# NHL: The Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 8, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187 "2012-04-08T17:26:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/141 "2012-04-18T03:54:11Z")
> [@Tazmanian\_Devil](#): > > I’ll get the clown’s name right, yet. Raffi Torres. He should be gone for at least 5 games. Holy shit. My TV’s dead, so I haven’t been able to watch the game, but I just saw the clip of this. How in the hell does this happen _right in front of a freaking ref_ and not get called? The ref was looking right at the play, so far as I could see. Torres left his skates with a shot to Hossa’s head. WTF? If Shaw’s hit is worth three games, then this is worth ten. Absolutely brutal. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/142 "2012-04-18T04:16:03Z")
And there goes home ice advantage back to the Coyotes… Ugh. How did that one get into the back of the net from that angle? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/143 "2012-04-18T04:26:12Z")
> [@Fred\_Garvin](#): > > [Asham gets 4 games, Neal 1 game](http://espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/7826505/2012-stanley-cup-playoffs-arron-asham-pittsburgh-penguins-gets-4-game-ban-james-neal-1) > > Asham hits Schenn, who stays in the game, and gets 4 games. So much for “No Harm, No Foul”. But then Neal gets only a game for the Giroux, and nothing for the Couturier. (According to Shanahan 's video, he accepted Neal’s contention that he jumped to brace himself against an unavoidable collision). > > Unbelievable “jumped to brace himself”? WTF? Brace himself against what, Couturier’s forehead? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/144 "2012-04-18T10:20:09Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > The 2nd goal (I’m not sure which one you mean) was mostly on Howard, who pulled a real bonehead move by vacating his crease. When this team won their 4 Cups they simply never made these kinds of mistakes. The most I’ll concede on that is equal parts blame. There’s no reason for three players to chase one puck carrier. None. That’s an idiotic play. Howie came out to follow the puck, but he’s been doing that since he started in the league. He’s always played farther out of the net than I’ve been comfortable with, but that’s his style and it mostly works. You have to have somebody defending your net and you never send three guys after the puck. That’s basic hockey. It practically guarantees you will get outnumbered. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/145 "2012-04-18T10:56:50Z")
Are you guys refering to [this](http://i.imgur.com/JePR3.jpg) (I didn’t catch that part of the game)? Yeah, I blame the defence more than the goalie on that one, based on that image! ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/146 "2012-04-18T12:46:54Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Well, I’ll call and tell him that **soulmurk** demands that he speak immediately. I mean, you know, it’s not like he’s deliberately keeping silent, you know. That’s the point. He only speaks when he feels wronged. And when he speaks, he goes all out and questions the integrity of the League and how they’re failing to protect player safety and then threatens to take his pucks and go home. Remember when this happened and I called him a hypocrite (along with most of the rest of the thinking world) and the Pittsburgh Apologist Force was out in full force bashing me because I dared to speak ill of the mighty Mario Lemieux? Well, here we are, once again, with the Penguins displaying exactly the kind of behavior he publicly railed against and, once again, he’s mum on the subject. > [@](#): > > You’re not much of a “smack talker” or an “I told you so” kind of guy"? Please, you’ve been bitching about the Penguins all year. Calling a spade a spade is neither of those things. > [@](#): > > You’ve been jumping up and down, eager to point to any little thing that went wrong with them so you could say, “See! See! Look at how evil the Pens are!!!” Hyperbole and confirmation bias on your part, but to be expected as your defending the indefensible is one of the primary reasons I feel vindicated that they’ve shown their true colors so thoroughly that the national and local media can’t brush it under the rug any longer and deny it exists. > [@](#): > > And stop acting like New Jersey’s as pure as the driven snow, because that’s bullshit. They’ve had their fair share of goons and dirty players as well. Err, when have I done that? Please. I’d love for you to find an example of me ever stating or implying anything of the kind. Regardless, that’s just a weak attempt at deflection on your part; “The Devils once had Claude Lemeiux, so it’s okay that the Penguins have… well, pretty much their entire roster.” Horseshit. The irony of course is that the Penguins are playing one of the few teams actually dirtier than they are and they’re making them look positively saintly! Face it. Your team is dirty and all those words you’ve used and ridiculous excuses you’ve made up for them were only to try and convince yourself because anyone who sees with their eyes and not their heart knew the truth about the Penguins before they made it as perfectly clear as they could in front of a national audience. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/147 "2012-04-18T12:50:04Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Are you guys refering to [this](http://i.imgur.com/JePR3.jpg) (I didn’t catch that part of the game)? Yeah, I blame the defence more than the goalie on that one, based on that image! That’s the play, but what you can’t see is that Howard is still sliding rapidly away from the crease at this point, and has no prayer of stopping the shot after the pass back in front. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/148 "2012-04-18T14:32:59Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > And don’t give me that bullshit that it was all Sid, either. Oh my god, he kicked a glove! It’s called psyching people out. **Guin** I love your passion for the sport and your team, but Sid showed a lack of class and sportsmanship in that instant that is unbecoming of him. That was the kind of thing Sean Avery would have done. > [@RickJay](#): > > (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers > > Oh my God, this is going to be a fantastic series. They hate each other. They’re both really good teams. You’ve got a great mix of styles, speed and skill versus strength and dirty play. Bet you had no idea at the time that you wrote this that Philly would be the former and the Pens the latter. 😃 If LA can close out, that series may single handedly win me my work pool as virtually everyone else has them going to the division finals or the Cup finals. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tazmanian\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@Tazmanian\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tazmanian_Devil)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/149 "2012-04-18T17:13:56Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Holy shit. My TV’s dead, so I haven’t been able to watch the game, but I just saw the clip of this. How in the hell does this happen _right in front of a freaking ref_ and not get called? The ref was looking right at the play, so far as I could see. Torres left his skates with a shot to Hossa’s head. WTF? If Shaw’s hit is worth three games, then this is worth ten. Absolutely brutal. Torres has also been suspended this year already for similar actions, and according to Shanahan, you don’t want to be a repeat offender when you get called to his office (likely the reason why Asham got 4 games for the hit on Schenn). But if Asham got four for that, when the player he hit stayed in the game, then I agree that Torres should get a lot more, as Hossa was stretchered out and hospitalized overnight. The Hawks are holding a press conference shortly about Hossa’s injury. Expect a ruling on Torres today or tomorrow morning, as Game 4 is tomorrow night, and some sort of decision has to be made before the game starts. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/150 "2012-04-18T17:16:11Z")
> [@Tazmanian\_Devil](#): > > The Hawks are holding a press conference shortly about Hossa’s injury, and expect a ruling on Torres today or tomorrow morning, as Game 4 is tomorrow night, and some sort of decision has to be made before the game starts. For the moment, he’s suspended indefinitely. [Hearing is set for Friday.](http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=628445) ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/151 "2012-04-18T18:36:03Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > A little bit more this year, but I think it’s due to close rival matchups. > . > . > . > Even out here in LA with the Kings/Canucks, the Canucks are closer rivals to the Kings than Anaheim or even San Jose is this year. To me, Vancouver is a “meh” team. Love the city though…World’s Fair in 1986…had part of our Honeymoon up there (Washington, BC and Alberta is just fucking beautiful in August). Actually, IF the Kings do meet up with San Jose, I bet it will be far worse than anything we’ve seen so far with the Kings and Canucks. [The NoCal-SoCal rivalry is at least a century old.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_California#Northern-Southern_California_rivalry) The next closest rivalry would be east coast vs. west coast…the further east the opposing team, the greater the rivalry (Boston, New York, et. al), and then, just maybe the next rivalry would be the cross-town rivalry. To me at least, I would rather see the Ducks (which many of you saw me back in 2007, root for the Ducks) win the Cup before the Sharks or any Eastern team. That’s what a true SoCal does. However, I do not encourage stupidity like last years Dodger fans beating up the Giant fan…that’s not rivalry…that’s thuggery. Any team in SoCal is my team…but in head to head competition, I will root for the Kings over the Ducks by virtue that the Kings have been here longer…Dodgers over Angels, Lakers over Clippers, Raiders over…wait…that’s a little more complicated…Naw, screw Al Davis!..Chargers. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/152 "2012-04-18T19:17:15Z")
…and I just realized that I made it about the fan’s viewpoint rather than the player’s viewpoint, but I think the players know what’s going on here. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/153 "2012-04-18T20:58:15Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > That’s the play, but what you can’t see is that Howard is still sliding rapidly away from the crease at this point, and has no prayer of stopping the shot after the pass back in front. Yeah. That’s what the defense is for. Howard has always played like that. Always. Might not be smart, and it drives me up the wall when I see it, but that’s his style. The defense should adjust to it, but then the defense should be covering the net anyways. The first two goals that Nashville scored were open men right in front of the net. Detroit had the same problem during the regular season, last years playoffs, last years regular season, and so on. For all this talk about Nashville being bigger or learning from their mistakes, the biggest difference between Detroit and Nashville is that the Wings are not covering their net defensively and Nashville is. Having three guys chase after one puck carrier is simply the biggest and most glaring example yet. Was Howie too far out? Yep, but with that many men out of position, he doesn’t get all the blame. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/154 "2012-04-18T21:20:15Z")
Oh fuck this bullshit. You’ve had a hard on for the Pens since Day One – I don’t see you calling out anyone else for their goons. You act like I CONDONE dirty hits – which I don’t. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to stop BEING a fan of my team. I may have been embarassed by their actions on Sunday, but I am proud to be a Pens fan. I’m not “My team, right or wrong.” I didn’t say the Pens were innocent here, but you seem to have a bug up your ass about them for some reason. And you can insult Mario all you want, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and has done a hell of a lot for the sport, for the Penguins, and for the city of Pittsburgh. He doesn’t owe anyone jackshit. (And I didn’t even bring UP Claude Lemieux this time – you did.) ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/155 "2012-04-18T22:42:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I may have been embarassed by their actions on Sunday, but I am proud to be a Pens fan. **Guin** don’t be embarrassed for what they did, be embarrassed for what they didn’t this series. They tried to open it up offensively and got outscored by Philly at their own game. They tried to goon it up and be intimidating and got beat by Philly as that is their game. If the Pens want to have any chance to get back in this thing they have to play disciplined, defense first hockey, and make the most out of offensive chances when they come. In other words play that boring, hoo-hum, trap crap that makes me want to give up on the NHL forever. I love this years playoffs! Keep the intensity coming! ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/156 "2012-04-18T22:46:54Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (And I didn’t even bring UP Claude Lemieux this time – you did.) Saw a signed print of [this pic](http://motorcitytimes.com/mct/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mac-lemieux01.gif) at a recent beer league tourney. Couldn’t believe Claude would sign that, but then again, he was the type of player that would be proud of that. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/157 "2012-04-18T23:10:56Z")
If you could get Darren McCarty to sign it too, that would be an awesome gift for a Red Wings fan. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/158 "2012-04-18T23:17:00Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > Saw a signed print of [this pic](http://motorcitytimes.com/mct/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mac-lemieux01.gif) at a recent beer league tourney. Couldn’t believe Claude would sign that, but then again, he was the type of player that would be proud of that. At least it wasn’t the Kris Draper hit. 😉 Seriously, you’re right, but I still don’t want to see my team become the Flyers. We’re better than that! And we’ve been playing so good all year, and then bang, we fall apart at the play-offs? Malkin’s got the Art Ross, he’s almost a lock for the Hart, and now we choke in the first round? We’re not the Caps, dammit. Dicks is giving out free yard signs, and I think I’ll leave mine up throughout the playoffs, even if we lose. (I have two) The fairweather fans calling for people to fire Bylsma, or trade the entire team are seriously pissing me off. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/159 "2012-04-19T00:07:57Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > And you can insult Mario all you want, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and has done a hell of a lot for the sport, for the Penguins, and for the city of Pittsburgh. He doesn’t owe anyone jackshit. Not true. Mario called out the entire league including himself (we as a league…) and then got real quiet when it was his team misbehaving. He’s not living up to the standard set by his own words and calling him out on it is fair game. I should add that I remember the quote in question being from at least a year ago if not two. Maybe he’s since changed his opinion. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187/160 "2012-04-19T00:34:37Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Oh fuck this bullshit. You’ve had a hard on for the Pens since Day One – I don’t see you calling out anyone else for their goons. That’s your confirmation bias. In the past month or two I’ve made several comments about, off the top of my head, Zac Rinaldo and Todd Bertuzzi. I’m pretty sure I also expressed some outrage about Shea Weber getting away with his assault on Zetterberg, but that may have been on another site. Going back even further I’m positive I’ve gone off about Chris Pronger and Mike Richards, and I’m on record as saying I think the Flyers are the dirtiest team in the League. If I searched the history I’m sure I could find more, but you never see those because they don’t involve a Penguin. You only notice when they do, and let’s be frank, with such a dirty team they’re bound to come up with some frequency. > [@](#): > > You act like I CONDONE dirty hits – which I don’t. You defend the players who make them, provided they wear a skating penguin on the front of their jersey. It’s the same thing. You’ve constantly made excuses for them and even went so far as to hold up Matt freaking Cooke as some kind of shining example of sainthood because he chose to stop trying to kill people this year. > [@](#): > > But I’ll be damned if I’m going to stop BEING a fan of my team. I may have been embarassed by their actions on Sunday, but I am proud to be a Pens fan. I’m not “My team, right or wrong.” I’d expect no less, but now you have to accept that the team you root for is dirty. That every time I or someone else has said something to that effect around here and you blindly came flying to their aid, you were wrong. > [@](#): > > I didn’t say the Pens were innocent here, but you seem to have a bug up your ass about them for some reason. Not at all, you just feel slighted any time someone dares to disparage the team you love. As I’ve said before, Pittsburgh isn’t even in the top 5 teams I hate most, but I do have to admit that I dislike Pittsburgh fans perhaps more than any other fanbase as they are, in my experiences at least, the least knowledgeable and most entitled group I’ve ever had cause to interact with. > [@](#): > > And you can insult Mario all you want, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and has done a hell of a lot for the sport, for the Penguins, and for the city of Pittsburgh. Nothing he does or says takes away those facts, but neither do those facts change that he’s a whiny hypocrite. > [@](#): > > He doesn’t owe anyone jackshit. **Harborwolf** said it better than I could. It’s the same discussion we had when he said what he said after the Islanders game… if you’re going to open your mouth to cry foul when a team crosses the line, you’d better expect people to wonder why you’re not saying anything when your team crosses that same line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-the-playoffs/618187.md?page=9)