AlaskaFlyerFan

Not defending Torres with this. He deserves every minute of the 25 game suspension. Neal knew exactly what he was doing. He tucked his arms in, and jumped from 3 feet away...3 FEET!!! There was no attempt to avoid the collision. Shanahan is an idiot for beliving that Neal was jumping to avoid the collision. This hit was, by far, the wost hit I saw this season if you look at intent to injure. Nothing else comes close, not even the Torres hit.

That's an insult to Modry.

Brian Duff also brought it up after Game 5 on NHL Tonight questioning the multiple "questionable" hits.

If this is one of the pucks that has Selanne on one side and Kariya on the other, ebay has one for $30

I hate to see players like Lidstrom retire. I'm not sure there has ever been a player with more class. He has earned the right to make the decision.

Game 1 - Pens up 3-0 before Flyers comeback to win Game 2 - Pens up 2-0 before Flyers comeback to win Game 3 - Pens up 1-0 before Flyers comeback to win Game 4 - Flyers need to score early and often. Run the score up. I'm not worried about the Pens trying to hurt the Flyers players with dirty play. I'm pretty sure the refs won't allow any extracurricular stuff to happen without being penalized. Anything borderline will be called. I think Bryz has played pretty good in this series. For the most part, he's made the saves he should make and even some that he shouldn't. Agree with everyone who already said it. Time for Bryz to stand on his head. Just over an hour till game time. Can't wait. LETS GO FLYERS!!!

I was late for a meeting at work today so I was walking freally fast. I came around the corner and this lady was coming the other way. I jumped into her to try to avoid the collision. I hope she is alright. Such a bullshite excuse. Look at the tape and see where his feet leave the ice. Neal's jump began 2 feet before impact. He had enough time to stop or turn out of the way of Couts. It was a deliberate attempt to injure. Shanny, you can't be that stupid, can you?!?

I wonder if the janitor will be selling pieces of the trophy on ebay?!?

@Phillygrump, The last thing Jim needs is another excuse to drink!

I know the hit you are referring to. Malkin did the same thing to Talbot in the game. Its kind of a hit or be hit situation. Better to be the hitter.

If you don't like the result, spin until you get one you do like!

@Phillygrump, There may be an issue in the room, but I don't believe that the Pens players don't respect Crosby. You do something to Crosby and that team comes to his defense. It happened at least twice in yesterday's game. The first time was when Kimmo knocked the stick out of Crosby's hand. Crosby locked up with Kimmo and Letang jumped in to rescue him. Then Adams jumped Hartnell when Harts was wrestling with Crosby. I think it has more to do with frustration. The fact that 2 coaches from different organizations and 2 broadcasters lashed out at the Pens dirty play and whining right before the playoffs start. Then, the Flyers destroying them to add more frustration.

Here is the "C'mon Ref" article from Fraser. http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/kerry_fraser/?id=393346 Kerry, Can you explain the lack of a penalty to James Neal in the third period of Sunday's game? His hit was late, he left his feet and targeted the player's head. Also, why no unsportsmanlike penalty to Sidney Crosby for shooting Jakub Voracek's glove away as he bent to pick it up? Thanks, Andrew Reading, PA ----- Hi Kerry, I have a question in regards to James Neal's charging penalty at 15:18 of the third period in the third game of the series. It's not in regards to the legality of the hit but the way he was penalized. It appeared to me by re-watching it and seeing clips that neither official put their hands up or called a penalty, nor blew it dead after the play when Pittsburgh touched the puck. It was not until after the scrum had ensued and Neal was on the bench that they issued the penalty. Also, they gave no explanation nor could see any reason why he would have gotten a 10-minute misconduct. Thank you, Jason Neal Nanaimo, BC Andrew and Jason: I will get to the specifics of your questions in a moment. First I need to point out how Game 3 unraveled early in the City of Brotherly Love beyond attributing it solely to playoff intensity and "hatred" that has developed between opposing players. In post-game comments, Sidney Crosby said he swatted Jakub Voracek's glove away because, "I hate him; I hate all those guys," in reference to the Philadelphia Flyer players. The disrespect Sid demonstrated to a piece of Flyers equipment at 12:02 of the first period resulted in a fight he engaged in with Claude Giroux and set a secondary bout in motion between Kimmo Timonen and Kris Letang that led to their automatic ejection from the game. The main event (video link) might have started when Sid knocked Jake's glove away, but the preliminary bout happened a minute or so earlier when Crosby chopped at another Flyer player's glove (at 1:08 of this video) and wasn't penalized for it. The absence of a swift and firm response by the referees to Sidney Crosby's repeated slash to the glove hand of Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov prior to the fisticuffs became an officiating turning point in the game. This spark ignited the ever-present combustible fuel that exists when these two teams meet and caused player hostilities to boil over and continue throughout most of the game. The officials had to continually battle back from this early incident in an attempt to exert and maintain control. Every game has an ebb and flow; a heartbeat and a temperature that rises and falls throughout. This is especially true in a playoff series when player aggression and "hatred" (perceived or stated) escalates. It is incumbent upon the referees to know when to impose themselves to control the temperature of the game through appropriate application of the rules. The "when" and "how" results from an acute feel for the game. Action in an around the goal crease, contact with the goalie and dangerous or high hits are always "hot spots" that draw a crowd resulting in scrums and should always be high on the ref's radar screen. Once Crosby swatted at the glove hand of Bryzgalov as the play was blown dead, Voracek led the cavalry charge and wrestled with Crosby. This was the perfect opportunity for the referee(s) to impose themselves and establish game control. A swift and forceful reaction by the referee behind the goal line to impose a slashing and roughing minor to Crosby in addition to a roughing minor to the Flyers' Voracek would have ended the incident in this moment. The linesmen would have escorted the two players to the penalty box swiftly and nothing further would have developed at that point and time. A Flyers power play would have also sent an early message to avoid contact with the goalkeepers at both ends of the ice. Due to a lack of response by the referees on this initial incident, tornados of player hostility were allowed to spawn elsewhere which resulted in two fights and game ejections to key players from both teams a minute or two later. The stage was set and the match was lit for what followed. A swift and correct penalty assessment was imposed by the referee on Brayden Schenn's charge and Arron Asham's match penalty that followed. There is no question a suspension will result for Asham. The only question will be how many games? Andrew and Jason, you have asked about the late, high hit that James Neal threw on Claude Giroux. I am going to back up a shift or two and provide you with another game temperature check. This one occurred when Neal left his feet and leveled Sean Couturier as the Flyer was turning in the neutral zone without the puck and unaware of impending contact. The fact James Neal left his feet and moved slightly right into Couturier prior to impact eliminates any free pass I might have given the Pens star that this was just an accidental collision. James Neal saw Sean Couturier on the road ahead and in his lane. This should have been identified as interference or charging and James Neal placed in the penalty box. Player hostilities intensified on the Flyers bench as Couturier was lifted from the ice and helped to the dressing room. James Neal subsequently tracked Claude Giroux from behind and delivered a high open ice hit that threw gasoline on a fire that was already burning. Giroux stumbled like a wounded deer following the contact. There was no apparent response by the referees as you suggest on this play to identify the infraction and in an attempt to bring the temperature down. The players then took matters into their own hands. Jakub Voracek once again led the charge and was the first to chase James Neal to the Pittsburgh players' bench followed closely by Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds. Crosby grabbed Hartnell from behind and the captain's involvement became the catalyst for Craig Adams to unload on the back of Hartnell's head. James Neal was already on the Pittsburgh bench when the scrum ensued. The Flyers players were attempting to get at him in retaliation. Once the dust settled a discussion between all the officials resulted to sort out the penalties. Hindsight being 20-20, it was likely determined that a charging penalty needed to be assessed to James Neal as the cause of the altercation. The additional 10-minute misconduct assessed to James Neal on this exchange demonstrates the "pro-active" measures that a referee(s) should take to bring the temperature down or at least remove the pot from the stove. This was wise decision on the part of the Officials even if it came at 15:18 of the third period. My advice to the refs in all the playoff games is to have their thermometers ready following the opening puck drop and to take the game temperature frequently. It is the best measuring devise they can utilize to keep the "hate" from boiling over.

Asham 5 games Neal 2 games (one for each incident) Adams 1 game

Got it. Thanks. I forgot about the instigation with less than 5 mins remaining suspension.

@JackStraw Who are the 3 Pens? Asham (crosscheck) & Neal (2 instances) for sure. Are you saying Adams for punching Hartnell in the back of the head?

Jim misses the shootout so he posts a picture of one.

The solution is quit smoking.

I know the media will skew the truth at times, but that clip seemd to be pretty telling with the old guy (assume he was th owner) defending their actions because they're Pens fans. They must have changed their tune after that clip was broadcast.

Here is the original before the photoshop http://deadspin.com/we-sucked-ur-****-in-high-school/

@mojo1917 Sorry mojo...didn't mean to steal your "handshake line". I didn't read down far enough before posting.

@canoli I'm with you. The series is not over until there is a handshake line. The Flyers experienced this first hand in 2010 against the Bruins, albeit they were on the other side of the two games to zero then.

Totally agree.

@ FC, my comments are focused on this series only. I think the Pens are coming out too fast and can't keep up that kind of pace for more than 1 period. I'd like to see the Flyers NOT fall behind in the begining of the game like they have, but I don't think they are coming out "flat".

Wow. I should drink some coffee or something. The title of the post should read "Flyers DENIED Service". That link is not the video I was trying to post. Try this link. http://commercial-news.com/v?vid=ndn-23611573&sid=Editors%20Picks&widget=ndnvideo&site=commercialnews&section=obituaries