NHL playoffs anyone?

[DaForce]

Just wondering, but does anyone here (besides me) actually watch hockey? The playoffs are on, the playing is actually pretty good for a change, and yet you guys are talking about the NFL draft?!? (Where's the snoozing smiley when you need it?)

Football's dead till Fall, baseball has yet another scandal (and isn't fully watchable anyway unless you're three sheets to the wind), and basketball is...well, basketball (which doesn't say much).

[omicron]

Yes, I watch. And I almost cried yesterday when my beloved Dallas Stars were eliminated by the freaking #7 seed Colorado Avalanche. Damnit!

Now my sole goal is to see the DeadWings get elimanated by the Oilers. :romy:

Omicron

[neglet]

Now my sole goal is to see the DeadWings get elimanated by the Oilers. :romy:

Omicron

Hold your tongue, you damn weepy Buckeye! :romy:

[Stephen]

Was a huge hockey fan up until this season of the Boston Bruins.

Simply put, one of the worst managements in all of sports. They have ruined hockey for us now, if not forever

[syphon2006]

I love my Bruins but, anybody who's payed any attention to any Boston club, they have horrible management.

Boston Redsox... the curse (Babe Ruth, traded Bagwell, Clemens, Martinez now Damon almost all in their primes) may have been lifted but still poor mangaement never ends.
Boston Celtics... Just bad luck, but also bad management
Boston Bruins... Traded away Adam Oates, Ray Bourque and now Joe Thorton just a couple off the top of the head.

Im going for the MIGHTY Ducks now, so maybe they wont have to change their name to the ducks?

[Penfold]

I'm pulling for the Hurricanes...I'm originally from NC, and while I still ain't too convinced that hockey belongs in NC, I gots to pull for the homeboys.

[Scotia]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/tekrelic/Ottawa-Senators.jpg

[sickness]

It's really funny. When my Sharks sucked, I was always pulling for them to get better. When they were missing the playoffs by a point or two, I was always pulling for them to make that last point or two. Now that they're perennial second-round contenders at least, I couldn't care less for some reason.

[Scotia]

And, just like that the Red Wings are going golfing! Getting bounced by the eighth seed must be a humbling experience. Im thinking if Datsyuk and Yzerman had been 100 percent healthy things would have played out differently. Also thought Legace was average through the seriies and looked really uncomfortable at times. Not that Roloson was much better. He was as good as he had to be. If The Oil meet Calgary in the next round they're dead.

But for now...the soul searching begins in Detroit.

[neglet]

But for now...the soul searching begins in Detroit.

Only after the wailing and gnashing of teeth is finished. A TV poll this morning had 65% of respondents thinking Yzerman should retire, I think the man should do what he wants without paying attention to polls, he's earned the right.

Still ... ousted by the 8th seed! The pain! The agony! The--

What's that? The Pistons lead their series 3-1? The Tigers won again last night? Excuse me, I'm going to spend some quality time in another sports thread.:D

[Stephen]

I love my Bruins but, anybody who's payed any attention to any Boston club, they have horrible management.

Boston Redsox... the curse (Babe Ruth, traded Bagwell, Clemens, Martinez now Damon almost all in their primes) may have been lifted but still poor mangaement never ends.
Boston Celtics... Just bad luck, but also bad management
Boston Bruins... Traded away Adam Oates, Ray Bourque and now Joe Thorton just a couple off the top of the head.

Im going for the MIGHTY Ducks now, so maybe they wont have to change their name to the ducks?


Boston Red Sox bad management? theyve got one of the best management in sports now, and Theo is probably the best you can get from a GM

[Meathead]

Pity me, I'm a Toronto Maple Laffs fan.
Haven't seen them win a Cup in my life (hint, I'm almost as old as their losing streak...) and I don't think they ever will. Gotta be the Ballard Curse.

[Scotia]

Pity me, I'm a Toronto Maple Laffs fan.
Haven't seen them win a Cup in my life (hint, I'm almost as old as their losing streak...) and I don't think they ever will. Gotta be the Ballard Curse.
The curse, huh?

It's clear that Ferguson is the problem in Toronto. No other GM in the league gets away with the shit this guy does. Forget about firing Quinn, Ferguson deserves the axe for the Lindross deal alone. Not to mention the horrendous additions of O'Neil and Allison. I mean, what the hell. He saddled the team with aging vets and guys made of glass and expected results. All he has left is a very frustrated Mats Sundin who probably wants very badly out of T.O.

Must suck to be a Leaf fan.

[syphon2006]

Stephen, The Redsox have a heck of a guy in Theo, however the redsox decided to let him go instead of giving him more money a few months back, thankfully he came back. They also lost Johnny Damon, over the offseason because of money and other reasons. The Redsox management recently (over the past 3 years has been not that bad as in the past) still though. The Redsox still have a ways to go, they're heading in the right direction though...

[DaForce]

Too bad this thread is about the NHL playoffs and hockey.


Howzabout you guys start a baseball (or as I call it, The World's Greatest Sleep Aid) thread?



:)

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Well, the Mighty Ducks knocked off Calgary tonight to win their series. Colorado is next. All the lower seeds in the West won their series's. I still have a team alive for now.

[sickness]

You're shitting me! I haven't been paying that much attention. That means the Sharks get #8!!!

[omicron]

hard to believe all top 4 seeds in the west are out.....

Omi

[omicron]

Was listening to Mike and Mike this morning, and they mentioned that the second round games of NHL got a .9 rating!! It was the lowest rated sports event of the weekend. Hell, rain delayed NASCAR beat it out last weekend.

Still, 'Hockey has enjoyed a minirevival at the box office this season after a string of less-impressive years but has also seen a TV-ratings dip. Attendance in the regular season was up more than 2% from the last season before the lockout, while average attendance-per-game of nearly 17,000 broke the league record set in 2001-02. But NHL broadcasts on OLN (which is renaming itself Versus) averaged only 162,000 viewers per regular-season game this year -- well under the average of more than 500,000 in the 2003-04 season, shown on ESPN.'* (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114625447230939065-4WLI0mssSg1HIvMa_M8B3kfIaJ8_20060528.html?mod=tff_ main_tff_top)

It really looks like it's going to be a while, if ever, that NHL will be a major US sport.

Omi

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Was listening to Mike and Mike this morning, and they mentioned that the second round games of NHL got a .9 rating!! It was the lowest rated sports event of the weekend. Hell, rain delayed NASCAR beat it out last weekend.

Still, 'Hockey has enjoyed a minirevival at the box office this season after a string of less-impressive years but has also seen a TV-ratings dip. Attendance in the regular season was up more than 2% from the last season before the lockout, while average attendance-per-game of nearly 17,000 broke the league record set in 2001-02. But NHL broadcasts on OLN (which is renaming itself Versus) averaged only 162,000 viewers per regular-season game this year -- well under the average of more than 500,000 in the 2003-04 season, shown on ESPN.'* (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114625447230939065-4WLI0mssSg1HIvMa_M8B3kfIaJ8_20060528.html?mod=tff_ main_tff_top)

It really looks like it's going to be a while, if ever, that NHL will be a major US sport.

Omi

I've always felt the NHL is a "major" sport in the US. The fans of each team tend to be rabid, and although the TV ratings aren't all that great, hockey is still one of the 4 majors (baseball, football, and basketball being the other 3). I'm just glad I have the OLN network.

[omicron]

Oh, I agree hockey is a great sport. I've been to dozens of games(I think I made six this year), including western conference finals. I had hoped to get to a cup game this year, but the stars decided to step on their dicks this year instead. :angry
I also hope to get to the All-star game next year down here in Dallas.

But realistically, NHL is below NASCAR, UFC, and most college sports in the eyes of the viewing public(not counting Canada, of course). And the ratings prove it. Right now, I bet you could stop Joe Average on the street, and he couldn't name a team in the playoffs.

Hell, Anaheim's rookie goalie set the second longest goal-less streak in history, and the longest since something like 1930! Imagine if a rookie pitcher had tossed 3 consecutive shutouts, ESPN would be all over it.

Omi

[DaForce]

My favorite fact out of this year's playoffs, 9 out of the 10 top goalies in the NHL are replacement goalies. Yup, only one of them started off the season as the starter.

First time in NHL history I believe.


Oh, and the Sharks are 2-0 against Edmonton. :wink:

[The Sym]

My favorite fact out of this year's playoffs, 9 out of the 10 top goalies in the NHL are replacement goalies. Yup, only one of them started off the season as the starter.

First time in NHL history I believe.


Oh, and the Sharks are 2-0 against Edmonton. :wink:


Anaheim is 3-0 against Da Lanche.... how bout dem devils :lol:

[Scotia]

Well, I am enjoying the playoffs so far. My Senators are looking a little bewildered right now, but I think with Alfredson joining Heatly and Spezza on the first line things are going to improve. Worst thing that could happen right now is to lose tonight and go down 3 games. There's just a handful of teams that have rebounded from that deficit so I don't need that kind of drama.

The Devils are looking awful. Marty is having a rather unremarkable year.

The Avs? I expected a lot better than this. They've run out of time im afraid.

[syphon2006]

How about those Anaheim MIGHTY Ducks, Im hoping they win the west and that the Jersey Devils get their act together...

[DaForce]

Blasphemer!!


I believe it's the Sharks year to go all the way. They have the momentum and the talent, and it looks like they've finally got the skills too.

[sickness]

They'll find a way to choke in the Conference Final. They always do, Daffy. Being from the Bay Area, you really should be familiar with the disappointment even the best Sharks team can bring.

[DaForce]

Sicky, I dunno. I know that Bay Area teams almost always choke in the semis or even the finals, but there's something different about the way the Sharks have been playing. I noticed it after the first game of the playoffs.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Blasphemer!!


I believe it's the Sharks year to go all the way. They have the momentum and the talent, and it looks like they've finally got the skills too.

San Jose's management really made a good decision getting Joe Thornton from the Bruins. He is the reason the Sharks will probably make it to the finals. The Ducks just don't match up right with San Jose. They would have been better off playing Edmonton in the finals.

[sickness]

And now the choking begins!!! Sharks lose 3-2 in TRIPLE OT! Sure, they're still up 2-1 in the series, but, if you know the Sharks, you know this is the beginning of the end.

[DaForce]

Meh, they lost one game. At least it puts things back in perspective for them instead of being cocky.

Toskala had 55 saves! 55 freakin saves! With 92 shots on goal.


All in all it wasn't a bad game. The only bad thing that shouldn't have happened was the second Edmonton goal. That was just a part of bad playing on the Shark's defensemen.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

And now the choking begins!!! Sharks lose 3-2 in TRIPLE OT! Sure, they're still up 2-1 in the series, but, if you know the Sharks, you know this is the beginning of the end.

Now you're sounding like a King's fan. I still smoulder over that Cup final with Montreal. Frakking Marty McSorely and his illegal stick . . . grrrrr . . .

Fear not, the Sharks are for real I think.

[The Sym]

They(THE SHARKS) will win the whole thing....... NOW HOW BOUT DEM DARE DEVILS :lol:

[DaForce]

Wow...the Sharks choked big time last night. 5 unanswered goals after leading 3-1. The Irbe curse continues.

Oh, the Irbe curse is this one way of playing that the SJ goalies have been passing down to one another since Arturs Irbe was playing in SJ. It consists of completely leaving the crease and moving 2-3 feet ahead of it essentially leaving the net wide open to a fast attack. I thought Toskala had escaped the curse, but it looks like Nabokov finally taught him that really stupid move. :angry

[Scotia]

Edmonton is playing well and after two straight they're the ones with momentum. The Oilers are come back kings. Remember the two quick goals Hemsky had against Detroit late in the third period in game five? They're forecheck just doesn't stop and every once in a while goalies are going get caught up like Toskala did Friday night. The Sharks have to slow the play in their own end because Edmonton likes to shoot the puck. Dump it and make them skate. If Toskala can handle the pressure, and he must be feeling it now, then the Sharks can win this series. He doesn't have that much playoff experience but he is one of the elite goalies in the league.

Anyway....

[Scotia]

Sabres eliminate Senators in overtime

OTTAWA (CP) - Another night, another hero.

That's the story of the Buffalo Sabres, who make up for a lack of big names by having different players come up big every night.

On Saturday it was Jason Pominville, a fourth-line winger who blasted by Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and scored a beauty of a short-handed winner 2:26 into overtime on Ray Emery to eliminate the favoured Senators. TSN (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=165821&hubname=)

Best record in the NHL, most points, most goals for, best power play, etc... they don't mean squat. I love my team, but Ottawa cannot help but bitch out come playoff time. The underachiever tag is gonna stick now. All talent no heart. Manhandled all over the ice, pushed around in front of the net, out muscled in the corners. I mean come on. Alfredson looked like me out there tonight. Both he and Redden WATCHED the last goal go in! Son of a bitch.

The thing that bothers me the most here is the fact that major changes are in store. Come September this team is not going to look the same and that scares the crap out of me. All season I felt like this is it, finally a team that has it all put together. Don't f*ck with it. Tweak here and there, just don't f*ck it up. No chance of avoiding that now. Heads are going to roll. And there is a good chance that the phrase "rebuilding" will pop up, which roughly translated means, "we're going ice a team of turds for the next few seasons."

I'm getting loaded tonight.

[Penfold]

Go Hurricanes.

People in NC must be noticing they have a hockey team right about now...I remember when they made it to the Finals a few years ago, no one really noticed until they made their run through the playoffs.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Well, sickness, you appear to be right about the Sharks. I should have known you'd be right.

Ok, bring on the Oilers, then.

[Scotia]

So I take it Joe Thornton isn't getting man of the year in SJ?

Sure, the playoffs are all about goaltending and Toskala was shaky, but damn, you can't win if you don't put a few pucks in the other guy's net. Joe got ragged on in Boston for his lack of production at clutch time and it looks like the ragging will continue.

But, life goes on...

Buffalo/Carolina: This series looks like a dandy. Two very similar teams that play on speed rather than size. Both can boast about their solid net minding but I predict a lot of goals in this series. Carolina plays a really open style that takes advantage of the two line pass (best rule change of the year). Their forwards are speedy enough to get back in their own end so odd man rushes are uncommon, which is a big reason why Ward is playing so well. Buffalo plays a similar style but they look deeper to me. Points come from every line on this team so they're a blast to watch. This might be the best match up of the playoffs.

Carolina in 7

Edmonton/Anaheim : Edmonton crushed Detroit in five games and came back to beat SJ in four straight. No doubt now, the Oil are for real. After a mediocre regular season Pronger is finally playing like the all star he really is. Same with Peca. I want to give Edmonton the edge here because right now they're on a high coming off that awsome SJ series. They're motivated and playing solid two way hockey. The Ducks meanwhile, are well rested and have been potent in these playoffs. Selanne is having a career post season but the break between this series and the last may eff up his stride. I didn't see a single reg season Ducks game all year so this one is a tough call. Based on the fact that Ducks goalie Bryzgalov has only played
a handful of NHL games vs Roloson's years of experience, plus the grit factor that the Oliers have in abundance, I'll say...

Edmonton in 6

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

I knew I didn't want to play Edmonton. The Ducks are in deep doo doo right now. Edmonton just has their number, and that is that.

[Scotia]

I'll say...

Carolina in 7

Edmonton in 6
So, anybody wanna pat me on the back for a job well done? I was spot on with Carolina in 6 and a nut hair off with the Edmonton series. The Oil took it in five, to be exact.

This time around, I gonna say Edmonton in six. Roloson is seeing the puck extremely well and the Oiler's defence is solid. If Pronger can play disciplined hockey then Carolina is going to get very few quality chances. Edmonton cannot take bad penalties here at all. The Hurricanes are deadly with the man advantage. Something like 24 or 25 percent. It's gonna to be a fun series I think at least here in Canada. Seems the whole country have become Oiler fans over night. Even in Calgary which can get you pounded on most nights during the regular season.

[Penfold]

Game 1, 5-4 Hurricanes.

Go Canes.

[omicron]

I would have thought the Oilers were going to take this, but losing their goalie might be a bigger blow than they can overcome.

Omi

[Natalie]

I don't care about hockey, but I am from the Carolinas and my boyfriend is making me watch this....so....umm....

Go Hurricanes, I guess.

[Penfold]

Game 2, 5-0 Hurricanes.

Go Canes.

[Penfold]

Game 3, 2-1 Oilers.

Go Canes anyway.

[Penfold]

Game 4, 2-1 Hurricanes.

Go Canes.

[The Sym]

Great f**king game. Way to go OILERS! C-ya Saturday night babyeeeee! :jump2:

[Scotia]

Penalties! Penalties! Penalties!

Jeeeze, the good guys almost lost last night. Way to go Oil!

I guess Lindy Ruff had the Canes pegged right. Bunch of cry babies and divers.

:D

[Penfold]

Game 5, 4-3 Oilers.

Go Canes.

[The Sym]

I agree with the announcers, that should be a penalty shot for Carolina, but I'm going for Edmonton, so yip-peeee :tongue:

[The Sym]

Congrats Carolina Hurricanes :o

[omicron]

You know, it's sad that a team won in an area where probably 75% of the people don't even know their team was playing for the Stanley cup. :ohwell:

Still congrats to the Hurricane for winning.

Omi

[sickness]

Bah. This is nothing new. The hurricane always wins. Just look at New Orleans. Oh, wait.. you meant the hockey team, didn't you?

[TrixieB]

You know, it's sad that a team won in an area where probably 75% of the people don't even know their team was playing for the Stanley cup. :ohwell:

Still congrats to the Hurricane for winning.

Omi
Hey!!! I knew they were playing!! I even watched!

Of course, I have been brainwashed by Kradey. She is determined to make me like all things Canadian so that I'll move up there.

Still... fun series and great game.

[neglet]

I'm sorry, I just think it's wrong for any team to win the Stanley Cup who couldn't play hockey outdoors in their home city. :(

[sickness]

Hey, Detroit ain't a frozen wasteland this time of year, either. And it wouldn't matter if it were. Detroit would still choke.

[neglet]

Duh, Sicks, I meant play outdoors any time EVER, not just in June. Geez, I didn't think I had to spell it out for you.

As for Detroit choking, they just got rid of their choking goalie, so next year should be different.

[sickness]

Well, on your logic, any team who plays where it's too cold to maintain grass into January shouldn't win the Super Bowl either (I'm looking at you, dome teams! I'm looking at you, Green Bay!).

[Natalie]

it was pretty cool watching the game the other night. I have never been much of a hockey fan but being from S. Carolina it was awesome to see one of our professional teams win a championship. First one EVER for the Carolinas in any professional sport.

I can PROMISE you guys, people down here knew they game was on and were WATCHING it intently. They said Raleigh was going NUTS partying after the win. Hockey has found a place in the South.

Not everyone down here watches NASCAR only!

[neglet]

Well, I'm glad the people around you are appreciating it--both hockey and the championship.

Hell, with global warming proceeding the way it is, in 100 years nobody will have a team playing in a city that has snow! :wink:

[neglet]

Well, on your logic, any team who plays where it's too cold to maintain grass into January shouldn't win the Super Bowl either (I'm looking at you, dome teams! I'm looking at you, Green Bay!).

Oh, that explains the Lions dismal postseason record, then. Whew! I thought it was just general mismanagement and incompetence. :ohwell: