Dabura

I said it in the GDT, but I think it's worth repeating and expanding upon: What makes this call worse than the one in the Stars series is the fact that it occurred in the Stanley Cup Finals. That's inexcusable. This series is the NHL's big dance -- and, really, the biggest dance it's had in a long time considering the huge marketability (both respective and collective) of these two franchises. And you make a call like that? I'm sorry, but how does that make any kind of sense? I'm not just talking about the rulebook; I'm talking about the state of the league. I'm talking about hockey. Think about it: relatively huge audience...lots of potential "investors" (of the casual fan and business-suit variety) watching...first goal of one of the biggest games in recent memory scored by arguably the best, most well-respected player in the world...and you make that call? The NHL is a business. That call is bad business, plain and simple. How is something like that supposed to bring in new fans, let alone potential businessmen of the shrewd variety? The game is confusing enough as it is to casual fans. I can only imagine how mind-numbing it is for people who have virtually no conception of how the game works. Tell me, then: How are baseless calls like this supposed to help the league's cause? Do they make the NHL any sexier, any more respectable? Is slapping Nick Lidstrom in the face like that in front of the biggest audience of the year really good for anything? "Whatever. Move on." Fair enough. That's exactly what the Wings did en route to abusing the Pens. Obviously they're all the better for it. But my position on this kind of incident is that it's always bigger than one play, one goal, one game. That applies very literally to this Wings team, as it has now had two key postseason goals (and make no mistake: they were goals) called off for no good reason. Regardless of which team you root for, that is several kinds of ridiculous. Specifically, the implied double-standard reflects poorly on the league, which reflects poorly on hockey, which reflects poorly on everyone affiliated with the sport on every level. "Greetings to all of you watching in Sweden! Give us your business and we'll mock your national heroes! Yee-haw!" I'll probably get hell for what I'm about to say, but I truly believe Bettman should axe O'Halloran and put McCreary back where he belongs ASAP. "Ridiculous! There's no precedent for that!" Hmm, that sounds awfully familiar....

It's weird because for as long as I can remember, he's always been very reasonable and very pro-Wings. I can understand picking the Pens in 7, but some of the comments he makes in that article are so wildly idiotic and wrong, it's like someone killed the real Burnside and inserted a double.

Personally, I'm surprised the Pens are so adamant about playing a dump-and-chase game tomorrow. I thought they were extremely competitive in the first period primarily because they were playing their game, which, like the Wings' system, centers on puck-possession. (Those consecutive PPs didn't hurt, of course.) Bottom line -- they're not a pursuit team; playing that way won't play to their big strengths, aside from maybe their speed. The Wings have a ton of experience combating that style, and they might have Mule back tomorrow, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see another rout.

Out of room.

Yeah, I read that last night. I was practically in tears I was laughing so hard. Granted, I was drunk. And granted, Hradek and Melrose -- and Burnside, at times -- are colossal morons.

I'd like to see Rafalski get a little more credit around here. True, he has a brain fart every now and then, and true, he's paired with Nick -- but all in all, he's been fantastic this run.

He forgot the big one: They are much better than your team, whatever team that may be.

Link or it didn't happen. Gogogo!!!

A friend just reminded me -- anyone else remember when Doc referred to Gonchar as Hank's "fellow countryman"?

Yes, a big one. Next question.

This sounds to me like Game 3, but ah well. Good news!

As Pierre Maguire of all people said last night, had Holmstrom been any other Wing on that play, the goal wouldn't have been called off -- let alone emphatically waved off right away. It was a legitimate goal that was negated by a bulls*** call because Homer's a marked man. I don't care if that sounds like a conspiracy theory -- it's the truth.

EDIT: Wrong thread

ZDH Mule - Flip - Cleary Sammy - Draper - Drake Helm - Hudler - Maltby Draper's line is money right now, so even if Mule is slightly rusty, it shouldn't have a big effect.

Good to hear. Emrick mentioned it briefly, but focused primarily on the packed house in Pittsburgh.

Found my new desktop image!

"Mike, what's to stop Chris Chelios from...."

They will; Mule should be dressed, which is nothing but bad news for the Pens.

Any officiating system that allows the two no-goal calls Detroit's been dealt in these playoffs is worthy of categorical damnation, imho. And you know that "one period" wasn't the end of it.

Also: Exactly. As I and many others have always said, he's a checking-line energy guy with a good offensive upside and good defensive awareness. He's exactly where he should be right now line-wise and it's paying off.

Sammy was beastly out there after he netted the first one. Unbelievable effort from him tonight -- he did everything except fight. Although he got pretty close once or twice. I was literally laughing when he scored that second one. So un-Sammy-like in every way.

Bang-on! "Hi, we're the Detroit Red Wings. You can call off our goals and put us in the box for entire periods, but it won't stop us from shutting our 'offensively explosive' opposition out and winning by a four-goal margin. Jackass." Puck-possession and team D ftw.

Forget Keenan -- that there is the real Iron Mike. Like I said in the game-day thread: brilliance. Fantastic response.

QFT. I think this was a terrible start for him. He was running guys, putting himself out of position, diving, whining, being owned physically -- in general, not being a great leader. I don't know, maybe he compensates with great locker room speeches? Meh.

Hahahahahaha, Babs destroyed that one reporter! Holy god that was awesome.