B21

That might be the plan. He centered Cooke and Kennedy in practice today. Bylsma kept Neal/Malkin/Kunitz and Sullivan/Staal/Dupuis together. Martin and Letang could be back, too. Finally.

That was the day after the wild 6-4 win against the Flyers. Brent Johnson was is net. One of those flat games. Were you impressed when we beat you 8-3? 21-4-1 in their last 26 does not impress you, Rick? Sheesh. If I caught a 3' halibut I'd bet you'd be impressed.

I agree...right now I'd go Stamkos if the Bolts make the playoffs and his numbers remain slightly better than Malkin's.

Yuppers. Just like the Cy Young in baseball vs. MVP. For a pitcher to win MVP, he's got to be ** THAT ** dominant. Lundy is having a phenominal year but when the back-up is 11-4 with a 2.25 GAA and that back-up is Biron (i.e. - whoever is in net plays behind an above-average D) I can't quite bring myself to say Lundy should win it. He should be a lock for the Vezina but the MVP should come down to Stamkos and Malkin.

I forgot all about those last few games. Even more reason I don't want to play you. If they did meet in Round 1 and that went 7 games, can you imagine how much those teams would be hating each other? Bring on the Panthers.

I like reading here and just don't want to put up with the inevitable bizzaching the second a 50/50 call goes the Pens' way. I figure if we don't play things will be limited to the griping about Kronwall and Lucic and Shanny. Heck, even Cooke's antics didn't lead to a 200 post thread on Philly.com. Plus I don't like the way the Bryzaster (one of the best play on a name I've seen) has been playing...i.e., well.

For the Pens, I'd rather be the 6. I'm more confident w/o home ice against the Jets, Caps or Panthers than I am with home ice against the Flyers and especially the Devils. We don't match up well with the Devils and the Flyers is bound to be a war. Even as a 4, unless their are upsets in 2 of the other 3 series, you are going on the road in the next round anway so might as well root for the best match up in the first round...home ice be damned. Now if the Sens sneak into the 5 spot? Sign me up for 4.

I know but do you really think this one was ** that ** obvious? If so, then my point is N/A to you.

Why does Kronwall have to drop the gloves unless it's an obvious cheap shot? Why does it seem like every time a player levels another with a "big hit" he is expected to answer for it by fighting? Unless it's a blatantly obvious cheap shot/intent to injure then Kronwall doesn't have to answer for anything in this game. I know the players don't have the advantage of seeing a replay of a hit during the game but still...if it is obvious enough (and this one wasn't) then by all means, have at him or criticize him if he doesn't answer the bell. If its not until after the game that it's clear a hit was cheap, get him next time. Players remember things like that. Fans (myself included) want to see more legal big hits. I don't want to see scrum after scrum or fight after pointless because you got me good (legally) so now I gotta get you back. That's not hockey and that's not the purpose fighting is meant to serve.

Now THAT would have been marketing brilliance.

Watching that debate was almost surreal...Milbury arguing FOR a suspension and Roenick arguing AGAINST. I felt dirty agreeing with Milbury on anything.

I think he should be allowed but ESPN reported that he withdrew saying he didn't want to be a distraction and didn't deserve to be there.

Agree. 3 seems about right.

<< The Bruins are dirty or at least it seems like the dirty hits from Bruins players are happening more frequently. >> Ference got at least one game. He was suspended for the game today with a decision on additional games pending. Sounds like the couldn't decide on a final number but knew it would be at least 1.

<< I wonder what they didn't like?? >> Bargaining chip when negotiations come up? Just a thought. "OK, NHL, we'll give you your realignment but add another 1% to our cut...."

@FC Of course anyone can be traded. If it were once or twice I wouldn't make an issue of it. But Pronger has been dealt 4 times and only once was it know to be due to a team dumping salary to rebuild. When, as you said, the guy is known to be a jerk, that really tells me something. Not doubting his skills at all.

<< This is the 10th time supplimental discipline has been handed to Carcillo. I don't think 7 games is enough. >> Agree 100%. Should have been 15 (or more). Suspensions of that length would appear to have more of an impact. (See: Cooke, Matt - so far).

<< For the most part every player has a price tag that if another GM was willing to over pay for, most GM's will take that deal and better their team. >> Not so sure I agree with that. It's not like what those teams got in return was "overwhelming". These weren't Gretzky-trade-like offers. What you gave up for Pronger wasn't that far off what the Pens gave Atlanta for Hossa...and Hossa was a rental.

<< Gretzky? Messier? Coffey? Jagr? Horton? >> Gretzky signed with the Rangers turning down more money from the Blues. The trade from the Oilers to the Kings was a money issue. Messier's trade from the Oilers to the Rangers was also due to salary issues. He signed with Vancouver and resigned with New York. Pretty much out there that he's a great leader and locker room guy, no? Jagr is a well know head case. Trade twice and the return was a lot less that what he was worth. Kinda proves my point. Horton????

<< So what are these off ice issues you are speaking of? You make it sound as if the reasons why he was traded several times had more to do with some lockerroom issues than the fact that the aquiring teams made an offer that couldn't be turned down. >> I don't know of any. I just find it a bit odd that a guy who is such a "winner" has been traded four times in his career (St. Louis was a salary dump). That tells me something. Even several of your fellow Flyers fans had speculated about the exact same thing in the old forum so this is nothing new. You'd be hard pressed to find a player of Pronger's caliber who has been traded that many times.

<< A future Hall of Fame defenseman gets a bit more leeway (sp?) than a career punk, right? >> Haven't you been one of the biggest anti-"stars should not get preferential treatment" guys? Now Pronger gets a "pass" because he's a future HOFer? As far as on ice incidents, Pronger = Cooke. One being a better player than the other means nothing.

@ HF101 << I don't recall anyone here saying Pronger is not a good locker room guy. Nor has he worn out his welcome in Philly. As for Cooke, he's changed his play this season, and has become a much more valuable player this season. good for him. >> Missing my point. It's not about who here said he is/isn't a good locker room guy. It is about the fact that he has work out his welcome "just about everywhere" he's been. Not Philly...yet. But this was going to be his last stop anyway. The other point I was making is that you have two guys who have had their share of on ice incidents yet Pronger would also appear so have some off ice (i.e. - locker room) issues as well.

<< No offence intended B21, but calling someone out when you cheer for a team that ices Matt Cooke on it's roster is kind of ironic, no? (and yes, we've all seen how well he's behaved...doesn't take away from what he's done) I'm going to go out on a limb here and say a lot of the hate for Miller comes from last years playoffs where he was running his mouth and acting like an D!ck, and then there's the whole Buffalo Rick experience on the other board. Heck, that'd turn me if I was a sabre fan. >> Fair but I could say the same about Flyers fans and Chris Pronger. I know...he's mellowed in his old age. But there was wasn't a peep about his history when he was brought to Philly. Just the opposite exactly ("Born to be a Flyer!")...and we are talking about 8 suspensions in his career. On the ice, Cooke and Pronger have equally bad histories i/m/h/o. I can buy an argument either way of one being worse than the other but that's splitting hairs. Cooke has at least been a good locker room guy whereas Pronger has worn out his welcome at just about every stop along the way. If Cooke is a "disgrace" then so is Pronger (I don't think either are but you can't say that about one and not the other). The only difference that that Pronger has been "cleaner" longer. So I have to (respectfully) disagree that just because I root for a team with Matt Cooke does not mean I can't call Tootoo a POS. If that's the going train of thought here I should never have to hear it from fans of a team that have employed the likes of a Chris Pronger.

<< Miller constantly whines and cries - and tons of goalies get run and landed on all the time. Unless you want to give a free pass to all goalies, which I don't want to regarding beating guys into the ice literally, you have to be against Miller's actions. Anisimov acted in a totally classless and dishonorable manner. He disgraced the entire game with those NFL antics. >> I don't care how much Miller whines. He had a legit beef here. Just because goalies get run all the time doesn't make it OK. It was Miller's first game back from a concussion that was the result on the exact same thing. There is running the goalie to try and get under his skin and then there is what Tootoo did. Way way WAY over the top. Don't think for a second that Tootoo didn't know the deal with Miller. It's the goalies job to stop the puck....that is what they are focused on. Not some POS who's sole intent is to take them out.

Gotta admit...I love the irony here sometimes. People (not you!) were calling for Ryan Miller to be suspended for losing it when Tootoo ran him yet Anisimov DESERVES a beating for a tasteless celebration. It's OK to take out the guy acting like a tool but not OK for the guy returning from a concussion due to a cheap shot to go ape on a guy who took an even worse cheap shot on him in his first game back.