Tuesday's Tight Thoughts

While the Nashville Predators gave the Wings some fits with their physical, grinding play, the finesse of the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars has allowed Detroit to easily roll into the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yes, I know the Stars/Wings series is not officially over, but the Stars have as much chance for a comeback as Hilary Clinton. It ain't gonna happen, as we all know.

Wayne, our Southern Correspondent, charms in:

Could someone put the Stars-Wings series out of its misery? I tuned to a hockey game, and a soccer game broke out...The only thing missing was the voice of John Paul Della-Camera (the second greatest soccer announcer ever)...No wonder Wings fans are staying home...

In a topic I've covered before, Wings fans just aren't coming out to pack Joe Louis Arena. Combine a bad economy with a spoiled fanbase, and you get empty seats.

Wayne chips in again:

Take a look at things right now: $4/gallon gas, homes being forclosed, layoffs in the white-collar/middle-and-upper management sector (the people who buy season tix and luxury boxes), make MLB, the NBA, and the NHL (especially the NHL) particularly vulnerable...I don't think people are going to be willing to plunk down $60/ticket much longer, especially in soft markets. All NHL teams are going to have to take a good hard look at themselves...

Well, Detroit certainly isn't a 'soft' market, and the NHL is probably going to realize that American fans might have to cut expensive NHL tickets out of their budget as food and gas prices soar. It's rather troubling that 'Hockeytown' (self-billed, I know) can't sell out a Conference Finals playoff match.

At least the Flyers/Pens series is entertaining, if not entirely one-sided. The Flyers' are getting punished for taking penalties, and Martin Biron is not the answer to the question, "What goalie is going to take us to the Stanley Cup?"

What's so Great About Outdoor Hockey Games?

by Jes

It appears that having outdoor hockey games is the big trend these days, and now the Flyers want to jump on that bandwagon with an annual outdoor game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at "Beaver Stadium" (insert Beavis laughter here)

Quite honestly, if I had the chance to go to one of these things, I highly doubt I would. It just doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun to watch hockey in sub-zero temperatures, surrounded by a bunch of drunk, immature twits.

1. I HATE the cold! This is the primary reason why I live in Vancouver (it's milder compared to the rest of Canada) and why I sleep with 6 different blankets and the heat turned up full blast. I don't want to stand outside in cold weather for 10 minutes, much less up to 3 hours. Why anyone would subject themselves to this form of torture is beyond me. I'll watch from my comfy and warm couch, thanks.

2. The games are sloooooooooooooooooow. Remember the big Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Habs? The action was too slow even for Jacques Lemaire to love, and the players were obviously having some trouble adjusting to the insane cold. For a variety of reasons, the players aren't going to be as fluid and comfortable as they normally are, and it leads to action that is less than thrilling. It was more for the spectacle, that people watched, rather than the on-ice action.

3. By the slim chance I ever got a seat, you can imagine that it would be so far away from the action that even one of NASA's best telescopes couldn't allow me to see what is going on. Hockey was not meant for football stadiums, and most of the people there won't be able to get a great view. If you are going to stand out in the freezing cold, at least make it worthwhile.

So, I ask, what's the big deal?

Mike Richards' Lifetime Contract

by Jes

I thought it was just the New York Islanders that handed out insane long-term deals. 10 years for Yashin, 15 years for DiPietro, any amount of years for GM Garth Snow ... and then the Philadelphia Flyers come along and join the game to see who can make the bat-shit craziest deal of them all.

Mike Richards, a pretty decent young player, is, apparently, so good that the Flyers wanted to own his soul for eternity.

Centre Mike Richards, who has emerged as one of the league's top two-way forwards this season, has signed a contract extension with the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I want to be here, I love the city, I love the organization and when I was given the opportunity I was excited to be here over the next twelve years," Richards relayed to the Associated Press.

TSN has learned it is a 12-year extension for $69 million that averages out at $5.75 million per year for the cap hit.

"It is a unique contract for a unique player," said Pat Morris, the agent that represents Richards, told the Associated Press. "I don't think that it will set off a trend for other players by any means."

A unique contract? Mr. DiPietro says 'Hi'.

A unique player? There are lots of players similar to Richards. Sidney Crosby, he is not.

Now, Richards will be 34-35 when this deal runs out, which is essentially his playing career. to that effect, This is truly a lifetime contract.

Now, I know some GM's are afraid of losing their bright young stars, but this seems just a tad silly. If I am a GM, I'd like to have flexibility, and who knows what could go wrong in TWELVE fricking years.

I can also see the benefit of such a deal, given that Richards is a piece of prime rib and by the end of this contact, $5mil will probably be a paltry sum as inflation rate skyrocket.

Whatdya think? Smart or crazy?

Tuesday's Thoughts: Flyers Goon it Up

span style="font-style: italic;">by Jes

After what happened between Flyers d-man Randy Jones and Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, you'd figure that the Philadelphia Flyers might exercise a little caution in last night's rematch

But, as we know, the goonish mentality is alive and well in the City of Brotherly Love. (Hat tip to Mirtle for the video link)

Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell was given a five-minute boarding penalty and a game misconduct for hitting defenceman Andrew Alberts at 14:22 of the second period. Andrews left the game with an unspecified head injury and will be evaluated on Tuesday.

Boston's Zdeno Chara said that his team decided not to retaliate after Alberts was injured.

"It's something we talked about," Chara said. "We probably ended up with some bruises, but we have two points and that's the most important thing right now. It's up to the league to address things like that."

Hartnell said that the hit on Alberts was not deliberate.

"I did not try to hurt him," Hartnell explained. "There was no intent at all. I am not that type of player. If you look at all the games this year and past years, I finish my checks every time I have an opportunity."

Not deliberate? From the little highlight we do see (near the end), Hartnell was absolutely rocketing towards Alberts with the full intention of doing some damage. While I defended Jones' hit on Bergergon, I believe Hartnell's hit was fully intended to injure the Bruins' player, and a very lengthy suspension ought to be on the way.

---
Other goodies over at the NHL FanHouse ...

1. We have a new contributor in Kevin Schultz (from Barry Melrose Rocks). His debit column is a beauty, as he gives Gary Bettman some tips on how to run his new radio show.

2. Imagine winning a hard-to-come-by Nintendo Wii, and then dying on the way to pick up your prize. Well, that's what happened to one poor kid at a Providence Bruins game. Greg Wyshynski has all the gory details.

3. Rome continues to burn as rumours surface that JFJ wanted to fire Paul Maurice, but couldn't. More Steve Simmons bullshit or the real deal? We report, YOU DECIDE!! Muhahaha

Eric Lindros Calls it a Career

by Jes


With Eric "The Big Ego" Lindros announcing his retirement, the sticks and stones are being flung around the hockeysphere left and right about the career of the polarizing centerman.

Over at The FanHouse, I muse about how Lindros changed the game. As much of a douche as Lindros is/was, we all know that he and his style of play had a profound impact on the NHL.

For worse, teams decided to load up on big slugs and SIZE, over skill and speed. Before Lindros, Cam Neely and Mark Messier were your basic power forwards, and most players were prized for their skills rather than their brute strength. Once Lindros came on the scene, it was all about BIGGER is BETTER, and teams skipped over skilled, smaller players to draft slugs like Brett Lindros, Chris Wells, etc etc ... Thankfully, after being smacked upside the head a few times, teams realized that players like Martin St. Louis are hella valuable and now NHL clubs are focused more on skill than pure size.

So, is Eric worthy for the Hall of Fame? My own preference would be 'YES', but that is without fully examining his case. I believe the effect Lindros had on the game trumps his final numbers and lack of any Stanley Cup success.

Over at The Daily Examiner, one scribe relays a story about Lindros and his habit of 'peeking'

The bathroom was relatively crowded — in fact there were only two side-by-side urinals available. I took my urinal just like I would if I didn’t think the number one pick in 1991’s NHL Entry Draft was about to take the next one.

The first thing I noticed, upon seeing Lindros in person standing, was that he was taller (and skinnier) than I expected. I guess height helps in hockey because it allows you to see things from a less obstructed perspective.

As I did my thing, I felt something bearing down on me from an unobstructed perspective. It was Lindros, and, yes, he was sneaking a peek

Eeepp O.o