Official NHL 2008 Stanley Cup Finals Thread...Pens vs. Wings

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by Numberr97

i would give credit where credit is due i don't make excuses and i'm not a fan of either team but that was straight bull, not the last call but the 2 goalie interference calls. are you kidding me? you think that didn't kill the detroit legs, i thought the o.t would have no calls and if a call was made it would have to be something real serious, let them play don't decide the game.. and if you want to call the penalties then i could pin point at least 15 calls that could have been made in the 1st o.t verse the pens, the inferences, the knee collisions.. ****, yes they did win congrats to them they put their heart in it but not like detroit didn't either, and it seemed like they put more heart then the pens did and just to get raped by the refs... good job!

if it "killed their legs" it sure didn't show it, because like everyone else said they came out and dominated the 3rd OT up until thepenalty. Nice logic though. You're obviously rooting for Detroit somehow, the one call was questionable and the pens got next to nothing out of it anyhow,yet detroit got "raped" by the refs? get out of here man.. these things even out over the length of a series and eventually become meaninglessbecause of that... detroit was beaten fair and square, don't whine about it.

It was a great game by both sides - quit trying to take away from that with your petty excuses.

 

[Dunk Demon]

wings are probably gonna win game 6

 

[numberr97]

^^^ okay sir you obviously play 0 hockey because it does exhaust you skating around playing monkey in the middle while killing the penalty 2 minutes in yourown zone. they had their top players out there killing penalties, and then hoping they could produce offensively after long kills. and because the pens gotnothing out of those first 2 powerplays don't come at it like thats an excuse thats because penguins have no powerplay in this series they couldn'tscore a 5 on 3. credit detroit penatly kill for putting their hearts on the line. i'm not rooting for no 1 but i sure do hate it when refs decide games.did you not listen to the commentators tat those first 2 powerplays were jokes? they must be detroit fans...

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by Numberr97

^^^ okay sir you obviously play 0 hockey because it does exhaust you skating around playing monkey in the middle while killing the penalty 2 minutes in your own zone. they had their top players out there killing penalties, and then hoping they could produce offensively after long kills. and because the pens got nothing out of those first 2 powerplays don't come at it like thats an excuse thats because penguins have no powerplay in this series they couldn't score a 5 on 3. credit detroit penatly kill for putting their hearts on the line. i'm not rooting for no 1 but i sure do hate it when refs decide games. did you not listen to the commentators tat those first 2 powerplays were jokes? they must be detroit fans...

you completely missed the point. If there legs were dead, why were they still outplaying the pens at the end until the high sticking? hmm.. doesn'tquite add up now does it? they had tons of great chances, don't even say they didn't. they couldn't caplitalize, due to great effort by MAF andthe rest of the pens.

If you think the refs decided that game, you're out of your mind. those two calls had zero effect on the outcome of the game.. additionally, no selfrespecting player or fan would ever blame this loss on officiating - in fact, it was officiated pretty well to be honest with you, they let both teams playwith almost no calls for almost the entire 3rd period. the one comment the commentator made about the interference call was that it's something the rulescommittee should look at in the offseason - not that the call was incorrect, but that the rule was. So that's not a bad call, for one. I noticeyou're not complaining about the weak #@@ makeup call on Sykora in 2nd OT? gee i wonder why

You're completely nitpicking and just trying to take away what the pens did - give it a rest.

 

[numberr97]

whatever i'm not here to argue i just say it how i see it is and our opinions are different i guess. i still think detroit takes this series.

 

[gingersaintbad]

I couldn't make it to the end of the game. I got through 2OT's and passed out. From what I've read it was a great game. Still believe Detroit takesit, would have preferred to see them take it at home but they still can. I don't see Pitt being one of those once in a hundred years teams that comes backfrom 3-1

 

[freshsince1982]

Just when i think the pens are done......

Great game.

Im goin with pens in 7, why not!

 

[Retroballer]

Playoff overtime hockey is the best thing in sports.

 

[newbs24]

It was an alright game. I can't believe they let Talbot get the game tying goal. That just about broke my heart. I knew it was going to be a long night.The Wings need to get their stuff together. That was the second most pathetic Game 5 I have seen them play. The first was the Dallas Game 5 I went to. Howterrible did the Wings look in period 1? I about blew my head off when I saw that. I knew they weren't gonna win after that start. They need to realizethat playing dominate hockey for 1 period will not win you the Cup. They better get off to a great start in Game 6 but it is going to be tough with the gamebeing in Pitt. I am not a happy camper.

 

[ballinboykz]

the 2nd OT period belonged to the pens, without a doubt. I don't know what HUGE lucky break the pens got, it was a legit high sticking major, that's just detroit making a bad mistake and the pens capitalizing.. how about congratulating the great play of Fleury instead of trying to belittle the pens performance? going into detroit and walking out with a win in the playoffs is practically unheard of, ain't nothing lucky about anyone that can do it.

As soon as Juri went to the box, you knew it was over.

Way to fight Pittsburgh. Marc Andre played the greatest game of his life.

Ozgood didnt play his greatest tonight. All overtime he was shaky.

See you guys in game 6.

 

[kiddin like jason]

at me for missing Game 5.

 

[zs05wc]

[table][tr][td][/td] [td]
It was an alright game. I can't believe they let Talbot get the game tying goal. That just about broke my heart. I knew it was going to be a long night. The Wings need to get their stuff together. That was the second most pathetic Game 5 I have seen them play. The first was the Dallas Game 5 I went to. How terrible did the Wings look in period 1? I about blew my head off when I saw that. I knew they weren't gonna win after that start. They need to realize that playing dominate hockey for 1 period will not win you the Cup. They better get off to a great start in Game 6 but it is going to be tough with the game being in Pitt. I am not a happy camper.
[/td] [/tr][/table]

@ "It was an alright game." I really wanted the Wings to win last night so they could win it at home but oh well things can'talways be perfect. Things will be very intense in game 6. I still can't believe we couldnt just one more past Fleury with all that pressure we wereputting on him, he did everything short of standing on his head. Hopefully Ozzy keeps playing like he has been, well actually I hope he plays better than hehas been. Also what made that GW goal worst was it was the !*+++%# that said he was gonna score

 

[newbs24]

Also, what the hell was Kronwall thinking when he cleared that puck off of dudes skate? He hit him in the middle of his foot. That was terrible. The defensmenon this team are not playing very well. Their passing is subpar and there mental mistakes are many. Stuart has played bad. Rafalski has been decent. Krowallmade some god awful plays. They need to buck up and play better. Lilja was a pleasant surprise last night. Played very physical and made very few if anymistakes. Lebda has been steady but for as much as he gets in on the offense, the dude needs to dial in his shot.

 

[cquan05]

The whole goalie interference thing WILL be looked at over the summer and hopefully they can come out with some sort of guideline for the refs as to what isand isn't a goalie interference call. It's tough because the goalies will ALWAYS go down on contact, as they should, so it looks a lot worse sometimes. I've played the game for over 13yrs and I know when you skate by the top of the crease or around it and you somehow nudge the goalie, he'll godown to sell the call and you get frustrated because you know you hardly touched him

Anyways, aside from all this playoff talk........Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher has pitched an offer to Ron Wilson to coach the Leafs, and Wilson is here inToronto today. I hope this goes through

 

[joebonnano]

Fleury played like his life depended on it last night. Period. If you take out the goaltending (not altogether, but put in some bums for both teams) the scoreis like 21-10 Detroit, based of quality scoring chances... It's crazy.

I stayed up for the whole damn thing, and went to sleep like a horny man in a convent... Terribly unfulfilled, and knowing there's nothing to do about it.

I hope the fact that the Wings were 34 seconds away from the cup doesn't make them lay an egg tomorrow. That can happen... I STILL can't for the lifeof me figure out why, when Detroit had the puck at center ice WITH NO GOALIE, they didn't keep shooting the puck to the Pens net... I don't get it.I'd gladly take faceoffs in my own end after icing for the chance at an empty netter. The Wings are the best faceoff team on the planet, and it takesquality time off the clock for folks to go the length of the ice... I don't get it.

But the game was still an instant classic.

I just wonder if, say this series goes to 7 games... Detroit doesn't treat the Pens like Colorado the last time they won it, and score 7 on the hot goalie,just to show they can?

I know, that was a homer type comment, but still... that was sweet.

Anyway, Wednesday can't come soon enough...

 

[kavinsky]

Who's going to game 6?

We'll see if my homie comes thru with the tickets (hopefully for less than 4 digits

)

 

[cquan05]

Looks like Melrose will be taking over as Head Coach next season as I posted the article earlier........

Tortorella no longer head coach in Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Tuesday John Tortorella will not return next season as the team's head coach.

The decision comes after the Lightning finished last in the Southeast Division at 31-42-9, missing the postseason for the first time in five years. Tampa Bay recorded just 71 points, tied with Los Angeles for the lowest total in the NHL.

"This has been a very difficult decision because of everything that John Tortorella has meant to and done for this organization," general manager Jay Feaster said in a statement. "Torts came to Tampa and not only built the foundation under our club but he also changed the culture and raised the expectations, eventually leading us to the Stanley Cup in 2004. What he accomplished during his tenure in Tampa was nothing short of remarkable and our organization will always owe him our thanks, gratitude and deep respect."

Tortorella, who had one year remaining on his contract, coached eight seasons with the Lightning, leading the team to its first Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

Voted winner of the 2004 Jack Adams Award as the National Hockey League's top coach, he established franchise records that season with 46 wins and 106 points. A 16-year coaching veteran, he became the team's fourth head coach in 2001, replacing Steve Ludzik.

Former Los Angeles Kings coach turned ESPN broadcaster Barry Melrose has long been rumoured to be a candidate for the position.

Tortorella had a 239-222-36-38 record during his eight years with the Lightning.

 

[craftsy21]

Man - i was just thinking, when the Pens went up 2-0 and just missed that chance by Sid to go up 3-0, i actually started thinking to myself they were going topull out some kind of like 6-0 win like they did to Philly in game 5

But I mean - look at how both teams have won their games - Pittsburgh by the skin of their teeth both times, and Detroit quite handedly in all three of theirs.

I think Pittsburgh is probably the favorite at home, but just barely.. assuming Pens can survive that somehow, it's just hard to imagine they can stealanother in Detroit - they blew this series when they lost game 4 at home, it's just too much to ask them to win two games in Detroit right now. But hell,who knows man... it's tough mentally to have a series and a cup all wrapped up and 30 seconds away and then see it all slip away. In your mind you'rebeginning to mail it in a bit, getting excited about finally getting some rest and what not - to have to get back in the state of mind of playing a roadstanley cup final game, that's gotta be tough. If any team can do it though, it's the wings.

Here's hoping for at least getting to a game 7 though.

 

[gingersaintbad]

Regardless of who I want to win (Pitt), I always like when series go to game 7's. In any sport, a game 7 brings the best out of the best players, andshowcases some deficiencies in the overhyped superstars

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

Originally Posted by cquan05

Anyways, aside from all this playoff talk........Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher has pitched an offer to Ron Wilson to coach the Leafs, and Wilson is here in Toronto today. I hope this goes through

I thought you WEREN'T a Leafs fan... i'm confused...

 

[gingersaintbad]

And that is exactly what the Leafs need, someone who can get them to the playoffs, but can't win anyways.

 

[ballinboykz]

Leafs wont sniff the playoffs for at least another year. They need a year for things to get organized with their new players, new coach, and new GM

 

[joebonnano]

It all depends on how the players in The D take being 34 seconds away... will they be drained of all energy or will they fly around the way they did to erasethe early 2-0 deficit?

Like the game was three parts: first, the Pens killed in the first period, and took a 2-0 lead early. Then, The Wings dominated and scored 3 unansweredthemselves... Then the third part was the 2 unanswered that The Pens scored, despite being thoroughly outplayed for much of all the OT's...

Calls from the zebras nonwithstanding, I think Ozzy mailed it in when they were about a minute left in the game. I hope he doesn't let that get to him. Heplayed well, to be sure, but he seemed shaky after giving up the tying goal, as if he kept telling himself "I'm not even supposed to BE here, rightnow!" Dante from Clerks style...

We'll see what happens tonight. I've seen Ozzy give up flaky goals in one game to come back and shut out the opposition to clinch before, and I'veseen games that SHOULD be close get turned into Red Wing blowouts real quick... Of course I hope for the former AND the latter...

 

[ballinboykz]

Cant watch the game tonight

gotta ref.

GO WINGS!

Bring it home tonight. Hopefully Ozzy plays well early. Its no cakewalk in Pittsburgh, thats forsure.

 

[gordon gartrelle]

That was quick!