Was it by design that the NHL decided to let the whole playoff buzz die completely down before actually playing the finals? This wait is ridiculous.
Equally ridiculous is that the middle games are on Versus, which many of us do not have access to; many of the earlier rounds had only one game not on Versus. It seems like especially in an Olympics year when there has been a certain amount of buzz over hockey, the PTB are going out of their way to see that we don’t get any new fans.
I feel the same way, KayT. Really seems like they are trying to not get any new fans. Only showing a few weekend games on NBC? Last year, games 3 and 4 of the finals were also on Versus. Sucks.
It’s part of the reason I want the Hawks to win in 5, not 4, even though I am from Chicago. They’d win it at home, and I’d be able to watch it on TV.
(Game 3 I am going to watch with someone who is a Flyers fan ;p).
Here we go!
Wow…10 goals through 2 periods.
Other than the goaltending, that was an excellent game.
I still can’t believe that sixth Chicago goal. 99 times out of 100, if a defenceman fell at the blueline like that it would be an easy 2-on-1 going the other way, if not a breakaway. Instead, the defenceman somehow managed to flip the puck 10 feet straight up in the air and have it land on a Chicago stick. Crazy.
Keith and Seabrook are freaking amazing.
Finally, it’s total bullshit that Philadelphia had four power plays to Chicago’s zero.
Can you believe one team got two young defencemen that good? Honestly.
I know Chicago got a lot of high draft picks when they were stinking, but jeez, what an army of talent. Watching them play I feel like it’s the Olympics again because they have half the Canadian roster.
Two teams. In the same division there’s the Predators with Suter and Weber. Chicago is just Nashville with a budget, really.
Can you believe Duncan Keith was picked 54th overall in 2002?
Wish Leighton would have played like that against Montreal.
Hawks are now up 2-0 after winning Game 2, 2-1.
Game 3 Wednesday night in Philadelphia. The Flyers have now lost seven straight games in the Stanley Cup Final, dating back to Game 7 of the 1987 Finals against Gretzky and the Oilers.
Once again I find myself coming in to heap scorn upon the refs. I thought game one was a little odd in that the Flyers somehow managed to go an entire game without a penalty being called on them, but there weren’t a lot of penalties anyways. Game two was more balanced. Last night? Chris Pronger cross checks Dustin Byufglienqpterdsc repeatedly in the back and Dustin Can’tspellhisnamesowhybother gets called for a slash because he broke Pronger’s stick. A Chicago player gets the helmet punched off of his head and no call. I will say that the Chicago player did try awfully hard to sell it by falling over and laying down for a sec, but come on. It was a clear fist to the friggin’ head. How do you not make that call?
The only consolation for me is that the game was on VS. last night so nobody was even able to watch the idiotic slapfest.
The officiating has been inconsistent, yes, but I can’t blame the refs for that loss. The Blackhawks have been excellent penalty-killers all season long, but allowed two power play goals last night – and then gave up the OT goal on a badly timed shift change. There was just something off about their focus.
I look at it this way: The Flyers controlled the pace all night and clearly outskated them, but the 'Hawks still managed to force it to a fourth period. If they can pull it back together they’ll take the series in 5. No need to panic.
I see it differently… The Blackhawks have not out-classed or out-hustled the Flyers in this series, and if not for Niemi would be down 3-0 in the series… This has all the makings of a 7-game series, with game 7 a coin-flip.
What is the official rule on sounding the goal horn? I mean, twice in one game they sounded the horn when the refs hadn’t made the call on the ice. Granted one was appropriate, but the second was not.
Byfuglien’s penalty during one of the scrums a toward the end one of the periods was ridiculous. He was pulling two Flyers away from the scuffle! I have also never been a fan of slashing being called when contact is stick to stick.
I am a Flyers fan, so I may have seen it differently, but he was pulling, then pushing, then punching them all while holding the jersey… cant find the video on YouTube…
You need to get your eyes checked! 
As I recall, Kane and a Flyer were trying to take swings at each other. Byfuglien was yanking the guy back and forth in an attempt to separate the two.
Sir, I am offended that you would suggest Byfuglien would ever act in a way that would disrupt a cordial and orderly game. 
Yes
I do appreciate anything you all tell me about the games for which I am Versus-less. But I would appreciate it even more if/when you will be telling me the Hawks take game 4!
I think Mike Emrick has been drinking tonight. Some of the stuff he’s saying is just silly.
“Cancel the call for a penalty; it was a call for a Gino’s cheesteak. Which is coming into the booth right now. “
Guess he forgot his mike was on.
Oops. Wrong thread.