Why Hockey Is The Best Sport

[cinch]

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East wins All Star lovefest; Sakic wins MVP


The Eastern Conference wins the world's most expensive game of shinny as both teams floated around for 60 minutes of fun.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CP) -- Less than a week ago Gary Roberts was skating around the ice looking to take Daniel Alfredsson's head off every chance he got as the Battle of Ontario reached a fever pitch. | Messier breaks All Star record

On Sunday, Alfredsson was able to let his guard down. Roberts and Toronto Maple Leafs teammate Mats Sundin embraced the Ottawa Senators captain on three occasions as the three forwards combined for three goals and four assists in the NHL all-star game.

Alfredsson had two goals and an assist playing on the Maple Leaf line as the Eastern Conference held off their Western rivals 6-4.

"It's easier to play with them than against them, that's for sure," Alfredsson said jokingly after the game. "But we had fun, and we moved the puck pretty well tonight."

Eastern Conference head coach Pat Quinn, who coaches the Leafs, showed a sense of humour by putting the trio together. It was just over a week ago after a fight-filled game at the Air Canada Centre that Quinn criticized Alfredsson for trying to take out Sundin's knees.

"He's a smart player, you can see why he's that good," Quinn said of Alfredsson. "We all want to win and sometimes you go beyond where you should to try and win. All three of them are honest guys.

"You put the animosity aside and renew it the next time we play."

Roberts had a goal and an assist and later pondered how strange it was to play alongside a guy he wanted to run through the boards last week.

"He's a great guy," Roberts said of Alfredsson. "At the end of the day we realize we're all just hockey players.

"And you see the respect we have for each other. It was a great day."

The only downside, Roberts joked, was having to play alongside two Swedes again just like he does in Toronto with Sundin and Mikael Renberg.

"I had to talk Swedish for most of the night," laughed Roberts. "It's no different than the rest of the year.

"Either way I'm in the middle of the conversation saying: `OK, what are you guys talking about?' So things didn't change today."

Alfredsson said it's really not that big a deal that the three were able to put hostilities on hold for a weekend but added with a smirk: "Now it's back to the war."

Adrian Aucoin, Mark Messier and Ilya Kovalchuk also tallied for the Eastern Conference before a sellout crowd of 19,434 at Xcel Energy Center in a game that flirted with a no-hitter and yielded nearly as many scoring chances than the Minnesota Wild have had all season.

All-star game MVP Joe Sakic had three goals while Shane Doan also scored for the Western Conference, who also dropped last year's game 6-5 to their Eastern rivals.

"It's a nice relaxing weekend," said the 34-year-old Sakic, who won a truck for his exploits. "That's probably why the game isn't too intense.

"We know we're going back to the grind tomorrow."

Vancouver captain Markus Naslund had three assists playing on a line with Sakic and Canucks teammate Todd Bertuzzi, who had two assists. Naslund was limited to one assist at last year's all-star game playing with Bertuzzi and Sakic's Colorado teammate Peter Forsberg.

"Peter didn't do a very good job with us last year, I think that's the reason he's not back here this year," Naslund said jokingly.

All six goalies in the game were outstanding, including Team Canada World Cup hopefuls Jose Theodore, Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo.

"The goaltending was unbelievable and we got a game out of it because of the goaltending," Messier said. "Otherwise I think it would have been up in the double digits for both sides."<

The game capped a fantastic week for the Twin Cities, as fans embraced the all-star festivities and showed their passion for the game.

But they may have also wondered what the fuss was all about. Despite the amazing array of talent on the ice, the game's best seemed to be playing at about 80 per cent, wary of getting injured and certainly not keen to engage in any physical contact.

Except, of course, for Jeremy Roenick. The Philadelphia Flyers centre hammered U.S. Olympic teammate Keith Tkachuk in the corner late in the first period. The St. Louis Blues winger obviously didn't anticipate the hit and acted angrily, slashing Roenick in the back and later delivering his own thunderous hit on Roenick along the boards.<

"Guys love it when he (Roenick) is out there doing that," Sakic said. "He does a super job promoting the game.

"I thought he was great."

The East went up 6-3 just over four minutes into the third period, Kovalchuk breaking away alone after a terrific outlet pass from Montreal's Sheldon Souray and beating hometown favourite Dwayne Roloson with a nifty backhand deke.

Sakic completed the hat trick just over three minutes later to cut it to 6-4, his wrist shot beating Luongo under the right arm.

Alfredsson gave the East a 2-1 lead 51 seconds into the second period. Tomas Vokoun stopped his slapshot from the right circle but the rebound deflected off defenceman Filip Kuba and into the open side of the net. Not exactly a classic.

Fans were finally rewarded with a goal worthy of an all-star game, Sakic making it 2-2 at 5:44 after taking a perfect pass from Naslund and beating Theodore with a top-corner wrist shot.

Doan gave the West its first lead of th game with 6:58 left in the second period, coming from behind the net and stuffing a shot between Theodore's legs.

But the East quickly responded with two goals less than a minute apart, Messier sliding home a nice feed from Scott Niedermayer at 13:48 and Roberts pounded a rebound past Vokoun at 14:41 to give the East a 4-3 lead.



Notes: Actor Kurt Russell, who plays the late Herb Brooks in the movie Miracle, spoke to the crowd before the game and dedicated the all-star game to the legendary U.S. hockey coach ... Messier received a rousing ovation during pre-game introductions, the fans perhaps cognizant that it could be the 43-year-old's last all-star game. On the flip side, Canucks winger Todd Bertuzzi was drowned in boos, a remnant of the intense Vancouver-Minnesota playoff series last spring ... Next year's game is in Atlanta, barring a lockout.

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A few guys who can't stand eachother teaming up for some laughs and some good hockey. Just warms your heart, don't it?

Plus, you gotta love Messier being one of the best on the ice at 43... And the Minny fans booing Bert. Classic.

Still, to Alfy, Roberts, and Sundin for showing that you can play good, hard hockey without ill will extending to off-ice activities.

[Tingkai]

I've got the game taped, but I won't have a chance to watch it until Thursday!

Heard that Roenick publically apologised for throwing a water bottle at the refs. That's class. Can you imagine a basketball or baseball player doing that. No way. Then he gets four-on-four in the target shooting.

What do you guys think about the new seven-second delay on Cherry?

[Sava]

Cherry is hilarious, I wish I got CBC in the states...

hockey = best sport evar!

NHL = suckfest last few years (trap=suck)

[Imran Siddiqui]

That's class.

Indeed! I always like Roenick, but my respect for him went up multi-fold!

Oh, and Niedermeyer got jobbed in the All-Star MVP voting (what a pass to Mess on that goal !)!

[notyoueither]

Apparently Sava is not of French ancestory...

[Pekka]

Agreed!

[Ben Kenobi]

It's absolute bull what they are doing to Cherry.

He's been propping up the CBC broadcast for more than a decade.

If they want to censor him for saying derogatory things about people of European ancestry, why now? He's been doing the same shtick for quite awhile.

If I were Cherry, I'd just tell CBC to blow off and see how many people Ron McLean draws.

[notyoueither]

Ben, saying that French equals weak plays as well in Canada as saying black equals [pick a stupid thing to say] in the US.

He may be entertaining, but he should be able to grab half a brain and not insult a large segment of Canadian society, many of whom have a chip on their shoulder.

Now, if only the CBC could realise that slurs about the West as redneck were as offensive as what Cherry said. However, I suspect that stereotype won't be dropped any time soon. It is too handy politically and has little down side as things stand.

Parhaps the Languages Commissioner getting involved is a little over-board though.

[Agathon]

Who takes Don Cherry seriously when he says things like that?

I mean, I'm a commie which makes me worse than evil to him, but I laugh at the ignorant things he says about the left.

[Ben Kenobi]

Parhaps the Languages Commissioner getting involved is a little over-board though.

I would think so.


What I don't get is the argument, that it is okay for Cherry to rant so long as he only insults foreigners? That's a consistent standard.

I say let'em rant. If we, as a Canadian society, have to muzzle those with whom we disagree, what does that say about us?

[Asher]

So why is it you are anti-censorship with language but not with morals?

That's a consistent standard.

[Ben Kenobi]

No morals means you cannot oppose censorship.

Free speech is a moral in itself.

[notyoueither]

You are right, Ben. There is an important demographic pissed off by this latest incident. Therefore, something will be done. Had he simply slandered Swedes, we'd still be chuckling about it.

But the decision of where to draw the line should be with the CBC, yes? When Cherry po's a significant demographic for the CBC, they should be able to decide to do something, yes?

Well, rather than take him off the air, they decided to put him on a tape delay. That is their decision and seems fine to me. If the silly season goes further, then I might get more concerned.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
No morals means you cannot oppose censorship.

Free speech is a moral in itself.

You missed it -- the idea was it's a bit hypocritical to be gung-ho about making the government butt out of censoring language, while at the same time promoting the government come in and censor relationships between consenting adults...

[notyoueither]

Oh God, all anyone will think aboot when they think of Communist Canuckistan is figure skaters playing with their pucks.

[Ben Kenobi]

There is an important demographic pissed off by this latest incident.

So CBC is at the behest of cheese eating surrender monkies too feeble for the old country?

That would explain sooo much.

Bet you 100$, that CBC wouldn't blink an eye if Cherry called all Western hockey players, 'rednecks.'

French equals weak

Anyone who's watched M. Lemieux will refute that statement. Or Guy Lafleur, or Jean Beliveau. The list goes on.

Why give Cherry more power by censoring him? Just ignore the comment.

[Ben Kenobi]

censor relationships between consenting adults...

/me checks his 'gaynometer'

Increasing levels of gayness in thread.

I say no such thing. There is a profound difference between gay marriage and 'censoring relationships.'

Now please, could we get back to hockey?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


So CBC is at the behest of cheese eating surrender monkies too feeble for the old country?

That would explain sooo much.

Bet you 100$, that CBC wouldn't blink an eye if Cherry called all Western hockey players, 'rednecks.'

Unfortunately, you are correct. There is a double standard at work. It is perfectly acceptable to most Canadians to portray the West as rednecks, and Alberta as slightly worse.

The portrayal of the West is not right. However, the crack about the French that Cherry mouthed off was not right either.

We can ***** and whine about the unfairness that French concerns are addressed, but ours are not. In fact, until we ***** and whine about it, nobody will take us seriously. That doesn't mean that what Cherry said should be tolerated by the CBC, and it isn't being. So how are they wrong in this case?

[Ben Kenobi]

doesn't mean that what Cherry said should be tolerated by the CBC, and it isn't being. So how are they wrong in this case?

Look at Howard Stern. By drawing attention to his comments, and being banned in Canada, just provides him with more noteriety.

Same here with Don Cherry. Yes he was wrong to say French equates with weak. But I fail to see how his comments impact negatively on CBC. Nobody treats Don Cherry seriously, and no one would remotely suggest that his views match the views of the organisation.

We have gotten so afraid to offend people, that we would prefer to censor things because they may offend. Yes, it may stop bad things, but it also stops lots of good things as well.

Look at the KKK. Who cares what they have to say? Let them speak, so that they can be refuted and exposed.

[notyoueither]

Ben, like it or not media outlets have standards. I would hope you agree they should have those. When someone they broadcast or publish violates those standards, say by making a bigoted comment that insults a large segment of their audience, it is time for the media outlet to do something, yes?

*****ing and moaning because your boy got hung on one of those standards is rather pointless.

btw, I would really like to see the howls if the CBC gave the KKK a regular spot on air and then said, 'it ain't us, it's him'. Give me a freekin break and get a real example, OK?

[Ben Kenobi]

howls if the CBC gave the KKK a regular spot on air and then said, 'it ain't us, it's him'.

By your logic, by airing a gay marriage, CBC endorses gay marriage, and insults a large portion of their viewing public, namely Christians.

Censorship is a two-way street, NYE. Should Christians be able to kick up a fuss and get CBC to pull the broadcast?

Now, I am sure there are plenty Russians and Ukranians here in Canada, so why is Don Cherry allowed to rant about durty furriners and not about French Canadians? You define one group as 'significant,' yet that distinction has already been shown to be arbitrary.

Finally, is it right to make the comparison between the phrase, French people are weak, and Blacks should be lynched? In the second, the KKK advocates violence against black people, while in the first, Cherry is merely being an idiot.

moaning because your boy

I never agree with Don Cherry. Which is precisely why he should be allowed to speak.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
By your logic, by airing a gay marriage, CBC endorses gay marriage, and insults a large portion of their viewing public, namely Christians.

Censorship is a two-way street, NYE. Should Christians be able to kick up a fuss and get CBC to pull the broadcast?

Wrong, fvcknuts, because that marriage would be being performed by a Christain minister for Christians! Can you get your head out of your dogmatic ass long enough to see that it ain't just you that is Christian?

If you're insulted, it is because you're a bigot who can't keep your beliefs in your own home and church and have to be a busy body enforcing them on everybody else.

I'm sick and freeking tired of you appropriating the voice of all Christianity when there are Christians who disagree with you, vehemently.

Now, I am sure there are plenty Russians and Ukranians here in Canada, so why is Don Cherry allowed to rant about durty furriners and not about French Canadians? You define one group as 'significant,' yet that distinction has already been shown to be arbitrary.

Finally, is it right to make the comparison between the phrase, French people are weak, and Blacks should be lynched? In the second, the KKK advocates violence against black people, while in the first, Cherry is merely being an idiot.

I never agree with Don Cherry. Which is precisely why he should be allowed to speak.

I didn't define the French as significant. The fact that they are 4 or 5 million out of 30 million, and the CBC decided so make them significant.

Bigotry is bigotry, whether that is sneering at Western rednecks and crosses burning in BC, or French being weak because some, probably non-French, players want to wear face guards in hockey. If the CBC decides not to tolerate anti-French bigotry, huzzah! It brings the day nearer that bigotry of other forms may be snuffed out as well.

As to Mr. Cherry being allowed to speak, he is perfectly free to occupy any street corner and get his lights punched out after he says something stupid to some passer-by. The CBC has no obligation to provide any bigot with a corner to promulgate their ignorance from.

[Ben Kenobi]

The fact that they are 4 or 5 million out of 30 million, and the CBC decided so make them significant.

So we are allowed to censor whatever speech we happen to disagree with, by defining any offended group as 'significant?'

Let's see the other side of the sword. By your statement, there is nothing preventing CBC from rendering French-Canadians as 'insignificant', based on the criteria of personal choice.

If the CBC decides not to tolerate anti-French bigotry, huzzah! It brings the day nearer that bigotry of other forms may be snuffed out as well.

If we censor based on arbitrary distinctions, then I find that little cause for cheer. How do you know that in cutting out what one labels as bigotry, you do not also cut out truth? No one has a perfectly functioning conscience, we all have our blindspots.

CBC endorses gay marriage, and insults a large portion of their viewing public, namely Christians.

Fine. They alienate Evangelicals, Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics, Mennonites, Reformed, Orthodox, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, even many Anglicans as well.

Happy? I find that a large portion of CBC's viewing audience offended by the broadcast of a gay marriage. Should they be able to complain, and have CBC pull off the coverage?

who can't keep your beliefs in your own home and church and have to be a busy body enforcing them on everybody else.

Funny. I'm the one arguing against censorship. Look in the mirror, NYE.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Bet you 100$, that CBC wouldn't blink an eye if Cherry called all Western hockey players, 'rednecks.'

You'd owe a lot of people money if you made that bet. The CBC would be up in arms, and so would the advertisers. It's one thing for an English-language commentator to tell an English-speaking audience that French-Canadians are weak, but it would be a whole different matter if Cherry started insulting his audience.

[Tingkai]

Although Cherry is kind of like a satire of old time hockey. Some guy at the Calgary Sun peg him dead on: Cherry is like your granddad after a couple of Red Caps, spewing on about how hockey ain't the same as was back in his days.

[Brundlefly]

Originally posted by Tingkai

What do you guys think about the new seven-second delay on Cherry?

Well, if he tries to bare one of his breasts, no one has to see it now...

[Sava]

I'm not aware abotu Cherry's comments regarding french players... but is anyone surprised? I remember Cherry going on and on about European players back in the 90's...

He's an old school hockey guy with strong opinions about how hockey should be played.

Let me ask you guys, are French players known for being "bruisers"? or really physical checkers? mmmmm NO!

so why bash Cherry for an observation that is based on reality?

it seems to me the french-canadian and european styles stress speed, finesse, stickwork, and passing... not hard hitting like in the US and Canada...

[Brundlefly]

I just hope Philly doesnt trade Mike Comrie to Phoenix for Burke as rumored. That would ruin my day...

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by Sava
Let me ask you guys, are French players known for being "bruisers"? or really physical checkers? mmmmm NO!

so why bash Cherry for an observation that is based on reality?

it seems to me the french-canadian and european styles stress speed, finesse, stickwork, and passing... not hard hitting like in the US and Canada...

That's an interesting misconception you have there, considering there's a Quebec league (not sure if it's the QMJHL or another one) that is widely known as being probably the toughest, dirtiest league in the world.

And I'm sure the likes of Donald Brashear, George Laraque, Andre Roy and inumerable other French-Canadian enforcers would disagree with that assessment as well. Quite frankly, on average, I'd say that French-Canadian players are at least as physical, if not moreso, than their anglo-Canadian or American counterparts.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Who cares about Cherry . Does anyone take him seriously anymore anyway?

Let's talk about the game itself.