ORIGINAL: zjgm02
ORIGINAL: TK23Blue
Yep, Pittsburgh is getting a lot of love right now for their record but I'm sorry, just not quite ready to jump on board. I do know this: Ya gotta learn to lose before you can learn to win, just like Montreal in the 70's, Edmonton taking 2 cracks at the Islanders to beat them, and even the Wings. They may be the team next year but I don't think they have it this year.
If the Pens are going to win a Cup, it better be quick. There are only four players on their current roster under contract after next season, and those four do not include Malkin who will assuredly get an offer sheet in the $8M -$9M range for some other team.
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I don't care for the Wings, but they got jobbed on that non-goal. I have been saying all playoffs that the refs are intentionally manipulating the outcome of games. Finally, you guys are believers b/c it had a direct impact on your team.
That's a good point. The Pens could become the NHL version of the Montreal Expos-stock everybody
else with all-stars.
Yes, you have been speaking out about the refs and you're right-you don't notice it much (or care) when you're winning. Some of the Wings games have been so lopsided there's nothing the refs could even do that mattered. But I have to admit, this can't be a coincidence every single year. During the regular season these guys call every ticky-tacky penalty they can and I can recall watching a lot of Wing's games where the first 40 minutes of the game was nothing but special teams, which is ridiculous. Now it does a complete 180 as usual. But when you have the single worst commissioner in the history of all sport, this is pretty much expected. What the NHL really needs to consider is taking as much out of the ref's hands as possible by using video replay for more than just questionable goals. (well, with the exception of phantom in-the-crease calls of course.) It's like the delay of game call we now have. Great rule as it's not a judgment call any longer; it's automatic and the whole stadium knows it. But here's the real mind-numbing stuff:
1) The dual penalties for obstruction + embellishment/diving: Um, huh? This is moronic. It's one or the other. Either you hooked a guy or you barely touched him and he flopped. You can't have both. If the guy helped the call it's diving. If he didn't it's obstruction.
2) We throw an extra ref on the ice some years back to cut down on the stuff away from the puck and what did we get? The guy standing right in front of the play calls nothing while the guy 90' away is calling the penalty. Do what the NFL does and have the refs get together on this stuff and find out who saw what. Over-rule it, let the crowd go nuts but get it right.
3) The 5 on 3. Here's something we saw 3 times a game in the regular season. In fact, it was over-the-top. Now? God help the guy in front of the net when his team is on a powerplay in the playoffs, because he will take a beating of a lifetime. Put that same scenario in the last 5 minutes of a game and it's just one complete mugging after the other. Completely ridiculous. The fact is, every guy knows it. These guys are not dumb-you start calling this stuff just a couple of times and it's amazing how it suddenly ceases.
The only thing the refs get right almost without exception (and this is pretty amazing) is the offsides. These guys are right 99% of the time and when you consider the speed of the game, that's pretty remarkable. It's just too bad that's where it basically stops and the rest is a crap shoot.
"I have marked down losses for Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State, and Ohio State. And then there could be others such as Illinois".-BigHouseFootball March 08