It's Hockey Season!!

“We had our Swede, but we sat him out -- he's gonna be needed on Saturday...”

“Philadelphia Flyers' forward Donald Brashear has been suspended for one game, without pay, and head coach Ken Hitchcock fined $10,000 as a result of Brashear instigating an altercation with New York Rangers' defenseman Darius Kasparaitis in NHL Game #880 at Philadelphia, Mar. 2.

Ha ha ha ha!!!”

“That seemed to unnerve the Flyers, who started misfiring on dump-in passes and taking dumb penalties. Credit Darius Kasparaitis with the latter.
Kasparaitis, who had the hit during the Olympics that has cost Simon Gagne these first two post-Olympic games, quickly got the Flyers' attention by taking a run at Forsberg early in the first. Forsberg ducked the hit, but the Flyers weren't happy. So Hitchcock inserted tough-guy Donald Brashear briefly onto Forsberg's line for a shift. Brashear and Kasparaitis didn't immediately come together and Rangers coach Tom Renney was booed when he changed his players at the next whistle.
Kasparaitis, in the second period, enticed Brashear into a roughing penalty that was followed up by a slashing call against Hatcher. It took 24 seconds of a two-man advantage for Jagr to make it 2-0. Jagr added another goal 1:31 later to chase Esche, who had given up three goals in seven shots.
"We were trying to find something there," Hitchcock said, explaining the move. "We were down three-zip."
The most popular player on a struggling team is the backup goalie and the fans roared when Hitchcock turned to Antero Niittymaki. Those cheers didn't last long as Blair Betts made it 4-0 just 27 seconds later.
The Flyers are now just 1-7-3 in their last 11 games against teams with winning records.
"I never like being pulled, obviously," Esche said. "I know it's the right decision and I know it's part of the game. It was the right decision."
Kasparaitis and Brashear continued to rub elbows and shoulders and everything else until Brashear's frustration boiled over. With 1:53 left, and the puck at the far end of the ice, Brashear grabbed hold of Kasparaitis' shoulder, swung him around and hit him right on the chin with a lefthanded gloved punch. He received a bevy of penalties, including an instigator penalty.
The new NHL rules for an instigation foul in the last 5 minutes call for an automatic one-game suspension and a $10,000 fine for the coach.
"[Kasparaitis] is out there hitting people from behind, not getting penalties called," Brashear said. "Forsberg took a high stick to the face [from Nylander] and it wasn't called."
Said Esche simply, "Look, there are a hundred cliches, but it was a frustrating game. Say what you want, but at the end of the day we got embarrassed."”

“lets go rangers.”

“Brodeur became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 30 games in 10 consecutive seasons, stopping 26 shots in Saturday night's 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers. He is the only goalie ever to have more than eight straight 30-win seasons.

On a sad note, Eric Cole got hit hard into the boards and now has a compression fracture in his neck. He will miss at least the rest of the regular season. Brooks Orpik, a Penguin will surely get fined. I feel bad.”

“That's why some players and coaches say the mandatory helmet rule isn't good. In the old days, less players were getting their heads bashed into the boards. Not that I agreed with their thinking......”

“Suspended for 3 games. Forfeits 10K.”

“Penguins 4 tb 4

SHOOOOOOOOOOOOT OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUTTTTTT!!!!!”

“DARN!”

“Flyers 4; Canadiens 4

SHOOOOOOOOOOOOT OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUTTTTTT!!!!!

Nedved shoots; he scores!

WooHooooooooooooooooo!”

“Pens win last night against the Devils!!!
Pens win tonight against the Flyers!!! AND it was a SHUT OUT!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! YEAH BABY!!!!!”

“Oxymoron of the week: Flyers Power Play!”

“Its always hockey season for you guys!”

“Even during the lockout!”

“I went with a friend to see Smuckers Stars on Ice Friday night, and little did I know at the time that I was seeing the most heart on ice in Philly this weekend!”

“Next loss is to Florida on Wednesday.”

“You pessimist, Geo! We play the Devil's Thursday, there. I hope we kick their butts and make it 3 in a row.”

“Flyers are just not playing well right now Tango. I think they should not have traded off the young guys for veterans as the season unfolded. We had an influx of young talent that had won the Calder Cup last season, and they were playing great at the start of the season.”

“Wow! Wonder of wonders. The Flutters won a game. Got a shutout even. I hope the boys don't wake up too soon.”

“It's good to be a Sabres fan right about now.”

“Watched a documentary on the 1980 Miracle on Ice last night. I had forgotten that the Soviets pulled Vladislav Tretiak, perhaps the best goalie to ever put on the pads, after the first period. It still brought chills down my spine. What a game! I remember going berserk in my living room.”

“badgers got the one seed in the west”

“So that Pittsburglar dude lost the fight and got the most penalty minutes. Way to waltz right out there and strut yer stuff!

Dude looked like a punching bag.”

“I was listening on the net at work. Damn!”

“any collage fans here?”

“Go Flyers!!!!!!!!!!!! what a game!”

“Indeed, Holweg opened up Pandora's Box. The Flutters might have slept through the game if he hadn't blindsided Umberger into the boards and gashed him open above the eye.

Way to go Ranger fans, booing Umberger for being injured!

The Rangers have a game in hand, so the Flyers still have their work cut out for them.

That empty net goal was sweet. Unneeded, but sweet.”

“The NHL suspended New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg for three games without pay yesterday for checking the Flyers' R.J. Umberger from behind Wednesday night.
Hollweg was given a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct for the first-period hit in the Rangers' 6-3 loss to the Flyers.”

“March 23, 2006
TORONTO (Ticker) - Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Eric Cairns has been suspended three games for his conduct in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

The NHL announced the suspension on Thursday.

At the conclusion of the second period, Cairns was assessed five penalties totaling 40 minutes, including a double game misconduct. He got a five-minute major for spearing Senators defenseman Zdeno Chara along with a fighting major and a misconduct. Chara also was assessed a fighting major and a misconduct.”

“He also got the worst of the fight, from the clip I saw.”

“Better have your head up tonight!! Did you see that hit on Straka???? WHAM-O!!”

“What a game! Rangers pulled it out.

I can't wait for the playoffs!”

“Tonight's overtime has clinched a playoff spot for the Rangers for the first time in 8 seasons. New York is back, and for real. Just ask the Flyers if you don't believe...

2nd place in the Atlantic Division is rapidly becoming known as the curse of Buffalo, because neither team wants to meet the Sabers in the first round of the playoffs...”

“ack ack ... springtime in Philly ... paging Dr. Heimlich ... ack ack”

“There is no spring time in Pittsburgh, it's all about NEXT season!!! Then watch out! I have only missed 4 games the Penguins played this season, hope I can see every game next! Woo hoo!!!”

“Tango here's some good news from down on the farm.

The Penguins can clinch their first regular season division title this Wednesday with a win against the Binghamton Senators.”

“That's great. They were really kickin' butt, but I lost track lately. Thanks for the info!”

“Developer eyes buying, moving Pens to Connecticut

Daily News Wire Services
A Massachusetts developer wants to buy the Penguins and either keep the hockey team in the city or move them to Hartford, Conn., where he is trying to get state officials to build a new arena, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Lawrence Gottesdiener told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he owns a great deal of property in Hartford, so moving the team there makes sense for him.

The Penguins declined to comment. The Penguins' lease on 45-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest and smallest in the NHL, expires at the end of next season.

Two proposals to build an arena for the team in Pittsburgh are tied to state slot machines.”

“Wow, it looks like the last 4 games of the regular season will be big ones for the Devils. A game against Carolina, 2 against Philly, and 1 against Montreal. Who knows what playoff order will end up being.”

“whatever happened to the Hartford Whalers?

Yeah I know I'm showing my age.”

“Moved to Carolina and became the Hurricanes.”

“Wisconsin wins NCAA championship, woo hoo My ears are still ringing from that game”

“That was a hell of a finish - BC hitting the pipe with less than a second on the clock. Goalie's best friend, that pipe!”

“almost stopped my heart!”

“I guess that boink is the sweetest sound on Earth, as long as it rebounds away from the goal and not onto somebody's stick.”

“it sure was”

“Whoo Hoo! The Devils are in the playoffs, with their OT win over the Hurricanes last night.”

“I was watching hockey New Year's Eve........in a motel with some TT Dorks.

Is the season still on??”