NHL 2010/2011 Season

[toonarmy]

In fact, I'd love to see the Habs become an elite team again. I think it would be great for the league. Nothing more than a neutral observer in this case, and if anything lean toward the Habs more than most teams in the NHL.

Cool. Very cool....Then you can join me in the chorus...

LETS GO HABS!!!

LOL! If I had the means I would love to visit every NHL arena and join in the team chants and the whole 9 yards. Bell Centre would be near the top of my list of places to take in a hockey match, along with Joe Louis Arena.

[10spro]

Canucks's nation worst fear is now a reality. Dan Hamhuis has suffered a concussion and is sidelined indefinitely as a consequence of Geztlaf's hit last Wednesday. Now, as Sami Salo's long anticipated debut this season is about to come to fruition this weekend, I can't help but wonder can the Finn keep himself healthy enough given the way the D has fallen like flies the last couple of weeks. Having lived through the Willie Mitchell experience last year, VAN fans don't need any reminder on the severity of concussions. He was hit in January and never played another game in an Orca uniform until he left for LA. What's ironic is that the guys that are supposed to be pinching in for the depleted D are also on the shelf with injuries, guys like L. Sweatt, and N. Baumgartner, so here's me hoping that the current thin blue line can stay healthy enough and push hard the next few weeks and avoid GM M. Gillis trying to fetch for yet another D-man as the trade deadline looms, a position that was considered an embarrassment of riches at the beginning of the season for many, yet now I can call it the official Canucks annual depleted blue line.

[HipE]

What a mess tonight between the Penguins and Islanders, not something that is good for the NHL at all. The Martin attack on Talbot was bad enough (shades of Bertuzzi-Moore), but Gilles running Tangradi and elbowing him in the face, followed by taunting him from off the ice while Tangradi was getting medical attention was disgusting. 346 penalty minutes for the game, and automatic suspensions coming to Godard (leaving bench to break up fight between the Pens goalie and Isles enforcer) and Bylsma for the same incident. And I'm guessing lengthy suspensions to Martin and Gilles as well.

[10spro]

What a mess tonight between the Penguins and Islanders, not something that is good for the NHL at all. The Martin attack on Talbot was bad enough (shades of Bertuzzi-Moore), but Gilles running Tangradi and elbowing him in the face, followed by taunting him from off the ice while Tangradi was getting medical attention was disgusting. 346 penalty minutes for the game, and automatic suspensions coming to Godard (leaving bench to break up fight between the Pens goalie and Isles enforcer) and Bylsma for the same incident. And I'm guessing lengthy suspensions to Martin and Gilles as well.

That game just upped the ante after the melee between the Habs and Bruins a couple of days ago. E. Godard will be suspended for sure, I would have loved to see B. Johnson continue to duke it out as he's more than capable to stand on his own as recently proven in his tilt with Di Pietro. Talbot had a target in his back the whole night after their last game when he hit Comeau. Funny enough, two large bouts in the same week, you get the sense that players are starting to take matters into their own hands as the league continue to ignore the cheap hits going on.

Matt Cooke was lucky to be suspended for this game, because following Talbot he would have been public enemy number 2 for the Isles.

[toonarmy]

The Pens/Isles match was one of the more insane matches I've ever seen in the NHL. The number of game misconducts was staggering for this day and age. The lack of respect shown by the players was very real and vicious. Things would have been even more interesting had Sid, Geno, and Cooke been out there. I only saw the second and third periods, but it appeared to me that the refs really lost control and did a poor job of managing things in the second period, which led to the fight-fest in the third. It'll be interesting to see how the NHL reacts to this week's violence, especially with so many players getting concussions and getting injuries this year.

[Naples39]

Suspensions all around.

10 games for Godard (automatic), 9 for Gillies and 4 for Martin. I thought the order would be reversed for Gillies and Martin, but maybe Gillies is repeat offender?

Haley also dodged the bullet. Wasn't sure if the league would take too kindly to a fresh call up having 3 fights, including 2 on the same shift and with the goalie. At least he didn't 'jump' Johnson.

[Dave]

What a f*cking embarrassment.

[XXXIV]

What a f*cking embarrassment.

Yes it is....

[toonarmy]

I think the punishment doled out by Campbell was fair. It's pretty obvious when the Isles brought up the goon squad for the game that the Isles went into the game with the intent to start some s***. I think Martin could have easily been suspended more games. Retribution is one thing, but what went on in the Isles/Pens game went well beyond that.

[vader29]

Mario Lemieux on the disciplinary action taken as a result of Friday nights game:
“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.
“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed."

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=552602

[pk500]

Mario Lemieux on the disciplinary action taken as a result of Friday nights game:
“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.
“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed."

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=552602

That's really charming, Mario. But I'm sure this game got more "SportsCenter" highlights than any Pens' game all season, attracting more non-hockey eyeballs to the sport than the "game you love."

As long as the NHL condones gratuitous violence more than any other professional team sports league, thuggery will be its calling card to the masses. Just as most of the neanderthal wing of the sport -- led by GM's like Burke and commentators like Milbury -- want it. Sadly, that primitive thinking still prevails in the NHL.

[toonarmy]

Mario Lemieux on the disciplinary action taken as a result of Friday nights game:
“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.
“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed."

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=552602

That's really charming, Mario. But I'm sure this game got more "SportsCenter" highlights than any Pens' game all season, attracting more non-hockey eyeballs to the sport than the "game you love."

As long as the NHL condones gratuitous violence more than any other professional team sports league, thuggery will be its calling card to the masses. Just as most of the neanderthal wing of the sport -- led by GM's like Burke and commentators like Milbury -- want it. Sadly, that primitive thinking still prevails in the NHL.

Actually Milbury had a change of heart today on NBC's game of the week. Not sure if he took his toned down stance due his remarks being on a nationally televised game or what, but I was shocked with his take on the game.

[pk500]

Mario Lemieux on the disciplinary action taken as a result of Friday nights game:
“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.
“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed."

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=552602

That's really charming, Mario. But I'm sure this game got more "SportsCenter" highlights than any Pens' game all season, attracting more non-hockey eyeballs to the sport than the "game you love."

As long as the NHL condones gratuitous violence more than any other professional team sports league, thuggery will be its calling card to the masses. Just as most of the neanderthal wing of the sport -- led by GM's like Burke and commentators like Milbury -- want it. Sadly, that primitive thinking still prevails in the NHL.

Actually Milbury had a change of heart today on NBC's game of the week. Not sure if he took his toned down stance due his remarks being on a nationally televised game or what, but I was shocked with his take on the game.

No sh*t? Wow, that's a stunner. Milbury softening on violence would be like Sarah Palin endorsing gun control.

[10spro]

I fail to see where Lemieux has room to whine about the current state of the league considering his team leads the NHL in major, minor, and match penalties, and comes second and third respectfully in game misconducts and misconducts. That's just really ironic to me, but if Mario really wants to have an influence on the state of the game, it might be easier to do that during the BOG meetings rather than by making statements threatening to leave.

His leaving won't affect anything except maybe complaints from the taxpayers of PIT who just built him a new rink. Won't change anything in the game and while I don't necessarily disagree with his statement, he should clean his own backyard first by getting rid of some notorious dirty players in his team and take it from there.

[XXXIV]

The NHL could stop this anytime it wants. It doesnt want. Betman and his goons, media envoys like milbury, are short sighted pathetic clowns. They want that quick ratings boost and the hell with any future damage caused.

Extra time on ESPN this week is far more important to this trash than the future of the sport....They prove it week after week . Year after year.

Actions baby!!...Its all in their actions. The rest is just garbage.

[toonarmy]

I fail to see where Lemieux has room to whine about the current state of the league considering his team leads the NHL in major, minor, and match penalties, and comes second and third respectfully in game misconducts and misconducts. That's just really ironic to me, but if Mario really wants to have an influence on the state of the game, it might be easier to do that during the BOG meetings rather than by making statements threatening to leave.

His leaving won't affect anything except maybe complaints from the taxpayers of PIT who just built him a new rink. Won't change anything in the game and while I don't necessarily disagree with his statement, he should clean his own backyard first by getting rid of some notorious dirty players in his team and take it from there.

The fact that Matt Cooke plays for the Pens, alone, makes me laugh at anything Mario has to say about the situation. Cooke is regarded as one of the dirtiest players in the league by his peers. Don't know if you all saw what Roenick had to say about the Cooke hit on Tyutin, but he said it deserves 20 games and he railed on Cooke and called him chickenshit, especially given Cooke's history. I agree 100% that the Isles deserved more punishment than the Pens simply because much of that foolishness was premeditate, but before Mario wants to moralize maybe he should look in his own house before he gets all melodramatic.

Speaking of management, Garth Snow also sounded like a moron with his comments. It's very rich that he said with a straight face the things he did about Friday's match. His comments would make one think the Isles/Pens is the fiercest division rivalry in all of hockey and the violence on Friday was spur of the moment and game-related. I know guys like Snow and Mario are biased and do not want to throw their guys under the bus, but the best thing for them would have been to say as little as possible and not look like tools.

[Naples39]

For all of his greatness on the ice, Mario Lemieux was always a bit whiney. For the last few years, the Pens have always had a guy like Cooke and Jarkko Ruutu in the lineup, who are two of the absolute dirtiest players in the league. Other guys like Kunitz, Orpik and Armstrong are no angels. They want to win, sometimes you give it out and other times you take it. Tough s***. It was a bad incident though, and Lemieux is probably just frustrated.

I also kind of think Bettman stays out of the hockey side of things. One of his big things when he started was cracking down on fighting, so it's not like he's big on thuggery to spread the league. I think he lets the hockey guys make the decisions, and those guys let it all ride because of the old fashioned neanderthal perspective. That's my take anyway.

[10spro]

Even in his glorious' days, the great Mario was surrounded by guys like Ulf Samuelsson, a notorious knee breaker that ended the career of many. Ahem, just don't remind Cam Neely.

Again, I don't necessarily disagree with some of Lemieux's statement but his message becomes a moot point if you don't practice what you preach.

[LAking]

Even in his glorious' days, the great Mario was surrounded by guys like Ulf Samuelsson, a notorious knee breaker that ended the career of many. Ahem, just don't remind Cam Neely.

Again, I don't necessarily disagree with some of Lemieux's statement but his message becomes a moot point if you don't practice what you preach.

I disagree. Anyone can make moral judgements even if they themselves are not perfect. Just because the Pens have some dirty players doesn't mean Mario isn't right. Stuff like this should never happen yet it's somehow accepted as part of the game. Perhaps Mario doesn't like some of the players on the Pens but he doesn't say anything because he knows it's part of the culture of hockey and he respect his GM to know what he's doing when acquiring players.

He has a point. Incidents like this set the game back and just perpetuate the stereotype of hockey as a horribly violent sport.

On a somewhat related note; I frequent a popular fan message board where the term "old time hockey" is often brought up when incidents like this happen. I find this funny and somewhat disturbing. I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the movie Slap Shot. In that film they always use the term "old time hockey" in reference to the days of Toe Blake and Eddie Shore and allude to the fact that it was a more honorable time with less violence and more skill. The movie was critiquing the violent state of hockey in the seventies.

Now you have people longing for the days of bench clearing brawls and teams filled with goons as if that is old time hockey and not just some abnormal spike in violence in one particular era.

[XXXIV]

He has a point. Incidents like this set the game back and just perpetuate the stereotype of hockey as a horribly violent sport.

On a somewhat related note; I frequent a popular fan message board where the term "old time hockey" is often brought up when incidents like this happen. I find this funny and somewhat disturbing. I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the movie Slap Shot. In that film they always use the term "old time hockey" in reference to the days of Toe Blake and Eddie Shore and allude to the fact that it was a more honorable time with less violence and more skill. The movie was critiquing the violent state of hockey in the seventies.

Now you have people longing for the days of bench clearing brawls and teams filled with goons as if that is old time hockey and not just some abnormal spike in violence in one particular era.

I agree with all that. Exactly how I see it too. We have NOT been watching old time hockey. We have been watching the disgrace that was the dumbing down and gooning it up of the sport in the mid 70s...Not that I dont mind a good fight every now and then to clear the bad blood but this past week has just been a horrible display of everything that is wrong with the NHL and its ruling regime.

[10spro]

Even in his glorious' days, the great Mario was surrounded by guys like Ulf Samuelsson, a notorious knee breaker that ended the career of many. Ahem, just don't remind Cam Neely.

Again, I don't necessarily disagree with some of Lemieux's statement but his message becomes a moot point if you don't practice what you preach.

I disagree. Anyone can make moral judgements even if they themselves are not perfect. Just because the Pens have some dirty players doesn't mean Mario isn't right. Stuff like this should never happen yet it's somehow accepted as part of the game. Perhaps Mario doesn't like some of the players on the Pens but he doesn't say anything because he knows it's part of the culture of hockey and he respect his GM to know what he's doing when acquiring players.

He has a point. Incidents like this set the game back and just perpetuate the stereotype of hockey as a horribly violent sport.

Sure he does, and if you read my post again, his comment should bring an eyebrow or two to the brain brass to the league in charge of punishing the law breakers. And not only for what happened on Friday, I am sure Mario is also damn frustrated to what happened to his superstar who still seeing tweetie birds and may not even play a game again this season. Was the guilty party punished? Nope. Sure he can make any judgments that he wants, but what I am trying to say is that his message would come across cleaner if his team he owns showed some kind of an exemplary role for what he's trying to convey. Being one of the most penalized team in the league surely doesn't help. Where the league failed to send a message on the penalties thrown to the NYI players was in the M. Martin sanction.

Four games for sucker punching an uninterested Talbot? Please. How many games did T. Bertuzzi get for the infamous incident with S. Moore? He was gone for the entire season including the playoffs. Unfortunately, with the way Bettman runs his show, even comments from one of the greatest players on the planet will fade slowly into oblivion and for the record it's not the first time that Mario has complained about the league.

[10spro]

Flyers get stronger up front by acquiring K. Vetsteeg. Burke will be done getting draft picks by the time the tradeline comes around.

[MizzouRah]

HUGE W for the Blues tonight!

[Naples39]

Flyers get stronger up front by acquiring K. Vetsteeg. Burke will be done getting draft picks by the time the tradeline comes around.

Somewhat surprised, given the Flyers depth up front, and their lack of prospects and picks in the coming years. All-in for this year I guess.

Also pretty much confirms Leino is gone in the offseason IMO, given that Versteeg is signed through next year for $3m, which is exactly the amount Leino was reportedly offered and turned down last week.

[10spro]

HUGE W for the Blues tonight!

That race for the final spot keeps heating up.

Loungo had some incredible saves but his one and only miscue cost the team a goal. Having said that, the Blues did enough to squeeze a win as VAN's D is getting thinner and thinner. Yet snother D-man down and for most nights coach AV plays with his four most consistent guys as the rookies get only an average of 10 minutes a game.

A. Alberts probably has a broken hand, not a pretty sight for the 'Nucks blueline these days.