2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

[Scottdau]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Nabby made some key saves too. Man I hate OT. I love it when it is not my team!

[RealmK]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

While I agree with part of your post, I flat out disagree that the officiating this season in the NHL has fallen within the normal range of calls being missed. I understand there will always be some degree of inconsistency in terms of officiating even in a perfect world but to me the level of inconsistency I have seen this season in the NHL is not acceptable or does not fall into what I would call the normal range. I have been watching NHL hockey on regular basis for 14 years now and I have never seen a year with as many obvious calls blown or inconsistencies as this year across the entire league.

The officiating needs to be better. If you don't feel that way than we will have to agree to disagree.

It happened last year as well blue, I actually thought it was a little worse last year on the whole than it has been this year but I agree. Officiating the last couple years has been the most inconsistant garbage in a long time.

[DrJones]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

While I agree with part of your post, I flat out disagree that the officiating this season in the NHL has fallen within the normal range of calls being missed. I understand there will always be some degree of inconsistency in terms of officiating even in a perfect world but to me the level of inconsistency I have seen this season in the NHL is not acceptable or does not fall into what I would call the normal range. I have been watching NHL hockey on regular basis for 14 years now and I have never seen a year with as many obvious calls blown or inconsistencies as this year across the entire league.

I've been watching for 30 years. I don't notice much difference. It's always seemed bad and/or inconsistent to me.

The officiating needs to be better. If you don't feel that way than we will have to agree to disagree.

Of course it needs to be better. But I would've said that in 1981 as well. If you get the NHL Network, watch classic games/series when you can, and be amazed at how bad the reffing was in the olden days.

[mgoblue678]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

It happened last year as well blue, I actually thought it was a little worse last year on the whole than it has been this year but I agree. Officiating the last couple years has been the most inconsistant garbage in a long time.

I agree, even though I do think this year has been worse than last but as whole I agree the last two have been the worst I have seen.

[DrJones]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Clowe is beasting right now.

How long has "beast" been used as a verb? Guess I should be checking out Urban Dictionary more often.

[Scottdau]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

How long has "beast" been used as a verb? Guess I should be checking out Urban Dictionary more often.

This one I know is wrong. But I like it he is Beasting!

[Money99]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Great game by the Wings.
But I'd be a homer if I said Franzen didn't deserve a suspension for his elbow on Sami Lepisto.
That's a bigtime head shot and he should have to sit a few for it.

But like Bob McKenzie said, unless there's an injury the NHL won't do squat.

[Money99]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

While I agree with part of your post, I flat out disagree that the officiating this season in the NHL has fallen within the normal range of calls being missed. I understand there will always be some degree of inconsistency in terms of officiating even in a perfect world but to me the level of inconsistency I have seen this season in the NHL is not acceptable or does not fall into what I would call the normal range. I have been watching NHL hockey on regular basis for 14 years now and I have never seen a year with as many obvious calls blown or inconsistencies as this year across the entire league.

The officiating needs to be better. If you don't feel that way than we will have to agree to disagree.

I heard an interesting interview with an amateur referee. He had been officiating games in the Greater Toronto Area for 20+ years.
He was saying that the reason he wasn't in the majors because he's not good enough. That he can't dissect the plays fast enough like the NHL refs can.
I guess I'm very naive because I never looked at it that way.
Just like NHL players, refs also require a lot of talent to be at the NHL level. To be able to read the plays at lightning quick speeds and make a decision based off a split second of data is a true talent.

My view is the game has simply gotten too fast and too clogged for the referees of today to have any sort of consistency.
I think what we're seeing now is basically what we're going to get the rest of the way.

[RealmK]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I heard an interesting interview with an amateur referee. He had been officiating games in the Greater Toronto Area for 20+ years.
He was saying that the reason he wasn't in the majors because he's not good enough. That he can't dissect the plays fast enough like the NHL refs can.
I guess I'm very naive because I never looked at it that way.
Just like NHL players, refs also require a lot of talent to be at the NHL level. To be able to read the plays at lightning quick speeds and make a decision based off a split second of data is a true talent.

My view is the game has simply gotten too fast and too clogged for the referees of today to have any sort of consistency.
I think what we're seeing now is basically what we're going to get the rest of the way.

That's a pretty interesting way to look at it Hank, and that may be alot of the reasoning. The game has just gotten so much faster with all the rule changes over the years, two line passing, trapazoid, plus just how fast these guys are now with equipment improvements over the years that it's prolly much more difficult to catch infractions that happen that quick.

[Money99]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

That's a pretty interesting way to look at it Hank, and that may be alot of the reasoning. The game has just gotten so much faster with all the rule changes over the years, two line passing, trapazoid, plus just how fast these guys are now with equipment improvements over the years that it's prolly much more difficult to catch infractions that happen that quick.

I think that's the case too Realm.
It's still frustrating as hell to watch refs blow calls or make non-calls though.
Watching a guy get called for having his stick perpendicular to an opponents waist in one instance, and then watching a ref see a guy hook someone to their knees from 5 feet away with no call in another, it's enough to drive you crazy.

But it is what it is. That's why OS is a great forum. We can all blow off steam here.

[tyler289]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Has anyone seen the ratings for the first round on VERSUS? Just terrible so far. Phoenix actually did pretty well, but the NHL is still so far behind when it comes to TV ratings. And VS's coverage has been awesome!

[Money99]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Has anyone seen the ratings for the first round on VERSUS? Just terrible so far. Phoenix actually did pretty well, but the NHL is still so far behind when it comes to TV ratings. And VS's coverage has been awesome!

VS actually posted the best ratings for a hockey game on cable TV in quite some time:

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/watching_the_nhl_conference_quarterfinals/

VERSUS’ first five nights of Conference Quarterfinal round coverage averaged a .6 HH rating and 543,000 viewers making it the highest-rated and most-watched start to the postseason on cable since 2002. The HH rating and average viewership is up 50 percent and 21 percent, respectively, as compared to VERSUS’ first five nights of last year’s postseason (.4 HH rating and 447,000 viewers). Additionally, the start of the 2010 Playoffs is the most-watched among all key male demos on cable since 2002 with each of the demos showing viewership increases over last year: Men 18-34 (up 6%), Men 18-49 (up 8%) and Men 25-54 (up 18%).

Hockey's ratings are abysmal if you compare them to MLB or the NFL.

However, if you combine ratings from Canada and the US, I've heard that it's quite comparable to the NBA's total North American viewership.

[slickdtc]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I've always said in continuous action games like hockey, it's hard as hell to officiate. So I let a lot of things go in terms of "bad" calls. Things are going to be missed.

It's the BS they just either completely make up or blatantly turn a blind eye to that gets my blood boiling.

Last night, after a penalty on the Flyers, off a faceoff, Pronger and Zajac get a bit tangled up. It doesn't even look like a penalty... but the refs call Zajac for cross checking. The two players basically ran into each other and they give Zajac the penalty. It was a completely made up call (and probably because the Flyers got whistled so much earlier in the game), and it led to Briere's goal, which I believe was the game winner.

And there's times when the ref will be literally staring at a player as he's committing an infraction, and nothing.

So I don't care about missed calls. I just care about some of these absolutely mind boggling moves they make, it seems almost rigged.

They even screw up instant replay reviews!

[slickdtc]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Jeff Carter, playing with an injured left foot (he missed 8 games late in the season), fractured his right foot now. He actually scored a goal right after taking a shot by Pronger off his foot. But he'll miss Game 5 in NJ. Simon Gagne also got hit with a shot and broke a toe on his right foot, he'll be gone for Game 5 too.

Let the injuries pile up! It seems the injury sheet gets very crowded in the playoffs for the Flyers. The two times they made the Conference Finals in the last decade (year before lockout, two years ago against PIT), the defense just fell apart in terms of injuries. It's crazy.

I hope the Flyers go with skill players instead of Riley Cote to plug in the holes. Ville Leino should be in, and I'm hoping Andreas Nodl breaks back into the lineup as the other addition. We lost two skill players, so let's replace them with two skill players. We don't need a useless goon like Cote in the playoffs, or any time pretty much, for that matter.

I just hope we finish this thing off in Game 5.

[Nickflyers]

Re: 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Jeff Carter, playing with an injured left foot (he missed 8 games late in the season), fractured his right foot now. He actually scored a goal right after taking a shot by Pronger off his foot. But he'll miss Game 5 in NJ. Simon Gagne also got hit with a shot and broke a toe on his right foot, he'll be gone for Game 5 too.

Let the injuries pile up! It seems the injury sheet gets very crowded in the playoffs for the Flyers. The two times they made the Conference Finals in the last decade (year before lockout, two years ago against PIT), the defense just fell apart in terms of injuries. It's crazy.

GREAT