Doc Holliday

What else ya got?

So what plays exactly should face ejection? What about accidental plays? How is a referee supposed to know the intent during the play? There is a lot of black and white in choosing which plays to enforce after a goal has been scored but play continues.

Well for starters it is January. Secondly, it is the regular season. Third, Osgood hasn't started since the 20th. There are way too many things that need to happen before Howard seems like a legitimately better goaltender in the playoffs than Osgood. And not all of them have happened yet. I'm also sure you could find some quotes for Babcock talking about how great Conklin was last year.

Pardon me for not having complete faith in a goaltender who has not played one minute of NHL playoff hockey over a goaltender who has helped take this team to the SCF two years in a row. But of course it is the "what have you done for me lately" mentality, and since Howard is doing well and winning games while Osgood is sitting on the bench unable to show whether he can do the same that must mean Howard would do the same thing in the post-season.

I'm not talking about the ref. If the players do and the refs don't then they could make cheapshots, those that aren't really suspendable, and even if they were I don't trust Campbell to make the right decision.

That's the point. He is playing well in January and people are already talking like the playoffs are tomorrow. Really? EVERY game? Like against Boston? Or Chicago? He has plenty of confidence and that last point is subjective. I'm sure he isn't playing lackadaisically but he needs to at least get some starts if they want him to prove himself.

I'd rather him start when Osgood can't. Osgood hasn't shown that yet. (Also hard to stop playing better than a goaltender who doesn't play)

The entire point of the penalty is to prevent players from making cheapshots or other atrocities against the opposing team if they know the puck is in. If you know the play is going to be called back, what's to stop you from smashing someone in the face with your stick? It is a preventative measure, and it is a fine rule. Leave it be.

Osgood will start in the playoffs, so you all can start your bitching about how Howard deserves it early. If the playoffs started now, I'd want Osgood. He is the playoff goaltender. And considering Osgood is playing better now than he did one year ago should say a lot.

You are responding to every negative fact about the Blackhawks with "Hey look at the standings, Blackhawks dominate!" or something of that nature. Your purpose in this thread has been to be a s*** disturber, and you don't have to create this thread to be such.

I really can't think of many shots that were difficult for Jimmy to stop. Detroit's defense really kept the Sharks from generating anything in their zone. Blocking shots, clogging passing lanes, etc. They did it all.

Seemed like Cleary was just letting Seto get a few revenge shots in after knocking him into the net like that. He didn't really want to fight, but he didn't turtle out of it either or refuse to get involved.

Seemed like Cleary was just letting Seto get a few revenge shots in after knocking him into the net like that. He didn't really want to fight, but he didn't turtle out of it either or refuse to get involved.

Welcome back, troll.

Well Giggy was playing really bad. Osgood isn't playing that bad.

If you have a veteran who has done it before and can play in that situation then you don't give it to the rookie just so he can get playoff time. He will get his if he continues to play well through the next few years so there is no need to rush him into anything. They didn't rush him into a steady NHL gig, did they?

And you base that on tonight's game? I guess if you don't f*** things up then you are an official playoff-ready goaltender. Who knew?

Pretty sure they set the clock back.

No one said Howard couldn't play the best teams. It was said that Howard's stats were skewed based on the face he DIDN'T play the best teams. And when he didn't play many hard teams that was the case.

Yeah I noticed it at the start, which is why it didn't surprise me he was able to shock the goaltender with the shot. He was playing pass the entire time.

Hasek was pulled because of his performance in game four. He wasn't pulled in game three. If Osgood does what Hasek did then Howard will play.

Osgood had an awful first two periods against Chicago then played great the final period. Dan Ellis? Steve Mason? The odds are a rookie is not going to adapt as well in the playoffs as a veteran. And Osgood is having a better year than he did last year, not to mention his Cup win while playing solid as ever and a finals appearance as the MVP for this hockey club (which was only a year ago). Howard has not distanced himself so far in front of Osgood (and Osgood has not distanced himself so far behind Howard) that he deserves the spot come playoff time. If he deserves it he will earn it (or Osgood will lose it) in the second half.

What in the world is that?

I swear you must be a modern version of Reggie freaking Dunlop.