Hockey

[shadows]

SMC, I have read some posts at tsn.ca that call Tim Thomas 'Timmy the Tuna'. Why is it they call him that? He pretty much helped them reach the playoffs last year, and he certainly is not playing that badly this season either.

Why would any fans of Boston call a player that is playing well, a name that is obviously derogatory? I call Toskala names of course, but that is due to the fact that he sucks.

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

SMC, I have read some posts at tsn.ca that call Tim Thomas 'Timmy the Tuna'. Why is it they call him that? He pretty much helped them reach the playoffs last year, and he certainly is not playing that badly this season either.

Why would any fans of Boston call a player that is playing well, a name that is obviously derogatory? I call Toskala names of course, but that is due to the fact that he sucks.

You're right that the name sounds derogatory, but it actually isn't. It derives from his rather unconventional style of defending the goal. The first nickname he got was "the flopper" -- and someone decided a tuna flopped and the "T" was a nice alliteration with "Tim".

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

You're right that the name sounds derogatory, but it actually isn't. It derives from his rather unconventional style of defending the goal. The first nickname he got was "the flopper" -- and someone decided a tuna flopped and the "T" was a nice alliteration with "Tim".

I guess it's good if they mean it that way. There are a few that definitely are not treating it nicely, as in the same sentence they want Boston to punt him and keep Rask in net. A few bad apples spoils the bunch, I guess.

I can find any fault to his playing style, especially since his last name is the same as my first name!

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

I guess it's good if they mean it that way. There are a few that definitely are not treating it nicely, as in the same sentence they want Boston to punt him and keep Rask in net. A few bad apples spoils the bunch, I guess.

I can find any fault to his playing style, especially since his last name is the same as my first name!

It's true that some do use it the way you say, and want Rask in net. But I was referring to its origins ... and as someone once wrote in The Boston Globe, Thomas ought to be imprisoned for "larceny" with the number of goals he's stolen from other teams.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

It's true that some do use it the way you say, and want Rask in net. But I was referring to its origins ... and as someone once wrote in The Boston Globe, Thomas ought to be imprisoned for "larceny" with the number of goals he's stolen from other teams.

Cool. I like it when players are given neat nicknames.

Like when Khabibulin's nickname was the Bulin Wall.

[shadows]

What a heart-breaker of a game. The US won 6-5 in overtime. While the US did indeed play an excellent game, Canada played a stupid, undisciplined game at times and it cost them. They had to play from behind yet again, and the US was too good of a team for that to work twice in a row.

Kudos to both teams for playing well, but Canada needs to play smarter hockey if they want to beat a good team like the US.

*sigh*

I hope Canada fares better in the Olympics.

[shadows]

The Leafs are really beginning to piss me off!

Oh wait...they already pissed me off with their play this year. Now I am really pissed off! They played Carolina, and got beat 4-2. Wilson needs to get fired, and fired soon! He cannot coach his way out of a paper bag. The way he called out players(particularly Kessel) last week cemented this for me. He...has...to...GO!

[shadows]

Again, from tsn.ca:

DREGER: REFEREE AUGER WON'T BE DISCIPLINED BY NHL

As far as the NHL is concerned, it's case closed.

Stephane Auger won't be fined or suspended by the National Hockey League for allegedly threatening Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows.

The evidence isn't there.

At worst, Terry Gregson, the NHL's director of officiating, will remind Auger that approaching a player before the game - as Auger clearly did on Monday night prior to the Canucks' match-up with the Nashville Predators - is never a good idea.

Canucks fans may be outraged by this information, combined with the fact the only form of discipline to emerge from this potentially scandalous game is a $2500 fine that Burrows received for publicly questioning the integrity of an NHL official.

Burrows was fined the maximum amount allowed under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

Understandably, the NHL has great respect for its on-ice officials and considers Auger one of its best, so without concrete proof that any threat was made, the league has no reason to pursue the matter any further.

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Now, I am not a huge Canuck's fan by any stretch, but I believe what Burrows said to be the truth. It is obvious to any real fans of NHL hockey that this sort of crap goes on with the reffing. Now, this is a first that a ref will go and tell the player that he is going to do it, but there is a first for everything, right?

This isn't the first time this ref has tried crap, as he was the one who claimed that Shane Doan hurled racial slurs his way(which was dropped as there was no proof). The NHL says there is no proof in this case either, yet the proof is in the pudding. The pudding being the fact that he skated beside Burrows despite the fact that he had NO reason to do so. Burrows is neither a Captain or an Alternate Captain of the Canucks, so Auger had no reason to do what he did. Plus, the penalties were beyond a joke to call. He also called back a goal that the Detroit Red Wings scored earlier in the season as he "had intent to blow the whistle" even though the puck was already in the freakin' net(and I am not a Red Wing's fan either, so I am not being biased).

The NHL showed what a joke they are yet again. With not having equal punishments for stars and non-stars alike, and basically showing that the refs are untouchable(even the ones full of shit) shows how poorly this league is being run. Bettman needs to go, his lap-dog Campbell needs to go, and so does Daly.

Auger is going to screw over Burrows again, somehow, and if the Canucks end up missing out of the playoffs by 1 point I think that someone(and this is something I don't condone) will take retribution out on Auger(some fans take things a little too personally. For example, the father who killed the ref because he didn't like the way his son got a penalty. He killed him right on the ice, right in front of his son! Auger is a weasel, but I hope that no one takes it too far.)

[shadows]

Here are the scores from Jan 12th's games:

1. Carolina beat Toronto 4-2. As I mentioned earlier(a couple of posts ago), this team is beyond frustrating. I am getting sick of them being outplayed in almost every fashion. I don't think they are playoff worthy(not any more), but I also don't think they are a team that is in last place(which looks like it will happen!). WAKE UP TORONTO!!!

2. The Islanders beat Detroit 6-0. I was shocked at this one. Howard actually got pulled from this game, and it was his first poor outing in quite a while. Osgood was put in, and let in 3 goals in 11 shots. Osgood is junk, even my friends who are Detroit fans think that. Detroit was also badly outshot 31-16. Just an all-around bad game by Detroit. On a positive note, Zetterberg is back for Detroit.

3. New Jersey beat the Rangers 1-0 in the shootout. This was an amazing goaltending duel, and I bet it was a real treat for the fans. The Rangers outshot the Devils 51-46, so it wasn't a boring game regardless of the score sheet! Both goalies deserved to win, but only one of them could. Ironic that the only goal scored(as the Devils were 1-4 and the Rangers were 0-4 in the shootout) happened in the shootout. This game would be one that deserved to end in an tie! It will be interesting to read what dauls has to say about this game, and whether or not he agrees that it was a good game or not. Patrick Elias got the shootout goal. Another note worth mentioning is that out of 36 skaters, only 5 of them did not register a shot. The shots were flying in this one!

4. Philadelphia beat Dallas 6-3. Philadelphia put this one away in the second period when they scored 4 times. The Flyers are soaring right now, so it looks like any issues they had before are a thing of the past. Marty Turco(Dallas goalie) was pulled in this one, and this marks just one of the fairly large number of goalies pulled tonight. For the record, this is goalie pulling #2(with Howard being #1).

5. Atlanta beat Ottawa 6-1. If there is any team that is in worse trouble than the Leafs right now, it is Ottawa. They are getting poor goaltending and their offense has dried right up. In the past three games they have had 0-1-1 goals. You are not going to win many games that way, especially when your own goalie gives up 6 goals of his own. For the record, this is goalie pulling #3(Leclaire).

6. Tampa Bay beat Washington 7-4. This was a weird one. Lots of scoring, and BOTH starting goalies getting pulled(I told you it happened a lot tonight!). Tampa had a 4-1 goal advantage after 1 period, but Washington got close at 4-3. However, it was all Tampa after that and they never really looked back. Ovechkin had two assists, Green had two goals(his 11th and 12th...how the hell was he left off the Olympic team?!?), St. Louis had a goal and 2 assists, and Stamkos had 2 goals and 1 assist. Stamkos is looking like the player Tampa was hoping for when the chose him as #1 in last year's draft. Stamkos now has 25 goals and 22 assists. Not bad!
For the record, this is goalie pulling #4(Neuvirth) and #5(Smith).

7. St. Louis beat Columbus 4-1. Looks like Columbus is back to their losing ways, as they got beat yet again. St. Louis had a 3-0 advantage after the first period. From the looks of it, St. Louis would love to play Columbus every day(of course, who wouldn't the way Columbus is playing right now). For the record, this is goalie pulling #6(Garon).

8. Nashville beat Edmonton 5-3. Not much to say about this besides the fact that Edmonton losing is like a broken record(much like it is with Columbus and Toronto). Edmonton didn't really put any pressure on Nashville until the third period and by then it was too late(Nashville was ahead 4-0 at that point). I wonder who will get fired first? Wilson(Toronto), Hitchcock(Columbus), or Quinn(Edmonton). I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, that's all I know.
For the record, this is goalie pulling #7(Drouin-Deslauriers).

9. San Jose beat Phoenix 3-1. Even though Phoenix was ahead in shot total(33 to 32), they did not look like they were even close in this game. They did not get their goal until the third period was almost done, and all they did was break up Nabokov's shutout. Marleau had 2 goals and an assist, while Heatley had a goal and an assist).

[transjen]

Time to do a happy dance, But only a small one as Tampa also won
Jerseygirl Jen

[dauls]

Originally Posted by shadows

Here are the scores from Jan 12th's games:

1. Carolina beat Toronto 4-2. As I mentioned earlier(a couple of posts ago), this team is beyond frustrating. I am getting sick of them being outplayed in almost every fashion. I don't think they are playoff worthy(not any more), but I also don't think they are a team that is in last place(which looks like it will happen!). WAKE UP TORONTO!!!

3. New Jersey beat the Rangers 1-0 in the shootout. This was an amazing goaltending duel, and I bet it was a real treat for the fans. The Rangers outshot the Devils 51-46, so it wasn't a boring game regardless of the score sheet! Both goalies deserved to win, but only one of them could. Ironic that the only goal scored(as the Devils were 1-4 and the Rangers were 0-4 in the shootout) happened in the shootout. This game would be one that deserved to end in an tie! It will be interesting to read what dauls has to say about this game, and whether or not he agrees that it was a good game or not. Patrick Elias got the shootout goal. Another note worth mentioning is that out of 36 skaters, only 5 of them did not register a shot. The shots were flying in this one!

shadows, losing to the Hurricanes has to be the most depressing thing the 2009/10 NHL can serve up.

I didn't get to see the Devils-Rangers game tonight, ESPN-UK showed an NCAA Basketball double-bill.

96 shots in a scorless game. Can't have been a boring game. When the goalies are on form what can you do?

And to think Brodeur conceded 3 out of 7 before the lights failed against Tampa on Friday. 51 saves and blocking 4 rounds in the shootout. What a way to earn shutout #107.

It had to be Patrik Elias scoring the only goal.

Henrik Lundqvist also bags a shutout and still loses, crazy.

It deserved to be a draw, at least the Rangers get a point for the SO loss, imagine if the NHL changed the rules and OT/SO losses got zero points.

What if it had been a post season game?
How many periods of OT would this one have lasted?

[dauls]

Originally Posted by shadows

Again, from tsn.ca:

DREGER: REFEREE AUGER WON'T BE DISCIPLINED BY NHL

As far as the NHL is concerned, it's case closed.

If a referee really wanted to punish a player during a game and get away with it, don't tell the player before the game.

I saw this picture... is it Stephane Auger realising the mistake of speaking to Alexandre Burrows before Monday's game?

[shadows]

Originally Posted by dauls

If a referee really wanted to punish a player during a game and get away with it, don't tell the player before the game.

I saw this picture... is it Stephane Auger realising the mistake of speaking to Alexandre Burrows before Monday's game?

Yeah, but I get the feeling that Auger is full of himself, and he didn't figure that Burrows would actually say anything(for fear of getting a fine or suspension). Burrows getting a fine and NO suspension shows me that there is some belief in the NHL front office that Auger may have said those things.

He better not officiate another Canucks game ever, as ANY penalty he issues will be over-scrutinized by all.

[ila]

Originally Posted by shadows

Again, from tsn.ca:

DREGER: REFEREE AUGER WON'T BE DISCIPLINED BY NHL

As far as the NHL is concerned, it's case closed.......

The whole thing stinks to high heaven and the league office should have taken Burrows seriously and done a proper investigation. I also don't agree with fining a player for speaking his mind about the officiating. That also stinks worse than a skunk. Actions like this are going to make the fans too cynical.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

The whole thing stinks to high heaven and the league office should have taken Burrows seriously and done a proper investigation. I also don't agree with fining a player for speaking his mind about the officiating. That also stinks worse than a skunk. Actions like this are going to make the fans too cynical.

I don't think there is much more that Buttman can do to make the fans cynical. If there is a bone-headed decision to make, he leaps into it with both feet forward. The sooner that treasure-troll gets turfed, the better it will be for us fans.

[shadows]

Here are the scores from Jan 13th's games:

1. Minnesota beat Vancouver 5-2. It was a close game, tied 2-2, until the third period. The wheels then fell off for Luongo and he ended up being pulled. There didn't seem to be any fallout from the Burrow's incident, but there were a fair number of penalties called(including 2 minors for Burrows). Vancouver has now lost 3 in a row.

2. Washington beat Florida 5-4 in a shootout. Florida had a 4-1 lead at one point(which caused Neuvirth to be pulled for the second straight day), but they fell apart totally. I am not sure if Jen will be sad because Washington won or if she will be happy because Florida lost. What say you, Jennifer?

3. Pittsburgh beat Calgary 3-1. It seems that Calgary is back to their low-scoring ways, which is not something they want to start doing again. It didn't help that Pittsburgh got more PP opportunities than Calgary in the second period(5-2 to be exact). Auger was officiating in this one, I believe. Since he couldn't get Vancouver, maybe he settled for a Canadian team instead? I jest, of course...somewhat.

4. Anaheim beat Boston 4-3. Smc will be most displeased with this one. Boston had a 3-2 lead at one point, but they could not hold it. I predict teeth being gnashed in fury.

[shadows]

The last two games from Jan 14th are now finals.

1. LA beat Anaheim 4-0.

2. Boston beat San Jose 2-1 in the shootout. Zdeno Chara scored the winner, which isn't really a surprise considering how good of a shot he has for a defenseman(even though he is having an "off year" this season). Smc will be quite pleased I am sure.

[shadows]

Surprise, surprise! The Leafs blew another one!

They had a 2-0 lead and lost 4-2.

I hate Toskala!