haroldsnepsts

Well the realignment definitely had the players in mind in that it affected travel, but he didn't actually ask the players. In fact, in the media he went so far as to point out that they technically didn't have to consult with the NHLPA, as if he was doing them so favor. Maybe by the letter of the law, but that's your friggin talent you're talking about there Gary. Maybe you should actually ask them since it affects their day to day lives as much as anyone. No one goes to games to see his weasely face sitting in the stands, or goes to Wings games to see Illitch's latest plastic surgery or hairpiece. They go there to watch the players. And I would agree Bettman is probably 50/50. For me his performance should really be judged in the next 3 to 5 years to see how many of his southern expansion attempts are profitable or have failed, and if we have lost all or part of a third season of hockey because of his hard ball tactics with the CBA negotiations.

But that's not what Bettman did with that issue at all. He went and talked to all the owners and they created a plan without ever consulting the players or NHLPA. Then he gave an incredibly short deadline for the NHLPA to consult with its members and consider all the implications of the realignment, putting them in the position of having to hold up approving it. He wasn't coming up with a plan that satisfies the players at all. He was appeasing the owners and using the realignment to make the NHLPA look bad headed into CBA negotiations. And now that he got his cap rammed through last time, I fully expect this round will include putting the screws to the players again to get the owners a larger share of profits, while using tactics to make the players union look bad, like he did with realignment. The negotiations haven't even begun and Bettman has set a divisive tone with his remarks about the NHLPA and the realignment plan. I don't think loving the game necessarily means not deviating from the original format. Look at Shanahan. The guy clearly loves the game, but has also come up with some pretty innovative ideas to try and improve it. Bettman is beholden to all the GM's, sometimes at the cost of the greater good of the game, and it shows. I'm not saying he has an easy job. It's an incredibly hard one. I just think part of the NHL commissioner's job should include protecting the integrity of the game and sometimes preventing the owners from being their own worst enemy. And in that regard, Bettman is lacking. But by far his most annoying quality is his condescending remarks towards fans and what they think. Basically telling us time and time again that we're wrong. "Clutching and grabbing? Nope. Fans and players have told me they love how the game is played." "Officiating? Are refs do a great job and fans and players have told me they're happy with the job the officials are doing."

I never realized but read that picture was taken at the last Olympics? Is that true???

He has say about the shape of the game, because a big part of his job is to get 30 GM's to agree on things. That's my biggest problem with Bettman, that he has little to no understanding, or at least no passion for the game. And yes, he is supposed to have it. When you're in charge of a billion dollar company, you should have a pretty good understanding of what the product is. To further your analogy, I don't expect Bettman to have a great slapshot, or even know how to skate. But I expect him to understand the ins and outs of the game itself, not just the business side. And as importantly, have a love for the game since he more than anyone else is its steward.

Honestly I was thinking, Detroit would've gotten crushed by this LA team. And probably would've lost to Phoenix too. One of the Wings biggest weaknesses is getting easily rattled by a fast physical forecheck, and that's exactly what the Kings bring. Not to mention the Kings are getting better goaltending, their star players are scoring clutch goals, and their 3rd and 4th lines are contributing. The Wings had almost none of that. Their defense has so much less experience than the Wings but looks so much more poised. I'm glad the Kings didnt play the Wings in the playoffs. I'm a Kings fan, but the Wings will always be my #1 team. And I wouldn't want to see them get manhandled the way Vancouver and St. Louis have.

Agreed. I'd rather they were taking it easy for a while and then getting ready for next season.

Brown still in beast mode. Kings win!

And if he were out the whole game because of it you'd probably just be whining about what a baby he is.

Kings look good overall, but man Quick has had the brain farts tonight.

Quick maybe, but otherwise the Kings have been picking up right where they left off. Well, maybe the officials too. The linesmen are killing me with the faceoffs here. Just drop the puck! Well, the refs threw them a bone. They've bit on three Yotes dives tonight. Dustin Brown got out Dustin Browned on the second one. Then Smith totally sold that interference. It's amazing all the ways Carter can manage not to score a goal. He's seriously the Filppula of Los Angeles.

1-0 Kings. Smith is playing great but he's such a baby. A Kings player gets pushed into the net so Smith goes after him from behind. At least he didn't flop on the ice and act like he'd been shot I guess.

Go Rangers? Mostly because I want the Kings to win over the Yotes, and a New York-LA Finals could be fun.

exactly. Even a rumor of something like that coming out is not good for Kane or his team. Like I said, he could still go out and drink and have a good time but do it in a way it doesn't reflect poorly on him or the organization that is paying him $6+ mill a year.

Here's the Kings pre-game video from the series against the Blues. I can't say I'm a big fan of the song necessarily, but it made for a pretty awesome pre-game show. The few seconds of black are where they cut to live footage of the players skating out on the ice for that game. http://lakingsinsider.com/2012/05/04/pregame-video-from-staples-center/

As to what actually happened that weekend, it'll probably be a lot of rumors and stories with little proof. One thing is for certain though, Kane is a douchebag. I get that he's 23 and rich and having fun, but there's plenty of ways to go out and drink and have a good time without announcing to the world "I'm Patrick Kane!!" every step of the way.

Love tap? There are spears that are really just a poke at a guy, but in the video you can clearly see a pretty hefty windup and jab. That's no love tap. The crosscheck was more of just a scramble in the crease. The guy wasn't even looking at Franzen when he got him in the nose, so it's a stretch to imply it was somehow retaliation for Franzen not answering the bell or diving. And feigning injury was the rule in this game, not the exception.

good for business. The primary reason Bettman was brought in was to implement a cap. It took two work stoppages under his reign but he did it. But I wouldn't say he's good for the game. Aside from locking the players out twice during his tenure and losing a season and a half of hockey, he also denied for years that clutching and grabbing was out of hand during the dead puck era. It wasn't until the lockout and the competition committee's involvement that they made adjustments to the game to allow skill players to play without getting mugged.

I think we're all just bored because the Wings have been eliminated and Bettman is a little weasel so he's an easy target. He's basically just trying to say something about the Blues and their franchise in regards to their sale. Especially since they sold for well less than their estimated value, and $20 million less than what they were purchased for in 2006. After two years the sale of the team is finally over with, and the Blues have a good team that's finally in a position to make money. In the words of The Replacements, Gary's got a boner.

Agreed. His dives made Kesler's look subtle and understated. Malkin is probably one of if not the dirtiest star player in the NHL right now.

sounded like a crazy game. crosscheck to the face? getting speared? Franzen was clearly making some new Russian friends. Here's a clip of the spear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTmNIEE_eqI&feature=player_embedded Some huge dives by the Russians that got Franzen riled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayf76US9pF0&feature=player_embedded I pray the NHL never turns into this much of a joke in terms of diving. It's creeping that way already.

That's generally how I felt up til now, but I'm a Kings fan so I'm pulling for them all the way. And Smith's ridiculous dive after being hit by Shaw made it a little easier not to root for them.

Agreed. It's entertaining to watch him throw tantrums like a five year old, but the reality is that interacting with the media is part of his job, and a necessary one to help promote the game. If he doesn't like it, maybe he should coach some kids league where he wont' have to talk to any reporters. I'm not sure it pays as well though...

I just have to wonder what the Cap will actually be because of the CBA expiring. It'd be great if it went up to where Devellano thought it would. Illitch has pretty deep pockets. But there's also some GM's who seem like they don't even want to spend to the cap floor, so there could be a push to screw the cap down even tighter and route more money to management instead of players. With Lidstrom potentially retiring, the Wings needing to make some significant moves, and the CBA expiring, it should be an interesting off season.

It seems like we go through this every new contract with Lidstrom. For starters, it's not like Lidstrom sits down in front of Holland and demands what he should paid, pointing out that the fans would riot if he left. All these negotiations happen with Nick's agent. He's not the absolute best in the league anymore, but he's still a top pairing Dman and probably expects to be compensated as such. Last season Lidstrom still led all D-men on the Wings by playing 23:46 a game. He still plays the most minutes of all d-men on the PP, and still kills penalties. We're not talking about a Chelios type situation where he was a bottom pairing guy. Nick was the #1 d-man and if he returns will almost certainly still function as one of the top two defensemen on the team. He doesn't owe Holland anything more than what Holand owes him. It's not on Nick's shoulders to give Holland more cap room. That's Holland's job. Lidstrom does his job on the ice. And he's given a hometown discount time and time again compared to what his market value was. As I've said in threads like this before, it's really easy to give money away "for the good of the team" when it's not yours.

honestly if I don't compare it to other suspensions and just look at it as a single incident, I'm okay with one game. Giroux was clearly pissed about a non call, skated up ice, hit Zubrus late and only contacted his head. He didn't get him very hard and Zubrus definitely sold it, but intent was pretty clear and the head was the principal point of contact.