i mean, seriously, what was he trying to accomplish by half-heartedly sliding on one knee in front of no one?

can he go to the bench feeling like he tried to block a shot? because all he did was fail to close gagne and confuse thomas, who subsequently didn't seal up.

bwahaha, nice trip disguised by a save attempt by smith. sneaky goalie tricks 101.

5/21/2011 3:58:13 PM

wow (on many levels)

5/21/2011 4:18:30 PM

unreal - greatest sport in the world.

5/21/2011 4:22:59 PM

Lol @ San Jose

5/22/2011 5:21:58 PM

4 assists by Henrik. One of them a cross crease pass through niemi's five hole.

5/22/2011 6:56:19 PM

Boston fans worried.

5/23/2011 8:40:37 PM

5/23/2011 11:46:43 PM

Downie missed two wide open nets last night... I also felt like Tampa just quit giving a fuck after the first 30 minutes.

I was disgusted with their play for the most part after the first.

5/24/2011 9:39:31 AM

Dougie Weight and Brian Rafalski retiring.

5/24/2011 10:58:13 AM

I'll miss Rafalski even if he played on two of the teams I dislike pretty strongly. Definitely one of the best American born defensemen ever. His play in the Olympics last year was definitely one of reasons the US got to the Gold Medal game. If Lidstrom retires, then the Wings lose two huge pieces, but also gain 13 million in cap room to spend. Holland with 13 million is scary.

5/24/2011 1:32:36 PM

Apparently Jagr is not interested in playing in the US... or at least his agent is not interested in Jagr playing in the US.

5/24/2011 2:36:44 PM

trying to catch that puck is the dumbest thing i've seen all playoffs

5/24/2011 10:22:10 PM

^^^ red wing fan??? cause you actually know what you are talking about, well done

i want lidstrom to hang em up too. cause yes, holland will do some damage with that money

5/24/2011 10:26:27 PM

FUCKING CLUTCH

KESLER

USA USA USA USA USA USA

5/24/2011 11:33:48 PM

5/24/2011 11:34:43 PM

Blown call on that icing

5/24/2011 11:36:31 PM

i am djing so i have no comment on said icing call

because i didn't see it

2OT!

5/25/2011 12:22:31 AM

It's consensus that they incorrectly called an icing which lead to Vancouver winning faceoff and scoring with 13 seconds left in regulation.

They didn't call a single penalty in first OT, and let things go on both sides. Crazy, crazy game. I can't begin to imagine how tired those guys have got to be right now.

5/25/2011 12:26:35 AM

seems like a tame/lame crowd considering the circumstances

5/25/2011 12:45:32 AM

Well then.

5/25/2011 12:49:49 AM

Quote :

"They didn't call a single penalty in first OT, and let things go on both sides."

That's called playoff hockey.

Also, I cannot believe that Niemi just gave away the Conference Final by not playing to the whistle. Fuck him,

5/25/2011 12:52:23 AM

Not playing to the whistle? Are you fucking retarded? The only person who saw the puck was Bieksa. What goalie is expecting the puck to bounce off the stanchion and back to the point?

5/25/2011 12:54:22 AM

Niemi was watching the idiot in front pointing to the netting and believed him. Play to the whistle.

5/25/2011 12:55:00 AM

As I said, the only person who saw the puck was Bieksa. And that's only because it popped right back to him by pure coincidence. Even if he didn't follow it, he stayed in position, so "not playing till the whistle" is flat out wrong.

Blaming that on Niemi is laughable.

5/25/2011 12:58:15 AM

how in the world can you not blame him for that?

playing to the whistle is one of the most basic things in sports

[Edited on May 25, 2011 at 1:05 AM. Reason : you is wrong]

5/25/2011 1:04:37 AM

Yeah, he totally stayed in position. Nothing says "positioning" like leaving the short side on the ice open.

5/25/2011 1:07:54 AM

Just watched it back, and you're dead wrong. While Niemi's head was turned to the side looking back behind the goal line, Pavelski, who was in front of the net and off to the side, put his arm up. Niemi never saw him. His head was following what would have been the natural progression of the puck...just like every other player on the ice.

5/25/2011 1:08:21 AM

How the fuck did he not play until the whistle? He didn't know where the goddamn puck was. It's not like he stopped to grab a drink from the water bottle. He didn't leave the short side open from where the puck goes 99.999% of the time when a stanchion doesn't deflect the puck right back to the point for a freakish one-timer.

5/25/2011 1:10:11 AM

if I were you, I don't think I'd be arguing positioning with a goalie

but that's just me

5/25/2011 1:14:06 AM

He's square to Bieksa.

He wears the flattest pads in the league.

The shot is from the goddamn blue line.

He SAW it.

Yeah, it's an odd bounce, but there's absolutely no excuse for that goal going in.

5/25/2011 1:14:09 AM

Kirk McClean made 52 saves in game 1 of the '94 finals. And the dude was a stand up tender.

5/25/2011 1:14:25 AM

and it wasn't even a clean shot

5/25/2011 1:14:41 AM

Niemi was looking behind the net. He did not see the shot. Watch the replay.

5/25/2011 1:19:35 AM

What vinyl said. He muffed that shot fro the blue line. He should have heard it and reacted in time. I don't think anyone in the building or on TV saw that ouck kick to bieksa, except for bieksa.

Great series, sharks have nothing to be ashamed of, even joe thornton.

5/25/2011 1:21:20 AM

I'll stop arguing until vinylbandit actually he actually watches a reply, because it's clear from EVERY angle that he did not see the puck until it popped back out of the net. His head goes from left behind the goal line, directly right, back left, and then down. There were cameras on him the whole goddamned time. The commentators said it was a fluke bounce, Bieksa said it was a fluke bounce, camera evidence says it was a fluke bounce, and you're going to pretend like he should have seen the puck. Hell, you're not even arguing that. You're apparently saying that he SAW it, and just failed to save it.

5/25/2011 1:23:49 AM

Saw, and should have seen are two entirely different things. It was not outside of niemi's ability to follow that puck.... or lose it and regain sight of it.

Also, he OBVIOUSLY saw it before it went in, he reacted. Not after.

5/25/2011 1:26:09 AM

If he didn't see it, why is he in a butterfly?

5/25/2011 1:26:43 AM

Sweet butterfly, bro.

5/25/2011 1:36:45 AM

Okay, I've watched the replay at least ten times now. I am no longer convinced that he saw the shot.

HOWEVER!

The puck was on the near side, and there's still no excuse for leaving the short side open and moving to the blocker side post unless you're 100% sure the puck has gone beyond the midpoint of the goal...and he clearly isn't sure of where it is.

POOR GOALTENDING.

5/25/2011 1:46:48 AM

Fair enough.

5/25/2011 1:48:42 AM

Also, I still believe that Pavelski pointing to the netting factored into his lackadaisical drop into position.

5/25/2011 1:51:20 AM

it was just a weird play, can't blame niemi for that. none of the sharks skaters were in position to defend, so they're just as much to blame. any one of them could've blocked that shot easily if they had their heads turned. more power to bieksa for taking a quick shot, the sharks just got some bad luck.

5/25/2011 1:56:17 AM

It's definitely the weirdest play imaginable.

Still, a shot that far out, when you're square and as wide as Niemi, should be stopped.

5/25/2011 1:59:52 AM

fuck the sharks, red wings would have put up a fight in this series

5/25/2011 10:13:02 AM

if so they should have won the last series.

5/25/2011 11:49:57 AM

It doesn't matter. All will fall before the Might of the Vancouver. I called that back in January.

5/25/2011 12:08:59 PM

I called that back in January September.

5/25/2011 12:12:29 PM

Fair enough. Back then I lived under the delusion that New Jersey was going to be worth a damn.

5/25/2011 12:26:14 PM

I had them beating NJ in the final LOL.

5/25/2011 12:55:40 PM

Haha. Oh Lawd. In a parallel universe that might have been an awesome matchup. Zach vs. Canada: This time, it's for real!

5/25/2011 3:44:30 PM