I love that Joe Vitale is considered a goon. All 5'11, 205lbs and 51PIM's.
- Ben37

He was sure acting like one...

I knew at 14 I had to get creative with the kind of guys I needed. In real and fantasy hockey Getzlaf disappointed me greatly. I'm shocked at the kind of year he had.
- Gunner Staal

I cam Dead LAST!!

Pretty happy with myself there....When you trade all your good assets to come last and tank for the next draft.....

Oh hang on this doesnt carry over does it

I guess you don't watch many Flyers games other than the 5 against your team so far this year. Was it not Rinaldo who gloved the puck to his stick and put it on net for a Talbot deflection yesterday? The 4th line was great yesterday for us, RINALDO included.
- broadstreetbully12

Blind squirrels have success every once in a while. Rinaldo is useless otherwise except for fights.

He was sure acting like one...
- LordStanley88

if Vitale was acting like a goon, then I guess I can call Giroux a goon because he has done this once in his career.

Rinaldo and Sestito actually bring a skill set to the table. They're decent skaters and aren't too bad with the puck. They're there to provide sandpaper and grit and check the other team. If you had them on your team you'd like them too.
- broadstreetbully12

OMG ... just when I thought I've seen it all. Really? Rinaldo and Sestito bring something positive absent fighting to the table? They can't score; they can't assist; they can't win face offs; they aren't good penalty killers ... so decent skaters and not too bad with the puck make them average players? LOL.

Zenon Konpoka is a goon, but at least he brings something to the table - he can win face-offs. That is one more skill than Sestito and Rinaldo have in their arsenal combined.

I cam Dead LAST!!

Pretty happy with myself there....When you trade all your good assets to come last and tank for the next draft.....

Oh hang on this doesnt carry over does it
- walshy66

Sorry Walshy, draft is randomized every year.

We might differ on the "completely clean" part. From the replay, it looked like Briere was losing the handle on the puck a little bit and looked down to try to corral it. Personally, I don't have as much of a problem with the hit itself (by Vitale on Briere) as I do with Blysma's decision to send out the 4th line against the Briere line when Dan had the last change as the home team. If Lavs threw out Rinaldo & Co, then sure I could see Dan's response to that being justified by putting that line out there...but doing that against Briere, the smallest player on the team?! You might hate to admit it, but it looks like Lavs was dead on with his "gutless" call on that.

You have to remember that it wasn't even just that one play isolated by itself...it was all the cheap shots Malkin took on Giroux (punching him in the back of the head while G was face-down on the ice), Malkin swinging at & punching Couturier, Malkin spearing Bourdon while he was down on the ice hurt after blocking a shot, Crosby continually slashing Giroux after face-offs (including 1 where he knocked G's stick out of his hand and another slash where Sid broke his own stick)...and yet not a single one of those incidents were called penalties and they got away with it every time. Then Crosby hits Schenn away from the play (without the puck anywhere close) and when Schenn retaliates with the cross-check, Crosby falls to the ice like he got shot by a 12-gauge at point blank range and then cries about it after the game. Listen, dude...if you want to dish it out, then you have to be willing to take it, too. It goes both ways. (The Crosby-Schenn exchange can be seen pretty well in this clip from TSN: http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/clip649203#clip649203 )

So all that to say that all those incidents were leading up to the Vitale hit on Briere. And let's be honest...Vitale had been running people all game and after Vitale's knee-on-knee hit to take out arguably our best dman, both the decision to send him out on the ice with a minute left in a 6-3 game as well as the hit itself look suspect. And I'm not really sure what kind of "message" it sends by going after the smallest player on the opposing team, anyway. I know the Pens were probably frustrated & pissed off that they blew another multi-goal lead to the Flyers after doing the same thing a couple weeks ago, but that doesn't necessarily excuse someone's actions under the guise of "sending a message."
- shonoff95

You need a reality check. Malkin speared Bourdon? Really? He poked his stick in to get the puck free. The Pens were dominating play and MAB just blocked a shot. For all we know, the guy just wanted to lay on the puck - fake being injured and save his team from a possible goal being scored on. See, I can play this game to - make things up, which is nothing more than what Flyers fans continue to do.

Yep, Vitale seeked out Grossman and threw an intentional knee to knee hit. That play paled in comparison of an intentional knee to knee hit that your goon Rinaldo threw on Staal in the second meeting. No penalty and it was intentional. We can go back and forth ... you female dog about three non calls on Malkin; I can do the same with the clown Hartnell ... you say Crosby should have been penalized for XXX, YYY and ZZZ, I can do the same thing with Jagr, or even Giroux.

So, Briere losing control of the puck makes it a not completely clean hit by Vitale? You are an idiot. What a joke. So, Bylsma should check in with Lav and Flyer fans to see what lines he can play and when? Got it. So, he can't send any messages for future games, like the Flyers have done for the last 45 years ? Got it. Isn't this exactly what Lav has done with Rinaldo in games you were getting railed at the end this year? I have seen him on the ice in the final moments throwing checks. Classless? HMMM ....

Time for you, Lav and the rest of your fan base to stop acting like girls and take a look in the mirror. You don't like it because Pittsburgh took a page out of the Flyer playbook. Philadelphia coined all these actions long ago. All the sudden, what's the problem? Because it was done to you?

I will ask you which group you fall into --- a. Mormon; b. girl; c. bad memory, or d. not hockey intelligent. I want an answer, because you are one of these groups.

a. Mormon might think it was classless
b. Girls don't like physical contact like what Vitale did to Briere
c. Bad memory - totally forgetting which organization you are a fan of and totally forgetting how in fact your organization got its nickname - Broad Street Bullies. There is a reason for that
d. not hockey intelligent - have no idea that coaches do send messages for future meetings and clean hits and followed checks, like what Vitale did on Briere are indeed legal until the final buzzer is sounded.

Grow up and stop female doging.

Just skimmed the comments and there is a lot of

For whoever said Rinaldo is not a goon, yeah that is why he is 2nd in the league in PIMs, real clean player there

Hopefully there is just some good clean hockey played for the final game and the playoffs and both teams get in healthy.

Rather amusing how many times the regulars have fled for the hills lately when these board brawls start.
- Rawdog9755

I think I have had 5 comments in a week on here. 2 of which pertain to hockey.

All I know i that I LOVE watching Philadelphians playing the aggrieved party.

I think I have had 5 comments in a week on here. 2 of which pertain to hockey.
- kgrpitt

fossilgirl taking too much of your time these days

Great comments by Bylsma and Crosby on TSN today. That is class, owning up to the hacks, calling it what it is and not being unprofessional as the turd behind the Flyers bench is. Hell I'm even getting more respect for Hartnell the more I hear him.

As for the goon line.... ditto on Crosby "its a line", their 4th line.

Suck it up buttercups, too much hypocrisy, just watch the bloody game.

So.... rooting for the Flyers tomorrow? There is still an outside chance Pens can get 1st in the East...

It's a long shot.

Anybody growing a playoff beard?

You need a reality check. Malkin speared Bourdon? Really? He poked his stick in to get the puck free. The Pens were dominating play and MAB just blocked a shot. For all we know, the guy just wanted to lay on the puck - fake being injured and save his team from a possible goal being scored on. See, I can play this game to - make things up, which is nothing more than what Flyers fans continue to do.

Yep, Vitale seeked out Grossman and threw an intentional knee to knee hit. That play paled in comparison of an intentional knee to knee hit that your goon Rinaldo threw on Staal in the second meeting. No penalty and it was intentional. We can go back and forth ... you female dog about three non calls on Malkin; I can do the same with the clown Hartnell ... you say Crosby should have been penalized for XXX, YYY and ZZZ, I can do the same thing with Jagr, or even Giroux.

So, Briere losing control of the puck makes it a not completely clean hit by Vitale? You are an idiot. What a joke. So, Bylsma should check in with Lav and Flyer fans to see what lines he can play and when? Got it. So, he can't send any messages for future games, like the Flyers have done for the last 45 years ? Got it. Isn't this exactly what Lav has done with Rinaldo in games you were getting railed at the end this year? I have seen him on the ice in the final moments throwing checks. Classless? HMMM ....

Time for you, Lav and the rest of your fan base to stop acting like girls and take a look in the mirror. You don't like it because Pittsburgh took a page out of the Flyer playbook. Philadelphia coined all these actions long ago. All the sudden, what's the problem? Because it was done to you?

I will ask you which group you fall into --- a. Mormon; b. girl; c. bad memory, or d. not hockey intelligent. I want an answer, because you are one of these groups.

a. Mormon might think it was classless
b. Girls don't like physical contact like what Vitale did to Briere
c. Bad memory - totally forgetting which organization you are a fan of and totally forgetting how in fact your organization got its nickname - Broad Street Bullies. There is a reason for that
d. not hockey intelligent - have no idea that coaches do send messages for future meetings and clean hits and followed checks, like what Vitale did on Briere are indeed legal until the final buzzer is sounded.

Grow up and stop female doging.
- Oneonta Penguin

Dude... go with a. mormon if only for the extra wives.

He was sure acting like one...
- LordStanley88

Agreed 100%. That was my point...regardless of the PIM totals, the guy took out 2 of the Flyers' best players in 1 game (and then wouldn't answer the bell & engage anyone when called on the carpet for it). Regardless of whether or not he may have had the label previously, that's "goonish behavior" for anyone. And when it's done in the last minute of a blowout game where you just got your a$$es handed to you in your own barn, it's just downright embarrassing & speaks to the intent.

if Vitale was acting like a goon, then I guess I can call Giroux a goon because he has done this once in his career.
- Oneonta Penguin

Oh really? Giroux took out the opposing team's best dman and one of their best forwards in the same game with questionable hits? Hmmm, I can't recall this happening...care to refresh everyone's memory on when this was and what 2 players he injured in that game?????

Sorry Walshy, draft is randomized every year.
- Rawdog9755

I didnt think tanking was going to be a good idea

fossilgirl taking too much of your time these days
- nh4442

I think you may be onto something....

Anybody growing a playoff beard?
- Rawdog9755

I will... Dont know how much it will grow though, a bit like MAF, dont grow a lot of facial hair very fast.

Plus they are going to have to go deep for mine to look any good.

You need a reality check. Malkin speared Bourdon? Really? He poked his stick in to get the puck free. The Pens were dominating play and MAB just blocked a shot. For all we know, the guy just wanted to lay on the puck - fake being injured and save his team from a possible goal being scored on. See, I can play this game to - make things up, which is nothing more than what Flyers fans continue to do.

Yep, Vitale seeked out Grossman and threw an intentional knee to knee hit. That play paled in comparison of an intentional knee to knee hit that your goon Rinaldo threw on Staal in the second meeting. No penalty and it was intentional. We can go back and forth ... you female dog about three non calls on Malkin; I can do the same with the clown Hartnell ... you say Crosby should have been penalized for XXX, YYY and ZZZ, I can do the same thing with Jagr, or even Giroux.

So, Briere losing control of the puck makes it a not completely clean hit by Vitale? You are an idiot. What a joke. So, Bylsma should check in with Lav and Flyer fans to see what lines he can play and when? Got it. So, he can't send any messages for future games, like the Flyers have done for the last 45 years ? Got it. Isn't this exactly what Lav has done with Rinaldo in games you were getting railed at the end this year? I have seen him on the ice in the final moments throwing checks. Classless? HMMM ....

Time for you, Lav and the rest of your fan base to stop acting like girls and take a look in the mirror. You don't like it because Pittsburgh took a page out of the Flyer playbook. Philadelphia coined all these actions long ago. All the sudden, what's the problem? Because it was done to you?

I will ask you which group you fall into --- a. Mormon; b. girl; c. bad memory, or d. not hockey intelligent. I want an answer, because you are one of these groups.

a. Mormon might think it was classless
b. Girls don't like physical contact like what Vitale did to Briere
c. Bad memory - totally forgetting which organization you are a fan of and totally forgetting how in fact your organization got its nickname - Broad Street Bullies. There is a reason for that
d. not hockey intelligent - have no idea that coaches do send messages for future meetings and clean hits and followed checks, like what Vitale did on Briere are indeed legal until the final buzzer is sounded.

Grow up and stop female doging.
- Oneonta Penguin

Yes, Malkin took his stick & speared MAB right in the family jewels while he was face first on the ice. If that happened to a Pen, you'd be drowning in your own tears while screaming for a penalty. Come back to reality and watch the replay.

Rinaldo's hit on Staal wasn't intentional in that game...I believe that play was up against the boards and Staal turned at the last second as Rinaldo took him into the boards. It certainly was not a head-on, face-to-face "stick out the leg to catch a guy knee-on-knee" hit like Vitale's on Grossmann.

Jagr got away with a high-sticking penalty in yesterday's game, yes. But if you honestly think you can come up with as many uncalled Flyers infractions as the ones I mentioned committed by Crosby & Malkin alone, you're smoking some really good stuff and completely out of touch with reality.

I never said that Briere losing control of the puck was what made Vitale's hit questionable...I see your reading comprehension skills could use some work. I said that Vitale hitting Briere high (collarbone, right under the jaw) and the fact that his elbow came up at the end was what made the hit questionable...along with the fact that he didn't even try to make a play for the puck.

As far as being an "idiot"...enjoy your ban, sport. At least I can come to the forum and engage in conversation without attacking people and calling names. What is this, 3rd grade recess?

And I love your logic, by the way...your team gets accused of dirty play (that went unpenalized), and your defense is that the Flyers did the same thing 45 years ago so they shouldn't complain. LOL...really? Are you serious??? THIS is the best defense you can come up with?!

Listen, talk about "female doging" (sic)...your team has had its collective a$$es handed to them repeatedly by the Flyers this year. Last game, you choked up another 2-0 lead and even after another one of your choir-boys Kunitz tried to mash Hartnell's face into the ice WWE-style, you STILL lost when that same Hartnell (who you call a clown) scored the OT winner in the last 2 seconds. Your team is a bunch of cheapshot clowns who obviously have been humiliated by the Flyers this season on the scoreboard and Philly is in their heads...so they resort to the cheap crap at the end of another loss. Just accept it and admit it. But the fact that your "Captain" Crysby is whining after the game about being hit after the whistle (after all the cheap crap he pulled & got away with during the game) is absolutely laughable! Talk about "looking in the mirror!!" LOL, "hello Pot, meet Kettle!"

But hey, as long as the Flyers keep it up & continue schooling your clowns each game, you guys can keep gooning it up and then crying about it after the game. You'll be the ones hitting the golf course soon while watching the Flyers move on in the playoffs.

The thing I hate about hockey these day's is how whiney fans are. This player is dirty, that player is a goon, I'm pretty sure they where hockey players a minute ago. I love how Vitale is a villain because Danny Boy doesn't know how to keep his head up in the neutral zone. At the same token, Sidney Crosby was cross checked, it was a cheap shot, awwwww. I'm pretty sure Sid would tell you he has been getting and giving shots like that since he laced up the skates. If I'm not mistaken I believe a prominent Flyers D man took Sids teeth his rookie season. The point I'm trying to make of all this is when can we become hockey fans again and enjoy the action instead of demonizing players, coaches and rival teams.

Hockey is a collision sport and anyone like Mike Millbury who has never been real bright anyway should never be asked for his opinion on anything. I love it when emotion spills over the game and players take exception to what other players are doing. It's ok when they do it because they are actually on the ice, they do it for a living. As a fan doing it, you just sound like a homer and a whiney little girl, just enjoy the show, it's ok to get upset over stuff, just don't be a little girl about it.

The thing I hate about hockey these day's is how whiney fans are. This player is dirty, that player is a goon, I'm pretty sure they where hockey players a minute ago. I love how Vitale is a villain because Danny Boy doesn't know how to keep his head up in the neutral zone. At the same token, Sidney Crosby was cross checked, it was a cheap shot, awwwww. I'm pretty sure Sid would tell you he has been getting and giving shots like that since he laced up the skates. If I'm not mistaken I believe a prominent Flyers D man took Sids teeth his rookie season. The point I'm trying to make of all this is when can we become hockey fans again and enjoy the action instead of demonizing players, coaches and rival teams.

Hockey is a collision sport and anyone like Mike Millbury who has never been real bright anyway should never be asked for his opinion on anything. I love it when emotion spills over the game and players take exception to what other players are doing. It's ok when they do it because they are actually on the ice, they do it for a living. As a fan doing it, you just sound like a homer and a whiney little girl, just enjoy the show, it's ok to get upset over stuff, just don't be a little girl about it.
- CanuckYou

Really that is all that needs to be said about this

Yes, Malkin took his stick & speared MAB right in the family jewels while he was face first on the ice. If that happened to a Pen, you'd be drowning in your own tears while screaming for a penalty. Come back to reality and watch the replay.

Rinaldo's hit on Staal wasn't intentional in that game...I believe that play was up against the boards and Staal turned at the last second as Rinaldo took him into the boards. It certainly was not a head-on, face-to-face "stick out the leg to catch a guy knee-on-knee" hit like Vitale's on Grossmann.

Jagr got away with a high-sticking penalty in yesterday's game, yes. But if you honestly think you can come up with as many uncalled Flyers infractions as the ones I mentioned committed by Crosby & Malkin alone, you're smoking some really good stuff and completely out of touch with reality.

I never said that Briere losing control of the puck was what made Vitale's hit questionable...I see your reading comprehension skills could use some work. I said that Vitale hitting Briere high (collarbone, right under the jaw) and the fact that his elbow came up at the end was what made the hit questionable...along with the fact that he didn't even try to make a play for the puck.

As far as being an "idiot"...enjoy your ban, sport. At least I can come to the forum and engage in conversation without attacking people and calling names. What is this, 3rd grade recess?

And I love your logic, by the way...your team gets accused of dirty play (that went unpenalized), and your defense is that the Flyers did the same thing 45 years ago so they shouldn't complain. LOL...really? Are you serious??? THIS is the best defense you can come up with?!

Listen, talk about "female doging" (sic)...your team has had its collective a$$es handed to them repeatedly by the Flyers this year. Last game, you choked up another 2-0 lead and even after another one of your choir-boys Kunitz tried to mash Hartnell's face into the ice WWE-style, you STILL lost when that same Hartnell (who you call a clown) scored the OT winner in the last 2 seconds. Your team is a bunch of cheapshot clowns who obviously have been humiliated by the Flyers this season on the scoreboard and Philly is in their heads...so they resort to the cheap crap at the end of another loss. Just accept it and admit it. But the fact that your "Captain" Crysby is whining after the game about being hit after the whistle (after all the cheap crap he pulled & got away with during the game) is absolutely laughable! Talk about "looking in the mirror!!" LOL, "hello Pot, meet Kettle!"

But hey, as long as the Flyers keep it up & continue schooling your clowns each game, you guys can keep gooning it up and then crying about it after the game. You'll be the ones hitting the golf course soon while watching the Flyers move on in the playoffs.
- shonoff95

Talk about a juvenile post ...

Pittsburgh is a team with a bunch of cheapshot clowns ... hmmm ... Rinaldo, Shelly, Hartnell, Pronger (when he isn't concussed or whatever the hell he suffers from), Sestito ... yep, those are some clean clowns there on your roster.

Hockey is a game that can be disected to death. You say Malkin got away with XXX; I say Hartnell got away with YYY. I can say Timonen was offsides on the game winning goal by Hartnell in the closing seconds of overtime in the last game. It's hockey. All I have seen is Flyer fans continue to female dog about Crosby, Malkin, Vitale missed calls. You are playing the freakin victim, which is rich. You use words like cheap shot artist or goon to describe Vitale, when he throws one of the best, cleanest checks to date ... you use classless when talking about Byslma's decision to put his fourth line of goons - Adams, Asham and Vitale out there in the closing moments of a game that has been determined because he is delivering a message to the Flyers for taking liberties. I've seen Lav throw Shelley and Rinaldo out there in the closing moments of a loss throwing their weight around - and most of it is illegal. So, he is upset with Pittsburgh, but he employs the same thing from time to time?


the blatant cross check on Crosby by that flea back Schenn. Yet, people are defending this? Of course, Philly fan will make up something about you missed the three or four slashes Crosby did to Schenn before. Funny thing, everyone else missed those - even Pierre MaGuire.

You say Vitale's went out seeking Grossman and did an intentional knee to knee on him, but then defend a known goon - Rinaldo in a similar knee to knee on Staal? Yep, which do I believe if I'm a fan of another team? Vitale going after Grossman intentionally, or Rinaldo going after Staal. Major difference.

Fact is this - you guys got handed to you something your organization has been dishing out for years and you don't like it. It was fine when goons like Saleski; Clarke and Linesman were doing this back in the day, but its not fine when Vitale throws a clean check to ring Briere's bell and put him out of action. I'm sure Vitale said - wow, here is my chance to put that fag, Briere, out of action and I'm going to take it. It's amazing that Flyer fans continue to female dog about this - a good, clean check.

You, like 98% of your fan base on this board along with your ridiculous coach's actions, are retarded. You are a very hypocritical fan base right now. It is only fine when Philly does this to someone, but when someone does this to us - its not only not fine; but dirty. Grow up ... learn the game a bit more and understand hockey is a game of missed calls BOTH WAYS - for your female doging, I can do the same on missed calls each game and understand there are messages thrown out there for future games. You don't want to see this - try boche. It might be easier to comprehend and full instructions along with a map comes in the box. It's easy for someone of your reading level and comprehension level to understand - that of a fourth grader.

Son, its not hard. Hockey is a game of missed calls BOTH ways. The NHL is getting what it wants in the first round of the playoffs. One heck of a series of hatred in which two teams will battle to the end with whatever means of necessary force to prevail. This is what has fueled Filphadelphia for years and year and years. Instead - you want to play the part of a victim. Nice ... I'm sure Clarke, Holmgren, Schultz, Shelly, Rinaldo, Pronger and all the other goons and thugs who have played for your organization and either helped give the organization the name "Broad Street Bullies" its nickname or helped continue the name aren't too happy with you crying as the victim.

Final thought .... it's very interesting your GM hasn't said a word. He is probably embarrased with Lav's actions and mouth. Not too long ago, Wisconsin's football coach was female doging up a storm about OSU's scumbag coach Urban Meyer stealing his recruits. The UW AD, Barry Alvarez, a former football coach who has been through the battles, basically didn't stand up for him saying all recruits are fair game until they sign the NLI. Barry knows better. Well, Holmgren, who took liberties enough on his own as a member of the Flyers, is awfully quiet. He probably wishes Lav would shut the hell up because he knows the history of the Flyers and what that organization has been built on - hard play; taking liberties when given a chance and goonery. Vitale made a hard - something that Flyer fans embraced during the glory days. The only difference - it was legal.

Agree to disagree.

I have a headache...all these novel sized posts are too long for my attention span.