2011-12 NHL Season

[STL FANATIC]

As for the Blues and Hitchcock and the trap. People need to lose their preconceived notions about the old Hitchcock. The Blues do NOT play a trap. They play tight defense, there's no question. But it is NOT a trap. Although I think every fan base has now whined about the Blues "boring trap" following their loss.

The Blues scored 5 goals (4 before the EN)! NOT A TRAP!

Also, Jaro Halak really is that good at goaltending, and there's no reason to think Brian Elliott might be as well. He's only 26 and he put together very strong years in the minors and had a couple good years in the NHL. It's not like he's 34 and came out of nowhere. It's actually pretty reasonable that he might be putting it together. Is he the #1 goalie in the league? No sir. But I'd hesitate to call his season a fluke (not that you did).

As for Kronwall, you're spot on. He's a dirty player who gets away with it because of the shirt he wears.

[ninersdd]

Sharks 4 goals in 4 games on a homestand, they drop one in the shootout to the freakin' Oil. HUGE showdown looms large in Big D on Thursday.

[philly97flyer]

"Silver medal."

Funny thing is, if those types of chants were going up in Philly, it would be 'typical classless Flyers fans'. Since its in Winnipeg, its a 'great hockey atmosphere'

Still pissy about the " Bryzgalov" chants?

I was especially pissy when Simmonds tied the game with 9 seconds left then Jagr won it in overtime.

[Sport]

The Blue Jackets have won three straight games in regulation and are 3-0 against Phoenix this year. Jack Johnson?

Still, Nail Yakupov is ours. Either we win the lottery, or we lose it and trade Rick Nash for #1.

[BrySmalls]

The Blue Jackets have won three straight games in regulation and are 3-0 against Phoenix this year. Jack Johnson?

Still, Nail Yakupov is ours. Either we win the lottery, or we lose it and trade Rick Nash for #1.

At this rate, I can still see Yakupov going to Montreal at the Draft rather than Columbus or Edmonton. However, stranger things have happened at the NHL Draft Lottery. For instance, the Devils won the #1 Pick last year, but due to NHL Draft rules, only moved up four spots and selected fourth.

[eliminator jr]

Penguins unveiling long-overdue Lemieux statue outside CEC at noon. Riding six-game winning streak. Crosby return imminent. Kunitz-Malkin-Neal producing among top lines in recent memory. Craig Adams is still awesome. Good week for Penguins hockey.

[STL FANATIC]

No suspension for Kronwall.

League is an absolute joke.

Even if you're a macho man who thinks only sissies would call that hit dirty/illegal, you have to admit that the NHL has disciplined similar and less severe hits this year. There is absolutely no consistency to this, and there's a pretty good case building about player and team bias.

[charger77]

No suspension for Kronwall.

League is an absolute joke.

Even if you're a macho man who thinks only sissies would call that hit dirty/illegal, you have to admit that the NHL has disciplined similar and less severe hits this year. There is absolutely no consistency to this, and there's a pretty good case building about player and team bias.

Two questions need to be asked:

#1 Are you frustraded by that decision?

#2 Are you surprised by that decision?

Shanahan may not be the best candidate for his position. He recently retired and played with or against a majority of the league. Even if he is 100% bias free, it really doesn't appear that way.

Hell, both the Wings own PBP and Color guy said that head was the "principle point of contact", and thats a direct quote.

Its been done before. We can look at hit after hit from Kronwall on some he leaves his feet, on some he hits the opponents head first, few are 100% legal, yet we never see a suspension let alone penalty or a slap on the wrist fine.

I fully expect from here on, Kronwall can do what ever he pleases and be consequences free... Until he leaves his feet or commits a head shot on a player or team farther up the NHL food chain than he is.

[STL FANATIC]

I'm extremely frustrated, but not even remotely surprised.

I'm a bit of an anti-concussion crusader. I frequently harp on the NFL for not doing enough to eliminate them. I think it's possible it could be that league's and sport's downfall if they don't step it up even greater than what they're currently doing.

Hockey isn't quite as bad shape on this issue. Contact to the head is a bit less and they've been a little more aggressive eliminating it. (They also, of course, have less distance to fall.) Still, they're not doing enough and they're not doing it consistently.

I understand that 5 years ago this hit was clean. Opponent had his head down, blow him up, and applaud your massive hit.

I can't say with any certainty that the hit is actually illegal today. I wish I could, but this league has NO CONSISTENCY in their enforcement. Similar hits get vastly different decisions.

What I can say is that I strongly believe this type of hit SHOULD be illegal. It's dangerous. Super, super dangerous. And Kronwall didn't have to do it. It wasn't a last second change of direction, he lined him up. And he could have made the extra effort to go low with the hip or get him on the side. I understand that's not the best hockey play necessarily, but the point is that safety needs to start coming first. Err on the side of safety. Even if it's a "hockey play," DON'T DO IT if it's gonna result in direct contact to the head. Players need to be more responsible for their actions. (And yes, players with the puck and along the boards also need to be smarter and more aware. But that doesn't absolve the opponent of responsibility).

So from a league rules side, I think this was probably an illegal hit, but who the hell knows anymore. From a safety crusader standpoint, I think it absolutely must be an illegal hit.

But at the end of the day, the Red Wing gets no discipline from Mr. Shanahan. And nobody's surprised.

[Sodboy13]

No suspension for Kronwall.

League is an absolute joke.

Even if you're a macho man who thinks only sissies would call that hit dirty/illegal, you have to admit that the NHL has disciplined similar and less severe hits this year. There is absolutely no consistency to this, and there's a pretty good case building about player and team bias.

Well, there's plenty of consistency to it, if you look at it this way:

"If Kronwall did it, then it is not a suspension-worthy offense."

See? Incredibly consistent.

I feel like league discipline this season is taking the same arc that refereeing often does. Come down hard and lay down the law early in the season, but by the time the playoffs roll around, it's all "hurr durr derp let dem boys play".

[The_Admiral]

Letting The Boys Play was acceptable when most of The Boys were chain-smoking, beer-bellied mediocrities who could pass for civilians if civilians were known to wear shorts with knee socks at work. Today's players are well-calibrated guided missiles, but equipment hasn't caught up yet (at least in terms of protecting players from one another; the body armor they have now just gives players the same supplemental weaponry and misplaced sense of invincibility that today's football helmets give their wearers). They can't hit like that anymore.

[-kj]

I finally watched that video... and I don't feel like that's a dirty hit. He doesn't leave his feet; he doesn't seem to (angles aren't conclusive) extend his arm; he checks with his shoulder, and doesn't seem to raise it or even really power through. You have two players moving in opposite directions, one of which isn't looking where he's going. I understand that we all hate the Red Wings and whatnot, but I don't feel like that was anything more than a stiff shoulder check.

[STL FANATIC]

I finally watched that video... and I don't feel like that's a dirty hit. He doesn't leave his feet; he doesn't seem to (angles aren't conclusive) extend his arm; he checks with his shoulder, and doesn't seem to raise it or even really power through. You have two players moving in opposite directions, one of which isn't looking where he's going. I understand that we all hate the Red Wings and whatnot, but I don't feel like that was anything more than a stiff shoulder check.

A stiff shoulder check that he lined up to the face.

This isn't about the Red Wings to me. I'm super frustrated by the leagues double standard for them, but that's why I think he should be suspended. I pretty much laid it out above. This is a dangerous hit, and it doesn't much matter whether it was legal 5 years ago or whether it was a natural "hockey play". It was dangerous and intentional and could have been avoided.

It's time for the league to start ensuring that the's types of hits are avoided. I don't watch hockey to see people laid out motionless on the ice. Wouldn't hamper my enjoyment of the game at all if they eliminated these hits.

[maz]

In other news...

A fitting tribute.

[Sport]

In other news...

A fitting tribute.

What am I looking at? It's a Mario statue, but who are the other two guys?

[charger77]

In other news...

A fitting tribute.

What am I looking at? It's a Mario statue, but who are the other two guys?

I think its from his goal in the '91 Finals.

[The_Admiral]

Mario Lemieux hatched from another man's ass the way Harry Caray hatched from a crowd of screaming bystanders, writhing in agony as a big drunk guy sprung from their collective heads like Athene from Zeus.

[maz]

In other news...

A fitting tribute.

What am I looking at? It's a Mario statue, but who are the other two guys?

I think its from his goal in the '91 Finals.

In the speeches before the unveil they said they took it from a photo of him going through two Islanders defenders in 88. Upon some research, I found said photo:

I don't exactly care for their choice of photo, but the symbolism is supposed to be that of how he "broke through adversity" throughout his career, which I can get.

[Morgan33]

Sharks 4 goals in 4 games on a homestand, they drop one in the shootout to the freakin' Oil. HUGE showdown looms large in Big D on Thursday.

Wow this is not looking good for the Sharks, how the mighty have fallen. Doesn't help that Dallas is an absolute tear right now.

[BigBubba]

Lupul is out for a month, and Armstrong got injured again.

Alex Galchenyuk would look nice in between Kessel and Lupul one day.