w00p33

The hockey purist in me says Bruins/Hawks (o-6 mathup) but the TV hockey fan says Kings/Pens, it seems the more exciting choice... (I love watching Quick play)

Okay first, I love Howard and I don't blame the series loss on him at all.. I want to stick with him and give him another shot. But just wondering if you could have someone else would you take Quick or Rinne? I know there are other great goalies out there (Vokoun, Brodeur, Lundqvist, Miller, etc.) but right now these are the two young guns that come to my mind. I'm just wondering if you had your pick which one would it be? Or would it be one of the older, more established guys out there? Quick seems to play a little like Legace, he gets so low to see the puck between the legs and Rinne does the opposite, he looks high over the shooter's shoulders then gets low to make the saves. Quick - a little more athletic, Rinne a bit more positional. I like Rinne's size but I like Quick's.. err quickness... heh... any thoughts?

I mentioned those because they're more established not due to any preference... This isn't so much about who's better, it's about who would you like to see? Selfishly I'd say Quick because he's more acrobatic and atheltic, if I were coming from a view of who's going to give more wins I'd give Rinne the (slight) edge. If this were a carte blanche who do you want as the best #1 I'd probably steal Henrik away from NY.

Asked to describe the discipline problems without naming names: “I don’t mind saying Alexander Semin’s name, because he’s one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and just for whatever reason, just doesn’t care. “When you’ve got a guy like that, you need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesn't show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia. That’s tough to win when you’ve got a guy like that who’s supposed to be your best player not being your best player, or one of your best players." That is such a (NFL) John Madden quote I just can't wait for Frank Caliendo to steal that and run that in his routine. I can't do it all because it would run too long but it is essential Madden stating the complete Captain Obvious truth.

Agreed, one of the better players in a young Atlanta team after he left too. Definitely would have seen him stayed longer but we went all-star in '02 (not complaining, just saying...) Here's my dark-horse kinda' player I would've liked to seen go longer or be playing again in his top form.. Igor Larionov. He's no play-maker like Dats or Hemsky, not a physical powerhouse but is kinda' to forwards what Lidstrom is to D, he seemed to have it all, D/O awareness and always on top of a situation.

That's what I was thinking.. this post hit the panic button so hard it damn near BROKE! Ty's not great, he's been up and down, he seems to be better the more games he plays, which is pretty oridnary for a backup goalie in a team without a 1a, and 1b situation. Backups usually do better the more they play. You can't know what you've got unless they play more than 2 games in 3-4 weeks. It's like the panic button is for this guy is as a fan as the "Easy" button is for a Staples customer!

Tell you what.. I like when VS piggybacks other network's broadcasts... it gives a good read into what the other presenters of the sport have to offer, I just hope they keep going when they are NBCSN. The worst part of those broadcasts : when they break in to the VS intermission. If D-Mac or Roenick are there then it's tolerable, otherwise give me the FSN/CSN/TSN etc. intermission report. P.S. especially if it's a southwest team, they have got a great group of announcers/anylists.. except Anaheim.. they know their stuff but my GOD are they homers.

I'm in the minority with z here. '09-'10 z was the easier choice, though technically D is the better player. But leadership is a huge factor not supported by stats, so I gave z that one pretty easy. When D stepped up into that fight he altered my perception a bit. Overall though the fact that the next Captain is likely to be Z and he grew into that role well, I have to give him the tiny edge due to that. Bottom line, Dats is a better player but Zetterberg is (just over the edge) a more important player to the team. A little off-topic but still a valid point, there isn't a single team in this league that wouldn't be better for either one of them (including all the champions since '02).

not defending the Oilers on the ice's reaction but from the wrong angle it did look like a hit to the head. It's ridiculous for a full scrum to erupt from one good hit but when foul play is suspected it's not necessarily the wrong move for teammates to retaliate (or even just come in to help protect the hitee). That said, the blind punch was equally ridiculous as an overreaction to a good hit. Even the announcers weren't sure of the intention and placement of the elbow's contact until they saw the replays : it was determined to be about the collarbone area. That said, great classic use of a completely unused hipcheck in modern hockey. I think Hall will be more aware from now on... heh...

thanks for posting the youtube original "The Season" great stuff. It reminds me of an hour long ESPN 360 (which I love though I often miss it). If it just wasn't all clean talk I would like it as much as 24/7. But you know what I would really like to see? A team seriously in the dumps like Edmonton, NYI (though they're hot right now so they don't count so much" or the NJD. I really wonder what goes on in the constantly slumping team's rooms. Or in a team like Tampa or LA or Dallas who have no expectation of doing well who find themselves in the top of the league.

I hope Milbury feels like an ass for defending this hit.. but seeing how stubborn he is on issues I highly doubt it. As I said.. an ass. It's one thing to have an opinion, quite another to stick up for a blatant disregard for human safety and try to back it up with so-called "facts"

What I find happening since the lockout, season after season, is that the west has a lot more teams trying to make the playoffs still attainable at the last week of the schedule. Usually 4-5 teams still have a chance to get in. In the east it's usually just 2-3 teams. It doesn't mean west is better than east in the top tier or bottom tier teams, but it does point to stronger parity in the league's middle tier teams. That means better competition in the middle and the possibility that our middle tier teams (say MNW, CBJ) vs their middle (ATLT, NCH), if I were to bet, I'd bet on the western teams. The tops and bottoms of each conference are another story.

it's funny (not ha-ha funny) , because I would like to see this rule in place. But if that were the case we wouldn't have Bert. So the question is if the league ever adopted this rule (unlikely)would it have a sort of statute of limitations appended to it?

Interesting point. I have varied reactions to the fighting scenario. Most of the time I enjoy it, but sometimes I think the bigger man is the one who backs down. Take this scenario : Sean Avery (who I have no respect for) challenges Ovechkin (who I have much respect for) but Ovy backs down. I cheer the move because Ovy's the "bigger man" in this case. Ovy challenges Avery and he backs down and I boo him for being a p*ssy for not taking what he dishes out. Depends on the situation. In a case like this Kostoplous was already headed for the box, so I think no further retaliation was needed. Besides that, the game at that point is very tight, no reason to lose another guy to a fighting penalty and risk losing the game. Detroit had the "bigger men" in this situation.

Emerick - Disagree, and agree... speaks well but what a terrible voice! Forslund - good god I hate that, it sounds like a cheesy "B" movie voice saying "ghoul" in a weak slasher flick. He's a lot like the TSN or Rogers guy that does Oilers (I think, may be Flames) in that I can listen to him.. RIGHT up until he says either Goal or Scores. I'll add more in a minute...

before reading replies (may have more to offer after) I'd like to point out how well Kopecky has done for himself. Outside the obvious - Dats and Zet, I think of Franzen as kind of a Camalleri or Kopitar maybe PHX/COL Mueller type, a roll player who happens to have a ton more offensive upside than anyone expected. Filp, in the right system could be a 25-35+ scorer on a first line. But that's kind of the beauty of Det's system, they don't need supoerstars They don't need a Nash, Ovie, Crsoby. I'd point to how little Hossa helped last year, fantastic in the season not much in the playoffs, and despite the big goal last night he's not much for the Hawks this postseason too... That said, despite a down season for Lids, he still outplayed a good deal of the league's best d-men even at his advanced age and would be a stud d-man on at least half the teams out their, maybe closer to 2/3...

Take Alfie out, you almost have a Reservoir Dogs lineup... hehe (though he would make a good Mr. Pink.. lol!)

An Original 6 team. There's still 3 left! (preferably an American team, so Bos or Chi...)

Two things. First, I was hoping for an Original 6 CF and SCF. There's no O-6 WCF now but still hope for a SCF matchup. So by default I have to hope for the Hawks in the West. Which leads to... Second, absolutely true. I like the team that kicks Detroit to win because I always feel that the team that beats us has to win the next round, or the wrong team won. Since '02 that has been the case so SJ has to win but that would kill the O-6 matchup, so I am conflicted. Point is I have a reason to back either team but no reason to like 'couver. In the east, given my O-6 bias, Go Bruins and Go Habs! Exactly to my point of wanting the team that beats the Wings to win at least one more round.

I think Wings can pull this one out yet, I'm not mad or sad about not winning game 3, just a little disappointed. I never had high hopes going into this post season. That said, 2 of the 4 goals by PHX were of the stoppable variety and Howie needs to tighten it up, but I'm not one of those fans who throws him under the bus and says "let's go Oz!" That said, on the goal where Lids came off a line change and PHX scored, he made a rare mistake and covered the net-crasher not the shooter and it just made me wonder where his mind was... It's not just Lids though, Dats, Z, Fran, Homer Bert, Filp etc. etc. all seem to be in it offensively but the great two-way defensive play this team is usually known for seems to be lacking! Also Howie needs to play more like he did in the stretch after the Olympics... I don't want to see another Legace situation and no, I don't think Oz is the solution...

abso-freakin'-lutely... more on this topic later but yes, they look really tired! I'm not sure why that would be though I'm a bit scared that, despite experience being a positive, age might be a problem for this group

Don't you mean jersey fowel?

Okay I know I'm way off the pace with this one (it being a 5-day-old post and all) but it got me to thinking some. Winnipeg would have been better off moving to Dallas, it being a major hub of commercial flight, hence the Dallas Jets, Minnesota to Phoenix because in the desert, the stars shine the brightest. I know it's petty but it would fit better!