NHL playoffs

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Wild,

If they have so much talent can you tell me why they were a 7 seed and the Hawks were one point from the 1 seed? Philly had to win a shootout in the final game of the year just to make the playoffs. I think people are giving way to much credit to a bunch of goons who have had the clear advantage of the refs giving them twice as many power play opportunities and they have refused to call any penalties on Pronger in the entire series for cross checking or slashing, not one! He got one call for high sticking I think, in the entire series. This one fact has been the difference in the series so far.

Had the refs called even one penalty a game on Pronger for the multiple cross checks that have been shown on tv, this series might be over already.

Hawk did get sloppy and try to play down to Phillys sluggish style of play in game 4 and it hurt them. Look for the real talent to show tomorrow. I just hope the refs do not continue this charade and keep blowing twice as many penalties on the Hawks as the Flyers and maybe, just maybe, we can get them to send Pronger to the penalty box...To dream the impossible dream!

[PierBridge]

The officiating has been just fine the problem for the Hawks has been there SUPER Star has taken this series off to date.

Go Flyers!...

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Pier,

You must not have watched Proger during his 97 cross checks to the backs of the Hawks. I will agree that with the exception of the gross lack of calls on Pronger, the series has been pretty even. That being said....

Nice to see the Hawks just bend the Flyers over and get medieval on their collective arses tonight! Big Buff stepped up and put Pronger (now named -5) in his place. Sweet justice that Buff scored both goals while Pronger was on the ice or in the box...Alert the presses! They finally called a penalty on Pronger.

Did you notice that the game was halted for about 35 seconds after they called the penalty on Pronger? He has to ask for directions to the penalty box!

Great job by Coach Q with the line shuffles. That and the pulling of thier goalie should be enough to get into their heads and let the Hawks finish the job on Wednesday in Philly.

Hawks 5-3 for the Cup on Wednesday!

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Just thought of this, if the series does go seven we will have the White Sox playing the Cubs at 2:20 pm and the Hawks going for the Cup at 7 pm.

I feel a case of the red, black and silver flu coming on....Cough Cough! LOL

Not to worry, Hawks will finish up biz in Philly on Wednesday!

[JimBuck]

I've also been just fine with the officiating. To say that the league has any involvement with pushing this series to 7 is just making excuses. This isn't Basketball. I get a kick out of how many times Pronger has been brought up, the Flyers have plenty of talent and to say they play goonish Hockey is far from true, the teams play 2 completely different styles of Hockey. There's a reason Pronger doesn't get many penalties, he's smart about what he does and when he does it. If he gave 97 crosschecks (yeah right) last game, 96 of them were behind or outside the play. Chances are he doesn't fight because he's one of the most well rounded defensmen playing. The coach wouldn't want a guy like that in the sin bin all the time.

Playoff Hockey is a whole different beast from Season play. Teams like Montreal have proven that once your in playoffs, season play doesn't mean a thing.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Jim Buck we must be watching two different feeds on the TV! Everytime they show Pronger he has both hands on his stick spred out fully and is shoving it into the back of many of the Black Hawks when the refs are not watching. That is the text book definition of a CROSS CHECK. The reason he gets away with it is because he has been in the league 16 years and he kisses up to the refs before the games. You can see him talking to the refs and friendlying them up (if that is a word).

They have talked about this on tv and sports radio during the series. To say that these are not penalties is just plain dumb. The refs are not calling them but they are and always will be penalties. People who murder somebody and don't get caught have still committed a crime, it just went unpunished.

I think last night's game was a perfect example of how the Hawks can play when the refs do call even a few penalties and send Mr. Pronger (or should I call him Mister Minus FIVE!) to the sin bin. Big Buff scores two and has two assists and the Hawks destroy the Flyers.

The Hawks have more talent, are faster, quicker, better passers and have better scorers than the Flyers. If penalties are called even the Hawks win in a rout. When the refs take it upon themselves to give the Flyers twice as many power plays then you have close games like the two they won. When you hold Mr. Pronger to the same standards as everybody else on the ice you see the results. Big Buff hit him hard all night and scored twice on his big baby arse!

I like the fact that you have a Chicago guy as your avatar! Chicago Rocks!

[Bear55]

As an unbiased observer I see the refs calling this series pretty fair. They probably missed a few calls and called a few others that could have been let go but that is pretty standard for refs. Sure Pronger gets away with some extra stuff, maybe more then most people but there is all kind of stuff going on behind the scenes that you don't see unless you are at the game. I'm sure the Blackhawk D have gotten in their shots when the refs are looking the other way.

Anyone else want to see OT in game 6? The last game was ok because I just slightly want Chicago to win but I would have liked to have seen a tighter game, I'm pretty sure game 6 will be different.

[OnAFly]

The NHL is not trying to throw the series. Pronger has been getting away with his "style of play" for many years. He is good at getting away with cross checks. Plain and simple. Watch him play, he doesn't extend his arms when he cross checks someone, it just a short tap with a lot of force. The ref (most of the time) doesn't see his arms move, all they see is a guy falling down. When he does it, it's almost never the guy with the puck, always a guy away from the play.

Neither teams look over matched. You can see it by the fact that the home team has won every game. When Philly gets the last change, they win. When the Hawks get the last change, they win.

That being said, I still thing it's over on Wednesday. Hawks in 6.

[SneakAttack]

God, please do i ever wish that the great GM of the Flyers and St.Paul Native Paul Holmgren would suit up for game 6, only hoping for a Secord Holmgren main event

Hawks are so hateable, that town town used to be so tough but it left with the old Chicago stadium, and to think that Windy thinks Ben Eager and Byflugien are tough??, That is why the NBA finls doubled the NHL finals in Sunday night ratings, And Doc Emerick is sooooo bad

I've seen enough...

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Sneak,

I will agree with you about Emerick, he is horrible, and very biased toward Philly. As for Eager and Big Buff, they are the enforcers now and since we are not taking a stroll down memory lane I am talking about "current" players who are playing in the "current" series that we are talking about!

If you want to talk about Big Al Secord or maybe Bob Probert or even go back in the time machine with me to my youth we can talk about the guy whose jersey I wore Jerry "King Kong" Korab or the late great Keith Magnuson (RIP). I don't think any of those guys would last 30 seconds on the ice going toe to toe with Eager or Big Buff.....BECAUSE THEY ARE 60 YEARS OLD NOW! LOL

I fully agree with Fly....Hawks in 6 to drink from Lord Stanley's chalice!

[OnAFly]

How are the Hawks more hateable than the Flyers?

Not a real fan of either team, just wondering.

[scsavre]

I started out cheering for the Hawks, a little. But now I want the Flyers, maybe a combination of the under dog and how hard they seem to work for each goal.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Hawks are hateable because they are so good, they have all the talent and people tend to hate that (see Yankees syndrome) and as for Philly having to work so hard for each of their goals it seems pretty easy to me, they just wait until the ref calls a cheap penalty on the Hawks, usually for the exact same thing that Pronger had done 97 times in the game already and then they score. They can only score on the power play, even up is not even a contest!

[OnAFly]

I'd say the Yankees are a different story. No cap, just buy up players that had good years. No point to that.

Hawks were bad for a long time to get this good. Once everyone gets past their first big contracts, they'll lose players due to the cap and become mediocre again, unless they are able to get good players out of lower picks.

I guess I don't see the Hawks as hateable. They paid their dues at the bottom of the west for years.

[JimBuck]

If were going to compare Baseball to Hockey I think the Red Wings would be a closer comparison in recent years. Chicago has been long overdue for a decent team. I don't think Chicago is nearly as easy to dislike as Philly. I think it's been proven with all the Pronger talk in nearly every post....ya' gotta love to hate the guy.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Just for you Jim Buck, enjoy!

[JimBuck]

LOL! I like the puck that says "100% Chance we'll change our minds if Hawks sign him..."

Thanks for sharing, this is great.

[OnAFly]

Ha, saw that this morning.

It's true, if he were a Hawk, we wouldn't be hearing any whining by Windy

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

That's not true, I did not cheer as loudly for Dennis Rodman while the Bulls were winning their last three championships as I did for the rest of the Bulls and I only clapped three times instead of four for AJ while he was helping the Sox win the World Series! LOL

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Here you go, Jim Buck!

[PierBridge]

Congrats to the Hawks/Windy... well done and much deserved!

[JimBuck]

Here you go, Jim Buck!

Your quite a classy individual Windy. Maybe we'll see you around here next year if the playoff bandwagon rolls through again.

Congratulations to the Hawks as well. The playoffs were great this year.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Thank you Pier and Jim Buck. And Jim Buck, if that offends you I am truly sorry, but I have seen much worse in here. Sports forums are for big boys and we are allowed a little lattitude in the feces slinging. I have said this before when I was dishing out the feces and when I was eating it. We are just all overgrown ten year olds having fun in here.

When Pier or any of the others are pounding me about my miserable Sox I will take it and try to give it back. The same goes here. When all is said and done we are a pretty close knit family here just having fun. I just happen to be from the enemy camp. I am sure if there were a tragedy in one of our families that you guys would be the first to offer your support and condolences, it has already happened to me when I lost a two month old grand daugther last year.

I have had my fun now that the Cup resides in the Windy City and now I have to look forward to 4 months of mediocrity with my Pale Hose. Give me my moment in the sun and then let me have it between the eyes!

Windy

[JimBuck]

Windy, no offense taken brother, it was meant to be sarcastic but sarcasm just doesn't shine through on the internets. It's been fun giving you a hard time over the playoffs and I'm glad we've all kept a cool head about it. I've got plenty of friends and family in Chicago and I've taken quite the verbal beating the last few weeks! Overall, I'm glad to see Chicago take the cup. It's been too long and they've certainly earned it.

On a related note, what was up with Jeremy Roenick in the postgame? It probably wasn't the right time to start crying about never winning the cup, but I do like to see that kind of passion and sincerity from an announcer. I just found it to be a very awkward moment.

[OnAFly]

Roenick is an interesting individual. I never really know what's going on inside that head of his. Neither do the other announcers, I'm pretty sure

Either way, the guy is passionate about hockey, so I like him! I guess he never got a cup, so this was a little hard for him.

Congrats to the Hawks, and by the way, I've been predicting the Hawks in 6 from the start!