LOL post on a hockey forum about NHL riding Pittsburgh's nuts:
look, at this point, its no secret. The nhl, and the media, desperately want the pens to win the cup. We cant expect any favors from them, and to date, the wings hav handled that quite well.
I dont think there is much doubt that id crosby and or malkin were hurt, they wouldnt have pushed up the start date of the finals. They could have easily put games 1 and 2 on VS on maybe tuesday and thursday, and let nbc have games 3 and 4 on sat/sun. Allowing both teams to get the appropriate rest they earned. But they didnt.
Listening to these national broadcasters? At this point its like watching an "away" feed. These guys couldnt be pulling more for the pens. Everytime we score a goal, they point to a penalty that should have been called on us that led to it. Its not the other teams coaches anymore, its not the players.. now you have analysts talking about how the wings are the "masters of interference". When the pens do something well, its perfect execution. Nevermind that hal gil plays half the game with one hand on his stick and one hand on our guys shoulder. Never mind our guys getting blasted 50 feet away from the puck.. they magnify every non call against the wings, showing several replays, and ignore the same stuff fromt he pens. Creating the illusion the pens are the ones getting shafted here. We wont even talk about pierre, who always seems to think the teamlosing by a goal or 2 to the wings is doing exactly what they need to do, and exactly where they want to be. Yes, im sure being down a goal or 2 is exactly where they want to be, and if they keep doing the same, clearly they are "getting to the wings", and will eventually pull ahead.
This latest incident with malkin is just another in a long line of screwjobs. Its an automatic suspension. Its like arguing a clear over the glass play. There shouldnt be any argument. Not sending a message? Every analyst said they were sending a message and it was the right thing for him to do.. The guy bludgeoned hank twice with his stick, that alone should be worth a suspension. Along with the auto instigator rule, there should be no question.
Heck, youd think in all fairness, given that they forced us to play games 1 and 2 without our top forward, maybe this once, they could follow their own rules, and let them play a game without their top forward.
But once again. The league puts marketing ahead of the game itself. They dont want to see a sweep. Its bad for ratings. Is bad for revenue. The league is painfully aware. If datsyuk plays the next game. And malkin doesnt? This series is all but over. Without malkin in this series, the pens dont even have a goal. And with their full compliment of players, and short our top offensive and defensive forward, and another top defensive forward, they are still barely hanging in against us.
Its just how it is. Watch, next game? You are going to see a dozen penalties called. We are off NBC, and its painfully obvious that the pens cant "out defense" us. That if they are going to score, its going to have to be on the power play, and our PK is our biggest weakness. Where the officials have "let em play" the last 2 games, they are going to call the next one tight.
Integrity of the game? What integrity?
