News Flash: Flyers get screwed in Montreal.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

WTF did I just witness? First the gutless replay booth doesn't overturn a phony goal that was obviously hit with a high stick, then they call a 'tripping' penalty with less than 2 minutes to go that wasn't anywhere close to tripping, and Montreal miraculously ties the game about 30 seconds to play, then 'wins it' in overtime. They didn't win it, they were handed it. This is what makes me get totally sick of sports when officiating changes the outcome. I just want to put a hatchet through the frikin' door.

Think I'm bitter. You're damned right I'm bitter. Total ripoff. Watch the replay and see for yourself. Tell me I'm wrong and I'll hunt you down and kick your scrawny ass. If you disagree, you don't know squat about hockey.

Swish - one pissed-off Flyers fan. We got screwed.

The stick's heel made contact with the puck at just about crossbar level - at best, inconclusive evidence - and since the ref signalled a goal, not enough evidence to overturn it. Every opinion on the matter I've seen - albeit only Canadian channels, but even Mike Milbury on TSN, said they got the call right. Remember Swish, you have to look at the part of the stick that made contact with the puck and where that part of the stick was in relation to the crossbar.

The penalty was questionnable, but what hockey penalty isn't? He clearly stuck out his knee when he realized he wasn't going to get a big enough piece of Kovalev.

All-in-all I thought it was a very well refereed game - 2 penalties called against each team - 1 power play goal each. It was a badly-played game overall, passes were not very crisp, some questionnable decision making on both ends and both teams got breaks on lucky bounces resulting in goals - Flyers actually got two. I think the better team, the team that created more chances, won.

And I agree with Kexodusc - for a Flyer fan to complain about referees after being handed Game 7 against the Caps - bad kharma dude. Anyway you should worry more about the lack of offense created by your team in general, and how your slow defence is going to handle the Montreal forwards, especially the Kostitsyn, Kostitsyn, Plekanec line, who won't be facing Timonen / Coburn, instead of throwing out red herring arguments about bad referee calls.

[Swish]

The stick's heel made contact with the puck at just about crossbar level - at best, inconclusive evidence - and since the ref signalled a goal, not enough evidence to overturn it. Every opinion on the matter I've seen - albeit only Canadian channels, but even Mike Milbury on TSN, said they got the call right. Remember Swish, you have to look at the part of the stick that made contact with the puck and where that part of the stick was in relation to the crossbar.

The penalty was questionnable, but what hockey penalty isn't? He clearly stuck out his knee when he realized he wasn't going to get a big enough piece of Kovalev.

All-in-all I thought it was a very well refereed game - 2 penalties called against each team - 1 power play goal each. It was a badly-played game overall, passes were not very crisp, some questionnable decision making on both ends and both teams got breaks on lucky bounces resulting in goals - Flyers actually got two. I think the better team, the team that created more chances, won.

And I agree with Kexodusc - for a Flyer fan to complain about referees after being handed Game 7 against the Caps - bad kharma dude. Anyway you should worry more about the lack of offense created by your team in general, and how your slow defence is going to handle the Montreal forwards, especially the Kostitsyn, Kostitsyn, Plekanec line, who won't be facing Timonen / Coburn, instead of throwing out red herring arguments about bad referee calls.

A few pale ales and a couple of questionable calls and I got a few of you lathered up pretty well. I'm quite proud actually.

The Flyers played 3 games in 4 nights and in three different cities, and still took the Habs into overtime, so give them credit. They went from worst in the NHL last year to a playoff team, so give them credit. Just what do you mean the Flyers need to generate more offense? They out-shot Montreal in the game, so they were right there but for a few breaks, and if not for the brutal week they've had, probably would have been a bit sharper.

Speed is an issue, I will agree, but hey, like I told you, I don't expect the Flyers to win this series, I just thought they should have won this game and it would have made things very interesting.

Swish - stirring up trouble

[kexodusc]

A few pale ales and a couple of questionable calls and I got a few of you lathered up pretty well. I'm quite proud actually.

The Flyers played 3 games in 4 nights and in three different cities, and still took the Habs into overtime, so give them credit.

The NHL really dropped the ball with the schedule for this series. San Jose got the extra day for their match against Dallas, despite advancing the same day as the Flyers. This really stuff really bugs me.. The playoffs are a marathon and so much is at stake that no team should be disadvantage by fatigue due to unreasonable scheduling. It's one thing when both teams have the same schedule, at least that's fair. But that extra day for Montreal was huge, and in a close game nobody will argue it wasn't a big factor.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Just what do you mean the Flyers need to generate more offense? They out-shot Montreal in the game, so they were right there but for a few breaks, and if not for the brutal week they've had, probably would have been a bit sharper.

I think the shots ended up even. Notwithstanding that fact, Biron by far had the tougher saves to make - not to mention two posts, a penalty shot, at least 2 partial breakaways. I can't think of any really tough save that Price had to make. Where was Richard's, where was Briere, where was Hartnell, even the power play was pretty anemic - even if they did score on a lucky bounce on a weak shot from the point that Price should have held on to. Overall, I didn't see much offense from The Flyers at all.

Having said that it was a MUCH tougher game than it should have been for The Habs, given the Flyers schedule. And yes, I do give the Flyers a ton of credit for the season they had, and most of it without Gagne - well done.

Speed is an issue, I will agree, but hey, like I told you, I don't expect the Flyers to win this series, I just thought they should have won this game and it would have made things very interesting.

Point well taken.

Look - looking at Montreal's season from a non-partisan perspective - they are probably not as good, long term as this season's results seem to indicate. They went the season without a major injury, they got a career year from a motivated Kovalev - next year, who knows? They found a franchise goaltender, and seem to be gelling as a group beyond their talent level. I expect them to beat the Flyers - because they match-up well, but next round I expect they'll lose.

But they do have what I think is the most underrated defence corp in the east -with more promising defencemen on the way; (Ryan McDonough, Emelin, Valentenko, David Fisher), they have that franchise goaltender for many a year to come, the Kostitsyn sisters (as somenopne called them) are actually pretty damn good, and Plekanec may be the most underrated centre in the East. So the future looks brighter than the recent past at least.