I would LOVE to see the Bruins sweep the Rangers. Any chance of this happening? What do you guys think?

Damn, last night's game was a hard hitting game. Not even blood would get a call from the refs. Good stuff.

If Lunqvist still has any greatness left in him, an reason whatsoever of playing another year, the Bruins will not win 4 in a row. That said, there is a chance Lundy is done. And I really really like Boston's game. Can't wait to have my Wings playing in the same division as them next year.

I don't know what I'm more jazzed about, being able to see more of Boston and Toronto or not have to WAIT UP TILL 2 AM TO WATCH A GODDAMN PLAYOFF GAME!!!

Sorry.
I get emotional about that. :P

I think Shanahan should be fired before he completely ruins the sport

Stopped watching after Wilson and Sharks were fined $100k for rightfully disagreeing with suspension of Torres.

Im not a sharks fan and was cheering LA in that series but the hit was legal and clean.
Im not a senator or habs fan but Grybas hit was legal and clean

Stopped watching play offs as just couldnt handle watching my favorite sport get the treatment its getting with Shanahan handing out suspensions and fines.

It's not Shanahan. He's just the conduit. It's Bettman. He's been on a mission to reduce the physicality in the game for years. Early in his tenure, he targeted fighting. As the years have moved forward, he's seen what's happening with the NFL with regards to concussions and litigation and he's trying to reduce the exposure to similar happening with the NHL down the road.

No baseball fans here I guess, XD

What I mean is spend ten minutes watching that used car salesman run America's Past Time into the ground and I assure you that suddenly Bettman won't seem that bad.

"Here's an idea, make the All Star game count!"
People that stupid shouldn't be allowed to live.

I can't disagree. Between Bettman, Selig, and Goodell, it's like they're taking turns at the Worst Commissioner revolving door. What I don't get is , seeing that the commish is effectively a tool for the owners, who are the owners that see what these guys are doing and think, "Yeah! This is great for my investment!"

That's what makes Selig so bad, he is an owner.
Bettman I don't think has ever watched a hockey game before.
Goodell apart from his trying to turn it into touch football actually isn't that bad.
You're a St Louis fan?
Cardinals are on the cover of the new S.I.!

Nice. Yeah even with all the blown saves they had earlier in the season when their bullpen was worse, they still have the best record in all of baseball right now. Garcia out for the rest of the season now though. He's probably my least favorite starter, but it still could be bad news. Carpenter might come back and pitch. Curious to see how that pans out. Did you see DD's slam last night? Funny that our two worst hitters this season I think (Freeze and DD) both have slams lol.

Anyways, sorry for the thread derailment. Back to hockey!

I'm a die hard Cardinal fan, born and raised, IN MICHIGAN. I'm stuck watching A.L. ball most of the year save for ESPN, interleague, and playoffs.
Like you said, BACK to the thread. :D

I really have to butt in here because of a keyword that you keep saying about these hits: that they are "legal". This is not the pre-2005 NHL, this is the new "Sidney Crosby doesn't like concussions" NHL, and there are rules now against checks that involve contact with the heads. These new rules state that the hits you mentioned are NOT legal. Like it or not, that's the rules. I think the trapezoid is stupid, I think winning games based on a shoot-out is stupid, but those are the new rules and it's still hockey.

Shannahan has a really shitty and unpopular job to do, and I watch almost every single one of his DPS videos, and he's as unbiased and impartial as a human can be. You don't blame the judge for you being sentenced for breaking a law you don't agree with, you blame the legislators that wrote the law. Blame Bettman, who doesn't want to loose dollars if pretty boy Sidney can't play anymore because the Pens don't have a proper enforcer for him.

And I certainly don't feel sorry for a dirty player like Torres and his shifty Sharks who have a habit of dirty play. Remember Torres' hit on Hossa last year?

Well least your honest about this part on your real agenda and reasoning

Listen both hits hit should to shoulder FIRST as principle point of contact.

THAT MAKES THEM CLEAN AND LEGAL

everything else is just more of what you quoted saying above.
Were not talking about the Hossa hit, it was dirty and he did his time. Get over it

Were not talking about his hit on Eberle when he was a Canuck either, that was dirty and he did his time. Gewt over it (I have as an Oiler fan)

His hit on Stoll was CLEAN and letter perfect by the rule book

And im far from only one saying so, go watch TSN analysts, Kerry Fraser (gawd I still hate that guy), CBC analysts, pretty much everyone but Shanhan who watched that hit said it was clean and by the rules
And the $100,000 fine because Wilson disagreed politely about the suspension beyond arrogance by Shanahan and Betteman.

As for your NEW Hockey.
Meh if I want to watch no contact hockey Ill save the hundreds of dollars I spend on NHL and go watch the kids in minor hockey play.
Hockey is not figure skating and has always had a physical nature to it
Remove that and we get that SEL stuff where penalties are called on how loud a noise the boards make.

PS: I dont agree with everything Betteman does but the really stupid suspensions and no league wide consistance only really started when Shanahan took over. So dont think it can be pinned on Betteman per case. Shanahan is the one handng out the suspensions and thus far hes been a complete and utter moron about them.

1) If you play for a original 6 team your good to go and can expect next to no suplimentary discipline
2) If you play for Tampa or any team that Shanahan has ties to (IE Tampa has Steve Yzerman) you get a free pass
3) If you play in east you get less games but still subject to questionable suspensions (IE Gryba's)
4) But if you play in west and dont have #1 or #2 on your side, your screwed big time.
Thats no way to run a disciplinary position

The principle point of contact is not whatever spot of the body touches first, it is where the majority of the hit lies. And I really kind of hate myself for playing devli's advocate for Shanny-gone-corporate, because I completely understand where you are coming from after your last post. But Detroit's Justin Abdelkader got a suspension during the Ducks series, so we don't get a free ride.

Yes, Torres did his time, and no I don't enjoy this brand of hockey more than old time hockey, but I'll just be the guy saying Shanahan is doing his job the best he can. It's a shitty job. Torres is a repeat offender, and often plays more dirty than the league allows. If I didn't dislike the Sharks so bad, I might be a tad more lenient on him but what I say there is true regardless. Funniest thing is that Shanahan himself in his heyday was a very similar player, except he could shoot better than Raffi.

Sorry, mate, I don't completely agree with your four conclusions, but I do understand where your coming from. There always has been a lot to complain about this league, going back 90 years. But it's still hockey, and if you really love the game you move past these past these events, or just watch the minors like you said. You do see a lot of grit, but the slop to match. I support my local USHL team every year, we love watching those kids develop.

I do concur that the fine was outrageous, and I didn't even know Shanny had the power to impose those. Bettman must not be allowed to do it himself or risk being assassinated so he puppeted Shanahan to leverage the fine for him.