Nightfall

It also looked late to me, but whatever..... People seem to forget that these people are also assets. When an asset gets injured then the fanbase and team suffers. Especially in the salary cap world where you can't just sign all the best players. Do I think the NHL is wimping out to a certain extent? Yes. However, I also believe that a vast majority of calls are the right ones. Hitting is still in the game. Fighting is still in the game. People need to stop whining about how players can't take the heads off of other players just because they feel like it.

There is some truth to this, but I know that Eddie is pretty badly for the Hawks and has a hard time being impartial.

Actually, everyone here wants biased commenting which is why they watch the local FSD broadcasts, but I digress.... Remember when Gary Thorne and Bill Clement were calling the games and everyone was all over Gary Thorne's nuts and saying he was a Colorado supporter? Then they were saying that Barry Melrose was a Colorado supporter? I am not saying that either of them are biased at all, but the point being that some people will ***** about anything when nothing is there. In this case, these commentators say something positive about the opposing team and they are labeled as biased. With Eddie, he is just a sucky commentator. He is so bad the only way he can call a game is biased. Pierre Maguire sucks horrible as well and he has no bias at all. I don't hear any bias from the rest of the NBC crew. Personally I say deal with it, but there are other options out there. As for the news, we need more unbiased news networks and stations. The problem is once the networks figured out how to make money off the news, it lost all credibility. I agree with your assessment.

Blashill is doing a terrific job. Remember Kurt Frasier? That guy had a great team down in Grand Rapids, but just couldn't get much out of them. I am not surprised that they bring in Blashill and they make the playoffs in the 3rd seed, and they win the division. Frasier leaving was the best thing that could have happened to the Griffins.

Well, after you called the series over when the Ducks went up 3-2, I can definitely say you are no Nostradamus. I am picking the Hawks in 7, but that is because they are rolling right now. The Wings will get a couple wins just from sheer will and determination. In the end though, Chicago is just that good. This right here!

I have a friend who just flips on the radio feed and watches the game in sync with the video. Works great. As for me, I don't mind the NBC announcing team. I really don't know why people are so anal about listening to them. Its the same attitude that people have when they turn on Fox News all the time, but when a program that they like comes on CNN, they ***** about it. There are other options thanks to Ken Kal.

A hit from behind is a hit from behind. Player had no chance to defend himself. Yup, a partial dive, but welcome to the NHL.

The problem is that kids coming up into PW hockey were just hitting and not developing the stickhandling and skating skills. You had kids just out there to hit, and while this is all said and good, the quality of the hockey at the PW level was pretty bad. These kids then couldn't cut it when they got up to Bantam level. Personally, I would prefer to see less goons and more skilled players. There is a place for fighting and checking into the game, and IMHO, starting the hitting out at the Bantam level is the right thing to do. At the PW level, it was very questionable. Yes, the coaches are teaching their kids on how to hit and take a hit. This starts small at the squirt level and goes up from there. There is a great program that USA hockey has going and that goes from the coaching, player training, evaluations, and refereeing. I really am glad that checking is removed from PW hockey. Here is a good story on the stats and injuries in relation to youth hockey. http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_Education_and_Training/Menu_Body_Checking_Rule_Proposal/Emery-%20Body%20Checking-%20JAMA%202010.pdf

I agree. I have seen Mrz a lot with the Griffins this year, and he is very good. The problem is that he has been prone to crappy games at times. Yes, he has the skill set to be a great goalie and he has achieved so much in his young career. I just feel that he is going to need to prove himself over the course of a full season in the AHL and hopefully in a couple long playoff runs.

USA hockey works these kids into hitting by having them make contact with other players in the Peewee level. Yes, there are no checks, but at least they get them used to body contact at a young age. I guess it depends on your definition of "working them in" though. There could be a better option though. I can tell you that more parents, refs, and coaches like hockey at the PW level much more after the rule change to take checking out. The end result has been more skilled players at the Bantam level. I do get what you are saying though. Will the Bantam players be ready for checking at that level? You have to keep in mind that the PW players were being taught checking a couple years ago so they had to stop checking in order to play PW the last couple years. So the ones getting into Bantam were already taught the fundamentals. I think this will be one rule that will be re-evaluated in a couple years.

I have been refereeing for a number of years now and I have done everything from Peewee all the way up to Varsity hockey in West Michigan. In that time, I have seen a number of rule changes. When they announced that they were removing checking from Peewee hockey, I was a supporter and still am today. For a number of PW teams and players, they are still learning the fundamentals of hockey. You had a number of players who were just out to hit and didn't have the basic skills down. Eliminating checking in PW hockey really helped the development of these kids. Now, two years after the rule was put in place, it really has improved the passing and chemistry of these games. Bantam hockey is a much better product because the kids are not only able to pass and shoot better, but the hitting is still there in that aspect of the game. Now, some people think that no hitting means no contact. There is still contact, but its all about intent. For instance, if you have to players going shoulder to shoulder into the corner to play the puck, using your size and strength to get the puck is allowed. You can't body check someone out of the way, but you can contact the other player and use your size and strength for body positioning. I know some people here are saying "No hit league" and that the rule sucks, but this is something that most hockey parents, refs, and coaches really like.

I played in a charity event against the Red Wings Alumni back in 2003 and that was awesome. This experience would be just as fun IMHO. I would love my rec hockey team to have an experience like this.

The Pens have looked better with Vokoun thats for sure. So far, the only teams that have really impressed me has been Chicago and the Sharks. If the Pens can get rolling with Vokoun, it will remind me of the Wings when they won the cup in 2008 by booting Hasek for Osgood.

Just as the negative nancys never stop with calling a series lost after their team goes down 3-2. Adversity is what makes sports great. I certainly wish I could crap all over the Wings when they go down in a series or lose a game, but I just can't do it.

Gut check time for the Wings. Game 6 should be a good one in Detroit. If they want it bad enough, they should win it. The Wings had their chances today, but they need to finish. Howard was outstanding today. Zetterberg had 2 assists but he seemed invisible tonight. Ah well, lets see what Friday brings. Lets go Wings!

Ok, how about in 2002 when the Wings dropped game 5 at home to Colorado and had to win Game 6 on the road and then ousted Roy in game 7.

They will climb back on board the Detroit Red Wings bus as they have for the last 20+ years. Otherwise, that Sharks bus is looking pretty good right now to them.

I am sure you were saying the opposite when Detroit beat Pittsburgh in the 09 cup finals to take a 3-2 series lead. Oh wait, Pittsburgh won game 6 at home and 7 on Detroit ice to win the cup. Nevermind..... Gut check time for Detroit. We will see how they react in game 6.

Yea, the Ducks announcers are bad. When it comes to good relatively unbiased home announcing, check out the Dallas Stars announcing duo. They are pretty good as well.

I will say that the Detroit announcers are like a few other pairs of home announcers out there that are better than the others, but for the most part, they are still homers.

The Ducks announcers are like the Wings announcers. Total homers.

Just based on all the falling around, its going to have to be a pretty obvious penalty that results in the next power play.

Bert has had a solid game tonight.

The guys on the NBC feed right now don't do the Ducks home announcing.

I have to commend the refs. They are letting the players play. Especially with all the falling that is going on out there.