My main issue with Emrick is who he is saddled with to do the games. I think he was a great PxP guy, may have lost a mile or two off his fastball, but he still is very capable and does a good job.

I don't like him with Edzo and Pierre. Not a fan of Edzo and I like Pierre with a guy like Gord Miller. I'd love to see Doc and Clement as a team for NBC
- Jsaquella

I prefer to watch most american games on mute. I dont mind the flyers broadcast, (I prefer their radio team better) and I love listening to panger call the blues games....But I think the CBC and TSN guys are the best when it comes to calling games.

Ohhhh, thanks for clearing this up. I don't think anyone ever knew. Do you go to the Rangers, Boston, Habs, etc. boards to let them know too?
- eayost

Just doing God's work spreading the truth

This. FTW. Schenn retaliated and got caught, but Crosby's hands are not clean.
- wolfhounds

That's my issue with Crosby's statement after the game. I also didn't care for Laviolette's "gutless" comment. Every coach has put guys like Asham and Engelland to send a message at the end of a game like yesterday's, including Laviolette.

Garbage time or not, makes no difference. I hope Lavy takes the bridle off of Rinaldo on Saturday. Makes me think of Stand by Me. "Chopper, sick balls."
- TheRat14

The league knows about this situations, will protect Crosby and the Pens at all cost, and will geld Rinaldo immediately with a game misconduct for looking funny at any of the gwens.

I don't feel Vitale is a dirty player, but on that play, I feel he was careless, and should have got dinged for a penalty. I'm not going to get into intent or anything like that. It wasn't something that stood out to me as Shanahan review worthy.

More concerned that Grossmann will be OK than Vitale remaining in the game.
- Jsaquella

Fair enough, I can understand that point of view.

I prefer to watch most american games on mute. I dont mind the flyers broadcast, (I prefer their radio team better) and I love listening to panger call the blues games....But I think the CBC and TSN guys are the best when it comes to calling games.
- flyers4487

I am not a fan of Jackson, Jones and Coates. They're not awful, just find them annoying. They're not homers of the Edwards/Steigerwald stripe, nor are they the old school style showman like Rick Jeanearett.

I just cringe when I hear Jackson whine "They're gonna call that icing?!?!?" Yeah Jim. He shot it from his side of the (frank)ing red line. They're calling it icing because it was icing.

OK this is where I draw the line.

Now we have to decipher between clean, dirty. cheap and dirty clean?
- canadianpenfan

We all know the intent, I cant say for sure if he wanted to hurt the player, but I can speculate... BUT at the end of the day it was legal and no one got hurt.

I have to agree with you. Penguins were down 3 goals with a minute left in the game. Outcome had already been decided. Throw in the fact Schenn's hit on Crosby, and the chance for there to be a powder keg at the end of the game was a distinct possibility.

It made far less sense for Laviolette to have Briere on the ice at that point, then Bylsma having Vitale, Asham, and Engelland out there.
- PLindbergh31

You and the Pens are making far too much of Schenn's "Hit" on Crosby. And also ignoring Crosby's stickplay with Schenn moments before. Only Schenn got caught, after the whistle, and that's all anybody sees of the exchange.

I am not a fan of Jackson, Jones and Coates. They're not awful, just find them annoying. They're not homers of the Edwards/Steigerwald stripe, nor are they the old school style showman like Rick Jeanearett.

I just cringe when I hear Jackson whine "They're gonna call that icing?!?!?" Yeah Jim. He shot it from his side of the (frank)ing red line. They're calling it icing because it was icing.
- Jsaquella

I agree they average in the worst way. Considering the only 2 hockey markets I have lived in for any length of time (Philly and Pitt) have radio teams that are better then their tv counterparts (In Pittsburgh its a very noticeable difference) I wounder if its the same way in other markets.

I can't believe im saying this but from a pure enternaiment standpoint the old devils crew was pretty good.

Can't fault you on that, there's some... er, vocal Flyers fans who roam the other threads here
- BulliesPhan87

The Flyers trolls at least have some good material, the Rangers crybabies are the ones I hate.

How was Vitale's hit dirty?!? Briere's head was down flying through the nuetral zone. What do you expect? Your going to go down hard.
- PensMalkin71

The Check was clean.... The intent to injury a guy with a minute left in a game that is already over... that was the dirty part... Like running a guy with a second left in the game, or taking a shot after the whistle blow... its legal in the game... but against player code....

As for this BS about well Briere shouldnt be on the ice... You can send out your goons, but if th other team doesn't comply and send thiers out, you dont go and try and kill them anyway... Its not the 70's anymore... The Flyers are trying to catch the pens, not get drawn into a pissing match... with 1 minute left...

regardless, it's hard to judge that a guy dove on the play. he's really not expecting to get checked in the back on the way back to the bench.
- bradleyc4

That's a tap...Schenn barely puts anything into it. You can see it in his body language. Still, I did hear the report from a rifle echo throughout the building at the exact moment, so...

I am not a fan of Jackson, Jones and Coates. They're not awful, just find them annoying. They're not homers of the Edwards/Steigerwald stripe, nor are they the old school style showman like Rick Jeanearett.

I just cringe when I hear Jackson whine "They're gonna call that icing?!?!?" Yeah Jim. He shot it from his side of the (frank)ing red line. They're calling it icing because it was icing.
- Jsaquella

was at the game saturday, but my buddy told me every time karlsson had the puck on his stick, JJ was pretty nervious.

"heeeeere comes karlsson...."

The league knows about this situations, will protect Crosby and the Pens at all cost, and will geld Rinaldo immediately with a game misconduct for looking funny at any of the gwens.
- wolfhounds

They've done a super job protecting him over the last 2 years, speaking of needing to work on your argument...

Probably the best synopsis I've seen, FG. I actually think Lava may have made a (small) tactical error with his comments. They have clearly shown they are capable of handling the Pens this year...no need to give your playoff opponent any bulletin board material at this juncture.
- Emperor Filonius

if a team needs bulletin board material at this stage of the year, heading into the playoffs, that's really sad.

the build up is there, has been there but let's use the Coaches words to push us...

You and the Pens are making far too much of Schenn's "Hit" on Crosby. And also ignoring Crosby's stickplay with Schenn moments before. Only Schenn got caught, after the whistle, and that's all anybody sees of the exchange.
- wolfhounds

Bobby Clarke was one of the most dirty players ever. He'd two hand a guy, and if the guy looked at him cross eyed afterward, he was getting his ass handed to him.

If Giroux was coming off a concussion and got cross checked-even if he initiated the the thing, I'd want Rinaldo, Hartnell or Simmonds or somebody to go after the offending player.

The Check was clean.... The intent to injury a guy with a minute left in a game that is already over... that was the dirty part... Like running a guy with a second left in the game, or taking a shot after the whistle blow... its legal in the game... but against player code....

As for this BS about well Briere shouldnt be on the ice... You can send out your goons, but if th other team doesn't comply and send thiers out, you dont go and try and kill them anyway... Its not the 70's anymore... The Flyers are trying to catch the pens, not get drawn into a pissing match... with 1 minute left...
- RooNosHockey

the Pens coach used his "he has last change", so whoever the Flyers had out there, the Pens would've countered. If this all started from a face off...

was at the game saturday, but my buddy told me every time karlsson had the puck on his stick, JJ was pretty nervious.

"heeeeere comes karlsson...."
- OrangeBlack27

He was...it was annoying.

Bobby Clarke was one of the most dirty players ever. He'd two hand a guy, and if the guy looked at him cross eyed afterward, he was getting his ass handed to him.

If Giroux was coming off a concussion and got cross checked-even if he initiated the the thing, I'd want Rinaldo, Hartnell or Simmonds or somebody to go after the offending player.
- Jsaquella

Bobby Clarke wasn't a Penguin, that's the problem.

They've done a super job protecting him over the last 2 years, speaking of needing to work on your argument...
- canadianpenfan

It's not my fault you didn't understand my argument.

For this game coming up Saturday, after yesterday's antics, there's going to be a short leash on players like Rinaldo, especially with the way he was snapping at Asham and Crosby yesterday.

As much as they try, the can't protect Crosby every game, but this upcoming one against the Flyers, this is known to have fuses sticking out of it.

I hope I made that more understandable for you.

Bobby Clarke wasn't a Penguin, that's the problem.
- canadianpenfan

Thank God...My childhood would have been vastly different.

They've done a super job protecting him over the last 2 years, speaking of needing to work on your argument...
- canadianpenfan

Cheap tickets on stubhub has enabled me to avoid listening to them most week nights lol.

The Check was clean.... The intent to injury a guy with a minute left in a game that is already over... that was the dirty part... Like running a guy with a second left in the game, or taking a shot after the whistle blow... its legal in the game... but against player code....

As for this BS about well Briere shouldnt be on the ice... You can send out your goons, but if th other team doesn't comply and send thiers out, you dont go and try and kill them anyway... Its not the 70's anymore... The Flyers are trying to catch the pens, not get drawn into a pissing match... with 1 minute left...
- RooNosHockey

It's not against the code. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Vitale's hit on Briere.

I am not a fan of Jackson, Jones and Coates. They're not awful, just find them annoying. They're not homers of the Edwards/Steigerwald stripe, nor are they the old school style showman like Rick Jeanearett.

I just cringe when I hear Jackson whine "They're gonna call that icing?!?!?" Yeah Jim. He shot it from his side of the (frank)ing red line. They're calling it icing because it was icing.
- Jsaquella

Agreed. I think Jackson Is an awful homer. Although I don't listen to other broadcasts enough. Coatsey doesn't bother me.

It's not my fault you didn't understand my argument.

For this game coming up Saturday, after yesterday's antics, there's going to be a short leash on players like Rinaldo, especially with the way he was snapping at Asham and Crosby yesterday.

As much as they try, the can't protect Crosby every game, but this upcoming one against the Flyers, this is known to have fuses sticking out of it.

I hope I made that more understandable for you.
- wolfhounds

the biggest difference from the last time they played in the playoffs is that the Flyers might have a tad more depth. You can easily say the Pens have more star power...it will be interesting...