Leight.
- nfph

he ruined the thread. lock this.

Leight.
- nfph

WELL WILD FANS, THE TIME IS SHORT. THE WILD ARE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS, AND HAVE BEEN SINCE THE BEGINING OF FEBRUARY. IF THE BOARD NAZI HAD NOT DELETED MY POSTS, I STATED IN EARLY FEBRUARY THAT THE WILD WAS HEADED FOR THE MID-80S IN TERMS OF POINTS, AND AT BEST WOULD GET 92 IF SOMEHOW MIRACLES LIKE THE USA WIN OVER THE SOVIET UNION IN 1980 OCCURRED.

RECENTLY I RENEWED 2 OF THE 4 SEASON TICKETS I HAVE HAD SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING, BUT DECIDED THIS WEEK WHY BOTHER ON THE OTHER TWO. NO MORE TICKETS MEANS NO MORE INSIGHTS COMING FROM ME ON THIS BOARD!

HOCKEY IS ENTERTAINMENT, AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU PERSONALLY MAY THINK, I FEEL I AM NOT GETTING MY ENTERTAINMENT VALUE FOR WHAT I HAVE BEEN PAYING THE LAST 8-10 YEARS. THE MINNESOTA WILD REMIND ME OF MOVIES. THE FIRST ROCKY, OR SAY JAWS WAS GOOD, BUT AFTER THE FIRST ONE, THE REST ARE LAME IN COMPARISON. YOU KNOW THE ENDING BEFORE THE MOVIE EVEN BEGINS. AND UNLIKE THE GODFATHER SERIES, THE SECOND MOVIE HAS NOT BEEN AS GOOD AS THE FIRST.

NOW ITS EASY FOR YOU WHO HAVE NOTHING INVESTED IN THE WILD, IN TERMS OF HAVING SEASONS TICKETS, TO ATTACK THOSE THAT DO IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH WHAT I OR ANYONE ELSE HAVE SAID. BUT THOSE ARE HOLLOW ATTACKS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOTHING ON THE LINE. REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU WAKE UP TOMORROW MORNING, AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL FEEL LIKE A SCHMUCK. IF NOT, THEN YOU ARE A LOSER LIKE I HAVE PROBABLY SAID YOU ARE. YOUR LIFE IF PRETTY PATHETIC BECAUSE YOU SPOUT OFF AGAINST SOMEONE'S OPINION WITHOUT ACTUALLY STANDING IN THERE SHOES AS THEY SAY.

SO AS I BEGIN MY FINAL DAYS ON THIS BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS CHALLENGE TO THE SUPPOSED HOCKEY FANATIC CRAIG LIEPOLD. FROM ONE HOCKEY LOVER TO ANOTHER.

CRAIG, THE SEASON IS OVER REGARDLESS OF HOW ONE PAINTS THE PICTURE. ITS BEEN OVER FOR SOMETIME. THE ONLY SPLASH THAT I HAVE SEEN FROM YOU THUS FAR IS THAT YOU PURCHASED NAGELE'S POSITION IN THE WILD. AT THIS JUNCTURE, I WOULD SAY NAGELE MUST HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING ABOUT THE WILD THAT YOU ARE CLUELESS ABOUT, AND HE TOOK YOU FOR A RIDE. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU LIKELY ENJOY THE MONETARY REWARD GIVEN TO YOU THROUGH OWNERSHIP OF THE MINNESOTA WILD, COMPARED TO THAT WHICH YOU HAD IN NASHVILLE. HOWEVER, BEING THE BUSINESS MAN THAT YOUR ARE, YOU KNOW THAT PUTTING OUT THE SAME PRODUCT YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN A DECLINE IN DEMAND FOR THAT PRODUCT. THE PRODUCT IS THE MINNESOTA WILD. REGARDLESS AS TO HOW YOUR MINIONS TRY TO DRESS-UP THE PRODUCT AS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE SOLD IN MID-TOWN MANHATTAN FOR HIGH PRICES, THE QUALITY IS VERY WALMART LIKE. NOTHING WRONG WITH WALMART, BUT IF YOUR STH'S CAN AFFORD THE TICKETS, THEY LIKELY WOULD GO TO TARGET BEFORE WALMART.

YOU MISSION SHOULD BE TO TRY TO CAPTURE AS MUCH OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S DISCRETIONARY INCOME AS POSSIBLE. BUT THE CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT MAKES EVEN THAT DIFFICULT TO DO. FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE ME. IF I REALLY LIKED THE PRODUCT I WAS SEEING ON THE ICE, I COULD CONTINUE TO PAY FOR ALL OF THE SEASON TICKETS I CURRENTLY HAVE, NEXT YEAR. I WOULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE FROM THE WESTERN SUBURBS TO ST PAUL FOR THE GAMES. BUT I HAVE FOUND MYSELF LOOKING FOR REASONS NOT TO GO TO THE GAME, NOT ONLY THIS YEAR, BUT LAST AS WELL. HAVING GROWN UP IN MICHIGAN, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A MINNESOTA WILD ORGANIZATION IN THE PAST CALLED THE DETROIT LIONS! NEVER AGAIN.

AT THIS TIME OF THE MESSAGE I AM SURE THERE ARE THE USUAL GROUP OF MISFITS WHO WILL SAY I AM NOT A TRUE HOCKEY FAN AND THAT I NEED TO TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO THAT, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF, THEN TELL ME IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED 4 SEASONS TICKETS OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKETS SINCE DAY 1 OF THE WILD. THIS IS NOT A BRAG TYPE OF THING, JUST A FACT. IF YOU CAN MATCH OR EXCEED MY INVESTMENT INTO THIS WEAKASS FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT, I WILL GLADLY LISTEN. IF NOT, THEN STPU UNTIL YOU DO. AND NOT FOR JUST 1 YEAR.

SO CRAIG, I WILL GIVE YOU TO THE OFFICIAL END OF THE CURRENT SEASON TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING SPLASH: SIGN MARIAN GABORIK FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE YEAR, LIKELY LONGER. NOT THIS SUMMER, NOW. DR BROKE THE "WAIT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR MOLD" WITH BACKSTROM, SO THERE IS NO REASON TO SAY IT CAN'T BE BROKEN AGAIN. I KNOW THE CHANCES ARE SLIM TO NONE THAT GABBY WILL BE RE-SIGNED BECAUSE OF THE WAY RISEBROUGH HAS TREATED HIM IN THE PAST. BUT RISEBROUGH IS GENERALLY VIEWED AMONG THE WORST GM'S IN HOCKEY, SO THAT WILL BE A BIG TASK TO OVERCOME. BUT JUST THINK OF IF THIS WAY. THE MINNESOTA WILD HAVE HELD ME HOSTAGE AS A STH UNDER THE HOPES THAT NEXT YEAR WILL BE A BETTER THAN THIS. CONVERSELY, I HAVE NEVER HELD THE WILD HOSTAGE UNTIL NOW. I KNOW ITS A MEANINGLESS, SYMBOLIC GESTURE ON MY PART. BUT ITS THE PRINCIPAL INVOLVED. BESIDES, IF YOU THINK I AM AN ISOLATED CASE, PARTICULARLY IN THIS CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT, YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN .

AT THE END OF WRITING THIS MEMO, THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING. SO ITS TIME TO STEP-UP, AND GET OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE REPUTATION OF YOUR WIFE AND HER FAMILY, AND ESTABLISH YOUR OWN IDENTITY IF YOU TRULY ARE A HOCKEY FAN.

I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO RESPOND THROUGH THE END OF THIS SEASON TO ANYTHING ON THIS BOARD. I BELIEVE BEING A STH GIVES ME THAT RIGHT, LET ALONE 4 OF THEM.

IF ANYONE REALLY IS THAT INTERESTED IN WHO I AM, LET ME KNOW. I MAY OR MAY NOT GO TO ANY REMAINING GAMES (I DIDN'T GO TONIGHT), BUT IF I DO AND YOU WANT TO STOP BY AND SAY HELLO, I HAVE GOT NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. IF NOT, NO WORRIES EITHER. I NEVER HAVE ASKED ANYONE TO LIKE ME, NOR DO I NEED THE APPROVAL OF ANYONE SUCH THAT I WILL HOLD BACK ON WHAT I HAVE SAID.

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL, GOOD HEALTH, AND HAPPINESS.

P/S: BY THE WAY I DID RECENTLY CREATE AN ALTER-EGO CALLED MR ANALYST. KIND OF A MR NICE-GUY, NEWBIE ON THE BOARD BECAUSE I HOPED TO EVENTUALLY GET BACK TO THE LEVEL WHERE I WOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE A TOPIC AGAIN. UNDER EMIREID, IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE I COULDN'T WAIT TO CALL KF THE BOARD NAZI. KF, I EQUATE THE BOARD NAZI TO THE SOUP NAZI ON SEINFELD, NOT ACTUALLY EQUATING SOMEONE TO HITLER AND HIS COHORTS. SOME OF YOU SUSPECTED I MAY BE SOMEONE ELSE ON THE BOARD TRYING TO MAKE A JOKE. YOU WERE RIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THOSE WHO DID, I MADE YOU FEEL SO BAD ABOUT ATTACKING ME BECAUSE I WAS A NEWBIE, THAT YOU SAID YOU WERE SORRY. SOMETHING THE EVIL EMIREID WOULD NEVER SEEK OUT. MY GOAL AS EMIREID WAS TO GET YOU LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY WHICH ADMITTEDLY WAS A CHALLENGE.

IF MY SELF-IMPOSED TIMELINE EXPIRES, BE AWARE PEOPLE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD MY FOUR SEATS ARE IN SECTION 123, WHICH IS BEHIND THE WILD'S GOALIE FOR TWO PERIODS. ABOVE THE ZAMBONI GATE. GREAT SEATS WHICH WOULD BE EVEN GREATER HAS THAT FREAKING PUCK RESTRAINT NETTING WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ADDED YEARS AGO.

LATER!

he ruined the thread. lock this.
- the_cause2000

I think my trollapalooza contest thread was still the best ever.

he ruined the thread. lock this.
- the_cause2000

Lol ur (frank)ed in the head random poop is so (frank)ing stupid, im gonna give you some pointers
1. Big is not necessaraly funny
2.insults are wat make the opponet cry making the individual insulting smile
3.Acting black will get you shot,sure in the end its gonna be pretty funny a shotem up white boy shot execution style by local gangbanngers.
4.Comedy is a hard to to succed at excpesially ur a (frank)in loser who cant make any one laugh
5.Insulting me is only gonna make your situation worse as soon as someone says somthin to me theres no line i would merly be telling jokes in an attempt to hurt your feelings.
6.There always one 40 year old virgin type whos trapped in the closet that you can expose there easy targets as soon as many people get involed the more likely he will
a)commit suicide
B)leave the forum
c)Turn to emo slit your slef music and and masturbation
d)Take out your anger on society and become a serial killing rapist
7.There are many ways to tell a joke sugar coating is not an option
8.You want your enemy to belive that he is getting under your skin
9.Jokes about family members is not appropriate inividual jokes and attacks are what we are here for
10) Most of you guys are little someone who is attracted to the opposite sex female doges that masturbate in the dark, its weird also most of you are probably that outcast type with no friends who internet date and meet friends in chat rooms and yeah society call them pedafiles and i think its (frank)ed up so you know maby dialing down the hole bad boy tough poop thing is a little clitche and wont work and will eventually get you made fun of sooner or later, thats my warning take it in i suggest you do cause theres nothing more that id rather then make you cry and quite and leave theis forum and eventually turn to a life of violence and incompatence and unable to succed when with a woman or like most of you little female doges turn to men. Homosexuality is very weird and frowned upon and 3/4 of the worldwill rezent you and make fun of you so you gotta ask you self if its really worth it?

Not even the stupidity?
- Feeling Glucky?

If that were the case this thread would be called " Dumb Glucky posts"....

If that were the case this thread would be called " Dumb Glucky posts"....
- ShootingSemin

meh

If that were the case this thread would be called " Dumb Glucky posts"....
- ShootingSemin

oh my

please review the code of conduct..

oh my

please review the code of conduct..
- kicksave856

Code of conduct:

I am the law.

the frank is going on in here
- Don'tForgetTocchet

Its ok to derail a thread for Pikey.

Non epic posts

Non epic appreciation of non epic posts

Nerd talk

This thread sucks now. People need to get right.
- DTF69

pg 32 is how it's done.

pg 32 is how it's done.
- dt99999

i looked at it.

absolutely how it's done.

Clearly you didn't read the last line...

Yes I have ticked off many boxes in my life..that is what I was talking about..
but true happiness is beyond skills...

You put a competitive person in any industry and they will succeed.. but are they happy?

I was a sunshine boy..

I had a party life for years that I was bored with...

I made good money not being happy..

I have never succeeded with all my wins...

You missed that last line..

I have an awesome wife.. hot.. 11 years younger than me.. a family girl.. I have everything but a great job that drives me.. I have no wealth even tho at times it was offered to me... I have freelanced in Creative Design.. and it is feast or without..

I have worked in many industries from construction to an office.. I still have not found a home.

That is the missing block for me.. I have been Head of Faculty at a College.. all the way down to a cleaner.. actually I was cleaning buildings at the age of 9..

I was a Manager from the age of 14.. working since 9...

- doctor nhl

I have a dead sister that died painfully.. I was a true brother.. I scared many.. you are taking my praise of women that treated me well for what I did for them and you are trying to pervert it...

You are weaksauce...

Like your Dirty Midgets.. you are always up to dirtying up the good...

I love my sisters I would lay my life down for any of them.. and their partners.. FEAR me.. for a reason...

My family is number one.. my nephews.. my neices.. I went to jail for one.. to beat down fools like you.

You don't know me.. I protect my own.. and all have crumpled before me...

You are not even worth my time you would cower in my face...



- doctor nhl

Guy's kinda...

Guy's kinda...
- Feeling Glucky?

anyone who talks that they did all that stuff usually did none of it.

anyone who talks that they did all that stuff usually did none of it.
- kicksave856

Now he's talking about how he tours with rock bands and how his friends played in a bunch of famous bands.

Now he's talking about how he tours with rock bands and how his friends played in a bunch of famous bands.
- Feeling Glucky?

FEAR ME!

I'm just gonna post the entire thread I don't even know where to begin or end with this

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...p?thread_id=106497&page=1

I'm just gonna post the entire thread I don't even know where to begin or end with this

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...p?thread_id=106497&page=1
- dt99999

I'd vote for this:

Leafs smoking that poll... I think the Leafs have some darkhorse players that will really shine in the playoffs when the games matter.. guys like McClement, Koma, even guys like MacA$$ will get serious finally instead of playing soft.. Kulemin, Grabo, Frattin, etc.. I think they will up their game.

It will be interesting...
- DoctorNHL

Lol, Leafs smoking that pole.

And I am convinced that you wish he would have sexually assulted you. do you wish to have his babies. He was a mediocre player on a team where fans elevated him to star status he didn't earn. Guy is a second or third line player who goes face first all the time. Told him so to his face as he was playing NHL 12 at Staffords penthouse a few blocks away from the arena. So I have no problem saying to his face or any of yours. Not a superstar, just a so so player in a hockey obssesed town that will prove to be a waste of a trade for Wild in near future. Cant wait to start hearing them complain about him. Good Riddence to medocracy.

- bcbanger


I never said I was invited over I was there doing some construction work and I diddnt say to him you go face first I said you are an over hyped player who is average at best. Said the same to Stafford too. And of all the people on this team those to are the last to do anything physical. As for high school last guy that screwed with me I showed up at hios home with three feet of hose dragged him in his front yard beat him infornt of his trash mom and said go ahead calle cops I have no record and your son has one a mile long. No call was made and no one ever even looked at me wrong after that. I fear not death or pain but rather embrace both.

- bcbanger

And I am convinced that you wish he would have sexually assulted you. do you wish to have his babies. He was a mediocre player on a team where fans elevated him to star status he didn't earn. Guy is a second or third line player who goes face first all the time. Told him so to his face as he was playing NHL 12 at Staffords penthouse a few blocks away from the arena. So I have no problem saying to his face or any of yours. Not a superstar, just a so so player in a hockey obssesed town that will prove to be a waste of a trade for Wild in near future. Cant wait to start hearing them complain about him. Good Riddence to medocracy.

- bcbanger


I never said I was invited over I was there doing some construction work and I diddnt say to him you go face first I said you are an over hyped player who is average at best. Said the same to Stafford too. And of all the people on this team those to are the last to do anything physical. As for high school last guy that screwed with me I showed up at hios home with three feet of hose dragged him in his front yard beat him infornt of his trash mom and said go ahead calle cops I have no record and your son has one a mile long. No call was made and no one ever even looked at me wrong after that. I fear not death or pain but rather embrace both.

- bcbanger
- ImThatGuy

I look forward to his first ban.

I look forward to his first ban.
- nfph

you popping that cherry ?

you popping that cherry ?
- Rayven

I gave him my customary warning. I'll ding him next time.

In the meantime, thanks be to DrNHL for my new status.

Not only do the Flames NOT want him back, he would NOT come back anyways.

That part for him is over, he & the Flames need to move on because it's not about bringing back older players past their prime, the Flames need the younger core to step up & lead from this point on.

Anyone who thought Iggy was going to return as a free agent is simply a dreamer.

It's done, get over it because he didn't help them win squat either.
- newmy


Go Fck Yourself you idiot! Do you ever say anything positive about anything? I feel sorry for anyone involved in your life. I pray to god you don't have kids. And if you do I hope you haven't already fcked them up.

That's actually official, per Hitch.

I hate how everyone is looking at the last 8 games, to decide that the Kings are superior to the Blues.

The Kings have not played this version of the St Louis Blues. They have not played the Blues with Jay Bo, and Leopold. They have not played this version of the St Louis Blues, with a 4th line that is being overlooked, has played EXTREMELY WELL in the 12-3 stretch the Blues played in April. There is a reason Tarasenko is sitting and it is not Cracknell, Reaves or Porter. Its because the 4th line has earned the start in the playoffs, together. You can't break them up the way they've been playing.

Now, I am not saying that the Blues should wipe the floor with the kings, nor am i saying that the "Experts" may or may not be right.

But, i do have to point out, with Jay Bo and Leopold, that 4-1 game is probably locked up and the Kings don't score 5 to come back.

Also, something else Jay Bo and Leopold did was solidify the Blues 3 D-Pairings. Look no further than last season to see that this is the case.

2012 D-Pairings: Pietrangelo (Ian Cole in G2)- Carlo Colaiacovo Jackman-Shattenkirk Russell-Polak

2013 D-pairings: Pietrangelo-Bouwmeester Shattenkirk-Leopold Jackman-Polak

2013 is head and shoulders better than 2012, plus we still have Russell and Cole as depth guys.

The 3rd pair of Jackman-Polak is finally able to go back to being the shutdown pair they need to be, and there isn't as much pressure on either of them to score, or worry about their partner as each can hold their own. It also gives the Blues a very mobile top 4 and both sides are capable of making the outlet pass, where as previously teams were able to key in on the right side of the Defense, and force the left side into mistakes. You can't play against the Blues that way any longer. I think our Defense, coupled with Elliott and our 2 back up goalies (Halak is in fact ready to play) make the next 7 games different than the previous 8.

Also i feel i MUST point out that G1 of the series last year was tied 1-1 until Dwight King boarded Pietrangelo (in what i feel should have gotten 5 and a game misconduct and possibly a suspension) and got 2 minutes for it. The Kings scored shorthanded, there, and never looked back. I firmly believe losing Pietrangelo lost the Blues that game, and when he couldn't go in Game 2, when the rumor was that he was going to, the air was let out of the team, and the entire Scottrade center that night when Pietrangelo wasn't able to play (i was there last night, and all anyone could talk about was how it looked like Pietrangelo was going to play and everyone was excited for it) Blues end up losing that game 5-2.

Pietrangelo comes back for game 3, injured (i believe he had a torn MCL) and is on ice for 6 of the 7 kings goals against in games 3 and 4, and the Blues are swept. I bring this up, because I believe the boarding of Pietrangelo was the turning point of that series. Had that not happened, I'm not sure the Kings would have swept the Blues.

I think the Blues match up better with the Kings than most give them credit for. I don't know that the Blues actually win this series, but i believe it probably goes 7 games.
- jpl0219

I am still upset one of my footie teams just made the Euro final today and they too had horrid officiating bad pen call that required my Eagles to have to score 2 more goals 3 in total in the game just to make the finals in a footie game that is near impossible even at home.

But you can't hold down a good team.

Ferrence got suspended but what good is that 1 game suspension on a repeat offender who intentionally elbowed Grabo in the head, when the Leafs were up 1-0 at the time. A 5 min major and a game misconduct plus a 3 game suspension is what was warranted for a repeat offender.

That 5 min powerplay could've led to a 2 or 3 goal lead and would've had Boston reeling and second guessing themselves, with much to work for, instead it was a game changer. Boston was allowed to come back and score two in the first so instead of being 2 or 3 down at the end of the first they were up 2-1.

Shanahan punished Grabo who is a tough nut to crack and who has played through concussions before. Chara once concussed him twice in one game with head blows that were deemed legal and he still played even though he could not walk and had to crawl off the ice. To say he played on and to lessen the suspension only added insult to the injury. Grabo was bleeding from the bridge of the nose from the impact.

I am growing really tired of the NHL bias against the Leafs, just because we have a great fanbase who supports them even when they lose with full buildings, does not mean advantages should be given out to every small market team or to give other teams a feel good story.

The Leafs play a tough brand of hockey when they are on, and it is getting really tiring watching guys like Orr, McClaren etc get thrown out of games for playing tough, why is it that when Boston, NYR, Ana, Sens, LA play that way it is just good hard hockey but yet when the Leafs play that way, it leads to power plays, and game misconducts when these players are not dirty, they just play tough.

Over the last week we have seen 3 game misconducts for the Leafs two against the Habs, & 1 against the Bruins for nothing. Orr got jacked from the last game for checking a guy who fell before the scrum ensued? Yet Chara earlier in the game in a scrum head cranked a guy to the ground as a 3rd man in and didn't even get a pen for it. Why isn't what is good for the goose good for the gander.

Why are other teams allowed to play tough but the Big Bad Leafs aren't allowed to cleanly play that way.

McClaren got thrown out of the game with the Habs and got a charging pen for hitting a guy from 4 feet away, is it his fault the Midget crumpled so easily, meanwhile Subban repeatedly was skating from across the ice to hit someone and was never penalized. Charging is when you actually come from a long ways away not 4 feet.

It is a dirty double standard.

The officiating crews have been extremely overzealous in jumping in and breaking up the Leafs when they have been playing heavy. White in the Habs game was getting in Orr's face near the end of the game, and as soon as Orr was about to latch on him and give him a season ending concussion the linesman sprinted in grabbed White and dragged him half way across the ice to protect him.

There has been a huge double standard in the NHL, under Quinn in the early years the Leafs had a very fast skilled team & teams like the Devils were allowed to clutch & grab to win Cups and grind us to death. When the Leafs got tougher under Quinn and started to clutch and grab back as well as pound teams all of a sudden clutch and grab was penalized & removed so the skilled teams could prosper.

Bettman's NHL bias has always hurt the Leafs who consistently have a full building win or lose.

Tie Domi got 28 games for a head hit to Neidmayer who had been using his stick to carve up Leafs all series, yet Kaberle who never hurt anyone was concussed by Jansen well after a play like 4 seconds after he was blindsided by Jansen to the head and he only got 8 games.

Suspensions and pens have always been heavy on the Leafs & light on the opponents ever since I started watching in 75.

It has become very annoying, it seems it is open season on any talented Leaf player Kadri, Kessel, Lupul, have taken a pounding this season with many hits to the head never being penalized, yet if we get close to any other teams prima donas the book is thrown at Leaf players.

All we want is fair treatment, not just over a season which is harder to gauge, just game in game out, it always seems to be a double standard.

How many times has Reimer who has had concussion issues been completely run with no penalty called, or interference given. The other day against the Habs I think it was Gallagher but don't quote me, he was hit from behind trying to push him straight out of the play instead he does a 45 contrary to play and takes out Reimer, Leafs got a pen on the play to boot, and if I remember correctly the Habs scored on the ensuing powerplay.

Why is it that Gionta can run Reimer in almost every game, concuss him put him out for most of the season and never be suspended or penalized yet if a Leaf even breathes on a goalie it is interference if he touches him it is a guaranteed suspension.

All I want is some sort of fair playing field, it is hard enough to win games in a very tight and competitive league but when you are not only battling the other team you are also battling the game officials, and the NHL office how could any good team win.

I am not saying the current crop of Leafs is world beating or anything Boston is a good tough team that has tons of playoff experience, but when the benefit of the doubt is constantly going the other way, game in game out, against every team, it has to make you wonder? WTF.

Let's face it the last thing Bettman wants is an all Canadian Final, and with so many teams in financial disability, most of which he brought into the league himself, and others that got very fortuitous bounces along with draft picks when they were about to move elsewhere, one has to question the insanity.

It is not hard to fathom how so many US teams new and old who were in dire straights with their fans have won so many cups over the last decade and a half. They were all Bettman feel good stories, improving his NHL standing in the good ole US where they had to pay to get TV coverage at one point. Now they have big TV contracts, while the Canadian franchises who maintain this league consistently have suffered.

The Canadian teams are the pillars of the league and have brought big tv contracts and fanbases filling buildings for years yet we are treated like second class citizens. Especially in Toronto where we dole out our deserved money to those less fortunate small market teams with their loser fan bases. We pay exponentially way more money to see a game, if we can even get tickets, most of the time we get scalped by scalpers just to attend. Yet we get the NHL horns.

Now I know some of you will look at this post as a conspiracy theory, and I don't personally think there is any over the top match fixing going on, I just think it is a cognitive bias created by the NHL home office and Bettman, with their trying to save small market teams and keep the NHL viable in places it shouldn't be. All the office conversations are about saving these teams in trouble or fan bases for original six who stopped attending it has a trickle down affect throughout the organization so whether overtly or not it has a huge affect throughout the NHL officials and their decisions, whether in a game or not.

At worst they could be pulling some golden whistle footie scenarios like in Europe when clubs bought officials to Ref games and picked officials that had really bad records against certain teams to fix a match.

Having them Ref a game against a team they are extra hard on and history shows that led to many trophies in Europe in their leagues. It doesn't even get a mention in the NHL, but picking who Refs what games makes a huge difference, selecting Refs that are over zealous on hard hitting teams could make a huge difference in a season, as well as having a finesse team and employing Refs that allow hard edgy hitting teams play.

Funny how no one noticed one of the Refs in the last Leaf - Habs game was of French descent, in footie they would never allow that to happen, but in the NHL it is par for the course they are professionals with no cognitive bias.

It never gets a mention here in North America but in Europe it has proven to be game breakers and championship winners for many dirty teams. The penalties never amounted to anything compared to the huge triumphs, look at Serie A the Italian league is still more corrupt than anything and they still haven't gotten it under control and it has been going on for decades.

Anyways like I said these Leafs aren't world beaters and Boston has a good hard team which most of the time plays fairly, all I would like is a level playing field so that the players can decide the games.

I still think the Leafs can take the second game and make a series of it, but Boston is definitely favoured from the start just on talent alone, and had a few bounces gone our way this season we would've topped the division and wouldn't have had to face Boston until later in the playoffs.

Even if we lose to Boston in the first round I still think this season has been a success. Leafs have to still add 4 to 5 players to have a real go at it, too many soft players still hanging around the edges for my liking that aren't highly skilled.

To play Carlyle's system some moves still have to be made, but at least they are headed in the right direction.

All I ask is for fair games, if it is a finesse game don't let our star players be ravaged with dirty hits, and if it is a hard hitting game don't penalize the Leafs for playing that way especially when they are doing it cleanly.

I apologize for the long post, but just had to get it out.

That is my rant for the year.

Thanks

[quote=Nucker101]
holy poop