Carman

The league needs to enforce the rules then. Crosby is just doing what it takes to win, he's a champion.

Howard isn't the issue, but I'll agree he needs to play better. But along with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Kronwall etc. When you get shutout the goalie should be far down on the list of issues. If we had a goalie like Vokuon I'd be all for making a switch, just to try and stir up something for the team. Howard remains our best option.

Yeah, i don't like the call really, but Crosby beat him out of the corner and the guy held him. It's weak, but it's been called like that all year.

Because it's harder to gauge the play from up close sometimes. Depends on the angle as well, same reason umpires appeal to first/third base on if the batter swung through. Just because the one referee up close didn't see anything doesn't mean the other one didn't. From experience the risk won't be worth the reward on the open ice. It's too hard to just hit a guy in open ice, players just won't do it anymore if people keep getting suspended. I don't know how I feel about the whole situation, on one hand the more we know about concussions, the more emphasis the league has to make to make the game safe just due to lawsuits like the NFL, on the other hand it's going to force players to only make hits that they are sure they can make, which will hurt the entertainment value on the game, without a doubt in my mind there will be less and less open ice hits, if players keep paying the price for shoulder checks.

No way in the world is Lashoff close to Cola's offensive ability. I'm alright with the decision as I would have picked Lashoff too, but Cola is a pretty good point producing defenseman when he plays. This move was probably made based on Lashoff being more game ready then anything.

Cola isn't that bad if he's healthy, he's just never healthy. I would give the nod to lashoff, at the very least you get playoff experience for a young guy that will be a part of your future. Wouldn't blame babs if he goes cola though.

Honestly if he struggled as a first time NHLer then so did Datsyuk. Datsyuk had 14 points in his first 40 games, Nyquist had 13 in his first 40 games. Datsyuk was 23 btw for all of those games, Nyquist was 22 for half of them. People that wrote off Nyquist because he didn't put up Calder numbers needs to realize he wasn't playing 16 minutes a game like Zetterberg did his rookie year. Nyquist is producing for the minutes he's playing, if we played him as much as Rangers play Hagelin he would be just as effective. Nyquist played 8 minutes and 45 seconds last night. I mean come on.

He put up better offensive numbers all through their careers. I can't say I know too much about Jensen, his accomplishments are pretty impressive, he has a pretty good build, not big, but not really small. Being a right handed shot is huge too, not bad for a 5th round pick here. Our defensive prospects very well might be the best in the league, and I'm not just saying that.

Wow really sucks that dekeyser is out, he's played so well. Time for one of our 3 NHL defensemen that are scratched to step up. What a bummer though.

I love how's it Howard's fault for the team falling apart in front of him. I don't think we touched the puck more than a couple times in like 12 minutes. Howard is a part of the blame, but no one should single him out. It's not like he let in a Carey price type goal tonight.

.Goalies are the scapegoat for bad teams. Bryz is a damn good goalie, had a bad year, behind a really tough defensive team. Lots of problems in Philly, Bryzgalov wasn't great, but he wasn't the biggest issue either. People need to understand how important a team is to a goalie's play. No other position in the game relies on other people to make your job easier. Look at how Ottawa, Blues and Phoenix always has good goalies, is it because the goalies are great, or the system makes the goalies job easier? Saw it this season wtih Howard, when the team struggled defensively so did Howard, but when the team didn't allow 10 breakaways a game his stats shoot up to the top. There isn't a Hasek type goalie in the league that can carry a crap team, the expectations on goalies is often unfair.

We have a very promising defensive prospect pool. This Sproul kid is the real deal offensively. I'm really excited about our future.

I meant "terrible" for his numbers. He can play better. Wasn't too clear on how I worded that.

Still top 10 career SV% in playoffs for active goalies. and 12th in GAA while having "terrible" performances in the playoffs.

Proud of our guys. They gutted out an ugly season and played their best when they needed it most. Great way to end the season, now let's keep this play up into the playoffs!

He's too small to be effective in the tough eastern conference.

Big win. Awesome game guys. Keep it up and the Stanley Cup is ours.

I don't see what's surprising, if a player plays well he is liked, when a player doesn't he isn't well liked.

Nice job 4th line!

Cleary?

Quincey had 38 points in his first full season. I'm not giving up on Smith, but it's not like he's shown to be a great defensive guy at any level. He's always been a phyisical/point producer that took a ton of chances. Hopefully he can be Wisniewski-type soon, but right now a Wisniewski-type guy that doesn't produce is a terrible defenseman and that's why he is fighting to have a 6th spot on a bubble playoff team. I'm just not sold that he has the defensive mind to be a reliable #2, and don't want people to be disappointed if he ends up being a good depth man.

San Jose had to give up a very good second line player on a great contract(setoguchi), their best prospect at the time(Coyle), and a first round pick. We would have given up Filpulla, Smith/Nyquist, and a first for Brent Burns, or maybe even more considering Filpulla's contract isn't as valuable as Setoguchi's. Personally I'm glad we passed on Burns, and tried our luck going after Suter. That's just one example, but other than Burns there hasn't been that many #1, or #2 defenseman traded the past few seasons, especially ones that would fit with Kronwall's style.

Fisher showed some big promise defensively, his struggles came with confidence with the puck, not so much hockey IQ. Smith is different in the regard that he's not shown to play a basic defensive style. He's trying to run before he learns to walk, and he's stuck trying to make difficult plays, and it's hurting our defense. Also have to take into account that he's been leapfrogged by a rookie with 6 games. Smith has all the ability in the world, but he's never shown the defensive apititude needed to play the big minutes. I don't think they're asking him to shut anyone down, but he just really lacks in the decision making department, and while it could develop, it very well might not. If he had showed previously at every level to not have a propensity to pinch at bad times, lose his guy in the defensive zone, try to force a pass etc. then I'd feel good about his future as a top 4 guy on our team. He'll get at least another year, and hopefully he can work on his game, but it's not developed in 2 AHL seasons, and 43 NHL games and there really hasn't even been a bright spot were he's played well for 3-4 games defensively.

Yeah, this is a knock on Holland from me, Tatar should have been on this team, he's deserved it. I don't blame him for being frustrated.

No doubt about it, Wiz is better than White. But unlike Wiz, White can be let go after this year and we can move on to find someone better and White is getting paid about 3 million less* . Wisniewski is injury prone, flat and plainly. He gets injured too much, you didn't like Holland going after Sammy right? Seems hypocritical to me, Samuelsson actually played more games last season...