Galloping Galoshes: Guidette Frankentits: unches to the head, while bad, aren't that likely to cause concussions.

Depends on who'shiatting you. And if you've still got your helmet on.

Well, he wasn't hitting the head once Boyle went down anyway.

HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

Pens/Flyers Draws Best Playoff Numbers Since 2002

Caps/Bruins Double OT Thriller Up 36% For NBC

NBC Up Again On Night Two

Big Local Ratings From First Two Nights

NBCSN Has Best Opening Night on Cable Since 2002

Yeah, looks like they're really suffering.

TV ratings and playoff ratings keep going year over year. Attendance is at all-time highs. League revenues have been growing markedly every year, projected at over $3.2 billion for this season.

Clearly the NHL is doomed.

Guidette Frankentits: meddleRPI: The leaping charge hit is going to do a lot more damage than a frenzy of punches, most of which hit the helmet or glance off the shoulder pad anyways.

NHL actually got this one right.

Bingo. The NHL wants to stop the concussion causing injuries. Punches to the head, while bad, aren't that likely to cause concussions.

Getting Gooddell and Bettman on the same page is one of the worst things you can possibly do in a sport.

Hockey 101: If you throw a high hit to the head during the course of a play, that's a three game suspension. If you headlock an opponent unwilling to fight and then sucker punch him eight times to the face, that's only one

That's right Subby. If that is what gets called, that is what it is. If that is the penalty assessed, then that is the penalty assessed. It isn't art, it is hockey. You want art, go to the ballet.

mikaloyd: I hate hockey

/pens fan

It's a good thing that the Pens aren't playing it then!

/Also a Pens fan

HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

The reason fighting is getting such a bad rap lately isn't because it's part of the culture of the game, it's because it's been taken to a ridiculous extreme. The fights that actually mean something are started by stuff that goes on in the game - a filthy hit, someone taking liberties with a vulnerable star player (as Boyle did, and Semenko prevented), or where two guys' hackin and whackin in the corner escalates to the point where they either drop the gloves or start swinging sticks, that's one thing. It's a safety valve to stop someone from doing something stupid and violent at high speed with a stick or a duratanium elbow pad, and the guys who feel the need to do that stuff anyway are rightly ridiculed as cheap cowards

This business of "avenging" a clean hit or having two goons square off and sock each other off the faceoff is a stupid, embarrassing waste of everyone's time. Nothing's accomplished when Colton Orr and Brian McGrattan hop over the ice and hug each other for 45 seconds in the middle of a scoreless second period. To me, that's delay of game. Why even drop the puck? Look at one guy, look at the other guy and tell them "The first one of you dicks I see without gloves on is getting two for delay of game and wasting my farkin time.".

HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

Could also try not being a mincy little pussy.

Doc Daneeka: HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

Pens/Flyers Draws Best Playoff Numbers Since 2002

Caps/Bruins Double OT Thriller Up 36% For NBC

NBC Up Again On Night Two

Big Local Ratings From First Two Nights

NBCSN Has Best Opening Night on Cable Since 2002

Yeah, looks like they're really suffering.

TV ratings and playoff ratings keep going year over year. Attendance is at all-time highs. League revenues have been growing markedly every year, projected at over $3.2 billion for this season.

Clearly the NHL is doomed.

Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

SultanofSchwing: HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

Could also try not being a mincy little pussy.

HotWingConspiracy: Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

...on NBC. I wouldn't watch Pierre Maguire either. Add in that their "top personalities" are farking idiots like Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick....it doesn't surprise me at all.

saintstryfe: GavinTheAlmighty: Outplayed is definitely the wrong word, but Ottawa has no business on the ice with the Rangers, and they're still doing significantly better than anyone expected.

A one-goal, OT win where there was a ton of uncalled penalties, a major star was ejected for doing nothing wrong, and the winning goal was won with massive, uncalled Goalie Interference?

Wait, you can't lay on top of the goalie in the crease, knock his stick away, then jump up and shoot the puck in?

Mind = Blown.

HotWingConspiracy: SultanofSchwing: HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

Could also try not being a mincy little pussy.

[img.photobucket.com image 640x480]

Watch out Guys, we're dealing with a buttload of confirmation bias here.

HotWingConspiracy:
And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

If a sport does not draw many viewers on NBC, it is in the shiat-tier. Man are a few hundred million soccer, F-1, cricket and golf fans going to be disappointed to hear that.

HotWingConspiracy: Doc Daneeka: HotWingConspiracy: kab: HotWingConspiracy: Ice hockey will be a shiat tier sport until they ban the fighting.

Then stop watching.

Many have. Not really a growth strategy.

Pens/Flyers Draws Best Playoff Numbers Since 2002

Caps/Bruins Double OT Thriller Up 36% For NBC

NBC Up Again On Night Two

Big Local Ratings From First Two Nights

NBCSN Has Best Opening Night on Cable Since 2002

Yeah, looks like they're really suffering.

TV ratings and playoff ratings keep going year over year. Attendance is at all-time highs. League revenues have been growing markedly every year, projected at over $3.2 billion for this season.

Clearly the NHL is doomed.

Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

then stop watching.

I was at the flyers-pens game yesterday, the best live game I was ever at... and I've been to many.

Asham, automatic... probably 5 games since its an in-person hearing.

Adams, automatic 1 game for instigation under 5 minutes left in the game. unless of course, the NHL can justify that it was not "related to the score, previous incidents in the game or prior games, retaliatory in nature, "message sending", etc."

Neal, not sure... but it will be hard to determine that he has no prior record during his second hearing tomorrow.

Flyers disciplinary hearings: none.

Mario, it's time you took this into your own hands: ""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." Take it upon yourself to protect the integrity of the game and the safety of the players. Suspend your own players before Shanahan gets to them.

Flyers with

Galloping Galoshes: Guidette Frankentits: unches to the head, while bad, aren't that likely to cause concussions.

Depends on who'shiatting you. And if you've still got your helmet on.

Heh

Rwa2play: I think part of the reason why fighting's gotten a bad rap is because of that particular NHL rule (the name escapes me at the moment). E.G.: You wouldn't take a run at Gretzky if you were a Flames enforcer because an Oiler enforcer would take a run at Gilmour or something to that effect.

Again, I read this in SI long ago but part of the reason why playoff hockey got too physical was due to having no fear of reprisal from the opposing team if you ran at their superstar player.

FTFM.

You're talking about the introduction of the instigator rule. Means when you go around to start a fight (like Carkner did on Boyle) you end up with an extra penalty (typically 2 minute) so you put your team shorthanded by sticking up for your star.

Rwa2play: think part of the reason why fighting's gotten a bad rap is because of that particular NHL rule (the name escapes me at the moment). E.G.: You wouldn't take a run at Gretzky if you were a Flames enforcer because an Oiler enforcer would take a run at Gilmour or something to that effect.

Not sure that was an NHL rule per se, more of a custom among players. You don't run my goalie, I don't run yours. The instigator rule was meant more for situations like the Carkner-Boyle one, where one guy who obviously wants to fight beats up a guy who obviously doesn't.

SultanofSchwing:
...on NBC. I wouldn't watch Pierre Maguire either. Add in that their "top personalities" are farking idiots like Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick....it doesn't surprise me at all.

If RDS were on basic cable in Ontario, CBC's ratings would probably plummet. Good goddamn those Leaf announcers are idiots. If Karlsson's in the box, why are you saying he's shooting from the point? Gonchar is taller, much slower and shoots with his other hand. Come on, man.

Flakeloaf: HotWingConspiracy:
And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

If a sport does not draw many viewers on NBC, it is in the shiat-tier. Man are a few hundred million soccer, F-1, cricket and golf fans going to be disappointed to hear that.

Quoting myself for a "But seriously folks" - NHL is definitely not among the more popular sports on American TV, but I'm willing to say that's just because it wasn't woven into your culture. There's nothing objectively wrong with the game, at least no more than the things that are wrong with football or baseball. You grew up liking this, I grew up liking that.

Mike Vogel: "Have you watched any of the other games at all?"
Jason Chimera: "The WWE?"

Flakeloaf: Not sure that was an NHL rule per se, more of a custom among players. You don't run my goalie, I don't run yours. The instigator rule was meant more for situations like the Carkner-Boyle one, where one guy who obviously wants to fight beats up a guy who obviously doesn't.

The argument though is that the instigator rule protects rats like Boyle, which means that they get to go chasing around the stars. When then leads to an overall dirtier and chippier game, because of a breakdown of the 'code'.

Basically the argument is that without the instigator, 'street justice' would prevail and a delicate balance is established where the rats leave the stars alone, and the big guys lay the big hits and take their licks in return.

Caeldan: You're talking about the introduction of the instigator rule. Means when you go around to start a fight (like Carkner did on Boyle) you end up with an extra penalty (typically 2 minute) so you put your team shorthanded by sticking up for your star.

Oh hi there. Yeah, when the guy who runs your star is a milky little fraidycat who won't stick up for what he just did when your bad guy comes calling, and gets punched in the face anyway, that's two for instigating. Cowards know this is an actual thing now, so they can go full Avery and then turtle when it comes time to pay for what they bought, knowing the opposing team's coach won't let their goon bring them down a man for two minutes. Most of the time.

SultanofSchwing: HotWingConspiracy: Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

...on NBC. I wouldn't watch Pierre Maguire either. Add in that their "top personalities" are farking idiots like Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick....it doesn't surprise me at all.

Well they're on year 1 of a ten year deal. Good luck with all of that, NHL.

Flakeloaf:
If RDS were on basic cable in Ontario, CBC's ratings would probably plummet. Good goddamn those Leaf announcers are idiots. If Karlsson's in the box, why are you saying he's shooting from the point? Gonchar is taller, much slower and shoots with his other hand. Come on, man.

Yeah but then you would miss out on the Jim Hughson/Bob Cole/Glenn Healy/Craig Simpson drinking games. Every time they call a Western Conference team's players the wrong name or pronounce it incorrectly/butcher it. Take a drink.

SultanofSchwing: Yeah but then you would miss out on the Jim Hughson/Bob Cole/Glenn Healy/Craig Simpson drinking games. Every time they call a Western Conference team's players the wrong name or pronounce it incorrectly/butcher it. Take a drink.

You can't play the Cole drinking game anymore with Senators games :(

Too many hospitalizations prior to first TV timeout.

Caeldan: Flakeloaf: Not sure that was an NHL rule per se, more of a custom among players. You don't run my goalie, I don't run yours. The instigator rule was meant more for situations like the Carkner-Boyle one, where one guy who obviously wants to fight beats up a guy who obviously doesn't.

The argument though is that the instigator rule protects rats like Boyle, which means that they get to go chasing around the stars. When then leads to an overall dirtier and chippier game, because of a breakdown of the 'code'.

Basically the argument is that without the instigator, 'street justice' would prevail and a delicate balance is established where the rats leave the stars alone, and the big guys lay the big hits and take their licks in return.

But if hockey players weren't dirty and chippy to begin with, you wouldn't need a "code" at all.

Get rid of the chippy/dirty play from the get-go and you don't need to worry about all of this shiat. But no one wants to do that because they all love their own "dirty and chippy" guy. He's just "hardnosed" and "scrappy" when he's on your team.

What hockey fights and the whole NFL bounty system makes abundantly clear is that pro athletes will shank each others mothers for an extra buck or two. There is no real Code. There is no honor.

Caeldan:
The argument though is that the instigator rule protects rats like Boyle, which means that they get to go chasing around the stars. When then leads to an overall dirtier and chippier game, because of a breakdown of the 'code'.


Until you get two guys like MacLean and Tortorella who collectively give approximately zero farks about such things and will happily play down a man to prove a point. In the playoffs no less.

Sean Avery wouldn't have played a full season with the instigators of not-that-long-ago because he'd be too busy relearning the alphabet after coming out of that coma. Having the threat of cement-head coming after you wasn't the most elegant solution to the rat problem, but seeing the cheap shots these cowards are getting away with now, I'd suggest that it's certainly an effective one. It's a rare GM who gives a guy like Matt Cooke a chance to clean up his act, and rarer still that he does and becomes a productive member of society.

HotWingConspiracy: SultanofSchwing: HotWingConspiracy: Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

...on NBC. I wouldn't watch Pierre Maguire either. Add in that their "top personalities" are farking idiots like Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick....it doesn't surprise me at all.

Well they're on year 1 of a ten year deal. Good luck with all of that, NHL.

Looks like it's working just fine right now.

Also considering NBC is paying for the broadcast rights, not the other way around...it's going to continue working out just fine for the NHL for the next 9 years. But the NBC's broadcasting rights don't preclude other broadcasters like Fox sports from broadcasting their own local market games, like St Louis for example.

NBC is competing in these large markets against other broadcasters that are either richer in content or in personalities and people are choosing their sides. In March their coverage was broad, however they're either broadcasting games where teams are irrelevant or belonging to comparatively poor markets (Tampa Bay, Carolina, Anaheim) or teams that were completely out of the picture (Columbus, Anaheim, Carolina, Minnesota) broadcasting cross-border games like Toronto and Winnipeg (who's major viewing interest will be watching it on TSN/CBC/Sportsnet instead) or in markets where they're sharing broadcasting priviledges (Detroit, New York, St Louis) through FS or MSG.

TL;DR Point being, just because the NHL on NBC is circling the bowl, doesn't mean it's universal or that it's a problem with the product being put on the ice.

rka: But if hockey players weren't dirty and chippy to begin with, you wouldn't need a "code" at all.

Get rid of the chippy/dirty play from the get-go and you don't need to worry about all of this shiat. But no one wants to do that because they all love their own "dirty and chippy" guy. He's just "hardnosed" and "scrappy" when he's on your team.

What hockey fights and the whole NFL bounty system makes abundantly clear is that pro athletes will shank each others mothers for an extra buck or two. There is no real Code. There is no honor.

How do you remove the dirty/chippy play though from over-testosteroned athletes in an extremely physical game?

Putting more padding in only make it worse (see NCAA and Women's games where they're in full cages and head hits are dealt with even more severely). So the best you can hope for is let the law of the jungle rule and sort itself out. And when that goes on - it does make for an enjoyable game.

The 'black eyes' on hockey are almost always a direct result of one of the 'rats' ... Boyle, Avery, Kaleta, Cooke, etc.

rka: Caeldan: Flakeloaf: Not sure that was an NHL rule per se, more of a custom among players. You don't run my goalie, I don't run yours. The instigator rule was meant more for situations like the Carkner-Boyle one, where one guy who obviously wants to fight beats up a guy who obviously doesn't.

The argument though is that the instigator rule protects rats like Boyle, which means that they get to go chasing around the stars. When then leads to an overall dirtier and chippier game, because of a breakdown of the 'code'.

Basically the argument is that without the instigator, 'street justice' would prevail and a delicate balance is established where the rats leave the stars alone, and the big guys lay the big hits and take their licks in return.

But if hockey players weren't dirty and chippy to begin with, you wouldn't need a "code" at all.

Get rid of the chippy/dirty play from the get-go and you don't need to worry about all of this shiat. But no one wants to do that because they all love their own "dirty and chippy" guy. He's just "hardnosed" and "scrappy" when he's on your team.

What hockey fights and the whole NFL bounty system makes abundantly clear is that pro athletes will shank each others mothers for an extra buck or two. There is no real Code. There is no honor.

How dare people play a fast, contact sport in a physical way? It should be pure and clean like basketball, where nobody ever elbows anyone in the face, or football, where the concussion-for-hire problem is now almost 12% under control.

So what's the over/under on Thornton stealing someone's glove and hiding it in the penalty box?

Flakeloaf: Until you get two guys like MacLean and Tortorella who collectively give approximately zero farks about such things and will happily play down a man to prove a point. In the playoffs no less.

I fully expect a cleaner and more traditional playoff game at this point though. Things are 'even' and back in balance.

HotWingConspiracy: SultanofSchwing: HotWingConspiracy: Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

...on NBC. I wouldn't watch Pierre Maguire either. Add in that their "top personalities" are farking idiots like Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick....it doesn't surprise me at all.

Well they're on year 1 of a ten year deal. Good luck with all of that, NHL.

I could watch the local team with good announcers or watch an out of market team while listening to pierre mcguire and mike farking milbury. I'll watch the local team on comcast sports net.

Hey! I'm still watching the NHL!

And if you go full speed and body check the goaltender you get NOTHING.

Warlordtrooper: And if you go full speed and body check the goaltender you get NOTHING.

Sure you do.


Golf.

Brother_Mouzone: Andrew Shaw better not get shiat for that hit on Smith, thats all I have to say.

He should get at least a game for it. If not, we may as well have the rulebook tossed out the window. Lucic getting nothing for hitting Miller was also a complete joke, before anyone brings it up.

kab: Brother_Mouzone: Andrew Shaw better not get shiat for that hit on Smith, thats all I have to say.

He should get at least a game for it. If not, we may as well have the rulebook tossed out the window. Lucic getting nothing for hitting Miller was also a complete joke, before anyone brings it up.

Mike Smith should get an Emmy for that embellishment. That's about the only thing that needs to be dished out for that play.

Call it penance for the total non-penalty they called on Toews earlier when Smith tried to horsecollar him 3 feet out of the net.

I'm leaving for the Bruins/Caps game in about 10 minutes, and tonight's hockey thread isn't up yet, so I'm leaving my hockey prayer here.

And shepherds we shall be, for thee my lord for thee.
Powerplays hath descended forth from thy hand
That our skates may swiftly carry out thy command,
And we shall flow a river forth to thee,
And teeming with goals shall it ever be.
In nomine patri, et fili, et spiritu sancti.

GO BRUINS

kab: Brother_Mouzone: Andrew Shaw better not get shiat for that hit on Smith, thats all I have to say.

He should get at least a game for it. If not, we may as well have the rulebook tossed out the window. Lucic getting nothing for hitting Miller was also a complete joke, before anyone brings it up.

I agree Shaw should get something - you can see him sticking his arm out a bit on replies to make sure he catches Smith. And those elbow pads are not soft...

It would've been just as simple as Shaw to get by Smith without nailing him at full speed.

SultanofSchwing: kab: Brother_Mouzone: Andrew Shaw better not get shiat for that hit on Smith, thats all I have to say.

He should get at least a game for it. If not, we may as well have the rulebook tossed out the window. Lucic getting nothing for hitting Miller was also a complete joke, before anyone brings it up.

Mike Smith should get an Emmy for that embellishment. That's about the only thing that needs to be dished out for that play.

Call it penance for the total non-penalty they called on Toews earlier when Smith tried to horsecollar him 3 feet out of the net.

Oh I fully agree that that penalty was BS. The goalie tried to check him and ended up drawing an interference penalty. That should have never been called. But hitting the goalie has always been illegal. Perhaps I'm a bit biased because Lucic pretty much ruined my teams season but hits to goaltenders need to be punished.

facisto: HotWingConspiracy: SultanofSchwing: HotWingConspiracy: Local ratings, playoff ratings

Shame their average viewership is down 3 - 5% (new window)

And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

...on NBC. I wouldn't watch Pierre Maguire either. Add in that their "top personalities" are farking idiots like Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick....it doesn't surprise me at all.

Well they're on year 1 of a ten year deal. Good luck with all of that, NHL.

I could watch the local team with good announcers or watch an out of market team while listening to pierre mcguire and mike farking milbury. I'll watch the local team on comcast sports net.

Hey! I'm still watching the NHL!

Don't bother.

There are anti-hockey trolls who for years have insisted that the NHL is in decline or dying. In spite of all evidence to the contrary that it's growing at a decent rate, both as a business (record NHL revenues north of $3.2 billion) and as a sport (skyrocketing hockey participation rates nationwide).

The most delusional are the soccer people who believe that the MLS is on the verge of overtaking the NHL...any day now. They'll be waiting a long, long time.

rka:
But if hockey players weren't dirty and chippy to begin with, you wouldn't need a "code" at all.

Get rid of the chippy/dirty play from the get-go and you don't need to worry about all of this shiat. But no one wants to do that because they all love their own "dirty and chippy" guy. He's just "hardnosed" and "scrappy" when he's on your team.

What hockey fights and the whole NFL bounty system makes abundantly clear is that pro athletes will shank each others mothers for an extra buck or two. There is no real Code. There is no honor.

Going back for a second bite at this.

There's a difference between dirty and chippy. Darius Kasparitis was dirty. Marc Messier was chippy.

Without exception, every competitive sport evolves players and tactics who will play as competitively as possible to accomplish the objective at the opponent's expense, gaming the rules where possible to gain advantage and taking advantages of lapses in officiating to do things that are against the rules in some trifling way. Every single one. Even frigging Cricket, a gentleman's game if there ever was one, evolved a violent delivery method called 'bodyline bowling' to deal with the imbalance caused by the most dominant player to have ever played any team sport before or since.

Officiating and rule changes don't completely remove violent behaviour from competitive contact sport, they just force it to evolve into something that is either harder to detect or so out of line that any ensuing penalty woudl be meaningless.

The suspensions were right.

Next time, Boyle, drop the gloves when you're called to answer.

Refs, next time, when you see a player with 5 inches and 70 lbs on his opponent, punching freely, don't call offsetting minors.

Caeldan: Flakeloaf: Until you get two guys like MacLean and Tortorella who collectively give approximately zero farks about such things and will happily play down a man to prove a point. In the playoffs no less.

I fully expect a cleaner and more traditional playoff game at this point though. Things are 'even' and back in balance.

Agree. They've demonstrated that their man organs are roughly the same size and are content to let skill determine the finisher - Torotella because he knows what the standings were when the seasons ended (even if he denies it), and MacLean because he knows they've got more heart than that token brown kid on Captain Planet.

I can't get the cap off!: Wait, you can't lay on top of the goalie in the crease, knock his stick away, then jump up and shoot the puck in?

Here's the video again (new window)

None of what you described actually happened. You can see the entire play from puck drop to goal from the :15 mark. Nobody is laying on top of Lundqvist. Nobody knocks his stick away. Neil is on top of Girardi, not Lundqvist. How does Lundqvist lose his stick? He lets go of it because Girardi is on top of it.

GavinTheAlmighty: I can't get the cap off!: Wait, you can't lay on top of the goalie in the crease, knock his stick away, then jump up and shoot the puck in?

Here's the video again (new window)

None of what you described actually happened. You can see the entire play from puck drop to goal from the :15 mark. Nobody is laying on top of Lundqvist. Nobody knocks his stick away. Neil is on top of Girardi, not Lundqvist. How does Lundqvist lose his stick? He lets go of it because Girardi is on top of it.

Also Lundqvist was standing up in his crease, with his stick, well before Neil put it in.

HotWingConspiracy: And it all is peanuts compared to the other leagues. Hell, college ball does better. It's shiat tier, and it's not because I say so.

Golf ratings for the final round of the masters are down too, per the site you linked. The game needs to be changed, apparently.

Hockey doesn't need to be the biggest sport in the US. Read enough threads, and it becomes apparent that the only folks clamoring about ratings are fair weather posers dropping in from other sports to whine and biatch about fighting, or whatever else offends their sensibilities.... fans of hockey simply don't give a shiat, because they actually support the game.

So rather than changing the game any more for the sake of popularity, you're all cordially invited to GTFO. Baseball / basketball / football etc threads are that way. ===>