12/22/24
April 28, 2011
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
The OKC game last night was great. Kevin Durant in the last few minutes was amazing.
posted by bperk at 09:23 AM on April 28, 2011
Reminder: get your picks in for round 2 of the NHL playoffs in the locker room. The NHL ain't playing around with "days off" between rounds this year, but I'll be lenient on late picks...to a point... =D
posted by MeatSaber at 11:28 AM on April 28, 2011
Say what you want about the Canucks, their intimidating fight song is second to none.
posted by rumple at 12:15 PM on April 28, 2011
I look forward to the bloodbath that the Flyers/Bruins series will become, as both teams dish out dirty hit after dirty hit on each other. If the series goes 7 games, I wonder if both teams will be able to field a full lineup, given the number of concussions they'll inflict on each other.
posted by grum@work at 12:44 PM on April 28, 2011
Champions League Infographic by Hyperakt.
posted by billsaysthis at 12:54 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by mtg at 12:59 PM on April 28, 2011
I wonder if both teams will be able to field a full lineup, given the number of concussions they'll inflict on each other.
It's fine, they all did badly on the initial tests on purpose. Both rinks may need to look into making their penalty boxes larger though.
posted by drezdn at 02:12 PM on April 28, 2011
Reminder: get your picks in for round 2 of the NHL playoffs in the locker room. The NHL ain't playing around with "days off" between rounds this year, but I'll be lenient on late picks...to a point... =D
Will you be lenient with first round picks too? If so I have:
Canucks in 7
Red Wings in 4
Sharks in 6
Preds in 6
Capitals in 5
Flyers in 7
Lightning in 7
Canadiens in 4 (simply because I still expect the Bruins to choke in the first round)
posted by Demophon at 03:47 PM on April 28, 2011
Bruins' TV play-by-play man, Jack Edwards, delivered a most amusing 'sermon' as a postmortem to the 1st round series. Say what you might, he is entertaining. I'd love to see him hooked up to a pulse and blood pressure monitor during a game. Hemight set records in both categories. I understand that the NHL might require a warning to be posted before all future Bruins-Canadiens broadcasts advising viewers with coronary conditions not to watch. That was one incredible series.
grum, the Bruins have just had a 7-game seminar on creative flopping taught by some of the best in the craft, and judging by some of the calls last night, they learned well. With the ineffectiveness of their power play, Bruins are seeking a rule change to defer penalties so they can use 2 calls to get a 5-on-3. Otherwise, they'll see if they can just decline the penalty.
posted by Howard_T at 05:23 PM on April 28, 2011
Say what you want about the Canucks, their intimidating fight song is second to none.
I only got about halfway through before I had to turn that off.
The 2011 playoff song is actually only marginally better . As if that's possible.
Reminds me of why hockey is not well-represented on the hip-hop scene. That, and the inability to try and make effective rhymes out of most of the names on the roster.
posted by Bonkers at 05:43 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by etagloh at 06:28 PM on April 28, 2011
Reminds me of why hockey is not well-represented on the hip-hop scene. That, and the inability to try and make effective rhymes out of most of the names on the roster.
They're just a Walt Tkaczuk or two away from really being able to run it down.
posted by beaverboard at 10:12 PM on April 28, 2011
grum, the Bruins have just had a 7-game seminar on creative flopping taught by some of the best in the craft,
Is this creative flopping?
posted by tselson at 11:18 PM on April 28, 2011
Yeah, I'm not sure you can actually "flop" when your head bounces off a shoulder, pane of plexiglass, or a corner stanchion.
You can joke all you want, but there were more examples of Bruin-on-Hab dirty hits than the other way 'round. Add in Philly's notorious history (ancient and recent) for dangerous/dirty play, and we've got a recipe for carnage.
posted by grum@work at 11:40 PM on April 28, 2011
Will you be lenient with first round picks too?
Sorry, Demo...not *that* lenient...maybe a week ago...
mlb321, we need your picks. You're the only one from round 1 to not post yet. And anyone else that's wants to jump into the fun, you're more than welcome. Thread's in the locker room...
posted by MeatSaber at 01:03 AM on April 29, 2011
there were more examples of Bruin-on-Hab dirty hits than the other way 'round.
Not sure anyone's arguing that. But I'd like to see someone defend Subban's antics during Game 7. He played a hell of a series, why mar it with play acting? As for Ference & Halpern, get out of the way if you don't want to get hit.
posted by yerfatma at 10:55 AM on April 29, 2011
As for Ference & Halpern, get out of the way if you don't want to get hit.
This is my take as well. It's not like Ference sought Halpern out, and Halpern looked right at Ference maybe a second before they collided, turned his head and didn't alter his course. You could make the case that Ference leaned into him, but I see it as he was bracing for impact...
posted by MeatSaber at 11:23 AM on April 29, 2011
@etagloh: Very easy to spot Mr. Big Baby. Thanks for the LOLz.
posted by billsaysthis at 12:22 PM on April 29, 2011
Is this creative flopping?
Not particularly creative, but indicative of not being aware of where you are on the ice and what is in your vicinity. The puck was in center ice, so why was Halpern skating deeper into the offensive zone? He should be putting on the brakes and heading out of the zone. Ference knows Halpern is there, but is more interested in positioning himself than he is in hitting Halpern. As Halpern nears Ference, both turn their heads to look at the play up ice. Neither one was looking at the other when they collided, and the shrug of Ference's shoulder looked more like it could have been due due his bracing himself after initial contact, rather than any attempt to catch Halpern on the jaw.
A number of Canadiens appeared to flop trying to draw penalties, and as the series went on, the referees began to ignore bodies falling; this to the detriment of Montreal. Hamrlik particularly might have cost Montreal the series when he was run over by Boston's Kelly, and instead of getting up immediately and getting back into the play, he lay there for several seconds and then went looking for a referee to whom to complain. The result was an easy goal for Kelly.
posted by Howard_T at 05:05 PM on April 29, 2011
I can't resist the temptation. This headline from the Montreal Gazette says it all.
Oh! They were talking about aquatics, not hockey. My bad.
posted by Howard_T at 06:38 PM on April 30, 2011
At the end of round one of the NHL playoffs mkn and rumple are still out front in the 2011 SpoFi NHL Playoofs confidence pool standings. Check 'em out here.