^Came in to post that. Sounds like Harwood might be around during the playoffs. Good riddance to Beninati though. There's no flow to the way he calls games and his voice is awful.

I'm just hoping that with the NBC people coming to Versus, they don't try to dumb down the game like they do on NBC. I'm not at all optimistic about that though. Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury are both jokes.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Huge-changes-for-VERSUS-Pierre-McGuire-joins-NH?urn=nhl-317372

2/6/2011 4:45:46 PM

Why is Pierre a respected hockey reporter? I have never understood that.

Also, what I wouldn't give to just be able to get the CBC broadcast in a legal and/or HD manner.

2/6/2011 4:46:14 PM

i really like Pierre, by himself.

he's somewhat a lunatic but it's entertaining but he also provides relevant stuff.

2/6/2011 4:47:41 PM

In fifteen years of watching hockey, I have never heard Pierre make an intelligent statement that wasn't sourced from someone else. I grant that he's an insider and can pull good info during the draft or on deadline day (though nowhere near as well as someone like Bob McKenzie), but his comments during games are asinine and obvious.

Plus, he's creepy as shit.

2/6/2011 5:39:22 PM

actually, yeah, maybe the creepyness is why i enjoy him on the air.

it keeps me entertained when the game is shitty



[Edited on February 6, 2011 at 8:29 PM. Reason : ]

2/6/2011 8:28:02 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i5zXLZHGI4

2/6/2011 11:09:29 PM

Quote :

"2 to 4 weeks"

Hockey players.

2/8/2011 4:11:19 PM

that's not how legs are supposed to bend, right?

2/8/2011 4:27:03 PM

still no timetable for Crosby's return, now there is speculation that his season could be in doubt. What a bonehead move by the Pens to put him back out onto the ice after suffering a concussion. I really wonder what exactly is going on here, my hate for Sid makes me want to believe he is being a pansy primadonna, but the NHL lover in me really hopes he isnt permanently injured

Quote :

"Multiple sources said over the weekend that Crosby would not resume normal exercise activity for seven to 10 days, and that the Penguins do not expect him to play against until at least March. Nobody within Crosby’s camp has ruled out the possibility he could miss the remainder of this season, including the playoffs – but only because recovery from concussions is impossible to predict. Penguins general manager Ray Shero said “nothing has changed” regarding the status of Crosby, who is not symptom free and remains cleared for only light exercise."

2/8/2011 5:18:05 PM

might as well play it safe

i can't think of any reason not to be extra cautious in this situation, the pens have been fine without him so far

2/8/2011 5:28:06 PM

Quote :

"What a bonehead move by the Pens to put him back out onto the ice after suffering a concussion."

He returned to the game after the hit in question (an undoubtedly said he was fine, so no concern on the part of the team), and since he returned he was not required to undergo a baseline test after the game. No baseline test means no positive result, and he says he's fine, so you play him.

It's not like they told him to shake it off and go play while he had obvious problems.

2/8/2011 7:20:20 PM

yeah, I'm sure it didnt seem like a bonehead move at the time, but in hindsight they probably wish they wouldve made him undergo some further testing or something

2/8/2011 7:33:49 PM

i would like to retract my statement about the pens being fine

what the shit, pens

2/8/2011 8:40:37 PM

Even with a further test and the confirmation of a concussion, since he returned to the game he still would've been eligible to play on the 5th. Being that he's a competitor and felt up to it, I'm sure he would've played either way.

2/8/2011 8:41:16 PM

^^

2/8/2011 9:52:00 PM

nvm

[Edited on February 9, 2011 at 12:35 AM. Reason : ...]

2/9/2011 12:34:57 AM

Cooke better get suspended for that hit on Tyutin.

2/9/2011 11:43:36 AM

I'm thinking 1-5 games sounds about right



[Edited on February 9, 2011 at 11:46 AM. Reason : ]

2/9/2011 11:45:37 AM

4 games for Cooke.

2/9/2011 4:32:19 PM

Huge fight in this bruins vs canadians game. Six bruins are in the penalty box, five habs too.

The bruins are fast becoming my least favorite team. I can't stand this marchand kid, little instigator. Add in lucic, chara and savard, and I have plenty of reasons to hate them

2/9/2011 8:44:20 PM

more goalie fights, pls!!

2/9/2011 9:10:25 PM

Jack Edwards lives for nights like this.

2/9/2011 9:37:48 PM

I fucking love hockey.

2/9/2011 10:03:39 PM

2/9/2011 10:16:29 PM

Not bad

2/9/2011 10:40:29 PM

Quote :

"Start 7:09 EST; End 10:01 EST"

heh

2/9/2011 11:39:15 PM

RDP is out 4-6 weeks due to shame and a broken face

Poulin hurt himself in warmups

I was hoping Garth Snow would just be like "welp, I still have my pads. . ."

2/10/2011 9:17:41 AM

His name is Alvaro Montoya. You killed his father. Prepare to die.

2/10/2011 11:15:22 AM

^Ha, I actually came in to post that

With Kunitz and Cooke out, the Pens forward line combinations are one big LOLrific clusterfuck

Quote :

"Dupuis-Staal-Kennedy Rupp-Talbot-Conner Craig-Joe Vitale-Adams Brett Sterling-Jeffrey-Nick Johnson/Godard"

2/10/2011 11:54:52 AM

Mike Fisher to the Preds for 2011 1st rounder and a conditional 2012 pick.

O-VER-PAY-MENT

2/10/2011 1:09:35 PM

I'm willing to bet Carrie Underwood's people/record company/etc. will be making a significant contribution to the organization in the near future.

2/10/2011 8:30:37 PM

^^^ dustin jeffrey out with lower body injury, will not return

ffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

2/10/2011 8:32:25 PM

Quote :

""Indications" that NBC/Versus will hold onto NHL rights for a 4-7 yr term. ESPN "unlikely" to win any part of the national cable package."

Quote :

"Rights fee to Versus part of the new deal expected to increase by 50% according to an a unnamed NHL owner."

2/11/2011 11:42:54 AM

Something like 300 penalty minutes in the Pens/Isles game. What a shit show. Two guys on each bench at the end of the game.

Old time hockey, eh?

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20102011/GS020823.HTM




[Edited on February 11, 2011 at 10:21 PM. Reason : pen sum]

2/11/2011 10:13:50 PM

Sorry but there's moar

346 PIM. Yikes.

Godard with 10 game suspension for coming over the bench to fight. Bylsma gets suspended and fined because of that pending a hearing. What a joke of a game.

^^I read that article. I would like to see a multi-channel deal where games would be on Versus/NBC and ESPN kinda like what the NBA and MLB do, but of course Comcast won't allow it.

[Edited on February 11, 2011 at 11:02 PM. Reason : dbl post]

2/11/2011 11:02:00 PM

I'm not a fan of the Islanders... and laughed my ass off when Dipeitro got his face broken by Johnson... but this game was needed for that franchise, sent a message, and the Penguins had this coming. Talbot took a cheap shot at Commeau last game that has left him out... and I would be pissed about the Dipeitro incident with the Penguin bench laughing their asses off with a goalie injured on the ice.

Haley might just be my favorite non-Capital player now. He literally beats the living piss out of Adams... scores a beautiful goal, beats up Talbot... and then takes on Johnson and probably would've done pretty well if it wasn't for Goddard making it a 2 on 1.

That said, Gilles and Martin were pieces of shit and deserve suspensions... and Goddard will get one automatically.

[Edited on February 12, 2011 at 1:54 AM. Reason : s]

2/12/2011 1:44:52 AM

yeah, that was some johnstown chiefs mess.

i don't know what will come of it. i'd have to say that besides the automatic suspension on godard, it seems the isles should get the much harsher penalties.

i had to LOL at the islanders scoring because most of the pens were staring at a semi-fight while play hadn't stopped.

on the one hand, i kind of understand the islanders wanting to just goon it up, it's gotta be frustrating to basically be the team that breaks opponents' losing streaks year after year.

i don't see why they want to avenge dipietro, i mean he dropped the gloves, it's not brent johnson's fault that the dude's head got destroyed with one punch. i REALLY don't get the idea of sending a skater to fight johnson, that just doesn't seem up to code, and i can't fault godard for leaving the bench despite the automatic suspension.

and i don't have a problem with a guy challenging talbot for his hit on comeau. martin basically pulled a bertuzzi on him though. just skated up along/behind him, dropped the glove, and punched him in the side of the head. that was bullshit.

gillies is a goon too. runs tangradi with an elbow into the boards, tangradi's standing there grabbing his head, and gillies starts beating him. then taunts him after he's escorted off the ice as tangradi's still down.

then konopka decides he's gonna go after talbot. jesus, no one goes after cooke like this.

anyhow, the gordon's fishermen gave all 12 of their fans a good show, i suppose. the penguins are indirectly going to be calling forwards up from the ECHL - no crosby, malkin, cooke, kunitz, comrie, asham, jeffrey, now tangradi's concussed thanks to trevor tuffstache gillies.

martin should get quite a suspension for the blindside punch to talbot, and gillies should get at least 3. gillies and martin were just out there with intent to injure. to paraphrase someone on letsgopens, there are only 2 certainties about what will happen now:

1) godard suspended for 10 games
2) the nhl will completely fuck the rest of it up

my guess is 5 for martin and 3 for gillies. talbot seems okay, unlike moore was, so the situations aren't really the same. not sure on the pens besides the automatic on godard, maybe engelland will sit a few. i don't know if there's extra for godard for actually getting some punches in once he left the bench. it certainly seemed like the isles coach was just running a goon plan but i don't know how they evaluate that.

[Edited on February 12, 2011 at 3:13 PM. Reason : -]

2/12/2011 3:00:39 PM

Does anyone have a torrent of that game?

2/12/2011 4:16:30 PM

^^are you a pens fan?

I'd have to guess so with the heavy Pittsburgh lean you had in that post

[Edited on February 12, 2011 at 4:20 PM. Reason : adsf]

2/12/2011 4:19:07 PM

well yes, clearly i see it from a pens perspective as i am a pens fan

how do you see the events?

2/12/2011 5:39:54 PM

I agree that Gilles and Martin are pieces of shit... More so Gilles.

Talbot definitely deserved an ass kicking... but not Bertuzzi style.

Gilles was completely inexcusable.

I have no problem with Haney taking on Johnson. If Johnson didn't want to fight, he would have stayed in the crease or gone to the bench during the brawl... He wouldn't have been chilling at the blue line.

... and as dirty as the Islanders were in this game... the penguins still employ matt cooke.

edit: also, notice when Matt Cooke got knocked out by Evander Kane last season, the Atlanta bench didn't celebrate. IMO, the Islanders took more of an exception to MAF and the rest of the Penguin bench laughing it up then the actual injury itself.

[Edited on February 12, 2011 at 5:48 PM. Reason : edit]

2/12/2011 5:45:48 PM

well, it was funny

and yeah, Cooke is a real detriment at this point because a legit response to any penguin getting run legally or illegally can be "you know Cooke would've run ___ if he had a chance," which is a legit point

2/12/2011 5:59:38 PM

Quote :

"I would be pissed about the Dipeitro incident with the Penguin bench laughing their asses off with a goalie injured on the ice."

DiPietro was off the ice and looking fine almost immediately. Hell, they didn't even know he was injured until the second battery of tests.

The fact is that sending anyone after a goalie is some low down shit.

2/12/2011 7:35:43 PM

To me, it was pretty obvious that Johnson was challenging Haley to a fight. Watch the replays... around the 10:20 mark. Granted, you're going to have to listen to the Penguins commentary.

Johnson is shaking his gloves and is out at the blue line... clear invitation to fight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puMana_bq1o

2/12/2011 9:56:11 PM

^agreed, its pretty obvious to me that he accepted the fight.

2/12/2011 11:18:58 PM

Gillies gets 9 games, Martin gets 4, Godard gets 10. Islanders fined $100,000.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=552570

2/13/2011 1:03:13 AM

Well I'll be damned. Campbell is a Pens fan too!

2/13/2011 1:02:46 PM

http://www.phillysportsforums.com/forums/showthread.php?86152-the-Isles-should-get-a-standing-O&s=32f229ca6c6c2add6a40f0ade4c217a6

2/13/2011 1:13:55 PM

^ That's definitely lol-worthy. I hope they do it. One of the replies hit it on the head in that the news would probably crucify them somehow for it.

2/13/2011 1:30:54 PM

Sorry to keep talking about this, but this is an interesting statement from Mario Lemieux to say the least

Quote :

"Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that. The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed. We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action. If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it."

2/13/2011 2:24:23 PM