Cherry:
All over Therrien after the game for his use of Crosby, Roberts and "that dog Malkin".
3P 00:00:
What an ending!
3P 2:20:
Tick-tick-tick. But the icings are bad.
3P Timeout:
Smart call by Babcock to win a blow for his guys on icing.
3P 4:00:
Cleary's been great on the big line.
3P Break:
Dumb icing by Gonchar, going for the home run pass. The kind of play Lidstrom doesn't make.
3P 6:00:
Good comment by Millen on Zetterberg. In Sweden, from a young age, you play D or you don't play.
3P Break:
They'll talk about that 5-on-3 all summer. One shot? That's sick.
3P 7:30:
What a PK, eh? Some team. One shot allowed.
3P :
Malkin is totally in a fog. And Zetterberg is unreal on the PK.
3P 10:10:
Crosby sells one. This is huge.
3P 10:23:
Here's Pittsburgh's chance.
3P 12:00:
Chaos at the Pittsburgh bench in a one-goal, must-win game
3P 13:00:
The game in a nutshell: Cleary races down the right wing and then outbattles the bigger Orpik in the corner to make a pass. They do that all over the ice.
3P Break:
OK Bob, I'll call it: No penalty. Malkin flopped.
2P 15:52:
Not a great time for a penalty. Tough call on Fleury.
3P 17:34:
Hard work pays off. And Pittsburgh is pathetic clearing their zone. Let's hear Cherry rave about oberts.
3P 19:00:
Why is frequently-quoted Pittsburgh assistant Mike Yeo talking into his tie?
3P 20:00:
Next goal wins it (there's a brilliant insight). And Hossa will get it.
Hot Stove:
What's with Al Stachan's facial expressions whie Scott Morrison is talking? Is he interpreting it for the hearing impaired? ... Morrison says Toronto would have to offer ats Sundin $7 million to $9 million ... Pierre Lebrun suggests Leafs trade Sundin's rights for a first-round pick ...
2P 00:00:
Temporary loss of my satellite signal. It's raining in Montreal.
2P 2:42:
Crap PP ... and Zetterberg is brilliant on the PK. What a player he is.
2P 4:20:
Nice. Cole throws a bouquet to Mike Emrick.
2P Break:
It's turned into a great series
2P 6:00:
Refs are wisely letting them play.
2P 8:00:
Detroit's passing is so good. They don't go for the long cross-icers or stretch passes. It's always a guy close at hand which means a high percentage pass which means they complete them and move.
2P Break:
Hossa is spectacular tonight. His teammates less so.
2P 11:30:
Detroit's work ethic is killing them.
2P 14:00:
Detroit's PP still struggling.
2P 16:16:
Staal, the best PK man, goes off.
2P 18:00:
Pittsburgh zone clearances are very laborious. That will cost them.
2P 20:00:
Well, Cherry thinks the Penguins suck. I dunno. 1-1. Anyone's game.
Coach's Corner:
Cherry thinks Staal can play the whole PK. Says Detroit is hungrier, wants it more. Video of Chelios sucking up to Cherry on fighting. Then Don talks about the glass, which I don't understand. Nice tribute to Luc Bourdon.
1P 00:00:
Excellent hockey.
1P 18:00:
Staal is tremendous for a player his age. Nice play by Lidstrom on Hossa.
1P 3:00:
Two straight games shots off the back boards have fooled Fleury.
1P Break:
Another Pittsburgh PP ... and they've been deadly.
1P Break:
Some fat rebounds off Fleury. Detroit's goal put them right back in it. That Roberts is unreal: I think he played the whole PP.
1P 8:30:
Hossa is playing great. Roberts does a good job on the doorstep. Red Wing loses his stick and Cole doesn't notice.
1P 10:57:
Adam Hall hustles and Rafalski goes off.
1P 12:54:
Cleary's doing a good Holmstrom imittation. Detroit needed that after a lousy PP.
1P 14:55:
First Detroit PP. Very significant.
1P 16:00:
All Pittsburgh. Fleury makes that great save on Rafalski and the game turns.
1P 17:09:
Just like that. Crosby makes a great play at the blue line. Gonchar drives it on net and Hossa does what's going to make him rich
1P 17:49:
Great start. And Drake takes a dumb penalty.
1P 20:00:
Penguins won't be outshot 9-1 to start tonight.
Anthem guy:
He's pretty good. eh?
Cherry:
"Let's go Pens!" A national broadcaster. Can you imagine John Madden doing that?
Luc Bourdon:
A moment of silence. They know about the dangers of bikes in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger was damn near killed on one.
Bettman III:
McLean is overmatched. "Everybody's going to be fine." OK, Gary.
Bettman II:
He says he didn't read the Toronto Star story on ticket revenues. So is he a liar or a fool?
Bettman:
Will Ron ask him about the ticket revenue debacle among his Sun Belt franchises?
Bob Probert:
I really like Elliotte Friedman's features. 3,300 PiM. Wow! Colin Campbell, Jacques Demers' assistant in Detroit, was his minder. "As of right now," Probert says, "life's good."
Pre-game:
Good interview with Gary Roberts ... Tomas Holmstrom likely out ... "No one forgets where they came from, especially being a Newfoundlander." Right on, Dan Cleary. Vintage b&w footage of Alex Faulkner. Man, he still looks good. Must be that sea air (which wouldn't account for how good Elmer Lach looks) ...
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
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zzz
Great column in Toronto Star by Chris Zelkovich; Crusty the CLown and his hero...the GREAT Gary Roberts!!!
FYI, the AHL Calder Cup finals are on NHL Network right now - the game is getting very testy. A Chicago player was intentionally butt-ended in the face by a WB player who was sitting on the bench. No penalty on the play. It's 2-0 Chicago at the end of one.
(Chicago is Atlanta's affiliate, while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is the Pens affiliate.)
If anyone is interested, game 5 of the Kelly Cup finals goes tommorow at 7:05 pm (10:05pm ET). Series is tied 2-2 and is available on the B2 network. Being a Canadiens affiliate, the Cincinatti roster is made up of the likes of Olivier Latendresse, David Desharnais, Mathieu Aubin, Thomas Beauregard and Jon Gleed. I've been pushing Beauregard who led the Q in goals last year by a country mile. Desharnais is a Martin St. Louis-esque type player who makes up for what he lacks in stature with great playmaking skills. And wouldn't it be nice to have TWO brother combinations on the habs? Nice to see the kids doing well.
I watched it on NBC. Same result :-) but no Cole. Are the Wings really this good or are the Pens just too young and afraid to make a mistake?
I get the feeling the Wings aren't well-liked around here, but if I were running a hockey team, I'd like it to run like the Wings. Say what you will about their style of play, but the bottom line is that every single player on that roster buys into it, and what's more, they all seem to execute it damn near flawlessly.
Everyone tends to point out how good Lidstrom is with his stick, but as a team, the Wings have the best sticks in the league. You don't realize how big a part it plays until you watch the Wings, and how they can make or break a play, whether it's dangling through a forest of legs, or getting it in a passing lane to eliminate a chance against. Watch them in scrums along the boards or in the corners, and you'll see how effective they are. I don't know which coach is responsible for that sort of play, but whoever it is deserves huge kudos.
If they do end up closing it out on Monday to win the Cup, I don't know how anyone could argue that the best team didn't win this year. Like them or not, the Wings are as sound as hockey gets.
totally agree
agree, agree, agree,
... on our rinks within our rules the Wings way is the hightway.... they really are in a class of their own as it stand.
They are the end product of a vision that has remain their building reference since 1995 and was perfectly suited for taking advantage of the rule changes brought about in the NHL 3 years ago.... this year's edition of the Wings is a perfect act of balance between vision, system and roster ... and the winning results are a superior collective game played at hight tempo with no shortages of excitement and spectacular plays to boot.
.
The Wings don't appear to be that big either. They just seem to all be on the same page, and play big. Anyway you guys are right, the Wings are a really solid, skilled, team.
I guess I'm still hoping the Pens can make a game/series of it, but one young man can't carry a team. Odd to see who steps up their game, and also who doesn't.
Oh well Red Wings win the cup in 5, Lidstroms's 4th Stanley Cup and he becomes first European Captain to ever win a Stanley Cup. The Detroit Red Wings win their 4th Stanley Cup in the past 11 seasons, not exactly the dynasty of the Montreal Canadiens, but one can safely say they are the dynasty of our era.
Something to mull over on a lazy Sunday:
Ron Hainsey, former Habs blue-chip prospect, may very well test the UFA waters this summer.
Should Gainey cast a line for him?
I can't say I remember the circumstances/mood around Hainsey's departure from the Canadiens on waivers way-back-when, but whatever they were, he seems to have developed into a decent offensive dman.
The 27 yeard old, left-shooting Hainsey amassed 32 points (8G, 24A) last season, 22 of which came on the powerplay. He was a -7 on a defensively suspect Columbus squad, so take that for what it's worth.
He's big (6'3, 211 lbs.), though an apparent knock against him is that he doesn't play like it.
If we're comparing UFA dmen, Streit had nearly double Hainsey's points last season, but is a few years older, and doesn't have Hainsey's size. A lack of size (or willingness/wherewithal to use it) was glaringly apparent in Streit's playoff performance, particularly in those battles along the boards and in the corners.
If Hainsey is just as reluctant to use his size effectively, though, I suppose the comparison is a wash.
I know we are all pining for (Swedish?) UFA help up front, and we seem to be well-stocked in defensive prospects, but I figured I'd throw Hainsey's name out there, if for no other reason than to promote some healthy debate.
So...any takers?
I don't think we could afford Hainsey's $4.5 - $5.5 salary demands with Komisarek due to adjusted within the year. Not saying I wouldn't want him in our top four, just would find it hard to imagine 4 players eatng up nearly 50% of the Cap space. I will say it is easy to argue the importance defense watching the cup winners over the last couple of years.
I posted this on another thread: We have three top-four defensemen (Markov, Komisarek, Hamrlik). Streit is a talented player (e.g., he was third among defenseman in scoring this past season), but, as we all saw in the playoffs, his value may be limited to the offensive zone and particularly to the power play. Plus, Carbo has played him a lot as a forward. As a result, I don't think we have a legitimate fourth top-four defenseman. O'Byrne is still young and developing. Bouillon and Gorges are tough, but are small. I think both are, at best, sixth defensemen.
So, even if Streit resigns, we should pursue a top-four defenseman by trade or free agency. Looking at how Brad Stuart has solidified the Wings blueline only strengthens this belief. Moreover, we have good defneseman in the system, but none may be ready for the big time yet. With Brisebois leaving, another defenseman will be required anyway.
In terms of who that fourth defenseman could be, in terms of a trade, Kevin Bieksa seems like an attractive candidate. He's a right shot, is strong, has an offensive upside, and can play in all situations. Vancouver needs offensive help adn we have offensive depth (e.g., Grabovski). Bieksa would be under contract, but Bouillon will be a UFA after next season (and perhaps Gorges will be too), thus providing an opening for younger players. In terms of a free agent acquisition, Marek Malik should be considered. He seems to be the 'under the radar' signing that Mr Gainey enjoys. Malik is a big body and, what impresses me most, he's a quality 5 on 5 player - the past five years, Malik was +30, +35, +28, +32, and +7. (He seems to have some injury issues, though.)
Hainsey I think will be resigned by Cbus or will get a lot of money thrown at him by a desperate squad, just like Orpik will.
God no! Not Bieksa! That guy is a train wreck in the making. I live in Vancouver so I watch a lot of their games. Bieksa is a selfish player in terms of taking stupid penalties at the worst times and pinching when he shouldn't. You are correct in terms of injury issues. He is rarely healthy and when he does play a lot of times it is with some nagging injury. I think Vancouver will end up realizing that the deal they gave Bieksa (3 year deal worth $11.25 million) was a gaffe on their part.
Hainsey came up with this group, Higgins, Komisarek, Pleks and would feel right at home. Had it not been for that waiver gaffe (then again, that's not Bob's style) Hainsey would still be a part of this team. I'm trying to think back on the circumstances but he was the very last cut out of camp that year. He was pissed at being sent down but things worked out well in Columbus where he was allowed to prosper. It's a little different in the fishbowl that can be Montreal at times. Kudos to the aforementioned players for carping their diem!
Stephen - First of all Coach Hitchcock wouldn't like your statement that the BJ's were defensively suspect as they pride themself on defense and are proud of it. Why would Columbus not try to sign Hainey , whose also on their 1st PP unit , after losing Foote on trade deadline - it's either money or he's not an exact fit. IMO the Habs need to pick up a "D" man as we have a solid six but the level drops drastically after that but Hainey is not the answer as i suspect he is still uncoachable , his reputation , and the Money factor and Gainey has stressed and stated that the player must fit the group he's assembled. Columbus will present him an offer in their ballpark and let him explore the market like Gainey did with Souray and possibly may re sign him in late July if he's available but it's not a priority. Hab's need a big veteran shutdown type "D" at around 1/1.5 million for one or two years.
Hi nightmare,
I may have too hastily called Columbus defensively suspect, as in fact, they allowed 6 goals fewer last year than our beloved Habitants. I retract the statement, and hope that Hitch can forgive me. ;)
As for your suggestion that the Habs need more "d" in their defence, I couldn't agree more. I also think, however, that it is easier to shore up the defensive awareness of an offensive defenceman, than the other way around. Our friend Hamrlik is a perfect example. Over the years, his offensive prowess has been increasingly complimented, and even now overshadowed, by his defensive game.
Malik is intriguing, and it's hard to argue with his +/- stats. I hadn't realised he was a UFA, and even if I had, I probably wouldn't have instinctively considered him a viable option. Good call. Should be interesting this summer...
Stephen - Your theory on "D" men is spot on and we have a few prospects ( Carle,Subban,Weber etc. ) to exploit that shoring up process on. The fans would love Malik as he's a big version of the Breezer, lol. Very important summer for us and it will be interesting for sure , i hope.
The Rangers are chock full of UFA defenceman. Marek Malik, Michal Roszival, and Paul Mara. Malik or Roszival would make a fine all Czech tandem with Hamerlik.
Aside from the obvious ones like Campbell who I think San Jose will retain after giving up Bernier or Redden who would be a good replacement for Streit if he walks. For my money he lacks that shutdown quality. Mike Mottau is a gritty player in the Komi mold with the Devils and could be a sleeper addition. Out in Colorado they rave about Jeff Finger.
THe defensive possibilities for acquiring a top 4 D man are quite intriguing
Howtather - I'm sure that Gainey is not planning to put unlimited salary on his "D" corp and will not be giving long term contracts due to the many potential prospects for that position in the future so the high price "D" that want a long term contract will be ignored by Bob as his money will be saved for forwards on the market. I've never liked Redden and think he's been over rated for years and the Rangers and the Ave's have many decisions to make on their "D" and those available may be too expensive for us but Fingers is interesting though he's in the same mould as Gorges. Mottau has resigned and Rozsival and Malik want out of New York but are high priced so we will have to wait to see if Streit resigns , who i consider our 8th "D" at best , and take it from there , can't wait.
I'd take a run at Hainsey. The team that he would be joining is a much better one than the one he left. Presumably, he has matured as well. There are several really good defensemen on the team, so he wouldn't have as much pressure on him. You can't teach size and having him would give us three skyscrapers on the blueline. Komisarek, O'Byrne and Hainsey could be scary to play against if they all decided to use there bodies on the same night.
I like your reasoning of surrounding him with a better d-corps. I think Hamrlik would be an especially good influence. And perhaps watching Komisarek from the bench could inspire him to throw his weight around a bit more.
It isn't even a question of throwing it around, so much as it is using it effectively. I hate to harp on the Wings, but I have never seen a team, to a man, use their bodies (and sticks) as effectively in pursuing or protecting the puck.
The question is, if we were to chase Hainsey, does that mean we let Streit wander off, or do we sacrifice potential help up front to keep both him and Hainsey..?
Chances are, we are going to be without Ryder, Dandy and Smokes next year. If we try to keep Streit, it is as a forward and point man on the power play. I just want to see us assemble a defensive corps that will strike some fear into opposition players. Valentenko evidently has some nasty to him and could help in that regard. I guess what I'm looking for is a Craig Ludwig in his prime.
Or a Larry Robinson in his prime.
Or Bourque, Coffey, Langway, Potvin, Orr, and throw in Harvey...
Get a load of this sportsfans:
Submitted by oliv on Sat, 05/31/2008 - 23:16.
"Mid 80's to mid 90's since those are the years I really began to watch."
"Once NJ won the cup, it seemed to me that overnight all the teams in the league were using that system in one way or another and its really no suprise that scoring and thus excitement in the league took a nose dive after that."
You really began to WATCH hockey in the mid 80's to mid 90's? Watch, f'n watch. Have you ever even contemplated putting a pair of skates on and trying to play? You post all this iron-nuts canucker BS and you began to WATCH the game in the mid 80's. Get your mouth off your mom's teat and just go upstairs to bed. YOU ADD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF VALUE TO THE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS WEBSITE. You are unmasked as the a-hole that you are by your own words.
At times, I think he says those things intentionally just to piss us off, because no one can really be that stupid.
After reading his posts, the best thing to do is just ignore him. Hopefully he'll just get bored when no one responds to him, and he'll stop posting on here.
You're absolutely right. The worst thing to do is to acknowledge someone like that. My bad.
So when will it be officially acceptable to make the bold claim that Evgeni Malkin is, at this point in his career, a no-show in the playoffs?
Obviously there is a bit of satire in this comment, but seriously, can anyone speculate on what has happened? Or is it that there is a book on him and all his opponents have read it?
Mike Milbury says its "growing pains from a guy that doesnt speak the language very well".
Hmm, last I checked there was no spelling test or oral exam during the playoffs. What a ludicrous comment.
Who knows what the problem is. What we do know is that he is only 22 and that he's playing on hockey's biggest stage with enormous expectations against a bitch of an opponent. I would say that the pressure has gotten to him, it happens afterall.
Kudos to Sid the Kid for being able to play through it all, I guess that just shows you where his mental development and leadership (he does after all wear the C) are at compared to Malkin at this young stage in their careers.
Like some others have mentioned, many players who have gone on to be superstars in the playoffs have had a bumpy ride earlier on. I don't expect him to make a habit of this; this experience will probably be valuable for him next time. I'm sure we will see great things from Gino in the future; just maybe not in a Pens uniform.
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