The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 2, 2009 12:20:25 GMT -5
A great game between the Caps and Bruins ends on a howler by Tim Thomas - getting beat by a shot from around the red line. The replay shows that the puck got some air under it and lifted off, so it was sort of tricky, but an NHL goalie on the league's best team should have that one. That was weak, definitely. Still not sure it actually happened. And Thomas isn't just an NHL goalie on the league's best team, he's one of the NHL's best goalies (at least this year) on the league's best team. You could tell how ashamed he was....I don't think I've ever seen a goalie sprint off the ice so fast. If you look closely, it was actually a pretty tough shot. The puck was at the perfect angle aerodynamically, got some air under it, and started to become a wing, so it created lift. So it literally took off and fooled Thomas. If you've ever done an air bounce with a frisbee you'll sort of know what I'm talking about. Or, if you prefer a more dramatic example from the world of sportscar racing:
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 2, 2009 13:47:06 GMT -5
To back up my claim that anyone who thinks Ovechkin's celebrations are bad for the game is an idiot, I give you Idiot #1. I really don't hate Don Cherry. He's harmless, for the most part. And I think his heart is in the right place, in that he really wants to be a voice for tradition in hockey. I get that. On the other hand, he is also the biggest xenophobe in hockey. I guarantee you that if it was Sidney Crosby who was celebrating and Ovechkin saying he didn't like that sort of thing, Cherry would definitely be sticking up for Crosby...or at least he wouldn't be going at him as hard as he goes at Ovechkin. Cherry has always hated, and probably will always hate, just about every non-North American player in the NHL.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 2, 2009 15:08:29 GMT -5
Don Cherry's no fan of Crosby either, since Crosby wears a visor.
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Post by FrostbackHoya on Mar 2, 2009 15:23:08 GMT -5
Cherry has always hated, and probably will always hate, just about every non-North American player in the NHL. Cherry has become a joke, but I think he's lost a lot of respect from your average Canadian fan over this one. Nobody gets the sports bar crowd more excited these days than sending around the latest Ovechkin masterpiece on YouTube. There's no doubt he's one of the most popular players around, full stop. And... 'non-North American'? I think you mean 'non-Kingston, ON'. I seem to remember him ripping on Modano way back when.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 2, 2009 15:49:13 GMT -5
And... 'non-North American'? I think you mean 'non-Kingston, ON'. I seem to remember him ripping on Modano way back when. ;D Well, I was trying to be as generous to Cherry as possible. Over the years, I think he has contributed a lot to the game, but yes, he is more or less a joke now. Kind of like Vitale in a way, except Vitale loses respect because of his constant slurping of people he likes and an inability to maintain the attention span of a three year old. Cherry loses respect because of his inability to broaden his mind, even one micron.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 2, 2009 15:58:35 GMT -5
If you take Cherry as an entertainer instead of a hockey analyst, he's still bearable. I think the comparison to Vitale is pretty accurate. They're both fun to have around, as long as you just take them in limited doses.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 2, 2009 22:10:54 GMT -5
To back up my claim that anyone who thinks Ovechkin's celebrations are bad for the game is an idiot, I give you Idiot #1. If you get a chance, watch the full video on the HNIC website. Right after he rips OV for celebrating and then claiming that someone is going to "get him" (although it has been four years and no one has, probably because OV would hit them back harder), anyway back to cherry- right after he rips OV he says "Dont be like OV kids, be like Jason Strowduck (or whatever)" then proceeds to show the honorable Jason starting Two fights in a game that night for no real reason other than just wanting to fight. Yes kids! Dont be happy, Start Fights!
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 3, 2009 23:52:16 GMT -5
Pretty bad night for both of us huh Boz? Both hockey wise and Basketball wise.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 4, 2009 9:21:15 GMT -5
Pretty bad night for both of us huh Boz? Both hockey wise and Basketball wise. I'm as Pollyanna as anyone you'll find on the board, but I'm pretty sure basketball season just about ended for me last night. Hockey season is too long (don't start with me baseball fans; nothing is as interminable as your 8-month paint drying session). Start the playoffs NOW!!!! I need them!! What an abortion. Can we have an across-the-board do over for March 3, 2009?
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 4, 2009 19:44:39 GMT -5
I think Calgary is the big winner today and they definately made the case they could make the finals, especially if goal tending gets hot (which it is already). Good day for boston too.
Pitt keeps making these deals that just make me scratch my head. They dont seem to have a plan for what they want there team to look like. Same with NYR.
Mildly peeved that the Caps didnt make a good run at Morris or another D, but with Pronger off the table and Bouwmeester unlikely to move that made Morris' price go way up. Too bad.
Over all it was a pretty boring Deadline. but it would be hard to top last year and the year before. it seemed to me (from reading the espn stuff) that the prices people were asking were just too high and that made moves difficult. And lack of cap room for almost all the buyers didnt help at all either
On edit: i just read that the Caps went after Pronger but it was too expensive. Also that they just sent Brian Pothier to the AHL. Pothier has been out for a year with a concussion and if he can play becomes a top 4 veteran defensemen which makes not having pronger moot. there is though a huge chance that Pothier has symptoms and that his career is over.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 4, 2009 22:27:25 GMT -5
On edit: i just read that the Caps went after Pronger but it was too expensive. Also that they just sent Brian Pothier to the AHL. Pothier has been out for a year with a concussion and if he can play becomes a top 4 veteran defensemen which makes not having pronger moot. there is though a huge chance that Pothier has symptoms and that his career is over. Just as a general proposition (and I'm not saying this is YOUR opinion, jgalt, just that GM's seem to spew this crap all the time), I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT when GM's and coaches say "we're getting X back around now, so that's like getting someone" or any variation thereof. What a load of crap. Pure, unadulterated bullsh!t. I'm assuming Philly is going to somehow claim Briere's return as some sort of "addition." Garbage. I agree with you Buff. I totally see what you are saying. This may be a little different though just because Pothier has been on LTIR for over a year, so it is kind of like being able to call up a veteran D from the AHL. It obviously isnt the same as trading for Pronger lets say, but it does give the Caps another option.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 15, 2009 23:29:33 GMT -5
Congratulations to Brodeur (because you know he reads this site...)
only a month left til the play-offs. Let the stretch run begin!
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 16, 2009 13:58:55 GMT -5
I am getting very, VERY nervous.
Too many penalties, not bringing the intensity every game (where have I heard that before?), whatever it is, fix it and NOW! 11 games left to get yourselves prepared. Priority 1 should be getting/staying healthy. Priority 2, cutting down on mistakes.
That is all for now.
Except: Screw Marty Brodeur! (because you know he reads this site....and that will hurt his feelings)
;D
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Mar 16, 2009 16:24:52 GMT -5
I like Brodeur and the Devils. I don't really know why, but they have been my adopted team for a decade now. Incidentally, tomorrow night Martin becomes the winningest goalie ever. Hat's off to him. I never like Patrick "wah" anyway.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 16, 2009 18:58:33 GMT -5
I wouldn't say I like Brodeur, but I have a massive amount of respect for him. He was one of the best goalies in the league in his rookie season, and he's still one of the best 15 years later. He's like a machine.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 16, 2009 22:46:32 GMT -5
Agreed. Brodeur was probably the least spectacular great goalie the league has ever seen. That's partly because of the defense in front of him. It's also partly because of his rock-solid fundamentals, which is why he never had to roll around like Hasek did. He also didn't have the ego of Patrick Roy. Roy's ego could be annoying at times, but it also gave us some amazing quotes, like this classic:
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 17, 2009 12:30:17 GMT -5
The biggest thing holding Brodeur back is that he only played for one team. And as Buff said, that team like to trap and only trap (although when Marty was out they got much more exciting to watch). It would have been real nice to see him play for another team that was more open. If he played at the same level then he very well could be the greatest, but youll never know because hes only with NJ.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Mar 17, 2009 16:04:06 GMT -5
It's honestly very similar to what happened in the NBA in the 90s. They had Jordan to cover it up until the second half of the decade, but by then expansion and straight to the NBA players had led to a dilution of talent which led to ugly basketball winning.
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