[PST] Second Round: Washington (1st Metropolitan) vs Pittsburgh (2nd Metropolitan)

[TheFlamesVan]

Originally Posted by robaur

This is the reason why the NHL is considered to be a 2nd tier league. It's their inability to protect their players that makes them look terrible, especially their top players.

They need suspensions in the range of 10-15 games as a major deterrent and $100k fines. The max fine in the NHL is like 2-4k or something. It's a joke.

What league does this?

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by robaur

This is the reason why the NHL is considered to be a 2nd tier league. It's their inability to protect their players that makes them look terrible, especially their top players.

They need suspensions in the range of 10-15 games as a major deterrent and $100k fines. The max fine in the NHL is like 2-4k or something. It's a joke.

Exactly! the NHL has fewer American fans and market share, not because the lack of history, cultural engrainment, or climate; but simply because they do not suspend or fine people enough for hitting stars.

Someone forward this to Gary Bettman!

[robaur]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Lol.... Who considers it a second tier league? And what is the league supposed to do in a situation like this?

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

What league does this?

First, I'm giving a perception. Who's perception is this? It's a perception shared by a lot of the broadcasters/media persons south of the border. Rob Rossi went a little bit crazy in his article, but the fact is that he just lost it.......but that's generally the perception of the NHL in the states - that it's a dirty/cheap/2nd tier league. call it whatever you want.

surely, i don't hold that perception, but I'm also born and raised in Canada.

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by robaur

First, I'm giving a perception. Who's perception is this? It's a perception shared by a lot of the broadcasters/media persons south of the border. Rob Rossi went a little bit crazy in his article, but the fact is that he just lost it.......but that's generally the perception of the NHL in the states - that it's a dirty/cheap/2nd tier league. call it whatever you want.

surely, i don't hold that perception, but I'm also born and raised in Canada.

No it isn't. Hockey is fairly popular in the more affluent parts of the country. In this part of the US, I'd say hockey might be #1 right now since the Red Skins kind of suck.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by robaur

This is the reason why the NHL is considered to be a 2nd tier league. It's their inability to protect their players that makes them look terrible, especially their top players.

They need suspensions in the range of 10-15 games as a major deterrent and $100k fines. The max fine in the NHL is like 2-4k or something. It's a joke.

What exactly are you proposing? 10-15 games to Niskanen for what exactly? He had his eyes on the play the entire time and it's natural to put your stick up like and brace for impact when a player is coming at you full speed. He had literally no time to react any different as it was a bang, bang play with Crosby changing directions quickly like that. Crosby and Ovechkin were skating hard to the front of the net and their skates get caught. The only way this play is avoided is if all contact is taken out of the game. The only play that you can question is the two hander by Ovechkin on Crosby's arm which should have been a 2 minute minor.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by robaur

First, I'm giving a perception.

More accurately, you are giving *your* perception and then projecting that onto others.

And you are using the hyperbolic nonsense of a sportswriter absolutely despised inside his own market as justification.

[Weitz]

I do think the officiating in the NHL is a joke. But they do as directed.

Any league that changes the rules as the game goes on or in playoffs or whatever is embarrassing.

Until the GM's and owners decide they don't want that it will continue as is though.

[robaur]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Exactly! the NHL has fewer American fans and market share, not because the lack of history, cultural engrainment, or climate; but simply because they do not suspend or fine people enough for hitting stars.

Someone forward this to Gary Bettman!

Nice try at the sarcasm.

Market share has nothing to do with my point....so the reasons that you gave are pointless. For example:

Person A: "I don't really watch the NHL, but I can see how it's a good product. Looks like a well-run league"

Person B: "I don't really watch the NHL and the product would be even better if the NHL wasn't so bush league. Look how stars like Crosby get treated. What a joke....that never happens in the NBA or NFL."

I'm not stating that the opinions are factually correct, but the negative publicity that will come out of this hit is real.

Rob Rossi's piece in hockey circles get laughed off.....but to the fairweather neutral fan...who doesn't really know much about the NHL.....their opinion becomes that of Rossi's.

[bax]

Originally Posted by robaur

Nice try at the sarcasm.



Market share has nothing to do with my point....so the reasons that you gave are pointless. For example:



Person A: "I don't really watch the NHL, but I can see how it's a good product. Looks like a well-run league"



Person B: "I don't really watch the NHL and the product would be even better if the NHL wasn't so bush league. Look how stars like Crosby get treated. What a joke....that never happens in the NBA or NFL."



I'm not stating that the opinions are factually correct, but the negative publicity that will come out of this hit is real.



Rob Rossi's piece in hockey circles get laughed off.....but to the fairweather neutral fan...who doesn't really know much about the NHL.....their opinion becomes that of Rossi's.

So wouldn't that make Rob Rossi the issue and not the league?

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by robaur

Nice try at the sarcasm.

Market share has nothing to do with my point....so the reasons that you gave are pointless. For example:

Person A: "I don't really watch the NHL, but I can see how it's a good product. Looks like a well-run league"

Person B: "I don't really watch the NHL and the product would be even better if the NHL wasn't so bush league. Look how stars like Crosby get treated. What a joke....that never happens in the NBA or NFL."

I'm not stating that the opinions are factually correct, but the negative publicity that will come out of this hit is real.

Rob Rossi's piece in hockey circles get laughed off.....but to the fairweather neutral fan...who doesn't really know much about the NHL.....their opinion becomes that of Rossi's.

Rodney Dangerfield always got a big laugh when he said, "I went to the fights last night...and a hockey game broke out".

[Yamer]

Is there any way to read the Rossi article without giving him the click bait traffic he so desperately pines for?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

Rodney Dangerfield always got a big laugh when he said, "I went to the fights last night...and a hockey game broke out".

Well have you ever watched clips from 70's NHL? Not far from the truth. Not even remotely close to the same game today.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Is there any way to read the Rossi article without giving him the click bait traffic he so desperately pines for?

They read some of it on 960 and it's pretty over the top. I heard enough there that I don't think I need to read the rest. Comes off like an angry fan spazzing out.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Is there any way to read the Rossi article without giving him the click bait traffic he so desperately pines for?

Puck daddy breaks it down so you could read that.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by robaur

Rob Rossi's piece in hockey circles get laughed off.....but to the fairweather neutral fan...who doesn't really know much about the NHL.....their opinion becomes that of Rossi's.

Question: how often do you spend time in the US and/or talk with fairweather fans? This seems to be an imagined version of them, to me, as it does not gel with any experience I've had in either situation.

Maybe I've just missed the oodles of fairweather fans reading hockey takes from unemployed writers who still miraculously have media credentials, and taking that as fact over the countless articles from mainstream sports media sites that essential dismiss Rossi. Where are these fans you're talking about?

[Weitz]

If anything the only fairweather fans who would see that are in Pittburgh.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Is there any way to read the Rossi article without giving him the click bait traffic he so desperately pines for?

Greg Wyshnyski offers numerous excerpts while tearing Rossi to shreds: https://sports.yahoo.com/news/pittsb...134313509.html

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Is there any way to read the Rossi article without giving him the click bait traffic he so desperately pines for?

Just read a few Penguins fan posts on HFBoards and you'll pretty much have read the same thing.

Personally, I'm happy to give him the traffic. He deserves compensation for that. That #### was funny as hell. Funniest reaction to a hit since Habs fans trying to get Chara sent to prison.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well have you ever watched clips from 70's NHL? Not far from the truth. Not even remotely close to the same game today.

I'm old. I watched those games. Even worse were the Leafs-Habs games circa 1964. They were often on Wednesdays and broadcast for some reason. Lots of fights on the players' benches and in the penalty boxes. But who could forget Dave 'the hammer' beating up the star players on the opposition team and daring anyone to try to stop him. The mid-70s Flyers earned the Broadstreet Bullies name honestly. Why bother with goon on goon fights, just intimidate the best players instead.

[Flamenspiel]

Well, Rossi goes over the top, but it is interesting that two guys hit Crosby in the head on the same shift. Trotz would have not drawn it up, it would have been a case of plausible deniability.

Maybe something like: "Stop acting like a ****ing escort to Crosby on his path to the ****ing net, at least let the ****er know you are there". Still, calling it a hockey play is absurd. The fact is that the Caps were playing a very soft game up until that point.