You cite several reasons for the Jacks success with East over the recent past. You think that it is Coach Esse? Now sit back and think about this! The Jacks biggest improvement in playing East goes back about ten
years. Yes, Esse has been the head coach in Cloquet about that long. Coincidentally that is exactly how long Cloquet has had the lumberdome and the larger ice sheet. When the Jacks used to played all of their home games on a small sheet in the old barnand then went to the playoffs on Easts home sheet the DECC which happens to be a large sheet, they usually looked like a fish out of water. As they say, the playing field has been leveled! Cloquet has always had hard working kids that put everything they have into the games with East. Now that the home rink advantage (large sheet) has been neutralized the outcome is a coin toss and often goes with the bounce of the puck!
You cite several reasons for the Jacks success with East over the recent past. You think that it is Coach Esse? Now sit back and think about this! The Jacks biggest improvement in playing East goes back about ten
years. Yes, Esse has been the head coach in Cloquet about that long. Coincidentally that is exactly how long Cloquet has had the lumberdome and the larger ice sheet. When the Jacks used to played all of their home games on a small sheet in the old barnand then went to the playoffs on Easts home sheet the DECC which happens to be a large sheet, they usually looked like a fish out of water. As they say, the playing field has been leveled! Cloquet has always had hard working kids that put everything they have into the games with East. Now that the home rink advantage (large sheet) has been neutralized the outcome is a coin toss and often goes with the bounce of the puck!
The DECC has one of the smallest ice sheets in the state...
I don't disagree with that statement at all. You make a very good point. I think that that is just one of quite a few reasons for the recent successes of the Jacks against the Hounds lately. It's Esse, it's Randolph, it's Cloquet's work ethic, it's the rink, it's a lot of things. Good Point.
oldbarn7 wrote:7) This is my personal opinion...East doesn't play a game even close to this intense all year. They need to start playing the better teams around the area so that their players can be at least a little more comfortable in the atmosphere that Cloquet game always has. Whether that is hyping the Denfeld-East game more, or playing Marshall and selling out the DECC, or playing Hermantown; East needs to do something so they're ready for an atmosphere like that. Period.
This is the only part of your very good post that I disagree with. Hyping up Denfeld won't do it...Denfeld played its best game against East in recent memory this year and still lost by 4 goals. You need 2 good teams for a rivalry. Except for last year, I'm not sure Hermantown would really cut it either. This year East made trips to packed hostile arenas in Superior and GR and came away just fine. As an East fan I wouldn't be overly excited about a meeting with Marshall either...what does East really gain from a win over them?
East-Cloquet is special because it's the most intense stage on the high school level. There's really no way to simulate it to prepare for it. I'd think that playing Cloquet twice a season should be the experience necessary to handle the postseason pressure of a third meeting.
The emotion exhibited by the players during the games between DE and the Jacks is as intense as any rivalry in MN HS hockey...no doubt about it.
Next season I'm looking forward to seeing Rob Johnson play in the USHL (maybe for Green Bay with Keegan, Youso and Anoka's #29). I also wouldn't be surprised to see Joe Arbour in Green Bay...maybe next season.
Here's hoping Derek Forbort stays at DE next season rather that opting for NTDP...because he already has all the WCHA schools interested in him anyway...and his game is not as developed at the HS level...as Cade's was...when he left.
I also thought #15 and #28 were DE's best defense tandem by the end of this season...but I'm not trying to take anything away from #8 & #3 nor #42 & #12 when I say that.
What a warrior Mike Renier is!...I hope he continues playing hockey...same goes for #23 Jacob Boese.
As far as Max Tardy goes...if he stays at DE next year...it will be tough to step-in at UMD in 2009 directly from HS...but I wish him the best of luck...whatever he decides to do.
And finally...I do think DE will return to State in 2008-2009.
oldbarn7 wrote:7) This is my personal opinion...East doesn't play a game even close to this intense all year. They need to start playing the better teams around the area so that their players can be at least a little more comfortable in the atmosphere that Cloquet game always has. Whether that is hyping the Denfeld-East game more, or playing Marshall and selling out the DECC, or playing Hermantown; East needs to do something so they're ready for an atmosphere like that. Period.
This is the only part of your very good post that I disagree with. Hyping up Denfeld won't do it...Denfeld played its best game against East in recent memory this year and still lost by 4 goals. You need 2 good teams for a rivalry. Except for last year, I'm not sure Hermantown would really cut it either. This year East made trips to packed hostile arenas in Superior and GR and came away just fine. As an East fan I wouldn't be overly excited about a meeting with Marshall either...what does East really gain from a win over them?
East-Cloquet is special because it's the most intense stage on the high school level. There's really no way to simulate it to prepare for it. I'd think that playing Cloquet twice a season should be the experience necessary to handle the postseason pressure of a third meeting.
I was mad when I read this post also. East plays a loaded schedule with tough opponents all year from the cities. The cities teams is who we need to prepare for if we make it to state. We need at least one game each year against those teams for a preview of the X. Why should East play more games against Sup-town, Marshall, Denfeld, and H-town when these teams are single A? We play AA teams to go to state last time I checked. We play 2 games against Cloquet each season and at least once against Anoka, Elk River, and Grand Rapids to prepare for playoffs. There is nothing else that could have prepared us for the semi game against Cloquet. Its history- no matter how much better of a team we are, cloquet will never be an easy win for East. Why is this possible? There are no sure answers; it is a crazy phenomena that only the hockey gods have some insight to.
And a response to the other talking point here: I'm neutral to the winner of the Section Final game. I dislike cities teams but i will never find myself rooting for Cloquet. Whatever the outcome... it seems the 7AA champion will be going straight to the consoling bracket. The top teams Tonka/ Benilde, Edina/B'ville, Roseau, and Hill will most definitely crush any hope of a Championship run for 7AA this year. Even with East at the X it would have been a stretch. Keep in mind- the last 2 years Rapids was written off and made it. But it just seems much more impossible this year with all of these great teams.
hockey59 wrote:I also thought #15 and #28 were DE's best defense tandem by the end of this season...but I'm not trying to take anything away from #8 & #3 nor #42 & #12 when I say that.
And who were #15 and #28 matched up against? opponents' First line?
When I watched East play they didnt seem to have any D pairs matched up against certain lines. I saw one of two differnt sets of D start most games and they almost always used 3 sets of D except for power plays and on occasion the last minute of a period or a game. They seemed to be interested in matching lines but didnt seem to have any line playing with any set of D once the game started. All 3 sets of D seemed very sound and the returning 4 Arbour, Forbort, McLean, and Williams should compare very favorably with anyones top D next year. Along with Cooper, Tardy, Nelson, Paulseth, Lutzka, Mellin, Olson, a strong JV team and a top 5 Bantam A team the future looks bright for the Hounds.
Sorry I don't think that I said that as well as I could have...and I know that rivalries even half as great as East and Cloquet can be "built" but what I am trying to say is that a lot of the games that East plays are to get them ready for their run to state I understand that and support that 100% My point is that East (in recent years) hasn't answered the bell in many of the big games they have played in the last few years including the Cloquet games of recent years as well as games like Rapids in the semis last year, Elk River on FSN the year before, and a few others. I personally feel that something needs to change in the way they prepare for these big tilts, especially with Cloquet. Those were more like ideas rather than actual suggestions I apoligize.
BTW...I agree that Duluth East has nothing to win and everything to lose if they were to play Marshall. It was just an idea to have a similar atmosphere to the Cloquet game. That was my only point
I've spent a long day trying to puzzle out these last 3 years of East hockey, which have been so bizarre. 3 consecutive crushing semifinal losses, each by a single goal. Repeated disappointment and utter agony for East fans.
2 years ago, Cloquet was a better team...I'll give them that. East fought valiantly, especially Leis in goal, but one early bounce went against them, and that was that. Add in the revenge factor for Cloquet from being upset the previous year and I can understand this one.
Last year, I'd say East and Rapids were about dead-even. Rapids had the edge in star talent, but East was deeper and had an edge in goal. But I think East might have been looking past Rapids a bit, and getting ready for Cloquet...I know I was as a fan. Too late they realized they had a serious challenge on their hands, and could only do so little before Patrick White did what great hockey players do under pressure. I also felt that last year may have died on that night in Cloquet, when they couldn't beat the Tyler Johnson-less Jacks. That was when the doubt started to creep in.
This year is the hardest to fathom, as East was clearly the more talented team and came in on a roll, having beaten Cloquet late in the season.
There are plenty of places to throw blame. You can throw it at Randolph, players leaving for the USHL or Marshall, unlucky bounces, referees, or unfortunate seedings that left East with very dangerous semifinal games each year. But there's certainly a light at the end of the tunnel. This is still Duluth East, after all. East has a glorious history to take pride in and a series of achievements each season, such as this year's sound wins over GR and Anoka, the slaughter of Centennial at the DECC, giving Edina a great run, and beating Cloquet on senior night to wrap up the #1 seed. But when you've been to the top as many times as East has, these just don't cut it.
So what's the future of the East program? It looks pretty good. They're in the capable hands of Randolph, who should wrap up his 400th win at East next year, an astonishing feat. The pipeline is as solid as ever, and though they will certainly miss a few of this year's seniors, they're hardly irreplaceable. A lot will depend on whether they continue to suffer defections to juniors, because I don't think they could handle losing the entire first line off of this year's team and still contend. Looking at the rosters of what other 7AA teams are losing, it looks like East will be the team to beat on paper going into next season. What they have to avoid is the "here we go again" mentality that can plague teams suffering from East's woes and make sure they get this game out of their heads when they face the Jacks next year. And I'll be watching from afar, pulling for them to keep up the tradition, but I'm probably going to wonder what could have been for a very long time.
Thanks for the memories, East hockey. It's been a real fun ride these past four years, no matter what the results say, and my most vivid memories of high school will likely involve the hugs, pile-ups, and tears of that last game. I'm gonna miss it.
karl(east) wrote:I've spent a long day trying to puzzle out these last 3 years of East hockey, which have been so bizarre. 3 consecutive crushing semifinal losses, each by a single goal. Repeated disappointment and utter agony for East fans.
2 years ago, Cloquet was a better team...I'll give them that. East fought valiantly, especially Leis in goal, but one early bounce went against them, and that was that. Add in the revenge factor for Cloquet from being upset the previous year and I can understand this one.
Last year, I'd say East and Rapids were about dead-even. Rapids had the edge in star talent, but East was deeper and had an edge in goal. But I think East might have been looking past Rapids a bit, and getting ready for Cloquet...I know I was as a fan. Too late they realized they had a serious challenge on their hands, and could only do so little before Patrick White did what great hockey players do under pressure. I also felt that last year may have died on that night in Cloquet, when they couldn't beat the Tyler Johnson-less Jacks. That was when the doubt started to creep in.
This year is the hardest to fathom, as East was clearly the more talented team and came in on a roll, having beaten Cloquet late in the season.
There are plenty of places to throw blame. You can throw it at Randolph, players leaving for the USHL or Marshall, unlucky bounces, referees, or unfortunate seedings that left East with very dangerous semifinal games each year. But there's certainly a light at the end of the tunnel. This is still Duluth East, after all. East has a glorious history to take pride in and a series of achievements each season, such as this year's sound wins over GR and Anoka, the slaughter of Centennial at the DECC, giving Edina a great run, and beating Cloquet on senior night to wrap up the #1 seed. But when you've been to the top as many times as East has, these just don't cut it.
So what's the future of the East program? It looks pretty good. They're in the capable hands of Randolph, who should wrap up his 400th win at East next year, an astonishing feat. The pipeline is as solid as ever, and though they will certainly miss a few of this year's seniors, they're hardly irreplaceable. A lot will depend on whether they continue to suffer defections to juniors, because I don't think they could handle losing the entire first line off of this year's team and still contend. Looking at the rosters of what other 7AA teams are losing, it looks like East will be the team to beat on paper going into next season. What they have to avoid is the "here we go again" mentality that can plague teams suffering from East's woes and make sure they get this game out of their heads when they face the Jacks next year. And I'll be watching from afar, pulling for them to keep up the tradition, but I'm probably going to wonder what could have been for a very long time.
Thanks for the memories, East hockey. It's been a real fun ride these past four years, no matter what the results say, and my most vivid memories of high school will likely involve the hugs, pile-ups, and tears of that last game. I'm gonna miss it.
You are a HS senior?? God Lord....where did the education system go wrong....what ever happened to, " yeah, well you suck Cloquet". What a refreshingly insightful sharing of your viewpoint and emotions. I'd suggest that you apply for a position at the DNT but, they don't deserve anyone on staff that writes as well as you do. And for your next creative writing assignment, I would submit your last post, and sit back while any English instructor tries to find a reason to rip it! Nice job Karl! It is a stinking crime that more of the posts on here....including the bulk of "adult" ones, aren't written as well as the one you just submitted.
Last edited by formerly7aafan on Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:22 am, edited 3 times in total.
Through the years we've seen that Cloquet can handle East, especially during sectionals. They took advantage of an East team that played terribly in its own end on Saturday. Good for them. Now the Jacks have to prove that they can take their game to another level against Anoka, a team that is good, but certainly not invincible. Cloquet has consistently faltered when they are required to up their effort against better teams. I thought East was the best team in this section going in, and I still do. Anoka handled Rapids easily, but, face it, this Rapids team was merely average at best. Surely Cloquet can beat Anoka, but their history shows they won't.
The playoffs and Big games come down to GoalTending, and neither goalie played very well in this one, it was back & forth and going to come down to who scored last. 11 seconds left was not enough time for east, who was dominating the 3rd.
The playoffs and Big games come down to GoalTending, and neither goalie played very well in this one, it was back & forth and going to come down to who scored last. 11 seconds left was not enough time for east, who was dominating the 3rd.
East may have dominated a good part of the 3rd, but they played a horrible 2nd period. They let the Jacks maneuver freely through their defensive zone the whole period. On Brown's first goal, he had the puck for what seemed like 30 seconds and nobody from East challenged him.
It will be fun. East does have alot of talented players going forward and continuing with hockey. From what I know, it looks like this:
Rob Johnson : USHL next season
Max Tardy : 1 more yr HS then UMD
Jake Boese : UWS next season
Mike Reneir : ? Hope he continues but not sure
Joe Arbour : 1 more yr then USHL
Forbort : NTDP possibly
All of these players had a great year and I'm glad they all have futures continuing to play hockey. I wish them all the best of luck next season.
tommyboy wrote:It will be fun. East does have alot of talented players going forward and continuing with hockey. From what I know, it looks like this:
Rob Johnson : USHL next season
Max Tardy : 1 more yr HS then UMD
Jake Boese : UWS next season
Mike Reneir : ? Hope he continues but not sure
Joe Arbour : 1 more yr then USHL
Forbort : NTDP possibly
All of these players had a great year and I'm glad they all have futures continuing to play hockey. I wish them all the best of luck next season.
I could see Arbour & Tardy leaving early... Forbort is good, not NTDP good.
this was probably the best hs game ive ever watched. the atmosphere was incredible. Dbo was amazing...maybe cuz his home state boys were watching(CC). JJ looked really falt the whole game. when was the last time 11 goals were scored in this rivalry? as for anoka, they didnt impress. a lot of garbage goals against a weaker opponent. all i can say is go jacks on thursday!
quickgym....
Forbert may not be good enough at this very moment but there's something you don't understand about the NTDP. Yes they like the dominant players in their respective leagues (Cade Fairchild, Tom Sawaski (sp?) to name a few) but they are also looking for the next NHL'ers. I won't come right out and say that Forbert is that, but he sure has the potential to be that someday. Look at him. He's 6 foot 2 or 3 (probably isn't done growing) and weighs probably 175 at best. He's tall, lanky, has super raw talent, is geting looked at by a number of schools already. He is definitely a type of player that the NTDP is looking to develop. Give him intensive weight lifting, some great defensive coaching (taking nothing away from what Larry Trachsel does with his defensemen he's a great coach and always fields a good top 6), and more players that will push him and i think that Forbert could SHOCK a lot of people with what he's capable of. Obviously offensively he is not Cade Fairchild but he has something that you absolutely cannot teach and that is size. Along with that size he has pretty decent hands, can pass well, break a team out of the zone, and can shoot well...so tell me why and how the NTDP can't like this kid as a player i don't understand.
oldbarn7 wrote:quickgym....
Forbert may not be good enough at this very moment but there's something you don't understand about the NTDP. Yes they like the dominant players in their respective leagues (Cade Fairchild, Tom Sawaski (sp?) to name a few) but they are also looking for the next NHL'ers. I won't come right out and say that Forbert is that, but he sure has the potential to be that someday. Look at him. He's 6 foot 2 or 3 (probably isn't done growing) and weighs probably 175 at best. He's tall, lanky, has super raw talent, is geting looked at by a number of schools already. He is definitely a type of player that the NTDP is looking to develop. Give him intensive weight lifting, some great defensive coaching (taking nothing away from what Larry Trachsel does with his defensemen he's a great coach and always fields a good top 6), and more players that will push him and i think that Forbert could SHOCK a lot of people with what he's capable of. Obviously offensively he is not Cade Fairchild but he has something that you absolutely cannot teach and that is size. Along with that size he has pretty decent hands, can pass well, break a team out of the zone, and can shoot well...so tell me why and how the NTDP can't like this kid as a player i don't understand.
Because there are many just like him throughout Minnesota. He hasn't distinguished himself as one of the elite that deserves a trip to Ann Arbor. He's good, and will probably improve, but that doesn't mean he's a hot item for the NTDP.
karl(east) wrote:I've spent a long day trying to puzzle out these last 3 years of East hockey, which have been so bizarre. 3 consecutive crushing semifinal losses, each by a single goal. Repeated disappointment and utter agony for East fans.
2 years ago, Cloquet was a better team...I'll give them that. East fought valiantly, especially Leis in goal, but one early bounce went against them, and that was that. Add in the revenge factor for Cloquet from being upset the previous year and I can understand this one.
Last year, I'd say East and Rapids were about dead-even. Rapids had the edge in star talent, but East was deeper and had an edge in goal. But I think East might have been looking past Rapids a bit, and getting ready for Cloquet...I know I was as a fan. Too late they realized they had a serious challenge on their hands, and could only do so little before Patrick White did what great hockey players do under pressure. I also felt that last year may have died on that night in Cloquet, when they couldn't beat the Tyler Johnson-less Jacks. That was when the doubt started to creep in.
This year is the hardest to fathom, as East was clearly the more talented team and came in on a roll, having beaten Cloquet late in the season.
There are plenty of places to throw blame. You can throw it at Randolph, players leaving for the USHL or Marshall, unlucky bounces, referees, or unfortunate seedings that left East with very dangerous semifinal games each year. But there's certainly a light at the end of the tunnel. This is still Duluth East, after all. East has a glorious history to take pride in and a series of achievements each season, such as this year's sound wins over GR and Anoka, the slaughter of Centennial at the DECC, giving Edina a great run, and beating Cloquet on senior night to wrap up the #1 seed. But when you've been to the top as many times as East has, these just don't cut it.
So what's the future of the East program? It looks pretty good. They're in the capable hands of Randolph, who should wrap up his 400th win at East next year, an astonishing feat. The pipeline is as solid as ever, and though they will certainly miss a few of this year's seniors, they're hardly irreplaceable. A lot will depend on whether they continue to suffer defections to juniors, because I don't think they could handle losing the entire first line off of this year's team and still contend. Looking at the rosters of what other 7AA teams are losing, it looks like East will be the team to beat on paper going into next season. What they have to avoid is the "here we go again" mentality that can plague teams suffering from East's woes and make sure they get this game out of their heads when they face the Jacks next year. And I'll be watching from afar, pulling for them to keep up the tradition, but I'm probably going to wonder what could have been for a very long time.
Thanks for the memories, East hockey. It's been a real fun ride these past four years, no matter what the results say, and my most vivid memories of high school will likely involve the hugs, pile-ups, and tears of that last game. I'm gonna miss it.
You are a HS senior?? God Lord....where did the education system go wrong....what ever happened to, " yeah, well you suck Cloquet". What a refreshingly insightful sharing of your viewpoint and emotions. I'd suggest that you apply for a position at the DNT but, they don't deserve anyone on staff that writes as well as you do. And for your next creative writing assignment, I would submit your last post, and sit back while any English instructor tries to find a reason to rip it! Nice job Karl! It is a stinking crime that more of the posts on here....including the bulk of "adult" ones, are written as well as the one you just submitted.
Wow...thanks for the very high praise. I guess public schools do their jobs every now and then.
I thought vaguely of submitting something along these lines to the school paper; we'll see if I get around to it.
GR
I don't disagree with you that he hasn't distinguished himself and separated himself too far from many others while playing high school this year but I believe his potential is greater than many others in the state, obviously USA hockey and the U also believe it too I know for a fact that the Gophers are looking very closely at him everytime he plays, one thing I didn't mention in my first post about Forbert is that he is also a USA hockey kid and was noticed first while playing a tournament at Shattuck when he was a bantam last year and then played in the National Select 15 Festival later that summer. He is more so "on the map" than many other players of his caliber up to this point. Yes there are players at this point that look similar to him, but there are people that know hockey and are evaluators of that talent for a living. they know more than us and see more than us in certain players and not see in others. They're smart. If I was scouting for team USA it's be hard to miss this kid. And he doesn't have to be ELITE yet to get a tryout for NTDP, yes he needs to be very good, but in this case his potential and upside really boost interest for him from USA hockey. Right now he's an above average player in the state and in reality that's about it. Some people think he is and will be great, me and many scouts are some of those people, and their are others that look at the present and not the future of certain players and don't realize that the people looking at these kids are not looking for them to be the same player in 2 years. NTDP and the U are so intrigued by him because of what he could be in a few years. That's why he's a hot item.
oldbarn7 wrote:GR
I don't disagree with you that he hasn't distinguished himself and separated himself too far from many others while playing high school this year but I believe his potential is greater than many others in the state, obviously USA hockey and the U also believe it too I know for a fact that the Gophers are looking very closely at him everytime he plays, one thing I didn't mention in my first post about Forbert is that he is also a USA hockey kid and was noticed first while playing a tournament at Shattuck when he was a bantam last year and then played in the National Select 15 Festival later that summer. He is more so "on the map" than many other players of his caliber up to this point. Yes there are players at this point that look similar to him, but there are people that know hockey and are evaluators of that talent for a living. they know more than us and see more than us in certain players and not see in others. They're smart. If I was scouting for team USA it's be hard to miss this kid. And he doesn't have to be ELITE yet to get a tryout for NTDP, yes he needs to be very good, but in this case his potential and upside really boost interest for him from USA hockey. Right now he's an above average player in the state and in reality that's about it. Some people think he is and will be great, me and many scouts are some of those people, and their are others that look at the present and not the future of certain players and don't realize that the people looking at these kids are not looking for them to be the same player in 2 years. NTDP and the U are so intrigued by him because of what he could be in a few years. That's why he's a hot item.
Good points, don't set yourself up for a big fall though. Hopefully he's got parents that keep him grounded in reality as well. I do agree that potential to be great is there, it's finding someone that matters to agree with you that can sometimes be the problem. I wish him the best.
Bruins4ever wrote:Let's all put hometowns aside and cheer for the north regardless who it is. That is what makes us who we are. As far as the refs deciding games, what happened to putting the whistle away at that point in the game unless there is a scoring chance or injury penalty and let the kids decide it. You see it in all upper levels of hockey. It was a borderline trip that probably shouldn't have been called at that point in the game. However, I think it was an even up call from the one before. These two refs have been working all the 7A and 7AA championship games for years. I bet Randolph will not be voting for them to ref next year. It is time for these guys to go. They do not hustle or even display the proper mechanics. Call it a career. We will probably have to see them on TV next week reffing again.
Watch the NHL now buddy, they don't swallow their whistles at any point like they used to.
Coaches really vote for the refs? I'd be surprised.
from what i heard, after making that last call, the ref skated over to jokinen and said now we're even right? after making that ridiculous call on him a few minutes prior.
Bruins4ever wrote:Let's all put hometowns aside and cheer for the north regardless who it is. That is what makes us who we are. As far as the refs deciding games, what happened to putting the whistle away at that point in the game unless there is a scoring chance or injury penalty and let the kids decide it. You see it in all upper levels of hockey. It was a borderline trip that probably shouldn't have been called at that point in the game. However, I think it was an even up call from the one before. These two refs have been working all the 7A and 7AA championship games for years. I bet Randolph will not be voting for them to ref next year. It is time for these guys to go. They do not hustle or even display the proper mechanics. Call it a career. We will probably have to see them on TV next week reffing again.
Watch the NHL now buddy, they don't swallow their whistles at any point like they used to.
Coaches really vote for the refs? I'd be surprised.
from what i heard, after making that last call, the ref skated over to jokinen and said now we're even right? after making that ridiculous call on him a few minutes prior.
you don't call a penalty with 37 seconds left in a semi final affair in front of 5000 people.
EREmpireStrikesBack wrote:
Watch the NHL now buddy, they don't swallow their whistles at any point like they used to.
Coaches really vote for the refs? I'd be surprised.
from what i heard, after making that last call, the ref skated over to jokinen and said now we're even right? after making that ridiculous call on him a few minutes prior.
you don't call a penalty with 37 seconds left in a semi final affair in front of 5000 people.
You do if you're Butch and his brother and you can see eye-to-eye with the coaches only with a stepladder.
