Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yep. Doesn't hurt to keep him cause Murray costs nothing. With most likely an expansion draft I bet they try to trade him sometime late next yea or before the expansion draft. Although with his NMC he can't be exposed if they can't trade him. So trade is what will have to happen.
Yes very much. And it's not like it's 2-2 you are up 3-1. Now if he loses a game...or two...then what? Do you really throw MAF into game 7?

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Marc Andre Fleury is a head case and is very ugly.

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I totally agree, but the sports talk radio in pittsburgh doesnt :lol

But yeah, theres no way the Pens make a change.

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Not sure if you guys saw, but Kris Letang's wife posted a picture on instagram earlier saying how she lost her unborn baby (may have even been twins)

Thoughts definitely go out to the Letang family. You know he is going to be playing his ass off saturday.

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if it were to get to a game 7 I say they would start fleury with a very short leash. or maybe murray, but also with a very short leash.

either way the leash would be short

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considering the fact that Fleury has blown a few series himself in recent years, there's no way I'm going to put him in net against the Caps unless I absolutely have to.

But then you have to take Tim's approach, let's say Murrary loses two straight games. Do you really want Fleury in net for Game 7, particularly when he hasn't played a game since March? That's tough.

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jeez...how awful

hockey is just a game after all...

Fleury hasn't lost a series himself in a very long time....he's been their best playoff performer in recent years

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Yikes. Real life sucks sometimes. Hockey ain't such a big deal really. Really sad and unfair. My heart goes out to them.

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I agree, I have done that myself when I thought I was injured. Don't blame Crosby at all for getting a little pissed. I do think he embellished that push from behind near the net to draw a penalty late in the 3rd though.

Yeah, he has been amazing. Never expected him to be so solid.

Agreed completely, hell if Nate Schmidt is on the ice it likely doesn't go in either.

Least your team still has games on the schedule unlike most of us!

Agreed.

That is a great story, thanks for sharing. Show's he is just a good person and realizes people have problems far larger than a playoff series.

Caps are getting the chances, just not cashing in on them for the past 3 games. No idea why. I will certainly credit Murray but as good as he has been he has given up some juicy rebounds that the Caps would have cashed in during the regular season.

He completely blew his assignment. I know the old adage is that 'a strong defense is a good offense' but when you give a guy that much room to work with it is ending up in the back of the net 95 times out of 100.

Yup, in that scenario you have to take one for the team - either push/slash/rough Crosby down and take the penalty or hit the deck like a goalie and virtually smother the puck.

Orpik has to sit out the first game of next season.

Never know in these cases. I would not bet either way. If/when it comes to an expansion the Pens would have to be complete idiots not to protect Murray as their #1 goalie.

Think he is trying to play past 50, like Gordie Howe though I doubt he has another 8 years in him to play until 52 like Gordie! :lol

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The NHL on nbc sports Facebook page just posted a picture of a bunch of the Lightning players at the Justin Bieber concert at Barclays. That's a jinx if I ever saw one.

I think we just won the series :D

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In fairness a lot of the TB players are about Bieber's age! :lol

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Dallas not looking sharp at all. Figured they were not built for a long run and am still stunned they ended up winning the division. If STL ended up winning it a second round matchup between the Blues and Hawks would be even more exciting than the series they played in round 1.

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Wow what a turn of events for Dallas!

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Tied at 2 now.

Wow was that close to offsides for the Sharks tying goal. Looked at first like Ward was off, then a different view showed that he got back onside because the Sharks guy didn't touch the puck until Ward was onside then a different angle it looked like it may have hit a Nashville stick. Not sure what happened.

Love to see both St. Louis (cannot believe I am saying that) and San Jose go up 3 games to 1.

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Come on Sharks for christ sake

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Hockey is dumb. That is all.

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Come on offseason. lol

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:lol :lol

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Safe travels to any of y'all heading this way today. Tomorrow will be awesome!


Minus the dumb Caps game of course

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Huge win for the Preds!! West has got two awesome series going on!

Also, can someone explain to me how the expansion draft would work?

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Got to ride Murray until he royally screws up. I'm talking like 4 goals in less than a period screws up. I agree with YNK that if it gets to a Game 7, I would probably still start Murray but with a very short leash. I wouldn't want a rusty Fleury starting a game 7.

If they get to the ECF, I would still start Murray.

How awful for the Letangs.

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It'll happen before the actual draft next year. The rules that were reported earlier about how many players you can protect are as follows:

"one goalie, three defensemen and seven forwards or one goalie and eight skaters at any position. Players with two years or less experience on entry-level deals, along with drafted but unsigned prospects, would be exempt."

Now reported recently is that anyone with a NMC has to be protected. So if the Rangers thought hey we're gonna expose Hank and hope someone takes him to take his salary away from us....they can't. Now if Hank (or whoever) only had a NTC, that player can be exposed because it isn't a trade it's more a waiver wire deal which would be allowed based on that clause.

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ugh i know $$$$$$$ but wtf is the NHL doing expanding

so dumb

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Sharks have a very legit gripe, that game should have been over in the first OT when Pavelski scored. That was not interference based on rule 69.1 because he was cross-checked from behind into Rinne and had absolutely no chance to avoid contact. No idea how that was not seen on any of the review angles. Preds are probably looking at replays and laughing, Sharks are doing the same and getting furious while the refs have to know they blew that one after watching it on a screen bigger than a review tablet and I would not be surprised if they got a call from Toronto explaining the rule.

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The Blues just fucking refuse to put a team away for good when they have an advantage. In a game, in a series, whatever. They give up so many leads and just stop playing too often after they get ahead. They didn't even look alive last night. Just unbelievable.

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1. the fact that they use 8" tablets instead of a centralized war room in Toronto is so stupid. this is the playoffs and we're making calls on basically large cell phones? christ

2. i actually think they got the call right...the original call on the ice was no goal and the ref was emphatic about it. he had a good look at the play developing and i don't think you could tell on any replays how much he was pushed. was there contact? yes, but i'm not sure how much he was actually pushed from behind. indisputable evidence isn't there, call stands...i'm fine with it

but yea, i'm sure Sharks fans are pissed today

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except for the defending champs in the last round :rolleyes

Stars are really good too btw

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Made it in at 2am last night! Stayed st the Hampton and now camping the rest of the weekend...I'm not used to rain in LA so I didn't even think about the possibility. :lol

Awesome game for the Preds last night! So cool.

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Can;t wait for tomorrow

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Agreed, I don't see a reason to expand either. Yeah, each team can protect their top guys and a goalie but they will take a hit on #4 D men, third and fourth line forwards and backup goalies. There are already 30 teams in the league so this is clearly a move just for money - thing is I am not sure it will generate all that much additional revenue. Most fans already have a team and the 2 cities proposed make no sense at all to me. Vegas is just going to siphon off fans from Phoenix or the CA teams (or the tickets will be given out to high rollers at casinos) and Quebec has already shown they cannot support a team. Hopefully the league will get their collective heads out of their asses and stop this but somehow I doubt it.

You can take some solace in the fact that Lehtonen played the game of his life last night. Blues were the better team last night, sucks that they lost - now why couldn't they have pulled that 'can't score at big moments' game during game 7 of round one? :lol