Flyers fans unhinged - Shanahan is the reason the Flyers lost series

I don’t like to use acceptable and coarse language on my blog but some of this stuff needs to be exposed because I think this type of "anti-social" behavior is unacceptable and almost as bad as some of the racial epithets that were posted on line after the Joel Ward goal.

Yesterday I illustrated lack of class by some Flyers fans – I know that there were quite a few of the Flyers fan base that was very upset with Brendan Shanahan because of Claude Giroux’s suspension. Personally, I think the NHL made the right decision in suspending Claude Giroux for his illegal hit to the head on Dainius Zubrus, what I found puzzling is some of the tweets directed at the VP of Player safety. 

Just for the record I think that Shanahan has done an inconsistent job but I don't know if he deserves some of this crap that has been directed his way. I know Shanahan is a public figures but this stuff is unacceptable. 

These people have to be proud of themselves; here we have homophobic slurs directed at Brendan Shanahan which again goes beyond the realm of what is considered acceptable and decent behavior.

I also think that we have a few conspiracy theorists that blame Shanahan for the Flyers loss because he once played for the New Jersey Devils. I guess it wasn't the Flyers fault for not playing better in the last four games. The Devils were better and the suspension to Giroux probably didn't make that much of a difference because the Flyers had nothing in response to the Devils in this series. 

NHL Suspends Claude Giroux for one game

The NHL Department of Player Safety has finally gotten it right, although late to the party the NHL has finally suspended a "star" player for committing a dirty hit to the head. Flyers forward Claude Giroux will miss the all important game five against the New Jersey Devils for his hit to the head on Dainius Zubrus.

I know that there are many Philadelphia Flyers fans that are upset with Shanahan's ruling, I don't blame them because Brendan Shanahan has been very inconsistent, but the fact remains that this was an illegal hit and a violation of Rule 48. Don't break the rules if you don't want to get suspended, it's that simple.

The fact that Flyers fans are defending this dirty hit is puzzling, especially since Giroux missed four games for a concussion earlier in the season. Since the Flyers forward Claude Giroux is not an "Uber Star" like Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin the NHL used this instance to made an example out of Giroux for his hit on .

Here is an example of some of the anger that has been focused on Brendan Shanahan.

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Jacques Lemaire blasts Versus crew.

I was watching this game last night on Versus and I thought the move by the Flyers to just stand there and wait for the Lightning to come after the Flyers was interesting, I aslo thought it was funny that the Flyers got whistled for not moving the puck.

I have to admit that I hate the “Neutral Zone Trap.” Seriously the NZT is God awful hockey and very boring to watch and I would rather watch a game where two teams trade offensive opportunities up and down the ice. I can’t imagine a lot of fan bases that say, I want to watch a 1-0 defensive trap feast and watch my team line up at the blue line and wait for the opposing team to try and come across. Being ADHD it makes it very hard for me to stay interested in that type of hockey game.

Damian Cristodero; Lighting Strikes --- Here is what former Devils and Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said about the criticism of Lightning coach Guy Boucher from Versus commentators Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Pierre McGuire Wednesday night about the team's 1-3-1 trapping system, which they said makes for such boring hockey the Lightning and Boucher should be embarrassed and even "punished."

"Myself, I laugh at this," Lemaire told the St. Petersburg Times in a phone interview. "I laugh at it this because are we supposed to coach as we please the people who are announcing the games or make comments on the games? Is that a new style or what? Do we have to please Milbury when we coach? It's the first time I hear of this."

If anyone knows about criticism, it is Lemaire. Lemaire's trap was vilified by hockey watchers and commentators all over North America as detrimental to the game because the defensive posture in the neutral zone was, when played correctly, very difficult to beat. It slowed down the action, critics said. It created boring hockey. But it also won, as Lemaire and the Devils captured the 1995 Stanley Cup.

I think the worst hockey game I ever watched was a game 1-0 snore feast between Cornell and UND. The Sioux outshot the Big Red 2-1 and the Big Red played their boring 1-3-1 style of hockey and collapsed around the net whenever they saw fit.

I also can’t believe that the Tampa Bay Lighting fans want to watch this style of hockey on a nightly basis, nor do I believe that the Lightning need to play that style of a game. There is enough high end talent on the Lightning that they can open the game up and push the puck up the ice.

Lastly, let’s make no mistake about it, Jacques Lemaire is in the hall of fame, he was a great coach, but his hockey teams were very mind numbingly boring to watch. The New Jersey Devils of the 1990's were about as entertaining as watching paint dry. That being said, I also think that Lemaire has a point as well, he isn't coaching to please the TV audiences and the pointed headed pundits, coaching hockey is about winning games and using the your personnel to the best of their abilities. 

Jody Shelley gets two games

Last month when Shelly was given a two game suspension for a hit from behind on Adam McQuaid I was told on my twitter page that Jody Shelly wasn't that type of a player. Huh! Now he is a repeat offender. Because funny thing, that is Jody Shelly's second suspension of the 2010-2011 season.

csnphilly.com --- On Wednesday, the NHL suspended Shelley for two games. He will miss Thursday’s game in Los Angeles and the New Year’s Eve contest in Anaheim.

This has been a “December to Remember” for the 35-year-old native of Thompson, Manitoba, as he served a two-game suspension earlier in the month for a hit from behind to Adam McQuaid in Boston.

Given Shelley is a repeat offender, this could have been four games instead of two.

“Exactly right,” Shelley said. “Right now, my gut reaction is that I’m disappointed. And I said this last time. That’s why they do it. They want you to feel sick, shame, embarrassment ... It’s been a tough December.”