THE SERIES:

Montreal at Washington
Philadelphia at New Jersey
Boston at Buffalo
Ottawa at Pittsburgh

Colorado at San Jose
Nashville at Chicago
Los Angeles at Vancouver
Detroit at Phoenix

Biggest goal differential will be Washington, I think Montreal can steal a game but generally will get blown out.

If Pittsburgh were in form I'd confidently predict a sweep. I still think they will win the series easily but every game will be a struggle, Ottawa is a very conservative team.

San Jose will wipe Colorado out pretty quickly but I'd love to be wrong on this one. The Avs are an upstart bunch and I still see SJ as being a casual bunch of big for nothings ripe for collapse. Colorado is pretty underpowered though, would have rather seen the Flames or Ducks in their place.

Upset alerts I'd say Boston and Philly have fair chances. The Sabres are narrowly more talented up front, not as talented in the back line and in net either goalie could steal the series. I kind of like how Bergeron and Krejci are coming around and I am really underwhelmed by Buffalo's skaters as a whole.

The Flyers are sort of coming together right now. I don't think their dominance of the season series means too much but it means something. Brodeur has had a long year, he is on fire now but he is also an older guy who's carried a heavy load and went to the Olympics. This series will come down to special teams IMO, if the Flyers avoid untimely penalties and kill the ones they have to take, they win the series.

Nashville is a gutty team that can slow Chicago down but I don't think they can win the series. Rinne has been hot, maybe he steals it for them, but Chicago is just a team with more depth and talent. I think they advance in six games.

The Kings are an interesting darkhorse, the series against Vancouver will come down to how well they can contain the Sedin/Sedin/Burrows line. They probably cannot do much but if they can then watch out. The playoffs are about short-term chemistry and hot goaltending. They have a goalie whose committed a bit of larceny in his short career and more to the point I think they have the sort of team that could coalesce quickly. I think Vancouver will win the series but if they do not I would NOT want to be the team facing L.A. in the second round (presumably the Sharks with the re-seed).

The most intriguing series in a styles-make-fights sort of way is Phoenix and Detroit. On paper, Detroit should whip their asses, they have the experience and star power. But the methodical, north-south game of the Coyotes has done in many a superior opponent and while the Coyotes don't have the big guns they have a deep arsenal. Also, Lee Stempniak has been the best player on either team down the stretch, quietly dominated the West since coming over in a trade. Great clash of styles and two excellent goaltenders. I like Detroit in 7 but whether you see the host Coyotes as the favorite or the defending conference champion Wings as the smart bet, this one could be an upset as well.

I'm glad the Caps drew the Habs. In beatability by the Caps I put the Habs, Flyers and Bruins roughly on equal footing (with the advantage to the Flyers), but the Habs are by far the least physical team.

If the Caps go deep, I want to avoid as many bruising series as possible.

the Caps just take a ton of penalties.

Montreal's power play is very good, especially with its full complement of players. They have two units that can score and their top unit is deadly, everyone can pass and they have a couple guys who can really bury the puck, too. Their numbers at even strength are approaching terrible though and their defense isn't as good as either of those other teams (although their goaltending has been above average when Halak plays).

The other three road teams--Boston, Philadelphia and even Ottawa--have way more breakout potential. Ottawa was as streaky or even streakier than Anaheim and Calgary this year, they could go a dozen games without scoring and then a dozen without giving up a goal. If you get the latter, it's trouble. Boston has offensive upside and they went from stingy to stingier when Rask took over. Philly has the most balance of any team maybe but their goaltending is a huge question mark and they've been pretty inconsistent on offense for a lot of the year. A streaky team is always worse to play than a consistently above average one in the playoffs IMO.

And BARELY take the over

they should have no problem dispensing the Avs and they have never been flat out BLOWN OUT of a series which is what would have to happen for them to get under 5.

Not to look past Montreal entirely but I am confident enough to expect advancing.

We'd beat the Penguins this year, I just know it. It wouldn't be in anything less than 6 games but we'd do it.

they re-seed for round 2 so unless all four top seeds win, you will not be facing pittsburgh in the second round.

i think either philly, boston or both will win their series.

bandwagon like a mug. but at least I know who bondra and dale hunter are.

http://tinyurl.com/pdft9k

There's just too much of a load on Chara-Boychuk and Wideman-Hunwick for me to think they can actually win a playoff series. Tuukka is a stud, but our lack of depth on defense and no Savard=no power play makes me look at this rationally. Buffalo is missing a little, but nothing close (I think with the end of the season, we officially beat out the Red Wings as far as destructive injuries went).

But if we can win the series missing our top center and three of our top six defensemen, it'd be pretty cool.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

Those mofos can only beat us in a shootout, and that is when were the Detroit Griffins.

And since there are no shootouts in the playoffs, we're cool.

I'll give 'em 2 wins this series based on a fluky bounce (or 2) and Bryz standing on his head the other game.

Not dumb enough to predict an upset, but if Rinne plays in top form we've got a chance. The series is particularly interesting since we haven't faced the Blackhawks yet in 2010, scheduling had all the games prior to the new year. Without a win in Chicago the first two games, we're doomed and you can already wipe the series off.

My biggest fear is our forwards coming out and looking absolutely anemic, which they are when compared on paper to the Blackhawks front liners. Our D is definitely our strength, but we can't rely on them to completely carry us over a 7 game series

I just want to see them lose in the first round so badly, it would be hilarious.

What's the word on Hornqvist?

If Cooke's out, I have no hate for Pittsburgh. If Cooke's in I hope those fuckers go down.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

It's been a pretty frustrating year, overall, with the horrid injuries, the underachieving and just the malaise. I find it hard to imagine mourning the end of this season.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

<-----Iron Sheik fuck Nas in the ass, make him humble

<-----Iron Sheik fuck Nas in the ass, make him humble

Yeesh, the Yotes are already playing angry and stupid.

3 goals on their first 3 PP against a team that has only given up something like 7 in the last 26 games? fluky as shit!

Wings awful on their PP that has been on fire lately? fluky as shit!

The AWFUL interference on the GWG goal that would be called every other game? fluky as shit!

That leaves Phoenix with the Bryz beastin' W still... let's just hope they don't use that one up next game.

And no, Phoenix still does not worry me!

This was certainly not a "Wings get all the breaks" type game.

It was just one of those seriously bizarre games.

I honestly cannot imagine there will be another game like this in the series.

im almost positive we go into detroit 1-1

gotta like detroit in a decisive game but it's no lock, these mutts are GOOD.

No activity, no one moving their feet. After that Clowe goal, they finally got some activity esp Heatley who started getting up ice quickly, force the avalanche defenseman deep and thus creating some open space.

After their 6 shot pp to open the game, these cats had 6 shots TOTAL up until the 10 min mark in the 3rd. 6 shots in 46 minutes! Terrible, but that's nothing new for the sharks in the offs is it.

I've got a lot of DVR footage to review and breath to catch, talk to you guys later.

Let's go, Flyers and GO SENS GO while we're at it.

It seemed like they focussed on defense and let NJ throw everything at em and took their shots when they could. I liked the strategy for game one but not sure if it can be used all series.

it was kind of a tentative first period, which is not uncommon, but the flyers had no jump for the 25 minutes or so.

i dont think that was by design, just some tired legs or a little off mentally.

i think they will open it up big time for game 2 because they know they can get it past marty and they are playing with the houses's money having already stolen home ice now.

Obviously the numbers look bad, but frankly, it's been a long time since his play in the playoffs (or Olympics, for that matter) has matched his reputation.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

i dont see how people could have watched him the last two weeks of the regular season and describe him as struggling or off his game, he was pretty damn sharp.

last night he made a couple real nice saves, an early one on gagne, overall had a pretty average game.

Shit, hadn't even heard anything about it.

I just knew that the last 5-6 years, people have always talked about how Brodeur is the best (or one of the best) guy to be going into a postseason with, and it really hasn't been the case. He's been a great regular season goalie and an underachieving postseason goalie for several years now, it's just fact. The numbers aren't horrible by any means, but he sure as shit has not kept the puck out of the net when it has meant the most in a while.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

so far i would say boucher has at least played even with him over the course of the two games, a couple goals today (particularly the andy greene one) today there was NO chance. with jersey i'd say the goals were crap shoots, the asham goal he could have had but it wasn't soft, the giroux and pronger goals were miserable failures by the NJ defense to clear the net.

the TSN announcer said it best about the giroux goal, they let a 5'10" 180 pound kid stand in front of the net like Tim Kerr in the old days. both of those he was screened and there were deflections.

brodeur has struggled in the postseason but not without valid pleas. they were not very good in 04 or last year and they've had this no-name defense since the lockout ended, i mean they have not had very good teams until this year and even now they don't have any name Dmen (although Greene is underrated). he is a great goalie but he was able to DOMINATE because of a system that isn't as strong as it was with stevens, nieds, rafalski, et al.

but the thing i kept hearing coming into this series is how weak he was since the olympics and how ripe he was for collapse. the olympics didn't require much travel and he played two games, no big deal there, and his last two weeks of the season were excellent so he was coming in hot.

We are taking this in five

But no chance it only goes five, especially not if Quick can't raise his play from what it's been for the last month or so.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

what the fuck!!!! i watch this whole fucking game and at 700 on the dot they black it out because the kings are supposed to be on

now i miss the game winner and spent a half hour (and counting)on the phone with these dimwits only to get the CBC feed of the Kings game (which I already had on FSN West).

BEAT!

overall they are pretty good but this was a travesty

tonight should be good, if you guys have center ice you can catch games in their entirety. versus is not blacking them out because there will be some weird overlaps, the timing is all screwy so they are bound to not show the entire chicago game on versus or the phx game either.

Caps absolutely dominated the first 30 mins or so but only got one goal out of it. Halak was on fire all game and caps got no bounces, no rebounds.

Ovechkin had a bad game and the whole second line centered by Fleishmann was garbage. Personally I might activate B Morrison for the next game. Flash was doing nothing at center.

Habs played pretty good defense all night, especially from the mid point on. I figured they'd win because they were dominating OT. Tough loss. Habs pulled it out.

Caps get some offense from Ovechkin and Semin and I'm still confident they can win the series.

I'm just disappointed in Fleischmann. He's just not a playmaker at center. At least, not yet.

B. Morrison is underwhelming, but he knows how to play center and has playoff & veteran experience.

Not sure who I'd sit, but I want BMo and Belanger centering the 2nd and 3rd lines I think.

And my lord, Poti was awful last night, and continues to be awful on the PK. Not sure what Boudreau is thinking with him. There was a 2nd goal that Poti would have directly given up yesterday but the Habs missed the shot.

WRONG! (c) charlie murphy

smh@ randy jones (again!), bad giveaway plus weak ass checking against henrik.


kings NEED this split and while they blew a great chance at it i wouldn't count them out for the next game.

i think once the series shifts to LA, we will see less of this scoring line vs scoring line matchup. that is a vancouver preference. we could see frolov moved back down to the third line with handzus and simmonds (right now skating with richardson) and that line will match up with the sedins when the kings have the last change.

but pushing the game into OT with out any kind of an offense shows we can hang with these guys. Since the end of the olympics we have been real sluggish. Hopefully we can pick it up and take the next 2.I am confident we can win in LA. But we have had trouble winning in Canada all year. But its looking like a hell of a series. I might be coming up on playoff tickes also. Hopefully I can catch a game live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhAb12Xd56E

They're there almost every game, not sure if it is a team promotion/gimmick or two fans just doing their own thing, but whatever it is, it is awesome.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2m3hac4.jpg

This is the single greatest act of fandom since William Ligue and son.

neither team is capable of playing like that every game. The Caps actually CANNOT play that poorly for five games in a row, it's beneath them and they haven't done it all year. Conversely, the Habs just aren't good enough to play with that sort of fire for four or five more games. So I'll call last night an outlier performance from both teams and just move on to Saturday.

Ovi & Semin could have a series-long cold streak, but the rest of the team should be able to pick up the slack.

It's imperative that Theo stays on fire though, otherwise we might have gotten blown out last night. (Same can be said for MTL/Halak though)

They're not going to get another opportunity at 38 shots, trust. But we very well could shoot 47 times again, and there's no way a guy doesn't fold after a while. See Varly in game 7 against the Pens last year.

WOW.

how'd he skate away from THAT?

whoa.

Great game, wow, fierce!

Kovie and Richards are gonna go before this series is out. Honestly I think everyone wants a crack at Richards right now. He has been molesting Parise all series, he goaded Kovie into a penalty and he is just an out and out pest right now.

3-3 at second intermission, wow-wa-wee-wa. Watching the Pens at the intermission, they just went up, this is more the way I pictured this series than game 1 was.

They are everywhere and change ends as fast as anyone I've seen this year.

Their power play passing is impeccable as well.

"They can't call them all" mentality.

What a bogus call on Stuart.

I can certainly tell you how this series is going to end if it continues.

keep salvaging my mood.

3-3

lotta action going on here, enjoying this game a lot

im so glad i turned it on. this shit is great.

I fucking love Doan, every time someone shits on him he tacks another season on his career. The way Canada fucked him over this year, I think he will now break Howe's record and play into his mid 50s.

I've wanted this guy on the Wings for yeeeeeeeeears, but man, if he didn't pull a 180 in this series.

Running at guys, late hits, caring more about the check than playing some hockey, complaining for FINALLY being called for stupid selfish shit like checking Lidstrom for no reason when you're losing?

It's retarded. It's like he thinks he's in a video game.

at this stage in the playoffs you gotta play with a big time edge, i bet he will be reigned in a little for the home games.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

Sharks have leveled twice in the period after Col took the lead.

lmao, richards, pronger and giroux are charged up. boucher played a decent game but the devils had more jump again tonight and they were seeing the ice a little better. we need to tighten up the back line, transition play was killer tonight.

devils took a lot of penalties, i'd say so far we've gotten the best of the discipline. between that and a road win and boucher looking above average so far i am encouraged.

Dude sucks.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

how can a team be so consistently good in the reg season yet so bad in the playoffs?

never once during the course of this season could i picture these big-for-nothing fruits hoisting the Cup, not once!

thornton is the classic big and moody player but he is so damn good it doesnt matter. the thing i see is that they don't have a lot of team speed, which chicago has in spades, and they are not physical. they were better when they were had less star power up front and more teeth on the back end. mclaren, hannan, those guys were fierce. if they could construct a defense like that and add a little more wheels (even at the expense of some skill) they'd be better.

it would also improve nabokov's play. nabokov is a system goalie, if you make the steady and heady plays in front of him, then he wins, if you don't, then he is prone to sucking.

the kings are a pretty slow team, too, but they are a little tougher. i would like to see them matched up with the sharks in the second round, would not be a run and gun series but would be a very even matchup.

3-3, 2:30 left in the 2nd...he comes out of the net, mishandled the puck, tries to clear it hurredly, turned over, Colorado scores. Took all the energy out of the stadium and the team.

4 goals on 10 shots for the Avalanche....they are getting some great looks, that's the first one you can hang on evgeni.

Give the sharks credit....they've had every opp to give this game away with the mistakes and subsequent goals they've given up, but they responded each time within 2 mins to level. What a period.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

It's like best tradition in the playoffs now... SJ out early.

after san jose sent your wings to the golf course, huh...

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

i am serious, for openers i think greiss is better than people know and more importantly you need to send a message to nabokov and all the other sharks alike that losing is not ... fucking ... acceptable.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

lmao, green man=greatest thing to happen to sports fandom since we will rock you.

They damn near doubled up on SOG

And this Detroit series is gonna be over quick if Jimbo Slice can settle into a groove at home

and DAM @ SJ last regulation goal......fuckin Avs

nm

They are playing much better in the playoffs so far than at the end of the season.

WTF is going on with the caps!

two goals is NOTHING against the caps.

the habs took a page from philly's book when we matched timonen up with ovie. they have handed the keys to jaroslav spacek. he is doing very well. they havent been too strict about the matchup as the road team but they are trying to go with either spacek or gorges on him with a more stout defender playing the other spot for help. so far so good.

and then gomez dropping the gloves, LMAO, he looked like he knew what he was doing! go, go, go you scrappy little Alaskan bastard!

that shit was fuckin hilarious.

this game is nuts right now though.

OVECHKIN COULD LEARN FROM CROSBY

I guess this Ruskie been readin the papers because he came out ready to rock in this fucking third period. Goal and a dime and the shit is not quite half over.

Caps adjusting their game, no more cheating and farting around, up/down game, north and south and nada mas.

i kinda dont understand it but i got a friend that knows it like i know soccer so he explaining it to me. but damn if the playoffs aint entertaining and get my attention every year.

comparing soccer to hockey is like comparing a horse and buggy to a McLaren F1

i LOVE the crowd reactions in playoff hockey. i want to catch a game whenever the hurricanes make it back to the playoffs.

THE REST OF YOUR FUCKING LIVES!

They take this game, they are in business, they don't, buzzer time even if they are headed home.

TWO offensive zone penalties in this one, sure they were on the forecheck but that is still dumb. They killed the first one but that second one was gonna hurt em sooner or later and it turned out to be about as soon as possible.

I'm calling Cammalleri game winner.

They better not black this out in SoCal for the Kings scheduled start or I will be FUMING.

Between the legs of Hamrlik and top shelf, Jesus Christ, this kid is a monnnnnnsterrrrrrrrr.

at least 2/3 of the first rounders will be stars for some length of time, we haven't even seen most of them blossom

erik johnson, stud, legit #1 Dman
staal, sweet two way center, shut down guy or scorer, doesnt matter
toews, captain, complete player, rock n roll gangster
backstrom, super stud, playmaker extraordinaire, underrated scorer
kessel, still waiting for PROS to catch up to his skills, dope as shit
brassard, okposo, grabner and mueller we've seen nice flashes from already
frolik had a nice year and should be a first line player
bernier is a stud goalie in the making, i would KILL to get him on PHI
little is a nice player, could be a poor man's st louis
stewart is a stud, i KNEW he was a great value because of his off/on relationship with the sport and baby fat
giroux and varlamov are LEGIT, especially giroux
berglund and vishnivskiy will be very good, especially vish

Now win the next three.

But this seems to be one of the best first rounds that I can ever remember.

Jesus, it's like the NHL should play 20 games in the regular season to get some sort of rankings, then just do a long ass playoffs.

who wouldn't watch that Caps/Habs game last night if they were sittin around and it was on ESPN? Or even the Deuce? I mean unless you're in one of the markets of a playing team or a hockey head looking for the games you're probably missing out on some incredible games. This game is as poised for a return to mainstream relevance as its been since Gretzky, but the marquee games are on Versus.

I mean instead ESPN runs 8 hours of pre NFL draft coverage, fuckin dumbass

It's a shame about ESPN, but it won't get me down!

Today is going to be a great day of hockey...

Wings vs. Yotes (NBC)
Pens vs. Sens (Versus, CBC)
Preds vs. Hawks (Versus)
Sharks vs. Avs (Versus, CBC)

NHL Network = highlights of everything

nm

or do something. Cause dude has been turrrible (c) chuck

2. Mike Green
3. Alex Semin

fuck

than previous years is that we lack the swagger now.

Ra-dim! Ra-dim! Ra-dim! Ra-dim!

Pretty soft one on the blocker side by Howard there.

This game is over (c) Bill Walton.

This Quebecois fuck is LARCENOUS in net today!

One after another, Flyers should have won this game 4-2 in regulation.

Giroux having another great game and Gagne has quietly killed the Devils, exceptional defense and decision making for Gags today.

Carter is having some hard luck and I think he is starting to press. He needs one to go in the net to settle him down.

AND I KNOW, MY TIME WILL COME!

Fucking EH, knocked on the goddamn door long enough, way to bash that bitch down.

Gagne had a great game, he occupied two defenders and let Carcillo slip in the backdoor and hammer it home like me when my girlfriend is wasted.

2-1 lead, even split of home games, I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!

but can't score. I can't help but root for the Avs.

Cotdamn, some amazing goaltending.

This one's turning into a classic

LOL @ Boyle. Never liked you.

Thanks Danny Boyle

i'm kinda scared to go a sharks blog

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/112546/jumping_from_bridge.jpg

sharks have a nice building, great fans, a sweet ass crest (coolest among 18 expansion teams easily) and so forth; i really have nothing against them other than i hate heatley. but somehow i am REALLY enjoying their suffering this year.

It was funny at first, now I just feel bad for them.

Could you imagine being an A's/Raiders/Warriors/Sharks fan right now? At least the San Fran teams have things to look forward to.

Because a part of you knows it will end at some time, but fuck if they don't keep finding hilarious ways to lose.

Besides, our PP has never been the same since T-Mac left.

if games like this were more of a fluke than the norm in the playoffs, maybe it wouldn't upset me so much, but I'm sorry -- there's just something fucking WRONG with the competitive balance when better teams have games routinely stolen from them.

for the fact that the Sharks are gripping their sticks tighter than virgin nappy????

I've had a sneaking suspicion ever since the year the completely and totally undeserving Ducks lucked up into a Finals appearance off Jiggy's run, and there's been too much playoff hockey I've managed to catch since then just confirms my suspicion -- the game is imbalanced and rewards shitty teams with hot goalies.

oh and Chuck and I had a conversation on here once about how the rules change in the "second season," and just watching one period last night, that was on fully display as well.

fuck Bettman and fuck the NHL.

I mean, a spectacular performance is a spectacular performance. You wouldn't be complaining if Clowe or Setoguchi were tearing it up in the playoffs, scoring multiple goals and assists every night despite Nabby playing sub par and still pulling out the win.

And the second set of rules in the postseason aren't terrible unless it's only going one way (see: Ducks), fortunately it hasn't been like that.

You had SEVEN PPs to the Avs TWO, including a ridiculous "boarding" call at the end of the third period. How many goals did you score then?

every time I look at the standings these days I'm reminded of the joke that is the 4v4 OTs and the fucking shootouts, so it's hard to even muster a bit of indignation toward the annual clutch + grab-off they call the Stanley Cup playoffs these days.

maybe it's contraction? I dunno, I just figure they'll get more talent on one team to pack it in and dump and chase again if they do that, anyway, so fuck it.

dude cmon you can go back to before you and i were born and find hot goalies carrying teams on unexpected runs deep into the playoffs. if you look at the hockey encyclopedia, it's littered with that type of shit. of course going back far enough to the original six days, sure, EVERY team had a name goalie because there were only six fucking teams, but even then it was about who was hot, it just didn't seem unusual for any particular guy to catch fire.

anderson hasn't been god-like in the series or anything either, just last night. i know it's frustrating but this is just a single game. don't get butthurt now, this is shaping up as one of the better first rounds in a long time and could have amazing later rounds, too.

Felix Potvin and Curtis Joseph were JUST BARELY over the .900%, if I'm not mistaken, then Hasek and Brodeur came in and made .930% a pretty routine number. last time I checked, it seems like every starting goalie in the league has a +.900%, probably up in the .920-.930%.

I don't know if it's expansion, lax enforcement of goalie gear regulations, revolution in the position, or just the general increase in players' athleticism, but it makes the game less fun.

I got a little amped off the Olympics this year, wanted to check some playoff hockey, see if I could catch the feeling again. After watching a game like that, nuh uh -- can't do it. I'd much rather watch a meaningless early season MLS match than playoff hockey right now, that's just how it is.

check out "without fear," awesome book with awesome pics and a crazy chronicle of how far the art of minding the net has come within a very short time really

... at all.

that was a fucking ASS-WHOOPING that resulted in a 0-1 loss.

I know it ended on a fluke play, but it never should have been in that situation in the first place, and it's not like it's the first time I've ever seen such a lopsided game go to the lesser side in the playoffs. I just can't muster the enthusiasm for a game that rewards packing it in and trying to poach a few goals.

it's like longballing in soccer, except it has a much, much higher success rate in hockey.

in this case it didn't even take that. a team getting outshot and losing is not unusual and i don't care that it happens, i think shot totals are overrated. scoring chances and offensive zone possession time are way more important and even they don't tell the whole story.

for a team to be outshot three to one is egregious but then again it's pretty unusual to see a performance like that end in a loss, too. even during the season i can think of a few 50-save games from guys like Roloson and Howard but they were all losing efforts or run and gun games where the other team had 40 some.

I mean, sure it's a good series but I'd rather see Montreal/Washington.

Both CBC and Versus are showing Boston/Buffalo. Lame.

Caps-Habs was pretty much a formality by end of 2nd

Thought they were going to steal the lead - but LA just scored again.

LA's PP is ridiculous right now.

i dont think ive seen a first round like this in some time.

even though his defenseman got out worked, he should have been prepared for that weak shot.

he got screened on the one goal but he did a weak ass job of fighting through it. the rebound goal in the second period was trash, if he didn't get it in his glove, he had to cover that. that fourth goal was just wretched, probably the softest goal of the playoffs.

the last raycroft goal was nothing to marvel at either, bad goaltending and terrible penalty killing and they were still in the game.

kings need to step on their throat here, if vancouver goes back trailing 3-2 i think they still have a shot.

sedins were pretty quiet again for most of the night, excellent game for LA from their top pairing and also from Greene who saved a goal, played physical and did a great job for the other special teams group, the Kings' PK.

simmonds played another solid game, too, that top line was not real rowdy on offense but they played well defensively and hit. of course i was loving the two goals and a couple hat trick attempts from ZUUUUUUS! the slovak warrior!

ihave never seen the staples center so loud> this is as physical a game i have seen the kings play this year. I have to get out to a game.

FELIX POTVIN IN THE HOUSE!

next game is wednesday, if you are off during the day you can go watch the morning skate. i think canucks are at 12 and kings at 3 but don't quote me on that. me and my buddy from vancouver are gonna go since neither of us has shit to do tomorrow during the day.

i think game 6 is on a sunday, tickets are around face for uppers, about half of face for lowers but they raised prices (about 50 bucks upstairs, between 120 and 400 downstairs so 60 to 200 from scalpers).

work mon-fri night.

suites going for 30, premieres going for 40, lowers in the neutral zone at 50-60

We played good defense.

Varlamov had a number of incredible saves.

thankful they are even in the playoffs.

I could see them in the WCF, maybe even making that a series with Chicago.

Simmonds, Brown, Doughty and Quick are all young but they play beyond their years. Guys like Smyth, Scuderi, Handzus and Modin have all been there plenty, even Stoll was on that run to the Finals with Edmonton.

I never thought experience was an issue but the Canucks are still the more talented team by a small but very real margin. These guys are asleep at the wheel, you could point to Luongo or Bieksa but it's across the board. LMAO @ Demitra tripping over skates and going offside on a two-on-one half rush.

but damn these boston/buffalo games have me watching.

Rask seems to play with fire, leaving some serious openings, but he's stopping shots, so i'll take it.

boston is HITTING. shit's beautiful. had it been like that all season (instead of taking hits), i'd have maybe watched more.

-----------
mas que un club

08-09 Survivor Champion.

"I mean, I can pigeonhole people because I'm close-minded. But I'm special and different." (c) Walleye

"on the other hand 100% of the Islamic terrorists are Muslims." A f*cking congressman. smh.

problem is he'll be too emotional to be effective...just out there knockin peoples heads off.

We need to not take 3 penalties in like 7 minutes like we did game 2, and have someone other than Hornqvist post up and collect garbage, especially if he is out, unlike we did in game 2.

GO PREDS

you see dude from the senators after that goal? WOW. wtf.


and yeah...the pens scored 3 goals in 2 minutes pretty much.

*takes puff of victory cigar*

Pens up 6-3

He wasn't too shaky the first few games, our defense just fucking left the door wide open for most of the goals, but he needed a little confidence boost.

Wings played damn good that whole game from start to finish.

Can't lose to the coyotes, can we?

could you imagine if san jose loses again in OT?

lol sharks lol

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-playoffs-ratings

nm

Don't plan that parade just yet.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=318893

"Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter both suffered foot injuries in the contest, and both will have surgery on Friday.

According to the Flyers, Gagne could return to action in three weeks while Carter is out indefinitely."

It looks like every series will go deep so that stretches out round 1. We can close out the Devils without those two guys so that means the real concern is round 2 against Washington.

Carter returned to action after his injury and said he expected to play but the docs shut him down. It's not the same foot that troubled him late in the year and required surgery, I am pretty sure it's the other foot.

They will wear the protective inner boots and come back early, I give Gagne two weeks tops and Carter less. We've won a lot of games without Gagne and Carter being out was supposed to bone out playoff chances (hi, HiKwelity or Kwelifications, I cannot recall). True that in Carter's absence Gagne was big and vice versa but right now I think we have enough team swagger to get past Jersey anyway.

Carter has had only one good game (the last one where he got hurt) in the series and Gagne has been good defensively but not that huge offensively. Now we will probably see the lines mixed up more. Giroux slides easily into the second line center spot but the first line will be switched around based on situations. As long as the injuries don't linger, I see this as a way to experiment with some new combinations heading into the semis.

as for boucher, he is going to get just have a mess in his ass against the capitals, it's going to get ugly.

he and the flyers should be proud of what should still be a win over jersey, whom we sonned all year long and sent home with one verrrrry pricey russian rental.

they carried the play most of the night, the shot advantage for vancouver was really deceptive. they had a solid advantage in each of the first two periods but they had next to no legit scoring chances. very few shots from the top of the circle in and very little traffic in front of quick.

i wouldn't say they took too many penalties but they certainly took unnecessary ones. the biggest problem they had was sloppy line changes, they were not crisp at all. several times they had choppy and/slow changes. usually they got away with it but they almost got screwed once (shot went wide) and they got BURNED on a bad d change there at the end.

this is a huge win for vancouver. the way the papers and TV up there was blasting them after game 3, a game 4 loss of any kind would have meant tons of pressure and a quick rope on enthusiasm if not any and all support. now they are going to have a ROCKING building knowing it's a three-game set with two at home.

even though they killed a couple penalties today their PK was terrible again and they had to resort to putting the Sedins out there together for the first time in a long time and otherwise mixing it up. they stole this game but they put themselves in a position to do it. early on i was saying if they could get some good possession and test quick they could get it past him, he didn't get enough work early IMO. luongo had some iffy moments but the kings scored a couple of nice goals on him and he was solid in the waning moments.

so, i was hard pressed to pay that for a single canucks/kings jawn
even tho it was better than that $140 canucks/pens job u tried to sell me

right above the kings bench, at the blue near where vancouver shot twice. maybe we could have gotten another pair, the guy had six and didn't seem to know the other two people. same dude will have tix for game 6, might be different location but i bet still good.

in vancouver the same seats would have been $300 face and probably closer to $500 from a scalper.

as for the clippers and warriors, wow, next you're going to tell you have a sweet hookup for independent league baseball tickets!

Tukka and Miller were playing out of their minds.

I think I stopped breathing for about a ten minute stretch in the first overtime.

Both of those diving save were unreal.

>Both of those diving save were unreal.

And SHG Tandem Extraordinaire Boyd Gordon & Mike Knuble strike again.

towards Pittsburgh. It seems almost inevitable really. From what I've seen out of the Devils/Flyers series and Boston is that we would beat the shit out both the Flyers and Bruins, but so would the Pens. I don't want to sound like a tool looking past these other teams, but everyone I think would admit at this point that there's two teams in the East that are considerably above the rest of the competition.

Bring it on.

but the Pens & Caps remain the two best teams in the East

not only run through two starting goalies but also our best defensive forward and two best goal scorers out.

healthy team=7 games series, as it is, probably five.

Hasek becomes Czech champion at 45

By KAREL JANICEK, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 1 minute ago


PRAGUE (AP)—Even at age 45, Dominik Hasek(notes) is still dominating in goal.

Hasek led his hometown club HC Eaton Pardubice to the Czech league title on Thursday. Pardubice beat HC Vitkovice Steel 3-2 in overtime in Ostrava to sweep the finals 4-0.

“This is something extraordinary,” Hasek said. “A fantastic feeling. I’m absolutely delighted.”

Hasek credited his teammates and club officials: “This is a job done by many people.”

His teammates chanted “Hasan, Hasan,” Hasek’s nickname, in the locker room after the game.

Hasek came out of retirement last year to play for his former club in the Czech league in the town where he was born and started his career.

Known as the “Dominator” in the NHL, Hasek retired after he won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings for the second time in 2008. Hasek won the Hart Trophy twice as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player and took home the Vezina six times as the league’s top goalie.

He previously retired in 2002 after winning his first Stanley Cup with Detroit but rejoined the NHL in the 2003-04 season. He also led the Czech Republic to a gold medal at 1998 Nagano Olympics.

“He is still as good as in the old days in Nagano,” Vitkovice coach Alois Hadamczik said. “If I didn’t know how old he is, I would guess he’s 30.”

Also, his playoff performances may convince Czech coach Vladimir Ruzicka to pick him for next month’s world championships in Germany.

LMAO, Oduya would have been the best DMan on the ice in this series, Greene extremely mediocre, Martin nowhere, power play TERRIBLE,etc.

Shit the way these schmucks played Bergfors would have helped them, too.

Massive L for the Devils, not only did they get eliminated they looked ROTTEN in the process. Eight goals in five games! Zero on the power play! Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Bring on the Crapitals, no, we don't have Gagne or Carter but we have Briere and Timonen and that was enough last time!

UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH, old boy been reading the Montreal papers between Slovak fables and porno mags, son. Dude was on fuckin' point, might as well have been holding the deed to Alex Semin's soft ass. OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE, OLEEEEEEE, OOOOOOOLEEEEEE!

Every game in HD tonight, FINALLY!

Semin was getting off tons of great shots and Halak was there for every one.

Caps locked it down after the first period but once again had trouble breaking their trap, and as long as our PP sucks (1 for 23 I believe) we are a much more beatable team.

I mean, a couple goals from Semin or a couple PP goals and this series is over. But no, and it's not.

and no goals.

Super talent but something about him does not say to me YOU WIN WITH THIS GUY. I cannot quite put my finger on what it is but he is one of those guys I wouldn't want as a huge-salary player, come to think of it most of the Russians (Ovechkin honorary North American like Forsberg) fall into that category for me. No way in shit would I sink $7M plus into Semin, Kovalchuk, Kovalev, et al.

Semin is a great scorer, decent all round player, and worth about $5M a year at most.

On our team he's a great 2nd liner, probably 1st liner on some other teams.

We're not going to resign him at $7M, so the only way he stays if we get a discount.

I'm not really worried, that money is probably better spent elsewhere for us.

Edit: it would be nice if a guy who scored 40 fucking goals this season would score a couple in the playoffs though.

a 40-50-goal guy is gonna get the big money, if they get bounced early maybe they move him now so a team gets a full year and the chance to extend him. more likely they sign him to an extension, as long as he doesn't ask for ovechkin type length you can always sign him to something in the 5/35 neighborhood, he'd be tradeable then anyway.

He held this shit together for us until we decided to pot a few extra.

So, what did I say about that ridiculous 3/3 on the PP in game 1?

Since then, 0 PP goals for the Yotes. 0 - 19 or something like that.

Man I hope we see as many game 7s as possible, period.

I don't think all four lower seed in the West winning and leaving Detroit with home ice til the Finals is a possibility but even I'd be amused (briefly) if that were to happen.

I think the Sharks do the Avs in tonight but you never know, they blow a lot of shit and the game is at the Yum! Center.

He should be benched at some point soon.

Letting in the game tying goal with less than a minute left when the other team's goalie is pulled and they're still only even strength = pathetic.

Still awaiting the first PP goal of the playoffs and not converting in OT when you began it with a 4 min carry over of the regulation major penalty = horrible.

Giving up the second backdoor goal, and game winner, of the game barely 30 seconds into the Blackhawks getting back to even strength = fucking horrendous.

We were on the verge of stealing that game and bringing home a 3-2 lead to Nashville heading into game 6. I don't even know what to think about this team and their special teams ineptness. 0 nearly 20 on the PP, Chicago has gotten multiple PPG within seconds of going on the man advantage. And then completely not showing up game 4. Its gonna be a tough one to watch tomorrow, because there is no way I see it going in our favor with the way the last one ended.

The first thing I said when we weren't scoring on our PPs, despite looking really good out there was:

"I've seen this formula before, here comes game 7"

I hate these afternoon games, we always lose.

but cant finish, these games are frustrating as fuck to watch.

fuck

UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE SAVE

First off congrats to the Kings, I hope their management commits to being competitive because there is plenty of money in a WINNING Los Angeles team and there are some great players on this team.

They have some tough decisions to make, personally I think if a team throws a huge offer at Jack Johnson they should not match and take the compensation. They have a number one guy and there is no sense paying number one money to a number two guy. Bring up Hickey. Similarly I think Bernier is going to be the guy in goal, nothing against Quick but Bernier is a STUD in the making.

Luongo stole the game and basically put together six and a half great periods in order to turn the series. The save on Smyth is one we'll see for years and overall he was EXTREMELY sharp tonight.

Tonight out $135 seats cost us $30, we nearly sat in the same seats behind the bench for about $45 but the guy, disgruntled, just ate the tickets! It is unbelievable! Here they are facing elimination but not CERTAIN elimination by any stretch and these chumps are giving up. Even though it was a solid atmosphere in game 3, game 4 was a little damper and tonight felt like a practice rink. Oh, and you don't have to stand up every time a team gains the blue line and YOU CAN SEE the far side boards. They are worse than Dodger fans with fly balls, lol.

Any which way, I'm glad the Kings are relevant again and even though they had an early exit they have a lot to look forward to. I would kill to steal Wayne Simmonds from them for the Flyers but I suspect if they have any brains they will extend him now while the price is still reasonable.

Lemaire is retiring from coaching, I almost feel bad that things didn't work out for him this last go-round with Jersey. Almost.

Vanek is dressed tonight for Buffalo, HUGE for them.

PK Subban is dressed as the seventh

Savard may be back for game 7 but not tonight, glad to hear he is even ready to consider a comeback.

!

Le Fin Du Monde for the house and French-Italian whores for the crew! PARTY IN MONTREAL!

Oh how I want to play Boston in round 2 and let Montreal and Pittsburgh go at it while our guys recover.

way more vulnerable than anyone took them for.

should have sealed the deal at home but they played without focus. Because that's what they do some times. Like these dudes are for some reason too good for their own good.

Tonight was a typical playoffs story, goalie standing on his head even though he's on the inferior team. The Caps played like the Caps tonight, they just got blocked at almost every opportunity.

Who knows if they win the next game, but if they lose it won't be a result of tonight's game it'll be a result of their uninspired performance on Friday. I mean tonight's game was out of their hands. They should win though.

I'll tell you this, there's a double standard with our netminders and I'm not sure I'm happy about it. Varlamov has been oddly lackadaisical, just as lackadaisical as Theo was on the first two goals of game 2. But his leash appears to be a lot longer than the veteran who won 21 of his last 23 games of the regular season. And if we lose this series that might be an egregious case of bullshit. For now we can't say that Varlamov is good. He had a really nice run last year but as a whole he's injury prone and far too unfocused at the moment. But he is young. Trouble is now if Bruce goes back to Theo it looks like a panic move.

I tell ya they had better win this game 7 or else it will be perhaps the most embarrassing DC sports story maybe ever. And I'm not exaggerating that. More embarrassing than the Zorn or Spurrier eras, more embarrassing than the Gilbert gun mess, more embarrassing than blowing the 22 point lead to Duke in the Final Four or losing to Duke at home when Jayson Williams came back from down 11 with a minute left. This team was the beacon of hope for a city that, really, has been shit on for the better part of twenty years and they're dangerously close to blowing a majority of their goodwill in the region. But of course, that'd be all too familiar.

overall though i think they are getting exposed, they lack big game performers outside of Ovechkin (also Knuble is steady) and their style does not hold up in the playoffs.

their power play has also been terrible, yes, twice halak was a circus act in net but they haven't done anything AT ALL in the series.

i've long thought both semin and green for all their talent were not the big-money players a championship team wants. semin has been flat out snake bitten, green has been invisible.

the good news if they survive they get the flyers whom they should be able to beat, especially undermanned.

if montreal wins, they get the penguins, whom i think they can beat if they get this sort of goaltending and special teams. they have been superlative in both areas and really not done too much else in this series.

This is the first year they were a legitimate contender, but they will be in it for years to come.

A great core (Ovechkin & Backstrom) will be set for the next decade. So if this year's version of the team crashes and burns, McPhee will retool to be better going forward, especially in the playoffs. It's not like this team is going bust the salary cap and get broken up soon (hi Chicago).

Anyone who was pinning the hopes of the city on this team THIS year got ahead of themselves. Losing this year would be a setback/disappointment embarrassment, not a laughingstock embarrassment like Spurrier or Zorn or Snyder. Not even close.

Even if they go out in the first round, they'll be great again next year and they'll continue to be the only decent franchise in town.

Then we'll be right back at the top of the conference next year.

this year, no, the expectations should be high. they won a presidents trophy and dominated all the u.s. teams (had a losing record vs canadian teams oddly). they are also in a position where they are brimming with talent, they will have more experience later but not as many players.

obviously it is not a situation where they are a veteran team with a closing window but i do think expectations are justifiably high and it's hard to see them in quite as good of a position in the immediate future (one or two years).

>it's hard to see them in quite as good of a position in the immediate
>future (one or two years).

this year all their main players and really their entire team is healthy. that alone is good enough to peg any team as having a better shot than years to come, magnify that by their regular season success resulting largely from chemistry between this particular group.

further, while they might be a more experienced team down the line, it is difficult to imagine them being a more talented team because they are still paying bargain prices for important players and guys with enough talent to see more responsibility (read: another would pay more than they make now).

they can re-tool around backstrom and ovechkin but i'd say this is the first real window they have and usually it takes some tinkering to really crack open another one.

But many of the core components are either already resigned (Ovie, Green (playoffs notwithstanding), Laich), or will be at a reasonable rate (Shultz, the 4th liners). Backstrom will also be resigned, at a justifiably high rate.

Top 6 guys like Fehr, Fleischmann and Semin can go, and we can stay a true contender. In fact, the sooner we replace Flash and Semin with guys who will do better in the playoffs, the better.

Also important is that our minor league is still stacked. So even if we lose a few young guys, there are more coming up, especially at goalie. Our defense next year should actually be cheaper and better with Carlson and Alzner with the club full time.

Basically I think over the next 4-5 years the pure talent level might not be at what it is right today, but overall we'll be as good of a team or better. More complete.

after the season they had this year, im confused on how that happened, but WE HAVE DEFEATED RYAN MILLER -err, the sabres...!!!!!!!!!!!!

Savard possibly back to decapitate Cookie next round (given the Caps can finish off the froggies) ???

If he's back, I want him in the lineup. Thornton could do something stupid and awesome and it wouldn't really hurt us that much.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

the series will depend, i think guys like thornton and lucic and really anyone with a good shot at him will hunt cooke down but if the series is tight it might not happen this year. sooner than later, he is gonna get it, but savard won't do it and there's no luck it happens if they meet.

anyway, hopefully montreal does their thing and it's bruins-flyers, that matchup is more both team's speed IMO.

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

I was gonna turn off the TV.

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

close out a team in a game 7...lets just hope they keep it up in the third.

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

>close out a team in a game 7...lets just hope they keep it up
>in the third.
>

and we are never to mention it again

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- but but but the Mayan Calendar said the world will end in 2012!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJjQMwEjC1I

GAT DAMN! San Jose should be very fucking nervous right now.

They don't have the speed and heart of Phoenix.

http://www.amorak.net/HeartOfTheTinMan.JPG

WATCH OUT CAPS!!!!!!!!

We hadn't closed out a playoff series at home since 1999. And we had the 30th ranked offense in the league coming in to the playoffs. And I was pretty convinced that we'd be done.

Now Savvy's coming back and we may get Philly. While they probably aren't scared of us (with good reason), Im certainly not scared of them. This is just really bizarre so far.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

It could be a believable fabrication but Ken Hitchcock's name is being thrown around for the New Jersey vacancy. I bet he is being considered, his painfully boring style and the Devils' painfully boring team seem like a great fit to ensure no Eastern Conference fan is entertained for years to come.

Laperriere got a nasty puck to the face in game 5 against the Devs and it sounds like he will not return this season. Brain contusion, broken orbital bone and a cut that needed sixty-some-odd stitches. Ouch. Big loss for the Flyers, he and Betts have been Draperish/Maltbyesque this year.

nm

who knew

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove

<-----Iron Sheik fuck Nas in the ass, make him humble

nm

The San Jose Sharks of the East! lmfao

Sid moves on while Ovie goes home, yet again...yeppers.

Absolutely loving it!!!

Bring on the Habs! My bud and I will enjoy the shit talking for the next few weeks.

*chants* Over-rated clap clap clap clap clap over-rated!!!



peace

smh @ this

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove

it burns so bad, but it's consistent with DC sports.

I'm in an aching shock right now.

Crosby better.

My antagonism towards the Flyers is well known. However, playoff hockey is the shit. More importantly,

Fuck Boston.

Although I don't share my homeboy Bomb's loathing of the entire region, their sports fans drive me insane. I want to root against them. I want to make MadDagoNH cry with equal parts sad and mad. Sad, because the Flyers beat the Bruins in 5. Mad, because I'm talking shit as a non hockey fan.

However, I stepped off the bus, so now I need your permission to come back on for a stop or two.

Your thoughts, gentlemen.

this is a tough call.

unless we play the frenchies. then i will apply for another visa, because fuck the french.

cmon, not against pittsburgh?

this is a three-round visa, you're free to leave in the event of losing only.

ALL OR NOTHING, SHELLS!

i'm in

I'm certainly not scared of em now. Bring it on Professor, we're sending your goon asses home.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

Obviously halak in beast mode but the rest of the team blocked something like 40+ shots. What an upset.

it was the lack of fire and focus in that game, up 3-1 at home, that would ultimately spell their doom.

they had the puck like the whole game and most of the possessions for montreal were about getting the puck deep.

they won on defense and special teams. it's crazy how even after carbonneau was fired the team has basically kept its identity as a squad that relies on special teams to win. superb PK in this series, constantly forced high shots from poor angles and really did the job on ovie putting bodies on him and keeping him away from the middle of the ice. semin was also forced outside a lot, he was a little snake bit but he let it get to him, too.

laich was the only guy with any grapes, great play crashing the net and staying on control on his knees with plenty of humanity piling on him.

I don't even care if SJ advanced, the shit ain't right in hockey these days.

I'm still sending out text messages talking shit to folks from DC....


"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

Fucking Gorges had a WONDERFUL game, he saved a goal with his stick and shut down a couple more great chances, plus he outmuscled Ovechkin. Great work by him and Gill, they really took over after Spacek got hurt and Hamrlik began sucking.

I'd up it, but I feel bad being a playoffs-only kind of fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZm47SrmuwM

regards,

- sid crosby.

LOL

Between this year, last year and the Olympics? Cmon, he's not gonna win a damn thing.

the guy still has ten years of ELITE stardom in him.

in 3 years when the Ovi dick riding has died down and the muthafucka stops playing like he's entitled to a Stanley Cup.

Right now it's just easy to point out Ovi's/The Caps flaws because they certainly have the talent to make it to the finals, but instead they get embarrassed by a team they should have sent packing 3 games go.

That being said, Montreal played a hell of a series and kudos to them.

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

> the
>muthafucka stops playing like he's entitled to a Stanley Cup.

ovechkin has been insanely cocky since the moment i saw him, at the world juniors the russians were parading around and trying to humiliate the americans amid a drubbing and he was easily the egregious offender. and what happened? they got their asses handed to them by canada in the gold medal game.

yes, he has run into guys who have played inspired, timonen, gorges, gill, et al, but that is what happens EVERY YEAR in the playoffs.

he is always in sixth gear during the regular season but somehow the playoffs start and he becomes kovalchuk, a guy who is every bit as talented but doesn't have the motivation or motor that someone like crosby does or even malkin did last year.

Besides good old fashioned hate, I'm not sure this means anything

I don't want to hear anyone say he's better than Sid at this point.

He bitched up at the end of the Pens series last year, the Olympics against Canada (though that whole team bitched up) and now this (again, not all his fault.)

But until Ovie does something outside the NHL regular season, he's on notice.

Seriously (meaning not at all seriously,) when they were the USSR, the stereotype of Russian hockey players were that they were soulless robotic killing machines, who took no pleasure in anything except punishing western decadence in the name of Mother Russia.

Now the stereotype is that they're all insanely rich, arrogant douchebags who are fucking supermodels in the backseat of their Bentleys on beds of rare caviar. The second stereotype might be fun but it doesn't WIN.

Somehow, this doesn't apply to Datsyuk. Or Malkin.

Conference Finals:

Detroit vs. Chicago
Boston vs. Montreal

Fleury is playing mediocre at best and the Sens defense/goalie was atrocious, yet it still was a 6 game series, almost 7.

Meanwhile, the Habs are getting one of those hot goalie performances from Halak and a defense that will do anything to stop a shot.

I could see the Habs pulling the upset here.

let's look at some facts here on the penguins:

-they are approaching 300 games played in the past three seasons. that is a lot of fucking games.

-this year, perhaps even more than last year when they actually struggled at one point, they have been relying on a Spurs-like ability to turn it on when it matters. so far it's worked out but ottawa lacked the real firepower to oppose them. if they catch halak playing this hot or get a healthier mix of bruins or flyers in the final, they could have trouble doing that.

-the penguins have had problems beating the trap all season, we saw it some in this series and we have certainly seen it plenty in a trap heavy east. they can try and get their centers carrying the puck their wingers are too goddamn slow to make a trap-break pay so they wind up turning it over. if they go up in games they have more success but they rarely do that, they didn't score early against ottawa and down the regular season stretch they didn't score the first goal often at all. look at their record against new jersey, 0-6, shit even the CAPS trapped it up against them once they had a lead in the last meeting.

-they have not beaten winning teams this season. there were eight teams with records better than pittsburgh, against them the pens were three ... and ... sixteen. again, fortunately they are facing the bottom three, all teams with a little worse records, but at this point those teams are better than the higher seed that were eliminated (they had one win against DC I think, two against buffalo, none vs NJ).

-they have NO DEPTH outside of the center position, their top four wingers are only serviceable with no one solid behind them and their defense is also quite thin with guys like goglioski getting too much responsibility. they miss gill and scuderi, big time IMO, and an injury to an important player like the ones sustained OK by boston and philly already would not be as easy to surmount for them.

-their power play is not strong, no solid right handed shot and little ability to take advantage of the full sheet of ice. they clocked in around 17% this year, not very good, and if you cannot beat a trap it magnifies the importance of a power play.

the penguins can be beaten, all three teams they are facing are getting better as this thing goes on, too.

nm

>Conference Finals:
>
>Detroit vs. Chicago
>Boston vs. Montreal

An all Original 6 Finals.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Red-Wings-could-be-fined-for-breaking-San-Jose-c?urn=nhl,237605

nm

Ovechkin needs to learn to be a playmaker. Trying to deke out a player every time he gets the puck doesn't work 95% of the time. The last 3 games just goes to show that offense alone might win games, but it doesn't win playoff series. With that said,


Round 2

4) Pittsburgh vs. 8) Montreal
6) Boston vs. 7) Philadelphia

1) San Jose vs. 5) Detroit
2) Chicago vs. 3) Vancouver

A big thing was the limited lanes on the PP, the power play is all about passing and the Caps have several very good passers. their playmakers simply could not get the puck to their finishers. really it's that simple, the book on both these teams was that they had to score on the PP to win and washington never did it.


>Round 2
>
>4) Pittsburgh vs. 8) Montreal
>6) Boston vs. 7) Philadelphia
>
>1) San Jose vs. 5) Detroit
>2) Chicago vs. 3) Vancouver

I like the Pens to beat Montreal in seven games and the Bruins to win their series on goaltending. Boucher is going to turn into a pumpkin eventually. If the Flyers had their full complement of players, I'd pick them anyway, they could run Boston out of the building but with their two best goal scorers down and a top penalty killer gone, nah. Unless JVR has a coming out party as big as Giroux's they are not going to do it and he has really been struggling. I've given up on Leino, pretty sure he is a bum.

I like Detroit to beat San Jose because the only advantage SJ has is their big-body, big-ticket players hitting that soft Detroit defense in the mouth and they are just not punchers. SJ is still a bunch of wimps, they just played a pretty weak opponent in round one. I am taking Chicago over Vancouver but goddamn Niemi had two moments that made me extremely nervous (the crouch on the Erat goal in a loss, a softy in the clinching game, too). If we see Luongo put together a full seven-game set for the first time in his life, Vancouver will do it, their skaters are only a half step worse to begin with.

>A big thing was the limited lanes on the PP, the power play
>is all about passing and the Caps have several very good
>passers. their playmakers simply could not get the puck to
>their finishers. really it's that simple, the book on both
>these teams was that they had to score on the PP to win and
>washington never did it.
>

I just felt that Washington could have made an adjustment to get the puck to its finishers. Find a way to spread out that Montreal defense.

i thought corvo was under utilized a man up and too often they had ovechkin and semin on the same side but they juggled shit around and absolutely nothing clicked. the problem was that the passing lanes were jammed, you can configure your personnel and positioning however, if you cannot move the puck, you cannot score. the thing that got me was that as tight as the first-option passes were defended the seam passes were completely shutdown. usually you see a team trying to pressure wind up taking away some harmless passes and the most immediate harmful one but leave that seam pass wide open here and there, not in this series.

And I can't figure it out. I know this MTL team isn't the greatest PK team of all time or some shit.

This series was so frustrating.

they happen during the season, too, but the variability of opponents and the fact that the games don't matter mean it doesn't get magnified.

plenty of times you'll see a team going 1 for 20 on the power play or kill off 30 straight but because the season is long the numbers balance out and it's not a panic situation. plus it can slump and surge because you might suck it up against teams average and better but then pop three in the net against edmonton to make the numbers look more respectable.

here you're facing the same opponent every night so if they are surging and you are slumping, there is no refuge in a bad opponent or a team that's off. obviously the stakes being higher make it more noticeable to fans.

i don't know that washington had ANY stretch this bad during the season but it can happen to any team. vancouver's PK was average all year, i don't think they ever went 0/7 or 0/6 though. they turned it around by shuffling personnel and getting more from their goalie.

washington, i dunno, my only suggestion would be reconfiguring a couple things, maybe corvo on the top unit and ovie down low on the left side, semin moved to RW or use knuble there as a guy to deflect off green and crash the weak side off whatever corvo/ovie generate. ovie and semin on the same side was a huge problem.

1. San Jose
2. Chicago
3. Vancouver
4. Pittsburgh
5. Detroit
6. Boston
7. Philadelphia
8. Montreal

in most blown 3-games-to-1 series leads. The only #1 seeded team to have a 3-1 series lead and go on to lose it. And they lost more Game 7's at home.

Sharks are interfering like crazy and getting away with it.

Franzen gets clipped with a stick and is bleeding... yet he takes the penalty?

Now it's a 5 on 3... b/c of a high stick! lol hilarious.

I love how big and bad the Sharks are, yet they fall over if a gust of wind hits them.

These pussies are the least scary team in the league.

gat damn yo! did the red wings run a train on this refs mom? these calls are horrible.

If the refs will grow a pair and call diving as well.

Setoguchi drops like he was taken out by a sniper, penalty called... he jumps up like nothing happened.

Thornton flying backwards as he skated towards Kronwall was hilarious, it defied physics.

Hey refs... pssst... you can call more than one penalty on a play. Say like when Setoguchi cuts Franzen's face in half and is subsequently tripped... you call both!

Again, not worried about this team at all! I suppose this could be a series of lucky bounces and horribly officiating, but I can't imagine it comes to that.

but youre right, shit is horrible, sharks players are on that WWE shit but not as convincing.

sharks dont worry me either man. these pussies couldnt win a series against a real team if their lives depended on it.

Fuck yea!



peace

rask is going to outplay boucher, it's just a matter of how badly. if he has one total flop game and does not stand on his head for two or three other games, then the flyers win. but i have confidence in rask and the other variable is how badly boucher is going to screw up. he will turn into a pumpkin, it's just a matter of when and how quickly.

the skaters, the flyers have more up front even with the injuries and a little more depth on D but their advantages are not as big as boston's could be in goal.

i hate to dump on boucher after he had an awesome series but he has not sustained a long run like this will take since 2003 or so.

REAL scary that there's still a decent chance we could play for the cup.

REALLLLLLLLY scary that after we add Taylor Hall we will win the division next season.

between home ice and goaltending, i give them about a 60% chance against the flyers, maybe 55%. that goes down against pittsburgh or even montreal because if montreal advances they will be like anaheim in 2003, clicking all over the ice and having a circus act in net.

Gagne comes back, we win, what a shock.

Every game has been close as hell, today was like the reverse of game 1 with the Flyers dominating but needing OT anyway (same deal with Bs in game 1, should have won in regulation for sure). Every game has been a one-goal game.

So yeah, I'd say the series is pretty much a 40/60 close type deal and it's not over yet. If not for the fact that we have a third string goalie I'd predict it going 7, I still think Philly will win the next game as it is.

How does it feel to be missing a bunch of guys and have your team suck as a result???

LEINO!!!!!

Thanks for the early correction, you sir first predicted the greatest comeback in recent history. Kudos to you.

But I feel good about a Philly matchup

Rask is playing out of his mind right now

GO PENS!

WTF CAPS?

I'm actually surprised myself at that stat.

That said if you watched the Pens' power play, they were REALLY patient w/ it and worked the Montreal defense. Gonchar helped orchestrate the power play to perfection.

it wasn't the amount of shots Halak faced, it was the QUALITY of shots Halak faced, too.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=320139

PENGUINS' STAAL OUT INDEFINITELY AFTER UNDERGOING SURGERY

If the Pittsburgh Penguins are to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, they may have to do so without Jordan Staal.

Staal underwent surgery Friday night to repair a severed tendon that runs across the top of his foot to his toe. The injury happened when he was cut by P.K. Subban's skate during a collision with the Montreal defenceman. It was originally believed that Staal would miss the remainder of the playoffs, however depending upon the healing process it is possible that Staal could join the Penguins drive by the Conference Final should the team advance that far.

Head coach Dan Bylsma told reporters at the morning skate on Saturday that Staal was day-to-day.

It is a similar injury to the one that caused Andrei Markov to miss 35 games at the beginning of the season.

The Thunder Bay, Ontario native had two goals and two assists in seven games for the Penguins in this year's playoffs. His loss will be felt on the Penguins penalty kill where the Selke Trophy nominee excels.

Staal had never missed an NHL game due to injury to this point in his career, having played 358 consecutive games.

BLLLLLAAAAAACKKKKKKKKKNNNNNNNNNNNNUHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

he played well today and great in overtime but he is not a good goalie, period, look how often he makes saves when he is stationary. almost never. he is always moving when the puck gets there. he is agile and has pretty good control of his body and equipment but his positioning and reaction are just not strong enough. you should be square and motionless more often than not, you see that with rask at the other end.

irredeemable

Went to a Bruins pre-season game, didn't get me then. but today's OT session.... got dayum. Had my dad interested and he ain't ever watched a hockey game in 55 years of living.

borderline classic

But I guess you can count me as an irredeemable failure since I didn't see the actual game and I'm watching the highlights.

How many times do we see these OT games end on a play where the shooter surprises the goalie with a quick trigger? Soft goal, if Savvy settles the puck on its side Boucher makes that save easily but the lack of hesitation got it to the back of the net.

I'm glad Savard scored it if anyone but WTF, what a waste of a great comeback and outstanding goaltending.

Another PP assist, long interview after the game, great work down low, didn't back down from anyone ... this kid is fucking awesome!

AND YOU SHALL KNOW MY NAME IS PERNELL WHEN I LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEE!

don't miss out because you're salty!

Even the Versus guys said, "You should probably put 'allegedly' in front of most of these calls".

What're we up to? 5 to 2 right now? I especially enjoy these phantom goaltender interference calls.

The Versus announcers are dumbfounded.

I have seen in the last 15 years.

8 to 3 PPs? Really?

Lidstrom's stick explodes at the absolute worst moment and Thornton gets a golden bounce off the skate to his blade.

Laughable.

10 powerplays, including a 5 on 3... to FOUR. 4. F-O-U-R.

2 of those 4 were less than 20 seconds long.

is even better than watching SJ's bunch of moody big for nothings (except Pavelski, USA, bitch!) flop again.

i have zero feel for how the games in detroit will go, whenever SJ gets secondary scoring they whip ass but now their top line guys are kinda off and on. detroit is gonna be charged up for sure.

You're the only one here who constantly bitch about the officiating... bitch.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

there have been two really bad calls and i admit i didn't watch every minute of both games but either way wings have had their chances and also had a bit of trouble moving their feet at times.

and they only lose 4-3 off a very lucky play, it's pretty telling of how officiating can dictate a game.

Two 5-3s in two games? I don't understand how when we go on the PP and Holmstrom, Cleary, and Bertuzzi get raped in front of the net or hauled down going for loose pucks (admitted by SJ players)... and we never get a 5 on 3? Detroit is the only team that has the "Holmstrom Rule" in effect that allows defenders to go crazy on them. It really makes zero sense.

what a joke

a lot of those calls arent even regular season penalties, much less playoff penalties. whats the point of the diving call?

Some games you have to practically murder someone to get a call, other games you sneeze and to the PP box you go! And half the time, it's the same officiating crew in both cases.

In the regular season, the Wings are the 2nd LEAST penalized team - yet in the playoffs where they play the exact same style, we get games like this.

Why the phantom calls? IT MAKES NO SENSE.

bertuzzi mad as shit, they will call him for anything right now.

that was a legit too many men call.

i watched about half the game with the phillies on opposite but most of what i saw seemed legit, a couple slashing calls and some other stick work. i didn't see any dives and i don't see it in the penalty summary, do you mean there should have been matching minors for diving on some plays?

like babcock said, when you're playing well you don't consider bounces and calls to be luck, you just think you are working hard.

detroit needs the two-game sweep at home, they get it, they are fine, if not, they are boned.

But don't worry, one day Colorado will be relevant again... well, maybe.

Until then, lets keep your posts containing such gems as "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" and "LOL NABOKOV", as that pretty much is the extent of your hockey knowledge.

By the way, the officiating is horrible.

nm

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH

Also,

TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKA

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

N: u watching this live now
A: yes since second period
A: lucic is a fag
N: yeah boston's captain, too
A: nah, chara is too tall to be gay, you'd need a ladder to reach his anus. i imagine he is some sort of asexual sadist who wrestles men and slaps women's breasts with a switch for his amusement
N: yeah i read that in his profile in the hockey news

flyers will be OK, you gotta win four games one way or another so these next two at home will be a fine start. i still think the bruins will win the series but not on the strength of this lead, it'll become a three-game series.

second goal (get ... behind me, satan!) was baby shit soft, terrible, wow. looch goal was a legit tally, terrible puck battles by flyers on that one. great play by pronger at the end but ultimately was meaningless.

thing that is hurting the flyers, as i expected, is that we are being forced to play two guys in offensive situations who are deficient and our overall skating ability is weak when you swap out gagne and carter for extended duty for JVR, Hartnell and Leino. Briere cost us one goal in the first game but overall his move to center has been OK I guess, I'd still rather see Giroux as the second line center and put Briere on a wing with the intention to shoot more.

hartnell is slow as fuck, he is missing chances all over the place in both these series. leino is garbage, he can get to the spot and it seems like he has hands but he cannot finish. jvr is playing shitty, too, he's been shitty for a while now and we cannot just hide him anymore. carcillo is the only guy seeing expanded responsbility and responding well but he is also a weak skater. arguably we lost our two best skating forwards, at a minimum our best in gagne. that has been huge in these airtight games.

Y'all see that fight just now? Crazy!

Even though I hate when they call him that (there is only one Guy Lafleur!) he played AMAZING tonight. Halak was zoned in again but Fleury was better, he stoned Cammalleri late, what a stunner.

On that goal it was a hard, accurate shot and a nice, decisive pass but neither was anything special, the screen by Crosby scored it really. He will do ANYTHING, that is what has separated from his peers in the Eastern Conference this year (Datsyuk and Sedin did similar things in the West).

Subban had another nice game they basically promoted him from number 7 DMan to number 1 and that is not an exaggeration. He's partnered with Hamrlik most of the time and at the end of the game they double shifted him playing with Bergeron and then Hamrlik as they scrambled for the equalizer.

STOP TAKING STUPID UNDISCIPLINED PENALTIES!!!! FUCK!

i mean the refs screwed us in the first 2 games for a couple calls, but stop playing like jack asses. im looking at you holmstrom and franzen.

nothing like OT to scare the shit out of you.

The series is over, we won (c)TMac

Given their history it would be a bigger accomplishment to LOSE the series than win it for San Jose.

This series is over, I doubt it even goes back to San Jose.

I exhausted my anger the first 2 games.

JASON WILLIAMS IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE! It's so hilarious that he is the jackass that causes a 2 on 1 with his amazingly awful shot. The only reason he's playing is because Eaves is hurt.

I truly believe Jason Williams only exists to ruin my life.

Me upon news of us signing the bastard...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s

terrible angle to score, hit the net and hopefully get a rebound off the far pad. he winded and fired like al mcinnis drifting into the center of the ice.

thornton has been reading the papers(' archives), game-winner and a game-winning dime in three games.

i hope the sharks sweep us now so we can just get the rest we obviously need.

we tried to make something out of a pretty shitty season and jimmy howard is gonna be a problem for years to come.

it always sucks going out like this.

oh and fuck the sharks, i hope vancouver beats the shit out of them in the next round.

that series is going 7 and in the next round i like san jose to beat vancouver because vancouver's defense (apart from the usually finesse Edler)has been super soft.

detroit has a long time to rest, for chrissakes gotta at least pull for one last home win.

i am not gonna be talking too too much shit with the flyers also down 0-2 but i feel pretty good about the home games and we are not playing a team this good either.

>that series is going 7 and in the next round i like san jose
>to beat vancouver because vancouver's defense (apart from the
>usually finesse Edler)has been super soft.

it may go 7 but i still got vancouver winning that series. luongo is the main reason i think they will win.

>detroit has a long time to rest, for chrissakes gotta at least
>pull for one last home win.

this is just a mix of me being mad (yup, im mad) and disappointed, wish we could lose to a team that didnt have a bunch of bitches on it. i actually do hope they beat san jose at least once.

>i am not gonna be talking too too much shit with the flyers
>also down 0-2 but i feel pretty good about the home games and
>we are not playing a team this good either.

yeah, being down 0-2 vs 0-3 though are 2 different stories. flyers can still make that a series. im not saying the red wings cant make it interesting, im sure they could, but reality tells me theyre gonna get finished in 4 or 5 now.

>it may go 7 but i still got vancouver winning that series.
>luongo is the main reason i think they will win.

the series will come down to quinneville making a smart guess on when to give huet a start. if he gets a good hunch and plugs him in there on what would have been an off night for niemi and he plays OK, the hawks win. if niemi starts every game, they lose. niemi too streaky and the canucks have found his achilles heel to boot.


>this is just a mix of me being mad (yup, im mad) and
>disappointed, wish we could lose to a team that didnt have a
>bunch of bitches on it. i actually do hope they beat san jose
>at least once.

U MAD! FURIOUS! ANGER!

nah i understand of course.


>yeah, being down 0-2 vs 0-3 though are 2 different stories.
>flyers can still make that a series. im not saying the red
>wings cant make it interesting, im sure they could, but
>reality tells me theyre gonna get finished in 4 or 5 now.

yeah 0-2 is only bad if you hosted the first two games, like if chicago were down 0 2 theyd be ffffffucked. but the flyers just need to hold serve now. i think they will but ultimately lose anyway.

You right. They haven't been able to clear their own net. Byfuglien was a monster tonight.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

Wooooooooooo weeeeeeeeee!

Aaaaand the Lidstrom era is just about over..maybe a game or two left. Sure he'll still play for another year or two but he was the engine that drove them for years and now he's running on empty. Can't say I'm upset about that!



peace

Jeebuz, TERRIBLE passing by the Flyers today. They had some good stretches in the middle of the game, late in the first and much of the second but Rask was up to that task and otherwise they were just letting the puck skip over their stickers all over the ice.

I cannot say we'd have beaten Boston with Carter and Gagne but it sure as hell would have been more competitive (and of course the first two games went right down to the wire). You take out three of your top nine forwards and it's crazy how much worse you get a man up and just moving the puck in general. Krajicek is terrible, BTW.

Hawks cruising to a win right now, who was it taking Vancouver all the way? They are all up in Luongo's blender. Even if they rally to win this series I don't think they can handle San Jose.

Just showing the extent of my hockey knowledge.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

tried in one post, tried in the thread about MLB, no dice. i dunno what people were less interested, walleye's scouting of junior high baseball players or my update on black dudes in the NHL (OK I do know ... the eighth graders got way more burn!)

The kid is fun to watch.

Does Stewie count? His game is rounding out slowly but surely. I'm speaking too soon but I think he's got a good chance to knock off Iginla out of the Top Asiatic PF.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

i put his brother in the first one but he sucks pretty much, second one was playoff only.

i drafted stewart in our dynasty league a couple years ago, always liked him but he came into the draft workouts a little fat and the knock was that he was moody. he still went pretty high so i figured my hunch he was GOOD was correct.

whoever coached him with the monsters did a good job getting him to be a consistent effort guy, that was the main knock on him. now he is lean and mean, heckuva player. now if they can iron out the flightiness of hensick, maybe they add another good forward there.

i'd say the race for next stud power forward of african descent is between stewart, okposo and kane. i think kane is the guy but they are all pretty good. the early scouting on stewart and okposo was lazy, they kept comparing stewart to his brother and okposo to iginla (both nigerian descent). now i think i'd say stewart is most like corey perry or someone like that and okposo is sort of like morrow or a winger version of brad richards (although he is nearly identical size to iginla).

That primadonna shit wasn't gonna fly with Sacco. Stewie and Wolski would've made a great tandem but dude never got the message and they shipped his ass out for Mueller. Weird trade but it worked out for both teams though.

I'm on the fence with Okposo but I'm rooting for him.

Kane was going to be Colorado's pick if they missed on either Tavares or Duchene. Can you imagine an Asiatic Duo doing damage in L? He's already proven his worth as an Asiatic Warrior by KO'ing bitchass Cooke.

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

>That primadonna shit wasn't gonna fly with Sacco. Stewie and
>Wolski would've made a great tandem but dude never got the
>message and they shipped his ass out for Mueller. Weird trade
>but it worked out for both teams though.

i knew that was a good deal, both main players needed a change of scenery but i like the deal for the avs because i think porter is at least a top nine forward who could be a second line guy. he was a beast at michigan. i'm curious to see how phoenix's other young guys do, they committed early to boedker and turris but that makes sense (biggest investments).

>I'm on the fence with Okposo but I'm rooting for him.

the concussion at the beginning of the year threw him off plus the islanders suck. i'd like to see him struggle enough to get traded and then take off big somewhere else. i think at a minimum he is gonna be a second line guy, 25-30 goals, he is strong and has a nice shot. maybe like a nathan horton type producer.

>Kane was going to be Colorado's pick if they missed on either
>Tavares or Duchene. Can you imagine an Asiatic Duo doing
>damage in L? He's already proven his worth as an Asiatic
>Warrior by KO'ing bitchass Cooke.

i think the thrashers are eager to get another black star, they were trying to get wayne simmonds this year for sure. can't go wrong with duchene from colorado's standpoint.


there are some guys coming through junior, too, i don't know of any big prospects next year but jones will come through everett pretty soon hopefully (if not an american university) and pk subban's brother malcolm, a goalie, could start in belleville next year.

it's really encouraging now to be looking at some really solid pros and guys with star potential. i think it won't be long until there is at least one black player on every team, pretty amazing considering there have been fewer than 50 ever to play a full season in the NHL.



>Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.
>
>Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

I want Okposo on the Caps badly.

Kane looks nice.

We are considering a Malcolm Subban IPO next season, be advised, hopefully he gets the starting job in Belleville.

that guy from montreal with the weird, seizure-inducing russian guy in his avatar (drummerboy???)

.

This sucks, but luckily injuries don't have the same impact on a team in hockey as they do in other sports. I'm still confident we close out the Flyers in Game 4 and will still put up a fight in the ECF.

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2010/05/confirmed_krejc.html?camp=localsearch:on:twit:bruins

PHILADELPHIA -- David Krejci will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken right wrist in last night's first period.

"Brutal," a source close to Krejci said of the news.

Krejci was injured when he was blasted in open ice by Mike Richards, seconds before Miroslav Satan gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead. Krejci has four goals and four assists through nine playoff games, his point total the third-highest behind Satan and Patrice Bergeron.

Krejci had been centering Satan and Milan Lucic on the team's most dangerous offensive line. Krejci was also the quarterback on the No. 1 power-play unit on the left-side half-boards, while also seeing plenty of penalty-killing time.

Krejci is the second top-six forward to be knocked out of the playoffs during the second round. Marco Sturm tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee in Game 1.

Either Trent Whitfield or Brad Marchand, who have been healthy scratches throughout the playoffs, will replace Krejci.

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia first reported the injury last night.

we are playing arron asham on the top power play unit, lol, injuries have KILLED us in this series.

Luckily other guys have been pickin it up lately, but SHIT if Sturm and David lost ina few days time doesnt severely impact this team's run from here on out

All I know is, WHen I grow up, I want to be like Mark Recci

he is kinda flighty but goddamn has he been doing the job for them.

I watch the Sharks now and then during the regular season but for the most part I just wait for the playoffs. Of course I'm surprised and thrilled with the Sharks run but I really dig how we have so many "classic" franchises left in the final 8. I really want the Blackhawks to win their series and the Bruins to win the east so the Sharks path to the cup would include.... Wings, Hawks & B's... for a team from a non-traditional city that's as good as it gets.
_________________________________
Reunion Radio Podcasts
Bringing Together Five Decades of R&B/Funk/Soul/Dance

http://reunionradio.blogspot.com/

Latest episode- The Vortex 2 (Mix Show)

b/c I simply can't have the Pens in the finals again, let alone winning back to back

montreal-boston would be epic, similarly talented team, classic original six rivalry. i'm fine with a less traditional matchup in the west, i still have love for the blackhawks but i wouldn't cry if either vancouver or san jose had their first chance to hoist the Cup. two awesome groups of fans in those cities, the canucks fans are super knowledgeable and the sharks fans travel astonishingly well.

>and the sharks fans travel astonishingly well.

There is a cat I work with on vacation right now back in Detroit. He's a season ticket holder too ... we're in Sacramento which is a 2 1/2 hour drive to San Jose yet he makes about 75% of the games.


_________________________________
Reunion Radio Podcasts
Bringing Together Five Decades of R&B/Funk/Soul/Dance

http://reunionradio.blogspot.com/

Latest episode- The Vortex 2 (Mix Show)

So I'm looking to take my hockey viewership full-time. Problem is, I have no team.

I'm originally from Houston so traditionally support teams from H-Town which of course causes a problem for the NHL. I've felt like maybe I should support the Stars as a substitute but I usually hate teams from Dallas (Mavs and Cowboys).

I lived in Palo Alto for four years during the time when I really started to follow hockey which means Sharks.

But when I was really young I though the Red Wings were cool (and I swear to God I had no knowledge of their success relative to other teams in the league) and have probably followed them more closely than anyone else. Of course, they strike me as a very Yankees-Lakers-Man United-ish team that people just latch onto. And I don't want to be one of those guys.

So, what do I do?




And fuck Cindy Crosby too.

There's not really any one huge glamor team in the sport that has a ton of bandwagoners. I couldn't really hate on you adopting them as your squad. I dislike the Stars anyway, so I'd say avoid them. Something about their overuse of black and the way they left Minnesota, combined with Turco and Modano, makes me really despise that team.

Detroit plays hard and they play the right way. Some awesome skill guys and a smart as hell organization. Even if you dislike them, you have to respect them unless you're a Blackhawks or Avs fan...then you should just hate em for rivalry reasons.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

is a big endorsement. I've tried to follow the Stars but the Red Wings always just seem to keep my attention.

I'll definitely have to take this under advisement.

_________________________________
Reunion Radio Podcasts
Bringing Together Five Decades of R&B/Funk/Soul/Dance

http://reunionradio.blogspot.com/

Latest episode- The Vortex 2 (Mix Show)

FUCK THE BITCH ASS PENGUINS AND THAT BITCH ASS PUSSY CROSBY.

him or any other russian player really.

>FUCK THE BITCH ASS PENGUINS AND THAT BITCH ASS PUSSY CROSBY.
>
>
>

Every time one of their players falls, they start cheering since they love bitchass hockey and think they're getting a penalty. Then, when the penalty isn't called because it wasn't committed, they cry like the cunt-ass whores they are.

I know it would be theoretically better for the Bruins right now to see Montreal win, but I can never, ever, ever, ever even think of rooting for those whores when they're playing at home.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

they go to a bar in the DC area

his friend goes up to the bartender and asks for an ovechkin

the bartender looks at him

whats an ovechkin????

a white russian with no ice and no cup

Yes, Cuban b(e)... helpin'.

Don't think-FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! © Bruce Lee

but either way i want them to beat the shit out of each other for 7 games while we sit and wait

thanks for winning at least one red wings.

total meltdown from SJ in the 3rd period

from thornton's psychotic antics to 6'3 240lb doug murray's (and his career 6.5pim:1pt ratio) runs at a 4x lady byng winner. mcclellan isnt marc crawford so i imagine he IS a little embarrassed.

i think san jose is in trouble. if they had stayed calm and acted like they knew this one result wasnt a big deal, i wouldn't say that. but they went into "sky is falling mode".

i know SJ is a tough place to play but if the Wings score first on saturday that crowd will shut right up.

i get the sense that either san jose wins saturday or the wings win in 7

13 pts for zetterberg's line? *low whistle*

they are just too talented

but then again what do I know
_________________________________
Reunion Radio Podcasts
Bringing Together Five Decades of R&B/Funk/Soul/Dance

http://reunionradio.blogspot.com/

Latest episode- The Vortex 2 (Mix Show)

there is just so much good shit that i am getting desensitized, this mtl-pit game is awesome, watching the recording now and just kinda ho hum doing paperwork while halak puts on a show in the third and both teams pass the puck brilliantly all game.

I got money, n***a (c) O-Dogg, I'm not giving a fuck about a chick's paper anyway.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/448811/sid.html

Crosby doesn't like that kinda stuff.

The wings have been down 0-3 8 times before this series and 7 times outta 8 they have forced a game 7..........pretty crazy.

7 out of 8 times they've been swept....

Pretty crazy how little they have played in Pittsburgh's end and still won. Yeah Halak has been very good but it's not only that, their collapse down low has made it tough to get anything through from either point and limited clean chances down low, too.

Yesterday they could have shut the Pens out if not for a couple little fluky things, a takedown of a DMan and a puck going in off a skate. They are making the Pens score ugly and taking away their stars, hmmm, sounds familiar ...

TOEWS ... HAT TRICK, BITCH!

The crowd was great, especially in the 3rd period... until the goal @ :36. Fucking Recchi.

Gagne showed quite a bit of heart. He was obviously still in pain, yet played a hell of a game.

I swear to god, if Hartnell is on this team next year, I may boycott. I don't know how or why he regressed so badly from last year, but he looks like he belongs in the AHL.

I have been saying it since the Pens series last year, after the dumb penalties he took he should have been traded for a goddamn 6th round pick.

He is DONE as a Flyer if anyone will take him, any sort of cap dump would be acceptable.

In this series he has looked worse than usual because he is forced to play with speed. The fact that he has no hands and no wheels can be hidden with our full complement of players. Last year he made his living crashing the net and sometimes his agitation was an asset but this year, yuck, he's not even been a waste of space, he's been a detriment.

i will admit when i saw hartnell-briere-leino i said, well, this line looks good for a minus today.

GLAD TO BE DEAD WRONG!

nm

Datsyuk...I believe in you...

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

I don't think I can deal with this right now...

To San Jose...we used to just piss on the Sharks and now look at us...

It's cool...we turned this season around. Jimmy Howard will only get better...*sigh*...

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"-Anonymous

http://api.ning.com/files/ibhtJCHk2ouN7HlTkIP92YIUqu9EE4iiYCyAaPKxvpA_/cb_ein0011.jpg

these dudes are just tired, theyve played way too many games this year.

Jimmy is gonna be excellent for a long time, but Dastyuk and Zetterberg are probably past their best days. You need some youth on the front line in a major way right now, because guys like Filppula, Helm and who, maybe Abdelkader are solid 2-4 line players but certainly not high end stars.

May need some youth on the blueline too, but I also may be higher on Jonathan Ericcson than the general public...there's something about the kid that I love in my limited chances to really watch the Wings.

Either way, I think there are a couple of rebuilding (which may well be playoffs still) years in the immediate future for Detroit, and I think unless they swing some kind of deal that they're very close to out of time as a true Cup contender.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University: 2009 National Champions

2008-09 and 2006-07 Zeno Memorial League Champion

I'm not ready to crown him yet, how many goalies have we seen put together one very very good season or even two?

Dude is not a straight up thoroughbred or anything.

Even so they got good goaltending in the minors with the swedish guy (i want to ericsson but that's not right) and mccollum although i'm kind of worried mccollum sucks (he is an american kid).

Long run I think Detroit has two problems, defence (gaining depth, replacing Lidstrom) and those onerous contracts for Hank and Franzen. I still maintain those were/are terrible.

Lol @ the analysts and Wings fans alike tawnbout this wasn't Detroit's year, that wasn't their tune since about ten minutes after the Olympic break. The better team won, purriod. Cannot wait for SJ-Chi, potentially wild contrast if Montreal can pull it out with two bottom three seeds in one conference and the top two in the other. Champ is coming out of the West this year and I pretty much never say that. I'm conflicted personally because I love Chicago and picked them but on the flipside if SJ makes it I can go to a game or two.

That and they're just not good enough anymore.

They could get by with mediocre goaltending in the past but father time is a bitch, isn't he?

Jiri Hudler should change things around though...right? lol



peace

other than maybe kronwall i don't see any guys getting substantially better on their roster and in their farm system they are pretty thin. of course they have a way of surprising with late picks and all that but just looking at it on paper i am really underwhelmed.

larsson and mccollum could be good but if howard sticks it doesn't matter. i've seen a fair amount of mccollum, could be a poor man's marc andre fleury. larsson i don't really know.

kindl is a project IMO, brendan smith is pretty skilled so they have some middle pairing type guys there, which they will need soon.

up front i really don't see much, tatar is probably their best shot at a star at any position but he could go the way of hudler and leino and these other euro flops of late. i like his game though from what i saw at the WJC two years ago, this coming year will be make or break in his development though. normally i like guys who shoot up the draft board but i look for a big year building on that progress. i don't think he had that this year but he played respectably considering he was making the transition to north american hockey. i could see him being the griffins' best player next year and making an impact down the line once he is fully acclimated and a little stronger.

They still have a great G.M. & head coach. Lidstrom just can't do it physically anymore, and while his actual physical play was never the basis for his brilliance the fact that he can no longer get to the right spots in the same amount of time hurts their team d.

Plus they just didn't have anything left in the tank after basically playing playoff hockey for the last month or so of the season.

Oh Todd Bertuzzi, your career was over that fateful night in Vancouver 6 years ago.



peace

Cannot control the game defensively like he could in the past but still brilliant with the puck and at least adequate at all times on D.

You have to wonder how much longer he will play though, he just turned 40.

They will live to regret that Franzen deal, Zetterberg, too but at least he will earn his paycheck and then some for a few years first. I am sure they will stock up in the draft these next couple of years though to get depth at low prices.

No one makes it look easier than Malkin when he's on. He was a one-man show last night.

Let's go Sid, you played well the last few games but it's time to show something for your efforts.

If Hal Gill is indeed out then I think it's beyond the Habs, even at home to win game 6.



peace

in this series.

that we don't need to RELY on him to get goals and win?

This is shocking that teammates, you know, matter.

actually, i'm sick and tired of your fucking bellyaching about them so get another fucking football team. no, wait, you'll bellyache and cry about that football team too.

better yet, since your life is so miserable, why don't you take a loaded gun, put it in your mouth, and pull the fucking trigger? do a bunch of us a favor.

This made the Pens loss last night so much better.

Thank you for this.

especially with guerin being out at one point, that old fart is easily your best forward outside of the three centermen, who are all quite good. kunitz is just an average second line guy and he is being hailed as something special, ponik has always sucked.

it's how we won the cup last year, and it's how we'll do it again this year if we get that far.

also, each series from here on in is going to go seven game that the pens are in. so i'm used to that already.

did you miss the part where sid and gino were 1-2 in playoff points by wide margins?

they got BIG goals from the bottom six last year, talbot and cooke and all, but they would have gotten NOWHERE without their best players being their best players. that is also how they beat ottawa, sid dominated the series.

if those guys keep combining for 5 shots and no goals, you lose.

we'll be back

Yeh they are always loud but after the third goal to take the lead, possibly the loudest sustained roar I've ever heard.

on a regular basis.

Down the nearside boards, fake spin, beats Eaton, takes it across the crease, and finishes for the 2 goal lead. Sick.

i have not been to detroit yet but most of the other really reputed ones (chicago, toronto, philly, san jose etc) and le centre bell is THE place to see a game. great design, huge capacity, wonderful fans, loud as shit and plus you can buy a dime bag on the corner and drink with french-italian broads all night afterward. it would probably be the greatest city in north america if not for the seven months of siberian winter.

did it to the caps, too.

that was intense. Really fun to watch.

nm

Gagne, the NHL's most underappreciated player (except by, I dunno, TEAM CANADA!) scores two goals, Leino has a big ass coming out party (sorry for calling you a twat, Ville ... more than once), the Flyers DOMINATE, Leighton looks pretty ready (I don't think Boucher will be back) and in the meantime Le Centre Bell EXPLODES as the Habs force game 7. Subban was the first intermission interview if you missed it, not as good as the long one with McGuire over the weekend but dude is already the face of that team. Cammalleri doesn't talk that much for whatever reason.

Funny shit, too, behind the net the Habs defend twice there is the big smiling bearded guy and the "La Vie e'st BELL" sign and right next to it VIAGARA. No one considered the placement of these two ads as a funny juxtaposition or what?

7) Philadelphia vs. 8) Montreal

1) San Jose vs. 2) Chicago


I actually wanted to see Philadelphia win so history could be made.

Dave Bolland, a guy who could have costed Chicago the game and let San Jose back in the series, scored and assisted on the game-winner. It looks like Chicago just might be that team.

They costed at times and still won, they had goaltending uncertainty and it didn't matter. Niemi went from no two lousy games in a row to no lousy games. No team has a clearer identity than these guys IMO, most distinct and most talented team in the business.

Philadelphia 2, Montreal 0

he was in such a rush to get to the bench when his partner couldnt change carrying the puck. he didn't even read the pinch or see the turnover, left them playing with NO ONE deep. bad turnover by subban with his overhandling, sure, but hamrlik really hung them out to dry and for no good reason.

pronger and timonen each had brilliant games today, near perfect, really. pronger made every one-on-one play and timonen had narrow margin for error and NAILED several difficult plays in transition. pronger had it going on offense, too, sweet setup on the leino goal and some other great breakout passes, he really brought his whole arsenal today.

What an impressive display of defense by the Flyers.

Byfuglien did it again. His 3rd game-winning goal of the series. Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for making it to the Finals.

But damn, I really thought the Sharks had it this year... And now with the free agents and a lot of people expecting them not to resign Marleau because of how much other teams will offer him is really gonna put them in a tough spot... I think the Sharks have strong veteran forwards and goood young forwards who will only get better next year... They need another offensive d-man... Vlasic really slipped this year with I think only 3 goals or something... Blake fell off from last year... Need more speed and scoring from the D... I hope they can keep the team together for the most part... GO SHARKS!

greiss is not ready yet and they have too good of a goaltending system to replace their starter from without IMO. marleau was good in this series and great all year. he is their best two-way forward easily, very good defensive player and a top notch goal scorer. unless he wants to cash in big time and get out, he will be back.

they need a couple of defensive stalwarts, if they had hannan and mclaren doing their thing like five years ago they'd be unstoppable.

But I wouldn't be surprised because we have spoiled fans in the bay area... I was one of the few people I know that stuck up for Marleau when tons of fans out here wanted him traded last year... Fans out here didn't stop talking about trading him until the season started... And throughout the season, even fans at games talked about how the Sharks need to get rid of Nabby... I was in shock... Nabby is one of the best goalies in the league... Fans are already blaming him for losing to the blackhawks... check the Sharks facebook page... It rediculous... Sharks don't score more than 2 goals in any of the 4 games, only 7 goals all series (5 by Marleau), and fans blame Nabby... I really don't understand how most fans in San Jose think this way...

Niemi is on fire, they have their cycle game up and running at full-speed, great play all around highlighted by Toews, Kieth and Byfuglien.....my Sharks friend and I were discussing the playoffs before they started and we both figured that the Hawks would be a serious challenge.

Vancouver and San Jose aren't pushovers, and yet Chicago handled both.