The Official NHL 2016-17 Season

[bhlloy]

Seen it from both angles and in slow motion and still. Looks like a stick to the head to me.

If you want a hill to die on, might want to start on the fact that he's falling and the defender didn't mean to make contact with the head

[muns]

This might be one of the worst officiated games I've seen in a while

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk

[CrescentMoonie]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Seen it from both angles and in slow motion and still. Looks like a stick to the head to me.

If you want a hill to die on, might want to start on the fact that he's falling and the defender didn't mean to make contact with the head

The penalty there should have been 2 minutes on Ovi for the high stick. Nothing about Niskanen's play is even a penalty, much less a major and ejection.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

The penalty there should have been 2 minutes on Ovi for the high stick. Nothing about Niskanen's play is even a penalty, much less a major and ejection.

Wat?? I agree that Niskanen didn't likely intend to hit Crosby in the face. He appears to actually be looking past him and to where the puck is on the far side of the net as Crosby falls towards him. But regardless of intent, he cross checked a player in the face. That's a 2 minute minor at a bare minimum. Given the extent of the injury, 5 minute major is not out of line either. Now the ejection, that's a tough one but in real time I can see why a ref would make that call.

But to say 'nothing about the play is even a penalty' is laughable.

[CrescentMoonie]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Wat?? I agree that Niskanen didn't likely intend to hit Crosby in the face. He appears to actually be looking past him and to where the puck is on the far side of the net as Crosby falls towards him. But regardless of intent, he cross checked a player in the face. That's a 2 minute minor at a bare minimum. Given the extent of the injury, 5 minute major is not out of line either. Now the ejection, that's a tough one but in real time I can see why a ref would make that call.

But to say 'nothing about the play is even a penalty' is laughable.

That's asinine. It's a split second reaction where his stick doesn't even get up to shoulder level. Watch it at full speed. Niskanen does what everyone in that situation would do and brings his arms up as someone is falling into him. There's no intent, there's no penalty, and a 5 minute plus ejection is inexcusable from professional officials. Thankfully the NHL did the right thing and didn't suspend him.

The penalty on the play is Ovi's stick to the back of Crosby's helmet that causes him to fall.

[Fidatelo]

It doesn't matter what level his stick is at. And he does do what everyone (in the NHL) does in that situation, which is to extend his arms out in a cross check to what would normally be in the back of the player coming to the front of the net. But this time it wasn't, it was directly into the face of Crosby. And just like a slash that accidentally breaks a stick, or a falling player that accidentally gets his stick up into another players face, intent doesn't matter.

I'm also not super sold on whether Ovi's stick caused Crosby to fall, or if Crosby tried to sell the stick hit and then accidentally fell (watch his head flail and then how one of his skates catches awkwardly).

I sort of think you could call three penalties on that sequence: 2 minutes to Ovie for high sticking, 2 to Crosby for embellishment, and 2 or 5 to Niskanen for the cross check.

And I agree with you on no suspension, there is nothing suspension worthy about it.

[Draft Dodger]

The Martin Brodeur commercial. Am I the only one who, when they show is family, immediately thinks "the dude cheated on his wife with his sister in law?"

just feel like maybe they could have used Brodeur in a commercial that doesn't remind everyone of this. To me, it's kind of like using Robert Downey Jr in an aspirin commercial.

[bhlloy]

Funny enough, I have exactly the same thought but when he's talking about a mid life crisis. I suppose yours makes more sense.

I was a massive Marty fan when he was playing but seems like he's a very odd choice for a commercial. Any hockey fan who recognizes him probably knows the cheating story plus the awkward way he ended his career.

[MizzouRah]

These Predators are such pussies!!! Crying every time someone hits them!

and for the record, country music sucks!

[CrescentMoonie]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

These Predators are such pussies!!! Crying every time someone hits them!

and for the record, country music sucks!

My favorite series of the playoffs so far. I hope the winner makes it to the SC.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

My favorite series of the playoffs so far. I hope the winner makes it to the SC.

They won't. We won't and Nashville won't. When Bettman hands down the official envelope on who wins, we will then know.

I'm really pissed off. Either let the teams play or blow your whistle each time there is a penalty. You cannot let one dumb call determine a game. GARBAGE!!!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

These Predators are such pussies!!! Crying every time someone hits them!

There there, dry your eyes sad fan.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

There there, dry your eyes sad fan.

Thanks for caring Jon.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

The Martin Brodeur commercial. Am I the only one who, when they show is family, immediately thinks "the dude cheated on his wife with his sister in law?"

No, you are definitely not.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Thanks for caring Jon.

My son determined that we are a Preds household after the Thrashers debacle.

I felt compelled to offer ... something.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

My son determined that we are a Preds household after the Thrashers debacle.

I felt compelled to offer ... something.

I'll hate them until the series is over.

[CrescentMoonie]

Ovechkin was the worst player on the ice tonight and didn't seem to care, just like every year. The Caps have Pittsburgh without their best player, their best defenseman, their best goalie, and another 23 goal scorer out and they just played the same system teams have played against this bunch for 10 years and won. Hopefully people stop spending money on Caps gear and tickets so they have the guts to blow it up and start over.

[CrescentMoonie]

Edmonton and Anaheim putting on an all time classic right now. Heavy, chippy game with a fight that kept going while the linesmen were holding both guys. 3-0 lead for Edmonton with McDavid dominating the game for about 55 minutes. 3 goals in 3:01 for Anaheim to tie it with :15 left in regulation. Currently more than 5 minutes into 2OT.

In even better news, Alex Ovechkin demoted to the 3rd line in DC for game 5. Also, Crosby did a full skate and just might play tomorrow.

[bhlloy]

I think that's the greatest game I've ever seen. Maybe the Selanne vs Detroit game in 2007, unbelievable.

[Chief Rum]

Miracle on Katella!!

What a great game!

[EagleFan]

Dammit, I turned the game off midway through the third to get some sleep.

[MizzouRah]

Congratulations to the Predators! The Blues getting knocked out today still hurts, but I think the Blues will only get better next season.

The Predators will be a handful for Edmonton or Anaheim.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Dammit, I turned the game off midway through the third to get some sleep.

I hope you stuck around this time...

...oh wait, no I don't.

[heybrad]

Just blow up the Caps.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I hope you stuck around this time...

...oh wait, no I don't.

Going to try to watch tonight.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by heybrad

Just blow up the Caps.

To be fair, this is pretty much the Stanley Cup Final, and they took it to game 7

[bhlloy]

And the Ducks are about to show them how to truly collapse to a lower seed in game 7, no doubt

[EagleFan]

Kind of hoping for an Ottawa / Edmonton final. I think that would cause a country-wide spontaneous orgasm up north.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

And the Ducks are about to show them how to truly collapse to a lower seed in game 7, no doubt

Or not.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Kind of hoping for an Ottawa / Edmonton final. I think that would cause a country-wide spontaneous orgasm up north.

If the Ducks had lost tonight, I would have rooted for this too.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Or not.

Yup, that was awesome to exorcise some demons and they finally showed up and played an entire game 7. A shaky start and when the Theodore own goal went in I was sure everything was going to collapse but give them a lot of credit, they really dominated from that point on.

Hopefully this gives them the confidence to move forward, I don't think anybody is beating Pittsburgh and Nashville will be a really tough series if playoff Rinne shows up but you never know what can happen in two seven game series.

[Chief Rum]

I'm really starting to get pissed off about the Ducks not showing up at the start of games and series.

[JonInMiddleGA]

JOSI !

Good Lord though, playoff hockey with a one goal margin is like dying continuously.

[muns]

It might be the sens year. The amount of luck that they have gotten the first 3 games is mind blowing. 3 out of their 4 goals tonight are off bounces that are hard to swallow as a pens fan. Barring some miracle chalking this as an L. I'm beside myself.

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk

[Logan]

Originally Posted by muns

It might be the sens year. The amount of luck that they have gotten the first 3 games is mind blowing. 3 out of their 4 goals tonight are off bounces that are hard to swallow as a pens fan. Barring some miracle chalking this as an L. I'm beside myself.

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk

Don't know why you stopped at the first 3 games of this series.

[MizzouRah]

What a freaking game tonight!!!

[muns]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

What a freaking game tonight!!!

It was. I thought the Sens were going to pull it off. I really did.

Anderson stood on his head for the past 2 games. Stopped just about everything that was thrown at him. Even with the Pens winning, I think he was the MVP of the series.

[Young Drachma]

I guess it's time for Nashville to finish the job.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

I guess it's time for Nashville to finish the job.

I still find it hard to think they can get past the Pens... should be a great series though.

[muns]

Preds look so much faster. Those days off really valuable. 1 nothing Preds

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[JonInMiddleGA]

Or not.

Looks like the Preds will have to beat the league office as well.

[muns]

On review that looked like the right call. Skate looked up to me. Still look much faster though.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[JonInMiddleGA]

One call may not turn a series but it certainly turned a game.

Pull Rinne, roll the lines, this one is over

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

One call may not turn a series but it certainly turned a game.

Pull Rinne, roll the lines, this one is over

Not so fast.... Tied 3-3

[JonInMiddleGA]

well dammit, the reverse jinx ALMOST worked

[Fidatelo]

The NHL needs to get rid of the offside review. The point of those lines is not to be so exact that we need Zapruder level scrutiny of whether skates are on or off the ice.

[cubboyroy1826]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

The NHL needs to get rid of the offside review. The point of those lines is not to be so exact that we need Zapruder level scrutiny of whether skates are on or off the ice.

And even then you still cannot really tell if the skate was on the ice or not. I thought that call could have gone either way.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by cubboyroy1826

And even then you still cannot really tell if the skate was on the ice or not. I thought that call could have gone either way.

But even if you could, it's still ludicrous. The point of the blueline is to keep teams from just cherry-picking players in the offensive zone. If a player is so minorly off-side on a zone entry that a trained official can't catch it then it's a good enough hockey play I would say, and the line has still done its job.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

But even if you could, it's still ludicrous. The point of the blueline is to keep teams from just cherry-picking players in the offensive zone. If a player is so minorly off-side on a zone entry that a trained official can't catch it then it's a good enough hockey play I would say, and the line has still done its job.

Yep.. before these "replays" I never once thought during a game.. "oh freaking referee blew that offside".

Like a soccer AR, not all calls will be perfect, but for me it's better than stopping the game with the replay that for the most part seems like a crapshoot.

[bhlloy]

And if you are going to challenge the calls, can we PLEASE realize it's 2017 and not 2004 and not have replay decided on a tablet screen and taking feeds from a tiny number of crappy cameras that can easily be blocked and don't seem to be in great resolution either.

I can go either way on the offside being reviewable argument, what really kills it for me is that they look at it for 4 minutes and then make a call based on what essentially is the equivalent of playing NHL 96 on an iPad. Have somebody in Toronto look at it on the best technology you can purchase and make a call to the ice.

Don't even get me started on the absurdity that means a coach can essentially double challenge a call that the league has already reviewed. Who doesn't love 12 minute stoppages in the middle of a game.