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Western Conference final: (3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Lombardi owes a whole lot of graditude to Darryl Sutter for turning the ship around because who knows what would have happened there.  It's good to see a coach exploit the talent on that team. 
 
I'd like LA to win too, but I would enjoy the paradox of Bettman congratulating himself on being the owner of a Cup-winning team. Would he present the Cup to himself?  ;D
 
Chett said:
I'd like LA to win too, but I would enjoy the paradox of Bettman congratulating himself on being the owner of a Cup-winning team. Would he present the Cup to himself?  ;D
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I know it's a joke people like to make but does Bettman ever present the cup to an owner? Doesn't he just give it to the Captain?
 
Tigger said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Dustin Brown just got possibly the worst diving call ever.
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Yeah, that was terrible. Doan will probably get a look for his hit.
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I'm starting to think the refs just didn't want to figure out what the powerplay situation would have been like if the penalties weren't even there.
 
'If that's acting, that's the best we've seen come out of Los Angeles in years'

If it wasn't for a brain fart and half by Quick in game one, this series isn't close.

Looks like Carter gets the 3rd goal but yeah, Kopitar is all kinds of good. Penner's been surprisingly good for a while too.
 
The Coyotes could have taken this series back in first half of second period with quite a few scoring chances. Funny to see them pressing and other team come down and score, always seems to happen other way around. Coyotes had no business being in game one yet it came down to the wire. And tonight I thought game was fairly even and it's over before end of second period. Coyotes either can't or aren't willing to play physically??  The Kings really have something special happening here!!!
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Dustin Brown just got possibly the worst diving call ever.
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After seeing that, I don't understand Smith doesn't get called for diving after going down like he was shot when King grazed him.
 
Bates said:
The Coyotes could have taken this series back in first half of second period with quite a few scoring chances. Funny to see them pressing and other team come down and score, always seems to happen other way around. Coyotes had no business being in game one yet it came down to the wire. And tonight I thought game was fairly even and it's over before end of second period. Coyotes either can't or aren't willing to play physically??  The Kings really have something special happening here!!!
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Phoenix is getting goaltending and playing ok but I think you're right, LA looks more willing to pay the price and they're matching or beating the Coyotes in most every category right now on top of that.
 
The Grand Marnier cam?

Between Hanzal and Doan-el I think there's a real shot at supplementary discipline.

Carter with a somewhat lucky hat trick.

7-0 on the road in the playoffs, outstanding!
 
WharnsbyCBC: Last time #LAKings trailed in a game was when Backes put #STLBlues up 1-0 in 2nd round opener. That lead lasted 7:42. #hnic

That's pretty crazy.
 
The Coyotes were downright dirty courtesy of Hanzal, Doan, and the fellow who tried to administer a malicious knee-on-knee to Scuderi.  Possible suspensions coming to both Hanzal & Doan shouldn't surprise anyone.

The Kings were a poised group...

"We didn't want to do anything after the whistle," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "We just wanted to stay away from it. We didn't have anything to prove that way."

In fact, L.A. has tied yet another record...

Los Angeles..matched another record by winning nine straight road playoff games over two seasons.

The New York Islanders won a pair of Stanley Cup titles while winning nine straight road games from 1982-83...

and...

The last team to win seven straight road playoff games in one season was Chicago in 2010.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/05/15/kings_coyotes_recap_stanley_cup_playoffs_game2/
 
Maybe I need to look at the video again but Doan's hit didn't strike me as a definite suspension. The player turned towards the boards after Doan lined up the hit. Doan was pretty close when he did so and therefore, may not have had much of a chance to let up.

As I said, maybe I need to review it again. But it wasn't a hit where I thought "he's gone for a few games for sure!" The announcers were debating whether it would be a five minute penalty.

Doan is no Lady Bing candidate but he is not what I would describe as a dirty player. Part of his job is to use that body of his and play physical. When you do that as long as he has, you're going to get on the wrong side of the odd hit - kind of like Gary Roberts did here.

Thinking back five years or maybe more, including this season, I would never describe Phoenix as a dirty team. I checked my feelings on that and they've ranged from middle of the pack to 2nd least in times short handed over that time - probably in the top quarter of least penalized over that time.

I didn't see Hanzal's hit. I can't recall seeing him do something I thought deserving of a suspension before. Maybe I'm forgetting something but it's not a pattern with him.

I didn't see the whole game. Looks like to some extent, they got frustrated by the Kings good play. In the higher emotional state of the playoffs, and due to the physical play/size of the Kings, they took some dumb penalties.

Of the four teams left, the Kings look to be in a different class and almost flawless.
 
cw said:
Maybe I need to look at the video again but Doan's hit didn't strike me as a definite suspension. The player turned towards the boards after Doan lined up the hit. Doan was pretty close when he did so and therefore, may not have had much of a chance to let up.

As I said, maybe I need to review it again. But it wasn't a hit where I thought "he's gone for a few games for sure!" The announcers were debating whether it would be a five minute penalty.
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I'd agree to the extent that a lack of suspension wouldn't stun me. Like you said it didn't strike me as particularly malicious.

That said, I think it was an example of a hit that the NHL wants to and probably will phase out. I think the next generation of players are going to have to realize that they may not be able to charge full speed into the boards at someone if they can't stop themselves in time not to hit them from behind. Accidental or not, Doan had his elbow pretty squarely on his back numbers.



cw said:
Thinking back five years or maybe more, including this season, I would never describe Phoenix as a dirty team. I checked my feelings on that and they've ranged from middle of the pack to 2nd least in times short handed over that time - probably in the top quarter of least penalized over that time.
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That's interesting. Obviously the idea of a "dirty" team isn't exact but I'm not sure number of penalties would necessarily be indicative of a team's reputation for clean play. I have to imagine that a pretty substantial number of penalties that get called are of the inadvertent variety or are things like fighting or roughing that don't fit most definitions of dirty play.

I mean, this year the top five teams in terms of times shorthanded were Philadelphia, Montreal, Dallas, Ottawa and Edmonton. Last year it was Montreal, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Columbus and Colorado.

I mean, call me crazy, but I'd be more inclined to say that the common thread there is a lousy defense which makes a certain degree of sense. I'm not sure how you'd really get a handle on a team's dirtiness without a breakdown of the types of penalties.
 
I don't think Doan will be suspended but agree with Nik that this kind of hit is what the NHL wants rid of.  But where I differ is that I think we need to start doing something about the way the person being hit acts.  The King's player(Lewis I think??) clearly looked right at Doan approaching and turned his back on him.  It might be too late to change an NHL player from turning away from hit but we definately need to start teaching this at the minor level.  There is a reward for getting hit from behind as there should be.  But I think we need to take away the reward if you put yourself in the position to take that hit.
 
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