smh810

I would like to see Andreychuk contribute more myself although I don't think he's played badly in this series. The three dogs in this series have been Stillman (who was benched and deserved it) Modin (who finally stepped up last night) and Lukowich (also benched). If they win Game 6 I may venture to the Forum plaza myself Monday night. Point taken but Mishkin is hardly the only guy who gets excited like that. You brought up Mike Lang in Pittsburgh, have you ever heard the TV guy in Buffalo, or the radio guy for Calgary, and there was once a radio guy for Detroit who's voice got just as high as Mishkin's (I'm not sure if he's still there). Its not uncommon at all for TV or radio announcers to get excited like that. Plus, you're being paid by the team not a national entity like ESPN and in that case you can be as biased as you want IMO.

Hey leave Dave Mishkin alone! I'm sorry but if I'm listening to a home team announcer I WANT him to be biased and WANT him to get excited for goals. Also, what you don't hear is the way he describes a game while the action is going on. He's as good as any national announcer at that.

Fair point, but there have been other times when he's been put on the spot like that (granted with different questions) and he's told the media to basically go "F" themselves and I think he could have done that in this situation.

BREAKING NEWS: TORTORELLA JUST GUARANTEED VICTORY IN GAME 6! When replying to a question, do you think you will be back here on Monday night? Torts: Yes, we will! I'm not sure if thats a good idea or not.

I can't hate on Calgary tonight, both teams busted their ass in overtime and the better team (for tonight) won. I'm just hoping for a Game 7 at this point.

Ready for a long night anybody?

All that complaining that I did after Game 4 is irrelevant right now. We don't deserve to win this game. Yeah, Iginla's goal was off an absolutely perfect shot but for Christ sakes except for a 4:00 spurt in the second period we have sucked donkeyass all night. It should be 6-1 right now. We need to step up in the 3rd period bigtime.

Touche Max. Anyway the Bolts are FINALLY picking up their play. And once again Khabby has been incredible.

WOWIE WOW! WOW! WOW! After getting our asses completely kicked in the 1st period we tie the game with 33 seconds left. We'll see what happens in the 2nd period. By the way Khabby is GOD!

WOW! 20 more, I'll take your word for it it really hasn't seemed that way. I know I probably shouldn't have replied to that but this series (as if you couldn't tell) really has my blood boiling. Notice I didn't even touch Daryl Sutter's comments and I won't cause I really don't feel like cutting another promo and a half.

OHHHH!!!! I didn't know laying on the ice and recieving 10 stiches ON THE BENCH was faking an injury. Oh and if you read earlier I said that Stillman's hit was a dirty play(reading comprehension is important, learn it sometime). And the Flames have been royally fucked, give me a fucking break! You have gotten away with murder the whole post-season where we have had fewer PP than our opponents in most of our games. You clutch, grab, crosscheck from behind, slash, drive heads into boards, slewfoot among other things but thats old school hockey right?

When you hold somebody's arm back while driving him into the boards thats intent to injure not premeditated intent to injure but intent none the less Regehr had full leverage on him and Fedotenko was in a vulnerable position. On the surface I agree with you but the problem is Calgary is bending and breaking every rule in the book, they're taking cheap shot after cheap shot and I'm tired of it. Notice I didn't even mention the bear hugging of St. Louis every time he crosses the blue line but I wont bitch cause very team has done it. I never said the Bolts were innocent they aren't and they shouldn't be if the refs aren't gonna call it tighter get down in the gutter with them. Philly went soft on us??? Give me a fucking break! Tell that to Keith Primeau who was incredible, or Jeremy Roenick whose brain was swiss cheese for half the series or most of the Philly players who absolutely busted their ass in the series. I may hate them to death but they fought like hell and were very physical. (and clean too for the most part, what a concept) Every team we have faced in the playoffs has tried to intimidate us physically the Isles, the Habs (although thats like trying to turn Boy George straight) The Flyers and now the Flames and we have answered the bell with every single team by fighting back, playing physical and eventually winning the series. Game 4 was a sign that they will fight with the Flames too. However, I'm just voicing my displeasure about what I see as consistent dirty play by Calgary.

This is what seperated the Fedotenko hit from Salvador, Regehr was holding Fedotenkos arm behind his back as he checked him into the boards granted he probably wasn't aiming for the dasher but it was still a dirty play. I have no problem with physical play. The Lightning have more than held their own against that style in the playoffs (see Philly, NY Islanders) and have dished out their share as well but I'm sorry I don't call crosschecks from behind (Chris Simon on Stillman in Game 2) and driving heads into the glass hockey, its thuggish streetfighting. The Bolts aren't backing down though, in fact the Lightning hung in there really well in Game 4. How can I say they're worse than Philly, simple. Philly would get their sticks up and take a cheap shot every once in a while every team does that and the Bolts are no exception. (i.e. Stillman's hit on Nilson in Game 1 is a dirty play) Where Calgary crosses the line is when they are cross checking, slewfooting and driving heads into the glass the whole game. I'm not saying all 20 guys on Calgary's bench plays that way in fact I know all of them don't but more guys play like that on the Flames than in Philly and when Vancouver, Detroit and San Jose complain to the league about the way Calgary plays, don't you think something is fishy?

I don't know if you noticed this or not but thats exactly the way Calgary is using Oliwa to a T. He was out there in the final few minutes of game 4 never mind the fact that they were behind. I'm all for physical play but the way Regehr measured Fedotenko. (he may not have been aiming for the dasher but there was no doubt intent to injure) and the cheap shot that Nieminen put on Lecavailer is unacceptable. Don't get me wrong Philly is a dirty as hell team but I'm sorry Calgary is even nastier. Calgary has Simon, Oliwa, Nieminen, Clark, Commodore Regehr (and I'm sure I'm missing some) all of whom are playing dirty and street fighting. The refs need to either call a tighter game or the Lightning have to fight back with the same (which they started to in Game 4).

I have avoided this thread and most NHL articles throughout the finals but I must get this off my chest now. My hatred for the Calgary Flames is twice as intense as it ever was for any Philly sports team. Make no mistake the Flames are not playing hockey, they are street fighting cause thats the only way they can win this series. If I could I would literally beat the shit out of Ville Nieminen and Robyn Regehr right now. To Dogbert, instead of blaming the refs for costing you the game (while completely ignoring the fact that there were 57 minutes left) blame Commodore and Clark for being morons or are you too infatuated with the Commy's hair to do so. At any rate I actually wish that Ville is in the lineup for Game 5 so Andre Roy or Chris Dingman can throw HIS head into the boards and never mind Nieminen I would prefer a cheap shot on Iginla since they want to take our star players. At any rate I still believe talent will win out over thuggery and the Bolts will take it in 6.

How can you say the Bolts are lacking on the PK when they completely shut down The Flyers PP which was red hot going into the series and (correct me if I'm wrong) was one of the best Power Plays in the league throught the season?

Bucs: (some trades some FA signings some draft picks) Trading up to draft Kenyatta Walker drafting Eric Curry signing Alvin Harper signing Bert Emanuel drafting Reidel Anthony (although their other option would have been Rae Carruth) Lightning: Roman Hamrlik to Edmonton for Jason Bonsignore and Steve Kelly Niklas Sundstrom to San Jose for Bill Houlder, Shawn Burr, Steve Guolla and Andrei Zyuzin (note: we traded the No.1 pick to the Rangers for Sundstrom and Dan Cloutier) Michael Nylander to Chicago for Reid Simpson and Brian Muir Rob Zamuner to Andreas Johannson and Rick Dudley (GM) and the one that trumps them all... Alex Kharitonov and Adrian Aucoin to the Islanders for Mathieu Biron Devil Rays: I really don't feel like it right now.

Joe Kennedy was always a talented guy but was a HUGE partier down here and had a bad attitude which caused him to fall out of favor with Piniella. He needed the change of scenery to get re-focused.

Go Canadian Chris and welcome to the bandwagon. Anyway, this will be the toughest series so far for the Bolts. Philly is physical but I don't see Esche outplaying Khabibulin. I pick the Bolts in 6 On the other hand I just don't see Calgary beating San Jose. The Sharks are clearly the better team in all phases of the game. Maybe Kiprusoff will steal a game but thats it. Sharks in 5

Perhaps this is my bias coming into play but shitty ice doesn't necessarily make for shitty hockey when you have teams that play agressively. The reason why Dallas was difficult to watch during the late 90s wasn't just because of shitty ice but because they played so god damn conservative. I'm not saying ice isn't a factor, it is but it doesnt have to be a be all-end all of quality play. As far as the finals go while people nationally wouldnt care about a Sharks-Bolts final it would make for great hockey because as I said both teams play an agressive style. Also, do we really need the Red Wings in the finals again for crying out loud. Been there, done that bring on the Sharks or Flames.

My God, the Bolts-Habs game nearly gave me a heart attack last night. Fortunately due to me watching American Idol I didn't see too much of the second period where Montreal apparently completely outplayed the Bolts in spite of the Lightning taking a 2-1 lead. In fact the Habs quite honestly outplayed them for most of the night. Khabibulin in spite of giving up 3 goals was outstanding and kept the Lightning in the game. Vinny Lecavailer continues to own this series and Brad Richards game winner was incredible. I'm just hoping we can close it out on Thursday.

Another excellent game by the Bolts yesterday. The final score was 3-1 but for all intents and purposes it should have been 7-1 or 8-1 if it wasn't for Jose Theodore. He single-handedly kept Montreal in the game. We probably took the Habs best shot in the second period and wound up increasing our lead in the end. With that said I'm not expecting a picnic in Montreal. We MUST do better on faceoffs and the refs arent gonna cut us any breaks.

I am thrilled to see him do so well this year. When he was with the Bolts he would constantly be bounced from the NHL to the IHL which would piss me off because I always thought he had potential. To see Ekman have a big year like he did is awesome. He would be a better choice for the Selke from the Sharks than Alyn McCauley.

Great game by the Bolts. The Vinny, St. Louis, Fedotenko line owned this game and while the Richards line didn't score they did have their fair share of chances as well. Nice to see Afanasenkov get on the board. He's one of these guys who has all the moves but can't score, he obviously did tonight. Last but not least Khabby with his 4th SH tonight., he wasnt tested often but he was big when he had to be. I think Fedotenko should be OK after that cheap shot by either Zednik or Juneau (couldn't tell) at the end of the game. All in all, a superb effort and if they don't get too lax it should be a short series.

Great second period by the Bolts. The Vinny,Ruslan, St. Louis line worked very well and Khabby was strong. I would like to see us win more faceoffs though but with a 2-0 lead I'll take it.