hockey

[TheNorthern]

i also see Luongo as a questionable starter for a likely game 7

[jake431]

i also see Luongo as a questionable starter for a likely game 7

I can't see Vancouver NOT starting Luongo. Not starting him would be tantamount to saying "he's not our #1 goalie anymore", and then trying to trade him in the off-season. You have to at least start him.

[TheNorthern]

I see what you are saying, you are right. I only made that statement due to Cory Schneider's performance since the departure of Luongo this game.

[TheNorthern]

my bruins forced a game seven!

no matter who you are a fan of, this finals series has been excellent to watch.

[ordo]

Hey ordo.. how are the streets of Vancouver right now?

Wasn't downtown for the game but they showed footage of Georgia and around the CBC building during the broadcast and they were packed as they have been. Vancouver is a hockey city. I don't recall seeing these kinds of masses gathering to watch a sport like this in any other NHL city and beyond that, in few other sports outside of the World Cup. People live and die by hockey here.

I expect the Canucks will bounce back on Wednesday but the games here could have gone either way so anything can happen. It should be a good one.

[ordo]

i also see Luongo as a questionable starter for a likely game 7

Vigneault said in his post match presser the Luongo is playing game seven. Not a shock really - he has not choice but to go with him.

EDIT: BTW - it is good to have ppl talking hockey around here again. Didn't know if it is was getting much play stateside with the NBA finals wrapping and Tiger Woods not golfing.

[wild style]

So snarky.

[ordo]

Haha - didn't mean to be snarky. It actually is good to have discussion around hockey.

Sportsnet is reporting that Raymond has a fractured vertebrae and is gone 4 - 6 months.

[josh mullen]

Luongo was asking for it. You never open your big mouth in sports, especially when what comes out is shit.

Couldn't agree more. There wasn't anything to gain from making those comments. Especially when you're Roberto Luongo -- dude who cannot perform on the road.

Sportsnet is reporting that Raymond has a fractured vertebrae and is gone 4 - 6 months.

That's awful.

[ordo]

Couldn't agree more. There wasn't anything to gain from making those comments. Especially when you're Roberto Luongo -- dude who cannot perform on the road.

I wish he would shut up as well - or at least be a bit smarter when mics are in front of him. It is not worth saying something that will give the other team any kind of fire at all, which of course has resulted in a lot of boring interviews. The press is looking to make a story any way they can. They were trying their hardest to get Vigneault to say something negative against Boston after the game last night but he wouldn't bite. He was smart enough to shut them down because he has seen what the media have done with their comments.

I get that Luongo is under a microscope and gets frustrated by the constant criticism - I would too - but he needs to shut up and play, which is tough to do when you are constantly having mics stuck in your face. Especially when you get no credit. They said he never won anything, then he won the gold medal. Then they said he never got past the second round and he takes Vancouver to game seven of the Stanley Cup final with four shutouts along the way. If they do happen to win tomorrow he won't get any credit but if they lose it will hang on him. He can't win.

[i wear shooes]

Tomorrow will be the first time in my life I will watch a hockey game in its entirety. Watched a couple of Sharks periods this playoffs but never too much cause of the NBA playoffs.

Hopefully it will be exciting!

[wild style]

It'll most definitely be exciting.

[stayhandsome]

I normally like the underdog but I hope Boston wins this year cause Timmy Thomas is a fellow Michigander. Plus I haven't followed the Canucks much since the yellow and black Russian Rocket years, but who could like a team with a shit talking goaltender that has been chased from two games of the final lolz.

[Smoleu]

I normally like the underdog but I hope Boston wins this year cause Timmy Thomas is a fellow Michigander. Plus I haven't followed the Canucks much since the yellow and black Russian Rocket years, but who could like a team with a shit talking goaltender that has been chased from two games of the final lolz.

Shit talking keeper who's been chased from multiple playoff games, who's also the highest paid player in the NHL.....

[jbphoto23]

damn highest paid? no wonder he's such a cocky asshole.

[ordo]

If you take average yearly salary over the contract term he is in the middle. While he makes 10mil this season, his contract is front loaded so overall he averages 5.3mil per year, which is fairly reasonable for a Vezina finalist - at least at this point. Overchkin averages 9.5mil, Crosby 8.7mil (though he is by far the highest earning player due to endorsements, not to mention a 5mil signing bonus), Malkin 8.7mil, Lacavalier 7.2mil - then there are a whackload of other guys in there above Luongo like Drury/Gomez/Heatley etc.

EDIT - and agreed he comes across as an ass, but then he is not alone in that regard.

[Mugnut]

What's crazy is that Tim Thomas probably gets the Conn Smythe even if the Canucks win tonight.

Boston's vibrating right now waiting for the puck to drop... cops on high alert.

[evisu 2000]

I'm expecting riots in vancouver win or lose

[Mugnut]

same will be true here in Boston. The bonus tens of thousands of bandwagon collegiate B's "fans" usually tips the balance of these things towards the out of control....

If the aftermath of the last two WS victories is any measure, it won't be pretty win or lose...

[NAUSEA]

I'm expecting riots in vancouver win or lose

these pussies don't even boo the american anthem

[ordo]

Radio is saying that Horton is dressed to take the warm up.

When he was injured, the NHL did something they have never done before - they based a suspension on the severity of the injury as they saw it to be. This resulted in Rome getting an unprecedented 4 game suspension in the Stanley Cup final, for a hit which the NHL themselves said would have been clean had it been a fraction of a second earlier. It was literally a second after Horton released the puck.

Fast forward to game six. Mason Raymond is turned around backwards by Boychuk, held in a vulnerable position and slammed backwards into the boards a full 3 seconds after the puck was gone. Raymond receives a fractured vertebrae and is laying in a Boston hospital as we speak. No penalty called. No suspensions. And Vancouver is down 2 more of its players.

I get that Horton wants to be dressed for the game and am glad his injury may not be as bad as thought, but if they can change the rules on length of suspensions on the fly, then they can also shorten suspensions and let Rome play.

CORRECTION: Raymond is out of the hospital and back in Vancouver.

[jake431]

Radio is saying that Horton is dressed to take the warm up.

When he was injured, the NHL did something they have never done before - they based a suspension on the severity of the injury as they saw it to be. This resulted in Rome getting an unprecedented 4 game suspension in the Stanley Cup final, for a hit which the NHL themselves said would have been clean had it been a fraction of a second earlier. It was literally a second after Horton released the puck.

Fast forward to game six. Mason Raymond is turned around backwards by Boychuk, held in a vulnerable position and slammed backwards into the boards a full 3 seconds after the puck was gone. Raymond receives a fractured vertebrae and is laying in a Boston hospital as we speak. No penalty called. No suspensions. And Vancouver is down 2 more of its players.

I get that Horton wants to be dressed for the game and am glad his injury may not be as bad as thought, but if they can change the rules on length of suspensions on the fly, then they can also shorten suspensions and let Rome play.

CORRECTION: Raymond is out of the hospital and back in Vancouver.

I understand the sentiment of wanting to compare these two situations, but...Boychuck's hit on Raymond wasn't ruled a penalty by the officiating crew, whereas Rome's hit on Horton was ruled a penalty by the officiating crew. The NHL then stepped in and issued a suspension. They can't issue a penalty on what officials deemed a clean hit.

That's just how the rules of the game have played out in this situation.

[ordo]

I understand that, but they can add suspensions even if the original penalty was missed by the on-ice officials, which they should have done in this case.

[jake431]

Can you give examples of when this was done? I don't think I've ever heard or seen an example of the league applying a suspension to a penalty-less play - I've seen the NHL overturn goals, decide there was a penalty after official review, but I've never heard of them assigning a suspension to a player without an in-game overruling of a play.

[ordo]

It happens on a fairly regular basis. In recent memory - Jarret Stoll was suspended one game for his hit on San Jose's Ian White, Duck's Bobby Ryan for stomping on Jonathon Blum, Chris Kunitz for elbowing Simon Gagne, Steve Downie for charging Ben Lovejoy - those were in just one week in April and all missed in game.

[jake431]

I stand corrected. Anyway - Rome playing isn't the deciding factor tonight. if Vancouver plays their game, AND Bobby Lu shows up, they win. If Bobby is fragile, they lose. When Bobby's in the zone he's hard to crack. I know Luongo takes a lot of the heat for the team when they lose, but frankly, if he wants to quiet his critics, he needs to play like a monster tonight. I for one can't wait to see, should be a classic!

[stayhandsome]

when Lou takes his mask off sometimes I'm surprised he isn't the penguin from batman returns..

[xerrox]

Marchand is a beast for a rookie. Nova Scotia pride I guess

[NAUSEA]

fuck vancouver. only the leafs are more hateable

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[ordo]

Congratulations to Boston - it is well deserved.