About 6 mins remaining in the Pens - Isles game tonight, play stopped along the boards, in front of the benches. Jarkko Ruutu on the ice-literally-and starts rolling around grabbing his leg. You can't really tell anything, camera angle too close.

After commercial, they show the replay from a different camera.

Before heading to the bench, Chris Simon trips Ruutu...no big deal. But then STOMPS on Ruutu's ankle with his skate! He got a match penalty, Pens hade a 5 min PP, and hold on to win 3-2. But can we get this trash out of the league? I thought last year with the Holleweg offense, he was 'dazed' but the prior hit, what will the excuse be this time?

Canes finally break their losing streak with a win the hard (and somewhat strange) way in Philly. Blew a 3-1 lead in the second period, kept getting all manner of bad breaks on Philly goals (heroic efforts by skaters bailing out Graehme who had to make some kind of sprawling save, only to have the puck just break the goal line or other such event), went oh-fer on the power play, but ultimately won the shootout 3-2. The somwhat strange part is that Brind'Amour was last skater in the shootout and ripped a shot at Biron that Biron deflected straight up into the air. Naturally, the arena goes nuts as everyone thinks Biron stopped the shot. However, Biron has lost the puck in the air, so while he's trying to locate it, he's drifting ever so slowly back into his goal. The puck comes straight down onto his back and he reacts by batting it with the back of his arm into the goal. Absolute fluke, but after the recent skid, I'm taking anything I can get.

Quite true, but their taking a damn big risk that this guy is one such player. Dipietro at least still has the starting US goalie spot to motivate him, im not sure what the motivation here will be if he is a player who is not easily motivated.

I just read about this. Un-fucking-real. He needs to be out. Banned. Gone. Playing in the league is a privilege. His NHL privileges should be revoked.

No excuse. He's a thug. I was embarrassed when we re-signed him and am more embarrassed now.

Still uncertain about the McDonald trade, but given what it's allowing, I can't be too unhappy about it. Tonight's game will be interesting, with Niedermayer, Weight and Bobby Ryan all playing.

I saw the Simon replay last night, that is insane. I can often find plausible excuses for the stupid things players do, but not this time. I hope this clown is officially D-U-N done.

Pretty interesting game between Detroit and Florida last night. The Wings scored 7 goals in their win against the Panthers. The only downside being that Lidstrom's and Chelios' goals were each against Osgood.

The Wings had two penalty shots in about 5 minute span. Datsyuk missed his, but Val Filpula burried his second penalty shot in three games.

Simon is a worthless pile of bile. His entire career is based upon cheap shots and thugism. BAN HIM!!!! :mad:

I miss watching Wings games since I moved away 3 years ago.....:(

So, Simon should be banned from the league. Goon.

Ha, good to see Crosby show a little grit by fighting Ference last night.

Watching the Kings-Sharks game tonight, and I think I realise why the Kings are such a shitty team. Nagy gets flattened by Matt Carle late along the boards and can barely stand, and his four "teammates" stand around with their fingers up their ass. Way to stand up for your teammate chumps.

heh... now Nagy just got cross-checked in the neck by Rivet, and again the rest of the team just looks down and skates away. LA has some pretty skillful players, but it ain't going to do much good if they are scared for their lives everytime they get on the ice.

If half the friggin team wasn't injured, I'd say the Blackhawks have a good shot to make the playoffs, and sweep the Red Wings in the first round. Even if it doesn't happen, the future appears to be very bright. Jon Toews is pretty much 10x better than I expected him to be at this point in time. And where the hell did Dustin Byfuglien come from? it's funny watching him charge down the ice as all the defenders scurry away...

:eek: What makes you think ANYONE can sweep the Wings the way they're playing this year?

yeah, it's really not likely that the Wings would dominate in the regular season and then fold in the postseason. right?

Why do you hate freedom?

Well, the Blackhawks are 4-0 against the Wings this year...this has to mean something, eh? :cool:

I watched about 10 minutes of the game, but I didn't see the stuff you mentioned. Really, all I got out of the 10 minutes I watched was that the Kings are horrible. My goodness, I can't believe that people actually pay to get into the arena to watch them play.

You hit the nail on the head, bhlloy. I went to the Kings-Ducks game at Staples last month, the second of a home-and-home in which Pronger just went off on someone at the end of the first game (forgetting who, but it was his usual edgy, instigator style). My brother, a diehard Kings fan, was just waiting for the gloves to drop the second the puck dropped. Well, didn't happen. Kings just played their game, and the Ducks blew them away, 6-2, clearly outmuscling them the whole night. Which is sad really, because as much as they are our regional rivals and they hate us like Paris Hilton's eyes hate sunlight, I would love for them to be good again. I can't stand any of the other Pacific Division teams, and I just know a seven game playoff series between the Kings and Ducks would just go off in this town.

My brother is resigned to how bad they are, and that sucks.

Wow, there is a stat!

Chicago should sell their secrets to the rest of the league. That's pretty impressive.

indeed. Detroit is 22-1-1 against non-Central teams.

Well, one of those losses was an overtime loss. The Wings are 28-3-1 against the rest of the league. It's just Robert Lang and the Blackhawks they can't seem to figure out.

And what's their record against teams from Colorado this year? :)

Very nice 2-1 road win for the Ducks tonight, and twice as nice that it was against the Oilers, after last summer's dealings, and the smackings they handed us in that home and home last month. This doesn't make up for that, but it helps.

The winning goal was scored by Weight off of an incredible pass by Bobby Ryan. Man, that kid's gonna be good when he's ready. I guess there was a reason the Ducks made him the first player not named Crosby in the Crosby draft.

Pens almost have to pick up some D now, or at the deadline. Mark Eaton out indefinitely with a torn ACL. He played 35 games last season before multiple injuries, and 36 to this point before his knee. I don't know the exact record anymore, but there is a pretty noticeable difference in Pittsburgh's record when he is in the lineup.

Problem is, they only have spare parts to move.

heh. Detroit has a really good team. I was pleased that we were able to stay in the game (thanks Rafalski). We had chances to tie it, but fucking Hasek was great. Eyebrowski Filppula is pretty darn good.

From the Interesting Only To Me Category: After Cody McLeod scored his first NHL goal against Hasek, he skated to the bench and sat down next to Ben Guite. Last year, Guite scored his first NHL goal against...Dominik Hasek.

(I'm just happy people are talking a little bit about the Blackhawks and it's not about having the worst record in the league)

SI

Well, after Montreal not only swept both Florida teams, but scored 10 goals, had 5-0 and 4-0 leads and saw all four goaltenders, they are suddenly 4th in the East... How the Hell did this happen? I've watched every game this year, and they don't seem like a team that should have home-ice advantage in the first round...

...Then I realized that they are five points from missing the playoffs entirely. Makes more sense now.

I think Eaton is going to try and play on it. I read that in the PPG yesterday.

Looking forward to the Winter Classic tomorrow. I'm happy to have hockey on New Year's..even if it is on NBC.

Yes, yes...

I will be there tomorrow at the game and I'm pretty pumped. We're heading over the border a little after 8:30am and will be tailgating and the whole bit.

I'll bring my camera and try to get a couple pictures while I'm there.

NBC means Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury, right?

gag

Nah, apparently Bob Costas is hosting some sort of show. Dunno if he's doing the PbP tho.

I hear Gary Roberts wants to break his other leg, fly to Chicago, and grant Ben Eager a re-match. ;)

That would be welcome news with Eaton!

The Penguins broadcasters on Saturday night against the Sabres said Eaton was going to undergo surgery for what it's worth...

Man, what a spectacle. Too cool.

I don't know that any other sport could pull something like this off convincingly. Among the major sports, anyway. I think it owes to the fact that hockey plays in relatively small arena, so the huge crowds are the big draw as much as the whole outdoor thing.

The NHL apparently decided to replace the national anthem with God Bless America after singing the Canadian anthem. Hmm...interesting.

I wish their sound was better, because it's difficult to really get the full brunt of the crowd with the way they're doing this now. But I guess they don't exactly have a lot of practice doing this.

I like the Pens' jerseys a lot. Are they new just for this game?

And seriously, is this rink regulation size? Probably just looks weird because of what's surrounding it, but it looks much narrower to me.

The Pens are just wearing these for this game. Those were their old jerseys and colors before they switched to the Black and Gold.

I am a little pissed I didn't go but this is my favorite day of the year for college football.

Exciting 1-0 game so far, which is good because the NHL needs this game to be successful for the sake of the game's future in the US. It isn't make or break, but every little bit helps!

Damn, I forgot that the game started at 1:00. I missed the first period. Oh, well. I'll watch most of the rest.

Too much college football on today for this to mean anything to the game's future in the US. Maybe that says something.

Having been to the Heritage Classic...I don't know what's worse...sitting in -30 degrees Celsius or sitting in the rain.

The NHL surely did screw things up by scheduling this on Bowl Day if their intent was to try and strengthen the U.S. market. I even find myself watching the Michigan/Florida game more often than not.

NBC hasn't necessarily impressed me with their presentation, to be honest. I don't know if ESPN would've been "better", though.

They could have Mike Emrick doing commentary on a constipated dog trying to lick himself, and I would watch it, and I would be riveted.

I love Mike Emrick.

What a surprise to see this one after the Mizzou game. Too cool is right!