wild/nhl

Southern California, ha. The focus for the NHL should be to make sure they don't show any favoritism even though we all know they wanted LA to win for the leagues . I wanted to see a good contest, should Bernier spoil it ? For sure not, a 5 minute penalty in the first period half way through when the home team is all juiced up, that is deadly, the Wild in their second year would have popped a couple goals in if given 5 minutes non stop power play in front of screaming fans.I am not kidding, Yes Darby Hendrickson, Jeff Nielson, Scott Pellerin and Lubomir Sekeras would have lit the lamp 3 times under those circumstances......Folks, Bernier should have been thrown out of the game and suspended plus given a 2 minute penalty because its game 6 of the cup, not a 5 minute. Did Bernier take a way a scoring chance ? NO, power plays are granted when scoring chances are illegally interfered with (hold or trip) If this is regular season, for sure you call a 5 minute penalty, we all know rules change for the real big contests. That 5 minute major defined the entire result of that game AND the NHL is going to look bad, if they don't they should, heck just before that penalty they let a checking from behind go on Gionta and a hard forearm shiver by Penner on a Devils player retaliating from what Bernier did...... Call it a Southern California pro hockey game and if I was in vegas I would have more money to my name because I predicted the one sided rout........ When you give someone a 5 minute major in game 6 in the first period during a close bout, that should require careful thinking with all 4 refs having a discussion among themselves for a good 3 minutes.... Something is fishy

"As management, you have to do what you think is right, not what people think is right," Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall added. "If you don't, you'll never get to this point. There's a lot of risk, we know that. But you have to go with your heart and make decisions that you believe in and not worry about what people think or say."

I watched it, and the only regret about this game is that the same penalty was not called against L.A. seconds before the five minute penalty occurred. No doubt, blood influenced the decision. It is unfortunate that this happened this way in the last hockey game of the year. By the way, I thought about L.A. and hockey, but in reality, I am kind of glad that the NHL is all over the USA because it gives MN hockey players much more of a chance to play in the pros.

Further, I usually pull against all L.A. and New York teams. However, I also dislike New Jersey enough to where I wanted to see L.A. win. It will be interesting to see all the controversy in the newspapers today.

There goes any chance of getting Parise. But then again Fletcher has just spun his wheels for the past few years and the team has not improved. In 2009 the Kings had 79 points, the Wild had 89 points. This year the Kings won the cup, and the Wild missed the playoffs....AGAIN. Any player that wants a chance to win a cup in the next 5 years will avoid the Wild like the plague.

@dirtydogs This same comparison has been made many times... It's an oversimplification. The Kings had WAY more pieces in the cupboard in 2009 and were on the up starting that year. The Wild were just about to lose their top players, had virtually no prospects and were on the downfall.

On Parise, I think one rumor spread that his decision will be based on winning or not winning and now everyone is eating it up. I don't buy that it will play in to his decision. It's my personal belief that his decision will be based on.... 1) Who has the brightest future ahead for the next 5+ years (considering his contract will be at least this length) .... 2.) $$$$$ .... 3.) Strong management .... 4.) Which team has close friends of his ... and finally, this one may sort of be a stretch, 5.) Which team would allow him to take a leadership role. I think Parise is one of those guys that work best when he's not just "another guy in the pack." Players like Parise DO THEIR RESEARCH before signing with a team. They don't just take phone calls on Just 1st and blindly choose a team.

I wish these fellas would act like champions and not drop 'f bombs' on national tele when being interviewed!

Moosehawk, Parise gets the team going by being a hardworker/game changer all of the time. A good lead by example guy

Sutter did a great job in turning the Kings around! Shows you that it is more than just the player talent.