I'm curious what you all think of last night's events (not the ones around some NCAA program) because for me, a longtime hockey fan, Peter Laviolette and his Flyers took one for the team. For hockey even.
Look, teams trap. I get this. Usually it's to protect a lead or mitigate a scarier opponent. But what the Lightning did (and often do) -- not even bothering to forecheck at home, in the first period, with the score tied -- takes the trap and all of its Lemaire cynicism to its logical extreme. So the sight of the Flyers simply standing there with the puck, daring the Lightning to play hockey and actually enter the offensive zone, was a welcome, hilarious one for me. Oddly, I found myself on the same side of an issue as Mike Milb-He Who Shall Not Be Named.
I get it, I think, if you feel differently. After all, Jacques Lemaire proved boring (and a leaguewide refusal to call hooking, holding and interference by the book so that expansion teams could do alright before there was a shootout to help them) wins hockey games. But before wins comes sport as entertainment. If the NHL were a league of 30 teams who didn't bother to forecheck even with the score tied -- even with millions of dollars of offensive talent on the bench at home -- then I'd stop watching.
Sometimes a greater good is involved. And for me, for Laviolette's Flyers to expose the Lightning on their home ice -- fans were booing the Flyers, but it was the Bolts who were standing still without the puck, which is the object of this game -- well all of last night was for the greater good.
I don't want a rule trying to regulate hockey's free-flowing game. I don't want the Lightning to be penalized. I want them to be shamed into doing their part to keep hockey's flow viable.
Never thought I'd say this, but it's a shame the Flyers lost (in OT) last night.
Islanders/Hockey Links
Philly-Tampa Bay: Pronger, naturally, comes off pining. But I get it. Here's Puck Daddy on it all (with video).
Colorado: The big news from the Avs' side, other than Matt "Not Tavares" Duchene getting shifted around from line to line and center to wing, is the possible return of much-concussed Peter Mueller tonight.
- New York Islanders - Hockey, wings, and Ice Girls
- Movember update (photo): Movember 2011 - 11/08/2011
- And this, uh, interestingly timed piece: Fact: The Islanders are a different team
Newsday: The Islanders don't win on the road much, should probably start doing that.
McGowan: Another pro-Montoya statement.
Botta on current topics: SNY.tv’s "ISLANDERS INTERACTIVE"Part I: Trade market, Slump, Staios, Snow, KO
I wonder what Hoppy would say about all this: Senators' Zenon Konopka: Wolski elbow on Daniel Alfredsson still 'pisses me off'' (The Rangers won, 3-2. Avery fought Zenon early.)
FIG Picks for tonight: Go here to register your FIG picks. A more thoughtful game preview will be up later.
And other hockey stuff:
- Cullen: Ryder among top free agent performers
- Who’s Got the Worst Shot in the NHL? | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com
- Blue Jackets: Arniel alters pace, style of offense | BlueJackets Xtra
- Hockey Prospectus | Angles and Caroms: Can Coaches Keep Their Teams Out Of The Box?
- The least-heralded statistic in hockey: Penalty +/- | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com
- A Simple Solution To The NHL's Shootout Problem - SBNation.com
- Mmmm...Nabokov: Feschuk: Latest of ‘several’ concussions worries Reimer’s mom - thestar.com
- Watch the Washington Capitals slam each others’ rides | ProHockeyTalk
Okay, later game tonight. We'll have more later. But I am sincerely interested in what people think of the whole Boucher-trap (even with the score tied at home!) and the Flyers possibly funny, possibly petulant response.