Some Flyers Fans think Tim Thomas Cheated (Water bottle)

[Digityman]

Also known as "Water Bottlegate"

First - I didn't come up with this.

Second - I don't think it's cheating

Third - I don't think it had any change on the outcome.

Here's the gist -

Just before the shootout, Tim Thomas takes his water bottle and sprays a little out on the ice before he puts some on his face.

The first shooter, Matt Read, fumbles the puck and runs into Thomas.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DJHpjpmBm0

Here's the still:

Here's where Read fell

1) There are no rules against this

2) From what I know, that little bit of water would have frozen fairly fast.

3) Matt Read lost the puck before he reached "that area" of the ice

However, if there are no rules against this perhaps the Flyers goalie Bryzgalov should be using the following since he is 0-5 facing shots in the shootout this year.

[JackStraw]

I don't think the sprinkler would work. At this point Bryz needs one of these:

[AJgoal]

Meh. I think Read lost the puck before he got to where the wet patch would have been. I'm not sure the water would have frozen by then, it can take a few minutes for the water the zam lays down to freeze, which would slow the freezing process for the new water. But I don't think Thomas sprayed it out that far, and he certainly wouldn't have made a big patch of water. Read would have had to almost aim for it to hit it when he stickhandled.

[WingNut722]

I'm a member of a curling club here in New Jersey where I routinely help with the ice maintenance. When adding water to the ice, we use HOT water which freezes within a minute of being applied. The water in the bottle was obviously cold after being out in the arean through the entire game. This water would have had no bearing on Read's skating ability.

[xganarchy]

I noticed Thomas do that, and thought it was quite interesting, but didn't think it would really have a big effect

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

This water would have had no bearing on Read's skating ability.

Not on the skating ability...on his controling the puck. He lost the puck in the visinity of where the water was squirted.

[The Quigster]

One thing we now know about Thomas in he is an international ScumBag and its probably genetic. Nothing a "D" cell barrage wouldn't clear up! Ask Dave Parker. Hows your head Dave? Bumpy?

[WingNut722]

Not on the skating ability...on his controling the puck. He lost the puck in the visinity of where the water was squirted.

Either way, ice is ice. The water would have frozen well before Read approached and wouldn't have had any impact at all.

[Podein25]

Either way, ice is ice.

Profound.

Ice with water on top of it is not ice. It is ice with water on top of it. If there's enough of it (water on ice), it stops the puck dead in it's tracks, almost always.

Hockey players are accustomed to dealing with this, at the beginning of periods etc, but it can still happen if you are not careful, or if you handle the puck like Dan Carcillo.

Just sayin'

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Ice with water on top of it is not ice. It is ice with water on top of it. If there's enough of it (water on ice), it stops the puck dead in it's tracks, almost always.

Or it has the opposite effect if there is a thin layer of water on top of the ice. It reduces the friction on the puck and can make it travel faster. That's what I think possibly (not 100% sure, but possibly) could have happened here. Matt Read came in and tried to stick handle and get the puck to his backhand. The puck moved faster than he expected and he lost control. The puck didn't bounce or stick to the ice, it squirted (no pun intended) off his stick into the corner.

[Podein25]

Yeah, good point @AlaskaFlyerFan

At this point in the discussion I would like to declare my 61% mark in Grade 12 physics.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Podein25