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Penalties are missed and bad penalties are called, that does not mean an automatic goal. The NHL recognizes that the refs can make a mistake on allowing a goal, whether it was kicked, a goalie being shoved in, a hand pass or high sticking and overturn it with the aid of replay. In the playoffs, more often than not, a game is won by one goal and scoring as a whole is down. They absolutely need to review waived off goals, providing the puck was in the net prior to the whistle, because obviously refs make mistakes in allowing them and waiving them off.

Such an infuriating response by the NHL. Clearly we now need 8 refs on the ice, equipped with hover packs, because otherwise the whistle would be blown every single time a goalie goes down.

And here is what really gets me: That's just the thing - they do have a slow-motion camera to review it! Lots of them! Am I crazy here??? Players are going to play until a whistle is called, review it if the puck goes in the net before a whistle is called.

Play dies on a whistle - period. No exceptions, and obviously you can still be hit with a penalty after a whistle. But in the case of waived off goals - when the puck is in the net, usually the whistle comes afterwards and it is the "intent" to call the whistle that is called. "Intent" makes sense, and I am not challenging that. However, refs make mistakes and they obviously admit so when the war room overturns a goal - this is absolutely no different. The Holmstrom "obstruction" goals and this one -- that is three times it has happened to the Red Wings alone in only the past two playoffs, and we are not the only team this has affected. That's a big problem. Each time the whistle came after the puck was in the net. Go ahead and make it so only goals scored before a whistle is blown are reviewed.

Great observation - and I started thinking the same thing. My first reaction to the Wings outhitting the Ducks is "Sweet, they are not backing down and actually taking it to them!" But what is really going on is the Wings are getting off their game and trying to play the Ducks' game. Sorry, this team is not going to win that way. Wings players are going out of their way to make the hit, while at the same time doing almost everything they can do avoid a hit. Play Wings hockey, damnit! I would rather see them being outhit because then I know they are fighting for the puck and fighting to make plays.

Waived off goals should be reviewed, simple. Such a simple, logical and rational solution.

Sarcasm. Ducks fans were screaming for a suspension. But could you imagine if the NHL suspended Holmstrom after that call at the end of the game? Brutal.

Now I'm just waiting for the suspension on Holmstrom announced tomorrow - probably 5 games.

******* RIDICULOUS!!!!

Good point, but for the love of god GET IT GOING... and sooner than usual!

Have you not seen the Versus commericals? Both are basically a Penguins highlight reel of Game 5 of the 2008 SCFs, and make it look like the Penguins steamrolled the Wings. Even my wife commented once, "Dindn't Detroit win that series?" I'm sorry, but those commercials alone are awfully annoying. That is what I was refering to. Go check out a Ducks' board - they noticed and certainly were not holding back on commenting about it. I am not an Ovechkin slappy and do not like him simply because he is option "B" to Crosby's "A". In fact, I think Crosby is the better player, though I occassionally flip-flop. A lot of what Crosby does is "not that bad", but it rubs the wrong way and is annoying. But every year there is more and more of it and it simply causes me to dislike him. I agree with several sentiments expressed earlier that he is not a good captain, and that as a rule of thumb, it is a mistake to award a captaincy to such a young player - even Yzerman's case.

Heh -- it looks like you are lecturing posters here for being "fans" of the Detroit Red Wings. Pronger gets heaped on all the time here because he has had quite a few run-ins with the Red Wings (and his dive was by far the worst of all). I dare say he is probably not the anti-christ in real life, but you will never hear me admit it. In the same way, Crosby has pissed Red Wings fans off as well. Hell, even if he never did anything else, and his team was not constantly paraded around as the real champs from last year, I would still love making fun of him simply because of that GD stick exchange I was forced to witness from multiple angle replays in the finals last year.

I actually wonder if it has more to do with marketing sometimes. New, young, superstar captain creates a huge buzz and sells seats and jerseys.

I know you are largely joking, but Nicklas Lidstrom was legitimately injured and was under absolutely no obligation to travel while injured, per the CBA. Bettman instituted the "Crosby Clause" making it possible to escape his unofficial suspension by merely showing up, less than a week prior to the actual AllStar game. Before that, Lidstrom played in the past 9 all-star games and never missed an NHL awards ceremoney. I know you feel Lidstrom is a terrible captain, but I think you would have a hard time convincing anyone that Crosby is a better representation of his team to the league and fans.

Crosby is a poor captain. Period. He shows a lack of respect to other players in the league (whether he is punching someone in the junk from behind, or whether he is throwing Nicklas Lidstrom under the bus for not showing up to the all-star game in order to muck it up with corporate sponsors) and he shows a lack of respect of hockey traditions and NHL fans. He is very competitive and talented, but his lack of respect and whining would really bother me in a captain. Judging from the free agent exodus from Pittsburgh over the past year, other players may feel the same.

I agree 100% - both Ericsson and Stuart should be getting PP time ahead of Samuelsson. He is just brutal out there and usually can not even get the puck past the PKer literally 5 feet in front of him.

And the strange thing is Dats is the Wings highest scorer against the Ducks. I started noticing him in the third and in overtime, but that line is just not getting anything going once they enter the offensive zone. Hossa and Datsyuk are just not that effective together. It's a quandry, because the Franzen/Zetterberg/Cleary line is playing so well, but I think you have to get Hossa off Datsyuk's line. You can make a small change and simply swap Cleary for Hossa, or a wholesale change of reuniting the euro twins, but I really hope they just stop trying to force Hossa to play well with Datsyuk - I just do not think it is going to happen. Datsyuk can take almost anyone - Holmstrom, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Hudler, Filppula, Samuelsson and even Kopecky or hell probably even Helm - and make that line dangerous. Just not Hossa.

From the third period on the Wings dominated almost nonstop until the goal in the 3rd OT. I thought they played a lot better yesterday than they did in the game 1 win. Hiller was awesome, but it wasn't just that. Rebound after rebound were bouncing over Wings' sticks when they were facing an empty net. It was weird how often it happened. Luck played a big part in that Ducks' win, and I do not think they can count on that for another 3 wins. The Wings are crashing the net and know what they need to do to win this one. Something needs to happen with Datsyuk/Hossa and I wish they did not take as many shots the second they cross the blue line, as those are easy saves and Detroit rarely gets to those rebounds... just set it up for a moment once you gain the zone. Helm, Stuart, Lidstrom and Zetterberg were incredible.

Datsyuk and Hossa are simply ineffective together. They recognized this in December, but are right back to trying to force it to work. Those guys literally neutralize each other on the ice.

Why is a right-handed shot so freakin' important? I swear, we have been bitching about Samuelsson on the point of the PP for years - and all that ever happens is he is rewarded more and more time on the power play. It's s*** like this that makes me fear Babcock would be more than happy to let someone like Hudler walk, in order to keep Samuelsson. I just do not get it.

This has been a strange one -- it's like we are communicating in second languages here and I'm not sure anyone has ever misconstrued my posts this badly before, so I'll just let it drop.

Nice dive Pronger.

Parros, proving his worth.

Please don't sit back on a one goal lead.

Why does Versus never show replays?