Maxim Lapierre is a Fraud

This is the kind of shenanigans that disgusts me. It should disgust other NHL hockey fans as well.

There's no way around it, Maxim Lapierre of the Pittsburgh Penguins is a fraud and a disgrace to the game of hockey. Lapierre should be ashamed of himself after this lackluster acting job that drew a power play. If I was a GM in the NHL I wouldn't employ a player like this.

If you watch the video you will see that  Dominic Moore of the NY Rangers barely touches Lapierre. These are the kind bush-league moves that should warrant a suspension from the NHL.

The Rangers forward Moore was incorrectly given a two-minute minor for roughing. I hope the Rangers sent a tape to the NHL, for further review. The on-ice officials in this game should also be upset because Lapierre made an ass out of them. I also think that the Penguins head coach should be given a fine for this bravo sierra.

Duguay on Max Lapierre acting: "Doesn't even come close to his face. This does not belong in the #NHL. This is stuff you do when you're 12."
— Sean Hartnett (@HartnettHockey) April 23, 2015

(video) Patrick Sharp hammers Maxim Lapierre

Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp hammers St. Louis Blues puke Maxim Lapierre. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  There's been a lot of hard hitting in this series..

Maxim Lapierre Suspended For Five Games

In my opinion, this suspension isn't long enough. I would have liked to have seen Maxim Lapierre get a longer suspension. When are the players going to learn, you can't make these hits? Someone is going to get killed on the ice.

Related articles

• Blues Rat Maxim Lapierre suspended indefinitely for dirty hit on Dan Boyle (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

The Canucks Ryan Kesler show us how to dive and then get a penalty

Diving is ruining the game of hockey, on all levels and there is no excuse for it. Punish the offending players and it will evaporate from the game of hockey, almost over night.

Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler is dead to me, there is no excuse for the way he plays the game of hockey, while he might be a great young American forward, he's a fraud. Kesler is no better than his buddies  Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre who are also a disgrace to the game of hockey.

All three of these clowns are a text book examples on how to flail, dives, embellish. Disgusting.

NHL wants to punish and black list divers

Diver/Fraud

I find it funny if not ironic that the Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa would be on a committee of NHL players to look at diving and divers, when he's on a team that employs three of the biggest divers in the National Hockey League, Ryan Kessler, Maxim Lapierre, Alex Burrows, and lets not forget the Sedin Twins Daniel and Henrik who are also the kings of the head snap.

Joe Haggerty, CSNNE --- Ironically enough Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa was one of the NHL players at the enforcement meetings looking to snuff out the diving infractions, but he has long been one of the Vancouver skaters to play the game with some level of honesty. Campbell said that players, coaches and managers are hoping for a “Most Wanted” list of divers to be posted in every NHL locker room, and therefore hopefully embarrass them.

So P.K. Subban, Mike Ribeiro, Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre among others should officially be on notice that there will be a zero tolerance policy for divers on the ice next season.

"They want to get [the list] out there," said Campbell to reporters. "They want the player to be caught, whether it's on the ice by the referee or by us on video. They are all tired of diving. The object is to make them stop eventually and, by doing that, they can get it out there around the League, embarrass them. The referees will know it, too, so the divers don't get the benefit of the doubt.”

I am all for the NHL having a list with the NHL most blatant divers and I am also for punishing the players that are the repeat offenders that you see flopping all over the like a fish out of water. Doesn't sound like the NHL is to that point yet - I am hoping they reconsider looking at the diving and embellishment problem if it doesn't improve

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY --- "They want to get [the list] out there," Campbell said. "They want the player to be caught, whether it's on the ice by the referee or by us on video. They are all tired of diving. The object is to make them stop eventually and, by doing that, they can get it out there around the League, embarrass them. The referees will know it, too, so the divers don't get the benefit of the doubt."

According to the NHL Rulebook, players who violate the diving/embellishment rule can be subject to supplementary discipline through fine and/or suspension. Campbell said there was no appetite among the group attending the two-day summit to suspend repeat offenders, because the players feel the punishment that comes with having your name on the divers' list would be enough to reduce the frequency with which the tactic is used.

Diving and embellishment is an issue that I would like to see the NHL address - it has been horrible the last couple of seasons in the NHL - especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Me personally, I would like to see there be a suspension(s) for players that are caught committing multiple offenses for embellishment and or diving. What do you think?

Kesler and Lapierre told to zip it.

Vancouver Canucks center Maxim Lapierre during a game against the Colorado Avalanche on March 16, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I couldn't resist with this one. The most unlikable team in the NHL has told a few of their players to quit yapping. You can't make this stuff up. I guess the coaching staff for the Vancouver Canucks figured out that the rest of the NHL was tired of the Canucks antics.

Mark Spector, Sports Net --- "Ryan and Alex rarely at any point have shown that aspect -- they toned it down last year and that’s externally driven," said head coach Alain Vigneault.

Translation: "We told them to quit yapping and they have complied."

On the other hand ...

"Max has done it on a couple of occasions and has been told to shut up and play. And that's what we expect from him," said Vigneault.

Vigneault’s count of "a couple of times" is generous. Lapierre is truly the mouth that roared, seemingly unable to skate to the bench at shifts end without jabbering at an opponent.

Why this line combo, at this point in the series?

Canucks Hate - The hockey world really does hate them

I could spend a lot of time giving you reasons why I hate the Vancouver Canucks. If you read this blog during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, that hold the Canucks in a very low regard, but I am not alone. There is so many reasons why and so little space to cover all of the reasons. All you have to do is type Hate Vancouver Canucks on Google and you will get thousands of hits on webpages covering this subject.

I once compared the Canucks fan base to the fans of a college hockey team that resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I am not a lone in my hate for the Canucks, there are thousands of hockey fans outside of the city of Vancouver that hate the Vancouver Canucks. This isn’t a small isolated case.

Let’s start with their players, the Vancouver Canucks have a conga line of buffoons and unlikeable characters.

First you have Kevin Bieksa; who is a player that played his college hockey at Bowling Green State University. Bieksa is a bully, who loves to beat up and fight the other teams skilled players and players that shy away from the fights, if you look at his Hockey Fights page you will see that he doesn’t fight the skilled fighters and heavy weights very often.

Then you have Max Lapierre this guy is an absolute clown. The former Hab, Lapierre is a perfect fit on the Canucks, he can dive with the best in the NHL and this guy also loves to run his mouth and he tends to turtle or hide behind the refs when someone that knows how to fight comes to collect.

Like his buddy Bieksa, if he does fight, Lapierre tends to fight the players not known for their fighting prowess. I will be honest with you as a Bruins fan, I would dislike this clown no matter what team he is on. There will also be many of us that will adopt whatever team is playing the Canucks during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, just because this clown is on the Canucks.

Another clown in the Canucks line-up is uber hack Alex Burrows, this guy is absolute disgrace and probably one of the “most” unlikable characters in the NHL. There are hours of video to back up my point and there is too little bandwidth available.

Like Lapierre, Kesler and the Sedin twins, he flails, throws his head back and dives up and down the ice with the best of them, this guy would also be a perfect Montreal Canadian. This is the same clown that pulled the hair of Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith during the 2009 season and of course we all saw him bite Boston Bruin’s forward Patrice Bergeron last year during the Stanley Cup Finals. I don’t understand how this guy doesn’t get his clock cleaned every game.

Then there is the Sedin Twins; Daniel and Henrik, these guys are world class athletes and probably the first pick in anyone's fantasy hockey draft, unfortunately, they are two of the biggest frauds in the NHL, the Sedin twins skate up and down the ice flopping and flailing all-over the ice. Some fans refer to them as the Sedin Sisters.

Then you have American born Ryan Kesler, this guy is officially dead to me, I can’t respect an American  hockey players that dives like he does. Everytime he is hit, Kesler throws his head back and flails up and down the ice and is only surpased by the Sedin twins in his antics. True to form, Kesler was already displaying this poor sportsmanship in game one of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The American born and former Boston College Eagle goalie Cory Schneider doesn’t seem to understand why no one likes his team. I guess that Schneider must not read the papers.

"What's frustrating to us is when the national media and people outside the city parachute in and form these opinions," Schneider said. "They take things for facts that aren't really facts. If you talk to us and spend any time with us, you understand we're good guys. Dan Hamhuis, the twins, Manny [Malhotra], Sami Salo. They play the game the right way and do great things in the community." "You look around the league and people don't like us and Pittsburgh and we're two of the better teams," Schneider said. "You saw Darcy Hordichuk and Ben Eager in Edmonton. Nobody cares about Edmonton so nobody hates them. It's that simple." [CBS Sports]

But the “hate” isn’t only coming from the fans and media, the players also despise the Canucks as well. NHL writers Hosea Cheung and Ken Wiebe held a chat on this past Wednesday on the league's most hated team, the Vancouver Canucks. Hosea Cheung said this when replying to a fans comment.

CanuckPeg, players openly talk about hating the Canucks, how is the media hyping it up?? It's not exactly a secret

Dr Recchi rips Vancouver, Bieksa rips Recchi

Image by slidingsideways via Flickr

Apparently Dr. Mark Recchi has stirred up the Vancouver Canucks with a few of his comments he made on a radio show in Boston last week.

You can hear Recchi's comments on the media file below. If my memory serves me right I also recall saying some of the same things about the Vancouver Canucks, " I have said in the past that the Vancouver Canucks are one of the most unlikable teams in the NHL (next to the Montreal Canadians and their fans)."

Below is the transcript of Recchi's comments.

“(In) 22 years they are the most arrogant team I played against and the most hated team I’ve ever played against,” Recchi said on 98.5 the Sports Hub. “I couldn’t believe their antics, their falling and diving. It was very frustrating, but at the same time as the series wore on we knew we were getting to them and we knew our physical play and our skating, I think it caught them off guard a little bit.”

 Apparently the Vancouver Canucks didn't appreciate Mark Recchi's comments. In particular Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa was less than impressed with Recchi's comments as well. 

NESN.COM --- "Isn't he retired? What's he doing? Tell him to go play a round of golf or take a nap," Bieksa said, according to The Province.
Bieksa then insisted that you can call the Canucks a lot of things, but he doesn't think "arrogant" is one of them.

"The twins are so humble and you may not like playing against guys like Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows, but they're not arrogant," he said. "I just don't get it. Mark Recchi can go take a nap."

Really? In my opinion, I think Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre are two of the biggest frauds in the NHL, when these two clowns aren't posing as punks on the ice they they are diving up and down the ice when ever the opposition breaths on them.

Related articles

• Stanley Cup Champion Mark Recchi Calls Into K&M (wzlx.radio.com)
• Classless in Victory: A Response to Mark Recchi's Comments About the Canucks (bleacherreport.com)
• Vancouver's Defence Continues to Struggle (insidehockey.com)

Chara taps Canucks Lappierre...

Here is the video of the Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara giving Maxim Lapierre a little tap with his stick and then Vancouver Canucks fraud forward Maxim Lapierre flailing around like he has been shot with a .45 caliber pistol. I mean come on… Seriously, if the Canucks are wondering why they aren’t/haven’t getting the calls from the on ice officials it’s actions like this, the refs don’t know when they are actually penalties and or have chose to over look these infractions because of the Canuck’s on ice antics. I think the Canucks have no one to blame but their selves.

Here is what the Bruins Blog from the Boston Globe has to say on the matter.

Chara gives Maxim Lapierre a tap with his stick. Lapierre doubles over like he needs immediate surgery and possible amputation. The men in stripes aren't fooled.

The Canuck who cried wolf --- a good illustration on the Canucks diving…

Here is a really good article about the Vancouver Canucks frauds Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre. I also think after watching Alex Burrows on a regular basis during the Stanley Cup playoffs; I would have to say to some extent that NHL referee Stephane Auger might have been vindicated. The sad thing is that frauds hockey players like Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre are turning the great game of hockey games into European soccer matches.

Eric Duhatschek Globe and Mail ---- Maybe the explanation for Alex Burrows’ histrionics and for Maxim Lapierre’s theatrics is as a simple as this: A fable that so many of us listened to and absorbed lessons from - The Boy Who Cried Wolf - wasn’t part of their school curriculum.

Or it slipped through the cracks of their learning in favour of other children’s stories. Because if they did know the story, they would have identified themselves as its co-protagonists during Friday night’s fifth game of the Stanley Cup final, a 1-0 victory for their Vancouver Canucks’ team.

Lapierre, who scored the game-winning goal, appeared mortally wounded earlier in the game, when Boston Bruins’ defenceman Zdeno Chara gently nudged the blade of his stick into Lapierre’s abdominal region. As Lapierre doubled over, Chara looked on in disgust and the refereeing pair of Stephen Walkom and Dan O’Rourke solemnly stared at both the offenders and resolutely called nothing.

Burrows had a much tougher time of it because he was legitimately being fouled all night - and couldn’t draw a call if his life depended on it. It was as if all the embellishments - in this series, past series, all year long, since he arrived in the NHL - had come home to roost.

Yes, this was open season on Alex and even if a referee would never acknowledge that such a thing can happen, a message was clearly being delivered. Cease and desist, or risk further erosion of the refereeing standard in what’s left of these 2011 playoffs.

Burrows may have even absorbed the lesson - or more probably, was under strict instructions to say nothing inflammatory about the refereeing post-game Friday, even if he had a strong case to argue. Burrows answered questions for wave after wave of reporters, and it was all a riff on the same basic theme: Referees have a difficult job. They can’t see everything. They can’t call everything. Burrows offered up an anecdote from his own past, noting that when he’d refereed youth soccer, with virtually no one watching, he felt pressure.

On Saturday, it was more of the same. Prior to their departure for Game 6 in Boston, amid a loud sendoff at Vancouver International Airport, Burrows was specifically asked if his tendency to embellish made it hard to get a call.

“It doesn't matter,” he answered. “My focus is on the game. That's all.”

While one might say that I have focused on the bad things that the Vancouver Canucks have done during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and maybe I glossed over the good things. Let me be clear, the Vancouver Canucks are a great hockey team but their on ice antics make them one of the most unlikable teams I have ever watched.

Damien Cox: Loving these Canucks sure isn’t easy

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeI am “not always” a fan of Damien Cox he is a pretty good writer but I don’t agree with his opinions on many things, this article really nails it out of the park. I think Cox is spot on when describing the Vancouver Canucks and their on ice behavior.

Damien Cox; Toronto Star ---- understand why so many screw their faces at these Canucks like they just heard Sarah Palin make another historical funny, there are many points of reference to consider.

Bringing in Max Lapierre from Montreal (via Anaheim, of course) at the trade deadline just added a trash-talking player notorious for faking injuries and fouls. As one joke goes, when Lapierre left the Canadiens, it meant Alexandre Despatie was left as the No. 1 diver in Quebec.

This is a team of Bill Barbers, and the last thing it needed for its image was another one.

Kevin Bieksa has beat up two non-fighters in the post-season, Viktor Stalberg and Patrick Marleau, and both bouts lacked any sense of honour. The head shots by Raffi Torres and Aaron Rome that left opposing players concussed at the same time the sports world in general frets about brain injuries were reckless and unnecessary.

Alex Burrows lowered the bar with his chomp on the peaceful Patrice Bergeron in Game 1, made worse by the league’s decision not to do anything about it and Lapierre’s mocking of that decision in Game 2. Burrows got into a stick-fight with Boston goalie Tim Thomas in Game 4, a fight he started.

Every game, it seems, there’s another line crossed. In Game 4, Ryan Kesler got back to his old whine-at-the-refs mode, something he’d removed from his repertoire.

Pressure and push-back does funny things, huh?

Again, the Canucks probably don’t really care how they’re remembered. They just want to win, and history will take care of itself in the Land of the Hockey Conspiracy Theory.

But if they don’t, we’ll be left to wonder if what seemed to be an inability to draw within the lines was really a tip-off that the Canucks couldn’t walk a straight one when they needed to.

I have said many of the same things during the Stanley Cup playoffs about the Vancouver Canucks; the Canucks in my opinion are one of the most unlikable teams in the NHL history, they are a bunch of whiny punks. Seriously! I don’t understand how the Bruins can keep from pounding guys like Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre? This two buffoons lack any sense of class and sportsmanship and I believe that their coach is in a way culpable because he has condoned their on ice behavior.

Kevin Bieksa is whining now…

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeVancouver Canucks Defenseman Kevin Bieksa was whining to the media yesterday about the big bad Bruins. After watching last night’s game it would appear that the Boston Bruins have gotten into the Vancouver Canucks head’s.

That’s not the only whining coming out of the Vancouver Canucks locker room… I suppose you can mark it down as a “oh no he didn’t” moment or foot in mouth disease. Apparently the Vancouver Canucks hockey team aren’t very happy with Versus hockey analyst and former Boston Bruins player/head coach Mike Milbury; during the second intermission of last night’s game; Mike Milbury referred to the Sedins twins as "Thelma and Louise." I say if the ballet shoe fits, wear it!!! In all seriousness during the Stanley Cup Finals the Sedin twins have been invisible on the score sheet; however, the Sedin twins have been notorious for their constant and blatant diving, whenever they are tapped by the Boston Bruins player.

Douglas Flynn; NESN --- NHL vice president Mike Murphy announced on Tuesday that "the garbage that is going on" had been addressed and further displays, such as players shoving their fingers in an opponent's face, will draw penalties.

While the Bruins appear to have taken Murphy's warning to heart about the excessive extracurricular activity in the series, the Canucks refuse to take any responsibility for the ugliness seen so far. According to Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa, they're just innocent victims being bullied by the big, bad Bruins.

"This group in here, we're fine with that," Bieksa said of the league's crackdown after Wednesday's morning skate before Game 4. "We know to stay away from it. Last game, yeah we were holding our ground, but I don't think you saw any scrums in front of our net. They were always in front of their net, their guys pushing and shoving after the whistle and flexing their muscles and proving how big and bad they are, but during the whistles we're the top-hitting team in the league so we're going to punish them during the whistles and we'll let them do that stuff after. The finger pointing and all that stuff, it's getting a little old really quick. When you're the sixth guy to do it, I don't think it's that funny anymore. We'll see if there's any more of that [in Game 4]."

So by Bieksa's logic, teammate Maxim Lapierre's initial taunt of Patrice Bergeron in Game 2 after Alex Burrows was not suspended for biting Bergeron in Game 1 was just fine. But Mark Recchi and Milan Lucic doing the same to Lapierre and Burrows, respectively, in Game 3 wasn't "funny anymore."

On that, at least, Bruins coach Claude Julien would agree. He was upset to see his players stoop to the Canucks' level and happy to hear that the league was cracking down on such antics going into Game 4.

"It's unfortunate," Julien said. "I was one of those guys that voiced my opinion that I wouldn't accept it. I certainly didn't share that with my team. Consequently, we were responsible for a couple of those. Obviously it was clear after the game what I expected from our guys. I'm certainly not a guy that encourages that kind of stuff

Claude Julien unimpressed with Canucks Maxim Lapierre's antics

I don't think that Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien is the only person that is unimpressed with Canucks hack Maxim Lapierre and his on ice antics. Can you imagine if this buffoon had done this classless act to Gordy Howe or during the days where there wasn't an instigator penalty? You have to give Patrice Bergeron credit for not just hauling off and popping Lapierre.

Douglas Flynn; NESN -- They chose not to whine and complain when Vancouver forward Alexandre Burrows was not suspended for biting Patrice Bergeron in Game 1. They didn't use it as an excuse when Burrows was not only in the lineup for Game 2, but scored the game-winner in overtime.

And they're not going to stoop to the Canucks' level in responding to Maxim Lapierre's Game 2 taunt of Bergeron. Lapierre stuck out his finger at Bergeron after a whistle, challenging him to bite it, then was seen laughing about the incident on the bench.

"I can't really talk about their team," Bruins coach Claude Julien said after Monday's morning skate in preparation of Game 3 at the Garden. "I'm going to talk about mine because I don't handle those players. I don't deal with those players on a one-on-one basis. It really isn't up to me to, I guess, comment on it. If it's acceptable for them, then so be it. It certainly wouldn't be acceptable on our end of it. I think you know me well enough to know that.

"[There's] not much I can say on that," Julien added. "The NHL rules on something and they decide to make a mockery of it. That's totally up to them. If that's their way of handling things, then so be it. Again, we can't waste our time on that kind of stuff. We really have to focus on what we have to do. The last time I looked, we're down two games to none, and all our energy has to go towards that."

The rest of the Bruins downplayed the incident as well.

Related articles

• Claude Julien's had it with biting and taunting; Lapierre has no comment on being called "punkish" (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Julien steamed about Canucks' biting, taunting (theglobeandmail.com)
• Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3: Claude Julien Didn't Find Max Lapierre's Finger Joke Funny (sbnation.com)
• Bruins coach steamed about Canucks' biting, taunting (theglobeandmail.com)
• Julien: Canucks made 'mockery' of Burrows bite (sports.espn.go.com)

Maxim Lapierre sticks his finger in Bergeron’s face

I don't know how Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron doesn't wind up and just punch Vancouver Canucks hack forward Maxim Lapierre in the face after this classless gesture. Seriously, Lapierre is openly mocking the NHL and making them look like a bunch of horses rear ends by not suspending Alex Burrows.

Related articles

• PHOTO: Max Lapierre Dares Patrice Bergeron To Bite His Finger (sbnation.com)
• Bruins Vs. Canucks Score: Daniel Sedin's Third Period Goal Forces Overtime (sbnation.com)
• NHL won't fine or suspend Alex Burrows for his bite on Patrice Bergeron (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Canucks Vs. Bruins: Patrice Bergeron Comments On Alex Burrows Bite; Suspension Possible For Vancouver Forward (sbnation.com)