The "Shanahan"igans Can Be Blamed On Brendan

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is bringing us tremendous hockey. It has been fast-paced, it has been two teams full of intensity and passion battling hard in each and every shift and we have seen some great games.Its like the Flames and Oilers in the 80's which was hockey the way it should be played. However, in a weekend where we were treated to hockey at its best, we were also treated to hockey at its worst. The debate on what happened this weekend---especially in Philadelphia--will dominate the headlines over the next couple of days. 

Before I weigh into everything, I have to first admit I was wrong. I said last week that Henrik Zetterberg made the mistake of not lying on the ice after being slammed head first into the glass by Shea Weber in Game 1 of the Nashville-Detroit series thus resulting in Weber getting a fine and a weak one at that. I was wrong because that incident has precipitated everything that you see happening. If Brendan Shanahan had acted properly and given the Predators captain a healthy suspension, the crap you are seeing would not be going on. He didn't, thus the players have determined that everyone is free game and its showing. 

Shanny had a chance to make a statement when he gave three games to Ranger Carl Hagelin for his elbow to the mush of Daniel Alfredsson, but he then turned around and gave a meagre one game suspension to Matt Carkner for his assault on Brian Boyle. I don't understand, you don't understand. the teams don't understand and the players don't  understand. What constitutes what? Does anyone know anymore? 

Colin Campbell sent a message last year when he sent Aaron Rome home for the season after his late hit on Nathan Horton. Shanahan could have continued on, but he didn't. If Carkner is getting just one game, what is Arron Asham getting for his crosscheck on Brayden Schenn? Why isn't Brent Burns being suspended for throwing a Duncan Keith like elbow at a St. Louis player in Game 2? Why isn't T-J Galiardi getting a hearing for his elbow to the head of Andy McDonald? It really makes me wonder if Shanahan is using this tool when it comes to issuing discipline if issuing it at all.

There were great arguments made all over the place this weekend. One was out of all the fights that we saw no one got hurt, but people were getting hurt because of the elbows and shoulders being thrown. Why is that? Its simple. Like I have been saying for years, the equipment these guys use need to be reduced. We need to go back to the days of old when it comes to the elbow and shoulder pads these guys are wearing. They are not Iron Man, they are human beings and the equipment they are using is dangerous. However, the NHL doesn't care. Gary Bettman just wants fans in the seats cheering and cheering is what happens when a big hit or a big fight occurs. They can tell you they want the head shot eliminated, but they don't. The players can tell you they don't want head shots, but the players don't care because they don't have respect for one another anymore. 

Who knows what will happen tomorrow or later in the playoffs, but at some time Shanahan needs to say enough is enough and make someone pay the price otherwise the Rangers statement of being "thoroughly perplexed" will be echoed by many. 

From that, lets get to the act that is Sidney Crosby. I'm starting to think Mike Milbury and Don Cherry were right when talking about him. What Crosby was on Sunday was a punk---a spoiled punk who wasn't getting his way. His stunt with the glove of Jakub Voracek was highly immature and something that wasn't called for. I remember Alex Rodriguez getting roasted over the coals after he made a Blue Jays 3rd baseman let a pop-up fall to the ground when he yelled "mine". That was the same type of immature act that Crosby performed yesterday. The man who then says the cheap stuff needs to be taken out of the game is right in the middle of scrums, yapping at players, fighting with players and being a pain in the ass. Cherry said Crosby needs to act more like Steve Stamkos and just score goals while staying away from that other stuff. He's right! Sid lost a lot of respect in the eyes of many yesterday. Some even going as far as saying that if he suffers another head shot and loses his career because of it that he is deserving of it because of his antics. That is going a little too far, but anything he gets right now is deserved because of his play. 

Other weekend thoughts.....

--Why doesn't NBC show the US national anthems before games, but CBC does. I find that to be odd. 

--Karen Newman (Detroit)  and Wayne Messmer (Chicago) sing the anthem the way it should be sung. They get out there, they do their thing and they get off. Some have told me that Lauren Hart has to be included in that category. She does, but she teams up with the legendary Kate Smith on the scoreboard so I can't count her. Hart does a wonderful job too. I don't know who did the anthems in Los Angeles last night, but both get a thumbs up for an entirely different reason. 

--Is there any doubt that I will watch the NBC telecast of the NHL when Mike Emrick is calling the game. The only way I'm not is if Chris Cuthbert is doing the game on TSN. Those that read this blog know what I think of Cuthbert.

--Speaking of Emrick, he had the line of the weekend. When signing off from Philly, Emrick said "So the Flyers have beaten the Penguins to take a 3-0 lead in the series, for my colour man Pierre McGuire and the man who does PA for the Flyers who spoke more than I did today, I'm Mike Emrick. Classic!

--Karma is a bitch isn't it. The US womens team at the World Championship took great delight in pounding Canada to open up the Worlds. Great delight indeed. How satisfying was it to see Canada come back and win the gold medal with an overtime win over that same US team. How does that feel ladies? Next time, shut up and play the game!

--The favourites to get into the Cup final were Pittsburgh and Vancouver. Both may not win a playoff game this year. Who saw that coming?

--With Marc Andre Fleury playing the way he is, one has to think Carey Price has the lock right now on being the starting goalie at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Yes, I realize that's a long ways away, but right now who would you have in there? Like I said at the World Juniors, Canada needs to start developing goalies the way we develop forwards and defencemen. If we don't, its going to bite us again like it did at the WJ's.

--Its interesting to see that on Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball that the amount of black players in the majors is just over eight percent. Compare that to 1975 when over 27 percent of major leaguers were black. Foreign-born players are now making up 28 percent of major league rosters. Is that to say baseball is dying amongst the afro-American population in the U-S. Its no secret that more and more are taking up football and basketball and soccer because of the publicity and appeal that those sports have while baseball seems to be drying up. Former Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stewart says its a problem and it is. Baseball is not an expensive sport to play so American kids of all colours should be playing the game. 

--I love Brett Lawrie and the game he plays, but trying to steal home Saturday with the bases loaded and Jose Bautista at the plate was just stupid. 

--I thought maybe the Jays had fixed their bullpen problems in the off-season. Early on, the answer is no. 

--Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to have a TV commercial featuring Charles Barkley in a black dress. That's downright disturbing. Then again. its nothing to what the sight will likely be at the Victoria Club when the wannabe cowboy Rex Roberts is forced to wear a dress in public when he gets beat by Robbie Gamble this Friday night when High Impact Wrestling returns. Rex can just bring a couple of numbers from his closet I'm guessing. 

---Why does anyone want to watch the boredom that is the NBA when the Stanley Cup playoffs are on?

--Driving in east end Regina on a Saturday afternoon is definitely challenging. The things some people do when behind the wheel in and around Superstore, London Drugs, Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart is astounding. I'm guessing it is that way in north, south and northwest Regina too. 

--If you had to have one of them, would you take Brad Marchand or Alex Burrows. I would take Marchand in a heartbeat. 

--The Mike Richards-Jeff Carter story would make for a great subplot if the Kings and Flyers were to make it to the finals. 

--I don't think my pick of Detroit beating the Rangers in the final will hold up past Round 1. 

--How many more days until Rider training camp starts?

--Who are the Seahawks going to take with their first pick in the draft? Mock drafts have them taking several different players. 

--Congrats to Graham DeLaet for pocketing a cheque for just over 16 and a half thousand dollars at the RBC Heritage Classic. He needs more cheques and bigger ones. Does he have a Saskatchewan sponsor and if not, why? 

--Congrats to the Humboldt Broncos for winning the SJHL championship. Dean Brockman is a class act and its nice to see his team go into the Royal Bank Cup on a high. Hey, the Broncos might be the last Saskatchewan team in the RBC for a while, so I hope he can take the Broncos all the way to the title. 

--Did Dwight McMillan really give SJ President Bill Chow the one fingered salute during the trophy ceremony Friday night? I know the Wings were mad over what was a controversial suspension to the league's top player and yes, it was a stupid call in this bloggers opinion but c'mon Dwight, if that's true you are better than that. He's old school though and so is Ron Rumball so you gotta love it and chuckle away. Besides, Humboldt was the better team and I don't think Weyburn would have won Game 6 and 7 back in Humboldt. They might have, but I think in the end the right team did win the final and the right player was named the finals MVP--that being Weyburn goalie Mitch Kilgore. 

--The Boston Pizza ad with Terry Peters is an epic fail. Love BP and love their wings, but this just in--boneless wings are the same as all meat wings. You're not the first! 

--Lets end this blog posting with a little Swedish Chef to start the week----why not!

--Back to the vodka and dipping the cheetos in mayonnaise now. Have a good Monday.