|
Hey Gary, we're still out here!!! |
|
|
|
|
|
Let me tell ya, hockey fans it’s ugly work but somebody’s gotta do it. Somebody has to let Gary Bettman know we’re still out here, celebrating every fight and check, and wretching over every bad call and silly suspension, as well as all the other stuff he doesn’t want us to notice. After 15 years of hockey reportage, most of it reporting on the physical aspect of the game, I feel qualified to post here every week on those very things.
So what can you expect from me? In the interest of full disclosure and honesty, I’ll cop to the following:
I do not watch overtime shootouts out of principle. And that principal is this: The so-called “excitement"is more contrived than professional wrestling. I can think of no greater insult to players and fans alike than to urinate all over 65 hard-fought minutes by bringing it all down to a series of penalty shots. I liked ties better.
I like the Flyers, Bruins, Stars, and Flames I loathe anything slithering around North Jersey/New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and French Canada. However, I am objective and honest. If Michaels Rupp tunes up Aaron Asham, I won’t try to convince you he didn’t just because “my guy” lost.
I don’t care about The Code, visors, or running up the score.
I played the game (not past the high school level) and I have fought people while wearing skates. It is difficult, but I imagine not nearly as difficult as putting your chin on the line 82-plus nights a year in front of thousands of fans. That's why I respect the job NHL enforcers do. Any person willing to drop the gloves and throw hands can not be considered pusillanimous in any sense of he word.
You will disagree with me. But that’s okay. I welcome the dialogue as long as it’s clean, flame-free and reasonable. In fact, I can promise you that I will ALWAYS reply to a comment … unless you write to tell me Carcillo deserved the suspension for dropping Bradly like a burning bag of crap because he’s a punk who can’t grow a decent mustache.
Speaking of Carcillo, that name brings to mind something that’s been bothering me for the past few days. A few minutes into The Flyers-Maple Leafs game on March 7, Leaf winger Colton Orr offered to do some free bridge work on Carcillo, who politely demurred. Orr sat for four minutes, and the Flyers whiffed on the man-advantage. During the ensuing powerplay, the Flyers broadcast team, which includes former NHLer Steve Coates, who during his playing days was often one stick infraction from receiving a life sentence in Graterford Penitentary, lavished effusive praise on Carcillo for showing such restraint and discipline in not engaging Orr. Woulda been nice if the Flyers had cashed in, but they didn’t. In fact, Orr was so impressed with the Flyers special teams play that he immediately ran Flyers goalie Michael Leighton after missing the net on a point blank shot from 10 feet out. This time the Flyers would score on the ensuing powerplay, and Toronto coach Ron Wilson would use Orr more judiciously.
Eventually, the Leafs tied the game 1-1 before Simon Gagne and Danny Briere put the Flyers ahead for good late in the second period. Taking two points from the Leafs always feels good, but this victory was somewhat hollow. With the hard luck and offensively toothless Leafs trailing by two for the entire third period, nobody stepped foot near Orr … or goalie J.S Guiguere, who should have been introduced to the plexiglass face-first at some point. And Carcillo should have at least challenged Orr. The most we got, however, was a catfight between Deon Phaneuf and Scott Hartnell, which did nothing but reinforce their reps as lightweights.
With points at a premium during the playoff race, I can understand playing “above” the rough stuff, I also understand that head coach Peter Laviolette generally eschews extracurricular hijinks, and that’s fine. It might be Laviolette’s brand of hockey, but it sure isn’t Flyers hockey. Let Briere and Gagne shine on the powerplay, let Carcillo do his job when the situation dictates.
Join the Discussion:
»