REDWING77 Playoff Update

So far so good!

My Wings are up 2-0 over the 'Yotes and my only regret is that my Wings will knock off a great coach in Dave Tippett. Get rid of Tippett and Phoenix can rot for all I care.

This game, however, was a bit closer than Game 1 in my opinion. We barely hung on to our lead and Datsyuk was lights out with 1 goal and 3 assists.. Yup. He figured in on ALL of Detroit's points last night. That brings me to my claim:

If this is what Detroit looks like day in and day out in the playoffs.... Detroit won't win the Cup. Deep teams that play a well rounded game AND get the best of what they're given win championships. Teams that have it, but only have 1 line that can reliably "bring it" will find the road to the Cup almost impassible. This is what Detroit is doing right now.

They have great depth and veteran leadership. They are dynamic and fun to watch. However... Howard is still relatively inexperienced against playoff caliber opposition in the playoffs and, though he's more than capable of shutting down opponents, he's not done so consistently in the playoffs. And it's mainly been one line that has taken charge. This means, thus far, the Wings aren't blowing anyone away, so the Wings are making Howard work for the win.

The Wings SHOULDN'T have any trouble with Phoenix, but (though the Wings ARE winning) they aren't shutting them down. This does not bode well.

On a separate Detroit note:

As Goon pointed out, the NHL has banned the tossing of octopi onto the ice pregame. I think this was a marvelous move by the NHL. It turns the league into what Bettman truly wishes the league could be: The NBA on ice skates.

Truth be told, traditions are under attack. UND's traditions are under attack and now this tradition is under attack. Next up is the hats.

In fact, I remember the WCHA or NCAA briefly tried to ban throwing hats on the ice after hat tricks stating that the officials first warn the crowd and then assess the home team a 2 minute minor for delay of game. To this day, I can't understand why opposing fans didn't throw stuff on the ice just to get their team up a man.

This ban is all about image, but I wonder: If Bettman's beloved Penguins had a tradition that had people throwing something onto the ice during the pregame or after the first Pittsburgh goal, would this rule still come about? I'm truly not taking a jab at the Penguins as much as I'm pointing at Bettman's hypocrisy and inept incompetence when it comes to consistency.

In other news:

Chicago and Boston are done. Boston has NEVER, not in 26 tries, overcame a 2-0 deficit in the playoffs. In Chicago, Crawford isn't stealing games like Niemi did last year. Crawford isn't bad, but he's not the netminder du jour.

As for Boston, it pisses me off to see 2-0 and 3-1 defeats because it makes Carey Price look good. The guy is a dunderhead and, though he's doing extremely well this year, I can't stand the guy. Like I said, I hope he gets an extension after this season ala Dipietro and proceeds to pull a Huet-job on the Habs. I just pray that the Habs dont' win the Cup or Price will NEVER fade away.

Pittsburgh vs. Tampa:

COMON TAMPA!!!!! Seriously, 3 reasons why Tampa NEEDS to win:

1. Fleury's a sieve... look at game 2.
2. It would stop NHL Network's persistent whining about how Crosby isn't playing.
3. Matt Cooke needs his season to end and the only two ways that happens is if the Pens are eliminated after the first round or he injures another player. I don't want to see any more injuries so... GO TAMPA!!!

Caps vs. Rangers:

Rangers need someone to show up... SOMEONE! Caps are going to sweep at this pace.

That's allll folks!

Redwing77's NHL Playoff Preview and First Round Predictions

Ok, here's where I run down my first round predictions and what I think of every NHL Playoff team.

First off, congrats to all of the teams who made it to the second season. So sorry, Dallas, thanks for playing. Perhaps Dave Tippett wasn't in fact the right answer...right? Hello? Uh... my bad.

Secondly, so sorry for the fans of the Minnesota Wild. For a while there you thought you had a chance at the postseason. Kindof like how the Timberwolves feel every opening day in the NBA. However, shortly thereafter, that feeling goes away.

Anyways, the teams and the matchups:

First, Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh:

Predictable I'm sure but... I don't want Pittsburgh to win. They are the media darling and everyone loves them, I guess. With Crosby out, the media, to their credit, has found that the Penguins do in fact have more than just Crosby and Malkin. They've now heaped massive amounts of praise on Marc-Andre Fleury. True to their claims, he has been rather good this year. And that's saying something considering I hold Fleury in only slightly better regard than Carey Price.

I'm going to go with my heart here and say that Tampa Bay takes it in 7. I know the media expects the Pens to win it, but... I like Tampa because they deserve it and it would be hilarious to see ESPN and NHL Network turn into apologists for Gary Bettman's team. Also, just for the record, I'd like Tampa to take the series WITH Crosby on the ice. I'd also love it if Malkin were playing too, but he's out for the season. This would eliminate the apologist claims that Crosby's absence was the key to the Lightning's success. As per form, the media is all over the Penguins' losses as due to injury to Crosby. There has never been a better team than Pittsburgh since Crosby was drafted and it is only to circumstance and injury trouble that the Penguins haven't gone undefeated in the years since Crosby came to Pittsburgh.

Next: Vancouver vs. Chicago

I want Chicago. I know Chicago is a rival of my Wings but I love the way they play and the way their team is set up. They're almost like the Anti-Red Wings in the fact that the Red Wings go for veterans and the Hawks go to youth. Toews is a monster and Kane's not bad either.

However, if it comes down to goaltending, I think Luongo (despite the choke jobs he's done in the past) will come away with the victory. Crawford has been great at times but consistency is an issue.

I predict: Chicago in 7

Rangers vs. Caps:

Ok, this is probably THE most likely upset of the first round. The Rangers are playing well and have a great goaltender. The Caps have Ovechkin and they have... did I mention Ovechkin? Their goaltending has to be the youngest trio in the playoffs... perhaps in the NHL? And inconsistency has been a real pain. If the Rangers were smart, they'd try to bog down the Caps offense and turn it into a defensive contest. If that happens, Rangers win.

Rangers in 6.

Nashville vs. Anaheim:

This is, in my opinion, the best first round matchup to be played "in the dark." Meaning, no TV coverage. Nashville is a nice story and Anaheim is boring. Yeah, they got Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan, but they are a one line wonder. Nashville has a goaltender. A darn good one. But that's it. I'm not sure anyone can name their first line.

Meh. I'm going to go with Keith Jones of the NHL Network and say that the Predators win their first playoff series just for kicks. They'll do it in 5.

Montreal vs. Boston

Montreal is Carey Price. Beat Price, and Les Habitants go away. Hey Bruins: Beat Price. Beat him like a rented mule. Make him throw hissy fits again. Make him shoot pucks at the opposing players during their goal celebratory hugs. And, while you're at it, do it while making Price look good enough that the Canadiens blow a ton of cash on an extension so that Price can return to the 3.00+ GAA and the .895 Save% for the remainder of his contract.

Boston in 6.

LA vs. San Jose:

Blah. I guess LA is banged up. I hear that San Jose doesn't have that great of goaltending. Niemi shines and SJ advances. I don't see them winning more than 3 games... because if they did, they'd advance.

I'm going to say Greene pulls it out in the end. LA in 7.

Buffalo vs. Philly:

Philly has goaltending issues. Buffalo has goal scoring issues. This series could be very interesting or a complete snoozefest. Philly enters with the goaltender most likely to be pulled in Game 1 for a backup in Bobobsky (I know I'm misspelling his last name). Miller might not be 100% but I'll take him in a second over any of Philly's goaltenders. Vanek needs to be hot and Stafford needs to be timely if Buffalo has a chance.

That being said, if Pronger returns, a Sabre will get injured and the Flyers will advance.

Philly in 6.

Phoenix vs. DA WINGS!!!!

The Wings are banged up. Datsyuk is back, thank god, but Zetterberg is out at least Game 1 and Franzen is colder than the arctic circle. Injury issues can be the death of the Wings because I don't trust the depth. Our depth is either too role player heavy or too old. Modano is what... 65? Howard is nice and all but he can let some doozies past him. At least he's not Wasgood (Osgood for you who don't know).

Bryzgalov is the better goaltender and I still think my wings are the better offensive talent.

I don't think the Wings will win it all this year. They're not 100% when they needed it the most. And they're not clicking as well either. I say they squeak past Phoenix and bow out again in the second round.

Detroit in 7.

Pittsburgh's UberGoon Matt Cooke gets Unpaid Leave

A stunned Matt Cooke gets some time to reflect.

Matt Cooke has been suspended the rest of the regular season (10 games) AND the first round of the playoffs. With any luck, Pittsburgh will get ousted in the first round and Cooke can just take the time off he deserves.

NHL Network blowhard and former NHL Career Backup Kevin Weekes actually made a decent point. He talked about how playing in the NHL is a privilege and Cooke just doesn't get it despite being sat down and talked to by just about everyone in power from Byslma to Campbell. Perhaps even Gary Bettman himself. Heck, when the guy who works on the financials between the team and your agent says "Heck yeah, the suspension was a great idea!" COULD you possibly ignore it again? Weekes is right on. I bet no reader of this blog nor any hockey player, coach, or fan could post in this comment section the name of ONE minor league player in Pittsburgh's system or free agent CHLer or free agent NCAA grad who wouldn't jump at the chance to take Cooke's slot on the Pens.


Take away his illegal hits and incredible lack of anything resembling a brain and he's actually a pretty decent hockey player. He can score. He can play gritty. He can win faceoffs. He can fight. He just can't play the game legally.

Look, illegal hits will happen. Injuries and concussions will happen too. But when you go out and do such a thing on a repetitive basis, then you are showing a different attitude than what is in the spirit of the game. It's because of this that I think that he's an unbelievable idiot. I can understand the vehement anger regarding Chara's hit, but his was the first incident this season and I HIGHLY doubt he'd repeat this if given the opportunity to. But Cooke's earlier hit on Tyutin was rationalized by saying that Tyutin didn't protect himself. He is already famous for injuring Marc Savard and saying that he was only "trying to make his presence known."

An Interesting Rule Change

Speaking of Penguins and GM meetings... I'm watching the DET vs. PIT debacle (or PIT Domination if you are a PIT fan or hate the Wings, whichever) and during the intermission, one of the intermission commentators suggested that a suspended player's slot should be forfeited by the team for the duration of the suspension. So, instead of 23 players on the active roster, Pittsburgh would only be allowed 22 until the second round of the playoffs.

The NHLPA wouldn't like that much, but I can't see the fans or the League being against it. It would certainly harm the team as much as it hurts the player.

I'm for it.

Martin Hanzal's Goal (Redwing77)

Ok, here's another one for you hockey pundits.

I saw this goal live (on TV) and I was completely blown away with the call. So were the fans. So was the commentators... and so was LA GM Dean Lombardi, who blasted NHL Review official Mike Murphy. And Lombardi is paying $50,000 for doing so.

My Opinion

This is a NO GOAL. Every angle has the puck being hit when it was, at best, even with the crossbar. I can't find an angle where his stick wasn't above the crossbar until after the puck was headed to the net. And, no, I'm not trying to defend LA Kings defenseman and former UND stud Matt Greene (#2 pictured).

As for Lombardi, his comments were ridiculous! He stated, in effect, that the reason why Toronto (and Mike Murphy) didn't overrule the on ice officials was because Lombardi got the GM position instead of Murphy! That's dumb. However, complaining because it was a bad call was dumb, but justified. In other words, had Lombardi come out and said that Toronto made a bad call, and gotten fined for saying so, I'd be defending Lombardi. Saying what he said was just stupid.

The NHL, however, responded by saying, in effect, that the job of Toronto isn't to overrule the officials, but to get the call right. Well, that's nice, but I've never seen the on ice official get overruled to get the call wrong. The instant replay system is designed to ensure that, true enough, the correct call is made, but also to ensure that the officials are calling the reviewed play correctly. Whether or not the on ice official is overruled is irrelevant. If overruling the officials on every single replay in a game results in the right calls being made, then who the hell cares about the on ice officials?

Redwing77's Fan Behavior Rant and PR Fiasco

Ok, not related to Sioux hockey. Not even related to the NHL Interests of Goon (Boston), the region (Minnesota), or me (Detroit). This relates to the game I'm just watching right now on NHL Network: The NY Rangers vs. the Washington Capitols.

The game was out of hand. The Rangers were winning 6-0. Semin shoots the puck and hits Ovechkin in the knee. He goes down. THE CROWD CHEERS.

Ok, you know what? I boo every time Ovechkin and Crosby touch the puck. I boo ESPN and NHL Network every time they say their names. But cheering when one gets injured? I don't think that's classy... at least in that context. I cheer Pittsburgh without Crosby and Washington without Ovechkin because it forces the commentators are forced to NOT cream their shorts every time those two step on the ice. In other words, they're forced to recognize that these teams and the NHL are more than these two players (great or otherwise).

I'm sick as all get out of "Sid the Kid" or "Alexander the Great" or their newest incarnation: "The Great Eight." It's like calling LeBron "King James." King James is a version of the Bible. King James wasn't a basketball player.

It's never appropriate to cheer an injury. Injuries suck. There were some DU trolls on USCHO.com Fan Forum back when Paukovich hit Bina that gloated about it. Those people drove us UND fans nuts. I guess the scale of this one really set me off. The WHOLE ARENA cheered!!!!

On the flip side, like I hinted at above, I'm finding myself somewhat sympathetic. I can't be the only one who is simply sick to his stomach over the fact that the NHL seems to be Crosby and Ovechkin and nothing else. It's no wonder why they do little to promote the league and their televised games unless either the Capitols or the Penguins are one of the two teams playing. It seems often enough that the other teams in the NHL are afterthoughts. After Ovechkin got injured, the analysts went on and on about how the Great Eight got injured and this and that and seemed to be crying over how the Rangers fans could possibly fail to see how awesome Ovechkin is and become rabid fans of his. The commentators simply can't get it into their heads that no matter how good Ovechkin and Crosby are, they're still going to love their teams more. They'll nod and say "Yeah, they're pretty good," but they won't get all heavy breathing over them. It's almost as if you aren't their fans, you're obviously a clueless fan.

There's now a DVD being put out about Ovechkin! The height of egotism! But, hey, let Bettman pave the road towards the NHL's demise. No, not many in the front office would acknowledge such a thought because the NHL has been on a slight upward trend lately. They'd probably cite Crosby and Ovechkin as two of the reasons. But people don't see the long term big picture here. Bettman is carbon copying his mentor, David Stern (or maybe its his predecessor). The NHL and Crosby/Ovechkin absolutely REEKS of the NBA and Michael Jordan. Now... look at the trend. What happened to the NBA when Jordan retired?

The NBA went down the toilet. Why? Because their only recognizable player was gone. Now, look at what is happening with Crosby and Ovechkin. It's a few years away, sure, but what are you seeing the NHL doing to promote the league outside of Crosby and Ovechkin hype? Very little, if anything. So, when Crosby and Ovechkin depart the NHL, do you think the NHL will continue to trend upward? Will the popularity even out? Nope. I predict that the NHL will decline back into the irrelevance produced by the lockout. And the NHL is STILL recovering from that.

The NHL needs to do more to promote THE LEAGUE and all of its players rather than a select few. It's a tough proposition, for sure, but gimmick games and the Dynamic Duo isn't going to do it. ESPN is at the level of caring that they don't even bother to have the anchor people even study the basics of hockey. Hockey isn't relevant to ESPN and that's a direct statement towards the state of the game. Bettman isn't doing it. He thinks of us as no better than the NBA. Perhaps we can not hope to be more popular than the NBA overall and we definitely will not overtake Football, but we should try like hell to promote at every level. We should be trying to make some players from EVERY team visible to at least their regional fan base. We should have commentators that spend as much time ranting and raving praises towards players ON the ice as they do Crosby and Ovechkin. We should be pushing that EVERY team in the NHL is important, not just Pittsburgh or Washington. Oh, and by the way, it's not because a Red Wing is also mentioned as an "and by the way"

Miscellaneous Transactions around the League (RW77)

I'll leave the Bruins commentary to Goon, but I thought I'd report on the latest transactions around the league.

The big blockbuster today was that the Bruins traded away Defenseman Denis Wideman, their first round (15th overall) pick in this weekend's draft, and their 2011 third round pick to the Florida Panthers for star winger Nathan Horton and center Greg Campbell.

--> Reading around, the take on this trade is mixed. Some say that Chiarelli took Tallon to the bank. Others say it was a decent trade. I'm not sure. It really comes down to, imo, Campbell vs. the 15th overall pick (or you could argue that the pick was direct compensation for Horton and Wideman lines up with Campbell). Greg Campbell is an unknown to me, other than his stats show he's not much of an offensive center. If he's solid defensively, I think that will be good for the Bruins. What do you think, Goon?

Goon's Take: With Deni Wideman being traded to the Florida Panthers, the Bruins get rid of an offensive puck moving defenseman that was seen by some to be a defensive liability, to me personally Wideman was a brutal reminder of the bad Denis Wideman for Brad Boyes trade. By trading the 15th over all pick away the Bruins will not have their second first round draft choice that they were hording all of last season.

Nathan Horton has played in five NHL season and has never scored less than 20 goals. The Bruins need offense up front and Horton will probably play on one of the top three lines. Gregory Campbell is a bit of an unknown and from what I have read is more of the rugged type forward that will drop the gloves if he needs to. Campbell's last fight was against Av's hack/goon Cody McLeod.

The other trades weren't as noteworthy.

Minnesota acquired Brad Staubitz from San Jose for their 5th round pick in this weekend's draft.

--> I actually think this is a good move. Fletcher and crew need to rebuild fast. Late rounders could take longer to develop (and may not develop at all) than those taken in the first three rounds. Staubitz isn't a glamorous player. However, he is a pretty gritty defenseman and had over 100 PIM last season.

New Jersey reacquires Jason Arnott from Nashville for Matt Halischuk and their 2011 2nd round pick.

--> I have misgivings about this trade. I think if this trade was Arnott for Halischuk straight up, it would be a good deal for both sides. If the pick had been a lower pick, such as a 4th or even a 3rd rounder, I think it would have been ok. I think Halischuk and a 2nd round pick is too much for an aging Arnott, despite the fact that he did pretty well last year and he has shown great leadership on and off the ice.

Philadelphia and Nashville exchange young D -Ryan Parent for the rights to Dan Hamhuis

--> I think this is probably the most even trade out there. Good for both sides.

Former Michigan standout TJ Hensick is now a St. Louis Blues. Colorado gets AHLer Julian Talbot

--> TJ Hensick hasn't done much in limited time in the NHL. He came on fast and then swooned like nobody's business. He did come off his best year as an AHLer though. Who knows which direction Hensick will go. Colorado gets an unknown. The best part? Over the past 3 seasons, Talbot's AHL numbers have been steadily decreasing. So, who cares. Colorado is declared the loser in this trade and that's ok by me. They re-signed Peter Budaj so karma's a biznitch.

Already talked about the Halak trade.

In other news: San Jose has decided NOT to even attempt to re-sign goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. I think he'll probably end up in either Montreal or Washington.

Also, Future Hall of Famers Rob Blake and Scott Niedermeyer retired.

Savard put a bull’s eye on his back...

I think that Bruins Center Marc Savard has put the bull’s eye firmly on his back with his post game comments last night. Apparently the fans in Philly are not happy with Savard as well. In a way I do agree with Savard because the Flyers have been taking runs at him all series long, it has been blatantly obvious from the drop of the first puck during game one.

In game four during the second period Marc Savard had the puck behind the Flyers net, Mark Richards went hard at Savard but luckily he missed, I can’t even imagine what would have happened if Richards had connected? I do admit that the Begin hit on Giroux was unnecessary and some might say it was dirty. Rough play is part of hockey and there has been questionable hits on both ends of the ice during this series and I don’t think the Flyers have the high moral ground based on their tarnished reputation. The reffing in this series has been questionable at best. I do think this series is going to heat up even more in the next game.

Make it One More in the "Disappointing Starts" Department (RW77)

I'll let Goon chime in on his beloved Bruins.

Today featured yet another interesting series beginning with the Blackhawks hosting the Canucks in a rematch of last year's semis.

Now, I know what you're all thinking. "He's a Red Wings fan. There's no way he's upset about the Canucks absolutely destroying the Hawks tonight."

Yes and No. Truthfully, if the Red Wings overcome Game 1 to win the series and advance to the Conference Finals, I'd rather them face Vancouver than Chicago. Odd for me to say that because the primary weakness for Chicago (goaltending) benefits Detroit rather than facing a good Vancouver team, but I love disappointing Vancouver fans... Especially when they feel all entitled and superior to us (which, this year, I think they may be).

Anyways, tonight the Hawks got absolutely blasted by the Canucks at home by the score of 5-1. From what I saw, it might as well have been 12-0.

This is a team (the Hawks) that played awfully bad in all respects.

They couldn't pass in ANY zone.

They couldn't defend (though part of this goes to just how good the Canuck forwards played too).

They couldn't goaltend. Niemi looked unsure of himself every time he handled the puck. Routine saves were hard for him tonight. Huet came in and suddenly the Hawks started playing Defense (probably because if they gave Canucks more than 7 shots on goal, Huet would start letting them in. I'm positive everyone in the arena was holding their breath on that Vancouver 4 on 1. Huet got lucky.).

They turned the puck over all the time. And they couldn't get the puck on net EVEN WHEN THEY MANAGED TO PRESSURE.

Vancouver didn't play a flawless game. Every time Chicago started to pressure, you could see them get a little panicked, but luckily Chicago played like crap and Luongo picked up the rest.

Maybe I'm wrong, but Chicago seems to me to be a streaky team. Niemi isn't the answer as the #1 goaltender, but Huet is a disaster.

The biggest downside is that Huet probably showed the Hawks that spending money on goaltending wasn't wise. So, signing a guy that could help them (such as Vokoun) is probably unlikely... Then again, they don't have the Cap space anyways.

I guess I'm a fan of the Hawks because I like Jonathan Toews. However, I think even he had a pretty off night tonight despite getting the assist on the only Hawk goal.

Anyways, onwards and upwards.

It's anyone's guess as to who starts Game 2 for the Hawks, but I'll say this: If you want to see a more lopsided game in favor of a team than Penguins/Habs if Price starts, Quennville should start Huet. Oh my God.

Wings and Habs lose in the first game (RW77)

Well, Game 1 of the Pens/Habs and Wings/Sharks are now in the books and it's about where I figured it.

I know I shouldn't be down on the Red Wings and I'm not, but I'm not blind to the fact that, if the Red Wings ever had an "easy" series, it was the one against the Preds.

The Sharks came out of the gate fast and scored 3 right away. That's all it takes sometimes to get rid of a team for the rest of the game. No, the Wings weren't out of it and did a pretty good job fighting their way back to make it close. However, it was too little too late.

One thing that both Game 1 losers had in common was that both were ridiculously stupid on the ice. Especially the Habs. Penguins score 4 Powerplay goals tonight. Halak gets yanked in the 3rd period (more on that soon). The Red Wings take a ridiculous 5 on 3 pk between the 2nd and 3rd periods.

WOW. However, I must hand it to Devon Setoguchi. The dive was JUST believable on the second penalty. Watch the replay. Even the commentators thought that Stuart got him on the wrist and down he goes for the count. I can't argue against the Stuart move not being a penalty. I thought it was a slash, not a high stick. But Setoguchi flopping to the ice and holding his head until the whistle blew, then getting up and not even fazed? D-I-V-E. He should have gone for embellishment. 4 on 3 Shark PP.

Both teams played solidly otherwise.

DA HABS

Ok, this was the kind of game I was actually expecting in Game One between these two foes, but I didn't expect it to be all special teams. The Habs were RIDICULOUSLY BAD on the PK.

Jaroslav Halak did ok, imo. The rest of the team? Not so much.

However, the commentators further tipped their hand when Halak got pulled in the 3rd period. They started by stating a truth (I too thought Halak should have been yanked at the start of the 3rd period) and then proceeded to glom praise on Price and acted like eager little school kids the morning of a field trip to a candy factory when describing Price's playoff history.

They dismissed Halak's performance as a "He may have done good in 5, 6, and 7, but if Price plays well, he could get the start in Game 2." Yeah, the difference is that with Halak, it took 4 power plays to get to 5 goals. With Price, it'd take 10 minutes of 5 on 5 vs. the Penguins.

So it should come as no surprise that the commentators were adamant about the possibility of Price for Game 2. There's no doubt they want the Habs to fail.

On a positive side, Crosby was held to less than 5 shots and only 2 assists on the night. He's still bound for Playoff MVP honors should the Habs not pull out a second straight upset.

The same thing applies though: Everyone expects the Penguins to advance. If the Habs lose, what have they failed at? I think this is bonus hockey for the Habs all things considered.

Martin would be ridiculously retarded to start Price UNLESS he thought that Halak was too fatigued (with the fast turnaround between series) to be effective. It is PLAINLY clear that the Habs' chances rest on Halak. NOT PRICE.

That being said, if Price starts Game 2, I would be STUNNED if the Pens didn't win. I'd taunt them mercilessly if they did anything but win in regulation (even if the won in OT) should Price start.

The Pens SHOULD take this series 4-1. I say the 1 win comes in Montreal when Halak steals another game.

On a side note: Sad Markov got injured. Not surprised Cooke did it. SURPRISED the hit was legal, though (which it was). Reviewing it further, yeah, it was legal. Too bad. I never wish injury on anyone but if Markov had to get injured, the best thing to happen would have been if he could have gotten Cooke suspended.

EDIT:

Here's the Cooke Hit:

Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Redwing77

Ok, a quick blurb on my dislike of the hype surrounding "the Legend" and "Alexander the Great."

Yes, the main stuff has been documented beyond the need for this post, so I'll skip it. But check this out:

Today I watched the NHL Network and they were doing a program on Wayne Gretzky. Yes, Wayne Gretzky. Watching his goal clips, he wasn't as much of a showboater as Alexander Ovechkin. He was just a super solid, ultra consistent, point machine that always used to exploit weaknesses in opponents' games to perfection. Oh yeah, and even by his admission, the fact that goaltender equipment was "half the size" they are today (his quote not mine) might mean something.

Now, I'm not going to slight Gretzky, but I will say this: When Gretzky was on the ice, there was always seemingly the impression that the fans and media was watching greatness. There wasn't any need to say it... It..Just..Was. With Crosby and Ovechkin...is that they case?

Nope. The NHL CONSTANTLY needs to TELL US that we're watching greatness. So, what do you think is truly great? Watching it and knowing or having it told to you?

Let's key this on another note: I could tell you that Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the game. Then I could show you footage of Walter Payton or Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith. Would I have to say ANYTHING about those three to let you know how great they were? If the answer is "Yes" then congrats, you defeated my point. If the answer is "No" even if there is a "But" after it, then my point is made. Thank you very much.

Sidney Crosby is a good hockey player. Alexander Ovechkin is a good hockey player (and would be greater if he stopped with the cheap hits). But Crosby is FAR from "the Legend" status and neither can be called "the greatest." Hey, Gretzky had 200+ points in a season 3 times, maybe more. THAT's legend status. 50 goals in 39 games. LEGEND STATUS. Sorry, Crosby isn't there yet.

And I promise this is the first and last post about this topic (unless of course cheap shots come out or Crosby or Ovechkin do something simply "legendary")

Getting serious about headshots starts now

Elliotte Friedman has a really good point about eliminating head shots in the NHL. I think hockey in general should take the same approach. This is a serious issue and we literally have hockey players getting their brains scrambled from hits to the head.

Rob DiMaio played 18 years in the NHL, his career ending in 2006 after a borderline hit by Guillaume Latendresse. DiMaio was an aggressive player – had to be to keep his job – yet averaged less than one penalty minute per game. He’s got a good perspective on this issue.

“If you really want to eliminate head shots, you have to make the penalty so severe that players will really think about it,” he said. “You can’t have them thinking, ‘Well, if I hit this guy and I get suspended, it will be for only one game.’”

Boy, do I agree with that 100 per cent.

If the GMs really want to eliminate the Richards/Booth and Cooke/Savard hits, Step I must be Fear of God. Simply tell players that anyone who does it is getting a long-term suspension. (What’s long-term? You could start at eight games, chosen arbitrarily because it’s 10 per cent of the season. Discuss amongst yourselves.)

Then deliver. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time offender. It doesn’t matter if you averaged three penalty minutes a season. If you do it, you’re going to be punished. Automatically.

(By the way, the GMs should also consider penalizing players who intentionally make themselves vulnerable to blindside hits. It might have to be after the fact/upon review, but you know there will be a diver or two who tries it. Can’t be allowed to happen.)[CBC Sports]

List Challenge: Top 5 Overrated NHL Goaltenders

Ok, I'm bored, but I'm issuing a challenge to the writers and commentors on this blog. Top 5 lists to flavor up the blog. Yeah, it's all nice to talk about the cheap hits, but I think it's time to spark some other kinds of debate.

So, I'm going to pose my top five most overrated goaltenders currently playing in the NHL. My rules? They cannot be a rookie or a goaltender that has not at any point in the previous two seasons been called the "#1 goaltender" for their respective club. They cannot already be considered a poor goaltender (Sorry, Vesa Toskala is out). They must have at least SOME hype to them.

Here they are:

5. Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins) - Ok, I'm going to get flak for this, but he's really not all that good. He just has a team in front of him that can cover for his mistakes. He tends to be too aggressive if you want some real goaltender analysis. And yeah, he won the Cup last year, whoopdedoo.

4. Marty Turco (Dallas Stars) - He was so bad last year the 5 hole was briefly named after him ("He got Turco'd."). He was better this year, but he's really not much more than a middle of the road goaltender. He's the king of inconsistent. One minute he's brilliant, the next minute, he's worse than putting goalie pads on a quadriplegic.

3. Jose Theodore (Washington Capitols) - Sometimes called Jose "Threeorfour" by sarcastic fans, this selection actually pains me. You see, I saw him when he played for the Habs and he was REALLY good on a REALLY mediocre if not bad team. I'm not sure why he's not found success, but then again... being on Colorado and Florida can do that to any goaltender... sometimes (I still can't believe Khabibulin has a Stanley Cup ring. Not because he's a bad goaltender, but because... seriously.. TAMPA FREAKING BAY?) can drive home the suck in anyone. And yeah, I know about Colorado and Roy but look at the team in front of him. What? Oh yeah, thought so. I rest my case. And no, I'm not saying Patrick Roy was overrated. I can't stand the guy, but he was VERY legit.

2. Cristobal Huet (Chicago Blackhawks) - #2 and #1 are pretty interchangeable as both I can't see as to why they ever were named #1s for their respective clubs. Huet has a 5 hole the size of Illinois and plays as consistent as the ground in and about a rock slide. He makes me nervous any time someone shoots from the point. UG-GLY.

1. Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) - How sad they have brought in Jaroslav Halak to foster and push Price along and had a GM in Gainey who said Price was the #1 all along and yet... Halak is the real deal and Price is barely NHL quality. I'm not so sure that this is Price's fault though. Gainey was a bad GM and surely rushed Price along. He shows signs of brilliance but often those are just the gleam of the lights off his facemask. I also give him the award for the goaltender who has most often tore the hearts out of Habs fans, stepped on the heart, and then flushed it down the toilet since Patrick Roy left. And he's still young. Oh, and the fact that he's gotten so much hype and has done Z-E-R-O to the millionth power to deserve the hype may also have swayed me to this.

Honorable Mentions: Nikolai Khabibulin*, Peter Budaj, Ray Emery, Any Lightning Goaltender, Vesa Toskala (Hey, can someone suck so bad they become overrated by simply saying he sucks?), Manny Legace (Ouch!), Rick DiPietro. I should give one to Boston's Tim Thomas too, but man, that guy's come a long way to get where he is.

* - He, like Theodore, is among those I have a softspot for.

Henrik Lundqvist could be on this list but the jury's still out. He's not won it all yet, nor has he gone especially deep into the playoffs. However, such factors as how suck the team in front of him is, has to be considered. Put Lundqvist on the Wings and I'm sure he'd be hoisting the Cup.

So my question to the bloggers on this site and the commentors is: What's your top 5?

More Steve Downie antics.

Stick salute to Puck Daddy. Check this video this is wild stuff, classic Donny brook, while Downie does hit the Atlanta defender high and leaves his feet, the MacAurther crosscheck on St Louis was uncalled for, bush league and late, he doesn’t even get a penalty on the play. The two buffoons announcing the game can't see past the homer glasses. I thought it was interesting so I included it.

The NHL Trade Deadline and the Red Wings (Redwing77)

Just like the Wild, the Red Wings didn't do much. They made two trades, a bubble player/prospect for another and a veteran washout for a younger winger. Neither look to be an impact player for this year and probably next year as well.

It was very disappointing that we couldn't make a move on a goaltender. I would have LOVED to see Halak in Red Wing red... or better yet, make true the rumors around Tomas Vokoun and bring him to Motown.

I think Howard is going to be a good goaltender, but I'm not sold on him as a #1.

I am sold on the fact that "WasGood" is done. At least he's done as a #1 goaltender in Detroit. Not a bad career for him.

Detroit, though, is with Chicago and New Jersey in that they're not exactly swimming in cap space. Only making it worse is the fact that there is a HUGE question in depth after the current NHL goaltending duo. McCallum might be a good one, but he's a ways out and facing an upward battle after looking dismal in the 2008-9 World Juniors. Daniel Larsson has seen sparing time in the NHL and looks to be the only one even remotely close to NHL ready. Other than McCallom, the Wings have two former NCAA goaltenders in Notre Dame's Jordan Pearce and Yale's Alec Richards in their ECHL affiliate. Neither are NHL material yet...if at all.

Overall, there are teams that are hit by the injury bug and play ok despite it... Detroit isn't one of them. What makes it worse is that they SHOULD have been able to. Osgood SHOULD have been a good #1 goaltender...but he wasn't. Datsyuk and Zetterberg SHOULD have been as dynamic as they've been the past two years... they're still good but they're not.

Oh well. Hopefully Chicago can get Huet and Niemi to play out of their minds so I can see Toews do well at least.

Flyers get hosed by video review.

Check out this blown call. So what is the point of this going to video review if they can't make the right call. How do they manage to screw this video review up this bad? I guess its not only the WCHA refs that are blowing the calls on legit goals. Wow!
[Props]

John Scott and Matt Greene.

This fight was from the other night when the Wild were beat at home by the LA Kings. Actually, to call this a fight is kind of a stretch, it was more of a hug feast between former MTU defenseman John Scott and former Fighting Sioux star Matt Greene.

I think this video illustrates they only reason John Scott is playing with the Wild is because he can Fight and shows a willingness to drop the gloves. Now that the Wild have Clayton Stone on their roster who is more talented than Scott and can fight; we will probably see Scott sent back to Houston. On the flip side Greene is in the NHL because he has the talent to play in the NHL and will fight if he has too.

Head shots...

I am not sure why this doctor Dr. Charles Tator is picking a fight with Hockey personality and hockey legend Don Cherry? I have watched Don Cherry on the Coaches’ Corner for over 25 years and I have never heard him out there promoting hitting the opposition in the head. If anything I have heard the opposite, I have heard Cherry blast thugs like Ulfie Samuelsson that play the game cheap. During many shows I have heard Cherry speak against using some of the hardened equipment that players use today. Listen to video and what Cherry has to say, he isn't promoting head shots.

Recently, at the Regina workshop, I indicated that the "rock 'em, sock 'em" type of hockey espoused by commentators such as Don Cherry can no longer be the culture that dictates our game. We need to depart from the "win at all costs" mentality and return to the game when players had respect for their own bodies and respect for their opponents.

This message has been given by many others, such as the McMurtry report on amateur hockey violence in Ontario in 1974. In my book on sports and recreational injuries published last year, the cost of all sports and recreational injuries in Ontario was estimated at about $3 billion.

However, the costs in terms of grieving families and suffering athletes is much more important and of even greater magnitude than we had imagined, as demonstrated by the work from Boston University reported recently in the Star. This report included the case of former NHL player Reggie Fleming whose brain had major damage after repeated concussions.
[The Star]