Looks to me like the Red Wings are better suited at taking advantage of it. Interference, holding sticks, clutching and grabbing. The Pens just have to get better at playing it that way, if that’s the way the refs want it. Now, if they start doing it too and start getting called for it, then you’ll know the bullshit is in.
In the bigger picture, however, if the NHL thinks that most of the country outside of hockeytown wants to see that kind of, uh, less than skill-type hockey, they have another thing coming.
Two fluke ass goals from Justin Applicator kind of hurt the Pens too.
ETA: I did enjoy seeing Malkin kick Zetterberg’s ass a bit.
I agree the non-calls have been called equally…but it still benefits detroit…their style much better fits a clutching, grabbing, banging style, which is completely allowed by not calling anything. Pittsburgh’s style is more wide open, and that’s very hard to establish when nothing is called.
Honestly, the difference in this series so far has been mostly luck…very good luck for Detroit, and very bad luck for Pittsburgh. A lot of the ‘poke and hope’ type shots from Detroit have gone in, and a lot of the very best shots from Pittsburgh have just barely been knocked out or hit just off the wrong side of the post, or such. In this game, Osgood was very good, and that made the biggest difference, but it’s been really a lot of breaks tilting to Detroit. I’m hoping the tilting heads back a bit the other way for the next two, but who knows.
The not so secret of Detroit’s success. The Wings scouts find players late in the draft and develop them slowly so that they’re mature and ready to contribute as soon as they hit the big leagues.
You know, you could make the Yankees-Red Wings connections before the lockout, and I’d agree. Even before the lockout, they had an amazing amount of home grown talent, with some escaping and blossoming in other places. Now that we’re in a salary cap era, those Yankee-Red Wing comparisons aren’t working anymore. The Wings have had phenomenal scouting for about two decades and have mined up a bunch of gems with later picks.
So Hossa wanted to go somewhere he could get the Cup. I’m fine with that, so long as that’s his motivation. What’s wrong with winning? You wouldn’t berate a gambler for picking the eventual Stanley Cup champions before the season started and putting money on them then, would you?
Also my fave, cause it’s MY fantasy to have a goalie step into the bedroom in full gear. Yowza! I would not be in a maid outfit though. 'Cause then it would be weird.
I am so looking forward to VS. coverage, and I can’t believe I am saying that. Can we please find an announcer who doesn’t have his tongue in Corsby’s Vagina?
Did I miss the part where Detroit was knocked out of the playoffs and the Nashville Predators made it to the finals, cause otherwise this post makes no sense. What Detroit is doing isn’t called interference and the like. It’s called defense. Outside of Pittsburgh, teams have realized that they don’t have to step out of the way of opposing players, or simply skate backwards. Sure it’d be more polite, but it’s not necessary.
“Applicator?” Is that supposed to be clever, cause I’m not seeing the humor. Of course, his goal tonight brings me to my earlier point of how to play defense. Abdelkader skates in to the offensive zone on a 1-2. How this is supposed to go is the two converge on the player and force the puck free into the boards. No penalty and no danger, right? So why did one player engage Abdelkader and the other simply skate backwards away from the play? Both defenseman take him out and there’s no “fluke goal.” Pittsburgh blueliners are as much to blame for that goal as Fleury.
You really shouldn’t have. When a player on your team is fighting, that means your team lost. He’s also damn lucky he didn’t get an automatic one game suspension which an end of game instigator penalty calls for. And it’s easy to kick someones ass when you jump them from behind and start swinging with your gloves on and your stick in your hand. That wasn’t an ass kicking. That was a hissy fit.
Why is noone upset about Conklin leaving? Feel kinda bad for the guy. It’s always Hossa. Hossa Hossa Hossa!
That’s a good point though, The Wings just threw cash at him and he’s just ripped the Pens apart and has been scoring goals left and right.:dubious: Wait, five of the six goals scored against Pittsburgh in this series have been scored by players from the Wings system (Franzen, Ericsson, Filpula, and “Applicator,” though if you want to be funny about it “Abdicator” would be better) with the lone nonsystem goal coming from Brad Stuart, and he signed for well under what he could’ve gotten in the open market (which I don’t want to leave out the other mercenaries who’ve been stifling the Penguins: Chris Osgood, Henrik Zetterberg, Nick Lidstrom, Nick Kronwall. All brought in with the lure of big bucks. If only there were a salary cap to prevent teams from buying championships.
No, “Applicator” is funnier. After hearing him mic’d up after he scored, he sounds like he needs a feminine product.
And is it called defense or is it called gay porn? I know I’d rather watch hockey than a bunch of guys playing grab ass.
What people want to watch is something like the Pens-Capitals series. They prefer to see people who can shoot, not grab sticks and sweaters. Hopefully they’ll address it before next season - after Detriot grabs the cup this year. Oh, and the Cup, too.
The Wings are a talented team. The days of The Philly Goons is long gone. The Wings have a lot of talented skaters and stick handlers. To imply they are grabbing goons is insulting. It is the by product of crying .
The series is not determined until someone breaks the home ice problem. All the Wings did was save home ice advantage. If the Penguins win at home ,there is a lot of hockey left.
Sour grapes implies that I’ve said I wouldn’t want the Pens to win anyway, doesn’t it? I haven’t said that. I would very much like them to win, and I hope that they start doing things like cross-checking people on the attack at the blue line (which would have been interference in every game before this series) and breaking the sticks of defenders so that they can score a goal. I only hope that, as I’ve said before, if they should change tactics the refs do not also decide to change tactics as well.
I’m simply resigned to believe that the Pens will not be as good at this style of hockey.
I haven’t seen any particular skill from the Red Wings. I’ve seen a lot of lucky bounces off some crazy boards, along with Fleury letting a couple of garbage goals go in. The only skilled score from the Wings came off the play that they broke a stick, so I kind of see that as a wash.
I’m from Chicago and absolutely love the Blackhawks. I revile the Red Wings so much I’d give up several important body parts to see them lose the finals.
And…I agree with you. They are the most talented team in hockey.
I would attribute to skill the fact that they’ve only had to score 2 goals to win either of the first two games. Goaltending skill, of course. Other than that, you claim you havn’t seen skill from the Redwings, yet they’re up 2-0, outscoring the Pens 3-1. Woe is Pittsburgh if Detroit can statistically dominate them so with no skill.
Did I miss the part where Detroit was knocked out of the playoffs and the Nashville Predators made it to the finals, cause otherwise this post makes no sense. What Detroit is doing isn’t called interference and the like. It’s called defense. Outside of Pittsburgh, teams have realized that they don’t have to step out of the way of opposing players, or simply skate backwards. Sure it’d be more polite, but it’s not necessary.