Icteria virens

yes, you're a better fan than I am. that was a BS call no matter the team, no matter the game.

you've completely convinced me, I hope you never ref one of my games.

I've noticed that the announcers , generally speaking, make too many saves sound like they're the greatest saves ever made. I don't know if it's part of trying to sell the game to the casual fan? Even MAF's toe save wasn't that great, the puck wasn't elevated, it wasn't shot anywhere near the post, what else was he going to do at that stage. these guys are so much more athletic and in better shape than ever before, all goalies make pretty acrobatic saves, it's become commonplace. Goalies are just more flashy now than 20 years ago. Osgood is more a positioning goalie from his standup days, hence not as flashy. MAF has played very well overall but has also faced alot of avg. shots. BTW, some goalies need lots of action to be in a game, some couldn't tend for the Wings where they don't get as many shots b/c they drift in and out of concentration, which is why I'm a bit worried about Jimmy Howard.

so a player lightly brushing against a goalie on a good scoring chance or a player who's stick brushes against a goalie as he tumbles behind the net on a scoring chance is goalie interference? then there would be about 25 GI calls every game. Esp the Cleary incident. this is the NHL, I expect better.

above??? now you're cooling down on MAF?

you know it's a totally different thing for fans on a msg. board to ***** than a coach, player or GM to do it to the media, esp. considering league reps. meet with team officials to discuss issues they have regarding how the game is called. What Michele has done throughout this series is unprofessional. PS: USA vs. Spain today at 4:30CST on one of the ESPN channels.

fleury is a major flopper and in those situations behind the net he makes sure he positions his body so there some contact with him. I can't believe you're falling for that.

first of all, you have no idea what , if anything, I was drinking last night. second of all, how in the flipping world can you defend the cleary minor, the only thing that touched him was Dan's stick. How is that goalie interference??? Have you not noticed our Goalie run all series long? I don't need to ref "a full game" before I know a bulls*** call when I see it.

um, there was barely any contact on the first and how many goalie interference calls have they had on Osgood? He's been run alot more than MAF. The only think of Cleary's that touched MAF was his flipping stick! that's it! Cleary slammed into the boards after far, far harder than MAF was touched. There is NO way that was goalie interference, no way at all. why? b/c his stick touched MAF as he was slamming into the boards behind him? strange interpretation of the rule. and just because you're a ref in some beer league doesn't mean you know anything about reffing in the NHL. your comments prove as much.

you're kidding right? Hall Gill - he's been lumberjacking our players since game 3 , it's clutchandgrab, it's caveman hockey, it's what they let Anaheim do to us last year. it's the only way the league can even things out.

everything you said is true. this has been going on since game #1, during games 1 and 2 we were constantly being thrown out of the circle with no explanation, this has happened to all our players but in particular against Zetterberg (the league knew he'd be against Wonderkid the first 2 games at the Joe) the most but like I said all players. Starting in games 3 and 4 and 5 the linesman (prob. spurred on by private talks from Mike Babcock et al which all teams get to talk to the NHL between games and part of the competition committee agreement which makes MT's bitching even worse) were not so quick to throw players out but we were still tossed out more often then Pitts. I have never, in all my years of watching hockey, seen so many players thrown out of the faceoff circle as I've seen this round. we were the leading team in the reg. season on FO, the Pens were the worst team in the PO's for faceoffs. You do the math. There's hardly any advantage after 5 games and don't tell me it's an accident. and another thing, I agree with the poster who said they've noticed the Wings win a draw and then it's immediately called back b/c the faceoff was "unfair". the amount of time I've seen Pitt players tossed out is laughable and no, the RW's aren't doing anything illegal on the FO's. and to those who think this is just a theory I say you haven't been paying attention nearly enough.

what did he say?

yeah, and Captain Steven Crosby leads them!

saw it live tonight, didn't click on the link, he did sound discouraged, hey, he's no Eddie Olyczech.

looks like a defeated man, already

these aren't your grandpa's Wings

the soft russian : hit leader no kidding

you're an idiot

did anybody notice how often our players, esp. Zets, were kicked out of the FO circle? I think Zata was kicked out about 8 times at least.

That moron Keith Jones just called the Homer play a good call. NO KIDDING>

I have never seen somebody called for hooking with the upper half of his stick. NEVER. You're bang on right. total crap

exactly , that's why Bill McCreary is out.

I now know why McCreary isn't reffing in what? his 15th finals. Because Bettman has O'Hallahan in his f$#$#$%% pocket. man am I pissed, I love the Wings but I hate what the NHL has become.

this would never happen, there's no way an NBA ref would call games a certain way because he has a vested interest in the outcome. Oh wait, that already did happen. opps.... there's no doubt in my mind the NHL would prefer the Pens to win this series. From a purley marketing and sales standpoint, having appointed Sid the Kid as the 'face of the NHL' I'll admit I'm a little nervous. part of my nervousness comes from the way the WCF were reffed last year, all of a sudden it was clutch and grab hockey all over again which did benefit the other team. And before you call BS, remember that the Red Wings upper management informed the Senators before the Finals started how the games were being called and warned them, and you know, I've got more faith in the Red Wings brass than what any of us know.

I think you know based on this year's PO's so far. they're going to make all kind of excuses for the Pens, we've heard all about the Dives injury problems, Dallas having to play an oT game 4 weeks ago was contributing to their poor preformance in games 4, 5and 6 of the Detroit series. It never ended and it won't this round, not with the poster boy of the new NHL in the series. the wings are so yesterday, been there, done that. good for so long it's just so melodramatic. Presidents trophies, cap or no cap. They just keep drafting and scouting well. I now know how NE Patriots fans feel.