PotbellyJoe

It was a little loose for my taste, but it was nice to not see weak calls every time a player played it off the boards entering the zone. Well played game, very little stoppage in play, and the refs let it be like that. I'd rather it be looser than tighter on calls. That being said I think there needs to be a balance where your officiating crew hails from. Canadian refs, on Canadian soil with a dominant Canadian team in the game, seems like it could be ripe for controversy should any questionable whistles be blown. I would figure the IOC would have better sense than that, but then again these are the guys that chose Rio for 2016...

Did Doc just praise Dan O'Halloran as one of the best in the NHL? I think the Olympic spirit is getting to him...

When did this become a ***** sport? If your 20 feet from the crease, know you may get wrecked. If I were Jansen I would've just gone straight through him, at least make it worth it. I am all for protecting goaltenders in the crease, or making sure they are able to make a play on a shot. That's needed for them to be able to play their position. But if some Goal tender decides he wants to play defenceman, then he gets everything that goes with that position, including getting smoked by a bigger faster player being aggressive in his offensive zone. And next, keep your gloves on. I hate this idiocy that I seem to be seeing more and more now of guys jumping in after a hit to 'pummel' a guy. Take his number fight him later. While we're on a goaltender rant... Drop the trapezoid rule.

They gotta find someway to afford the Conan settlement....

Avery isn't the greatest ever, because he's not even the greatest currently. Gary Bettman has that hands down. New York Love Avery, find me one town that loves Bettman. He's managed to get under everybody's skin...

But if Bettman still believes (with very little evidence in either direction) that Performance Enhancing Drugs are not an issue in his sport because they don't help with the skill of the game, then how can we expect him to take his head out of the sand on the issue of refs and possible vendettas? This is equivalent to a Police Chief being asked if one of his officers was out of line. No facts stated, no facts needed, he's one of their own, they say "He's a veteran in the league, has reffed umpteen hundred games and has shown to be a very good ref over his career" At least on his show on Thursday the discussion won't entirely be about programming for Center Ice.

Auger and LaRue did the game last night. They were the pair that screwed Brad May. Best line I heard on it this monring was one of my buddies out west... "This brings new insight into how early a ref can intend to blow a whistle"

You're not the only one who notices. And I love it when he rocks that tie. So Ditto on all accounts.

C's and up and Stanley are the only ones that get my attention...

Holy Breakfast Club.

He said it was regrettable circumstances, not that he regretted doing it. Suspicion, with charges, are enough to need distance in this case. Suspending him from ownership permits the league to make moves that would sure up new ownership if he had been convicted of the backdating of options. It's like when a state government has to relinquish control to enable the federal government to take over in an emergency. If he was faced with this kind of situation again, Bettman would most likely act the same way. At least that's how I understand it.

I got snubbed by Kirby Puckett in Florida during Spring training. I shed no tears when he was hit with the baseball. I was 12. It was his birthday that day and i stood along a fence to the stadium from the players' lot. My twin sister and I sang him happy birthday and asked for any autograph, he looked at us and kept walking.

I was at the game too. Lots of fun. Funny enough I took more abuse in Jersey than MSG. Moving on. Anisimov even owned up to the fact that it was his lack of paying attention that made it such a big hit.

Does the IIHF have an intent rule?

That building in polished up tonight. Absolutely beautiful. Watching with my wife and she goes "I don't think I've ever seen the glass where it was so perfect, I can barely see it." I had a big grin for Scotty Bowman. Awesome. Even the Anthems with the brass from the MSO sounded amazing. I hate Montreal (My mother is from Boston, making NY and Montreal evil) and I was still enjoying this. Well done Montreal.

I'll be at both, with my wife in tow. Devils game I am section 108. row 2. I'm dusting off the Shanny Jersey for this one. Rangers, section 401, row C, seats 1-2. May rock Shanny Again, That or Lidstrom. I went to College in Newark, NJ at Rutgers. I know a few decent bars. There's a few in the Ironbound which is super close to the arena, or the Irish Pubs, McGoverns (on New street) and Hamiltons (on Central) which are near military park/university heights that a few more blocks away. The Rock is a great arena, I go to more than a few games there a year, just get my fix of hockey. PS they are commemorating the 95 championship with a whole dedication ceremony in a new wing of the arena at 6. Not surprisingly they will be doing this for the Dallas and Anaheim games as well.

I guess the video replay in Toronto have sound too, or just video?

Well I have my question for Bettman's radio show tomorrow. Everyone on this board should call in for that replay. Whats the point in replay if something that obvious is blown?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=504796 Wonder if the Malkin case can be brought up as precedent?

It's worth a watch. Starts with the Lucic suspension in the playoffs. Went from there to call out the favoritism.

Agreed, but if you aren't going to enforce it to all, don't write it. It only feeds the conspiracy theorists...

If anyone wants to sell one, drop me a message. Being 600+ miles away from the Joe makes it tough to make home games.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...?urn=nhl,167172 Supposedly it has been an Automatic 1-game suspension after the lockout. It's just lame when the league is afraid to enforce its own rules because they don't like what it means. The extra clause in rule 47.22 is that Campbell gets to look over criteria and decide if it should be meted out. It just allows for favorites to be played.

Being in New Jersey, most Red Wings games I catch are on the radio. Tonight with them in the Garden I was able to tune in. When did the font for the names change to a block from the old non-descript font? Am I inattentive, or this a new thing? the 'M's on names looked almost like Michigan's M.

Good game Pens, Good series, Good Season. I wish it had ended better, but Detroit's year was good. We'll see what July 1st brings.