The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

[bd007h]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Props to those who picked Hanzal

[Dagio]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

For those questioning the whiteout, it's a tradition dating back to their days in Winnipeg, and I'm glad they've kept it all these years. For me it brings back memories of old '90s Coyotes playoff games. Painful, losing memories of course, but memories nonetheless.

[BlueNGold]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I don't know if I've just never paid attention to this type of thing until now but the first 2 days of the playoffs I've noticed a lot of shenanigans going on between players away from the puck. The Kesler/Doughty thing that was posted here a few pages back and Ovechkin and Chara last night being two examples that come to mind. This stuff isn't even getting called.

Seriously between things like that, the league pretending all those hooking, obstruction, etc, rules don't exist any more, and the ****ing ridiculous Shea Weber incident that essentially goes unpunished, it's making me sick as a hockey fan.

Obviously I can't say I'm going to "take a stand" or whatever because for starters, that isn't going to do anything lol, and of course I love watching hockey so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Some of this stuff is just seriously getting sickening at this point though.

I wish they'd get rid of the Iron Man shoulder/elbow pads, get serious with suspensions, eliminate fighting, and go back to the way things were coming out of the lockout among other things. But all of this is just clearly the equivalent of talking to a wall, because nothing is going to happen.

I hate the Leafs but any other Canadian team I'm alright with.

I hate the Canadiens and Senators. Otherwise I'm cool with every other Canadian team in the league.

[Stu]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I missed this last night but Bruins fans tried to kill David Krecji. Apparently he's OK but this was a little scary:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yQE9ve1kkjU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I don't know if I've just never paid attention to this type of thing until now but the first 2 days of the playoffs I've noticed a lot of shenanigans going on between players away from the puck. The Kesler/Doughty thing that was posted here a few pages back and Ovechkin and Chara last night being two examples that come to mind. This stuff isn't even getting called.

Hockey players being hockey players. Nothing to see here.

And Stu - I've sat in the front row at many a game (albeit never an NHL game), and never once got the urge to bang on the glass with my hands. I've never understood that phenomenon.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Hockey players being hockey players. Nothing to see here.

And Stu - I've sat in the front row at many a game (albeit never an NHL game), and never once got the urge to bang on the glass with my hands. I've never understood that phenomenon.

First point.. yup. It's like in baseball with the steroids... the "code"... these are tough guys, to the detriment of their health. Decades later when we see how ravished they are by their injuries, maybe changes will be taken seriously.

Second point... SAME. Granted, I've never had the money to get a front row seat, but it always pissed me off the glass banging thing. I've vowed to never participate, and maybe now it'll be looked at.

Krecji got nailed pretty damn hard there. I know he missed time with a concussion in the past, so hopefully he checked out fine. Though I have a feeling he isn't. You don't get nailed like that with no damage. So unexpected too.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

First point.. yup. It's like in baseball with the steroids... the "code"... these are tough guys, to the detriment of their health. Decades later when we see how ravished they are by their injuries, maybe changes will be taken seriously.

I agreed with BnG's later points, but the chippy stuff away from and after the play hasn't really increased and has always been there. If anything it used to be worse.

[SqueakyD]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Second point... SAME. Granted, I've never had the money to get a front row seat, but it always pissed me off the glass banging thing. I've vowed to never participate, and maybe now it'll be looked at.

Krecji got nailed pretty damn hard there. I know he missed time with a concussion in the past, so hopefully he checked out fine. Though I have a feeling he isn't. You don't get nailed like that with no damage. So unexpected too.

That panel of glass probably won't get suspended, either! Boo, Shanahan!

I've never had the urge to slap the glass because I think it's as goofy as using thundersticks. I've had the experience of sitting in the front at a Wings game, and I learned that there are security guys that come down and ask folks to stop banging on the glass. Those Boston fans were practically rocking it, so I'm surprised no one told them to stop. Scary indeed.

[Stu]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

That panel of glass probably won't get suspended, either! Boo, Shanahan!

I've never had the urge to slap the glass because I think it's as goofy as using thundersticks. I've had the experience of sitting in the front at a Wings game, and I learned that there are security guys that come down and ask folks to stop banging on the glass. Those Boston fans were practically rocking it, so I'm surprised no one told them to stop. Scary indeed.

Looking at the video closer it really looks like one guy (middle/right) is just leaning into it without slapping it. That's probably what did the trick. That being said, I think it would take more to knock one of those panels over.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I agreed with BnG's later points, but the chippy stuff away from and after the play hasn't really increased and has always been there. If anything it used to be worse.

Ahh.

Yeah, the away from the play/post-whistle stuff is always there, and is just magnified in a 7 game series where every game is so big. Maybe stepped up a notch just because of that fact, as well.

It's like the bad officiating. It's there in every regular season game, it just means that much more in the playoffs.

[BlueNGold]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

The after-whistle stuff of course, but I'm talking about how the nonsense away from the puck doesn't seem to be getting called like it should.

Obviously the refs pretty much swallow their whistles in the playoffs, but at certain times it's seemed like it's getting out of hand. Maybe it's just an overreaction on my part though. I've only been able to watch a few games so far.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

It's just the horrible inconsistency from game to game, period to period, play to play.

They'll call something at one point, then let something more blatant go later.

The PHI/PIT Game 1 refs let them pretty much play... meanwhile, in Nashville, they combined for like 17 penalties. Probably the same amount of infractions, just called or not called.

[Stu]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Awesome, Krejci not practicing today for Bruins.

[andayaman]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Amazed that the Sharks survived the first overtime to win. So huge to take that first game on the road!

I'm hoping this is the Niemi we see for the rest of the playoffs. The regular season Niemi was sorely lacking. Looks like Murray will turn on that playoff switch like he did last year. Burns is a bad***, but Vlasic is a liability. Seems like he had a good hand in the two scores against.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

And Stu - I've sat in the front row at many a game (albeit never an NHL game), and never once got the urge to bang on the glass with my hands. I've never understood that phenomenon.

I will admit to banging on the glass the one and only time I had a Row 1 seat (New Year's Eve 1989, Flyers @ Canucks). Even better, I was right by a 2-inch-wide seam in the glass, perfect for heckling. Among the highlights:

- mocking Keith Acton during the warmup (he was the only one with a helmet on, and the other Flyers seemed to be playfully jostling him) to the extent that he came over, swore at us with a big smile on his face, and kicked the boards a few times
- making a player (Igor Larionov) look during a faceoff; doubtless, he was surprised, as in Soviet Russia, I'm guessing the glass banged you
- harassing Pete Peeters non-stop in the 1st and 3rd periods (occasionally with an air horn)
- Jim Sandlak crushed Kjell Samuelsson so hard into the boards where we were that a chunk of Samuelsson's hork flew over the glass onto my buddy's shoulder