The #9 Moment of the Nashville Predators' 2011 Playoffs: Anaheim GM Bob Murray whines about diving

Harsh. Even with the links to prove it, that’s pretty strong. I didn’t really develop a dislike of the Ducks until the playoff series. Selanne is still 100 percent class. And I like Carlyle.

Sometimes these are indicators of a desperate team, one that’s losing. That includes Murray’s comments. It’s just gamesmanship. Actually, it’s a part of the game where I think we fall short. Do too much and it backfires. Do too little and you settle into a series like Vancouver where it seemed like every important marginal call (Weber-Kesler chicken wing, Tootoo diving Game 6 – when was the last time you saw THAT called, any game, not just playoff) went against the Predators. Not saying a little chirping, working the media would have prevented the outcome. Just saying I think we can be better here.

No problem. I don’t like them very much as a group either. I like some of the elements though. Jason Blake is a great kid, got to interact more with him during his brief stay in the minors. Turned into a good pro. Carlyle is a rock – great career, did his time in the minors. And some really exciting young players — I’ll treat that foot-stomp as an isolated incident, just doesn’t seem like Bobby Ryan. The fans? Yuck. Not sure if the organization is in trouble though. Not that far removed from a Cup. Played great at the end last season.

Ah I see. You don’t like them because you think they’re a dirty team. I hear that. Used to feel that way about the Flyers, even more recently the Canucks. Fine line, though. I thought the Bruins were a good example of a team that just kept pounding and pounding away, getting stronger as each series got longer.

Yeah, not that it had a major impact on the series, but when Scarface pulled Roloson for Smith as a starter late in that series, that’s when I knew the Bolts were done. Tell him not to do that again. Goalies are tough as nails but fragile for certain things. Maybe not a guy like Roli who’s been around. But let him finish the ride, for goodness sake.

Shocked me when he did it. Probably surprised the Bruins, too. I think that sort of thing actually gives life to another team, or gives them the sense that they have someone in trouble. Was the first sign of desperation I saw out of that team in its playoff run.

Closer to home, I think we need to find a way to manage Pekka’s minutes so that we don’t have to pull him in the playoffs, too. He was also tired, or at least that’s what it seemed.

Aww thanks 316! Welcome to the party.

Actually, I’m curious if others have thoughts on the issue of gamesmanship in the media — whether what Murray did is ok, whether we do enough of it, whether we do it well when we do it (Barry’s comments after Kesler chicken wing, e.g.), or whether it has any impact at all. It may have none.

But I’ve been thinking about this more and more after watching a few Preds playoff runs and often feeling like we get the shaft from the referees. And it takes me a very long time to go there because I know it’s such a lame excuse. But there are times I watch things like Weber’s roughing penalty on Kesler, Tootoo’s diving penalty in Game 6 and I start wondering if those things would ever happen to the home team in a more established market, especially a Canadian one. Not a conspiracy thing. I know that’s lame, too. I just know there are a lot of people who hate the very idea of hockey in Nashville. And I know the refs are human.

I know – lame. And don’t get me wrong – better team won that series, this wasn’t the reason we lost. Just wondering if anyone else ever felt that way, that we seem to be on the wrong end of every important marginal call and that maybe we can do more with playing the media. Maybe the Weber thing was makeup for Smithson boarding (not called). The Tootoo thing was just bizarre and still makes me angry.

Preds failed to make the NBC schedule again. High five, NBC!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=72801