Refs in a tough spot because of divers

DON GIVE UP THE BASHING OF CERTAIN CANADIEN TEAMS BEFOR THE THE FANS GET TIRED .

Cherry's not whining he is expressing his opinion. Oh and just so you know the rest of Canada is cheering the Flames or any other team BUT the Habs. Don Cherry is being paid to state his opinions and entertain. Not to appease Montreal fans. Don't like it? Too bad. Make yourself a sandwhich or switch channels during coaches corner. It is a national broadcast and the rest of us not living in fantasy Hab land want to hear what he has to say.

As a Kingston kid, I've always been a fan of Don. It never ceases to amaze me how shocked people are when his comments lean toward the Bruins and the Leafs. This is not a new situation. He's been like this for YEARS. The fact remains that most of the time, although cantankerous, Don Cherry is right on the money in his observations of coaching and playing gaffes around the league. Like all of us though, in post game analysis when our favorite teams lose he keys in on particular events that he feels could have made a difference in the game for his guys. I don't think there can be much argument that Boston showed superior desire to win in Game 2 of this series, but like so many teams in Stanley Cup Playoffs past, present, and future, they just couldn't get it done. Don reacted as a fan could be expected to react. I can't fathom what Canadiens fans are looking for from him. With all this talk of "stop being so biased against the Habs", sounds to me like fans just wish D.C. was slanted the opposite way. Honestly, if Cherry was a huge Habs booster would people be complaining about his lack of professionalism? Clearly he's generating plenty of chatter around here.....which....if I'm not mistaken, is exactly why he's still around.
Keep your sticks on the ice everybody.
(and for God's sake, keep a guy in front of the net)

Hey Don Cherry,

If you saw the overtime winner in Denver tonight, then you'd know why we still have the touch icing rule in place.

To those of you criticizing HNIC: I wish you could watch the nationally televised games here in the US. If you really want to see bias - you would swear that the Rangers, Islanders and Flyers have won every game since the dawn of civilation (bad choice of words). There is very little play by play - mostly 2 men having a conversation with little or no bearing on the action on the ice. I spend a lot of time in a city that does not get Canadian television and can't wait to return to Buffalo where I can watch hockey broadcasts by the real pros. We are fortunate in Buffalo to have great local broadcasts, but probably because of the great example we have had throughout the years from our fine neighbors. Yes, we even enjoy Don Cherry, in spite of the negative comments about our city and our team from time to time. I guess he is the guy we love to hate, but we still want to hear what he has to say. Thank you HNIC for many years of great entertaining coverage.

Kovalev's dive in 94-95 is one the most humiliating unsportsmanlike conduct I have ever seen in hockey. That's what Cherry is talking about. And unfortunately this still goes on. Common boys ! be men !

In my opionion there should a serious investigation into the Stanley Cup Officiating! -I think it's corrupt!

I noticed the "phoney penalty calling" starting just near the end of the season.

There is no doubt the referees are manipulating the outcome of the games!

The last 3 years I watched the cup and so far I knew that Carolina would win the cup,not because they played well ,but because of the phoney penalties called against every opposing team-especially Canadian teams!You saw that look on every coach's face,during the Carolina Cup run,but they couldn't comment on the corrupt officiating,because they'll get fined!Too bad,I think tney should speak up anyway!

Then,there's the stuff the refs allow the other teams to get away with!

Look,I don't mind a fair match,but it's obvious something is not right -when you see "cheap calls" and "no calls" in every game!

The same last year -I knew the Ducks would win just by the phoney penalties being called against the opposing teams,especially the Senators.Not to forget the stuff the Ducks were being allowed to get away with!

This year,I've watched the Habs games and the Sens games and some of the penalties called against the two teams are downright phoney -tonight Pittsburgh got away with everything short of murder(the same for Boston last night)!ie: The golie grabbed Dany Heatley's foot as he went by,yet there was no call!

The cup's gone the USA 3 years in a row.

I think the CBC should do some investigation!Afterall,according to some posts around the internet,there is corrupt officiating in Soccer,Basekball and Footbal,so corrupt hockey officiating is just as possible

I think hockey fans everywhere have a great deal of respect for Montreal and their 24 cups.
That being said the phantom penalties refs are calling these days are hard to stomach.Iginla pushs a guys shoulder with an open glove and thats holding. Yelle puts his stick down on the puck carriers pad with a hooking action and thats slashing. Owen Nolan is first to the puck on a long break and is hacked down with no call. C,mon the reffing is like Grimms fairy tales.
For the last 60 years teams have said that going into Montreal you were down a goal before the game started. Testament to great fan support.Don calls it like he sees it and not everyone can see it from all angles. Don should get poetic license because of the I con that he is. Let the best team win!

The Pens skill puts them ahead in game 3, and the refs make sure Ottawa doesn't have a chance to get back in it.....Fleury tackels Heatly and it goes uncalled but Stillman touches a Penguins hip that sends him flying through the air and the dive goes uncalled......inconsistency in officiating in the playoffs again....

Yes anythig that bad mouths the Americans isnt posted,well the refs are blind. And CBC thought it was Canadian broadcasting company...well you are Biased too

I love how everyone whines about officials. as an official I want to clear a few things up.

1 the officials are not deciding games, the call what they see, and we don't see everything (try as we might).

2 Of all the games I have watched, (most of them) I have seen 3 questionable penalties and a few missed calls. Not that the referees are deciding the playoffs. Thats just an excuse for a fan, player, or coach whos team is losing or got beat. Its easy to whine when you lose, but hard to when you win.

3 These are NHL officials, so if they were so "bad at their job, they wouldn't be there. there will always be missed calls, no matter what the level. but saying the refs are rigging the playoffs is a joke. a joke people can tell while their team is golfing. because a "REAL" team knows how to suck it up, learn, and win.

I enjoy listening to Don Cherry but he is wrong when he thinks that the refs have robbed the Bruins. Both teams have been victimised by poor officiating. It's as if the rule book for the regaular season is different than the playoffs. There seems to be no consistency to many of the calls when you see some of the infractions that haven't been called. And it is not only this series. Watch the Flames/Sharks and you will see it there too. Oh yeah,,, I didn't hear Don Cherry complain when Boston won the game in overtime on a delayed penalty that was a borderline call considering the crap the refs were letting go earlier in the game.

please stop showing information on the olympics in China. They should not be allowed to host these due to their brutal human rights record and CBC should know better that to support a cause like this. Endorsing our participation only publicly condones their actions.

Hey Jamie, why don't you try to watch the same game as everyone else, what about Price with his jabs to the legs and groin and the punches to the back of players heads, are these not penalties that the referee's so conveniently missed, don't call someone else a whiner if your not going to see the whole ice.

Look all you whinny Hubs fans Don Cherry is a GOD. The man tells it like it is. He is not on "THE CBC" to purr like a cat and be all soft and fluffy....... The man is entitled to his Biased opinion and in MY opinion he can cut down the Hubs if he wants to and the MANY others teams he cuts down as well. He is a loyal Canadian....just not a loyal Canadien So back off Suckers!!!!!!

Cherry is so right....a 4 year old wouldnt even fall from that small of a tap especially in ur own end in OT....surprised it wasn't Kovalev for once LOL.

Frankly, I want the CBC to have a bias for Canadian teams. CBC is the public broadcaster for Canada, so why shouldn't they?

I always prefer to watch a hockey game where the announcer is cheering for the same team as I am.

Has anyone noticed that we no longer see the skirmishes after the whistle? The camera always cuts away to a close up of the goalie, the crowd or someone skating away. This is so orchestrated that it must be ordered by the league. It takes us out of the game and miss out of some of the emotion. I suggest that anyone watching playoff hockey loves the intensity and does not need to be proctected for the odd face wash or banging of heads.

I have moved to california from saskatchewan and miss every second of hockey night in canada and especially don. don i love you. you are the best personality in sports. hey bubby hebb ever tried watching a game on verses. makes me sick. brutal commentary. go don

***COME ON PEOPLE***: It is simple, if you don't want to hear what Grapes has to say, turn The channel. After all these years you know what to expect from him.

The NHL Playoffs are the best tournament in sport. It's too bad the officiating can't be up to par with the play. One game the league assigns two refs with a combined 40+ years of experience, and then the next game they assign two refs with a combined 4 years of experience. Yes, I'm referring to games 1 and 2 of Calgary-San Jose. Yes, the Flames took some dumb penalties in game 2, but there were at least 5 or 6 real penalties against the Sharks that weren't called. How do refs get away with it? Aren't they accountable to someone? It's really too bad that such a great tournament has so much riding on the refs when more often than not they do a bad job.

Can't wait for DC's comments on Bruins. Those
ex Flames making them a gritty hockey team.
Savard's a beauty . " Ole Ole ole ...Ole ,Ole"
Korvalev is disguting with his dives...

Kovalev has always been a diver...

Can someone, anyone, please tell the TV production cats that their visual approach to covering a hockey game is inane? All these idiotic cut aways of guys bolting up the ice, without the puck, combined with equally worthless corner cutaways is annoying. Keep the camera a little wider so we can see the game being played from zone to zone. The constant cutting and zooming in to capture two guys passing to each other on the blue line, only to have to zoom back when they whip the puck down the ice, which the camera then misses, is bad direction. Smacks of having too much money for cameras and not enough sense of delivering a better product over the air. Plus, we are constantly missing key scoring action because the camera is too close to one guy or another. And the iso-cameras miss it too! Years ago, with less cameras and better directors, the show was much more entertaining and fun to watch. Now it’s just frustrating. This ain’t football. It moves fast so the camera doesn’t have to.

I would just like to see Ron Maclean stop doing his best Montreal can't do anything wrong Dick Irvin impression, first there was the high stick in overtime that is called all the time and then there was the interference by Brian Smolinski that led to Montreal's goal, if he is going to quote the rule book then I would like to see where it is written that if the player thinks the other player is going to play the puck then it isn't a penalty, Stuart didn't have the puck and was far enough away from the puck that Smolinski had more than enough time to hold up, it was interference and it should have been called, and please let me know if that follow through is from a shot or a pass or both. Thank You

Thank you Dave! I thought that Craig Simpson and his play-by-play partner were going to cry last night when the Sharks went up 3-0 against the Flames. What happened to neutral broadcasting? Is the CBC so starved for a Canadian Cup winner that we get to hear complaints from the announcers that the Sharks are getting all of the penalty calls in their favor? I wouldn't have minded if Simpson and his partner were the every-day Calgary broadcast team; that would make sense. Stop waving your maple leaf flag CBC, and let's all cheer for great hockey!

I have not noticed any bias on CBC for Canadiens and I stopped reading the posts after the nonsense posted on the few I read. HNIC is the best hockey broadcast going and Bob Cole is great. If you want to hear real bias, just try listening to NESN; it is AWFUL and the broadcasting sucks. Although Grapes isn't big on Les Habs as I am, he's still the best. I get a kick out of the fact that he still harbors ill feelings because he couldn't beat Les Habs, just like all the other Bruins coaches. There are three great things in the world of hockey; Les Habs, HNIC and Grapes! The rest of you need to stop whining, unless it's about the Leafs. They suck and shouldn't be broadcast on HNIC. The one thing I do agree about the refs, it is way past the time that Kerry Fraser needs to retire. His make up calls are atrocious.

I think the playoff rules should be different from the regular season rules. If we go back to the classic style of hockey, it would make playoffs WAY better. Also I think the officials should have another week or so of training to start being consistant on the calls.

Not a big fan of Grapes (didn't see the clip re 9000 penalties) but he does say things that make for a lively debate.

My beef is with the lack of resepct Bob Cole and his sidekick Millen are giving to the Habs. It is appallingly lopsided. As a taxpayer I want a refund! Get on board or retire.

PS - tough to win back to back games in OT with flying from city to city involved. Also, Bruins had 6 men on the ice, Bob forgot that part....

Don

I need your help. I am doing what I can to see if I might slightly influence coach Jacques Lemaire to dress Chris Simon in the Wild/Aves series. I'm having trouble understanding why the Wild would make a move for Simon near the trade deadline, have an amazing run in the end of the season with him in the line up (6-2-2) and clintch 3rd in the conference, then, not dress him in the playoffs. Please Don and Ron, perhaps if can you please help me understand why coach Lemaire would rather dress a sore checking line player with 0 points combined this season and post-season, rather than playing a Stanely cup champion veteran who understands the importance of the playoffs, I might someday cheer for the Wild. Thanks

I think the problems we have is because there is two referees and you always get a phantom call.
They should go back to one referee and let the players play.

I believe in boston montreal game 2 it should have been a penalty but not a four minute a 2minute would have sufficed really its playoff hockey suck it up

A couple of things.
CBC is advertising on the hockey game a "bring home the cup contest". Where is the link to the contest that you say is on your site?
Mark Messier is in the contest, I would not be involved with anything that involves this guy. One of hockeys great players, but also one of hockeys WORST sportsman. Played the most unsportsman like hockey I have ever seen in my 67 years. That hit on Linded in the 94 playoffs was disgusting.

Anyone else out there tired of the bias that CBC has for Canadian teams? It was one thing back in the 70's (Canadiens) and 80's (Oilers) but these guys are so desparate like the game has been stolen from them. Relax guys, most of the players are still from Canada.

I WISH DON WERE ON TONITE. THE BRUINS ROCK!!! I LOVE THE STANDELLS "DIRTY WATER" AT THE TD BANK GARDEN JUST LIKE AT FENWAY PARK!!!! WE HAVE A SERIES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOPE THOSE CA FANS HAVE A LONG RIDE BACK TO MONTREAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON YOU ARE STILL THE BEST COACH THE BRUINS EVER HAD!!!!!

JK3

cherry has to go! cherry has to go! cherry has to go! cherry has to go!....do you hear it ? millions of habs fans around the world are all saying the same thing. don , go find bobby orr and sell cars , or something , but get off of hockey night in canada. your rant is trash talk! the bruins and habs games of the 60's and 70's are over....get on with your life man!!!!

For something totally different. I'm surprised Don hasn't commented on that stupid song some fans sing Especially Montreal. You know, I think it;s ole, ole, ole, ole, ole. That is originally a soccer thing. Another thing I hope Don talks about is the use of the word "scrum". This is a rugby term and has no place in hockey.

Although we all know that the Bruins have little chance of beating the Habs, do we have to sit back and allow what appears to beobvious bias on the behalf of the on ice officials.
Let's get real. When a player has his head smashed into the glass stantions around the boards by an elbow or forearm and is cut wide open... no penalty???? But thirty seconds later a Bruin putshis hand on the arm of a Hab without affecting the play at all and gets two minutes... come on.
Deliberate or not, the officials in this series and a couple of others too, appear to have decided who will win.
Let's hope that the more "expierenced" officials get to do more of the games.

I get a kick out of Mr.Cherry as much as anyone
but isn't about time he was removed from habs games(unless of course they are playing his beloved Leafs.)?I can handle His Leaf love but watching HNIC and listening to his love of the Bruins is a bit much.Have him comment on the Sens and give Habs fans(there are a few of us here in this great country)Kelly Hrudey.

Don Cherry has always disliked the Montreal Canadiens ever since he was coach of the Bruins and denied a Stanley Cup ring. He is still upset about that. Get over it Don.

I'm confused, watching the game here in Northern Ontario and it feels like I'm watching an American channel. The commentaries between the first two periods have been all what the Bruins are doing or not doing. You guys really need to remember that CBC stands for Canadien Broadcast Co.

Last night, Don Cherry's rant was very anti Montreal. Mr. Cherry is not present tonight, but more of the same. SHAME ON YOU CBC

Don Cherry has always hated the Montreal Canadiens ever since he was coach of the Bruins and denied a Stanley Cup ring. He is still peeved about that. Get over it Don.

Sour Grapes! I got sick of watching Hockey Night in Toronto on CBC the past couple of years so I watch Habs games in French. I thought the playoffs would be different given the Leafs weren't in the playoffs so maybe Don, Ron and Bob wouldn't display their biasness towards the Blue and White BUT in true Laffs fans fashion, they are anti-Hab. Especially true for Cherry given he HAD ties to the Bruins. (Bob not so much because there is a Newfoundlander on Montreal.)
Given HNIC is a NATIONAL broadcast, the commentators should leave their personal preferences at home -- have some professionalism and TRY to broadcast the game in a somewhat neutral manner especially when there is only 1 Canadian team playing!!!!

THANK GOD FOR DON AND HIS OBSERVATIONS!!!!!!! LET THE PLAYERS PLAY. THE ZEBRAS ROBBED BOSTON OF GAME 2 FOR GOALS CALLED BECAUSE OF THE CROWD. SO FAR SO GOOD FO THE B'S TONITE IN GAME 3. THEY ARE GONNA MAKE THIS A SERIES!!!!! DON I STILL FEEL THAT HARY SINDEN LET YOU DOWN WHEN YOU COACHED THE B'S.

JK3

Hey Don you're right about the refs in game 2 of the Habs/Bruins. If you want to talk about terrible officiating all you have to do is look at game 2 of the Flames/Sharks series. I saw 6 occasions where the Sharks should have been called for a penalty and weren't. Who governs these guys? Who makes them accountable when they call a bad game? It wasn't the calls they made against Calgary. It was the lack of calls against San Jose. Those refs should be fired or at least fined if that were an option. Can they be fined? If not why not?

If you want to talk about crappy officiating all you have to do is look at game 2 of the Flames/Sharks series. I saw 6 occasions where the Sharks should have been called for a penalty and weren't. Who governs these guys? Who makes them accountable when they call a bad game? It wasn't the calls they made against Calgary. It was the lack of calls against San Jose. Those refs should be fired or at least fined if that were an option.

I agree completely with Doug. Must be in control of stick at all times.
In regards to a player hurt on the ice. If a guy goes down, blow the whistle, if the ref thinks he's faking, then he can call a dive. If not, then play is stopped and the player can be helped. I think the NHL needs to get way more serious in calling dives.
None of this stuff where they throw both guys in the box, one for tripping and one for a dive, that's too big a contradiction, if he tripped him, it's not a dive, if he dove, it's not a trip.

At the end of the day it is always obvious where Mr. Cherry's loyalties lie. He is biased, plain and simple. Being a fan of hockey and no one Canadian team in particular, I find it reprehensible to hear Mr. Cherry's rant on a so-called missed penalty. I believe he is still chafing over his monstrous gaffe in the playoff series where his team was caught with too many men and subsequently penalized for an illegal stick. As a coach it is his responsibility to ensure that he has the correct personnel on the ice as well as making sure that any broken sticks are rectrieved in an opponents rink lest that information be used against you in future games. If Mr. Cherry should ever read this he will know exactly what I am talking about. Grapes? More like SOUR GRAPES to me.

I am a big fan of Canadian Hockey, a big fan of CBC, a big fan of Don and Ron... but enough is enough. For everyone to jump on Cherry's judgement of the calls proves how ignorant fans and more importantly we can be as Canadians. Argue the follow through on the shot all you want... the reality is if you watch the penalties assessed to the Bruins.. half of them could not knock down a 7 year old. But the Montreal skaters react like soccer players and take the dive everytime. Montreal is a great hockey team, amazing depth, solid goaltending, and real cup contenders... but to win a game like that... one word... pathetic. Get mad at grapes all you want... but Ron always hides behind his spineless CBC hockey hat, and says what the fans want to hear.

The only congratulations NHL referees deserve this playoffs is for a job well done in ruining good hockey. I am a fan of the "new game" but apparently it is now illegal to lift a stick in an attempt to strip an opponent of the puck, but okay to charge someone from behind, face first into the boards... and risk a serious injury. This has been a trend for the entire season and has continued into the playoffs. I seriously hope the NHL reviews it officiating practices if not immediately, then very, very soon.

Don Cherry's comments after the game where way out of line and as a result he should not be commenting on games involving the Habs and Bruins. His cheerleading and one sided analysis are laughable and he is quickly losing any credibility he already had. There is a precedence for this as the Canadiens 30 years ago did not want Howie Meeker to be on Hab telecasts.

Don,

You're right on the money about players diving and referees not making the calls. In game 2 of the Senator-Penguin series, Martin Lapointe high sticked Tuomo Ruutu late in the game, resulting in the game winning goal. If you watch the play, Ruutu acted as if he was shot with a 404 Magnum.

Yes, Lapointe did high stick Ruutu, but Ruutu should have received a minor for embellishing. It should have been 4 on 4 instead of a Penguin power play.

Hey Don. Get over it. You Bruins Stink, and Guess what, as a fan of many years I'm getting sick of your crying. By the way look at all the goaltender interference on Price in the third. What goes around comes around.

I doont knou whut thaht wus aboot. lol

Don cherry is like a cartoon character and he says the same things week after week.

"Listen kids you gotta stay on those points."
"For all of you kid out there get traffic infront of the net, that was the goalie cant see."

Lol to me his opinion is mute because he doesnt like montreal, he doesnt like kovy, and he loves the bee's. Anyone that biased against my favorite team i dont pay attention to.

However he does seem to like KoyVoy. (koivu)

By the way..the '9000' penalties toi Boston...were actually the same amount as to Montreal. Suck it up Cherry.

Why is everyone upset with Don Cherry? So he picked his team to cheer for and you've picked yours...so if you don't like that he is talking negative against your team you just cheer louder for your team!

All this complaining about penalties and belittling the Habs from Don Cherry is starting to become brutal.

CBC = a NATIONAL televison company, last time I checked the Habs were a CANADIAN team too!

Lets face it, the penalty was called and the Habs scored.. thats the end of the story. If the Bruins want to solve this problem going forward.. its easy.. in the future....score more goals, they had more powerplay opportunities than the habs did anyways and couldn't make due.

This win had nothing to do with the Habs and everything to do with the Ref's and for Don Cherry to be putting down a team that is just trying to compete and win, that is brutal. If the Bruins had been tripped the same way.. I'm sure he would be saying "thats hockey and it happens" and everything would have been fine and dandy!

Don..Give it up man. Watch the game without bias if you're an announcer, and if you have a favorite team, it should be Canadian considering your on the friggin CBC!!! Before having a heart attack at the end, you were also saying the high stick on Kostopolous shouldn' be a penalty! Are you kidding me? Keep up the good work Ron, tell em like it is!

Yeah, the refs are in a tough spot but the other night, I can't remember who it was that made a hook but I'm pretty sure the guy that got hooked went down a but 'too easy'.

I have no issues refs calling many penalties to get rid of "dead puck hockey", however it should never get too one sided. Like the NFL, you can call a penalty on every play, but common sense has to be taken before a call. The new NHL is a $2B industry, and you'd hope that the officiating should be much better. Nashville, New Jersey and Boston all got robbed, but these are the teams that play the dead puck game, and the league will have no sympathy when they get eliminated.

As a Habs sympathizer, I'm cheering for the Bruins

The refs have been making some good calls in this playoff season, although I think they should be watching for some players that go down 'to easy' when hooked or something.

Seriously Don, quit whining. And those saying Markov dived on that tripping play, you try skating hard while turning and getting someone to put a stick in the way of your foot and see how easy it is to just keep going.

Also, if we really want to talk about bad/missed calls, go back two years to game three of the carolina montreal series and look at the missed high sticking call when koivu got a stick in the eye. Montreal was up 1-0 and a power play could have sealed the deal, putting them up 3-0 in the series. Carolina even won the cup that year. If anyone has cause to complain its that team two years ago.

Don Cherry should be ashamed of himself. Not only does he openly and blatantly support his former American team against a Canadian team on a network funded in part by my tax dollars, but it took Ron Maclean to interpret the rules correctly for him. He's a bombastic homer dressed in black and gold. For a second, I thought I was watching Hockey Night in Boston. How can I take anything he says seriously?

If Don (Whino)Cherry and his sidekick Maclean can't do a Montreal Canadiens hockey game without prejudice against the team then have someone else do it,because every time I see them on a Habs telecast which is not very many (LISTEN UP CBC MORE HABS GAMES IN FUTURE) they always have nothing good to say about the habs,or they come on the telecast and talk about the leafs.what's up with that.Cherry always talks about Bobby Orr,that's his only claim to fame that he got lucky enough to coach Orr.Why does he whine about the penalties that Boston got in game 2 the moron knows that if your cut with a high stick it's an automatic 4 minute penalty.He wouldn't know that Boston gets all the bad penalties against them.He saw Ward shove Kovalev's head into the ice and all he could say was it was a selfish penalty on Kovalev's part,not that Ward should have got a penalty.I'd like to see someone shove his face into the ice and see what he does.NOTHING just turtle.What a waste of air time just as well if you put on 5 minutes of commercials at least I wouldn't have to look at father time and his other moron partner all the time.

I find Don is always hard on Montreal. It stems from Montreal crushing Boston while he was coaching (they show the clip when he is bowing during the homage before Coaches Corner). He usually says great things but I find it laughable when he comments on Montreal games.

Re Dave:

I not agree with you because, a "normal windup" as it is described in the NHL rulebook can be interpreted to a pass too. It's "normal" to make a pass during a game. If you see in the replay, the Bruins' player was bent (almost knees down) and Markov's stick did not get above his (Markov) shoulder. It's bad for the B's player but that is the rule.
Did Markov should then be penalized for diving? Yes, probably
Was it a good game end? Well, No!
Have all a good game tonight guys!

How does Don Cherry hold himself out as the great Canadian, yet he is so bias for a US hockey team. His outburst last night was just another example of how quickly he changes his strips. One minute he is all Canadian, next minute he is cheering for a US team. One minute he feels for the tough situation refs are some times in, the next minute he craps all over them for a call in which he was wrong. Maybe its time for him to retire...

This Message for for Don Cherry, Don I was disappointed with your comments last night, in regard to the Habs/Bruins game. Now I know you had ties to the Bruins but your comments in regard to the refs that were so negative toward the habs were not appropriate. Yes I am a habs fan, I am also a Don Cherry fan, however, I expect when being employed by CBC that you should remain unbias in your comments. this just did not look good. I am on the Habs blog and believe me it is hard to support you when you make such bias comments.

We're all tired of Don Cherry and his anti-Montreal, anti-European bias...the kicker was showing replay after replay of Kovalev diving in the playoffs against the Nordiques...I wonder why he didn't let the tape run after the Kovalev slash on Ward to see what Ward was doing.

Cherry, to prove your bias, I dare you to say on national TV that Alexander Overchkin is not the best player in the world!!!! I'll wear I bruins sweater to the Montreal stanley cup parade if you do!

george tsopeis

I'm really getting sick of the lack of respect that is not being given to the Habs after all they are a Canadian team as well. Oh that's right according to Don there are 5 Canadian teams and then there is the one in Quebec. I know even color analysts have their favorite teams but holy jump-in, the way that Don Cherry was carrying on tonight I thought the top of his head was going to explode. I'm glad Ron stood-up to Don about the apparent non-call of high sticking on Montreal, Don it’s called a follow through. Also a comment to the other poster saying a pass is not a shot and doesn't have a follow through. Well remember the Bruin player had his head down around the waist of the Hab player at the time the pass was made and the last time I checked even a pass has some kind of follow through.

Don,I really enjoy your show even though I have been a HAB fan for 50 years.Some of your bitching is wrong,especially re:the penalties against YOUR bruins.There was nothing wrong with your buddies chin (no penalty due to follow through).I guess you didn't see all the cheap shot's YOUR bruins pulled.(like trying to squish Kovalev's face into the ice after tripping him and falling on him.I know you do a lot of good DON but don't push it.YOU will lose out.GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHABS

It's time for Don to move on. A little bit of colour is fine, but CBC just looks bad giving a weekly spot to such a homer spouting out narrow minded comments. The Mark Bell hit of Alfredson was a blatant elbow, but Don plays that down while he berates the player who injured Lecavalier. Now he's wearing his big B and runnin off again. I wonder how family members feel each week listening to this rambler's cruelties. There are other networks that show hockey, and more educated and fair commentators with something to say.

"90000 penalties called against them".
I thought he was a CANADIAN and going for the Canadian teams. remember the documentary greatest canadiens... someone should be taken out...

Don,I really enjoy your show

In response to Dave:

I have played hockey and I disagree with your assessment of the play (though I agree with your analysis of what warrants a high-stick). I distinctly remember the Boston player being slightly behind Higgins as he attempted to angle into the passing lane. Therefore, as he went to obstruct the breakout pass he leaned in to gain reach and the stick made contact with him then. As far as I could tell the Boston player’s head was at Higgins waist level at the time of contact, thus this would constitute a “follow through”. Admittedly I don’t have photographic memory, so I could be mistaken (perhaps there is a YouTube video available) but I’m fairly certain those were the sequence of events and Higgins stick was not above his shoulders when contact was made.

I'm really getting sick of the lack of respect that is not being given to the Habs after all they are a Canadian team as well. Oh that's right according to Don there are 5 Canadian teams and then there is the one in Quebec. I know even color analysts have their favorite teams but holy jump-in, the way that Don Cherry was carrying on tonight I thought the top of his head was going to explode. I'm glad Ron stood-up to Don about the apparent non-call of high sticking on Montreal, Don it’s called a follow through. Also a comment to the other poster saying a pass is not a shot and doesn't have a follow through. Well remember the Bruin player had his head down around the waist of the Hab player at the time the pass was made and the last time I checked even a pass has some kind of follow through.

As an avid fan of the Habs, I was upset that after Kovalev's goal I had to listen to Sour Grapes go on about how the Bruins got shafted. On one hand, it's nice to see that Canadians don't have to be loyal to only Canadians and Canadian teams, but on the other hand, it would be nice if the announcers were, if not objective, at least happy for a Canadian team winning. Actually, the very least would be if they weren't disparaging of Canadian teams.

It's so fatiguing listening to Cherry's random dislike of most of the European players, his indifference to the preponderance of fabulous players from Quebec, his tall poppy attitude toward Crosby, and his love and admiration of all the beautiful North Americans in the league.

So getting cable next year.

Could you please tell Mr Cherry that Liberace called, he wants his jacket back!!

I pray that they let Kelly H. do the hockey analysis for today's Habs game. It was so refreshing hearing him on game one and not the rediculouly biased comments from Cherry. He got let go from "colour" he says because of his bias...perhaps his bosses will convey the need for him to put out a more even handed show on HNIC (the "C" stands for CANADA Cherry !!)

Don is great when talking about everything else hockey except the Bruins and Leafs. But this one sided reporting has to stop, he's only a hack when he strays into his blind spots. Calling Kovalev selfish for retalliating but saying Reich was justified because was upset is beyond the pale...get off it Cherry!!

I hate how games are called now. One handed slashes are not penalties. Players may as well wear dresses and figure skate out there.

all clutching and grabbing and hooking FINE they should all be called. but ROUGHING is part of the game.

I recently watched the series between the canucks and rangers when new york won the cup. THAT was hockey. if that game was played now there would have been 897908798 penalties.

this is hockey. not ringette. lets not let it turn into ringette.

I generally enjoy Cherry's rants but he is really serving no purpose in these playoffs. His bias towards Ottawa and Boston is sickening and his dislike of Montreal and Kovalev, in particular, is just as obvious. I agree with Jim's comments about how Ron tried to set him straight on the no call on the high-sticking penalty. When he is going to admit that the Bruins simply cannot keep up with the Hab's speed without taking penalties and that Kovalev, despite his inconsistent past, is playing great hockey. I guess the only blessing is that the Leafs failed to make the playoffs otherwise we would be hearing about how Tucker is the best player on the ice and how he should be playing 30 minutes a game. GO HABS GO!!

I hate how games are called now. One handed slashes are not penalties. Players may as well wear dresses and figure skate out there.

all clutching and grabbing and hooking FINE they should all be called. but ROUGHING is part of the game.

I recently watched the series between the canucks and rangers when new york won the cup. THAT was hockey. if that game was played now there would have been 897908798 penalties.

this is hockey. not ringette. lets not let it turn into ringette.

I generally enjoy Cherry's rants but he is really serving no purpose in these playoffs. His bias towards Ottawa and Boston is sickening and his dislike of Montreal and Kovalev, in particular, is just as obvious. I agree with Jim's comments about how Ron tried to set him straight on the no call on the high-sticking penalty. When he is going to admit that the Bruins simply cannot keep up with the Hab's speed without taking penalties and that Kovalev, despite his inconsistent past, is playing great hockey. I guess the only blessing is that the Leafs failed to make the playoffs otherwise we would be hearing about how Tucker is the best player on the ice and how he should be playing 30 minutes a game. GO HABS GO!!

Don Cherry made a comment to the effect "They called 9000 penalties... on the Bruins and now this". The penalties were pretty even. One in the difference and each had a 5 on three. He is biased, and doesn't respect European players ( The name is KOVALEV not Korlev ) unless they play for the Bruins or the Leafs. He loves the Bruins and the Leafs and if Montreal handedly beats them he cannot say much. But if the game is close he looks for excuses and trys to lay the blame on refs.

I am a die hard Habs fan. When they played well it was real well, but they sucked for a lot of the game. That being said the refs did not influence the outcome. The call on Kovalev ( slap on Ward's butt after he was manhandled to the ice and had his face rubbed in it)was somewaht questionable. However these things happen and I agree with Cherry that it was selfish on Kovalev's part. He should have been more prudent given the situation.

A commentator for a nation network that is viewed in other countries should be less biased, even if it means the ratings drop a little.

Habs in 5!!!

A SHOOTING motion is not the same as a passing motion. Anybody who has played hockey knows that shooting high REQUIRES a high follow-through and therefore it is permissible under the NHL rules to accidentally make contact above the shoulders on another player. HOWEVER, a pass does not REQUIRE a high follow through and therefore if you follow through high and make contact with a player above the shoulders it is a result of carelessness with your stick. Should have been a penalty as a passing motion is NOT the same as a shooting motion for the obvious reason that players HAVE to have their sticks follow through high on a shot but not on a pass. Whichever way you look at it, it was a crappy way to end a great game by both teams having the Bruins down by a man for the last 7 or 8 minutes of the game. It is what it is however and the Habs took advantage.
Go Habs.

I have been along time fan of the Habs. Penalties in game 2? I dont understand how anyone can say that they were one sided, The B's ended up with one more than the Habs...suck it up. Anyway, The Habs are 13-0 in their last 13 against the Bruins so why all of a sudden them beating them such a big deal? Don, you must realize that The Canadiens have a history of beating the Bruins, and its not just cause of the last peanalty. As for the high stick they missed in overtime, if you watch the play again, you will notice that he does get hit, BUT the Bruin player was bent over almost to the habs Waist...GO HABS GO!!

I'm am totally disgusted with the biasness of Don Cherry against the Canadiens.From a guy that is "Pro-Canadian", he is totally about-face with his bias comments and running down one of our three Canadian teams,that are in the playoffs. I have been a dedicated CBC Fan for 35-40 years, but fortunatly I have a sattelite and have other options. I'm sad to say I will not watch CBC with Don on the broadcast for any more Boston-Montreal games.I'd rather watch the biasness from an American station, it's easier to accept from them.

Grapes was right on about the officating in the Boston,Montreal game.
I've never seen show much diving in all my life.
Touch a Hab,thay all fall down like they were shot, FANS SCREAM for a penalty.
UP goes the arm.
All this when the game is tied.
Boston 8 minutes in penalties the last 5 minutes and into OT. What a discrace!

I love Grapes but wow....was he watching the same game?! His comments were really disappointing. Too bad he decided to sacrifice objectivity and knowledge of the game for a blatantly transparent, biased rant.

You cant compare the old Kovalev dive where the the ref didnt blow the whistle, to the tying goal that Washington scored on Friday night against Philly. The Philly guy got pelted with a slapshot and the whistle should have blown. You cant tell me the refs thought he was faking and thats why they let play go on with a guy laying on the ice right where the play was going on. It's ridiculous! As far as the Boston-Montreal thing goes, way too many penalties called in that game both ways. Follow through or not Mr McLean, the rules state that you have to be in control of your stick at all times. Those words have came right out of your mouth more than once over the years.

I love all the comments your fellows make and your opinions. I'm a grade seven teacher who quotes Don in the classroom on occasion and use him as a role model for a true Canadian as my grand father won a Victoria Cross in WWI . I just stumbled on this web site so I hope he hears about this. I however have been a Habs fan for most of my life till Molson sold them. Now I'm a dedicated Canuck fan, which brings me to my comment today. That was not a cheap shot Cook gave the Washington player, Don, not by any chance. The Canucks cannot be compared to the Leafs but Cook was the unsung back bone and we traded him and that more than anything gave the Sedin some guts. Keep up the good work guys! Oh I use to coach Junior A so I also know what I'm talking about. Talk to YA!

It trouble's me grately to hear and see Don cheery and Bob cole whineing aboat the reffing in the playoffs. oh yes when it's not the leafs theres so much unjust.MONTREAL is a canadian team!. so why do they bash them so much. saturdays mon vs bos featured don cherry showing over and over, probably the low point in Alex kovolev's nhl life, for no reason. boy what a insult to the habs. i guess he is still mad aboat lafleurs goal in 79. hopefully at some point in the future bob, ron and don can take the maple leaf off there sleves. and store it in a less abvious place."canadians stick together,thats the way it should be, alright don"!!!!!!

It must be tough for Cherry, not having the leafs in the playoffs, but that's ok there are plenty of AMERICAN teams he can root for.....anyways
montreal CANADIANS 2 , don cherry 0

Does anyone have video of the post-game comments? I didn't catch it and want to know what all the fuss is about.

These are the playoffs all Habs fans in Ontario long for, our favorite team is in the spotlight of Hockey night in Canada. No Leafs in the playoff picture means we get to see our team get the television coverage usually afforded Don Cherry's favorite team. I don't appreciate having to listen to comments that are clearly biased against Montreal by a broadcaster of the CBC. Take a page out of Bob Cole's book Don and talk about the great play of BOTH teams and don't be such a crybaby. Remember kids don't act like Don, take the high road and talk about what a great game it was.

Don may go off the edge every once in awhile and there is no doubt that he loves the Bruins and the Leafs but for the things that he does for minor hockey and our armed forces overseas should be so much more important than his bias for certain teams. You may disagree with him but dont disrespect him. AS a die-hard Habs fan I cheer his dedication.

i think don better watch the whole game where boston got away with at least 5 penalties in the game,espesially the one where kovelev was tackled to the ice with no call and when he spanked ward on the *** with his stick he gets the call.give it up don the bruins are done in again by the habs.

Don, there's a reason I absolutely dislike you, is because for an icon who is supposed to epitomize hockey knowledge, you eschew reasoning for blind rants. Leave that to the fans, will you Don?

I knew you were an idiot when you went near berserk rooting for Jordan Staal over Malkin for the Calder, and look who helmed and IS helming the Pens locomotive this season? Your hatred for European players is so blind that you forget that the "tap" on Kovalev was as obvious a penalty as was his dive. BOTH players should've been called on that one. Yes, Kovalev's penalty on Ward(?) that led to the 5-on-3 was selfish, but Ward could've been penalized for roughing too. You failed to point that out. The bottom line is that Kovalev vindicated himself by scoring the GWG, and that negates everything. In the playoffs, I don't think there's anything on a player's mind besides winning, so individual stats be damned. If you were a fair person, you'll acknowledge Kovalev's vindication in your next segment, but I doubt it knowing what a douche you are.

Once again Don, please use some reasoning and fairness when you open your mouth and acquire some taste when it comes to dressing (they ought to call you DRAPES for wearing suits that look like one). You are an eye- and an ear-sore.

Kovy gets his head shoved in the ice with the ref standing there and retaliates justifiably out of anger but Donnie boy can only say Kovy took a selfish penalty...I'll take the 2 mins every time this early in the series just to show we can't be intimidated by cheap shots....wonder what he would've said if it happened to his darling Sundin??..oh yeah that's right TO's not in the play-offs and Montreal is beating his other fav squad.

GOLF LEAFS GOLF with Don cherry

don cherry has lost his perspective on the game his comments are not relative to the game anymore he holds a grudge ever since he got fired from the bruins because he couldnt coach against a superior habs coach now he must be fuming about gilles tremblay s comment about him (don) being a chicken while he played in a game in three rivers during his minor years hang them up grapes your too sour the habs have the best of you again

How old is this act where you purposely mispronounce a man's name just because you don't like him Don? Fifteen years? Twenty? Do your leaf buddies still find humour in this also?
Showing thirteen year old dives because you had nothing newer right Don?
You were still chirping about the unselfish penalty when he popped the winner. How did you like that Grapes?
And all this about a guy you say you don't really mind. You like to pretend you say it like it is Don. So say: I hate KOVALEV. But at least be adult enough to pronounce it properly.

I must react after Don Cherry's comments after the game between Canadiens vs Boston. If you look in the NHL rulebook, you will notice that high stick can be tolerated in specific circumtances. Here's the offical rule:
"Rule 60.1
[...]However, a player or goalkeeper is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or follow through of a shooting motion."

You have to know the NHL official rulebook before saying any inappropriate comments. Furthermore, if you saw the replay... The referee indicated to the player that if saw the high stick and also demonstrated with a "pass" motion that this is tolerated.

Thanks for reading me!

It's way past the time to pull the plug on Cherry, he is acting like a homer and not being objective. It's time to get someone more suited to the task, poor Ron must just pull his hair sitting next to the clown. How about getting someone like Kelly to sit with Don. The conversation would be more intelligent and give the viewer a much better insight to the game.

(Continuation from first post…)

I think it’s unfortunate that this type of post-game analysis is being heard on what is supposed to Hockey Night in Canada. Don’s comments proved to be neither factually accurate nor beneficial analysis to what was an exciting and at times nail biting game. What shouldn’t be lost in all this was the Bruins really stepped it up from the first game and proved that this has the potential of being a very hard-fought series. Rather than applauding both teams efforts, or extolling the excellent goaltending on both ends of the ice (as mere examples) Don feels the need to describe the game as Boston getting ‘jobbed’ and ascend into erroneous claims of penalties that should have been.

As one poster pointed out it would appear that Don holds some deep seeded grudge from bygone days, which is unfortunate. I suppose we can just chalk it all up to ‘sour grapes’, terribly unoriginal pun intended.

I should probably first establish that I am a Habs fan, thus bias about the issue (though open about it). I should also establish that I am responding to both the Coaches Corner segment and post game comments.

With this in mind I personally believe any individual objectively watching Don Cherry throughout the game could clearly see he was maximizing infractions by the Canadiens (such as Kovalev's retaliation penalty), while minimizing those by the Bruins (the 4:00 min. high-stick by Thornton).

Certainly these are opinions, as contradictory as they may be, that he is entitled to; However rather than, for example, applauding Kovalev for coming back with an amazing overtime goal after clearly costing the team, with what was a selfish penalty, all Don can dwell on is more unfair Boston penalties and a phantom high-stick.

While there was indeed contact made (by Higgins I believe) it was not a high-stick. The Boston player was a step behind and stretched out to get his stick in the passing lane. When contact was made his head was at Higgins waist level. Ron and other posters on this board had it correct when they labeled it a “follow through”. I’m not even going to bother with the proclamation by Don that ‘there were 9000 penalties against the Bruins’. All one needs to do is refer to any game log to dispel this myth.

I must react after Don Cherry's comments after the game between Canadiens vs Boston. If you look in the NHL rulebook, you will notice that high stick can be tolerated in specific circumtances. Here's the offical rule:
"Rule 60.1
[...]However, a player or goalkeeper is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or follow through of a shooting motion."

You have to know the NHL official rulebook before saying any inappropriate comments. Furthermore, if you saw the replay... The referee indicated to the player that if saw the high stick and also demonstrated with a "pass" motion that this is tolerated.

Thanks for reading me!

Let's get this straight...Ron MacLean says the Habs high stick was o.k. because it was a follow through. So, Chara after every shot now swing your stick head high and see what you can hit/hurt. It is just his follow through. What a bunch of garbage !! And as for Don Cherry siding with the Bruins, it kind of evens out having to listen to Bob Cole and Greg Millen all game long going on and on about the Habs !! Let's go Bruins....and whip your heads back whenever a Hab hits you !!!

Don Cherry never liked Montreal for obvious reasons but to sit there last night and make those unfounded comments about the refs call, which Ron set him straight on, is ridiculous. Mr Canada appears not to support ALL Canadian teams. If you watch the replay the refs actual indicate that the high stick was a follow through. Don; sometimes on Coach's Corner you make sense but for the most part you are WRONG. Weren't you the one that predicted that Curtis Joesph would be in Toronto. Wrong again. I would like to get it what you haven't done as a hockey man but that would be rude and unfair which is not my style but as most would agree yours. I think it's time to hang them up and stop hanging around.

Don Cherry - love him or hate him he's always entertaining and never objective.I was disappointed with his lack of professionalism following Saturday's Montreal overtime victory. His comment (rant) that the Bruins were jobbed;what is he really suggesting? Is he implying - that the Habs have the officating in their back pocket or that there is some covert conspiracy from the league office to ensure that Montreal goes deep into the play-off."What's a little blood" to vilify the referre's 4 minute penality call,refs have been calling double minors for blood since forever. However it is reassuring to know that DC would support 4 minutes for inflicting abroken arm(and the bone doesn't even have to show).What is it about Montreal that has Don so bent out of shape i.e. none of his boys (pets) are on the team or that the city just isn't Canadian enough? Kudos to Ron McClean for carrying DC and protecting the HNIC brand by being able to position Don as a loveable character rather than a obnoxious buffon.
Perhaps it is time for Don to join the rest of us private citizens,arm chair analysis and wannabe broadcasters.

Dan McPhail
Milton

Don Cherry's clear biases are making watching CBC unbearable. I will be trying to watch the NHL playoffs on alternate feeds. I hope CBC knows how badly this man discredits their programming. As if giving his political agenda a time slot each Saturday night wasn't already enough!

I sure would have liked to have seen the look on Don's face when Kovalev popped the OT winner.

I love listening to Grapes .. and yes, I can live with his pro Toronto comments on HNIC, howver watching his rant last nite ,9000 high sticking penealties .. come on Don , and his anti Hab remarks,, it's time to either mzzle this dude or say good buy ( Na Na Na Na !! ) . Cherry was way of the mark , and as a professional ?? commentator such blantant one sided pro Bruin , ref bashing ,remarks does a great disservice to HNIC and Ron .
Go habs .. Go Kovalev ..

Don if your going to wine and complain at least get the facts straight study the rules before opening mouth and sticking foot in

Don Cherry Should Get His Facts Straight About The Rules And Penalty Calls Before Opening His Big Mouth And Inserting Foot Looks Good On Him

With all the great hockey going on I was amazed to see Cherry show Kovalev possibly taking a dive 13 years ago when he played for the Rangers. What was the purpose of this? Other than to discredit Kovalev. Nowhere did he mention what a great year Kovalev is having. And the comments he made after the game just shows how much he hates the Habs. Suck it up Donnie, Montreal got a lot of hockey to play yet. Or maybe you should change the name of your show to Whiners Corner.

I don't understand why the producers of HNIC put up with Cherry's continuous ranting about this and that. I could do the same job, just look at the videos and tell all the fans what happened and how the play formed. Perhaps he should have reviewed the videos when he "coached". I don't know, maybe he should get a tailor to start with.

Everybody outside Ontario is sick of the negative comments towards the Habs by Don Cherry and others on the CBC network, Our taxes dollars pay for this? Hey Don you like to show video's from the past , show us all the one where you said The Leafs would make the playoff's ... Hey Don when a high stick causes bleeding its 4 minutes, look in the rule book.The Habs get no respect from CBC and its gotten to the point where people who are not Habs fans are talking abut it, Thank god we dont have to watch another Leafs game this year and soon we wont have to watch another Bruins game either ... But I am sure Don will be cheering some other American team , I bet it will be the ones the Habs face next .. any takers ??

There are only two things Don Cheery likes; 1) He likes the Make-me-lafts because he's PAID TO. 2)He just loves Boston. He thinks that Boston can do no wrong and he's paid to praise the leafs. Granted the refereeing sucks terribly now,(it's the worst ever)but every team takes dumb penalties no matter how much you love them. I think that he's loosing some of his facilties lately. Oh, it's true that he hates Montreal because they always kicked his butt.

Don is all happy when things are going good for the Bruins .I guess when Kovalev scored in overtime you had to eat a little crow.Don you do make alot of good points about hockey to kids,and support the troops.This kind of stuff is great.Maybe you should leave your Boston emotions at home.

Grapes poor Boston whine was kind of sad. A few years ago I would have been a little more upset, but now I know he's lost it. He can no longer even hide his "issues" with the Habs, which as everyone knows, date back to his days behind the Bruins Bench. Had the initial cross check been called on Kovalev, then both he and Aaron Ward would have gone off and there would have been no 5 on 3 and no chance for Boston to take it into overtime. The trip call on Markov in OT was legit. Ask any NHL player. Ask Mark Recchi. Ron, you really need to be a little more agressive in calling him on this stuff. He needs some help. My eleven year old son thinks it's time for Don to water his flowers.

I watch the game last night i can honestly say my grandma would not have fell so easily with a one handed tap , The ref has to make a better judgement call especially in ot and it was call in montreal zone 3/4 from the bruins net and being shothanded already,reich was high stick 10 seconds early but ron maclean says it was a follow through, i bet if they check video for all games this year i bet there was alot of calls made on the follow through,1 last thing is i am sure it must be a very hard job for the refs to make calls in montreal, especially when the crowd calls for a penalty every time a bruins player touches a montreal player , that is why it is easy for kovelav to skate around like he does cause he and markov are also know a the biggest divers in the league

Give Cherry a break. Look he's been whining his whole life, expert on everything, never won anything and he lives in Toronto...should you expect more...NO. His heros are Tie Domi, Darcy Tucker, and any other knuckle-dragging behemouth who like him will never win the Stanley Cup.

I'm fed up with Cherry and his anti Canadien rants. Last time I checked, this was a Canadian network. After all these years, he still can't accept what Montreal did to him in the playoffs when he coached the Bruins. Nothing but a whining loser. Get rid of him and get someone that is pro Canada or atleast, unbiased.

Don I think it is about time you retired, you claim to love Canadian teams and Canadian players but your memory is fading bad. It wasn't Edmonton that gave up Chara and it wasn't Edmonton that could have used him last year in Anaheim it was Ottawa. But right that is another Canadian team you don't like after all you make sure to wear Pittsburg colours to do the broadcast. And by the way Ottawa had a choice between a Canadian player (Redden) or Chara and went Canadian that was your friend Muckler's choice. The Ref's have been terrible in the playoffs and you know it they are trying to get back into the old mode of letting things go but as Claude Julien said "if you embelish it you get the call" so all the divers have the edge. Anyways enjoy the rest of the playoffs (the same as the rest of Toronto fans) I will be in Ottawa for the game Monday I don't know where you will be maybe Edmonton. I used to respect your comments but lately you have lost it.

The issue has become one of officiating consistency or more appropriately inconsistency. The vast majority of penalties called are penalties. What is the problem is there is no consistency in the same night from officiating crew to officiating crew and that has to be a concern not only to the players but must becoming an embarrassement to the league. If fans are concerned about officiating in the series involing Canadian teams, they only had to watch the end of the New Jersey - Rangers game to see what kind of mess it can cause.

Cherry is a Winer!!!

I'm sick and tried of Don bashing les Canadiens! It's time CBC fires his ass and hire someone who is not so blatantly anti-habs or and other Canadian team. When the leafs are playing, it's oh the refs were hard on them, and now your wining about the Bruins. Don, do you know where you live? It's Canada you moron!!! Get it in your head that the true hockey fans in this country would love to have the cup return to Canada!

CBC it's time to open a new chapter for Hockey Night in Canada. Don has to go!

I am big DC fan but he lost me for a night with his ridiculous rant after the Bruins loss. I watched Don's mood change from hopeful (after the 1st) to down right giddy (after the 3rd) to bitter and irrational after the OT goal. How's that for unbiased commentating. Not even the Boston coach (one of those french guys) could ignor his teams indiscretions. It is truely ironic that on a night when DC went to great lengths to show and tell Canadian's that Kovalev is a diver, a fake and is selfish it was Kovalev that delivered the final blow. The Bruin's worked hard and deserved a better ending last night and maybe they'll get it on Sunday but DC needs to park his hatred for the Montreal Canadiens (or love for the Leafs and Bruins) to allow himself to perform his current job.

Dustin:

You hit the nail on the head man. Good call. Cherry doesn't like the Habs since they embarrassed him nearly 30 years ago.

He made a stupid comment like " The refs give 9000 calls on the Bruins..."! I am not sure what he was watching. It was 8 penalties for the Bruins and 7 for the Canadians. Both had 5 on 3s. He was right on Kovalev. It was stupid of Alex, but it wasn't much of a slash. Still the ref saw it and made the call. Same with the trip on Markov. He was wheeling to leave the Habs zone and he was taken down. Cherry doesn't like European players unless they play for the Bruins or the Leafs. My opinion is that he is too prejudice to be an objective commentator! Time to move him out regardless of how good he may be for the ratings.

Don needs to grow up and stop cheering for every team that plays the Habs. It's Hockey Night in Canada, not Hockey Night in Boston. Can we just get Kelly Rudey for Habs game? Now that's a professional.

Sebastien Massey

9000 penalties against Boston? I dunno Grapes (read Gripes) but I think it was 7 against Montreal (14 minutes) versus 8 against Boston
(18 minutes). The difference being the 4 minutes minor hor high sticking.

Mr. Cherry may feel sorry for refs, however I fell sorry for him because he's still nursing a thirty year old grudge against The Habs. His blatant support of The Bruins on a national CBC broadcast warrants a 'game misconduct' if not more.

At times tonight I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It wasn't very difficult to figure out who Bob Cole and Don Cherry (and to a lesser extent Ron MacLean) wanted to win the game tonight. I thought I was watching Hockey night in Boston. Don Cherry portraying himself as a 'true Canadian' wanting a Canadian based team to lose to an American team. Made me sick to my stomach. If the game had been brodcast on a US network the commentary wouldn't have been as biased. Ron, Bob, and Don... the Leafs aren't in the playoffs. GET OVER IT!!! And they won't be for a long long time... so you better get used to having to broadcast the Canadiens on HNIC.

I just wonder how the NHL can afford to pay 21,000 + refs for Montreal home games. Nuff said. Have a nice day.

Don get over the Bruins and start cheering for a Canadian team. You always preach patriotism to us. The calls were brutal both ways. Go Habs Go!!!!!!!!!!!

The Colorado goal should've been left out, as they were shorthanded.
It's been 13 years, and Don still mispronounces Kovalev's name... no surprise there.

I'm really getting sick of the lack respect that is not being given to the Habs after all they are a Canadian team as well. Oh that's right according to CBC and the HNIC there are 5 Canadian teams and then there is the one in Quebec. I know that even color analysts have there own favourite teams but holy jump-in, the way that Don Cherry was carrying on tonight I thought the top of his head was going to explode. That would have been an awful site because we would have witnessed a barren wasteland. I'm glad that Ron stood-up to Don about the apparent non call of high sticking on Montreal, Don its called a follow through. Also the way Don was carrying on about the high stick call on the Bruins was idiotic as well. The fact was that the Canadian player was cut on the play and that’s why it was a 4-minute penalty and that’s the RULE. I couldn't believe that Cherry had the courage to say that it wasn't a bad cut. He said he seen worse cutting himself shaving. I do remember Don laughing when other players would get a high stick and have a little scratch and he would see them on the bench squeezing on it to make it bleed. I guess that’s ok, but don't let it happen to his beloved Bruins. Don't get me wrong I know that Don is Don and he does say silly things and he also does have good comments as well, but when it comes to Montreal he turns into Ed the Sock, "If you don't have anything go to say, say it often". I know that Don carries his heart on his sleeve, but do remember Don that kids also watch coaches corner and do listen to what you have to say and respect your comments and some of them are Montreal fans as well. So Don if you can’t do the color on Coaches Conner being objective when the Habs are playing and being covered by CBC, maybe we should forgo the segment when the Habs are playing and show something else. You made yourself look like a real horses you know what tonight in full techno-color.

Come on Don, dont be such a whiner. We all know u hate the HABS, get over it.

I am a big fan of Coach's Corner, though I have to speak out on Don's rant when it came to the Ref's.
Don, you were clearly wrong with your rant! The Ref's were right on with their calls tonight - Kovalev was wrong in slashing the Bruins player and he payed for his mistake, as was the case with the final penalty call where the Boston player retaliates for the high stick - which was not a high stick, Ron Maclean was right in pointing out that the Montreal player was following through.
Sorry Grapes, the Boston payer was in the wrong, he paid dearly. You biased is showing and you are clearly not showing the true picture!!

Wow, Don really dislikes Montreal. It's quite laughable, usually HNIC supports the Canadian teams. If I didn't know any better I would have thought that Boston is located somewhere in Canada. Such double standards.

Grapes is contradicting himself. One minute he feels sorry for the officials the next he is bashing them after the Montreal game. The sad part about his rant is he earlier shows a clip of Kovalev retaliating after being pushed down and shoved and calls him selfish repeatedly for taking a penalty like that. Then later Grapes gets upset and bashes the offiating when the Boston player retaliates for getting high sticked by a unintenional follow through of a shot. You are wrong on this one Grapes...the Boston player got what he deserved just like Kovalev did earlier. It cost the Habs a goal for a tap on the behind. It cost the Bruins a goal for a blatent trip...what gives? You should not blame the loss on the lack of a call for a high stick that was not a penalty anyway. They won because Price was great. We know you have never really liked the Habs since they kicked your butt...but give them some credit they are one of the few Canadian teams with a number of talented young players (many of which are CANADIAN)playing exciting hockey right now! Easy on les habitants and Kovy too! come on Ron back me up on this one...

Re: Jim Ryan

I don't understand how the Leafs fit into this topic. Fans of other teams continuously complain about the Leafs getting too much attention, but they don't realize how many times they bring the Leafs up themselves.
It was evident Don Cherry was supporting the Bruins tonight and didn't agree with the penalty calls. Sorry, but no one is asking you to watch Don Cherry. If you wanted the "right" perspective, tune in to RDS.

Don really showed his dislike for Montreal after they beat the Bruins in overtime in game 2.I am glad Ron set Don straight on the high sticking call he thought Montreal should have gotten. I guess his dislike for the Habs blinded his logic on this one. On Coach's Corner why not show the all time master of diving and playing up injuries ...Darcy Tucker...Oh I forgot Darcy plays for the Leafs.