You have got to be frickin kidding me with this...

[AndyS]

Careful. 7-game series. B)

You can't keep going down 3-0 and expect to come back every time, right? Right? RIGHT?

I can see the on-ice conversations in Game 2 already.

"You score first."

"No really, you score first."

"No no no...you score first!"

"Really - I insist. You are the visitor. Please score first."

"It's your building - you score first. Please - don't embarrass me."

It's going to be a great series.

With every game the Flyers' young guns will gain confidence.

[flyerrod]

I'll tell you what signal to look for that is a guarantee for more: When Gary Bettman is in the audience for your game, watch the penalty count rise...it's like magic!

Exhibit A: Wings-Preds Game 1

Abracadabra! 17 penalties for the 2 least-penalized teams in the league.

Watch for that signal! It's coming to an arena near you!

One large advantage we have in Philly, every time he shows his face in the building, he loses face with the bronx cheers he gets....and in Philly, he gets them every time. He is known and universally hated by fairly knowledgeable group of fans. If someone were to ask him which his least favorite building to go into, I think we can guess the answer. He can safely attend the Devils/Panthers series.....and getting tickets won't be a problem either....

[SpikeDDS]

@ flyerrod

I don't know how much of an advantage it is quite frankly, but I'm sure it's more fun!

[Lunatic]

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!

[OzFlyer]

@SheridanScribe: #Pens Orpik said Briere clearly offside on 1st goal but "they missed an icing on our third goal, too."

[BobDailey]

Look, he fixed it for his son to go from the panthers to the cup winning bruins- how does that happen? Its like insider trading.

he was under investigation for monkeying around with refs in regard to his son last season

he helped fix the 2009 Pens cup win by overturning 2 game misconducts on Malkin in game 2one with an automatic suspension, DUUUHHHH

Plus he was friggin NYR GM when they won the cup

With regrets to all the lawyers on ths board if there are any ( I know a few highly ethical ones)

Its like the joke about what do you call an ocean liner thats full of lawyers at the bottom of the ocean-- A START

Remove lawyers and insert NHL officios

I will never make a threat against any NHL employee, commissioner or Crosby doorknob polishers but I bask in the glow of their failures and being exposed at their overt attempts to overturn fair play and affect the outcomes of alleged sporting events for marketing the fracking Penguins & Crosby or their latest man crush as the the beaon of light in the NHL to the great unwashed masses.

Edited April 12, 2012 by BobDailey

[Bakanekimiwa]

“It affected the game,”

Sidney Crosby

said. “But at the end of the day, worrying about it or thinking about it is not going to change anything. It’s over.”

what a b i t c h. geebus.. it's saying stuff like this that makes me lose more and more respect for him every day. a non whiner would say exactly what bylsma said... it wasn't the reason we lost.

[five6four]

lets not all act surprised. campbell was drafted by, and played for the Penguins back in the 30s or whenever the f he played.

[radoran]

Campbell has a long, storied history of whining about the Flyers.

To have a person like that in the highest levels of your organization is inexcusable.

[Southwestflyer]

I'm sure at any moment the league will apologize for other missed calls.... Like we are sorry about the non-offsides call in the1980 stanley cup... Or we are sorry about Brett Hull's skate in the crease. Won't they?

[peter puck]

To have a person like that in the highest levels of your organization is inexcusable

On November 1, 2006, Campbell rejected a 5 year, $7.5 million offer from the Philadelphia Flyers to be their general manager. I'm glad we dodged that bullet.

[radoran]

On November 1, 2006, Campbell rejected a 5 year, $7.5 million offer from the Philadelphia Flyers to be their general manager. I'm glad we dodged that bullet.

Which was one of the most ridiculous offers ever made. I would rather have had Mike Millbury. Ugh. Did I really write that?

Seriosuly, if you Google Campbell and Flyers once you get past his time in his current position, he's kvetching about Lindros and how the Flyers never get called for things. And that's the tip of the iceberg.

[B21]

@B21

I don't think there is anyone on this board that thinks this series is going to be anything less than a slobberknocker. I agree big time with flyercanucks remarks. I just hope this is not Campbell's signal to the refs to start increasing the amount of calls. Last night's game was a hit fest for both teams for 3 periods. Aside from the 2 weak calls on "Bruiser " Giroux and Zac"I am gonna get called" Rinaldo. Those even through your goggles should be seen as weak.....

Agree. And this missed call on Simmond's trip of Fleury in the 1st? Even steven if you want to argue bad calls for/against in that game.

[Merrick]

@Southwestflyer

Meltzer had a pretty good blurb regarding this at the bottom of his blog this morning. I think it's spot-on:

The NHL's Colin Campbell officially apologized to the Penguins for the obvious blown offside call that led to Briere's first goal of the game. No. I have problems with that. I have no problem with that.

However, the Flyers are still awaiting their apology (or at least plausible explanation) for the first-period blown icing call. However, the Flyers are still awaiting their apology (or at least plausible explanation) for the blown first-period icing call. Oh and while the NHL is in apologetic mood, Philadelphia's wait for the League apology is now 22 years and Counting for the non-calls on Denis Potvin's blatantly high-sticked goal and even more blatant offside committed on Brent Sutter's goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup final. Oh and while the NHL is an apologetic mood, Philadelphia's wait for a league apology is now 22 years and counting for the non-calls on Denis Potvin's blatantly high-sticked goal and even more blatant offside committed on Brent Sutter's goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final.

The Truth of the matter is that the non-calls in Game 1 ultimately evened out. The truth of the matter is that the non-calls in Game 1 ultimately evened out. Officials are human, too, and there are inevitably numerous other points within the game that Contribute to a Win or a loss. Officials are human, too, and there are inevitably numerous other points within the game that contribute to a win or a loss.

http://www.hockeybuz...nguins/45/43793

Edited April 13, 2012 by Merrick

[B21]

@Southwestflyer

Meltzer had a pretty good blurb regarding this at the bottom of his blog this morning. I think it's spot-on:

The NHL's Colin Campbell officially apologized to the Penguins for the obvious blown offside call that led to Briere's first goal of the game. No. I have problems with that. I have no problem with that.

However, the Flyers are still awaiting their apology (or at least plausible explanation) for the first-period blown icing call. However, the Flyers are still awaiting their apology (or at least plausible explanation) for the blown first-period icing call. Oh and while the NHL is in apologetic mood, Philadelphia's wait for the League apology is now 22 years and Counting for the non-calls on Denis Potvin's blatantly high-sticked goal and even more blatant offside committed on Brent Sutter's goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup final. Oh and while the NHL is an apologetic mood, Philadelphia's wait for a league apology is now 22 years and counting for the non-calls on Denis Potvin's blatantly high-sticked goal and even more blatant offside committed on Brent Sutter's goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final.

The Truth of the matter is that the non-calls in Game 1 ultimately evened out. The truth of the matter is that the non-calls in Game 1 ultimately evened out. Officials are human, too, and there are inevitably numerous other points within the game that Contribute to a Win or a loss. Officials are human, too, and there are inevitably numerous other points within the game that contribute to a win or a loss.

http://www.hockeybuz...nguins/45/43793

That's an outright lie by Meltzer. Campbell was asked in an interview and answered. Period. There was no official friggin' apology.

http://www.oficeandmenhockey.com/2012/04/nhl-playoffs-colin-campbell-apologizes-for-missed-offsides-call-no-suspension-for-weber/

Similar comments for the Clowe incident, too. I didn't see anyone up in arms over that. And pointed out by a Flyers blogger no less.

So typical...

[terp]

That's an outright lie by Meltzer. Campbell was asked in an interview and answered. Period.

This is a little strong. Whether Campbell "issued" the apology or not isn't material. It is an on the record apology by a league official; in other words, an official apology. I suspect Meltzer would settle for the same type of official apology for the 1980 incidents.

[Irishjim]

This is a little strong. Whether Campbell "issued" the apology or not isn't material. It is an on the record apology by a league official; in other words, an official apology. I suspect Meltzer would settle for the same type of official apology for the 1980 incidents.

I Agree Terp, For it to be official does it have to have a gold seal and be notarized as well. if he said it directly to reporters thats official.

[Merrick]

@B21

I think you’re getting too caught up in the “official apology” wording. While I admit that there was nothing official about it, Campbell came across as apologetic in the interview. It’s not like Meltzer is the only person who sees it that way—if you google “Campbell” and “apologize,” you get hits like

“Colin Campbell Apologizes”

“And NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell is apologizing for it. ‘There's no other way to explain it but a missed call,’ Campbell told the Canadian Press. ‘We're as upset as Pittsburgh almost. It's a mistake.’

“NHL Apologizes for Missing Call Against Pens in Game 1 Vs. Flyers” (from 96.1 KISS—a Pittsburgh station)

Regardless of whether the apology was “official” (and if it was even an apology), Meltzer said he had no problem with it. I got the impression that he was more upset about the lack of an explanation from the league for what happened between the Flyers and the Islanders many moons ago.

He didn’t seem too up-in-arms to me. As a matter of fact, I thought he was simply stating that bad calls—no matter which way they go—have a way of eventually evening out.

[sarsippius]

Does anybody have an actual transcript of the interview? In all the articles I've dug up on this, I can't find the the word "apologize" anywhere. The word apology only appears in headlines and article text, written by hacks and their editors, not any actual quote.

Don't get me wrong, it annoys me to no end that Campbell even felt the need to take apologetic tone to Bettman's Bettys, but let's separate fact fact from conjecture

[radoran]

Leon Stickle has acknowledged blowing the 1980 call:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/flashbacks/heroes/nystrom/

"I guess I blew it," Stickle said after seeing a replay. "The puck came back across the line. Maybe there was black tape on Goring's stick and it confused me. Or maybe I was too close to the play. I just missed it."

Bylsma has said he doesn't believe the missed call was the reason his team lost the game.

Missed calls happen. They are a part of the game and a part of hockey lore (as the Stickle incident amply demonstrates). Dealing with the adversity of only being up 3-1 at home in Game One of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs shouldn't be that hard.

[aziz]

Does anybody have an actual transcript of the interview? In all the articles I've dug up on this, I can't find the the word "apologize" anywhere. The word apology only appears in headlines and article text, written by hacks and their editors, not any actual quote.

because it isn't there. campbell says it was a blown call, and that as the linesman's employer, the nhl is pissed about it.

there is no apology, official or otherwise. people with victim complexes overreacting as normal.

was it an unusual statement? yeah. then again, missing an offsides call THAT badly is unusual, too.

[mojo1917]

I actually think the linesman couldn't see the play because of where Orpik's skates were relative to where the linesman was...i think he had to make a guess, that pass was crisp and the play started 90+ feet away... guy's human.

Edit: I guess I meant Martin's skates...

Edited April 13, 2012 by mojo1917

[Bakanekimiwa]

because it isn't there. campbell says it was a blown call, and that as the linesman's employer, the nhl is pissed about it.

there is no apology, official or otherwise. people with victim complexes overreacting as normal.

was it an unusual statement? yeah. then again, missing an offsides call THAT badly is unusual, too.

ok... we're gonna play the semantics game here again? so he didn't say he was 'sorry', but it was sure as **** a mea culpa and a highly unusual one at that. can you ever recall another time where the league VP came out and said as much in an interview?

i don't care if it was an interview either... these words are carefully measured and the timing and narrator are all highly suspect. victim complex? please. i have no victim complex. i've just followed hockey for a long a s s damn time and i don't recall ever a situation where a league VP seemed it fit to express his 'opinion' on a blown call in such a way.

and the point begs to be brought up... why did he not make a statement about the ryan clowe incident which was much more egregious than a blown off-sides call. which BTW, happens just about *every* frickin game.

[B21]

This is a little strong. Whether Campbell "issued" the apology or not isn't material. It is an on the record apology by a league official; in other words, an official apology. I suspect Meltzer would settle for the same type of official apology for the 1980 incidents.

Wrong. Where does he say he is "sorry" or anything remotely close to it? When a league issues an official statement...it's just that. Official. Not a comment made by a league executive during what was apparently an otherwise routing interview.

Keep reaching.

[B21]

@B21

I think you’re getting too caught up in the “official apology” wording. While I admit that there was nothing official about it, Campbell came across as apologetic in the interview. It’s not like Meltzer is the only person who sees it that way—if you google “Campbell” and “apologize,” you get hits like

“Colin Campbell Apologizes”

“And NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell is apologizing for it. ‘There's no other way to explain it but a missed call,’ Campbell told the Canadian Press. ‘We're as upset as Pittsburgh almost. It's a mistake.’

“NHL Apologizes for Missing Call Against Pens in Game 1 Vs. Flyers” (from 96.1 KISS—a Pittsburgh station)

Regardless of whether the apology was “official” (and if it was even an apology), Meltzer said he had no problem with it. I got the impression that he was more upset about the lack of an explanation from the league for what happened between the Flyers and the Islanders many moons ago.

He didn’t seem too up-in-arms to me. As a matter of fact, I thought he was simply stating that bad calls—no matter which way they go—have a way of eventually evening out.

Not at all. Look at the first statement of the article.

The NHL's Colin Campbell officially apologized to the Penguins for the obvious blown offside call that led to Briere's first goal of the game. No. I have problems with that.

How Meltzer "feels" is irrelevant. His statement is completely false.