Chimera says that Marchand a diver.

The Washington Capitals forward Jason Chimera and others from the Capitals and their media has called Boston Bruins forward Brad "the Little Ball of Hate" Marchand a diver.

“No matter how much Marchand’s diving and stuff like that, is embellishing a bit, but you can’t do stuff like that because it’s going to be called.” [Capitals Insider]

The Little ball of hate, Marchand has been less than thrilled with being called a diver. Here is what he has to say. Just for the record Marchand was cut on the play in question.

“For them to judge what knocks you down, they don’t know your balance or what not on the play,” Marchand told reporters. “They’re sitting at home watching on TV. I don’t really care what they say. They have no impact on my game, my life. They mean nothing.” [Capital's Insider]

WCHA Issues Suspension to MSU Women’s Hockey Coach

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This can be marked up as being the head scratcher of the week. The WCHA has suspended MSU-M Women’s coach Eric Means for five games. The suspension isn’t that head scratcher, but the fact that he was suspended two months after the season was over, so much for swift justice.

 April 23, 2012/For Immediate Release

MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today announced that head women’s hockey coach Eric Means of Minnesota State University, Mankato has been issued a five-game suspension from coaching due to a violation of the WCHA Code of Conduct.

The decision was reached by the WCHA Women’s Executive Committee after a review of his actions during the February 17 (2012) game versus the University of Minnesota Duluth. The five-game suspension, which includes one first round WCHA playoff game that Means sat out voluntarily back on February 24, will consist of the first four conference games (no exhibition or non-conference games) of the upcoming 2012-13 season.

Minnesota State University issued a statement in response to today’s announcement from the Association that said “We understand and accept the decision made by the Women’s WCHA Executive Committee. MSU Athletics supports the underlying principles of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play and insists on integrity, ethical conduct, and accountability from all staff, coaches, and student-athletes. This decision suggests that the WCHA is committed to similar principles and ideals and this outcome sends a strong message to member institutions underscoring those expectations.”

The WCHA will have no further comment on this issue.

Jason Spezza's controversial goal - Rangers nation not happy

This is one of the reason that I love playoff hockey. There is so much going on in the game and the players take it up a notch from the regular season. Unfortunately, the right call isn't always made or is it?

Here is the controversial goal that was scored by Senators' forward Jason Spezza. It would appear from the video that Chris Neil going hard and crashing the net; did help the end result. Obviously the Rangers didn't like the call.

Fortunately for the Rangers, the Senators were unable to get the game tying goal in the closing minutes of  game six and held on to win the game 3-2. The Rangers and the Senators' will play game seven in New York (TBD).

This what the NHL officials had to say on the controversial goal.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was less than pleased with the Senators' second goal. “I just think it’s an absolute joke," Lundquist said. "I am going to freeze the puck, he pushes me out and kicks the puck. It scares me that they can call that a goal. Someone wanted them back in the game for sure. It upsets me but we played a really good game and deserved this one.”

Those comments could get Lundquist a fine from the NHL.

The Senators' tough guy Christ Neil has been was a big factor in this series and was named the third star of tonight's game, Neil scored a goal for the Senators and fought Brandon Prust at the 15:10 mark of the first period.
In game five Chris Neil nailed Brian Boyle with this monster hit [click to view] causing Boyle to miss tonight's game with an concussion.  The tide would turn for Neil as he would end up on the receiving end of a  hit by the Rangers Michael Del Zotto behind the Rangers net in the third period. Neil laid on the ice for a few second before he got up and skated to the Senators' bench.

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Jarret Stoll's series winning goal

This was the goal that sent the Vancouver Canucks to the golf course and sent the L.A. Kings to the second round of the NHL playoffs to play the St Louis Blue. Its only fitting that on the game winning goal by Kings forward Jarrett Stoll that there is a Vancouver Canuck defenseman Dan Hamhuis flopping around on the ice as the game winning goal was being scored.

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Seth Jones to the Winterhawks?

In perusing the Internet today it would appear that Seth Jones might be going to the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. I don't really think it's that a big shocker to anyone and his chances of playing at UND are probably between slim and none. It had been announced that the highly sought after Jones was going to pick between the WHL and going the NCAA route at UND. Jones actually made a recruiting visit this past season. Here is the press release from the Portland Winterhawks.

Backes, Bergeron and Datsyuk up for the Selke

The National Hockey League announced their year-end awards today and Former MSU-M Mavericks and current St. Louis Blues forward David Backes was named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke trophy. I would think this is another great argument for the NCAA hockey being a great place to develop future talent for the NHL.

TSN.CA --- The National Hockey League has announced more nominees for its year end awards, unveiling the finalists for the Lady Byng and Frank J. Selke trophies.

David Backes of the St. Louis Blues, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings are the three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward, the league announced Monday.

Backes had the highest average ice time per game among forwards (19 minutes 59 seconds) on a Blues club that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL by a wide margin. The six-foot-three, 225-pound centre was a punishing physical presence, doling out a team-leading 226 hits to join Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown as the only players to record 200 hits or more in each of the past five seasons.

Backes led the Blues in faceoffs, blocked shots and posted a plus-15 rating. The Blues captain is an NHL trophy finalist for first time in his seven-year career and is the first Blues player up for the Selke since Michal Handzus finished second in 2000.

Bergeron led the NHL in plus-minus (plus-36) and posted a plus-18 rating both at home and on the road in helping the Bruins rank second in the Eastern Conference in team defence (2.39 goals-against average).

Tim Thomas not done yet

There are some that want to run the Boston Bruins starting goalie Tim Thomas out of town, these are the same people that have all but blamed the veteran goalie for a for the Bruins loses against the Washington Capitals. I know it's cliche but there is no "I" in team, hockey is a team game and loses don't happen in a vacuum. Pretty tough to win a game if your team is only scoring one to two goals per game.

If you have been watching the series against the Washington Capitals for more than a minute you will know that Tim Thomas has not been the reason the Bruins have been pushed to the brink of elimination in their first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins have looked sluggish and at times disinterested in playing hockey. Offense points from their top six forwards has been the main problem for the Boston Bruins.

It's still easier to blame the goalie for the teams problems. I also got to give credit where credit is due, the Washington Capitals are not an easy out and they have played the Boston Bruins hard and have not given the Bruins much of a chance to get chances from the slot. A lot of the Bruins offensive opportunities have been from the perimeter.

Joe Haggerty, Bruins Insider ---- It would have been difficult for the Bruins to even entertain dealing Thomas heading into next season if he’d repeated his Conn Smythe, Vezina and Stanley Cup efforts again this spring, but that doesn’t appear to be happening. But his average playoff performance after turning Boston’s regular season into his own personal political agenda loosens up their attachment to the veteran goaltender quite a bit.

Thomas’ no-trade clause is gone as of July 1 and his actual 2012-13 salary drops to $3 million while retaining a $5 million cap hit – a wrinkle that will make the veteran netminder attractive to a goalie-starved team looking to hit the cap floor while saving ownership a few bucks.

While it’s clear to those that closely watched the Bruins Thomas wasn’t the same goalie this year once the calendar hit January, there is still enough value associated with the goalie to net the Bruins a few picks and a prospect this summer.

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Tyler Seguin extends the series

The Boston Bruins are going to another game seven as Tyler Seguin scored the game winning goal at the 3:17 of overtime to send the series back to Boston. This will be the Bruins fourth game seven in the last fourteen months. Game seven is on Wednesday night (TDB) at TD North Garden. This was the first goal of the playoffs for Seguin (1g-1a-2pts).

The Bruins have stuggled to get scoring from their top two lines, David Krejci (1g-2a-3pts), Milan Lucic (0g-3a-3pts), Patrice Bergeron (0g-2a-2pts), Brad Marchand (1g-1a-2pts). Krecji also scored his first goal of the playoffs today. Brad Marchand got his first goal of the playoffs yesterday.

Richard Peverley (3g-2a-5pts), Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin, Andrew Ference and David Krejci all had 2 points in today's win against the Washington Capitals. 

The best line for the Bruins through the first five games of the Stanley Cup playoffs has been the line of Benoit Pouliot (1g-1a-2pts), Brian Rolston (1g-2a-3pts), Chris Kelly (1g-2a-3pts).

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Chimera hit on Marchand

I apologize for the quality of the video, I do not have a steady hand, nor do I have a video recorder to tape the plays that I would like. This was the hit in question by Washington Capitals forward Jason Chimera on Boston Bruins forward Bard Marchand as you can seen by the video that the Little Ball of Hate was not hit in the head. What caused the cut to Marchand's face is unknown.

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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?

Derek Stepan hits Chris Neil

This was from yesterday's Rangers and Senators game. Very nice check by the former Wisconsin Badger and Rangers forward Derek Stepan on the Senators forward and tough guy Chris Neil. It's a text book body check.

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Chris Neil will not meet the Shanahammer

I think this is the right decision, it looked like a good hit, Boyle had just released the puck and Neil kept his elbows down and didn't leave his feet to lung at the Rangers forward. In my opinion, the Chris Neil hit on Brian Boyle was a good legal red light hit. The New York Rangers coach John Tortorella was not happy with the hit last night and compared Neil’s hit on Boyle to the Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa.

Katie Strang, ESPN --- Well they have the blueprint," Tortorella said in his postgame news conference. "It's the exact same hit as Torres' -- a different part of the ice -- but he launches himself, head shot, (the) puck's at the goal line, and he's hit. So, the blueprint's there.

I'm sure he's a repeat offender, too. Not much research to be done there."Neil is not a repeat offender, however, a critical distinction between Neil and Torres. But Boyle suffered what could potentially be a very serious injury, a fact that will be taken into consideration when the league review the play. 

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(Video) Chris Neil's Hit on Brian Boyle

This is the hit that has everyone buzzing tonight. Senators tough guy Chris Neil hit the Rangers forward Brian Boyle with this hard hit. Rangers head coach John Tortorella was unhappy with the check after the game and said that Boyle is concussed.

Alexander Ovechkin elbows Patrice Bergeron in the head

The Washington Capitals star forward Alexander Ovechkin's is known for playing on the edge and there is nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, Ovechkin is also know for his questionable and sometimes dirty hits and in today's game Ovechkin was able to connect with a sneaky dirty elbow on  Patrice Bergeron's head.

Edit: If you go back and watch this video, you will see that Ovechkin hit Bergeron twice in the head.

Ovechkin's elbow caused Bergeron to miss most of the third period. With his previous concussion history, one has to wonder if Bergeron is suffering from another concussion. Don't expect the league to look at the Ovechkin elbow on Bergeron because Ovechkin is a star player.

Just for the record Alexander Ovechkin is a repeat offender and he has been suspended three times by the National Hockey League for hits that were deemed dangerous.

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