Hockey playoffs!

[11bee]

bs, he went for the head, 3 seconds had elapsed after horton passed the puck. they all know the rules for head shots now a days, and he's out for the series...he didn't even remember the hit.

Rome gets suspended for the remainder, Horton is out for the remainder with a severe concussion.

Lets break this down: Vancouver looses a no-talent goon, Bruins loose someone who is arguably their best. Seems like a fair trade-off to me.... I wouldn't be surprised if this was a targeted "hit". Maybe next game, they can find another expendable goon to take out Thomas.

The only things more disgusting are the apologists who say it was a clean shot.

[zerosystem]

4 game suspension for rome

[chuck540z3]

Steve might ban me for saying this, but I'm cheering for Boston. Why?

As a Calgarian I'm a Flames fan and our biggest rival that we love to hate throughout the year is Vancouver. It used to be Edmonton, but they are so bad right now I almost feel sorry for them instead. That will change as they grow stronger with time.

Anyway, the number one reason we hate Vancouver is because they're better than us. No shock there, but the other main reason is that, almost to a player, they are all divers and embellish every infraction against them. If you don't believe me, check out YouTube which is full of clips of the Sedin sisters falling like they were shot with gun after a cross check or Alex Burrows flying through the air because a stick touched his skate. Meanwhile, Ryan Kesler, who throws out hits like a hitman, throws back his head like it was broken every time somebody pushes him back in return. The refs know it too, but sometimes they can't prove it was embellished and they have to act with their arm up for a penalty. With the best power play in the NHL, Vancouver is rewarded for being drama queens as Mike Gillis and his flunkies hug each other after the game. I could throw up.

So every night when I watch the CBC news, there's Peter Mansbridge in Vancouver smiling in front of thousands of Canuck fans in Vancouver and yakking about "Canada's Team". I don't think so Peter, that only happens in the Olympics when we're playing Ryan Kessler on the American team. Go Bruins!

[I love airbrushing]

Boston dominated this game.......this is going to be an amazing series. Let's hope the Canucks can get themseleves sorted out and make the next game a bit closer.

Well done Boston.

I can't believe we're neighbours on this side of the pond! GO CANUCKS GO!

[ALF18]

The hit by Rome was late, and not OK. The shock in Boston (and everywhere else) was genuine, with concern for the downed player.

The ironic part:

How short (or deliberately amnesiac) are memories in Boston, anyway? Chara's drilling of Max Paccioretty into a stanchion, ending his season, went totally unpunished. End result was the same as the hit last night; a talented young player out for the season. I just shake my head over how angry Bruins fans are about this incident, when the one with Max was met with derision and claims that Patch was somehow 'embellishing' his injury...

What's good for the goose isn't good enough for the gander?

Until we get this goonery out of the league, hockey will never occupy a place of honour in my heart any more.

As a Habs fan, I am an 'interested bystander' to this series. What I really didn't like about last night's game was that goonery and cheap shots (from both teams) dominated what could have been another great game to watch. When our friend Don Cherry comes on, I change the channel - it's bad enough to watch the on-ice goons, without having to listen to them being glorified as well.

ALF

[aerofan]

Game 3 is the most hilarious hockey game I've seen this year. The Canucks played the keystone cops to a tee :lol:. I hope to see another entertaining game 4 performance by the Canucks landing flat on their butts again. I have to agree with ALF18 on Chara's regular season what looks to be more of an intent to injure hit on Max Paccioretty. Chara should have been suspended but letting him go only fueled other players to go for head shots. I too place hockey low on sports on my list for the same goonery which made hockey into stardom during the 70's with those goonery Stanley cup champion teams. That style of hockey was immortalized by the movie "Slap Shot" and I will have to say it will never leave the NHL because it is a cash cow for them. People like seeing others get hurt or die just see why people goto NASCAR - they want to see crashes. The old Montreal Canadiens were the last real talented teams that played with skill rather than goonery and when they disappared so did my love for the game.

[Scooby]

I love what a big thing Boston's making of that "bite". That was simply a bizarre attempt at a complex dive-equivalent by Bergeron - nothing but an attempt at drawing a penalty.

And what a ridiculous call on Rome - that was a clean hit. A bit late, yes - 2 minutes for interference may have been warranted, but not five. Horton should've had his head up, instead of admiring his pass, then his head wouldn't have hit Rome's shoulder.

This was Luongo's bad game of the series. Thomas was spectacular - if not for him, this would have been a shoot-em-up. Bruins more than deserved this win.

Canucks in 6 though, still.

That hit by Rome was dirty, no question about it. That was not a clean hit. It was directed at the head.

[boscosticks]

Oh wow, where are my Sharks fans at?! :[ I feel like we're certainly underrepresented here in these forums :P

Mmm, it's been awhile since I've last posted but I'm rooting for Boston!!! WHOO GO BRUINS, GIVE THEM HELL BOYS!!!

[Scooby]

The hit by Rome was late, and not OK. The shock in Boston (and everywhere else) was genuine, with concern for the downed player.

The ironic part:

How short (or deliberately amnesiac) are memories in Boston, anyway? Chara's drilling of Max Paccioretty into a stanchion, ending his season, went totally unpunished. End result was the same as the hit last night; a talented young player out for the season. I just shake my head over how angry Bruins fans are about this incident, when the one with Max was met with derision and claims that Patch was somehow 'embellishing' his injury...

What's good for the goose isn't good enough for the gander?

ALF

Alf,

I am not a Bruins fan nor am I a fan of Chara but that hit was not dirty. He caried through on a check and wasn't even looking at Paccioretty when he was hit. The real problem here and I am shocked it has not been brought up is a design flaw in Montreal, that stanchion should not have been exposed in Montreal and I don't know why it is. It is no different that the luger who was killed in Vancouver on a faulty course. There is no way a player should have been able to hit that stanchion.

[Scooby]

Steve might ban me for saying this, but I'm cheering for Boston. Why?

As a Calgarian I'm a Flames fan and our biggest rival that we love to hate throughout the year is Vancouver. It used to be Edmonton, but they are so bad right now I almost feel sorry for them instead. That will change as they grow stronger with time.

Anyway, the number one reason we hate Vancouver is because they're better than us. No shock there, but the other main reason is that, almost to a player, they are all divers and embellish every infraction against them. If you don't believe me, check out YouTube which is full of clips of the Sedin sisters falling like they were shot with gun after a cross check or Alex Burrows flying through the air because a stick touched his skate. Meanwhile, Ryan Kesler, who throws out hits like a hitman, throws back his head like it was broken every time somebody pushes him back in return. The refs know it too, but sometimes they can't prove it was embellished and they have to act with their arm up for a penalty. With the best power play in the NHL, Vancouver is rewarded for being drama queens as Mike Gillis and his flunkies hug each other after the game. I could throw up.

So every night when I watch the CBC news, there's Peter Mansbridge in Vancouver smiling in front of thousands of Canuck fans in Vancouver and yakking about "Canada's Team". I don't think so Peter, that only happens in the Olympics when we're playing Ryan Kessler on the American team. Go Bruins!

No one in Canada is cheering for Vancouver outside of BC, a Vancouver writer ran a story in Edmonton with a sampling of reasons across Canada. And most are listed in your post, they don't have the respect of the rest of Canada for good reason. I'd rather starve than cheer for Vancouver.

[JasonW]

That hit by Rome was dirty, no question about it. That was not a clean hit. It was directed at the head.

And his skates left the ice, a real no-no.

[JasonW]

This sentence (especially the bold part):

The ironic part:

How short (or deliberately amnesiac) are memories in Boston, anyway? Chara's drilling of Max Paccioretty into a stanchion, ending his season, went totally unpunished. End result was the same as the hit last night; a talented young player out for the season. I just shake my head over how angry Bruins fans are about this incident, when the one with Max was met with derision and claims that Patch was somehow 'embellishing' his injury...

What's good for the goose isn't good enough for the gander?

Can be explained by this statement:

As a Habs fan

I've watched the replay so many times it makes my stomach twist. It definitely was unfortunate but it was NOT intentional. Look at the replay. As Scooby pointed out Chara wasn't even looking in the direction of the stanchion. He barely even hit him. A terrible accident due to a pretty serious design flaw. It was only a matter of time before that happened given where the stanchion was located. Look at Chara's career, how many time over the last fourteen years has he been disciplined by the league? How many times has this happened before with him? That would be none, which is why the league did not discipline him. The league could see any intention in the replay or from their investigation. I've followed Chara from his first days in North America (he used to play for my hometown team the Lowell Lock Monsters which was an affiliate of the Islanders who originally drafted him). I met the guy twice and he is not the type who would intentionally injure someone. As for the Bruins fans who had derision or claimed embellishment, there are fans of every team who are obnoxious and say stuff like that to inflame fans of other teams. Goes on in every sport. I could say the same thing about fans of Vancouver regarding the Rome hit or Fans of Montreal about any of the multitude of hits over the years of the great Boston/Montreal rivalry. I don't because I don't think that it is fair to lump all fans of a team into the same category. I'm a hockey fan, not just a Penguins/Bruins fan. I like the sport regardless of which team is playing. I watch any and all games I can get on my cable because I like the sport. Heck, I collect NHL jerseys and actually have almost every NHL team jersey INCLUDING Montreal. As I said about the Pacciorety hit, totally unfortunate but it was a perfect storm of events, NOT intent to injure.

On the Rome hit, I feel in the middle, it was late, it was kind of dirty (Rome saw Horton coming and knew Horton didn't see him) but I also think Horton should have had his head turning and looking up ice. It was unfortunate, I'm not sure Rome had intent but his skates did leave the ice and he delivered the hit late with contact to the head which is why he got disciplined.

Edited June 8, 2011 by JasonW

[rpeck]

This sentence (especially the bold part):Can be explained by this statement:

I've watched the replay so many times it makes my stomach twist. It definitely was unfortunate but it was NOT intentional. Look at the replay. As Scooby pointed out Chara wasn't even looking in the direction of the stanchion. He barely even hit him. A terrible accident due to a pretty serious design flaw. It was only a matter of time before that happened given where the stanchion was located. Look at Chara's career, how many time over the last fourteen years has he been disciplined by the league? How many times has this happened before with him? That would be none, which is why the league did not discipline him. The league could see any intention in the replay or from their investigation. I've followed Chara from his first days in North America (he used to play for my hometown team the Lowell Lock Monsters which was an affiliate of the Islanders who originally drafted him). I met the guy twice and he is not the type who would intentionally injure someone. As for the Bruins fans who had derision or claimed embellishment, there are fans of every team who are obnoxious and say stuff like that to inflame fans of other teams. Goes on in every sport. I could say the same thing about fans of Vancouver regarding the Rome hit or Fans of Montreal about any of the multitude of hits over the years of the great Boston/Montreal rivalry. I don't because I don't think that it is fair to lump all fans of a team into the same category. I'm a hockey fan, not just a Penguins/Bruins fan. I like the sport regardless of which team is playing. I watch any and all games I can get on my cable because I like the sport. Heck, I collect NHL jerseys and actually have almost every NHL team jersey INCLUDING Montreal. As I said about the Pacciorety hit, totally unfortunate but it was a perfect storm of events, NOT intent to injure.

On the Rome hit, I feel in the middle, it was late, it was kind of dirty (Rome saw Horton coming and knew Horton didn't see him) but I also think Horton should have had his head turning and looking up ice. It was unfortunate, I'm not sure Rome had intent but his skates did leave the ice and he delivered the hit late with contact to the head which is why he got disciplined.

Very well written.

Chara hight is an advantage and it is not.When he hits someone with elbows down it is high on shorter players but his reach is a plus.I notice he uses his hands more,pushing and leaning into the guy.Smart moves.

The comment about some Vancouver players diving could be the reason why they don't go far in the playoffs,until now,ref's don't call the little things in the Playoffs.

Let's see what happins tonight.

Rick

[waylandcool]

That hit by Rome was dirty, no question about it. That was not a clean hit. It was directed at the head.

When you start to leave your feet for a hit after the plyaer has passed the puck, it's a dirty hit. I saw the replay and figured it would be a one game suspension. Then I heard that Horton was done for the series and I knew that Rome would be suspended for the series, if for no other reason then to avoid have Boston target him for payback.

Game 3 is the most hilarious hockey game I've seen this year. The Canucks played the keystone cops to a tee :lol:. I hope to see another entertaining game 4 performance by the Canucks landing flat on their butts again. I have to agree with ALF18 on Chara's regular season what looks to be more of an intent to injure hit on Max Paccioretty. Chara should have been suspended but letting him go only fueled other players to go for head shots. I too place hockey low on sports on my list for the same goonery which made hockey into stardom during the 70's with those goonery Stanley cup champion teams. That style of hockey was immortalized by the movie "Slap Shot" and I will have to say it will never leave the NHL because it is a cash cow for them. People like seeing others get hurt or die just see why people goto NASCAR - they want to see crashes. The old Montreal Canadiens were the last real talented teams that played with skill rather than goonery and when they disappared so did my love for the game.

BTW I have seen Vancouver play that sloppy in the playoffs this year. Games 4 and 5 vs. the Blackhawks. Let's see how Vancouver responds to their lack of effort tonight.

[chuck540z3]

No one in Canada is cheering for Vancouver outside of BC, a Vancouver writer ran a story in Edmonton with a sampling of reasons across Canada. And most are listed in your post, they don't have the respect of the rest of Canada for good reason. I'd rather starve than cheer for Vancouver.

And to back up our comments, this article in the Globe and Mail: "Canucks have become NHL’s most-hated team"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/canucks-have-become-nhls-most-hated-team/article2050961/

Sorry 'Nuck fans. Your team may win the cup, but outside of BC they may as well be the Russians. (sorry "Eastern"! :P )

[11bee]

When you start to leave your feet for a hit after the plyaer has passed the puck, it's a dirty hit. I saw the replay and figured it would be a one game suspension. Then I heard that Horton was done for the series and I knew that Rome would be suspended for the series, if for no other reason then to avoid have Boston target him for payback.

BTW I have seen Vancouver play that sloppy in the playoffs this year. Games 4 and 5 vs. the Blackhawks. Let's see how Vancouver responds to their lack of effort tonight.

I have a feeling that Vancouver will be a much different team tonight. Most quality teams tend to bounce back from a beating like that pretty quickly.

The real question is: Will Boston be able to keep the emotional level up enough to make up for the loss of a guy like Horton. I think there is a decent chance they will prevail tonight; however when they travel out west, that's going to be a much bigger challenge.

Go Boston!

[ALF18]

Alf,

I am not a Bruins fan nor am I a fan of Chara but that hit was not dirty. He caried through on a check and wasn't even looking at Paccioretty when he was hit. The real problem here and I am shocked it has not been brought up is a design flaw in Montreal, that stanchion should not have been exposed in Montreal and I don't know why it is. It is no different that the luger who was killed in Vancouver on a faulty course. There is no way a player should have been able to hit that stanchion.

Sorry Scoob, but we disagree on that. Here in the Belle Province, we saw about 300,000 reruns of that play. Chara made a distinct pushing motion behind Patch's head as he approached the stanchion.

For sure, the padding on the thing was not perfect, but it was still present. What made the hit so dangerous is that Chara pushed his head outside of the vertical plane of the boards, and forced him into it at high speed. I don't buy the 'it happened too fast' line... these guys are pros, and the whole reason they got to the league is that they are good at situation awareness even given the fast pace of the game.

Did you notice Chara at the face-off circles this series (and others)? He has a habit of slashing the opposing player on the back of the legs, where there is no padding. Nobody will make me believe he isn't intending to hurt or bruise, and it only proves to me that the big man is a bit of a bully.

ALF

[ALF18]

This sentence (especially the bold part):Can be explained by this statement:

I've watched the replay so many times it makes my stomach twist. It definitely was unfortunate but it was NOT intentional. Look at the replay. As Scooby pointed out Chara wasn't even looking in the direction of the stanchion. He barely even hit him. A terrible accident due to a pretty serious design flaw. It was only a matter of time before that happened given where the stanchion was located. Look at Chara's career, how many time over the last fourteen years has he been disciplined by the league? How many times has this happened before with him? That would be none, which is why the league did not discipline him. The league could see any intention in the replay or from their investigation. I've followed Chara from his first days in North America (he used to play for my hometown team the Lowell Lock Monsters which was an affiliate of the Islanders who originally drafted him). I met the guy twice and he is not the type who would intentionally injure someone. As for the Bruins fans who had derision or claimed embellishment, there are fans of every team who are obnoxious and say stuff like that to inflame fans of other teams. Goes on in every sport. I could say the same thing about fans of Vancouver regarding the Rome hit or Fans of Montreal about any of the multitude of hits over the years of the great Boston/Montreal rivalry. I don't because I don't think that it is fair to lump all fans of a team into the same category. I'm a hockey fan, not just a Penguins/Bruins fan. I like the sport regardless of which team is playing. I watch any and all games I can get on my cable because I like the sport. Heck, I collect NHL jerseys and actually have almost every NHL team jersey INCLUDING Montreal. As I said about the Pacciorety hit, totally unfortunate but it was a perfect storm of events, NOT intent to injure.

On the Rome hit, I feel in the middle, it was late, it was kind of dirty (Rome saw Horton coming and knew Horton didn't see him) but I also think Horton should have had his head turning and looking up ice. It was unfortunate, I'm not sure Rome had intent but his skates did leave the ice and he delivered the hit late with contact to the head which is why he got disciplined.

I too am a fan of the game. Montreal was my first love, but I hope you don't truly think I can't be objective just because I root for that team. I don't think that's the case, though, since your comments were relatively insightful.

When I said 'met with derision', I wasn't clear - it was not fans of the team, but some of the players (if memory serves me right, it may have been Mark Recchi). Recchi is a heck of a player, and has always been good for whichever team he played for. But clearly, there is some partisanism going on when you hear a guy like Recchi saying that Paccioretty was embellishing things.

I am distressed by the overall state of the game. When Sidney Crosby got hit during the outdoor game, I was astonished. Don Cherry and others were harping about how he 'should have had his head up.' I disagree. In the case of Horton, you made a great point. He had just passed the puck a few seconds earlier, and therefore there was some small chance that a goon (Rome) might blindside him. In the case of Crosby, it had been a long while since he touched the puck, and a cowardly bully took a run at him. Sid had no reason to be wary; he should have been able to skate unmolested, if hockey were being played with respect for the rules.

I can't get over how the league could let the Crosby incident go unpunished. Sure, the on-ice officials missed it - that sort of thing happens in sports. It was too late to affect the outcome of the game. But it was not too late to punish poor behaviour after the fact, and it is shocking that nothing was done about it. There is a growing list of names (including two Bruins, one Hab, and arguably the league's best player from the Penguins) - and the owners are quite happy to rake in the money and profit from the blood lust of neanderthal fans that lap this stuff up.

The last couple mornings, our local radio 'morning woman' has asked why don't pro sports dish out punishment this way:

If you make a nasty hit with intent to injure, then you are suspended until the victim is back playing. If his career is over (can you say Bertuzzi attacking Moore?), then the bully's career is over too. That would certainly give pause to those who are guilty of shockingly poor judgement.

The 7th game of the Boston/Tampa series this year was a thing of beauty to watch. I didn't care who won, but I really loved the pace and style of play. Why can't all games be like that, and stop reverting to goonery like Game 3 of this series?

ALF

Edited June 8, 2011 by ALF18

[SBARC]

Well let's face it......if Vancouver wins the Stanley Cup.....the end of the world can't be that far off. :o

I got a kick out of the banners hanigng outside the local "Boston Pizza" restaurant....

The first 2 games were very enjoyable to watch......the 3rd game had too much thuggery for my taste....which probably explains why I usually only watch Olympic Hockey.

I hope everyone enjoys the series and I know in the end the best team will win.....we will have to wait to find out which team that is.

[ALF18]

I got a kick out of the banners hanigng outside the local "Boston Pizza" restaurant....

Steve

Boston Pizza started that advertising campaign during the first round - they had Montreal Pizza on the boards all around the Bell Centre, and on billboards everywhere, and in the Gazette. Brilliant marketing!

ALF

[JasonW]

I too am a fan of the game. Montreal was my first love, but I hope you don't truly think I can't be objective just because I root for that team. I don't think that's the case, though, since your comments were relatively insightful.

When I said 'met with derision', I wasn't clear - it was not fans of the team, but some of the players (if memory serves me right, it may have been Mark Recchi). Recchi is a heck of a player, and has always been good for whichever team he played for. But clearly, there is some partisanism going on when you hear a guy like Recchi saying that Paccioretty was embellishing things.

I am distressed by the overall state of the game. When Sidney Crosby got hit during the outdoor game, I was astonished. Don Cherry and others were harping about how he 'should have had his head up.' I disagree. In the case of Horton, you made a great point. He had just passed the puck a few seconds earlier, and therefore there was some small chance that a goon (Rome) might blindside him. In the case of Crosby, it had been a long while since he touched the puck, and a cowardly bully took a run at him. Sid had no reason to be wary; he should have been able to skate unmolested, if hockey were being played with respect for the rules.

I can't get over how the league could let the Crosby incident go unpunished. Sure, the on-ice officials missed it - that sort of thing happens in sports. It was too late to affect the outcome of the game. But it was not too late to punish poor behaviour after the fact, and it is shocking that nothing was done about it. There is a growing list of names (including two Bruins, one Hab, and arguably the league's best player from the Penguins) - and the owners are quite happy to rake in the money and profit from the blood lust of neanderthal fans that lap this stuff up.

The last couple mornings, our local radio 'morning woman' has asked why don't pro sports dish out punishment this way:

If you make a nasty hit with intent to injure, then you are suspended until the victim is back playing. If his career is over (can you say Bertuzzi attacking Moore?), then the bully's career is over too. That would certainly give pause to those who are guilty of shockingly poor judgement.

The 7th game of the Boston/Tampa series this year was a thing of beauty to watch. I didn't care who won, but I really loved the pace and style of play. Why can't all games be like that, and stop reverting to goonery like Game 3 of this series?

ALF

You know, fans of the teams we cheer for aside, I don't think we're all that far off on how we view hockey.

When I was growing up, I was a Mario Lemieux fan. As a result, even though I grew up in the Boston area, I grew up a fan of the Penguins as well as the Bruins. Nothing quite like watching a Denis Savard dance around the ice or to see Gretzky or Lemieux embarrass a couple of opposing players. I like old fashioned hockey, and I think the physical aspect of the game is important too. I'm not talking about hits with intent to injure, but I like to see hard nosed, scrappy play and guys who are not afraid to grind in the corners. I think there is room for a mix of the finesse and physicality that I grew up watching. One thing is for certain, the NHL needs to eliminate head hunters and head shots for good. There are too many players getting serious concussions as a result of this.

I happen to really like Crosby and I agree that the hit that sidelined him was certainly 1) Unwarranted, 2) illegal and 3) seriously dirty. Crosby missing the playoffs was a game changer. The Penguins may have pulled off beating Tampa with Crosby in the lineup. We'll never know, but something tells me it may have been a very different series. If his career is over, it will be a big blow to hockey. Lemieux's career ended prematurely due to issues with his back that were likely the result of cheap hits.

I think you're onto something with the punishment idea you posted from the local radio personality. That may do a little more to make a player think twice. That being said, how easy is it to send a Rome or some other meathead goon out to take out a top tier guy and sacrifice him in trade for a top line player from the other team? Does Vancouver really miss anything with a guy like Rome out of the lineup? Maybe the way they should approach it is a player of equal importance to the team. So, a Horton (second on team in playoff points) equals a Kessler (second on his team in playoff points). That certainly would make the coaches think twice about sending a Rome type out there.

Agreed on the Tampa/Boston game 7. Really well played and not a penalty to be had. Both teams really wanted it and it could have gone either way. It is the kind of hockey I like, there was some good back and forth rushes and some grinding and some hits, but no cheap shots and no late or illegal hits. It was a rarity though for not having a single penalty. I'm not sure how you get to that point where every game is played that way, but I am against removing physical play from the game.

Edited June 8, 2011 by JasonW

[ALF18]

You know, fans of the teams we cheer for aside, I don't think we're all that far off on how we view hockey.

When I was growing up, I was a Mario Lemieux fan. As a result, even though I grew up in the Boston area, I grew up a fan of the Penguins as well as the Bruins. Nothing quite like watching a Denis Savard dance around the ice or to see Gretzky or Lemieux embarrass a couple of opposing players. I like old fashioned hockey, and I think the physical aspect of the game is important too. I'm not talking about hits with intent to injure, but I like to see hard nosed, scrappy play and guys who are not afraid to grind in the corners. I think there is room for a mix of the finesse and physicality that I grew up watching. One thing is for certain, the NHL needs to eliminate head hunters and head shots for good. There are too many players getting serious concussions as a result of this.

I happen to really like Crosby and I agree that the hit that sidelined him was certainly 1) Unwarranted, 2) illegal and 3) seriously dirty. Crosby missing the playoffs was a game changer. The Penguins may have pulled off beating Tampa with Crosby in the lineup. We'll never know, but something tells me it may have been a very different series. If his career is over, it will be a big blow to hockey. Lemieux's career ended prematurely due to issues with his back that were likely the result of cheap hits.

I think you're onto something with the punishment idea you posted from the local radio personality. That may do a little more to make a player think twice. That being said, how easy is it to send a Rome or some other meathead goon out to take out a top tier guy and sacrifice him in trade for a top line player from the other team? Does Vancouver really miss anything with a guy like Rome out of the lineup? Maybe the way they should approach it is a player of equal importance to the team. So, a Horton (second on team in playoff points) equals a Kessler (second on his team in playoff points). That certainly would make the coaches think twice about sending a Rome type out there.

Agreed on the Tampa/Boston game 7. Really well played and not a penalty to be had. Both teams really wanted it and it could have gone either way. It is the kind of hockey I like, there was some good back and forth rushes and some grinding and some hits, but no cheap shots and no late or illegal hits. It was a rarity though for not having a single penalty. I'm not sure how you get to that point where every game is played that way, but I am against removing physical play from the game.

Well said! Nice to see that not all Bruins fans are wrong about everything...

There's just something about the original 6 teams and their fans that makes the latter additions pale in comparison!

Agreed as well about the concept of sending expendable goons to take out the stars - there is always a danger of that. For that reason, the old-style teams had one enforcer whose job it was to make sure the other team respected the elite players (John Ferguson, Chris Nylan...). Somehow there was more civility back then, even given how physical the play was. During the lock-out in 1995, they replayed some old games on a Canadian network. I watched a Bruins/Habs playoff game that was a real treat to see. Sadly, we may never get back to that.

Looking forward to seeing tonight's game - that is, if my daughter's soccer game doesn't go on too late.

ALF

[Scooby]

Sorry Scoob, but we disagree on that. Here in the Belle Province, we saw about 300,000 reruns of that play. Chara made a distinct pushing motion behind Patch's head as he approached the stanchion.

For sure, the padding on the thing was not perfect, but it was still present. What made the hit so dangerous is that Chara pushed his head outside of the vertical plane of the boards, and forced him into it at high speed. I don't buy the 'it happened too fast' line... these guys are pros, and the whole reason they got to the league is that they are good at situation awareness even given the fast pace of the game.

Did you notice Chara at the face-off circles this series (and others)? He has a habit of slashing the opposing player on the back of the legs, where there is no padding. Nobody will make me believe he isn't intending to hurt or bruise, and it only proves to me that the big man is a bit of a bully.

ALF

I am normally very critical of the NHLs lack of decisions and dicipline. Now you have to get this straight, I don't like Montreal or Boston. I watched the tape over and over, Chara followed through on his hit and was looking back up the ice when the contact occurred. I don't think he directed the at to the stanchion. I was more critical that the stanchion was there in the first place. You know from Flight Safety, there are a series of links for every accident. Break any of them and the accident doesn't occur. I don't know how Montreal got away with that design. Nothing happens if that stanchion isn't there.

[Scooby]

I am distressed by the overall state of the game. When Sidney Crosby got hit during the outdoor game, I was astonished. Don Cherry and others were harping about how he 'should have had his head up.'

I can't get over how the league could let the Crosby incident go unpunished. Sure, the on-ice officials missed it - that sort of thing happens in sports.

I do think players should have a responsibility to protect themselves but at the same time there should be more respect given by players to not intentionally injure players. Crosby should have never been hit and his head was definitely targeted. No need for that in hockey.

I don't understand why the Crosby incident was unpunished, perhaps it was due to who he is and they thought he would be getting special treatment. And I don't think the refs missed it, I think they ignored it. I think NHL refs are so confused they don't know what to call anymore. When a player gets hooked off his feet it isn't called, but when a player barely touches another with his stick, and when that player doesn't even miss a stride in his skating, they call it hooking! I hate that call!

The NHL over-thinks everything they do.

[Scooby]

I think you're onto something with the punishment idea you posted from the local radio personality. That may do a little more to make a player think twice. That being said, how easy is it to send a Rome or some other meathead goon out to take out a top tier guy and sacrifice him in trade for a top line player from the other team? Does Vancouver really miss anything with a guy like Rome out of the lineup? Maybe the way they should approach it is a player of equal importance to the team. So, a Horton (second on team in playoff points) equals a Kessler (second on his team in playoff points). That certainly would make the coaches think twice about sending a Rome type out there.

I was thinking the exact same thing today, the player penalty that you mention.

Hey, and I grew up watching Gretzky, I miss the real hockey that is long gone since the "dumb Bettman days." The instigator and other stupid changes took away the ability for our stars to be protected from people who are out to injure them. Now fighting is mostly pointless, at least before it was a deterrent. But Bettman never understood that.