Mike Ribeiro's slash on Chris Osgood

Last night at the end of the game between the Stars and the Red wings you saw a brawl almost break out. At the end of the game you will Mike Ribeiro skate by Chris Osgood and then skate back and slash Chris Osgood in the middle of his chest protector, after the slash Osgood drops to the ice like he has been shot. If you look closely at the tape from TSN you will see that Osgood attempt to butt end Ribeiro with the his goalie stick. Frankly if there is going to be a suspension both men should have to sit in my opinion. Stick fouls can not be tolerated and both men acted like spoiled children in this incident and I would make them sit IF I were the league commissioner.

Flyer's and Penguins stuff...

Here is a interesting picture that I found over yardbarker.

The Flyer's got some bad news today when they learned that defenseman Kimmo Timonen, was diagnosed with a blood clot in his ankle, effectively ending his season. Timonen is a big part of the Flyer's blue line so this is a big loss.

Philly beat writer Phil Sheridan wrote an interesting article about the rivalry with Pittsburgh. You will find an interesting description of the Flyer's, however, these are the opinion of a Penguins fan. Scary eh? It sounds almost like the same stuff Sioux fans have seen written about their favorite college hockey team. The Fighting Sioux are a bunch of thugs, the Fighting Sioux are a bunch of classless goons.

The Flyer's [sic] have always played dirty and it starts with Clark's [sic] mentality. Maybe it's just a coincidence that the league has had it with them, too."

And this: "Once again old time hockey Neanderthals Holmgren and Clarke will find out that talent and toughness beats the cowardly dirty play of a bunch of knuckle-dragging hacks."

Several e-mailers suggested that Philadelphia fans deserve that 25-year championship drought because of their lack of class. There is a curious blend of self-righteousness - the Flyer's are thugs! - and aggressiveness - our team can beat up your team! - at work here.

If the Flyers knock someone down, they're Broad Street Bullies throwbacks. If Georges Laraque or Gary Roberts does it, then it's part of the game.

Brendan Morrow scores or not.

The Sharks were lucky to win last night. Here is the video from Brendan Morrow's NO-goal that was disallowed. I kind of wonder why it was called a no goal? Look good to me last night and when I watched the video today.

Did they just say that. Leave it to the AP.

Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE


Here is a funny head line Flyer's want to skate faster. That is like saying if we score more goals we will win. Danny Briere is right if the Flyer's don't move their feet in this series they are going to get run out of the building by speedy Habs.

Center Daniel Briere said that he and his teammates need to bring up their tempo Saturday night in Game 2.

"I don't think we skated as well as we did in the Washington series," Briere said. "We did in stretches but not consistently enough (Thursday) night to get us the win and that's one area we have to improve and get our legs moving instead of trying to make plays standing still."

Series Prediction: Habs in 5 games. The Flyer's will not be able to keep up.

Rangers talking smack before game one.

Picture from the New York Post

While I do not have a dog in this fight, now that all of my favorite NHL teams have been ceremoniously eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, that doesn't mean that I am not interested in the games. The series that intrigues me the most is the one between the Pittsburg Penguins and the New York Rangers. Sounds like Jagr not to be out done by team punk Sean Avery has put a shot across the Pens bow. One could say that the rhetoric is heating up before game one.

Jagr says that : Sidney not in Mario's league if that isn't bulletin board material I don't know what is?

"With all due respect for [Sidney] Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin, I don't think they are Mario Lemieux," said Jagr, preparing to go to Pittsburgh, his first NHL home, for tomorrow's night second-round opener between the Rangers New York Rangers and Penguins.

"I say that with all due respect because the game has changed.

"The gap between the best and worst players on a team [today] is very small. The gap between Mario and the rest of the guys when I was in Pittsburgh was so huge he was able to score 20 points in one series. I don't think those kids are able to do it. If I am wrong I am going to apologize and [say], 'Great job.'

I don't know about you, but I think Sid the Kid is a pretty good hockey player and Malkin isn't too bad himself. If the Rangers don't check the Malkin Crosby line they will be buried by the speedier Penguins. I have picked them to win the Stanley Cup.

I guess that Sioux fans aren't the only one that complain about the refs. Brendan Shanahan is basically calling the refs out before the series start and calling Sidney Crosby a diver... I guess what ever it takes to get the upper hand?

When the Rangers played their March 30-31 home-and-home against the Penguins, Crosby contested essentially every penalty call either made against the Penguins or those he believed should have been made against the Blueshirts. There was widespread belief that No. 87 and his teammates dived repeatedly in matches that were officiated according to "Crosby Rules."

"I'd like to believe that bias doesn't exist," Shanahan said. "Some people might argue the league wants Crosby to advance, but others might argue that it would be a greater benefit to have a team from New York in the conference finals.

"But the refereeing is something we are not going to focus on. I'd hope we can keep that out of our room, entirely."