Fighting has always been a part of the NHL and all of hockey. It is one of the longest running traditions in the game. Eliminating fighting in the NHL would be like taking flour out of a cake recipe; it just doesn’t work out. Fighting, believe it or not, protects players, sends a message, or can change momentum in a game.
Fighting protects the star players on every team. Enforcers on teams will usually only play a few shifts per game but can be one of the most valuable players on a team. Their job on the team is to protect the star players. Just by an enforcer being on a team, the opposing teams will not hit the superstars as much. The other team just has to look at the end of the bench and will think twice before taking liberties on superstars. There is something about seeing a six and a half foot giant of a man staring at you that will make you think twice about doing anything.
One of the major problems going on in the NHL right now is fights taking place after clean hits. This can be a big problem. Fights are usually justifiable whenever they occur after cheap shots. Whenever a clean, but hard, hit is administered there has been a trend that fights have followed. This is not good for the NHL. It gives the league a bad reputation for harboring loose cannons. Fighting in the middle of a play like this can also be a disadvantage for your team. When a fight breaks out, the play is whistled dead regardless of if you had a scoring chance or not. Because you have decided to fight your team has given up a crucial scoring chance. Although you have decided to send a message by fighting, scoring a goal would be sending an even greater message.
In defense of fighting, it can be a game breaker in a positive way. A fight can change the momentum of the game in your favor. The Pittsburgh Penguins were losing 3-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2009 NHL Playoffs. During the second period of the game Max Talbot of the Penguins started a fight with Daniel Carcillo of the Flyers. Talbot lost the fight, but the Penguins won the game due to the momentum shift that started with Talbot fighting Carcillo. Within a minute of the fight ending the Penguins scored their first goal of the game. It would have been best for the Flyers if Carcillo would have just backed off and refused the fight, it being alright because there was no reason to fight. He fought only to please the fans. It was a typical move by the Flyers.
Fighting in the NHL needs to be regulated by reducing the amounts of fights after clean hits. Fighting does protect players but is unnecessary in certain situations. The NHL needs to define when fights are permitted. Fights for clean hits need to be regulated more by giving a penalty to the player who starts the fight. This would allow for the game to flow better and punish players for fighting for all the wrong reasons.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
busy, busy, busy...
I've been really busy as of late and haven't had time to post anything. As a consolation, here is an awesome video I made to commemorate the start of the 3rd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A highlight video of the first 2 rounds set to Hanging By A Moment by Lifehouse.
The quality of the video isn't all that great, but it was all I could do with the tools provided. While talking about the Stanley Cup Playoffs, what series' we have ahead of ourselves. First off, in the West, we have an original 6 match-up between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings, led by skilled forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterburg, and Marian Hossa are the second seed in the West, while the Blackhawks, led by Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Martin Havlat, are the 4th seed. In an intense rematch of the Winter Classic, expect a hard fought series between these long term rivals. The Red Wings may have the advantage in experience, but the Blackhawks make up for that with a young and healthy roster. The age of the Red Wings might catch up to them before this series is done, but only time will tell. Red Wings in 6
In the East, The Carolina Hurricanes are pitted up against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the first time these teams have played each other in the playoffs. The Hurricanes are a solid offensive team, led by Eric Staal. They do not evenly match up against the Penguins up front, by any means. With Eric Staal's brother, Jordan, centering the Penguins third line, the Pens are a nightmare to matchup against. The first two lines are centered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin respectively, but they are really lines 1a and 1b. Defensively, the Penguins have the advantage. They have a stronger set of defensive defensemen than the Hurricanes do. Evgeni Malkin will be the difference maker in this series. If Malkin can exploit the second defensive pairing of Carolina then the Penguins will be able to win this series. The Hurricanes may be outmatched up front, but the Hurricanes have the advantage in net. Both teams are defended by young goaltenders, the difference is that Cam Ward has won the Stanley Cup in his only cup appearence, while Marc-Andre Fleury lost in the Cup Finals last year. Cam Ward has yet to lose a playoff series in his young career, but the Penguins hope to end that. Penguins in 5
The quality of the video isn't all that great, but it was all I could do with the tools provided. While talking about the Stanley Cup Playoffs, what series' we have ahead of ourselves. First off, in the West, we have an original 6 match-up between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings, led by skilled forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterburg, and Marian Hossa are the second seed in the West, while the Blackhawks, led by Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Martin Havlat, are the 4th seed. In an intense rematch of the Winter Classic, expect a hard fought series between these long term rivals. The Red Wings may have the advantage in experience, but the Blackhawks make up for that with a young and healthy roster. The age of the Red Wings might catch up to them before this series is done, but only time will tell. Red Wings in 6
In the East, The Carolina Hurricanes are pitted up against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the first time these teams have played each other in the playoffs. The Hurricanes are a solid offensive team, led by Eric Staal. They do not evenly match up against the Penguins up front, by any means. With Eric Staal's brother, Jordan, centering the Penguins third line, the Pens are a nightmare to matchup against. The first two lines are centered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin respectively, but they are really lines 1a and 1b. Defensively, the Penguins have the advantage. They have a stronger set of defensive defensemen than the Hurricanes do. Evgeni Malkin will be the difference maker in this series. If Malkin can exploit the second defensive pairing of Carolina then the Penguins will be able to win this series. The Hurricanes may be outmatched up front, but the Hurricanes have the advantage in net. Both teams are defended by young goaltenders, the difference is that Cam Ward has won the Stanley Cup in his only cup appearence, while Marc-Andre Fleury lost in the Cup Finals last year. Cam Ward has yet to lose a playoff series in his young career, but the Penguins hope to end that. Penguins in 5
Monday, April 27, 2009
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
A band that I have really been into for the past few weeks, since I found out about them, is The Blizzards. They are an alternative rock band residing in Ireland, but they sure know how to rock. Their songs vary widely, stretching from borderline ska to pop punk. Below you can find their video for Trust Me I'm A Doctor.
Their sophomore album The Domino Effect is a hit from start to finish. Along with Trust Me I'm A Doctor, songs such as Money Doesn't Buy You Class, Three Cheers for Modern Medicine, and Silence is Violence hit the listener hard and don't let go. They also show the ability to slow down their pace and still have the ability to write a hit. The second single off the album is Postcards (You Can't Stop), and deservedly so. The ballad of a man who has passed away sending his love back on Earth postcards from heaven can conjure up the listeners own memories of a lost loved one. All in all, this record has quickly become one of my favorites, even though I just found out about the band last month. For anyone interested in Jimmy Eat World, The All-American Rejects, or Franz Ferdinand.
Their sophomore album The Domino Effect is a hit from start to finish. Along with Trust Me I'm A Doctor, songs such as Money Doesn't Buy You Class, Three Cheers for Modern Medicine, and Silence is Violence hit the listener hard and don't let go. They also show the ability to slow down their pace and still have the ability to write a hit. The second single off the album is Postcards (You Can't Stop), and deservedly so. The ballad of a man who has passed away sending his love back on Earth postcards from heaven can conjure up the listeners own memories of a lost loved one. All in all, this record has quickly become one of my favorites, even though I just found out about the band last month. For anyone interested in Jimmy Eat World, The All-American Rejects, or Franz Ferdinand.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Buying Nothing
For those of you who do not know how to buy nothing, look no further than what the Pittsburgh Penguins did to the Philadelphia Flyers today. Being down 3 goals to none in the second period, they Penguins did what they had to do to essentially remain in the playoffs. After losing game 5 3-0, the Pens couldn't afford to lose game 6. By losing game 6 the Pens would be placed into a difficult game 7, albeit at home. Max Talbot, redeeming himself for a giveaway that led to the Flyers first goal, fought Flyers tough guy Daniel Carcillo early in the second period. Although he got his ass kicked he delivered in pumping up the Penguins bench with his display of selflessness and a team first mentality. 
After Talbot and Carcillo went to their respective boxes the game started to get good. Malkin made a power move to the front of the net where the puck got stuck under Marty Biron. Ruslan Fedotenko brings his pickle stabber to the front of the net and pokes it in. The Flyers, refusing to believe that another team can score on their great goaltender, decide to start a scrum after the pens goal, sending Malkin to the box for the Pens and Braydon Coburn for the Flyers. On the ensuing 4 on 4 Mark Eaton shows us why he is a big deal and bats the puck out of the air, ala Nate McLouth. The Flyers, realizing that they actually don't know how to play hockey, refuse to get off their knees and blow the rest of the game. Crosby and Gonchar score the game tying and game winning goals respectively, and Crosby scores another into the empty net to seal the deal. Flyers fans, stunned by a player that supposedly sucks scoring two goals, go home to make out with their sisters. This is the second year in a row that the Penguins have beaten the Flyers in the playoffs and hopefully won't be the last time that they do.
After Talbot and Carcillo went to their respective boxes the game started to get good. Malkin made a power move to the front of the net where the puck got stuck under Marty Biron. Ruslan Fedotenko brings his pickle stabber to the front of the net and pokes it in. The Flyers, refusing to believe that another team can score on their great goaltender, decide to start a scrum after the pens goal, sending Malkin to the box for the Pens and Braydon Coburn for the Flyers. On the ensuing 4 on 4 Mark Eaton shows us why he is a big deal and bats the puck out of the air, ala Nate McLouth. The Flyers, realizing that they actually don't know how to play hockey, refuse to get off their knees and blow the rest of the game. Crosby and Gonchar score the game tying and game winning goals respectively, and Crosby scores another into the empty net to seal the deal. Flyers fans, stunned by a player that supposedly sucks scoring two goals, go home to make out with their sisters. This is the second year in a row that the Penguins have beaten the Flyers in the playoffs and hopefully won't be the last time that they do. This is just the first post of this blog, it just so happens that this one was Penguins themed, seeing as they won a big game today, but sports are not going to be the only thing talked about here. I will talk about whatever is of interest at the time, whether it be TV, Movies, Music, or Sports.
p.s. Props to john cruise for the Talbot photoshop, but i made the one below...
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