was a sentence rendered. And time has been served as far as I'm concerned.
Therefore, I thnk at this point it's back to being about putting the best possible team on the ice for the next game and its absolutley a game NSH needs. Big time.
That doesn't neccesarily mean both guys get back into the line-up.
Trotz could still at least consider leaving one or both of them out as "healthy scratches" if he feels he can get better contributions from Halishuk or Too-too...or...both.
The bottom line might be: These two guys had best be 100% ready to deliver a deeply motivated, straight-from-the-heart effort in game four. If they can do this...it would help out the team a country mile and (in my mind) redeem them both.
Radulov is the leading playoff scorer. Kostitsyn is not far behind him.
I'm leaning towards putting them back in and hoping for the best.
Listening to Trotz answering the question on whether or not his good-time-charlies would be back in the line-up for game four...he certainly chose some deliberate language and gave no indication he was sastisfied with just one games worth of punishment.
Trotz talked about the playoffs being 'sacred' and 'a priveledge'. Of course, he's right. And these two turkey's took terrible advantadge of that.
Its a tough call.
The original punishment was announced as a one game suspension, yes?
With that in mind...I don't think its fair to tack on arbitrary & additional games under the guise of "suspension."
There was a sentence rendered. And time has been served as far as I'm concerned.
Therefore, I thnk at this point it's back to being about putting the best possible team on the ice for the next game and its absolutley a game NSH needs. Big time.
That doesn't neccesarily mean both guys get back into the line-up.
Trotz could still at least consider leaving one or both of them out as "healthy scratches" if he feels he can get better contributions from Halishuk or Too-too...or...both.
The bottom line might be: These two guys had best be 100% ready to deliver a deeply motivated, straight-from-the-heart effort in game four. If they can do this...it would help out the team a country mile and (in my mind) redeem them both.
Radulov is the leading playoff scorer. Kostitsyn is not far behind him.
I'm leaning towards putting them back in and hoping for the best.
Well I didn't watch the game so I have no idea if NSH needs them or not next game. I tend to think it's stupid to sit 2 of your better offensive guys, but it did work in game 3. The other issue is we aren't there to see how Radulov and Kostitsyn responded to this. Did they give a genuine apology? Did they come back and bust their butts off in practice?
The longer you sit them the harder it will be to get them back into the lineup. This is why guys get paid big bucks to make decisions and I can just sit back and throw my useless two cents out. Or is it two nickels now?
Listening to Trotz answering the question on whether or not his good-time-charlies would be back in the line-up for game four...he certainly chose some deliberate language and gave no indication he was sastisfied with just one games worth of punishment.
Trotz talked about the playoffs being 'sacred' and 'a priveledge'. Of course, he's right. And these two turkey's took terrible advantadge of that.
Its a tough call.
The original punishment was announced as a one game suspension, yes?
With that in mind...I don't think its fair to tack on arbitrary & additional games under the guise of "suspension."
There was a sentence rendered. And time has been served as far as I'm concerned.
Therefore, I thnk at this point it's back to being about putting the best possible team on the ice for the next game and its absolutley a game NSH needs. Big time.
That doesn't neccesarily mean both guys get back into the line-up.
Trotz could still at least consider leaving one or both of them out as "healthy scratches" if he feels he can get better contributions from Halishuk or Too-too...or...both.
The bottom line might be: These two guys had best be 100% ready to deliver a deeply motivated, straight-from-the-heart effort in game four. If they can do this...it would help out the team a country mile and (in my mind) redeem them both.
Radulov is the leading playoff scorer. Kostitsyn is not far behind him.
I'm leaning towards putting them back in and hoping for the best.
I think you have to ice the best team. This is a weird situation because there effort level in game 2 was horrendous so the message now has been sent to the team that yes playoffs are sacred, but its a team violation broken. Its almost better if the message sent to the team was the effort part wasn't there (bench them) and that's why there being benched. I may be the minority that thinks that no message is sent because its an off ice situation, as opposed to the one ice production of those two.
Personally you put them back in cause I think you can't sit out that kind of money (hockey is a business) and you have to since you used the biggest team rule (playing it SO by the book) you can't now so play against the book - if that makes sense.
If they play bad then you sit them out, and use that as reasoning (though its actually harder to sit them out because of effort) or anything at this point.
Anybody else seriously starting to think that the Kings are going to win the Stanley Cup? Unless they run into a red-hot goaltender or Quick suddenly goes cold, I don't see any of the remaining teams beating them. They're like the 2006 Oilers with Richards and Kopitar instead of Horcoff and Hemsky. Not a typical #8 seed, that's for sure.
Anybody else seriously starting to think that the Kings are going to win the Stanley Cup? Unless they run into a red-hot goaltender or Quick suddenly goes cold, I don't see any of the remaining teams beating them. They're like the 2006 Oilers with Richards and Kopitar instead of Horcoff and Hemsky. Not a typical #8 seed, that's for sure.
I was thinking this already the last series. Kings got a serious roll going and right on top of their game.
They've been playing intense hockey since March. Its good as well that they are closing out series quickly and resting up for next rounds.
Anybody else seriously starting to think that the Kings are going to win the Stanley Cup? Unless they run into a red-hot goaltender or Quick suddenly goes cold, I don't see any of the remaining teams beating them. They're like the 2006 Oilers with Richards and Kopitar instead of Horcoff and Hemsky. Not a typical #8 seed, that's for sure.
I picked them as my darkhorse before they clinched a spot. After they dumped JJ and added Carter they looked like the team many expected them to be this season. They are big, fast, skilled, and have a Vezina caliber goalie. Unless injuries hit(knock on wood) I think they could definitely win it all.
Which would be the best for the Oilers. If the Kings win the cup, they are going to start getting more attention in LA which is a massive market. That means more revenue which equals a high cap for us to resign all our kids.
I don't think they can even be considered a dark horse anymore. They're 7-1 and looking better every game. This team should be the favorite to win the Cup by now.
League head office must be salivating at the ever-increasing odds of a NY-LA Cup final.
I don't think they can even be considered a dark horse anymore. They're 7-1 and looking better every game. This team should be the favorite to win the Cup by now.
League head office must be salivating at the ever-increasing odds of a NY-LA Cup final.
Oh totally, they were a darkhorse before they clinched a spot, but they certainly aren't now. It might be a bit too early to use the word favorite, but we aren't far off from it either. They really are looking fantastic right now,
And yes, a NY-LA final might make Gary's heart explode.
i know Philly's D and goaltending are sketchy as all hail, but it's time to look at the Devil's roster and see what they do and don't have. I'll admit I haven't been watching NJ virtually at all, I keep thinking they're just an afterthought. Bottom line is these guys are working harder, playing better, getting more consistency through their roster than Philly is. It's just a better team. Kovalchuk, Parise, Zajac, Clarkson, Brodeur... the defence, lol... they just keep doing it. I was sure Philly would walk through them, and they probably thought the same thing as well. Anyways, props to New Jersey Devils playing real hockey, battling like a mother****er.
i know Philly's D and goaltending are sketchy as all hail, but it's time to look at the Devil's roster and see what they do and don't have. I'll admit I haven't been watching NJ virtually at all, I keep thinking they're just an afterthought. Bottom line is these guys are working harder, playing better, getting more consistency through their roster than Philly is. It's just a better team. Kovalchuk, Parise, Zajac, Clarkson, Brodeur... the defence, lol... they just keep doing it. I was sure Philly would walk through them, and they probably thought the same thing as well. Anyways, props to New Jersey Devils playing real hockey, battling like a mother****er.
I said last round that Philly was in for a rude awakening after getting away with river hockey against laughable defense and goaltending provided by Pittsburgh. Scoring eight goals per game masked a lot of flaws in their game.
I've probably only seen the equivalent of one full game out of the three, but it looks to me like Brodeur's shaky goaltending is the only thing keeping the Flyers in this series as well. The Devils are far more disciplined and difficult to play against than the Penguins were.
The Flyers have lost four out of five games now. With Bryzgalov unlikely to provide better than average goaltending at any point, I'd say they're probably finished unless Brodeur totally craps the bed. Not cashing in those two PPs in OT tonight will probably prove to be a turning point.
LA has big strong skilled forwards and that always plays dividends in the playoffs. Kopitar, Carter and Penner are all capable of just owning the ice out there with their talent and size. Brown and Richards while smaller play like they're 6'4 and add a lot of intangibles. Of course Quick continues to play like the Vezina nominee he is. I don't see them losing to any of the teams left in the western conference. Maybe Nashville, if they can bounce back.
I said last round that Philly was in for a rude awakening after getting away with river hockey against laughable defense and goaltending provided by Pittsburgh. Scoring eight goals per game masked a lot of flaws in their game.
I've probably only seen the equivalent of one full game out of the three, but it looks to me like Brodeur's shaky goaltending is the only thing keeping the Flyers in this series as well. The Devils are far more disciplined and difficult to play against than the Penguins were.
The Flyers have lost four out of five games now. With Bryzgalov unlikely to provide better than average goaltending at any point, I'd say they're probably finished unless Brodeur totally craps the bed. Not cashing in those two PPs in OT tonight will probably prove to be a turning point.
The scary thing is that Brodeur can totally crap the bed. He's been known for it in the latter part of his career where he can sometimes go total sieve mode for an entire series.
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"Pull yourself together!" - Solid Snake to Otacon, multiple times in the series
Anybody else seriously starting to think that the Kings are going to win the Stanley Cup? Unless they run into a red-hot goaltender or Quick suddenly goes cold, I don't see any of the remaining teams beating them. They're like the 2006 Oilers with Richards and Kopitar instead of Horcoff and Hemsky. Not a typical #8 seed, that's for sure.
If Nashville bounces back and takes another 3 straight I think that will be a good Western Final.
Honestly it's really hard to judge a playoff match up until you see teams play a game. Phoenix really surprised the hell out of me with their first two wins in this series.
Not sure what to think of this move, I like that he's sending a message but it seems pretty suspect at this time of year.
Radulov please, please, please come back to us. Ahh screw it we don't need you. You partied way too late son.
Tough position to be in, but like I said yesterday how have those two reacted from the first game? Listening to Radulov I don't know what to think. Maybe it's the language barrier, but he just seems like a guy that really could careless if he is playing or not.
I was really rooting for the guy. I mean, going from consensus "worst starter in League" to "champion of the net"... He seems frazzled. 
