League News: 2017-2018 General NHL Fan Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff)

[VaCaps Fan]

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven (John Milton - Paradise Lost)

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Anyone think Methot wouldn't mind accidentally separating Crosby from one of his fingers?

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Well, Crosby did to someone else last year.....

 

[hockeykicker]

And then pitt gets a pp goal after this call

 

[VaCaps Fan]

I wear my Caps merch as old time hockey.

 

[ovikovy817]

This is not funny anymore. The league doesn't even care to show an unbiased face towards pens.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

I agree.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

This is not funny anymore. The league doesn't even care to show an unbiased face towards pens.

They got hosed the other day on the goaltender interference against Dumoulin.

 

[maacoshark]

Well, Crosby did to someone else last year.....

He did it to Methot

 

[maacoshark]

They got hosed the other day on the goaltender interference against Dumoulin.

Not sure they got hosed on that interference penalty. I thought Dumoulin made contact with the goalie when he was deep in the crease. The only way that isn't goaltender interference is if he was pushed into the goalie. I dont think goalie interference penalties arent called enough. They wave off a lot if goals but dont usually call a penalty.

 

[maacoshark]

And then pitt gets a pp goal after this call

Ya that was a pretty weak call

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Not sure they got hosed on that interference penalty. I thought Dumoulin made contact with the goalie when he was deep in the crease. The only way that isn't goaltender interference is if he was pushed into the goalie. I dont think goalie interference penalties arent called enough. They wave off a lot if goals but dont usually call a penalty.

Dumoulin was driving the net and pushed into Andersen by Hainsey. I thought it should've stood. They even gave him a 2 min minor for interference.

 

[twabby]

There is no league-wide conspiracy for the Penguins. The persecution complex is getting a little out of hand.

 

[RandyHolt]

Point counter point conspiracy theory 101 stuff, the annual cut and paste. The league had a closed door ping pong drawing which gifted them Sid, with a former player owed money and gifted the team. If they gave him the team and Sid, why stop there. I remember Mario whining and crying shaping games and the league as a player, and sure as shitsburgh the game changed to the style he always whined about wanting as a player after he became an owner. Ironic, with how much Pitt subtly clutches holds and interferes their way to cups.

The league wanted Pitt to do well because they considered them their top marketing piece. Let's be reality, hockey is not popular in the US and teams fail. As much as we want to call it a sport, hockey is in the entertainment business and is for profit. The viability of the league is the top priority.

NBC exclusively broadcasting and slurping Pitt was undeniable, and lasted years. Some of the non/suspensions and non/calls we have seen are undeniable, including Orpik breaking Semin's wrist. If that was Erskine on Sid he'd have been in jail.

 

[maacoshark]

Dumoulin was driving the net and pushed into Andersen by Hainsey. I thought it should've stood. They even gave him a 2 min minor for interference.

On the video I saw I didnt see Hainsey push him in the crease. I thought he went there on his own.

 

[Bieronymus Trotz]

There is no league-wide conspiracy for the Penguins. The persecution complex is getting a little out of hand.

There's no conspiracy, but that doesn't mean there aren't biases.

 

[4thTierSport]

Not sure they got hosed on that interference penalty. I thought Dumoulin made contact with the goalie when he was deep in the crease. The only way that isn't goaltender interference is if he was pushed into the goalie. I dont think goalie interference penalties arent called enough. They wave off a lot if goals but dont usually call a penalty.

Only part they got hosed on was the penalty. Pens player cut/braced for the contact and then cut across the crease with little to no contact and did not try to avoid the goalie in any way. Goalie had every right to push off the goal line and was impedded by the Pen player. Hell Pens should have been thankful because a ref was looking directly at Haglen when he was going on the forecheck and full reach, blade in the stomach Hooked a forward a minute or so prior to the goal.

Only reason I can think the penalty was called was due to the ref’s positioning. In the replay the ref was about on the goal line and on the far side. He saw contact and the goalie’s head snapping. I understand that call if that is the ref that called it.

Methott, I think he is fine if he stops after the first one. The excessive amount of cross checks and how much he is holding up the player makes that a reasonable call in a vaccum. What makes it bullshit is probably the excessive obstruction on Star forecheckers by the Pens all game.

The league is absolute garbage when it comes to rule enforcement and discipline. That starts with Colin Campbell and the whole way down to the video guys in the war room and DoPS to the newest lineman. It’s bad the whole way around, but the league has some fairly clear basis. I wouldn’t limit it to the Pens but they are a prime example.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I think it's pretty undeniable that Pittsburgh has turned into a team that has a substantial national following in the way Cleveland/Golden State does in the NBA or Yankees/Cubs/Red Sox in MLB. Look on the main board at the location of a lot of Pens fans, it's a scattering of the world. Crosby being the quintessential Canadian media darling is a very real thing and it has undeniably paid off in him becoming the favorite son of many Canadian households. Western PA is at best an above average sports market, but bandwagon fans and the marketing of Sid has made them into probably the most popular NHL team of the last decade.

I'm not saying there is an agenda or conspiracy, but you're off you're rocker if you don't think the league themselves much prefer a final of Pitt vs. LA, Pitt vs. Chicago, etc. as opposed to Nashville v. Tampa or Arizona vs. Florida.

I believe that officials are impartial or at least attempt to be, but I also think the league has probably created an environment where there are a lot of circumstances that have been created with the idea of elevating the top stars and this benefits the Pens the most. Also even the most judicial official (sweet nickname) is probably prone to some subconscious swaying when you work in an echo chamber that has created the narrative that the Penguins are a highly skilled team that the rest of the league goons it up against because they can't compete.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

On the video I saw I didnt see Hainsey push him in the crease. I thought he went there on his own.

Maybe they can call no goal on that play, but Dumoulin shouldn't have a minor penalty on top of that.

 

[4thTierSport]

I believe that officials are impartial or at least attempt to be, but I also think the league has probably created an environment where there are a lot of circumstances that have been created with the idea of elevating the top stars and this benefits the Pens the most. Also even the most judicial official (sweet nickname) is probably prone to some subconscious swaying when you work in an echo chamber that has created the narrative that the Penguins are a highly skilled team that the rest of the league goons it up against because they can't compete.

This is the part that blows my mind. Crosby and Sullivan have toned it down but they both run their mouths A LOT. Sullivan is not quite about it either. There would be a lot of other players and coaches that would rack up serious PIMs if they acted like those two. Also, Pens are pretty f***ing greasy! It blows my mind that so many people think they are so squeeky clean. I understand Captain Canada makes anything questionable a strong hockey play but still amazes me.

The superstar “class” is interesting. I definately think it exist but it’s hard to nail down outside of a few obvious cases.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Pens bandwagon fans are like the plague in Virginia.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

The league is a business, I get it, but if you do believe in the conspiracy agenda you would have to really do some mental gymnastics to explain to me how Tampa Bay and Carolina both have won Cups in the last 20 years. Washington has marketability in our own right and at this point we have a Dan Marino-esque storyline with Ovechkin. So I don't really buy the "hand picking" teams idea, Pens seem passe at this point, Washington would be a much more interesting story, or at least the league would orchestrate it for us to meet in the ECF.


Like I said, I don't think there's any intentional agenda. I think the real answer is when you live and work in an echo chamber it's impossible to actually be impartial. This is every sport. If you think Tom Wilson is dirty, every hit he makes will be suspect. If you repeatedly hear that Europeans are undisciplined you're likely to be less likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. At this point the Capitals choking narrative is NHL cannon, officials aren't going out to put the screws to us, but they're also not going to look at a mismatch in PP and think "that's odd" because it fits the narrative. So I think your Don Cherry's and such have been way more detrimental to the league than any official NHL decree to make the Pens the golden boys. I would think it's hard to avoid these perceptions if you work in hockey.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Pens bandwagon fans are like the plague in Virginia.

Of biblical proportions....

 

[Langway]

Taking 'The Night You Love to Hate' to a whole 'nother f***ing level. There's not enough cringe to go around with these cameo spots.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

There is a definite bias towards the Pens. The League and the media created that atmosphere. It’s been evident for years and years.

Have to overcome that, though.