Arena Hello Out There, We're On the Air: The Hockey Thread (Now: Playoffs)

They basically priced me out of the lower bowl. I'll probably be in that middle area, or mezzanine. Still though, looking at the arena and how the seating is structured it should still be a good-to-great view from where ever you're sitting.

Arena is looking really awesome from the progress video they showed during the intermission last night and it's amazing how fast they're coming up on completion.

 

I was talking with a friend and he brought up a good point based on the potential goal at the end of the Isles-Rangers game last night; The league uses many views to determine wheter or not a puck went completely over the line, but none is more important than the overheadd view. Unfortunately, the view could be blocked by the water bottles the goalies keep at the top of the net (and some goalies keep two bottles). Now since I'm all for goalie hydration, why not put a camera built into the bottom of the crossbar? It doesn't have to stick out at all and with about three of these in the crossbar, you would have nothing (unless it's the goalie or another player, but there's nothing to prevent that) interfering with the shot. It seems like a logical way to go.

 

What I don't understand is why Simon got so enraged at a legal check by what is essentially a fellow enforcer. If a Ranger 'deserved' a high sticking, I was under the impression Avery would catch one. As for Simon, I agree with Francessa's estimated sentence: Simon will return next year. As for the Rangers, it's starting to look like that comeback against the Blues could be the start of something special.

I'll see your below crossbar cam idea and raise you beer-can masks for goalies. It'll clean up the clutter above the net.

You know, this idea isn't half bad.

 

WT[H]! The Leafs should have lost that game.
Habs should win. They are currently up 3-0 in the 2nd.

I really hope the Habs make it to the playoffs. The race for the final spot is going to be tight. So basically the Islanders, Hurricanes, Rangers, Leafs, Bruins, and Panthers have to keep loosing and the Habs have to try to keep winning. I think everything should be set then.

There are what? 12/13 more games left. But all this babbling is kind of pointless. A Canadian team will make it to the finals only to be beaten by some American team who's player roster is 50%+ Canadian talent.

 

Great game and win by the Devils!!!!

They are now within 1 point of taking over first place in the eastern conference, although Buffalo has one more game remaining then the Devils do. Despite being down two forwards and a defenseman tonight the Devils still played with offensive power and scored a heck of a short-handed goal on a double-minor. Janssen played tonight and got a 5-minute major for fighting! Didn't play much of the game though.

Anyway, the Devils as a whole played better since their win in Pittsburgh the other night. They are looking sharp and hopefully this is a sign of things to come and I'm hoping Wednesday night can bring us that first place crown.

 

There's more to blowing 2+ goal leads consistently than bad luck. Coaching has to be part of it, as the team just has these inexcusable lapses too often.

 

Islanders' Simon suspended for balance of regular season and Playoffs. Minimum 25-game Ban Could Include Games At Start of 2007-08.

 

Ouch.

 

Yeah, that's a huge suspension, but the NHL has to crack down on cheap plays like that. Letting players trade blows for a bit, is no big deal, but if a player lands the wrong on the ice, after a cheap play, they can easily cause permanent injury that they may never walk away from. I think there's only been one death, on the ice, in the history of the league. That was like decades ago too, so you tempt fate long enough it could happen again. I'm glad the league is cracking down on this. Hit them in their wallets, and maybe players won't be so quick to make stupid decisions on the ice.

 

Really, there's been a death before? Do you know who?

Anyways, I think Simon's lucky Hollweg actually got up and finished the rest of the game. If it was more serious, they might have done the same thing with Bertuzzi where he had a meeting with the league and told them why he should be allowed to play in the league again (or something like that, IIRC).

 

To be honest, I was listening or watching something on it a few years ago. I have no idea what the guy's name was, and it happened at least 30 or 40 years ago. Though, it might not have even been the NHL they were talking about, but since the league is so old, I assumed at the time that it was.

They were talking about it because it's when Todd Bertuzzi had yet to be punished by the NHL for sucker punching Steve Moore and breaking his neck.

 

Yet 25 games is more than Bertuzzi got and there's no way Simon should get more games than Bertuzzi, who skated halfway across the ice and mugged someone. Simon's (which is still a disgrace) was more of a reaction to someone skating towards him. Just another reason to hate the current NHL administration. Bah, I'm getting sick of the whole sport.

 

Good news for Penguins fans:

Pittsburgh Penguins reach agreement on new city arena

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Penguins have reached a financing deal for a new arena that will keep the NHL team in Pittsburgh.

Gov. Ed Rendell announced the agreement Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Gaming Congress. He said money from the state's new slot machine parlours would help fund the arena.

The Penguins had threatened to leave Pittsburgh if they couldn't secure a new rink. Their lease at 46-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest facility in the league, expires June 30 and the team is free to leave after that.

Team officials visited Kansas City, Mo., and Las Vegas to discuss a possible move. The Penguins were offered free rent and half of all revenues if they agreed to play in Kansas City's soon-to-be-completed US$262-million Sprint Center.

Rendell said he would fly to Pittsburgh later Tuesday to meet with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the team owners and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

"We will announce that all three governmental entities have reached an agreement for a deal that will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh" for 30 years.

 

Anyone find it funny our direction is bent towards Chris Simon and his misdeed when serious attention should be paid to NHLPA director Ted Saskin's email tapping? The fact he blames Goodenow just compounds his guilt.

 

Excellent news!

 

It's definitely a major issue but what's really surprising is how apathetic a lot of the players are about it.

 

It's true that the NHL has to crack down, but the street goes both ways. The hit that prompted Simon's retaliation was borderline-from behind.

In the same vein, Bertuzzi was going after Steve Moore because Moore had taken a cheapshot at a teammate.

If the league had done something about the initial infractions, these horrible results would never have happened.

Course, the core of the matter is the league's attempt to eliminate fighting from the game entirely. With the role of the Enforcer all but eliminated in today's game, the chippy, dirty players are able to get away with crap that they would never have DREAMED of attempting back in the good ole'days.

 

Heh, I'm reminded of a youtube clip of the Isles vs Flyers in the late 70's where someone took a run at Bossy and Gillies dropped the gloves and chased the guy down half the ice to kick his @$$ right. It started a giant brawl, but I doubt Bossy got run at for a time after that.

 

Annoying Penguins shut out the Devils 3-0 with a goalie that hasn't gotten a shutout since 2003 and it all started from a fluke goal. I didn't see much of the game, only the 3rd period so I can't really comment on the entire game. This was an annoying loss from my point of view of seeing just the 3rd as I kinda got a rough idea of how they were doing from highlights and the 3rd period.

Devils still maintain their 2nd place hold and play the Cane's tomorrow night. Hopefully they can shake this off and get through it. Something happened to Elias and Madden and I'm trying to find out what. I saw Elias leave the game, but had no idea what happened to Madden. Doc/Chico didn't mention much about Madden, so got to look around and see what's up with both of them. Hopefully they aren't out like Gionta has been with his groin.

 

Here we go, Penguins, here we go.

I am so pumped that the Pens are staying; I was going to games when Mario first started with the team, and I saw some of their exhibition games (e.g., they played the Soviet National Team back when the USSR still existed - there were 10 bench clearing fights during that game).