Sens vs Penguins predictions

[fundonny]

you missed a good game Donny

I watched. Bartender was kind enough to put one TV on the draft.

The refs were horrible.

[mpare]

When is a tackle without touching the puck not a penalty? Answer: When it's an Ottawa Senator winger screaming in on goal. Ridiculous call, but not as bad as Fisher getting 4 minutes. For what? For getting pushed into one of the Pens. Horrible officiating. Great game, though. The Sens showed some real fire last night. Great team play. Even Spezza restricted his passes to his own teammates.

I watched. Bartender was kind enough to put one TV on the draft.

The refs were horrible.

[leftylucas]

Yes, that is 2 games in a row where the refs ae pretty bad. As for Spezza, he actually finished some checks last night in the 3rd period. He was much more responsible. If this guy finished each one of his checks instead of doing the poke check flyby he would be one of the best players in the league. He did look very bad on the Pens 3rd goal, Zack Smith took one for him by trying to cover Crosby but he was Spezza's man and was standing around watch it all happen.

[jonf]

Speaking of that third Pens goal. How exactly do you cover Crosby without taking a penalty. Smith did all you could legally do and more. That Crosby kid just wants to win that little bit more than everyone else. Pretty special to watch.

[leftylucas]

Oh, I agree, you cannot do much more, its Spezza that should have had him, Clousten has to avoid putting him out when Crosby is on the ice, Spezza cannot cover him nor does he have it in him. Just watch Spezza turn and come back when the puck is turned over, he is the last of his line to arrive back to his own zone and he is not covering anyone, EVERY TIME. That is a lack of comittment in my eyes.

[Cruban]

focusing on the positive, the Sens played great overall, they shutdown crosby (yes I consider 1G, 1A a success), leclaire played out of his mind, and if they play like that tomorrow night there will be a game 7

[maximus]

Stop whining about the refs it's getting pathetic.

Spoken like someone whose team didn't make the playoffs.

I'd say the refs have earned the ridicule they are receiving so far. So keep up the people!

[Chambokl]

Spoken like someone whose team didn't make the playoffs.

I'd say the refs have earned the ridicule they are receiving so far. So keep up the people!

Did you guys see Bettman trying to defend the video replay guys in Los Angeles... He was turning red...

[DLIII]

Spoken like someone whose team didn't make the playoffs.

I'd say the refs have earned the ridicule they are receiving so far. So keep up the people!

I lived in Kanata for 10 years and had ticket packs to Corel Then now Scotia Bank place for 4 of them. I happen to like the Sens. I've met many of the core players and happen to think quite fondly of them. You should think before you run your mouth.

Also. I give fans of any team crap when they whine about officiating. They're doing the best job they can. Things look different at ice level. There's a balance between letting them play and calling penalties. On any given play you'll get two different opinions it just depends what team you cheer for.

The better team in this series has won the games. The refs have not determined the outcome. Ott was better in game 1 and pit was better the next 3. Ott deserved that win last night and they got it.

However I'm calling pitt in game 6. No offence to Ottawa but pitt was caught napping last night much like game 1. Sens tend to squeeze the sticks tight at home.

[SGH]

Just because a referee is doing the best he can does not mean he is doing a good job. Nor does it void them of responsibility and redicule. They're human, and they make mistakes, and I think they made a bunch last night. However, this is they're job, not some favour they're providing the league, and as such, they are accountable to the league and the rules they've set.

That being said, I do agree that it has not clearly dictated the outcome of any of the games; however, that doesn't mean it could have, or won't going forward.

I just hope Game 6 is close and that it decided by the players.

[shakergolf]

I lived in Kanata for 10 years and had ticket packs to Corel Then now Scotia Bank place for 4 of them. I happen to like the Sens. I've met many of the core players and happen to think quite fondly of them. You should think before you run your mouth.

I don't see the relevance of you living in Kanata or anything you said to bad officiating. Just because it's a tough job is no excuse to not perform due diligence and be fair/unbiased. It has been very clear in the past several games the reffing has been against the Sens. Sure, "whining" doesn't get us anywhere but I thought the whole point of a forum was to express opinions. Let's not be so touchy.

[fundonny]

The Sens won last night in spite of the refs.

[sensfan63]

I don't see the relevance of you living in Kanata or anything you said to bad officiating. Just because it's a tough job is no excuse to not perform due diligence and be fair/unbiased. It has been very clear in the past several games the reffing has been against the Sens. Sure, "whining" doesn't get us anywhere but I thought the whole point of a forum was to express opinions. Let's not be so touchy.

I think he was responding to the fellow who said that his team didn't make the playoffs...assuming he was a Leafs fan, I guess?

[justsomeguy]

The Sens won last night in spite of the refs.

Actually, I though last night it wasn't that bad. Its not an easy job, and overall the refs were consistent and made the calls that had to be made.

I thought there were really only two questionable calls last night - the 4-minute penalty on Fisher and the tripping that wasn't called in OT when the Sens had a near-breakaway (should have at least been a 2-minute penalty). I think both were honest mistakes - the refs thought Fisher brought his stick up and they thought the Penguin player got the puck first on the breakaway. OTOH they got a number of tough calls right - the high-stick into the net, the kicked-in goal and goaltender interference call against Staal (I've seen that not called in the past waaaay too many times). And even on the Fisher call they did nail Fleury for roughing (which he certainly deserved).

The officiating in game 3 was totally brutal however. The calls against Kelly and Neil were lame and one of the too-many-men calls was questionable, especially when the same stuff by the Pens was ignored. The Pens were diving all over the ice and the refs were buying into it. The non-call on the puck going over the glass was totally blown and there is absolutely no excuse for that. The Pens were the better team anyway and deserved the win, but the double standard was obvious.

[maximus]

I lived in Kanata for 10 years and had ticket packs to Corel Then now Scotia Bank place for 4 of them. I happen to like the Sens. I've met many of the core players and happen to think quite fondly of them. You should think before you run your mouth.

Oooo, spicy (but apparently less zesty than what you originally wrote, judging by the edit).

DLIII, you will notice the usage of a big smiley face next to my previous response. You may be aware that on forums they are commonly used to lighten the tone. And since you provided little context to your comment regarding the refs, and the fact that you are currently residing in Ajax, I made what I thought was a pretty fair assumption (in good humour)... that you are a Leaf fan stirring the pot in a forum full of Sens fans.

If you want to set the record straight, do let us know what team you are rooting for these days (not 10 years ago). 9/10 Sens fans, who have been watching the playoff games agree that we have been hosed on more than one occassion by bad calls. Maybe you are the 1/10 Sens fan who doesn't think so. I can respect that, if you justify your reasoning, rather than just saying all of the is pathetic.

btw: It's pretty silly to tell someone to think before running their mouth, and then have to edit your own post.

[maximus]

Just because a referee is doing the best he can does not mean he is doing a good job. Nor does it void them of responsibility and redicule. They're human, and they make mistakes, and I think they made a bunch last night. However, this is they're job, not some favour they're providing the league, and as such, they are accountable to the league and the rules they've set.

That being said, I do agree that it has not clearly dictated the outcome of any of the games; however, that doesn't mean it could have, or won't going forward.

I just hope Game 6 is close and that it decided by the players.

+1

I totally agree.

[DLIII]

I don't see the relevance of you living in Kanata or anything you said to bad officiating. Just because it's a tough job is no excuse to not perform due diligence and be fair/unbiased. It has been very clear in the past several games the reffing has been against the Sens. Sure, "whining" doesn't get us anywhere but I thought the whole point of a forum was to express opinions. Let's not be so touchy.

Dude the kanata comment was in response to the sentiment that my empathy for the refs was based on being a fan of another team. Which was bogus.

Refs are going to make incorrect calls. It happens. They don't get a perfect view of everything. You're not considering so many factors including the lighting in the ceiling, the back ground. Players blocking views., Your view of the action. Nit picking at a call here and a call there is immature.

Are there times when an official has decided a game? Think Game 7 Stars vs Sabres. Sure. but in this series that hasn't happened. The officials are making the error on the side of caution. If they're not 100% sure they don't make the call and that's the correct thing to do. IMO.

Washington had a huge beef last night. High stick no call. But did it decide the game NO. .Montreal was a better team and they won.

Every game of the Ott -Pitt series has gone to the correct team. Ott won game 1, 2-3-4 went to pittsburgh and game 5 ottawa. if you watch the games with an open mind you can see the better team won.

The officiating is just an excuse your making for the incompetence in the game. if you're asking what determines games. Incompetent play trumps incompetent refs any day.

[DLIII]

Oooo, spicy (but apparently less zesty than what you originally wrote, judging by the edit).

DLIII, you will notice the usage of a big smiley face next to my previous response. You may be aware that on forums they are commonly used to lighten the tone. And since you provided little context to your comment regarding the refs, and the fact that you are currently residing in Ajax, I made what I thought was a pretty fair assumption (in good humour)... that you are a Leaf fan stirring the pot in a forum full of Sens fans.

If you want to set the record straight, do let us know what team you are rooting for these days (not 10 years ago). 9/10 Sens fans, who have been watching the playoff games agree that we have been hosed on more than one occassion by bad calls. Maybe you are the 1/10 Sens fan who doesn't think so. I can respect that, if you justify your reasoning, rather than just saying all of the is pathetic.

btw: It's pretty silly to tell someone to think before running their mouth, and then have to edit your own post.

9/10 sens fans think they get hosed on calls all year. News flash 9/10 pittsburgh fans think they got hosed by calls. here's another one. 9/10 Hab fans think they're getting hosed by the refs. Sense a pattern here. I know you're trying to pretend to be impartial but you're not. You're bias and you're going to see things differently. Just admit it.

I'm a hockey fan! and that's why I can see the big picture instead of the 30 second snap shots of the game.

[mpare]

So let me see if I have this right. You're the only real hockey fan here because you "can see the big picture." The rest of the viewers are mere amateurs whos bias only allows them to see "30 second snap shots of the game." Despite your self-confident assertion, you couldn't be more wrong about the quality of the referring or that ability of fans to actual "see" the entire game.

The quality of the refereeing has been poor. If you're actually seeing all of the game, then that should be obvious. Whether their less than stellar calls have determined the outcome of the game or not is irrelevant to whether the refs have done a good job. I happen to think that their gaffs have not determined the outcome of the games. But, again, that doesn't make their failings any less serious.

... I'm a hockey fan! and that's why I can see the big picture instead of the 30 second snap shots of the game.

[Hacker]

I'm a hockey fan! and that's why I can see the big picture instead of the 30 second snap shots of the game.

Sorry DLIII but saying I'm a hockey fan is a cop-out.

You call someone out for saying that your team missed the play-offs, then when you're asked what team you cheer for you say your a hockey fan - that's weak

I have to agree with Maximus, all things point to you being a fan of the Blue team and you're not doing anything to counter that reasoning.

.......although I can understand what a person wouldn't want to admit publicly to being a fan of the Make Beliefs

[Chambokl]

So let me see if I have this right. You're the only real hockey fan here because you "can see the big picture." The rest of the viewers are mere amateurs whos bias only allows them to see "30 second snap shots of the game." Despite your self-confident assertion, you couldn't be more wrong about the quality of the referring or that ability of fans to actual "see" the entire game.

The quality of the refereeing has been poor. If you're actually seeing all of the game, then that should be obvious. Whether their less than stellar calls have determined the outcome of the game or not is irrelevant to whether the refs have done a good job. I happen to think that their gaffs have not determined the outcome of the games. But, again, that doesn't make their failings any less serious.

[sensfan63]

As a former referee, I must interject and correct a commonly-held belief:

When a player is breaking into the offensive zone with the puck, and clearly is about to have a scoring chance, the defensive player is NOT permitted to trip the player whilst knocking the puck away. When I hear "but the guy got the puck first," I want to It's not legal to take the feet out from under a player, just because you happened to deflect the puck into the corner.

It's a cop-out for a ref to say "puck first."

[Ginker]

Go sens go!!!!

[nokids]

Geaux sens geaux!

[maximus]

9/10 sens fans think they get hosed on calls all year. News flash 9/10 pittsburgh fans think they got hosed by calls. here's another one. 9/10 Hab fans think they're getting hosed by the refs. Sense a pattern here. I know you're trying to pretend to be impartial but you're not. You're bias and you're going to see things differently. Just admit it.

I'm a hockey fan! and that's why I can see the big picture instead of the 30 second snap shots of the game.

OMG, you are a "hockey fan!"? Why didn't you say so? You're right, I am biased, and from now on will defer to your infinite hockey wisdom.

Puck drops now! Go Sens!

[fundonny]

Well, that was heartbreaking. Quite the tease, I was already making plans for Monday night. The refs were good last night. Only complaint, aside from losing, is the amount of time it takes to review a goal. Holy.

[davevandyk]

They got off to a great start and had a nice lead but they just couldn't hold down the fort. The Pens came hard and it looked like they had 6 skaters out there at times! I know the Sens didn't play there best, but they were just outmatched against this Pitt team, kinda like watching the Sharks/Avs series. They pushed the Pens had and made them battle for the win which was great to see. In the latter stages of the game they seemed to heavily rely on the Alfie-Cullen-Fisher line along with Kelly-Neil-Ruutu. If they could get him at a reasonable price, I would love them to keep Cullen but they are gonna need money to keep Volchenkov too.

Would not be surprised at all to see Pitt hoisting the Cup again, or at the least be in the Finals.

[DLIII]

Sorry DLIII but saying I'm a hockey fan is a cop-out.

You call someone out for saying that your team missed the play-offs, then when you're asked what team you cheer for you say your a hockey fan - that's weak

I have to agree with Maximus, all things point to you being a fan of the Blue team and you're not doing anything to counter that reasoning.

.......although I can understand what a person wouldn't want to admit publicly to being a fan of the Make Beliefs

This post is a cop out. I figured the $12,000 spent on sens tickets over 10 years was good enough to 'prove' something. Apparently. Not. To be fan you have to moan and whine about the refs. That makes you a true sens fan.

[DLIII]

So let me see if I have this right. You're the only real hockey fan here because you "can see the big picture." The rest of the viewers are mere amateurs whos bias only allows them to see "30 second snap shots of the game." Despite your self-confident assertion, you couldn't be more wrong about the quality of the referring or that ability of fans to actual "see" the entire game.

The quality of the refereeing has been poor. If you're actually seeing all of the game, then that should be obvious. Whether their less than stellar calls have determined the outcome of the game or not is irrelevant to whether the refs have done a good job. I happen to think that their gaffs have not determined the outcome of the games. But, again, that doesn't make their failings any less serious.

You see you quoted 15% of my entire post. that's like viewing a hockey game in 30 second chunks. I rest my case. Thus the big picture is lost.

The big picture of my post is this, since it has to be compressed into 1 sentence to keep your attention.

If any individual call hasn't affected the outcome of a game what does it matter? If you look at things in small chunks you can make ridiculous conclusions. Thus the whole sentiment of the officiating.

I've read everyones thread and I've watched sports a long time. Football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball. Officiating has rarely been the reason for victory or defeat. I can think of a handful. Buf vs Dallas, Tom Brady's fumble errr tuck rule call.

[DLIII]

Well sens blew a 3 goal lead. I can't say I'm surprised they were over matched. You're teams in trouble when you're leaning on Chris Neil to provide your offence.

I wish I saw the whole game. ( Family commitments ) Does anyone know where i can stream the game online? to see the rest of the game?