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Leafs

Congrats, and I don't mean that in a sarcastic way, on forcing game seven tonight. Randy Carlyle is a damn genius. This Leafs team isn't a whole lot different than the ones in years past, yet they are a hell of a lot more fun to watch and you can tell that they are playing for each other. Notes should be taken in the Vancouver front office that you can bench players and put them in the doghouse and they will bounce back if you give them a chance. I'm still rather torn on who to cheer for in this one, but hopefully it is a good game.


Burrows

Over the last week, both Bieksa and Gillis have hinted about Alex Burrows being targeted and treated unfairly by the officials. The fact of the matter is that Burrows is Burrows. He has pretty much taken a lot of minor penalties since he has come into the NHL and while there have been questionable calls, he is in good company.

12-13 Top-10 players to take minor penalties

1 Alexandre Burrows 27
2 Chris Neil 27
3 David Backes 26
4 Zdeno Chara 25
5 Evander Kane 25
6 Scott Hartnell 25 (in 32 games)
7 Steve Ott 24
8 Eric Staal 22
9 David Perron 22
10T Niklas Kronwall 21
10T P.K. Subban
10T Wayne Simmonds

I honestly don't think any of these guys are "targets". What these guys are, are hard working players, who get after the puck when they are on the ice. When you're always playing at 110% and pursuing the puck, you will get penalized.

In fact, Burrows season in which he had the highest points per game avg. (09/10- 0.82), he had the highest minor penalty avg. per game (0.59).

If Vancouver has an issue with the penalties Burrows is getting, maybe they should talk with Burrows about it because in Burrows most disciplined year, Vancouver set points records and went to game seven of the Stanley Cup. Below is Burrows' minor penalty per game avg. for the past five years.

12/13- 0.57 Minor penalty per/GM
11/12- 0.44 Minor penalty per/GM
10/11- 0.36 Minor penalty per/GM
09/10- 0.59 Minor penalty per/GM
08/09- 0.55 Minor penalty per/GM


Officials

And lastly, are we tired of every game being all about the penalty calls that should, or in a lot of cases the shouldn't have been made?

I know I am. But the reality is I'm glad that more and more people are pointing out how incredibly inconsistant – and downright wrong in a lot of cases— calls have been. And I'm super glad that the "experts" are pointing out the dive/cheapshots left and right as well.

I mean, just watch the onesided officiating in that Rangers/Caps game was an embarassment to the NHL. You to tell me that one of the NHL leaders in clutch and grab hockey, the New York Rangers, didn't take one single penalty that whole game. Riiiiiiiight!!!!!

But should this surprise people? I mean Tampa and Boston played an entire game without committing one rule infraction a few years ago.

The NHL has this offseason to figure this out. Is a cross-check really a penalty. Can you trip a guy in the playoffs? Is a flyby elbow to the head okay as long as it's just "light". Can you hold up players now?

And if they can't establish the inconsistancy and eliminate the embelishing, they well be lossing a lot of fans in the future because the crap that is on the ice in the form of some players and officals is unwatchable.

PS- How many Power-plays in tonight's Bruins/Leafs game? Guesses?

Find great deals on Vancouver Canucks Playoff Tickets at FanXchange.com


Well that's a wrap.

Ian


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