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The Official 2012 NHL Stanely Cup Finals Thread

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#501
I've also opined several times that this series is far from over. A team the caliber of the Pens is capable of beating ANYBODY 4 games in a row. Hopefully, the Flyers know this as well. I'm sure they remember 2010 when they were down 0-3 in games to Boston, PLUS 0-3 on the scoreboard in Game 7. They came back to clinch the series; so it can definitely be done.

I have a feeling that tonight will be a Pens victory. I think Fleury will come up big, and Bryzgalov will not. I think Malkin is ready to explode into a scoring frenzy. And Crosby will want this game more than he's ever wanted anything in his life. Flyers really need to finish it off tonight if possible, because they do NOT want to get Mr. Mo. on the Pens side.
 
#503
Jeff K said:
I've also opined several times that this series is far from over. A team the caliber of the Pens is capable of beating ANYBODY 4 games in a row. Hopefully, the Flyers know this as well. I'm sure they remember 2010 when they were down 0-3 in games to Boston, PLUS 0-3 on the scoreboard in Game 7. They came back to clinch the series; so it can definitely be done.

I have a feeling that tonight will be a Pens victory. I think Fleury will come up big, and Bryzgalov will not. I think Malkin is ready to explode into a scoring frenzy. And Crosby will want this game more than he's ever wanted anything in his life. Flyers really need to finish it off tonight if possible, because they do NOT want to get Mr. Mo. on the Pens side.
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I would be lieing if this is not going though my head.:hiding: I really hope this series ends tonight but I know that it is going to be a tough game. Last thing in the world the Flyers want to do is give momentum back to the Pens and go to Pittsburgh for the next game.
 
#504
dangnewt said:
It is not like it is Torres first questionable hit of his career either. Shouldn't he be getting the same extra scrutiny that Brad Marchand gets from the league office by now.
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Torres and Marchand both get a lot of attention from the league, and they both deserve it.

dangnewt said:
Backstrom's match penalty was upheld. I heard Shanahan's explanation - he really is a master at this - it is worth finding the audio and/or video everytime he lays out the story.

After listening to his explanations, even rabid Bruin fans went along with his discipline of Marchand; it would be interesting to hear what the feeling in DC is.
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I think Backstrom deserved the suspension. A lot of Caps fans are pissed, but it's mostly related to the climate of inconsistent suspensions being doled out by Shanahan in this year's playoffs. Most of us are pissed that Backstrom got suspended for the same number of games as Carkner, the guy who cold-cocked and then repeatedly punched the Rangers' Brian Boyle. Objectively, I don't think the two incidents are even in the same ballpark, but the issue is that Shanahan under-suspended Carkner, not that he's over-suspending Backstrom.

I do think the Pens-Flyers series had an impact on Shanahan's decision though. As out of control as that series is, there's a lot of pressure on Shanahan to reel things in a bit, and though Backstrom's cross-check didn't ultimately amount to much in terms of injuries or affecting the game (it was already over), it was still a classless and potentially dangerous play, and that was enough for Shanahan. Plus, Arron Asham had just steamrolled Schenn with an up-high cross-check, so even though Backstrom's move wasn't at full tilt and didn't do near the damage, it would look bad for Shanahan to let one cross-check go while coming down hard on another.

So... Backstrom got what he deserved, and at least this Caps fan believes that. Hopefully the Caps can survive his absence tomorrow, and hopefully everyone plays with a little more emotional balance for the rest of the series.
 
#505
Question for the Flyers fans. Don't you think it's about time we give Claude the "C" to stitch on his chest. He is our captain and it's time they give it to him in the playoffs right now. He has been amazing for us and a constant leader on and off the ice. I also think the rest of the Flyers are already looking to him as thier leader, he's more then earned it.

But I know Peter has a reason for everything he does,I'm wondering if he gives it to him when the team needs a boost in the playoffs at some point and he's just waiting for the right time.
 
#506
Great article on SI.com on the NHL's "spring of shame". The author blames the league for not taking a tough enough stand last season and in the beginning of the playoffs this season. What has gone on this year including the Hossa (very sad, and I'm not a Hossa fan) injury is because the NHL's officiating and suspensions have been an inconsistent mess. They blew it on Weber's hit, and that sent the wrong signal to the rest of the league

What we aren't seeing is a lot of great hockey sadly. Instead we're seeing thuggery and processions to the penalty box.

And who knows where this will go next? A tough stand by the NHL at the outset of the postseason — whacking Shea Weber for his savage actions toward Henrik Zetterberg – might have short-circuited the carnage. Since Weber got away with a fine and was allowed to keep playing, things have degenerated. That’s not unlike what happened in last year’s Cup final when the NHL declined to suspend Vancouver’s Alex Burrows for chomping on Patrice Bergeron’s finger and matters between the Canucks and Bruins descended into the ugliest final in memory. It was a lesson not learned.
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In any case, anyone can still like and admire hard-edged rugged hockey — even the fighting — and be no less a fan for opposing the kind of injury-causing thuggery we’re now seeing regularly. The nonsensical taunt of “Go watch baseball/tennis/golf/curling/soccer/basketball” is aimed at shrinking the NHL’s appeal, not expanding it, and turning it into a cult; the point of that cult being unchecked violence. Ask Keith Primeau or Pat LaFontaine or Marc Savard or countless others whose careers were ended by concussions what they think of that taunt. Ask Marian Hossa.
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Cherry’s third point is “this has been going on forever.” He shows footage of the infamous Canadiens-Nordiques 1984 Good Friday brawl and the fight between Stan Jonathan and Pierre Bouchard from 1978 — two vicious incidents that I’m certainly willing to admit have been like those seen in numerous playoff series. I’ve witnessed them in person and on TV. We all have. In any given playoff year, we might have had a few of them, mainly when traditional rivals hooked up or there was a Sutter or a Hunter or Claude Lemieux involved. But this round, even elite players like Sidney Crosby (who we discussed Monday) and Nicklas Backstrom (who we discussed Tuesday) are playing the roles of antagonist and violent offender. What’s going on now seems unprecedented. This sort of out-of-control play, incidents worthy of suspensions, is happening in almost every first round series on every single night. We’ve already had eight bans totaling 15 games in the first week, Torres not included. Last year, by contrast, three players were suspended for a total of seven games.
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Red Light » Posts Will NHL’s Spring of Shame continue? «
 
#507
Hollow Man said:
Torres and Marchand both get a lot of attention from the league, and they both deserve it.



I think Backstrom deserved the suspension. A lot of Caps fans are pissed, but it's mostly related to the climate of inconsistent suspensions being doled out by Shanahan in this year's playoffs. Most of us are pissed that Backstrom got suspended for the same number of games as Carkner, the guy who cold-cocked and then repeatedly punched the Rangers' Brian Boyle. Objectively, I don't think the two incidents are even in the same ballpark, but the issue is that Shanahan under-suspended Carkner, not that he's over-suspending Backstrom.

I do think the Pens-Flyers series had an impact on Shanahan's decision though. As out of control as that series is, there's a lot of pressure on Shanahan to reel things in a bit, and though Backstrom's cross-check didn't ultimately amount to much in terms of injuries or affecting the game (it was already over), it was still a classless and potentially dangerous play, and that was enough for Shanahan. Plus, Arron Asham had just steamrolled Schenn with an up-high cross-check, so even though Backstrom's move wasn't at full tilt and didn't do near the damage, it would look bad for Shanahan to let one cross-check go while coming down hard on another.

So... Backstrom got what he deserved, and at least this Caps fan believes that. Hopefully the Caps can survive his absence tomorrow, and hopefully everyone plays with a little more emotional balance for the rest of the series.
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No argument here on Marchand - the difference between the two is that Marchand seems to have learned his lesson and has been pretty well behaved in the second part of the year (I say while knocking on wood). Torres, not so much.

Cool post! I agree that if the playoffs hadn't started to careen out of control, maybe it gets overturned and Backstrom plays. But given everything that has happened in other series, Shanahan had little choice - Backstrom picked a bad time to be a bad boy. In the next round, I can see the league coming down hard early in the series so there is not a repeat.
 
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