costas is at the winter classic

gtfo my fenway.

Is he drunk? Because I always see a bunch of drunken Bob Costas at Fenway...

I wasn't sure about busting into the middle of a hockey game to sing "Sweet Caroline", but damn if it didn't work. That was a hell of a game. Nice moment for Timmy at the end too.

It seems like NBC was doing everything in their power to screw up this broadcast. According to a couple of guys on another forum who watched the game on the Canadian Broadcast Channel, there were too many men on the ice for the Bruins shortly before the winning goal. Of course, NBC doesn't catch it. Neither did the refs...

Oh well. I enjoyed watching it anyways, and although the Olympic team announcement ceremony was kinda hokey, I was cool to see T.T. get announced. Go B's!

Obviously we can't verify that too many men speculation because it isn't there on the video. Considering the way hartnell got away with knocking Thomas on his ass in his own crease, eventually leading to Philly's goal, I can't feel too broken up over a non-call the other way later in the game.

Good point. I missed that. When I came into work the game was on the main TV with only 7 minutes left in the 3rd period.

I was glad to see Thomas make team USA, but being a Sabres fan I was also happy Miller made it. I was also happy Boston won the game. I'm a goalie and I play for my high school team. I have let goals because of making a physical play instead of a smart one. I know how stupid he would have felt if they lost the game because of that play.

RexSeven wrote: It seems like NBC was doing everything in their power to screw up this broadcast. According to a couple of guys on another forum who watched the game on the Canadian Broadcast Channel, there were too many men on the ice for the Bruins shortly before the winning goal. Of course, NBC doesn't catch it. Neither did the refs...

I heard a quick mention of that on NBC the moment it happened, but they never followed up on it.

Another NHL fixed game......just like when Crosby(NHL wonder boy) scored to win for the Pens. Officiating was poor, and if it wasn't on national TV, there's no way the Bs would score two goals that close to win. But of course I'm still bitter about the no call on Hull to beat the Sabres for the cup, so what do I know. Why not just let the Hockey Night In Canada crew do the broadcast, instead we have to watch and listen to Costas blabber?

In reply to minimac:

Spoken like someone who couldn't have actually watched this game. There were no phantom penalty calls at the end. I suppose the league must have installed some sort of magic puck magnets in Thomas' equipment for him to keep it out of his net during that barrage right after the end of the penalty in the OT period? And how much did the league have to pay Briere to fan on the juicy rebound during that sequence?

The fact is, Thomas was probably at his best of the season yesterday, and the only way Philly could score on him was for Hartnell to take him out of the game by repeatedly invading the crease. Can you explain why, in a "fixed" game, he never got called for this? It kept happening all through the game, even after Philly's goal. There was another near-goal for the Flyers later in the game where he was pretty much behind Thomas and Chara had to take him out (I have to think it would have been waived off had it gone in). Thomas made a mistake just one time focusing on him instead of the puck, but I know I couldn't have fought that urge either.

ratghia wrote: I'm a goalie

You sir, have some cojones. I would never play goalie. I've taken some shots, one bad enough to fracture my ankle, I would never get in the net. And if you're a Sabers fan, I'm gonna assume your from Buffalo... I'm a Blackhawks fan, and Kane would be a hometown guy for you.

The game was not fixed, its impossible to fix an NHL game. Thomas played out of his mind, he really made some spectacular saves. Crosby, the wonder boy, really is that good. Why did he score the winning goal? Because he gets put on the ice when the game is on the line, because he, like Gretzky, like Lemieux, like Hull, like (i could go on for a long time here) can and does make a difference.

As for the too many men, I'm not going to look into that at all. As a referee myself, it is really hard to keep track of who is on the ice, is there a penalty, etc. Not to mention, if it was outside there is always the glare off the ice to worry about. I actually just had an outdoor game today, I never consider that I can't see the play to make the call. Its a lot easier when you can see the entire ice from a birds-eye view, and when you don't have to worry about "is this guy gonna bounce it off the glass into me?" And while I'm on my little rant here, if you are a coach on the opposite side of the ice, you did not see it like I did 5 feet away, the play was dead, the whistle blown, the net off the pegs, it was not a berkeleying goal. They're mites. Get over it.

I had a great day of Hockey yesterday. First my beloved B's pulled one out of the fire to win on Sturmy's beauty,and then I played in my pick up hour last night. I potted two goals,and had a pretty good game for an out of shape lousy player. You would think that 20+ years of playing once a week would make me better,but it doesn't seem to work that way.

The Winter Classic was awesome to watch on TV,and I have a few froends that play hockey with me that were at the game,and they said it was a lot of fun. They also said that if anyone tells you it was a good place to watch a game they either had really good seat,or they are lying to you. Fenway isn't the best place to hold a hockey game,but I know why they did it,and I am glad.

mtn wrote:

ratghia wrote: I'm a goalie

You sir, have some cojones. I would never play goalie. I've taken some shots, one bad enough to fracture my ankle, I would never get in the net.

Bah, those hockey goalies are total Bob Costases. What's with those giant marshmallow things they put over their precious little legs? I took lacrosse balls straight off my shins all through high school .

Not that you could pay me to put my leg in front of an 85mph lacrosse ball now :).

Ratghia in goal!

mtn wrote:

ratghia wrote: I'm a goalie

You sir, have some cojones. I would never play goalie. I've taken some shots, one bad enough to fracture my ankle, I would never get in the net. And if you're a Sabers fan, I'm gonna assume your from Buffalo... I'm a Blackhawks fan, and Kane would be a hometown guy for you.

I believe that playing goalie has more to do with stupidity then bravery. Although I am a Sabres fan I am not from Buffalo, but some of my family used to live there. I am hoping to go to college in the Erie area though. The Blackhawks are my favorite western team unless Hasek is playing with a different team.

Josh wrote: Bah, those hockey goalies are total Bob Costases. What's with those giant marshmallow things they put over their precious little legs? I took lacrosse balls straight off my shins all through high school.

I would have to agree that most shots to the leg don't hurt, however you have minimal or no padding in other places. Most notably are the inner thigh, low stomach, upper arms, or on the back of the catcher. Also if you don't catch a shot right and it hits the palm it can sting pretty bad. I had a shot about a month ago that was hard enough it snapped the 1/8" plastic shield under my cage in half. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if it hit my throat. Even with all the padding playing goalie can still suck sometimes, and if you don't believe me ask Clint Malarchuk.

Heh, I know it's still painful, I was just having some fun with ya :). I never played goal in organized hockey (as soon as my parents found out how much real pads cost that dream was over), but I played plenty of pond and street hockey in net. That's pretty much how I got into lacrosse, once I found out I didn't have to wear several grand worth of equipment I was in .

On the lacrosse/hockey thing, which hurts more... Not saying that either one of them doesn't hurt, cause I played some lacrosse too, what an awesome sport, I wouldn't get in the net for that either... but my roommate was the goalie for his lacrosse team, and even when we needed a goalie because our two were out for whatever reason, he seemed to be the natural choice. He did not do it. Would not do it. Refused to do it, because he was scared. As ratghia said, I've seen some nasty bruises on goalies. Some of them I've given to them***

*** Do NOT send in a defensman with a wicked shot but no moves on a shoot out. He will take the slapshot from the hashmarks. Good chance he will score too, but if he doesn't... its gonna hurt. I bruised the back of a kids hand through his blocker.

Both those teams played horribly, but especially Boston. I dislike both teams, so I was hoping for an inventive NHL-first of both teams losing, but I had to root for Philly. You can't blame that loss on Leighton, his defensemen left him out in the cold (not a pun, it's really the best I can come up with at this time of the day) I like Thomas too, but he really screwed up going for that retaliation that led to that goal. I watched it with my dad while visiting my parents for Christmas. We both wondered why anyone would go; you couldn't see a thing from nearly any of those seats. The ones that you could see from were up around $750 a piece. And that Sweet Caroline bit in the middle of the third period was really weird. I felt like I was going to get sucked into the Twilight Zone. Keep that crap to the Hallmark Channel, Boston.

minimac wrote:

minimac wrote:

Josh wrote: In reply to minimac: Spoken like someone who couldn't have actually watched this game. There were no phantom penalty calls at the end. ....... .....Can you explain why, in a "fixed" game, he never got called for this?

Not only did I watch the game, I was there. Sorry Boston, but that was an absolute horrible place to watch a hockey game. Every one in the place (at least those who know how to count) saw too many men on the ice....and it wasn't just for a moment. Two linesmen, two referees, all trained to watch for stuff like that, and none of them could count? As for Hulls goal, why did the NHL change the rule(that was as old as hockey itself) after that game, if it wasn't an issue? That was them admitting they blew it. The real issue with the officiating is the inconsistency. If you call a tight game, call it tight for the whole game. If you're going to let stuff go, you let it go for the whole game. For both teams.

minimac wrote: Not only did I watch the game, I was there. Sorry Boston, but that was an absolute horrible place to watch hockey game.

Ok, so I guess that's why you're unclear about what was going on in the game then .

I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but maybe you should have sold the tickets to someone who could have enjoyed it for what it was - an exciting, closely matched game in a historic setting. It should hardly be a surprise that the place was not designed for watching a hockey game. It's sometimes not even that well suited to watching a baseball game, and still I've never had the kind of time I do at Fenway in any other sports arena. I consider it a minor miracle that the place didn't get knocked down to make way for some characterless new park like in Chicago, Detroit, and now New York.

If the score had stayed the same as it was in the middle of the third period, then the story would have been what a shame it was that the only goal Thomas let in was after a bad interference non-call, while he was distracted trying to defend his crease. Not to mention the couple of times the Flyers apparently got away with too many men, that just didn't happen to end in a score. I think if I were a Flyers fan, I'd be pretty thrilled to go home with a point on a day that Thomas was on like he was. But I'm guessing you're not a Flyers fan, just a Bruins hater, and I don't have much sympathy for anyone who watches sports through that lens.

I'll grant you that playing hockey in a baseball, or for that matter, football stadium isn't optimal. I never said it wasn't a good game ....just the officiating sucked and there's no way the Bruins would have scored two quick goals like they did to win, if the "fix" wasn't in. Thomas is a very good goalie and was on his game, but the rest of the Bruins just aren't that good. If you ever actually went to a game(better yet, took part) instead of merely watching on TV, you'd realize that there is a whole lot more going on than what the cameraman is following. How many times have you seen a player do something penalty worthy right in front of the ref, and there is no call? Not even a warning, only later to see a very dubious call made. Maybe I've played and coached too many years and saw too many instances where the officiating determined the outcome of the game. The only sports where the officials don't influence the game are Roller Derby and Professional Wrestling.And I still say let the Hockey Night in Canada crew call the game. I

minimac wrote: Maybe I've played and coached too many years and saw too many instances where the officiating determined the outcome of the game. The only sports where the officials don't influence the game are Roller Derby and Professional Wrestling.And I still say let the Hockey Night in Canada crew call the game.

I agree on all parts. And if you are a coach, I would highly recommend that you ref for a little while too. It really does help for all parties involved. It is hard to see everything that is happening on the ice, it is very easy to miss a penalty right in front of you. You aren't looking for that, you're looking behind that to where another couple of players are getting a little to rowdy. You then see the guy fall, and you have no idea how it happened because you weren't focusing on it.

minimac wrote: If you ever actually went to a game(better yet, took part) instead of merely watching on TV, you'd realize that there is a whole lot more going on than what the cameraman is following.

No reason to be insulting, man. I've been to, and played in plenty of games. Only been down to TD Garden once this year, but I usually make it to 2 or 3 (more than that and I'm eating into the Autocross budget :)), plus a few Pirates games. I didn't play ice hockey in school because I couldn't afford it (and my school already had a few guys who'd been playing goal pretty much since they could walk, so I never would have seen playing time). But that doesn't make me ignorant of hockey. From age 10-15 I spent pretty much every minute I could on the pond, in the street, or in a parking lot playing with friends of mine, some of whom did play for traveling or school teams. I did play in a summer roller league for a while too.

But you said it yourself, the officiating ALWAYS has an effect on the game. In a game as close as this one, you can just about always pick out 2 or 3 plays that would have swung the game the other way had a call been reversed. To ignore that there were such calls in both directions in this game is pretty lame. In the end, it's just one regular season point, and to pick one up in a game where they never truly beat the goaltender, the Flyers don't have a lot to complain about.

Having played both college hockey and lacrosse as a goalie. I'll say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the lax goalies get beat up way more on average. However, when a hockey puck finds a bare spot it eclipses any pain a lacrosse ball ever caused. Though when a lax ball bounces up and hits the cup from underneath....it's a very close second. I'd much rather be in goal on the ice than play defense or forward, from a safety perspective. I only saw the highlights of the game, as I was at work when it was live. I do always prefer the CBC broadcasts though. I'm also very happy for Thomas. Despite being a top-notch goalie in college, he seemed to have a long road to the NHL. Team USA will have the best goaltending tandem in the tournament.

Ratghia, I'm not sure where you live, but if you are near the northeast and Joe Bertagna is still doing goalie clinics, it is money very well spent. If he is not doing them, you might want to grab his book as it has a lot of good stuff on the mental part of the game.