Game 4 of the NHL playoff's go tonight. | Madhatter Jay's Blog

With the 2009 NHL playoff's getting ready for game 4 tonight between the redwings and penguins, I wanted to take a minute to recognize how great the hockey has been, and how bad it has been at the same time.

For the first time since the mid 80's does the NHL fans get to enjoy a rematch of the same 2 teams in back to back years. The hype alone on that leading up to game one would be great, but you also get the drama that is Marian Hossa. A penguin the year before, a red wing the next, playing in the finals in consective years, but for different teams (same as conklin but the guys not starting).

The fans this year have been treated to great matchups from round 1 to the finals, and have seen some of the games best players square off to now fight for the biggest prize in hockey. What I still cant get over, is how in the biggest showcase for the NHL, how unbelievably bad the ref's have been during this series. The ammount of blown calls (none bigger than the 6 men on the ice for 21 seconds), to how inconsistant the calls have been, are putting what could be one of the best cup finals in recent years to shame. I understand the ref's dont want to be held accountable for calling a penalty with 2 minutes or less in a game on one team, and giving the other an advantage to go ahead and win the game, but if for the entire series, guys are being held up from the blue line in, and nothing is being called, and at one point the ref decides to call a penalty, it is just as bad.

With that said, the bounces have seem to go all detroit's way in game one and two, and pittsburgh got away with two of there own in game three, I feel if the penguins are able to get 25 shots or more on Osgoode tonight, they will take game 4 and have a split series going back to Detroit for game 5.

Game 5 predictions come Saturday!

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June 4, 2009 10:50 PM ET

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Just wanted to go on the record after the 4-2 win for the Penguins tonight, that they were able to get 31 shots on Osgood tonight, and take a split going back to Detroit on Saturday night!