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Casati - Ask, and ye shall receive.

Here Jonathan bloodying up Bouchard AFTER he switches hands:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WgPfQ-wfWWA

Thanks Pram. Geez... Stan Jonathan pummeled Bouchard. What a great video. Brings back alot of good memories of a league that once was.

I forgot who John Wensink was squaring off against. That was another tough customer.... man.... the good ol'days....

Casati wrote::lol: Thanks Pram. Geez... Stan Jonathan pummeled Bouchard. What a great video. Brings back alot of good memories of a league that once was.

I forgot who John Wensink was squaring off against. That was another tough customer.... man.... the good ol'days....

That was Gilles Lupien, not a real tough customer but then again those Montreal Canadiens didn't need much muscle anyway.

If you think about it, their best fighter was Larry Robinson but he was too good of a player to fight. Scotty Bowman, who coached that Canadiens team to four straight Stanley Cups from 76 thru 79, was never a goon coach.

Don Cherry, however, was. His Boston Bruins team of the late 70s had Stan Jonathan, John Wensink, Wayne Cashman, Terry O'Reilly and Al Secord. O'Reilly was a terrific fighter but he was capable of getting 100 points per season.

At any rate, you see in the video that O'Reilly is on the ice too. The game was in Boston. Bowman puts out his goons Bouchard and Lupien. Cherry countered with Jonathan, Wensink and O'Reilly. I don't why Bowman did this. Maybe Cherry had some of his guys take shots at LaFleur, Shutt and Lemaire. If I am not mistaken, Montreal was already leading the series 2-0. So I think he played right into Cherry's hand.

I read somewhere that Cherry had said, that when the fight started it looked like Jonathan was going to get pummeled by the much bigger and much stronger Bouchard. As a matter of fact, Bouchard had hit Jonathan a few times and had actually thrown him around at the beginning of the fight. Cherry had said that he was thinking about clearing his bench if Jonathan was going to get his ass kicked. It didn't turn out that way and the result of that fight propelled Boston to win the game.

Casati - By the way, that was Robinson who was tied up with O'Reilly. I guess that is why Cherry put O'Reilly on that line with Jonathan and Wensink.

Good article. Jagr makes some good points about the NHL today and that of the 80s and 90s.

For the past month, I have been watching more NHL hockey because SKY sports is now showing NASN (North American Sports Network). I get many hockey games, live and then on replay. One problem. I can't really tell the difference between one team or another. They all look the same to me.

At any rate, good read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/sports/hockey/24rangers.html?ref=sports

I wish Eurospot was available in Canad. That channel has some really good gymnastics and figure skating coverage. Right now I get very little of both.

Pram

As you stated, that Bruin team's goon line had Jonathan & Wensink up front. O'Reilly was the defenseman and he was out there as a backup. O'Reilly was a good fighter but not as good as Jonathan & Wensink, IMO and he was a real solid defenseman.

I would love to read a book on the 70s Bruins. I didn't like them since they were a pain to the Rangers but they were a very good team that were never given their due in the late 70s/early 80s thanks to the Canadiens and Islanders.

O'Reilly was a right winger...

That Bruins team really didn't have many skill players. But what they lacked in skill, they made up with guts. Come to think of it, they weren't in the same league as the Montreal Canadiens in those years.

They played in a small rink (how I hated the Boston Gardens) and Cherry built his team around gutsy players who gave 100%, dumped and chased, and banged you up. Cherry's team was very disciplined in the sense of positioning and not making mistakes. It paid off big time as he came close to winning the Stanly Cup twice.

In 1979, they lost in the semis to Montreal in one of the best seven game series I ever saw. In the seventh game, they lost in OT. But the game-tying goal came in the third period from a power play for Boston having too many men on the ice.

Don Cherry on those two goals:

"I died on May 10, 1979; at 11:10 p.m. to be exact. Two shots killed me. The first, which left me critically wounded, was fired by Guy Lafleur. The one that wiped me out came from the stick of Yvon Lambert. Had I survived these attacks I have no doubt that I would still be coach of the Boston Bruins today and, quite likely, governor of Massachusetts." - LOL!

Param - I stand corrected. O'Reilly was a right winger. He played mostly on checking lines early in his career.

yes, Markino. This is true. This NHL has every team with a 3rd jersey. Many of which are completely different from their traditional colours. As well, many of the old arena's are gone.

As well, since you've made the move away from the US, the home team in the NHL now wears their dark uniforms. Unlike the 80's and '90's when the home team wore their whites.

I'm so out of touch with hockey, I can't believe it. This is coming from somebody who used to enter hockey pools, buy magazines, would talk about it every single day. I didn't even know about the Sean Avery incident until mmaggi brought it up. Then today I mentioned it to a co-worker of mine and he looked at me wierd and asked me where the fuck have I been because it's been mentioned everywhere.

For the record, Don Cherry said in his 'Coaches Corner' segment that although what Avery did was not illegal, it goes against the UNWRITTEN rules in the NHL. This is definitely my opinion as well. It's like in baseball with stealing signs (say for example you are on 2nd base you can see the catchers signs). I'm pretty sure stealing signs is not in the rule book, but if you are caught doing it, there will be hell to pay as in baseball this is forbidden in the players code.

Don Cherry should be lucky to tie Bowman's shoelaces. Just another Mike Keenan-like redneck who thinks that hockey is about supplying rich patients to Jewish dentists -

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs on victory number 10,000

So what if they can't win a World Series in a century, there's something to be said for longevity.

I do not follow ice hockey but the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs even got my attention. The manager, head coach, and captain are all gone. The team had a very bad season and I guess somebody decided to do some house cleaning.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... ortsHockey

palo,

The Cubs just finsihed a sweep of the Dodgers (it helps when the opponent scores 3 runs in 3 games). The teams have now played 2,020 games since 1890. All time record for both teams: 1,010 wins and 1,010 losses.

As Mel Allen used to say, "How about that!"

How about, bah!

Game 5 -- Stanley Cup Finals

Detriot was 34 seconds away from winning it but Pittsburgh tied it up.

Second OT Period about to start.

still 3-3

3rd OT underway...

Pittsburgh 4 - Detroit 3

I was going for Pittsburgh so I'm happy but gotta feel for Detroit. 34 seconds away and they blow it.

Game 6 in Pittsburgh on Wednesday

For the 11th time in franchise history the Detroit Red Wings are Stanley Cup champions after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in Game 6.

The Penguins had no answer for Detroit's suffocating style as Henrik Zetterberg's third period goal ensured that the Cup was headed back to 'Hockeytown' for the fourth time in the past 11 seasons.

With 13 goals and 26 points, Zetterberg was named the winner of the Conn Smyth Trophy, becoming the first Swedish player to accomplish the feat.

It was apt to see Zetterberg accept the award as the Wings are tinged with a distinct 'Tre Kronor' flavour with 5 Swedes on the roster including Nicklas Lidstrom who became the first European born and trained player to Captain his team to capture Hockey's Holy Grail.

Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Mikael Samuelsson all joined Lidstrom in the very prestigious 'Triple Gold Club,' as they added a Stanley Cup ring to a Gold medal at the Olympics and World Championship.

The Penguins made it very interesting however as with under two minutes remaining as Marian Hossa scored on the power play with just over 1:30 remaining in the game to pull the Pens within a goal.

The tension mounted even more for Detroit in the dying moments as Sidney Crosby's backhander flipped over Chris Osgood but stayed out of the net with no time left on the clock.

All the momentum appeared to be headed in the Penguins favour after winning a triple overtime thriller in Detroit in Game 5. The Red Wings however answered any questions as they controlled the game from the first drop of the puck.

A "Sea of White" greeted the players as they hit the ice as a ravenous crowd at the "Igloo" hope to set the tone of intimidation for the game. The Penguins have lost only once at home throughout the playoffs, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Wings in Game 4.

Game 5 overtime hero Petr Sykora had the first good chance of the game as he picked up a loose puck in the slot; however Chris Osgood was there to make the save.

Both teams attempted to set a physical tone early. Franzen bowled over Fleury as he played the puck behind the Penguins net. The very next shift the Penguins Max Talbot slammed into a Wings defender on the fore-check. Even the much maligned Evgeni Malkin got in on the action as he dumped Dallas Drake behind the play.

That's where the good news ended for the Pens as Detroit opened the scoring on a power play when Brian Rafalski's shot deflected off the leg of defenceman Hal Gill past a screened Fleury. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk picked up the assists on Rafalski's fourth goal of the playoffs.

The opening goal is bad news for the Penguins as the Wings have lost only once thus far in the post-season when scoring first.

Detroit almost immediately gave the Penguins a chance to get back in the game as Kris Draper was given a roughing penalty less than 30 seconds after Dallas Drake was called for charging. Pittsburgh however was unable to capitalize on the extended two-man advantage managing only three shots on the Red Wings net.

To compound the problems, Adam Hall took a high-sticking penalty by clipping Wings' captain Nicklas Lidstrom seconds after Draper returned to the ice.

Johan Franzen had an opportunity to extend the lead on the ensuing power play with a pair of chances but Fleury was up to the task.

Detroit continued to apply the pressure as Datsyuk danced into the Pens zone and found line mate Zetterberg whose blast narrowly missed the top corner.

Sensing weakness the relentless Wings attack pressed on as Dan Cleary's one timer beat Fleury but rang off the side of the net as the Penguins appeared to be on their heels for the majority of the period.

Detroit's domination continued in the middle stanza as they appeared to be in complete control after Valtteri Filppula banged home a rebound when Marc-Andre Fleury could not control the initial shot by Mikael Samuelsson. The goal was Filppula's fifth of the post-season.

The Penguins however were handed a lifeline when Malkin fired home his 10th goal of the playoffs on the power play.

Malkin's first goal of the series Stanley Cup final was an absolute bullet that beat Osgood five-hole to pull the Pens within a goal at 2-1. The goal was only the Hart Trophy nominee's second point of the series after he picked up an assist on Sykora's OT winner in Game 5. The Russian is enjoying by far his best game of the series after being largely a passenger for the first five games. Sidney Crosby drew his playoff leading 21st assist on the play.

The Pens were just happy to see Crosby back on the ice after he was drilled by Brad Stuart into the boards. He appeared to be in a great deal of pain as he skated gingerly to the bench. When he returned to the ice he appeared to be favouring his right foot. Crosby told NHL International that he was not injured on the play, simply 'winded.'

The Wings had injury issues of their own to deal with as forward Darren Helm headed to the dressing room after being on the business end of a check by Pens blue-liner Brooks Orpik. He did not return until five minutes into the third period.

While the Penguins appeared to have all the momentum heading into the third, it was the Red Wings who were able to come up with an important insurance marker as Zetterberg increased the score to 3-1 as his shot trickled through Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury then inadvertently pushed the puck into his own net as he fell over backwards in an attempt to cover the puck.

The goal was Zetterberg's 13th of the post-season. With that point he draws even with Sidney Crosby atop the playoff scoring lead.

The insurance was much needed as the Penguins once again refused to give up. Late in the contest with Jiri Hudler in the box for hooking and Fleury pulled, Sergei Gonchar's point shot was deflected by Marian Hossa in front past Osgood pulling the Pens within a goal with just under two minutes remaining.

Detroit held a 30-22 advantage in shots in the contest.

The Pens received some good news when they learned that both defenceman Sergei Gonchar and forward Ryan Malone would be healthy enough to play in Game 6.

Gonchar suffered from back spasms after going hard into the end boards in the second period of Monday night's victory while Malone nose was broken for the second time during the playoffs.

Great game and a hell of a finish. Pittsburgh almost tied it up at the death yet again.

This team has a great future with so many of their young players (Crosby, Malkin, Staal) all under 21 years old.

I knew a guy who played Major Junior B with Dan Cleary of the Wings. This is around 1996 and back then Cleary was considered the best player in Junior B. Didn't become a superstar in the NHL as he was in Junior B, but good to see a veteran player get his dues.

Great hockey, great teams.

Congratulations to Detroit Red Wings!

Nikolas Lidstom -- First European to captain a Stanley Cup winning team

The man is a rock. The city of Detroit should invite Swedish Ambassador for their celebrations, cause it's impossible to overstate Sweden's contribution.

Yes, big Ups to the Red Wings. It's not hockey town for nothing. I can't believe that Chelios, who's older than Leo, is still around.

BTW: The Wings are scheduled to play the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field next winter.

BTW BTW: Happy B-Day (more or less) Leo.

Chelios is older than Leo??? I thought Leo was at least 90! Happy birthday Leo.

OK. Detroit won the game and the Cup but who won the fights? :o)

Good job Wings but I gotta agree with Pabs on this one: the Penguins will be the team for the next few seasons. They are one young talented bunch and (I hate to say this) very entertaining to watch.

2008 Hockey H.O.F. Inductees

- Igor Larionov

- Glenn Anderson

Chelios is a kid, who should spend more time reading Fidelity 401(K) and Roth brochures. Thank you, guys.

Boston gets another championship -- Partiots, Red Sox, and now the Celtics

Boston Celtics -- 2008 NBA Champions



Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen e Paul Pierce

The Patriots lost to the Giants, moron!

I'm saying in the last few years.

I really do have a bad feeling about this[ tournament]. From my perspective, all my favorite sports teams have had good fortune and form lately….

Of course, what really gets me worried is the performance of the Cubs this season. They have the best record in MLB. I know … it's freaking amazing. The last time they had the best record in baseball on June 1 was 1908, 100 bleeping years ago. Yes, the same year they last won a World Series. You see my apprehension.

Well as things have turned around for the Azzurri, the Cubs are heading south. Since Italy won on Tuesday, the Cubs haven't won a game. They have lost three in a row and it's the first time this season they have done so (the last MLB team not have been swept). They no longer have the best record in baseball and to add injury to insult, our ace pitcher Carlo Zambrano injured his shoulder.

This weekend we play our cross-town rivals in a huge series at Wrigley Field. If we lose these next three games you can be certain the Azzurri will make it to the final and win it all (though I may move to Wisconsin). This may very well happen as last night I had a dream that I went to the ball game with windycity and he was there to cheer on the Orange Sox….Yikes….

hehehe

Cubs win 4-3 with a walk-off homerun.

Oh well.