Amazing! A hockey thread! There's too much on this web site, I'm already going goggle-eyed surfing.
Whats your beef with Cloutier? Crawfords a class coach, if he trusts him, Vancouver does. As for Bertuzzi, yeah his image will be forever tainted, just like McSorely's was for taking a stick to the back of Brashear's head.
Cloutier is absolute shite. For once I agree with Canadian. Canucks are going nowhere with him in net. Put him under pressure, and he folds. Every playoff series he melts down. Anybody want to take a bet he'll have the worst save percentage on shootouts in the NHL? He's already tracking to it. The Wild sure have him figured out. They came out firing high and had six in there by game end. Everybody knows the book on Dan - top shelf. Didn't he let 3 in on 13 shots the other night?
As for the Bertuzzi incident, I may be the only person on this thread who was actually at the game. In the context of that game, what happened was entirely predictable. Both teams were going at it, no holds barred. To put Moore out on the ice after what he did to Naslund, for a late shift when the game was already out of control, was inexcusable. On that same shift, there was a fight going on in the corner with the puck the other end of the ice. Cameras didn't pick it up. Then Moore and Bertuzzi are wheeling all over the ice mouthing at eachother. It was obvious what was going to happen. Nobody was interested in the puck. But Moore wouldn't face up, kept moving away, and finally as we all saw, Bert lost it and took a swing at him. Had Moore not hit his head on the ice when he went down, it would have been just another incident in a game that was already way over the top, and Bert would have got 10 and a game. The reaction from fans and press was incredibly hypocritical. You invite all forms of violence for 80 minutes, then when somebody actually gets badly hurt, you're outraged??!! Give me a break.
The new rules are ace. Every game I've seen this year has been awesome. Haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone commented on the new diving rule? There's some kind of $ fine involved and I believe a review process. If it works, football should take a closer look at it. Diving is a disease this season - Dogba was rolling around like a rag doll again on Saturday.
Canadian - nice to see Leafs set an early benchmark: first major moan of the season. We're not through game one and already all the pro-Toronto media is excusing all games for the forseeable future because Sundin is injured. Mats or no Mats, Leafs are going nowhere this season. Too many other good teams better suited to the new rules.