Lunatic

Believe it or not baseball revenue is not even in the same time zone as the NHL. Yes the nhlpa head is in my professional opinion an amazing union head. He isn't about the glory believe it or not. He does his job and says really nothing to the media. It's all buisness. He is not scary at all. He just has the brians to know what he can get and asks for more. There is way to much to lose here on both sides. Owners will be very vocal towards Bettman as this continues.

I think, hope, you are right. Betman is a marketing man. Last go-around he went up against a lightweight. Fehr is smart and knows the game. Hopefully, the owners reel Bettman in.

Sorry, Jammer. I hate to post this, but;

There is posturing then there is posturing. Donald Fehr is not one to mess with. He turned the baseball union into one that really scares the devil out of baseball owners. Look at baseball's collective agreement. The players got and will continue to get exactly what they wanted. If Fehr can hold the players together, Bettman needs to be careful, very careful!

The owner's proposal is just probably a salvo shot across the unions bow to get things started, if not, the NHL owners are in for more than they are bargaining for!

Wow! To sign both players will mean major roster changes.

As long as they are winning there is no question about the starting goalie.

Ain't it sweat!

I have another query - when was the last (first?) time McKenzie was, you know, actually right about something?

Ouch. I am still trying to think of an example. It may be awhile.

Giroux, at least yesterday has taken the "C"whether he is actually wears the letter on his sweater,really does not matter. And, as you pointed out, maybe it's best this way.

I watched Giroux's interview after the game. The interviewer wanted to talk about how great a game G played. All G talked about was the team and especially Bryz's effort today. I then read Mckenzie's article stating that Giroux should be made captain.

G is young, but i have to agre with Mckenzie It is time to nameClaude captain.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=393937

Even before the season was over there were stories in the Vancouver newspapers that Alain Vigneault had maybe lost the room and that the team needed a new voice.

Well Vancouver has won back-to-back Presidents' Trophies and when I look at this first round loss I don't see a team that quit on their coach. It didn't look as though Vigneault had lost the room. If Daniel Sedin had been in this from start to finish, maybe the result is a little bit different. But full value to the Los Angeles Kings for winning the series, and from the Vancouver Canucks side: I suppose it's possible Vigneault might not be back next year.

There are really three reasons why you get rid of a coach. One is the sense the general manager feels it's time for a change; that the coach has lost the room. The second is you want change for change's sake. There might be an owner, fans or media that says ‘We lost in the first round, we thought we were going to win the Cup, bring us somebody's head.' And the third reason would be if Vigneault senses he's done everything he can and there might be other opportunities he could be interested in – where it's almost a mutual thing – then that's a possibility too.

Mike Gillis will know the temperature of that room better than anybody else, but this doesn't strike me as a 'fire the coach' situation. I'm not saying it won't happen; it just doesn't strike me as a 'fire the coach' situation.

Give Giroux his due

I don't think there's any question that the Philadelphia Flyers are now definitively Claude Giroux's team.

Put the 'C' on his sweater right now.

We don't expect Chris Pronger back anytime soon if at all and Giroux proved in the playoff series win over Pittsburgh why he means so much to the Flyers.

Over the course of the regular season Evgeni Malkin was the best player in the NHL while Giroux was one of the top two or three along with Steven Stamkos. In this series there was no question Giroux was the best player on the ice.

In the big picture of the series 14 points in six games is an unbelievable performance.

But in Game 6 in particular, when things were starting to slide for the Flyers, it was Giroux who on the first shift of the game set the tone. He knocked down Sidney Crosby and scored the goal for the Flyers.

Giroux talked about the pressure before the game and how he wanted to embrace it and he did.

He was the difference maker in so many regards in this series.

Crosby not quite back to old level

Sidney Crosby did have his moments in this series but wasn't always the dominating presence we are used to.

He had the great first period in Game 1 on the goal to start things off. He had the great first period in Game 2 but sustained excellence was difficult to come by.

In Game 3 the wheels came off for him and the Penguins. He got petulant, he got upset and he was unfocused.

He had a good Game 4 but in Game 5 he took that hit from Malkin and almost from that point forward, he really wasn't a noticeable factor in the hockey games.

The situation for Crosby is this: he played just 22 regular season games and his game on a consistent basis wasn't where I'm sure he wanted it to be or where other people hoped it would be.

A fish rots from the head back!

Bryz, you have been through h ell this season. Great Game Atta Boy!

Hossa's blood is on Shanny. many NFL retired players are suing their league, in the form of a class action suit, for intentionally ignoring their head injuries. The last two weeks has given the NHL Player's Union all the ammo it needs to launch a suite of their own which would to destroy the NHL. I've followed NHL hockey for almost fifty years. If this keeps up, I won't follow NHL hockey for a fifty-first year.

I believe that Neal has a previous incident.

See Sheridan's article. The NHL is in a bind. The Pens are the NHL's favorite sons. They can do no wrong. Sid is the "fair-haired-boy (girl"). They are very protected/favored. Collectively the legues marketing stars. However, Gary Bettman is a lawyer first last and always. If the NHL does not act quickly and decisively in regard to blatant headhunting, they are opening themselves up for a massive NFL type, class action law suit, by previous players, for allowing/encouraging play that permanently impairs the players cognitive and physical functioning. It will be interesting to see how the league responds today.

Classy post.

I guess he found his map.

Emotionally I would love to see it, but not as much as a Flyers sweep.

The NHL has no credibility if there are no suspensions. But when it comes to Cindy they don't care. Get some cahones Shanny, will you.

Both caught on tape, both guilty. But I vote, umh, maybe Asham, not Neal. Nah. No suspensions.

Valley Forge Military Academy - 1966

Campbell epitomizes something that is wrong with the NHL, nepotism. If his last name were Smith, or whatever, he would not be where he is today. He was a mediocre player and even worse NHL executive. He has no credibility what-so-ever. When he was caught trying to influence how referees call his sons' play, he should have been summarily dismissed, instead he was kicked upstairs. What a black eye for the NHL!

I just changed my mind about Milbury, well not really.

BSeriously, how much longer do we have to put up with this. Boycott the Flyers when Bryz plays!

"Nobody should every be judged by the worst thing that they ever did." Richard North Patterson

I have not been thrilled with his play, but after listening to this tape have to give him credit. He said what he had to to survive and he did it in a nice way. No screaming or blaming others, just straight and simple "leave me alone" to do my job. I wish him success.

Good article. I was actually going to post about Giroux and his slump. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I think Giroux has scored 8 points in the last 10 games with only two goals. If you minus his first game back with 4 points, he has 4 points in 9 games after his concussion. Is it possible he still has some effects or symptoms, or is he just slumping?

I've noticed some small things in his game lately. He doesn't seem to be as tough on the puck along the wall during battles, he loses his center iceman on the backcheck which has produced many goals against, and the most noticeable for me is he has turned gun shy and has reverted to his pass first mentality. I think one of the reasons he was so successful earlier in the season besides his hustle was that he wasn't as predictable to the other teams. He shot alot more and showed he has a wicked and accurate one at that. I think he's trying to do much in the offensive zone( the whole team is being too cute lately) and not enough in the defensive. Keep it simple.

I was worried. After his first game back he was interviewed. His speech was very dysfluent, almost stuttering like, one of the possible symtoms of concussion. I do not trust the Flyers medical staff, and I would bet that Guru wanted to return ASAP!

Z looked really good tonight too. Nice problem to have -- trying to decide which young, well-playing forward to sit or send down. All these guys are only going to get better. We're going to have a decent team in a couple of seasons. Hopefully next season. Need some work on "d".

I see the bright side of this team. I do not thinka that anyone at the beginning of the season expected the Flyers to do so well. They have a wonderful assortment of very talented kids, and some exceptional veterans. It probably won't hppen this year, but if they refrain from trading any of the kids, for an overaged veteren, they may be great next year and te following.