2004 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions (tentative title)

[TimTwoFace]

First off, I hope the three hockey fans on this board actually read this. ;)

Anyway, the NHL season is over and the match-ups for the first round are set. In the end, who do you want or believe will win the Stanley Cup this June?

(Yeah, hockey in June? Go figure. :p)

Match-Ups:

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Dallas Stars
vs
8. Edmonton Oilers

* *

2. Detroit Red Wings
vs
7. Anaheim Mighty Ducks

* *

3. Colorado Avalanche
vs
6. Minnesota Wild

* *

4. Vancouver Canucks
vs
5. St. Louis Blues


EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Ottawa Senators
vs
8. New York Islanders

* *

2. New Jersey Devils
vs
7. Boston Bruins

* *

3. Tampa Bay Lightning
vs
6. Washington Capitals

* *

4. Philadelphia Flyers
vs
5. Toronto Maple Leafs

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

The Stanley Cup playoffs is probably one of the hardest sports series to predict. Too many factors--injuries, play, luck, goals. While the NBA championship is pretty easy to predict most of the time, in hockey a less talented team can legitimately topple a more talented team in a 7 game series.

I WANT my Toronto Maple Leafs to at least get to the Stanley Cup final (and probably fall to Detroit), but it looks pretty bleak. Too many injuries, too much age, not enough time to gel. Basically, for us it's all up to Eddie. If we manage to grind past Philly, I can't see us getting past the second round.

Of course, Ottawa is probably the best team in the East, and sooner or later, they're going to succeed in the playoffs. I think this is their year. Being a Leafs fan, I must hate them by default, but they just look too good this year. However, I think the Islanders will give Ottawa a scare. If they can get past the Islanders, they should cruise to the Final. If they can't, then it's just another year of choking for Ottawa...

For the West, you've got a lot of good teams. I think the Canucks may get past St. Louis, Tim, but it's essentially a two player punch, and I would be surprised if they get past the second round.

I still think Detroit will win it all again. I'd love for my Leafs to beat Detroit for the Cup, denying Cujo his Stanley Cup opportunity again, but that's a pipedream...

[Failure]

As much as the Flyers have disappointed and broken our hearts over the past few years, and as much I have this feeling that it's going to happen again, I just can't pick against them. Home team loyalties I guess. I definitely think we have the talent. And we also finally have the coaching, but something always goes wrong with this team... :(

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

As much as the Flyers have disappointed and broken our hearts over the past few years, and as much I have this feeling that it's going to happen again, I just can't pick against them. Home team loyalties I guess. I definitely think we have the talent. And we also finally have the coaching, but something always goes wrong with this team... :(

Good, my disappointing team versus your disappointing team. :)

That said, I don't think either of us is going to get past the second round.

[TimTwoFace]

Yeah, I agree, this is probably the hardest championship to win in all professional North American sports - especially this year. There are a lot of "big money" teams out there with huge payrolls (Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Toronto), but the talent pool is so spread out there there are some awesome "small market" teams also in the mix (most notably Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Minnesota).

In the west, I don't know what's going to happen...ANY team could win. Edmonton is a great team and could defeat Dallas; Detroit and Anaheim have split nearly all the games they've played the last few years (though Detroit SHOULD take that series). Minnesota is a great team with a great coach and could give Colorado a scare. And the series I'll be watching the most will likely be the most physical and exciting - Vancouver and St. Louis - because they're both very physical teams that just love to pound the crap out of each other. I only give Vancouver the edge here because we have scored more than the Blues, and the goaltending in St. Louis is ALWAYS in question. They've been to the playoffs for the past 24 years or something - an NHL record - but have never won, and only been to the finals once. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride.

As for the east, I think it's a lot easier to decipher. Ottawa could easily sweep the Islanders - they actually made it into the playoffs with a BELOW .500 rating this year. Haven't seen that for a while - and the goaltending is questionable. Jersey should handle Boston, all thanks to Brodeur. The battle of the Southeast Division, with Tampa and Washington, is likely to be somewhat of a boring series in my eyes - it'll be a big goaltender's duel. The most exciting, as in the west, is the #4 and #5 match-up of Philly and T.O. - a very physical series with high scoring teams and good goalies. Whoever gets out of that series won't get beyond round 2, most likely.

-Tim

[Nick Biped]

I dunno. This could be a very interesting and unpredictable first round here.

In the East, I don't think Ottawa should have a problem with the Islanders. They didn't win the President's Trophy for nothing. New Jersey also seems like a safe bet over Boston, too. Tampa Bay vs. Washington is a series I really don't care that much about, and I'm not really sure who might win that one. Maybe Tampa Bay; they've been playing very good lately. As for Toronto vs. Philadelphia, well, I definitely want the Maple Leafs to win (my favourite team :)), but whether they will is another matter. It could be a toss-up, but whatever team wins that one probably won't get by Ottawa. But then again, Toronto's always been able to handle the Senators in the play-offs, so who knows.

In the West, I'd think Dallas could beat Edmonton, though Edmonton had been playing quite well by the end of the season. It could be interesting. I read somewhere that this is the sixth time in seven years they've played each other in the playoffs. Weird. Anyways, despite Anaheim's better play this season, I think Detroit should be able to handle them. Colorado should also get by Minnesota, though I think the Wild might make it interesting at points. I have a feeling Vancouver vs. St. Louis will be quite the interesting match-up, and I give Vancouver the slight edge here.

Still, I wouldn't bet money on any of my predictions here. As it's been said here, there are too many different factors to take into consideration. I'm looking forward to it, though. And I'm personally hoping the Canadian teams can make it pretty far. :)

What day do the play-offs start again? It's really soon, isn't it?

[sag_2002]

What day do the play-offs start again? It's really soon, isn't it?

Wednesday... yesterday was the last day of the Regular Season

[hyprlynx]

I have to root for my home team of the Flyers but honestly I don't think they'll get very far. :(

I think once again the team that takes home the cup will be from the west. As to which one, there's a lot of physical teams and I'm not going to say exactly which team but the west should still prevail over the east.

[Jade_GL]

I voted purely out of love for the Boston Bruins. I know that they probably won't get very far, but it's just hard to cast a vote for another team.

I would say that Detroit has a great chance, but their age may affect them as the playoffs go on. If a team can catch them when they're not playing on all cylinders, this might be the perfect chance to get them. Otherwise, tehy're just playing so well, I don't know if they can get beat for good by another team. It's too bad, I'm not a big Detroit fan or anything, I just know that they're the top team in the NHL right now, or at least are really good at playing the part. :D

I would also like to see Philadelphia get in the finals. I have a big soft spot for John Leclair. He's from Vermont, root for the tri-staters! (ok, nevermind........)

I can't make a sure call right now. I would like Boston to pull of the near impossible, but Detroit is the best team going in. Then again, hockey is so unpredictable that trying to make a correct prediction is impossible. :D I could have sworn Boston would go far last year, but, well, you know what happened there...... *choke, choke*

[JDuncan]

I hope the Wings can do it again this year, but if they don't my second choice would be the Flyers.

[Failure]

Good, my disappointing team versus your disappointing team. :)

That said, I don't think either of us is going to get past the second round.

Well one of our disappointments should end this year, at least temporarily. :p

I dunno, I think any of the top 4 teams (Ottawa, NJ, Phi, Tor) has a good shot at making the Stanley's. I guess it does depend how much the Phi-Tor series takes out of each other. But I'm staying optimistic.

[Burgundy Ranger]

OK, I'm a Caps fan. They might have enough to get by Tampa Bay but that's it.

WEST: It's Playoff Time in Hockeytown. I don't care how often they slip up in the season, the Red Wings are always there when it matters. I'd also favor Colorado over #1 seed Dallas, simply because of Roy. Turco has yet to run the playoff gauntlet. That's big. Sunday's gag job doesn't bode well for Vancouver.

EAST: Can't get a gauge on Ottawa. They've got the best record in the league for a reason. But they're noted for playoff tanks. Jersey has the playoff-proven Brodeur between the pipes. Cechmanek. not so proven. He**, this might finally be Toronto's year. I'll go with Jersey.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Red Wings all the way, man.

[Reed Richards]

maybe its the blues year

they caught a break 1st round

Osgood has won the cup before and the blues have the team that could win it-- they have the talent, but can they start working together now that all their injuries have FINALLY healed??

[TimTwoFace]

I could have sworn Boston would go far last year, but, well, you know what happened there...... *choke, choke*

:D Sorry Jade, but I watched that series very intently last year as the Habs are my #1 team. It was basically a goaltending duel after the series was tied 2-2 and the McLaren/Zednik incident unfolded. I gotta love my boy Hackett, though. Is he healed yet? I haven't heard much about him over the past few weeks.

-Tim

[Jade_GL]

:D Sorry Jade, but I watched that series very intently last year as the Habs are my #1 team. It was basically a goaltending duel after the series was tied 2-2 and the McLaren/Zednik incident unfolded. I gotta love my boy Hackett, though. Is he healed yet? I haven't heard much about him over the past few weeks.

-Tim

Yeah, what Montreal did last year was amazing. After they beat Boston, I was behind them to go all the way. They were just a great team to watch, even though my team was supposed to get to the end. I guess that #1 spot doesn't always mean you're the best, huh? :D

[TimTwoFace]

I guess that #1 spot doesn't always mean you're the best, huh? :D

Nope, and that's what makes the playoffs so exciting in any sport, but especially the NHL. :) That's exactly why I don't see Dallas going all the way this year; besides, they've met Edmonton so often in the playoffs, the Oilers HAVE to beat them SOMETIME...

-Tim

[Nick Biped]

Nope, and that's what makes the playoffs so exciting in any sport, but especially the NHL. :) That's exactly why I don't see Dallas going all the way this year; besides, they've met Edmonton so often in the playoffs, the Oilers HAVE to beat them SOMETIME...

-Tim

I think Edmonton actually did beat them once already, a few years ago. But that makes it only one out of five meetings that they've done so, I think. I'd like to see Edmonton do it again this year; you know, even out their "series won vs. Dallas : series lost vs. Dallas" ratio.

That's one thing that I like about the NHL playoffs: come playoff time, any team can beat any other team. I mean, if you're the 8th seed, you have nothing to lose, right? All the pressure's on the 1st seed to win, and if they don't, they often get the dreaded "choke" label. I think I remember a few years ago, when the Quebec Nordiques were a #1 seed and Montreal was #8. Quebec won the first two games, but Montreal beat them pretty handily in the last four to win the series.

That's why if I was Ottawa, I don't think I'd look past the Islanders at all (though Toronto's the team everyone should be concerned about ;)).

Bleh, but too bad the playoffs are right in the middle of final exams. *whine*

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

That's why if I was Ottawa, I don't think I'd look past the Islanders at all (though Toronto's the team everyone should be concerned about ;)).



I'm worried about Philly. I think they match up pretty evenly with Toronto now, and I'm hoping Hitchcock hasn't got all of Eddie's tendencies "figured" out. I'm not sure if you can totally figure out a goalie to the point that you can score on him at will, but a "big" goal attempt could be dangerous on a breakaway if Hitch has his guys prepped for Eddie's techniques.

I'm also worried about Ottawa. Eventually they're going to figure it out...maybe. It would be easier to cheer for them if their stars didn't have a history of disappearing. They're still a good young team, but obviously they are not a young 1980s Oilers-in-the-making, because THAT team got to the Stanley Cup Finals repeatedly in their first few years (and eventually figured out how to win).

Basically the dangerous Eastern teams are: Ottawa, Toronto, Philly. I think New Jersey is beatable. I also think Tampa Bay could be a sleeper team. Has the ability to be a "Cinderella" team like Carolina last year.

[Floydian Slip]

i predict the stanley cup finals will pull in lower rateings then a preseason footbal game between the Texas Titans and the Cincenatti Bengals.

[TimTwoFace]

i predict the stanley cup finals will pull in lower rateings then a preseason footbal game between the Texas Titans and the Cincenatti Bengals.

Or like an all-California World Series. ;) Thing is, that was a damn exciting series, so ratings means nothing.

Yeah, but from what I've seen, most coverage stateside is pretty poor, too. NBC, ABC, ESPN...ugh. I'd much rather see the CBC, provided they don't go on one of their "pro-Toronto" kicks, like they usually do. :p Sorry guys, but I'm really hoping the Leafs go out ASAP, cuz I hate that team. (I'm a Hab-fan here, that would explain it all. :D)

This year I don't think there will be any #8 seeds defeating the #1 seeds. Ottawa, if they play the same as they have all year, will beat the Islanders in a heartbeat. The Oilers will give Dallas a good threat, and probably beat the crap out of them for six or seven games, but ultimately lose. Last year, on the other hand, it came close to happening twice. Vancouver could have swept Detroit if they were a more experienced playoff team - taking two wins away from the home team at the Joe is something VERY difficult to do; Montreal DID succeed in knocking off Boston. So it can happen - but this year, I highly doubt it.

-Tim

[Jade_GL]

Yeah, but from what I've seen, most coverage stateside is pretty poor, too. NBC, ABC, ESPN...ugh. I'd much rather see the CBC, provided they don't go on one of their "pro-Toronto" kicks, like they usually do.

I dislike Hockey on TV anyway, but my favorite coverage is either NESN (New England Sports Network) although it's the Bruins station, and what I call the "French" channel. In Maine, we get a channel from Canada where the entire programming is all in French. We have a large population of French Americans in the state, especially in places like Lewiston, so we get the benefit of an all French channel.

They have the best sports coverage! Hockey is always well done, and the guys sound so excited, even though I don't understand anything but when they say "long pass" which for some reason is in English....... Oh, and the score.

But they have the best coverage for the Olympics. I wouldn't watch the Olympics any other way. They have events, oh my, as they happen. They do tend to show a lot of curling though.... :D:D:D

Anyway, I won't see all the Stanley Cup finals games cause I don't get FOX, but I will be watching ESPN. :) It's all I can do really.

[Nick Biped]

Yeah, but from what I've seen, most coverage stateside is pretty poor, too. NBC, ABC, ESPN...ugh. I'd much rather see the CBC, provided they don't go on one of their "pro-Toronto" kicks, like they usually do. :p Sorry guys, but I'm really hoping the Leafs go out ASAP, cuz I hate that team. (I'm a Hab-fan here, that would explain it all. :D)

-Tim

What?! Why, when CBC goes on their "pro-Toronto" kicks, that's the best thing about it! So phooey to you! :D

Nah, just kidding. I'm admittedly a fan of the Leafs, but I'm hardly a fanatic. I can see why some people get annoyed with them, considering how some of their fans think their team (and their city) is all that, and also that their team isn't exactly the cleanest. Actually, I like seeing all of the Canadian teams do well in the playoffs...just not at the expense of Toronto. :p

Anyways, I've always liked CBC's coverage of hockey, though I think Don Cherry can be a bit of a big mouth at times. And the announcers actually know about the game too. I also don't mind TSN's coverage. It usually isn't too bad. Don't really watch hockey on American networks, though.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Hopefully the Leafs will be the most hated team in the league by June...everyone hates a winner... :p

[turkish]

I will be rooting for the Minnesota Wild. The guy across the hall from me is a Minnesota fan and he says they are going all the way. And that's good enough for me.

[TimTwoFace]

In Maine, we get a channel from Canada where the entire programming is all in French. We have a large population of French Americans in the state, especially in places like Lewiston, so we get the benefit of an all French channel.

That's most likely SRC, the french version of the CBC. They usually carry the Habs all the way through the playoffs, whether the english CBC does or not; considering how if any Canadian team games overlap only local markets get to see their own teams and the rest of the country sees the Leafs *GAG*, this was the only way to see the Canadiens through much of the first round last year. At least they have a channel to call their own. Since the Habs aren't in the playoffs this year, I heard that the french channels will be carrying all of the Ottawa games. That's kinda cool.

I'm not knocking on American coverage of the NHL on ESPN. They're a SPORTS NETWORK, and I think they probably do a decent job. I've seen them and FOX SPORTS on the highlight reels on the local channels up here, and it's OK. ABC really bugs me, though. They act like they know SO MUCH about the league but they only air games on about five weekends a year, and it always focuses on the same four or five teams. :p And don't get me started on NBC's Olympic coverage.

As for the guy above me that picked the Wild - that's highly unlikely. They're just happy to be there, what, being a team that's only three years old. They have no expectations, really. That said, they're still a formidable opponent with a great Cup-winning coach and will push the Avs very far in the first round. I doubt they'll win, but if they did, I wouldn't be surprised, and I'd be really proud of them. Upsets are nice to see every once in a while; I'd get bored if it was always Detroit and Colorado that made it to the Cup finals year in, year out - unless I was a diehard fan of those teams. :D

-Tim

[cross blues]

The Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup. I say it almost every year but i think this is their best chance since they were crushed by Detroit in the finals. They are like an all star team, with great veterans and lots of young talent too. I feel bad for those who picked the Maple Leafs to win because they're going home in the first round!! Go Philly!!!!

... and the Leafs are already my most hated team. No, not because they're winners, but because they are way overrated every year.

[The Penguin]

I will be rooting for the Minnesota Wild. The guy across the hall from me is a Minnesota fan and he says they are going all the way. And that's good enough for me.What he said. ;)

Except he's down a door and across the hall.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

See? I told you the Isles would give Ottawa a scare! I saw them last year, and they almost beat my team to a pulp, they're going to turn it up again.

Philly fans have a good team. You guys outplayed the Leafs in almost every conceivable facet...except Eddie. It could have been 6-5 Philly. This series is going to give me heart attacks...Leafs defence is so loose...it's going to be a tough one, I think.

[Nick Biped]

Yeah, the Philly-Toronto game was pretty nerve-wracking. Like you said, if it wasn't for Belfour (and also Mogilny) the game could've easily gone the other way. Oh, well, they won and that's what counts. Pretty good game too.

And like I said, Ottawa shouldn't look past the Islanders. I'm not sure what happened tonight (I didn't see the game), but wow. 3-0. Maybe that'll wake up the Senators a bit.

Though I couldn't have predicted both #1 seeds losing tonight, both at home. Good for Edmonton to pull it off. I only caught the last few minutes, but they looked pretty good. I'd like to see them upset Dallas in this series.

Of course, there's still plenty of games left for Ottawa and Dallas to come back, but still, there's no better way for the underdogs to start off than the way they did tonight.

[Jade_GL]

Like I said, my team is already in the hole. Bruins lost to the Devils, 2-1.

Oh well. :D

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I think what the Sens need is a good, truly hardened playoff veteran to calm the youngsters down. They're a great team...but they're like kids at times. Actually, if I were them, I might have gone for Gilmour at the trade deadline (hey, he might not be injured now if they did, either!).

Ottawa should come back and win, but the Isles...well, Nick, you saw them against the Leafs last year. True, they looked bad in the regular season this year, but I'll never forget how violent that series was in the playoffs last season. The Leafs didn't beat the Isles so much as SURVIVE.

The Edmonton-Dallas was more of a typical Game 1 upset. Not the chokejob the Sens-Isles was. I think Dallas WILL come back, but the Sens should...maybe.

[TimTwoFace]

Well, after the first night of the playoffs, I have this to say:

OTTAWA/NY ISLANDERS
Yeah, call me surprised. I knew that Ottawa wouldn't sweep this series, but losing the first game? At home? A shut out? Man, where were their heads this evening? I'm not concerned, really - but there are already too many fickle fans in Ottawa so they can't really afford games like this.

NEW JERSEY/BOSTON
This went pretty much as I predicted. New Jersey wins with a relatively low score, Brodeur is another Vezina candidate, etc, etc.

TORONTO/PHILADELPHIA
Also pretty much as I expected. I only saw the first period and a half, but it was full of hits, hits, scoring, and more hits. Say what you will about the Leafs - such as hating them and their gaggle of fans :D - but they do put an entertaining brand of hockey on the ice. This series will still be a see-saw battle until game 6 or 7. I still say Philly wins it.

DALLAS/EDMONTON
I knew that Edmonton would manage to steal a game or two in this series, but doing it right off the bat in Dallas was a bit of a surprise. Not that I'm complaining, though; after Montreal and Vancouver, Edmonton is my favourite team out there. And they play an entertaining style of hockey, too - fast and furious.

I hear that at least three of the four games tonight WEREN'T sell-outs. What the hell is that all about? Don't fans in these cities care? And these are big hockey markets, too. Yeesh.

-Tim
*GLANCES AT MY AVATAR IN PREPARATION FOR TOMORROW* :D

[Nick Biped]

Well, 4 games last night, and not a single higher seed won. So that means in the first games of the series, 7 of the 8 teams with home-ice advantage lost. Opening night jitters, maybe?

Washington winning isn't that big of a deal, I guess. There wasn't much difference between them and Tampa Bay. Minnesota and Anaheim winning were fairly big upsets, though. I think that has more to do with the goaltending than anything else. Roloson and Giguere played great, though I think they'd have to keep on playing that way to beat Colorado and Detroit, respectively. I have confidence that those two teams can win; they have lots of playoff experience.

Vancouver, though...yikes, what happened to them? I'm hoping that big loss'll be a wake-up call for them. They need to get on track.

Oh, well, I think tonight's and tomorrow's games'll be a better indicator of how the all the series may go.

[Lucky Bob]

It's going to be Colorado, although, the Ducks look pretty good this year...

[TimTwoFace]

Vancouver, though...yikes, what happened to them? I'm hoping that big loss'll be a wake-up call for them. They need to get on track.


Beats me. They just didn't come to play. I'm refusing to be worried, though - I knew this series wouldn't be easy for them (or St. Louis, either). I still say Vancouver in 6 or 7; now, if they come out in Game 2 with another pitiful performance, then I'll be a little upset.

The best game last night was definitely the Detroit/Anaheim match. Too bad it took 100 minutes of playing time to finish. :p I wasn't surprised, though; Anaheim is a lot better than people give them credit for. Not surprised by Minnesota's result, either.

-Tim

[Chris Wood]

Go Caps!! Here's hoping they outlast the first round curse this year.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

New Jersey looks like it's going to win their series handily.

As for the Leafs-Flyers... damn, did Quinn get outcoached or what? Absolutely no adjustments from the last game, same mistakes, except compounded tenfold. And the Flyers size is starting to get to some of the players. Arrrgh. This might continue for the rest of the series. 36 going on 37 years without a cup? Good lord. At least we're not the Blues.

Somebody ought to summon the Ghost of Harold Ballard and exorcise him from Toronto.

[Nick Biped]

Yeah, Toronto has a lot of adjustments to make before the next game. If they keep playing like the way they have the past two games, they can pretty much say goodbye to the playoffs. I suppose getting the split in Philly is about as good as I could've hoped for, considering their level of playing.

Edmonton got pretty much owned by Dallas, which isn't a real surprise, I guess. I think Edmonton should be pretty happy they got the split too, and now they get to go back to their friendly confines.

New Jersey won again. Ho-hum, that series seems pretty much over.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Yeah, Toronto has a lot of adjustments to make before the next game. If they keep playing like the way they have the past two games, they can pretty much say goodbye to the playoffs. I suppose getting the split in Philly is about as good as I could've hoped for, considering their level of playing.

Edmonton got pretty much owned by Dallas, which isn't a real surprise, I guess. I think Edmonton should be pretty happy they got the split too, and now they get to go back to their friendly confines.

New Jersey won again. Ho-hum, that series seems pretty much over.

Yes, but the Leafs have been battling the same problems all season. I'm hoping that they can suddenly turn it around, but I'm not holding my breath. Philly likes to create tons of traffic around Eddie, whereas when the Leafs try to get close to Chechmanek, they get turned aside or lose the puck. They can't even create anything beyond the blue line. This is where Nolan really needs to start using his power and park himself in front on the Philly net. But he hasn't done that yet, because he's hurting. Well, the playoffs are about playing through it. The Philly size is really starting to show and it's worrying. It's not impossible to overcome--the Oilers dynasty were fundamentally small players, but they used their speed and skill. That's what I'd like to see out of the Leafs.

It may come down to Tucker to hit some Philly players out for the season again...*sigh*


Dallas is a good team, they'll get it done, but I don't know how they'll fare against the big Western 2 (Avs, Wings).

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Ducks win again! If they go 3-0 this series might be over! Still, the Wings were in this position last year too, and came back...still don't think Cujo can take the Wings all the way, though.

Hopefully a Canadian team wins the Cup.

[Burgundy Ranger]

Anyway, I won't see all the Stanley Cup finals games cause I don't get FOX, but I will be watching ESPN. :) It's all I can do really.

You're in luck. Fox doesn't do hockey anymore. Games 1-2 of the finals are on ESPN, the rest are on ABC.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Today's Wings game fills me with a Cthulu-like dread. Still, we came back last year...

[czyznyck99]

I can't believe that Anaheim is up 2-0 on the defending champ Red Wings. If they win the whole thing, I fear the return of the Mighty Ducks cartoon....

Later.

[Nick Biped]

Well, I'd say Anaheim being up 2-0 has to be the surprise of the playoffs so far. Then again, I did read somewhere that during the second half of the season, Detroit only earned one more point than Anaheim did. So maybe it shouldn't be that big of a surprise; the Ducks did look pretty good yesterday. Still, Detroit's very capable of coming back.

Other than that, it looks like the favourites are starting to win again. Ottawa looked like the President's Trophy winners they are, Vancouver played a lot better than last time, Colorado got a solid - if not spectacular - win.

Anyways, good playoffs so far. And like LLJ, I'm hoping for a Canadian team to take the Cup this time. Ten years is too long. :yawn:

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Detroit is close enough to Canada. :D

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Detroit is close enough to Canada. :D

LOL.

And they sport Canadian-coloured jerseys, too!

[TimTwoFace]

Based on last night's games:

-Minnesota/Colorado, Game 2
I'm not surprised that Colorado won, but it was by no means a blowout. 3-2? They were the better team that game, but Minnesota is very disciplined and very defensive-minded so you can in no way write them off. And Colorado is not the powerhouse it was two years ago when it won the cup; they're still great, but it's not the same.

-Anaheim/Detroit, Game 2
Man, this is turning out to be the surprise series of the first round. Anaheim leading the defending champs 2-0 in the series? Being a Vancouver fan, I remember all too well how Detroit can come back from a two-game deficit, but last year, they had Hasek in net. This year, it's Cujo. Cujo is a good goalie, but is not a superb goalie by any means (like Roy, Brodeur, and Hasek are, for example). And Gigere (sp?) is SUPERB right now. Has been for a good part of the season, and is likely the reason why Anaheim is a legit playoff team this year. I mean, stopping 97 of 100 shots (or something)? That is impressive.

-Ottawa/NY Islanders, Game 2
Not surprising at all. Just like last year, Ottawa blew it in game one but then swept Philly in four straight. And Philly is a good team. The Islanders are not. If Ottawa stays on its game, they should take this series EASY.

-Washington/Tampa Bay, Game 2
This is only the series I'm completely disinterested in. I don't appreciate any of the Southeast division teams, though these two are still pretty good. It comes down to goaltending - I'm just surprised that Khabibulin (sp???) is letting in so many goals. Six in a game? Man.

-Vancouver/St. Louis, Game 2
Ahhh yeah, my boys finally came alive! And they beat a St. Louis team that was still playing tough - that's the type of game that's entertaining, whether the team you're going for wins OR loses. Fast paced action with hard hits all over the place. I think that with MacInnis out (poor guy, I really do like 'im) that the series totally favours Vancouver now. It'll still go six games, but it'll be very entertaining.

-Montreal Expos/NY Mets
...the first teams to play outside of Canada or the US in the regular season, as far as I know. Just wanted to mention that. I love my Little Orphan Expos. :)

-Tim

[Sue_Jackson]

Big hockey fan here! \(^o^)/

Well........since my #1 favorite team (NY Rangers :( ) is out of the playoffs (in which I'm still in mouring.....*sniff*). http://216.40.249.192/s/kao/chika/chirolp_gusun.gifhttp://smilies.networkessence.net/s/kao/chika/chirol_nemui.gif

I'm rooting for the Philadelphia Flyers! GO FLYERS!! http://www.tcwozere.co.uk/~cracks/kao/chika/chirolp_iei.gif

[TimTwoFace]

Whoo! Today's games went just as I had hoped.

New Jersey/Boston, Game 3
Martin Brodeur does it again. I can't say I'm surprised that the Devils are winning the series, but 3-0? I thought Boston would at least steal a game or two. Oh well, I wanted the Devils to win, anyway. Go figure how Brodeur has never won the Vezina trophy, too - I really hope this great work of his gets him enough votes for the NHL awards this year.

Edmonton/Dallas, Game 3
Man, was that third period nuts or what? Within just six minutes the Oilers rebound from a 1-0 defecit and win the game 3-2. That's absolutely huge. I don't want to start doubting Marty Turco or anything (even though I totally want the Oilers to win this series), but dang, two of those three goals he let in were really, really weak.

-Tim

[Jade_GL]

You're in luck. Fox doesn't do hockey anymore. Games 1-2 of the finals are on ESPN, the rest are on ABC.

My bad. Usually they do do hockey games, at least they have in years past, but all of the games have been on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. Also NESN, but that's a local sport's network.

Anyway, the Bruins are officially stinking up the joint. Man, I thought they might go to 6 games against New Jersey, but this is just too hard to watch. And Brodeur should get major attention this year. Again he's phenomenal. I love goalies out of all of the players on the ice, and Brodeur has been really sharp in the past three games. I don't see the Bruins beating him, let alone hte rest of the team.

How about Anahiem? Man, this is a great series. I have watched both games and just been amazed with the competition. Plus....

GO PAUL KARIYA! GO U. Maine GRADS! :D

Anyway, I watched Edmonton beat Dallas last night. That game was close, and got really frantic in the final period. It looked like it might go to overtime, but I think Edmonton just had the better play last night. Very good game, and fun to watch as a hockey fan.

Ok, that's all I've got so far. :D:D:D

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Brutal and exciting night for hockey. My team came out with a win in the 2nd overtime, but man did they look barely alive when the dust settled. This series will at least go 6 games for the Leafs, 5 if Philly drops another 2.

Sens beat the Isles in 2nd OT, but that was expected given their skill.

Avs are rolling now.

Canucks lost. Come on, we're trying to get a Canadian team a Cup! Hold up your end! I'm not a big fan of the 'nucks, but I'd rather see them progress than the others in the West. Oilers excepted. I like them.

Won't stay up for the Wings-Anaheim game, which is too bad since this is probably the decisive game for the Wings' survival.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Won't stay up for the Wings-Anaheim game, which is too bad since this is probably the decisive game for the Wings' survival.
Same here. It's around 11:30 in D-town, and the first intermission just started. I love the Wings and all, but I've got a ginormous Physics test tomorrow. Good luck Wings. I'm going to bed. :(

[czyznyck99]

The champs are in serious trouble, as the Ducks won Game 3 2-1, and now have a 3-0 lead in the series over Detroit.

Later.

[TimTwoFace]

Regarding tonight's games:

Vancouver/St. Louis, Game 3
BAH! I know my team is only down in the series 2-1, but I'm getting a wee bit upset here, because we're not getting enough shots on Osgood. It's not so much that the big Vancouver line isn't producing, it's that the St. Louis defence is doing a really good job - especially considering MacInnis is out. This series can still go either way, in my opinion.

Toronto/Philadelphia, Game 3
Ehhh, I don't really care about this one, cuz either team that wins will fail in round 2. The teams are so equally matched that I don't know who's going to win. Nice to see Mike Weir at the game, though. :)

Ottawa/NY Islanders, Game 3
Whoa, this one gave me a scare. I did NOT want Ottawa to fall behind Long Island again - and they didn't. It just took two overtime periods to settle it. Go Sens!

Colorado/Minnesota, Game 3
Not too surprised here, either. 'Nuff said.

Detroit/Anaheim, Game 3
OK, that settles it, Anaheim is going to pull off the biggest imaginable upset in the first round this year. Taking down the Red Wings in three games to none is a HUGE feat - and you can't pin it all on Cujo, either. What happened to Detroit's offence? Gigere could be a Vezina candidate in the making...

Oh well, seeing Detroit lose for once is nice, because they win a lot anyway. Spread the Cup around from year to year - I'm bored with seeing the same four or five teams getting it all the time. :p Well, then again, the Habs got it for 16 of like 20 years through the 50s, 60s, and 70s, but that's different. I'm biased. :D

-Tim

[Nick Biped]

Well, now that's more like it for Toronto. They seemed a lot better this time than their last two games, and it paid off too. They seemed a little more inspired. Maybe the Leafs should have Mike Weir show up at the beginning of every game. :D Very entertaining game by both teams, and the fact my team won made it doubly entertaining. ;)

Good for Ottawa to win too, but full credit to the Islanders for keeping it close. I was a bit nervous.

Too bad that Vancouver lost, but there's no reason they can't even the series. It's been a pretty close series, though, like I thought it might.

Colorado's now pretty much doing what was expected of them. I don't see Minnesota doing much else in the series.

And then there's Detroit. I would not have predicted this, definitely. Before the series started, I thought a sweep might've been possible. But no way did I think Anaheim would be the ones doing the sweeping. But then, Anaheim seems to've been playing pretty decent, and not just Giguere either. I didn't stay up for this game, though. I was just feeling too tired.

Tonight, the only game I'm really interested in is the Edmonton-Dallas one. Go Oilers!

[Evil Dr. Reef]

WHAT THE HELL?
I ended up watching the rest of the game last night, and what a waste. The last half of the second period was shameful at best. It's was like the Ice-Capades. Cujo is being sloppy, and the rest of the Wings are acting like some Pee-Wee hockey club. We've still got an extremely small chance, but if the Wings don't shape up before Wednesday night, we're going to lose the first round of the Playoffs to the Mighty Ducks. THE MIGHTY FREAKING DUCKS.

[TimTwoFace]

Hey, the Mighty Ducks are a respectable team without a very respectable name. :p They really clicked at just the right time, and I'd love to see them move to the second round. I actually predicted the Ducks to beat the Wings in seven games before the playoffs began, but this...this, to me, is a nice surprise.

It's odd, either the Wings have done really well in past years, or bowed out shamefully in the first round...always at the hands of a California team, too. It was two years ago that the Kings beat them in 6 or 7 games, and that was also a huge surprise.

If Vancouver and/or Edmonton get knocked out in the first or second round, Anaheim is the team I'm going for in the west. Gotta love an underdog, right?

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

Wow. I'm getting better all-around puck talk here than in the Caps-fans mailing list I'm on. (Maybe that's because many there care only about the one team. I'm fascinated by the league-wide picture)

Anyhow, here's how I'm seeing each series so far:

WSH leads TB 2-0: This is the type of Caps play we were promised two summers ago when they traded for Jagr. For all the accolades Khabibulin gets, he ain't done squat in the playoffs. Kolzig, OTOH, was one Finals game win away from the Conn Smythe.

OTT leads NYI 2-1: There's a reason the Sens had the league's best record (yeah, they're in the East). But they're coming through in the last two games. Can't explain their success at Nassau.

NJ leads BOS 3-0: The Devils are the team best-situated to make the Finals. Tight defense, enough scoring and the best goalie in the conference.

TOR leads PHI 2-1: I'm loving this series. (Can't see the Flyers lose enough, but that's just part of it) However, the two unseen high-sticks -- to Nolan and Mogilny -- have the potential for this series to turn mighty ugly.

EDM leads DAL 2-1: Wow. This is your typical Stars-Oilers series. I gave it no chance of being this way, since this Edmonton roster has been stripped almost bare. Who's left? York, Smyth, Dvorak and maybe Marchant. But it lands squarely on the shoulders of Turco and his ability to be a bonafide playoff goalie.

ANA leads DET 3-0: If the above series gets a "Wow," what does this one get? Something like #$%^*@!! I'm stunned. There's gonna be a call for CuJo's head on a platter. (Takes look at Wings message board at ESPN.com ....)


after last night's game, this moron has the audacity to say:

"I thought I played well tonight," said Joseph, who made 24 saves. "Sorry."

the final sign that this guy was the wrong offseason acquisition in detroit. even had he stood on his head (rather than give up 1 sure softy and a debatable second one), this guy has no business THINKING this, let alone SAYING it.

There ya go. Public lynching, Saturday noon.

COL leads MIN 2-1: Patrick Roy makes the Avs the clear Western favorite. That save he made on Wes Walz was sick. But you gotta love the playoffs back in Minny.

STL leads VAN 2-1: When Naslund says "We choked" on the last day of the regular season (after not clinching the division) the team had NO chance in the playoffs. They started off in the tank.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

As a Leafs, fan, I do have bitter satisfaction seeing Cujo's bandwagoning shenanigans backfire on him, but in all honesty, I don't think it's his fault the Wings are getting swept by a team named after a kid's movie. He's not letting in 3 or 4 goals a game, and what he's doing now, in theory, should be enough for a team with so much offensive talent. Cujo has never been a top 3 goalie, but he's steady and good enough to beat most teams.

Is Giggy this good? Are the Wings too old? Or are they just psyched out? I pick the third. They must have hit a mental block they can't overcome, so none of their shots are steady and on their mark. Giggy is playing awesome, but NO goalie should be able to do that well against talent like the Wings unless he got inside each and every one of their heads.

[Scatha_the_Worm]

Is Giggy this good? Are the Wings too old? Or are they just psyched out?

Or perhaps they simply have too many former BLUES in their roster; Shanahan, Hull, Joseph. As a St. Louisan I know full well that the Hockey Gods frown upon the Blues and continually plague us with serious injuries, phantom penalties, fluke goals, league sanctions, impenetrable goalies, and nitwit owners. Perhaps Detroit is now on the recieving end of this evil hockey mojo.

Oh and TimTwoFace, don't get too downtrodden about Vancouver just yet. Despite the fact that were up 2-1 and have outscored you 10-3 the Blues have a serious problem with being able to "close the door" on these 7 game series. The longer they go the more tired the Blues' bench gets.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Oh and TimTwoFace, don't get too downtrodden about Vancouver just yet. Despite the fact that were up 2-1 and have outscored you 10-3 the Blues have a serious problem with being able to "close the door" on these 7 game series. The longer they go the more tired the Blues' bench gets.

Tim won't want to hear this, but Vancouver's chances are probably slimmer than the Blues', because while they have the best first line in the NHL, it's basically the Canucks' only effective offensive line. Shut them down and they're dead. If you can't shut them down, they'll get tired after 7 playoff games.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Is Giggy this good? Are the Wings too old? Or are they just psyched out? I pick the third. They must have hit a mental block they can't overcome, so none of their shots are steady and on their mark. Giggy is playing awesome, but NO goalie should be able to do that well against talent like the Wings unless he got inside each and every one of their heads.
I agree completely. It's like I said in my above post, they're being whalloped by the MIGHTY DUCKS. They're (apparently) a good team, but I don't think that the Wings can get past that name. It's like they can't comprehend that they're being beaten by a 10 year-old club named after a movie aimed at the same age. However, this can't be blamed for everything. Again, like I said above, the Wings were playing EXTREMELY sloppy last night. They missed simple passes, CuJo almost got scored on a couple of times because he went after the puck so much (the one problem I had with Hasek) and didn't get back to the net quick enough, and overall, I still don't think that they believe that they're down three games to the Ducks. I don't wanna say that they're cocky, but if they don't learn some humility and admit that they're getting whipped by tomorrow night, we're (Detroit) in a world of trouble. This series scares me badly.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Jade! The Boston Bruins report that they ARE alive! Reports of their early death were premature. :p

[Jade_GL]

LOL!!! Now they just need to finishing winning this game and the next 3..... :D:D:D

[TimTwoFace]

I'm watching the Oilers and Stars right now, and it's a pretty entertaining game, even though Dallas is winning 1-0 real early in the game.

I'm honestly not surprised that Boston actually managed to beat Brodeur...er...the Devils tonight. So where was all this offence in the previous three games!?

Tampa Bay is currently leading the Caps 3-2 with just five minutes left in that game. Maybe they'll make a series of this after all.

As for Toronto - man, that place is just a soap-opera after soap-opera. First Mogilny goes out, then Corson quits the team in the middle of the playoffs...geez. I've never heard of that before. Not while the team is in the playoffs, anyway.

And as for my Canucks, what they have to do is simple - KEEP IT SIMPLE! Just dump the puck in and throw a zillion pucks at Osgood - he's not that great a goalie and eventually they WILL get lucky bounces. The St. Louis D is doing a great job at holding up the top line for Vancouver; that's the story of the series. I'd like to see this series not just become a special-teams battle for seven games, though.

I still say Vancouver will win this series in six or seven games.

-Tim

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

As for Toronto - man, that place is just a soap-opera after soap-opera. First Mogilny goes out, then Corson quits the team in the middle of the playoffs...geez. I've never heard of that before. Not while the team is in the playoffs, anyway.



-Tim

Mogilny will play tommorrow. Just a nasty cut, nothing more. He was seeing stars, though, so he was kind of woozy.

Corson, well, he hasn't played for a long while. Quinn kept leaving him out of the lineup during the last part of the season.

[Jade_GL]

The Bruins game is ending with mucho penalties. These two teams appear to have no love lost between them. I swear, there is only 14 seconds left in the game and someone got a huge misconduct penalty, and they dropped the puck and another fight broke out before anything could happen. Man.

[Nick Biped]

Good for Boston and Tampa Bay to keep their series alive. It doesn't really matter to me who wins those series, but it's good to see series that aren't total sweeps. Make the teams work for their series wins, you know?

So right now, it seems the only team that might get swept is, er, Detroit.

Good game with Edmonton-Dallas so far, though I think the Oilers really need to work on their power play. I think one of the announcers said they didn't get a single shot during the power plays they had in this game.

Edmonton just tied it up! Yay!

[edit #2]Dallas just retook the lead. Darn! Is it just me, or has Edmonton been taking entirely too many penalties this series? And as I was typing this, Dallas just scored again! I'm not sure if Edmonton's been playing well enough tonight to make up a two-goal deficit, unfortunately.[/edit #2]

What's up with Corson, though? I know he was a healthy scratch for a few games, but still, I don't think he should just up and quit during the playoffs. I don't know the whole story though, otherwise I'd make a better judgement.

[Jade_GL]

[edit #2]Dallas just retook the lead. Darn! Is it just me, or has Edmonton been taking entirely too many penalties this series? And as I was typing this, Dallas just scored again! I'm not sure if Edmonton's been playing well enough tonight to make up a two-goal deficit, unfortunately.[/edit #2]

URG! I left the room for maybe a minute to clean out a mug and I come back and it's 3-1!!!! I can't leave the room during the playoffs or something happens.... :D

Anyway, go Edmonton! You can get back in the lead. I really want Edmonton to win this series.

Oh, and I'm glad Boston is making it a series too. I mean, I know they won't pull it out, barring a full-blown miracle, but it's nice to see them fight a little. I thought they might just roll over and die, but it looks like they are making a series of it. good for my boys. :D

[Nick Biped]

URG! I left the room for maybe a minute to clean out a mug and I come back and it's 3-1!!!! I can't leave the room during the playoffs or something happens.... :D

Heh, I know exactly what you mean! I was looking through the different forums when I suddenly heard some cheering. I looked over at the TV, and I saw Edmonton scored. And of course, I was doing the same thing when Dallas scored their goals. That happens to me all too often. :p

Anyways, it's all over now, with Dallas winning 3-1. Too bad. The only plus is that Edmonton is guaranteed at least one more home game. They seem to play better there than on the road.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

The Wings are tied 1-1 at the end of the first period, so this seems as good a time to bump as ever.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Someone please end the Leafs-Philly game! Someone score, anyone wearing blue and white! I do not want to be watching all century!

Philly! Stop using 5 goalies not named Chechmanek! Lay off and let him do his work and let Leaf goals in! :p

EDIT: Damn, a loss. It's finally over, though. Whoever wins this series won't make it out of the 2nd round.

[Jade_GL]

I wish I could have seen that Philly/Toronto game, but I had to watch that Colorado/Minnesota game, which wasn't interesting until the Wild scored in the 3rd period. Oh well.

As of now the Anaheim Mighty Ducks are leading the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 with 3 minutes in the 3rd. It might just be a sweep folks. Oh man, that is a shocker. I'll edit my post when the game officially ends.

Edit: Holy crud, with 2:15 to go, Detroit has tied it. Looks like this may be more interesting than I had originally thought. Oh my, what a game this is turning out to be.

Double Edit: And in overtime, the Mighty Ducks win. Wow, that was a surprise series.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

So the destruction is complete. An embarrassing and pathetic end to a great dynasty.

EDIT: Geez, looks like Cujo is breaking down in tears. He was always an emotional chap. I feel for the guy, but hey, you coulda at least still been playing if you stayed with the Leafs and not try to bandwagon.

My series predictions after tonight--

Ottawa-NY Isles--Ottawa wins series. Too good an offence, too much discipline. Ottawa in 5.

Toronto-Philly--I knew that when we lost that we probably lost momentum for good. The Leafs are simply getting outplayed and lady luck is asking for payment for the past 2 games. Philly is too good, too well coached and too strong. Eddie can get hot and the Leafs will still lose. Philly in 7.

St-Louis-Van--What did I say about one-line teams? St Louis in 6.

Tampa Bay-Washington--The series nobody seems to care about. Tampa Bay in 7.

Colorado-Minnesota--Colorodo in 6. Too much experience and talent.

[TimTwoFace]

After tonight's games:

Detroit/Anaheim - Anaheim clips Wings in 4
From the outset I had a gut feeling Anaheim would take this series...but in FOUR? Cujo wasn't bad, but he was definitely out-goaltended by Gigeure. If I were the Wings I would have put in Manny Legace just to mix it up; he's a better goaltender anyway.

The 4-0 isn't as close a sweep as you'd think; all of the games were decided by a goal, and a number of them went to overtime. Trivial note: the Detroit Dead Things are the first defending Stanley Cup champ to go out in the first round in four straight since the 1952 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Congrats to the Ducks for taking about the Wings and being the first team in 2003 to make it to the second round!

Philly/Toronto
Again, nothing spectacular here. These are two very evenly matched teams - that's why the games are so tight and overtimes are aplenty. Thank God those games start at 4pm PST, or I'd never be able to stay awake to watch them. THREE overtimes? Geez.

Minnesota/Colorado
It's pretty obvious that Colorado is going to take this one, though Minnesota isn't letting them just walk all over them. Just wait until next year - when they get a bigger payroll (more than $22 Mill!) they can really be scary.

Ottawa/NY Islanders
Yeah, Ottawa's back on track, no surprise here. Have fun in the second round, Sens. :) Your cheque is in the mail. Really. :D

Washington/Tampa Bay
Tampa wins! Good - and now we have a legitimate series. It looks like whoever is the visiting team will win each game. This bodes well for the Lightning. :)

St. Louis/Vancouver
AH! What happened? My boys are falling apart! We got plenty of shots on Osgood this time so that's good, but...well, I was in school, so I didn't see any of the Blues goals, but geez, that ain't right. This is the absolute wrong time for the Canucks to be slumping; they're not a one-line team, they have four great lines, just one superior line. Thing is, that means nothing if they're not clicking, and that's definitely the case now. The Canucks have come back from 50% of their 3-1 deficits in previous series' (such as vs. Calgary in '94, on the way to the Stanley Cup Finals), but this isn't a smart way to go about things.

-Tim

[Nick Biped]

Well, there we have it. The first sweep of the playoffs, and Anaheim was the one to do it. I'll admit I never ever even considered this possibility before the playoffs started. Interesting that all four games were decided by one goal, though.

Well, full credit to Giguere and the rest of the Ducks. I can't say they didn't deserve to take the series. This has to be pretty embarassing for Detroit, though. Sure, the games' scores were close, but most people'll remember their being swept.

Considering the way Toronto played yesterday (10 shots in regulation?!), I think they were fortunate to make it to overtime vs. Philly. That said, it's still too bad they lost. I won't count the Blue and White out of the picture yet, but they need to play more like the way they did in Game 3, and not like they did in any of the other games so far.

Ottawa's doing what's pretty much expected of them now. Shouldn't be much longer till they take the series. Same with Colorado.

Good for Tampa Bay to make a series of their, er, series, or something. :p I wouldn't mind seeing them make it to the second round, actually. Though if it's gonna be the visiting team that wins all the games in this series, that means Washington'll win it, since Tampa Bay has the home-ice advantage, I think.

And then there's Vancouver. Not quite sure what to say about this one. The only plus is that they're heading back home, and if they win, maybe they'll get some momentum back. I hope so.

[Lucky Bob]

Anaheim sweeps! All of a sudden, I've got bookies calling ME! :p

'Tis a cool victory. The Ducks just haven't had any respect for, well, centuries. So, to take out the defending champs in a SWEEP probably has the other teams feeling a little "edgy" right now.

Hmmmm....I wouldn't want an Avs/Ducks conference final, though. My loyalties would be torn! :(

[Evil Dr. Reef]

:mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad:
What a night.

EDIT:

EDIT: Geez, looks like Cujo is breaking down in tears. He was always an emotional chap. I feel for the guy, but hey, you coulda at least still been playing if you stayed with the Leafs and not try to bandwagon.
I've got nothing against CuJo, but I want my Hasek back. Christ, maybe even Osgood. He did seem like he was really crying last night, though. It's nice that all the Wings came over and comforted him.

[TimTwoFace]

Re: Cujo

From what I've seen, he's a MUCH better goalie when he's facing a tonne of shots each game. Being continually challenged seems to keep him on his game. That's why he was pretty good on Toronto all these years - the Toronto D is terribly shallow, so he had to come up big every couple minutes in the playoffs. But on Toronto, he was never going to win a Stanley Cup, so he moved to Detroit with higher hopes.

Then there was the 2002 Olympic hockey tournament when he was pulled after just one game. Granted, Canada played uber-poorly against Sweden that first game, but he didn't help out much, either; and even though he didn't say anything publically, you could tell he was very disheartened that Brodeur took his job.

Anyway, if I were Detroit coach Dave Lewis, I would have definitely put in Manny Legace; why isn't that guy the number one goalie, I ask? He's much better on that team than Cujo has been all year!

-Tim

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Actually guys, as a Toronto fan, this is the best I've seen Cujo play in a playoffs. No, really. I remember last year he would sometimes give up up to 6 goals a game in the playoffs. He'd bounce back the next night, but it would be up and down for him.

Difference is, in the East, Toronto found a way to score more than Cujo let in during the 7 game series. Detroit needed a Brodeur or Roy or a 1999 edition Ed Belfour to stand a chance against Anaheim. Come on, they simply couldn't score against the Ducks.

[Reed Richards]

And as for my Canucks, what they have to do is simple - KEEP IT SIMPLE! Just dump the puck in and throw a zillion pucks at Osgood - he's not that great a goalie and eventually they WILL get lucky bounces. The St. Louis D is doing a great job at holding up the top line for Vancouver; that's the story of the series. I'd like to see this series not just become a special-teams battle for seven games, though.

I still say Vancouver will win this series in six or seven games.

-Tim

Barrett Jackman and company are destroying the 1st and only line that the Canucks have

Blues are up 3-1 in the series and I think will likely win.

Osgood has been great so far-- keep in mind this guy has a cup already. I think the Blues are playing like a Stanley Cup team right now. Almost everyone is FINALLY back on the ice and hopefully McInnis will be back soon as well.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Barrett Jackman and company are destroying the 1st and only line that the Canucks have

Blues are up 3-1 in the series and I think will likely win.

Osgood has been great so far-- keep in mind this guy has a cup already. I think the Blues are playing like a Stanley Cup team right now. Almost everyone is FINALLY back on the ice and hopefully McInnis will be back soon as well.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Blues win a Cup...they've suffered enough. Much more than Leafs or Flyers or Canucks fans, I'd wager.

[Majin_Megabyte]

Even though I live in Iowa, I picked The Mighty Ducks to win it all since I have been an Duck fan since 1995.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Re: Cujo

(...)

Anyway, if I were Detroit coach Dave Lewis, I would have definitely put in Manny Legace; why isn't that guy the number one goalie, I ask? He's much better on that team than Cujo has been all year!

-Tim
Indeed. Manny Legace does NOT get the recognition or respect that he deserves, mostly because he's a "backup goalie". After the second game, Lewis should have let Legace start off instead of Joseph, just to see it they faired any better.

Hey, d'you think I should change my location now? :(

[Jade_GL]

Question of the evening:

Can the Bruins stave of elimination and stretch this series out to another game?

Oh I am so hoping that they do. I mean, I don't even care if they win after that, but I just want to see them fight like they did in the last game. I know that this may be their final night in the playoffs, but I am crosing my fingers.

So, let's all gather 'round the tv and see if Boston can trounce New Jersey tonight. :) *runs to put on Bruins t-shirt*

[Nick Biped]

Two more games, two more teams make it to the next round. Ottawa showed why they were the top team in the regular season, as they beat N.Y. 4-1. Basically, they just had too much speed and skill for the Islanders.

And sorry, Jade, but New Jersey's also through in 5 games. I guess that bad game Brodeur had in Game 4 was just a fluke. I wouldn't've minded seeing Boston stretch out this series though. I've always felt completely indifferent to New Jersey. They've always played kind of a boring, defensively-styled game. It wins games, but doesn't really make for really exciting hockey, at least for me.

And Edmonton wasn't really in their game against Dallas tonight, losing 5-2. Well, at least Edmonton's going back home next game. And I think they were also down 3 games to 2 in '97, which was the last time they beat Dallas, so I wouldn't count out the Oilers yet. :)

[Jade_GL]

Yes, the Bruins are no more. Oh well, I just wish it could have gone to 6 or 7. I like tough fought series.

I have no idea who to root for now, but I think the Mighty Ducks have quite a bit of momentum after their sweep of Detroit. Other than that, I have no predictions right now. I'll have to think about that tonight. :D

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

The Cup is coming back to the EAST! Book it!

I just hope it's not Ottawa. Damn, that pretty boy playing team annoys me.

Just for my own reference, the winner of the Leafs-Philly series will have the lousiest path to the Stanley Cup Finals.

If the Caps win, Toronto or Philly will face New Jersey. If Tampa Bay wins, Toronto or Philly will face the Sens. Great joke, hockey Gods!

Even if my team gets by Philly, facing NJ or the Sens in the second round? And THE OTHER one likely in the ECF? Good lord. All paths will run through NJ and the Sens either way, and that's not counting how punishing the current Philly-Tor series is.

If either Philly or Tor manages to get to the Stanley Cup Final, they would already have deserved the Cup for that achievement. The West is a much safer place without Detroit. Not every team is going to hit a mental block against Anaheim like Detroit did.

[TimTwoFace]

As I figured, Ottawa and New Jersey move on to the second round with relative ease. They're still the two teams to beat in the east, and we all know that's an eastern conference showdown a-brewin'. But who knows? The winner of the Southeast Division match-up could surprise everyone. As for the Philly/Toronto series, that's a thoroughly entertaining series (if you can sit through six periods a game), and they could be surprising in the second round.

Who was it that said that Ottawa plays a boring style of hockey? I thought I read that somewhere - and that's a lie! They're a really tough team this year, really fast, really skilled - that's what an entertaining hockey team is all about. :)

1. OTTAWA <---onto second round
2. NEW JERSEY <---onto second round
3. TAMPA BAY <---???
4. PHILADELPHIA <---???
5. TORONTO <---???
6. WASHINGTON <---???

#7 and #8 have already been eliminated. It'll be at least three more days until the other two series' are through game six.

As for the west, with Detroit out of the way, it's wide open for Anaheim to go to the finals. :D I hope that Edmonton and Vancouver make a run to get out of the first round, though - otherwise the west will be pretty boring to me. I despise Dallas and Colorado equally. :p

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

It was kinda expected for Ottawa and Jersey to advance.

Here in Caps-land, the Chokewatch is on. When they came home up 2-0, the pessimism began.

I'm thinking St. Louis wraps their series up tonight.

Any doubt that Flyers-Leafs is going 7?

CuJo's gonna get fried in Detroit, but his save pct. was something like .916 in the series. That's usually quite acceptable, but not when the other goalie was up close to .970.

[Nick Biped]

Well, Tampa Bay won their game so now they're up 3-2. Not much to say about it except that Khabibulin looked pretty solid. I wouldn't mind if Tampa Bay won the series actually. They've been in the league for 11 years; it's about time they did something in the playoffs.

And good for Vancouver to pull off the win vs. St. Louis. They finally played like the high-scoring team they were during the season. Hopefully, the Canucks can take some momentum from this game and take it with them to St. Louis.


Just for my own reference, the winner of the Leafs-Philly series will have the lousiest path to the Stanley Cup Finals.

If the Caps win, Toronto or Philly will face New Jersey. If Tampa Bay wins, Toronto or Philly will face the Sens. Great joke, hockey Gods!

Even if my team gets by Philly, facing NJ or the Sens in the second round? And THE OTHER one likely in the ECF? Good lord. All paths will run through NJ and the Sens either way, and that's not counting how punishing the current Philly-Tor series is.

*sigh* It's too bad, isn't it. Both Ottawa and New Jersey looked pretty solid in their first rounds. I'm not quite sure who I'd want Toronto (assuming they win) to face. Maybe Ottawa; Toronto's had pretty good luck against them in the playoffs. But still, it's bad either way.

At any rate, I think Colorado should have a good chance at finishing their series tonight. And hopefully Edmonton can take advantage of having home-ice.

[HylianFireStorm]

::comes out in his Avalanche jersey, stretches and smells:: Ah yes, the smell of hockey fans in the morning. I've been an Avs fan ever since they were named the Avalanche. I heard the name, didn't have a fave team, figured I'd give it a run, and here I am, damn glad I did. I think they have what it takes to win it all this year, especially with Detroit losing to the Mighty Ducks and the Stars vs. Avs series' almost always fallin to the Avs favor. We'll see the boys from Colorado back in the finals for another go at the cup. Later:)

Mike

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

ARRRGH my team looks bad. If they continue playing like this, they don't deserve to advance. This is some of the lousiest passing and puck control I've ever seen. I'd hate to see what an even superior team would do to us.

EDIT: Well, it may soon be over. I honestly thought Game 4 was the deciding game of the series. If this goes 7 games, I'll be surprised. Damn, the window is closing fast on this team. I'd wager only maybe 3 or 4 good years left. It was a nice regular season.

'67 going on 37.

[TimTwoFace]

*THE DAY AFTER, ONCE I'VE SOBERED UP*

Nnnngh...man, I think I oughta hit the bar after every Canucks game from here on, because every time I've gone drinking during the game, they've won (Game #2 and Game #5). And THAT was a game that the Canucks DESERVED to win - their best played game yet this series, and on par with their best games of the season. Their only problem was easing up a little through the third period; they always sit back on their leads with too much time on their hands. The defense isn't good enough against a team like St. Louis to allow them to sit on a three goal lead; you gotta keep trying to score. But I'm still happy. :)

As for Tampa/Washington...man, what happened to the Caps? I'm completely indifferent to who wins this one, but how can they lose their chokehold on the series like they did? Hmmm.

Todays games...

Philly/Toronto, Game 5
Let's get this straight, I despise these two teams with a passion. To me, Philly has been a team of thugs ("Broad Street Bullies", remember?) since their inception and Toronto is...well...Toronto. Being a Canadian (one that roots for the Habs, no less), I have to hate the Leafs. It's in my blood. :p It's been an entertaining series, don't get me wrong, but I'd love to see Toronto go down next game. And then Philly get swept in 4 in round two. :)

Minnesota/Colorado, Game 5
I thought that Colorado was going to pounce on this opportunity and take the game EASILY, but no, Minnesota has proven that they still have some fight in them left. They should play Fernandez for the rest of the series to see what happens; in Game 7, anything can happen. That is, of course, if the Wild win Game #6 first.

Dallas/Edmonton, Game 6 - DALLAS WINS SERIES
This series has been a lot tighter than one would initially think. Aside from that uninspired loss of 5-2 by the Oilers in Game 5, the games have all been really close. I hoped that Edmonton would win, but had a gut feeling that Dallas would all along.

And with Dallas winning we already know some of the second-round match-ups in the west:

-DALLAS (1) vs. ANAHEIM (7)
...and ya know what? Anaheim has a great chance of winning this series (not as a sweep, though), and I'd wager that they do.

The other series in the west is gonna be whoever the winner of Colorado/Minnesota and Vancouver/St. Louis is. My personal hope is Vancouver (4) vs Minnesota (6), but I'm betting it'll be Colorado and Vancouver.

-Tim

[Nick Biped]

Egads, was Toronto ever outplayed by Philly yesterday or what? Even if by some semi-miracle they beat the Flyers, I can't really see them getting by either Ottawa or New Jersey. I have a feeling I won't be keeping my avatar's title for too much longer. :p

The thing is, London's right between Detroit and Toronto, so there're actually a fair number of fans for both teams here. And both of them might be gone very soon. Oh, well. I won't give up yet, so long as they're still playing.

Speaking of Detroit, I think there'll be several changes during the off-season. Does anybody else think they'll be a contender next year, or are they getting just too old, and they'll soon be entering a few "rebuilding" seasons?

And it looks like the first Canadian team's out of the playoffs, though Edmonton did give Dallas a run for their money. Good for them.

And good for Minnesota to keep their series with Colorado going. I still can't see them pulling off the series upset, but you never know.

P.S. Has this turned into a long thread or what? Heck, by the time June rolls around, this might be one of the biggest topics around.

[TimTwoFace]

P.S. Has this turned into a long thread or what? Heck, by the time June rolls around, this might be one of the biggest topics around.

Well hey, hockey's an exciting sport! I'm just surprised there are so many people here that are avid fans - or at least avid enough to talk about their teams and picks without just chanting "GO *FILL IN THE BLANK* GO!" :)

As for a synopsis of tonight's games:

Tampa vs Washington, Game 6 - TAMPA BAY WINS SERIES
Is this an upset? No. Do I care either way? Not really. But how Washington loses out on a two-game lead in the series and is swept in the following four is beyond me. You can't fault the Kolzig - he certainly did his job. Ultimately, he was just outplayed by the Bulin Wall at the other end of the ice. Good for them; and now Tampa goes on to play New Jersey. And Jersey SHOULD win that - but we could have yet another goaltender's battle in that game. Should be interesting - but likely boring, cuz I hate watching the trap style of hockey.

Vancouver vs St. Louis, Game 6
Whoo! My boys won another one! I guess it's true, they really DO play their best when their backs are up against the wall. The Canucks managed to get out of a 3-1 series deficit and hang onto their lead in Game 6 to tie it up and bring it back to Vancouver for the deciding game. The only thing that I disliked here was how Vancouver sat back on their lead - again - in the third period. They shouldn't do that! St. Louis played lousy in the first two periods but really came on in the third, and if Vancouver goes into the next round, they'll have to play smarter, whether they're playing Colorado or Minnesota.

-Tim

[dark knight acolyte]

How does it go in that Disney movie by the same name? Oh, I think it is....*thinks really hard*..."quack, Quack, QUack, QUACK!" How about them Mighty Ducks OF Anaheim? Are they my Stanley Cup Prediction? No. Buuuuut, let's give credit where its due, to the Anaheim defense. And lets mend wings that don't deserve to be clipped; frankly, CUJO was the Red WING's MVP of that series. He stopped a very respectable percentage of shots and had an very respectable GAA of around 2.5. The simple fact is, these are the anemic numbers he had to work with, as provided by his team's offensive output....
Game 1: a single goal in nearly 6 periods of play.
Game 2: 2 goals, and not a single insurance goal in the final period of play
Game 3: A single goal.
Game 4: What should have been a single goal, but 2 goals thanks to Giugierre accidentally redirecting a Federov non-shot (it wasn't on net initially) into his own net.
Let's be frank. Look at Cujo's numbers. Look at his offense's output....I mean, its Detroit; they play a wide-open brand of hockey (for the most part) and alas, in spite of this....no offensive production. You can't blame the goalie for that, or at best, you can't blame the goalie exclusively by placing the onus of the responsibility on him. CUJO was the only reason Detroit was within a goal in each of those games...much like Giugerre was the major reason Detroit didn't have a 2-2 split in thsoe games. The difference (aside from the fact that Giugerre had a dream series..)...was support. Anaheim provided Giugerre the support he needed...Detroit gave CUJO NONE....NONE. 1.5 Goals Per Game ...well, Im ranting. Basically, if there are Red Wings fans reading this....look to the Federovs and Hulls and ask yourself...were they as offensively productive as CUJO was defensively? The answer is NO.

Ahhh....the Washington Capitals. I always love when they qualify for the playoffs...because laughter is good for the soul. And, everytime they take a series lead that looks insurmountable, they always relinquish it....which is great for a good chuckle. It's just nice to see that I can always count on the Caps to do this, minus one Stanley Cup run in...99 was it?....and not just count on them to do it when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Caps/Pens...now there's a series I miss....I used to love seeing the Pens hand the Caps a 2-0 or 3-1 series lead...(well, the last couple of times the Pens just took it to them from the get-go...but let's reminisce)...only for the Capitals, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins, to remind us that President Bush eating pretzels isnt' the only choking that happens in the nation's capital. It's just great to see some things never change. WHen they were up 2-0...I picked Tampa to win the series still, admittedly half-kidding. However, well....in the end....oh...what the heck? Let's just all point and laugh! *points* *laughs*

One traditional first round series that NEVER changes is the Stars/Oilers annual grudge match. Stars win again...SURPRIIIIIISE! To be honest though, I enjoyed this series more in years past.

Anyway, those are just a few thoughts on the action to-date. Let's get to the bread and butter:

PREDICTIONS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
What's left of round 1---
Philly Flyers over Maple Leafs 4-3

Round 2---
New Jersey over Tampa Bay 4-0 *did somebody say sickeningly fresh legs for the finals?? Tampa's not holding up here. Sorry, Cinderella lovers and Devil-haters*
Ottawa Senators over Philly Flyers 4-2 *Ottawa's D swarms and stifles Flyers AGAIN...but this time, Philly will actually score a goal now and again*

Eastern Finals---
New Jersey over Ottawa 4-2
A hardfought series...but Jersey, with the easier path in the second round will have that slight edge needed in a defensive tug-n-pull.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
What's left----
Colorado over Minnesota 4-2
St. Louis over Vancouver 4-3 *TOUGH, TOUGH call.....but I figure that at least ONE lower-ranked seed has to beat a higher ranked seed in round 1, and if my other (more safe) predictions come to pass, well....this will have to be it! My logic goes no deeper than that. St. Louis in a blowout in game 7, 5 or 6 to 2. Canucks fans quiet in the early stages of Pd. 2.*

Round 2--
Dallas over Anaheim 4-3 *Hey, I believe in the Ducks. And I dont' think the Stars are as good as some believe. I give ANA credit....I think they can push this series to the limit...but in the end....Giguerre is due for a letdown...at some point. Let's see how Roy-esque he is in a Game 7.*
Colorado over St. Louis 4-1 *Isn't that the result every time these two teams play each other??*

Western Conference Finals
Colorado over Dallas 4-2
Fresher legs, more fire power, a more proven goalie, revenge in mind (from '99-00 and '00-01 I believe...???), and a stronger finish down the stretch. Avs win. It may not even go 6; I'm being merciful and conservative.

STANLEY CUP FINALS
Colorado over New Jersey 4-3 *Hey, have I seen this before???*

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

P.S. Has this turned into a long thread or what? Heck, by the time June rolls around, this might be one of the biggest topics around.

I'm surprised this is getting more attention than the NBA playoffs. I'm more of a basketball guru than a hockey one, but I find playoff hockey easier to follow since people place more emphasis on TEAMS and strategies rather than the NBA, which promotes individuals over team. I'm getting sick of that.

Plus, my team didn't make the NBA playoffs. :p

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

YESSSSS...even if the Leafs still go out tommorrow, at least they won't have gone out on home ice...that would have been horrible.

Game 7. In enemy territory. A place they've had trouble winning in. I love it.

Congrats to Minnesota too for their Game 7 chance. Classic playoff games all around tonight.

[Nick Biped]

Whoo, the Leafs did it! Now I don't have to change my custom title yet. :p That was probably their best game since Game 3. They definitely pulled through in the clutch. Good game all-around from both teams.

And how about Minnesota beating Colorado? I was a bit surprised there, but hey, good for them too. Can't say they didn't deserve it.

So let's see, tomorrow night I think we have three Game Sevens. Can the hockey playoffs get any better? :cool:

[TimTwoFace]

I'm surprised this is getting more attention than the NBA playoffs. I'm more of a basketball guru than a hockey one, but I find playoff hockey easier to follow since people place more emphasis on TEAMS and strategies rather than the NBA, which promotes individuals over team. I'm getting sick of that.


I hear ya, that's why I hate the NBA with a passion and think it's the worst of the four major North American pro-sports out there. And how the NBA and the Grizzlies organization treated Vancouver made everyone bitter - and honestly, happy to see them go. :)

Anyway, as for tonight's games:

Toronto and Philly, Game 6
Again, no real surprise that Toronto came out to put on a final good show on home ice in the series. If they put in another lackluster effort as in Game 5 on the weekend, they wouldn't have deserved to win. This one was a lot more entertaining on both sides, too. I'm still pulling for Philly, though - they're tough to beat in their own barn. Then again, if Toronto wins, that means they'll face Ottawa...AGAIN. Would this be the year Ottawa finally beats the Leafs?

Colorado and Minnesota, Game 6
Congrats to Minnesota, I had a feeling they'd be able to push the Avalanche to the limit here. Even if they don't win the series it won't be a disappointment in the eyes of the Wild fans - for a third year team that EVERYONE overlooked, they've done extremely well. The Wild kept pressing in this game and won it on OT, and Roy let his team down big time, letting in two weak goals five-hole; if it weren't for Sakic and de Vries finding that extra bit of energy late in the third, Colorado wouldn't have had a chance. Roy's a playoff performer, though - he has four Stanley Cups to his name (1986, 1993 in Montreal; 1996, 2001 in Colorado), but he HAS been slowing down since last season. And whoever wins this series will play the winner of the Vancouver/St. Louis series...and whomever they draw, it will be tough.

And that leads us to tomorrow, the first time I can remember that THREE game sevens are being played on the same night:

GAME SEVEN: SEVENTH HEAVEN

Philadelphia (4) vs Toronto (5)
Expect this game to be tight, but Philly WILL win it, in my opinion. And not in overtime. 3-2.

Colorado (3) vs Minnesota (6)
...nnngh, I dunno, it really depends on which Colorado team shows up tomorrow night. The Wild will play hard and ferocious as they have nothing to lose, but the Avs SHOULD be able to beat them. But hey, let's go for another stunning western-conference upset: Wild over Avs, 3-2 as well. In OT.

Vancouver (4) vs St. Louis (5)
Living in Vancouver, of course I know the most about this series and really, really am pulling for my Canuckleheads to take this one. The Canucks have virtually everything in their favour on this one: home ice advantage, among the loudest home crowds in the league, the huge momentum shift, a team that has great chemistry even when the lines are mixed and matched, they've been on the brink of elimination for the past two games and have won convincingly, their team ISN'T ridden with the flu, their team DOES still have a healthy star defenseman, and we have more firepower. In the past two games, the Blues have been a disappointment, and it's only been when Vancouver sat back on their lead in the third that St. Louis actually came close to beating them. This is how Vancouver is supposed to play, and as far as St. Louis is concerned, the only player that has really impressed me since BOTH teams played like they could has been Doug Weight.

All in all, I'll take Vancouver, 5-3 with an empty netter. But it'll be intense. I know where I'LL be tomorrow at 7:30pm. :)

-Tim

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

*Cough*

Oooookay.

I think it's safe to say that the Pat Quinn era just hasn't panned out.

Uh, no cheap shots, please. The knowledge of 37 years is quite enough humiliation, thanks. :p

EDIT an hour later: WHAT AN IMPLOSION! Yeah, we lost the game in the first period, but I just had to yell, WHAT AN IMPLOSION! Did Eddie go crazy sumthin sumthin or what?

I still think if this team had better leadership we would have been able to guide this bunch of misfits and jailbirds a little farther. Too bad Gary Roberts is old and grey now. He was a great leader last year, and now that he's not anymore, it showed pretty painfully.

[Nick Biped]

Umm...

...

Well, so much for a close, hard-fought match. Not quite sure what to say, except that was just plain horrible playing by the Leafs tonight. Oh, well, if you're going to lose, I think it's better to lose big (and away from home, too), rather than by one goal or whatever.

So, now it's like 36 years going on 37? :(

Well, here's hoping Ottawa manages to take out Philly in the next round. Just so long as I see at least one Canadian team in the Finals. And I'm not going to be able to stay up for it, but good luck to Vancouver tonight. :)

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Umm...



Well, here's hoping Ottawa manages to take out Philly in the next round. Just so long as I see at least one Canadian team in the Finals. And I'm not going to be able to stay up for it, but good luck to Vancouver tonight. :)

Nah, I don't like Ottawa yet (until they prove to me they are for real and show that they can win on grind and grit at some point) and Vancouver's too far away for me to get attached to. (Actually, I've had bad experiences in Vancouver. Not the city, but my relatives. There was a lot of bad family blood there and my family almost got torn apart because of the feuding and complexity involved, and so I'm not too fond of my relatives. I won't go there again any time soon :) ) My favourite Canadian teams are, for all things considered, out of the playoffs--Leafs, Oilers. I am impartial to the Habs. I like them sometimes, but sometimes I don't.

I'd rather have lost 3-1 or 4-1 at least, but I guess 6-1 shows that it was more that we committed suicide AND got outplayed than getting beat while playing hard. And we did implode. Eddie got frustrated and started killing people and taking penalties, and nobody played defence, which made it worse on Eddie.

On the bright side...we still have better looking female fans than Philly does!! That girl last night in Toronto (if you saw game 6, YOU know who it is) is becoming a cult figure.

[Tanooki]

MINNESOTA REPRESENT!!!

i have to admit i was never really a hockey fan until the wild made the playoffs this year. one thing is for certain though, i'll be watching the rest of this season, and a whole lot more next year too!

KoD

[TimTwoFace]

OH, WHAT A NIGHT!

All three games went just the way I had hoped. Toronto went down in flames, Minnesota beat the mountain known as the Avalanche, and Vancouver went on in a very convincing 4-1 win.

Game by game:

Philly/Toronto, Game 7 - PHILADELPHIA WINS
Being a Habs fan, I'll say straight up that I've hated Toronto with a passion for as long as I can remember. I don't mock those that do - to each their own - but I hate this team. At the same time, I hate Philly, too. A bunch of (talented) thugs they are. All I can say is, how can Toronto fall apart in a game of this calibre after such a HUGE and passionate game the night before?

The only thing that really pissed me off was Don Cherry's definite bias towards the Leafs tonight...but I just brushed it off. I wonder which series the CBC will make him commentate on next round. Ottawa or Vancouver?

Colorado/Minnesota, Game 7 - MINNESOTA SOMEHOW WINS
Man Colorado, what the hell happened? They finished the season as the team with the best record going into the playoffs, and they're bounced by a team that plays the trap after leading the 3-1? I'm not surprised that Patrick Roy let in some softies - as great a goalie as he HAS been on both Montreal and Colorado over the years, he DOES let in a lot of bad goals now and again. Especially this year. I knew that Minnesota wouldn't be a pushover, and I'm not surprised that Minnnesota could win - but the fact that they DID is still shocking. They meet my Canucks in the next round.

Man, first Detroit goes out in the first round, then Colorado - this is like the year of upsets in the west.

Vancouver/St. Louis, Game 7 - VANCOUVER WINS
I never lost hope in my team, even after that horribly lackluster 6-0 blowout on home ice in Game 1 and going down 3-1 in the series. Good for you, Canucks, good for you. Even if this is as far as we go this year, I'm proud. Game Sevens are always awesome - especially if they are the conclusion of a long, bitter series like this one.

Now this means I need to make a new avatar, huh? I don't even know where to find a Minnesota Wild logo. :(

And that leads us to:

THE SECOND-ROUND MATCH-UPS
WEST
Dallas Stars (1) vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (7)
Vancouver Canucks (4) vs. Minnesota Wild (6)

EAST
Ottawa Senators (1) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (4)
New Jersey Devils (2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3)

I'll post my predictions tomorrow after I manage to get some sleep.

-Tim

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

OH, WHAT A NIGHT!



Philly/Toronto, Game 7 - PHILADELPHIA WINS
Being a Habs fan, I'll say straight up that I've hated Toronto with a passion for as long as I can remember. I don't mock those that do - to each their own - but I hate this team. At the same time, I hate Philly, too. A bunch of (talented) thugs they are. All I can say is, how can Toronto fall apart in a game of this calibre after such a HUGE and passionate game the night before?



-Tim


*Bombs TwoFace from outside Toronto* :)

:) Seriously, though, I can't understand what all the hatin' is about with Habs fans. Habs have won, like, what 20 Stanley Cups or more? Leafs have won 13. I always fail to see exactly why a Habs fan would hate the Leafs since the Habs have proven to be a superior franchise. Oh, I can understand why you would DISLIKE the Leafs, but hate? It would be like the Lakers fans hating the Bulls. I don't see it. You don't hate someone you're better than. That's unsporting. :p

I can see it if the Leafs were a successful franchise during your lifetime and kept "robbing" the Cup from the Habs (which they haven't even once). In fact, they sucked from 1967 to the 90s!

I hope Philly wins the Cup, then. Better to be beaten by a worthy team than 2nd or third round fodder.

[Jaguar]

Two words: Red Wings. :) :cool:

[TimTwoFace]

*Bombs TwoFace from outside Toronto* :)

:) Seriously, though, I can't understand what all the hatin' is about with Habs fans. Habs have won, like, what 20 Stanley Cups or more? Leafs have won 13. I always fail to see exactly why a Habs fan would hate the Leafs since the Habs have proven to be a superior franchise. Oh, I can understand why you would DISLIKE the Leafs, but hate? It would be like the Lakers fans hating the Bulls. I don't see it. You don't hate someone you're better than. That's unsporting. :p

I can see it if the Leafs were a successful franchise during your lifetime and kept "robbing" the Cup from the Habs (which they haven't even once). In fact, they sucked from 1967 to the 90s!


The Toronto/Montreal rivalry has been going on since the dawn of the NHL as far as I'm concerned, particularly up until the expansion era of 1967 when more Canadian teams were added. (Actually, I don't think it was until 1970 that the Canucks were added, the Oilers and Flames in '79 and '80, and...I forget when the Jets and the Nordiques came along. The Sens were in 92/93 so that doesn't really count, it's still too recent.)

Anyway, in those days, if you were a hockey fan in Canada you either went for the Leafs or the Habs, and the country was pretty much split from coast to coast as to whether they rooted for one or the other. In the earlier years, the two teams were about the same - they'd won about 13 Stanley Cups apiece at that time, and both were fierce competitors. It's just that after the Leafs won their most recent cup in '67, the Habs still went on to take 9 or 10 more (24 total) and went to the finals a few more times but lost (against Philly in '75, Calgary in '89, etc). The fact that they're still in the same division adds to the rivalry.

Sure, there are better rivalries that still exist in the league:
-Calgary vs Edmonton
-Edmonton vs Dallas
-Vancouver vs Edmonton
-Vancouver vs Detroit
-Vancouver vs Colorado
-Toronto vs Ottawa
-Toronto vs New Jersey
-Detroit vs Colorado
-Detroit vs St. Louis
-Rangers vs Islanders
-Rangers vs New Jersey
-Boston vs Montreal
-and let's not forget the awesome match-up of Columbus and Nashville.
...but historically speaking, the original six rivalries are still something special unto themselves. And for Canadian fans, the Toronto/Montreal rivalry is as good as it gets. :D

ANYWAY...I have some round two playoff predictions to make:

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Anaheim (7)
-Will Giguere and the Ducks be able to pull it off again? Yep, I believe they will, but don't expect the Stars to go in four straight. I never expected the Wings to go in four straight either, but it can't happen twice. The Ducks aren't THAT good. Still, I can see them taking the Stars in six; the basic difference between the Stars and the Wings is that the Stars have SLIGHTLY less finesse and skill than the Wings, but are a lot more physical. Turco hasn't proven to me that he's anything more than a good, competent goalie - not bad, but not "awesome". We'll see in this round. Remember, for some reason, the Ducks have played fairly well against the Wings and even moreso the Stars over the past two seasons.
ANAHEIM IN SIX

Vancouver (4) vs. Minnesota (6)
-I'm still getting over the shock that Minnesota actually beat the Avs last night. I knew they COULD do it, but never expected them to. What's better is that I was praying for Vancouver to draw Minnesota in round two - they're an easier team than Colorado and this allows Vancouver to keep home ice advantage for another round. I still expect Vancouver to take this series in 6 games, but it won't be easy - Minnesota plays that trap style of hockey and it does not compliment Vancouver's high-flying style at all. Expect a lot of garbage goals here; Vancouver is a fast team that can keep up with the little Wild forwards, so I think it's the Canucks' overpowering physical play that will tide this series in their favour. Besides, that's exactly what they did to claw their way back on top of the Blues over the past three games.
VANCOUVER IN SIX

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs Philadelphia (4)
-I don't expect this series to be a cakewalk for the Sens like it was in the first round last year. The Flyers should have a lot of momentum going into these series; conversely, the Sens are well-rested after a relatively easy series on Long Island. I think the Sens will take this one in six, too - they're just too good this year. They're a lot more physical than before, their scoring power is quite high, and their goaltender is a proven playoff performer. And the Sens will LOVE to get by into the third round - they have to take this opportunity before they lose to the Leafs in the playoffs yet again. :p If Philly took seven games to beat an average and beat up (but resilient) Maple Leaf team, how would they fare against a well-rested, uninjured, high-scoring, yet strong defensive team like the Sens?
OTTAWA IN SIX

New Jersey (2) vs Tampa Bay (3)
-It's a battle of the goaltenders. Martin Brodeur was awesome between the pipes for Jersey and you can easily say that Khabibulin (ahhh, I can't spell?) stole the series against Washington for Tampa. I still think Brodeur is the better goalie (with 2 Stanley Cups and a Gold Medal to his name, no less), and their strong, defensive team should be able to handle the high-flying but rather young Lightning forwards.
NEW JERSEY IN SIX

So yeah, here's hoping for the first all-Canadian final since the Habs and Flames in '89. *KNOCKS ON WOOD* Who knows? It's possible. :)

-Tim
(Still wishing the Oilers were around...and that the Habs even made it this year. Argh. Dang you, Theodore...)

[Burgundy Ranger]

Al I can say is the same thing I've been saying for two weeks:

Wow.

I thought certainly that Sakic's PP goal with about 6:00 left was the clincher. I saw more grit and fight in the Wild in the last 6 min and OT than I've seen in my Caps in five years. (I can't bust on them for their 1998 run to the Finals)

Think we oughta start a new thread for the second round?

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

The Toronto/Montreal rivalry has been going on since the dawn of the NHL as far as I'm concerned, particularly up until the expansion era of 1967 when more Canadian teams were added. (Actually, I don't think it was until 1970 that the Canucks were added, the Oilers and Flames in '79 and '80, and...I forget when the Jets and the Nordiques came along. The Sens were in 92/93 so that doesn't really count, it's still too recent.)

Anyway, in those days, if you were a hockey fan in Canada you either went for the Leafs or the Habs, and the country was pretty much split from coast to coast as to whether they rooted for one or the other. In the earlier years, the two teams were about the same - they'd won about 13 Stanley Cups apiece at that time, and both were fierce competitors. It's just that after the Leafs won their most recent cup in '67, the Habs still went on to take 9 or 10 more (24 total) and went to the finals a few more times but lost (against Philly in '75, Calgary in '89, etc). The fact that they're still in the same division adds to the rivalry.

Was, was, was. That's ancient history, and besides, you weren't even around back then! The Leafs don't even have bragging rights to a championship photo in COLOUR! They haven't even BEEN to a Stanley Cup Final since 67! How could you have felt the passion back then?

It's the same as Celtics vs Lakers. Who gets excited over that anymore? In the 80s it was great. Now, who cares? Boston hasn't won zip since Larry Bird left. Until they do again, this rivalry is dead.

Rivalries are also only good if they meet up at least every 5 years in the playoffs. The Leafs really haven't fought the Habs in the playoffs in, well, ages from what I remember. (Okay, maybe a couple of times since 1967, but it's not "there" anymore)

Emotionally, every Habs vs Leafs regular season game is just routine now. Sure, the broadcasters wax nostalgic over it, but they really don't go at each other with the kind of passion they used to.

On the other hand, in this day and age, I would suppose the Canadians don't have anyone to pick a fight with other than Toronto. Montreal doesn't seem to have any rivalries with anyone at the current moment, so Toronto is as close as it gets. Still, we're stretching it.


ANYWAY...I have some round two playoff predictions to make:


WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Anaheim (7)
-Will Giguere and the Ducks be able to pull it off again? Yep, I believe they will, but don't expect the Stars to go in four straight. I never expected the Wings to go in four straight either, but it can't happen twice. The Ducks aren't THAT good. Still, I can see them taking the Stars in six; the basic difference between the Stars and the Wings is that the Stars have SLIGHTLY less finesse and skill than the Wings, but are a lot more physical. Turco hasn't proven to me that he's anything more than a good, competent goalie - not bad, but not "awesome". We'll see in this round. Remember, for some reason, the Ducks have played fairly well against the Wings and even moreso the Stars over the past two seasons.
ANAHEIM IN SIX

I pick Anaheim in 7. Turco struggling a little bit in the playoffs, but goalies have their bad series.



Vancouver (4) vs. Minnesota (6)
-I'm still getting over the shock that Minnesota actually beat the Avs last night. I knew they COULD do it, but never expected them to. What's better is that I was praying for Vancouver to draw Minnesota in round two - they're an easier team than Colorado and this allows Vancouver to keep home ice advantage for another round. I still expect Vancouver to take this series in 6 games, but it won't be easy - Minnesota plays that trap style of hockey and it does not compliment Vancouver's high-flying style at all. Expect a lot of garbage goals here; Vancouver is a fast team that can keep up with the little Wild forwards, so I think it's the Canucks' overpowering physical play that will tide this series in their favour. Besides, that's exactly what they did to claw their way back on top of the Blues over the past three games.
VANCOUVER IN SIX

Good matchup. Surprised that Vancouver got out of the first round. They could easily get to the Stanley Cup finals since it's the best offensive team in the West right now, as long as Bertuzzi and Nas are clicking.


EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs Philadelphia (4)
-I don't expect this series to be a cakewalk for the Sens like it was in the first round last year. The Flyers should have a lot of momentum going into these series; conversely, the Sens are well-rested after a relatively easy series on Long Island. I think the Sens will take this one in six, too - they're just too good this year. They're a lot more physical than before, their scoring power is quite high, and their goaltender is a proven playoff performer. And the Sens will LOVE to get by into the third round - they have to take this opportunity before they lose to the Leafs in the playoffs yet again. :p If Philly took seven games to beat an average and beat up (but resilient) Maple Leaf team, how would they fare against a well-rested, uninjured, high-scoring, yet strong defensive team like the Sens?
OTTAWA IN SIX

Philly in 7. Ken Hitchcock is the best coach in the East IMO and might possibly be the best coach still standing in the playoffs. He is the sole reason why his team pounded the daylights out of Toronto. Since Hitch is about 5x smarter than Quinn, he should be able to coach his team past the Sens, who Quinn had figured out.


New Jersey (2) vs Tampa Bay (3)
-It's a battle of the goaltenders. Martin Brodeur was awesome between the pipes for Jersey and you can easily say that Khabibulin (ahhh, I can't spell?) stole the series against Washington for Tampa. I still think Brodeur is the better goalie (with 2 Stanley Cups and a Gold Medal to his name, no less), and their strong, defensive team should be able to handle the high-flying but rather young Lightning forwards.
NEW JERSEY IN SIX

So yeah, here's hoping for the first all-Canadian final since the Habs and Flames in '89. *KNOCKS ON WOOD* Who knows? It's possible. :)

Don't know about New Jersey. It smells like upset to me, but usually upsets don't happen after the 2nd round.


I think Philly vs Anaheim or Philly vs Vancouver will be the main event. Just my opinion. You might have a Cup there, but I'd watch out for Hitchcock. He has a way of shutting opposing teams down. He did it in Dallas and he's doing it again. My fears about him came true.

[Nick Biped]

Nah, I don't like Ottawa yet (until they prove to me they are for real and show that they can win on grind and grit at some point) and Vancouver's too far away for me to get attached to. (Actually, I've had bad experiences in Vancouver. Not the city, but my relatives. There was a lot of bad family blood there and my family almost got torn apart because of the feuding and complexity involved, and so I'm not too fond of my relatives. I won't go there again any time soon :) ) My favourite Canadian teams are, for all things considered, out of the playoffs--Leafs, Oilers. I am impartial to the Habs. I like them sometimes, but sometimes I don't.


Well, personally, of all the Canadian teams, I probably care about the Ottawa Senators the least. I'm not sure why, they just never really appealed to me. That said, I've disliked Philadelphia for quite a while, and I feel totally indifferent towards New Jersey, and to a lesser extent, Tampa Bay.

So of the teams left in the East, I'm going with Ottawa. I think they deserve some success by now. And I gotta support my country's teams. :)


The Toronto/Montreal rivalry has been going on since the dawn of the NHL as far as I'm concerned, particularly up until the expansion era of 1967 when more Canadian teams were added. (Actually, I don't think it was until 1970 that the Canucks were added, the Oilers and Flames in '79 and '80, and...I forget when the Jets and the Nordiques came along. The Sens were in 92/93 so that doesn't really count, it's still too recent.)


About the Toronto/Montreal rivalry, I think it still exists to an extent. Just see how many kids nowadays are still familiar with the book and/or cartoon "The Hockey Sweater". But I don't think it's quite as strong as it was when my parents were my age. Like it was said, I think that rivalry weakened when so many other Canadian teams came in, and with the expansion of all the other teams. And personally, I can't really work up a hatred towards the Habs lately. I think it may be the fact they haven't been especially great the past few years (no offense meant).

Still, when Toronto and Montreal play each other, I'm not sure what it is, but I definitely look forward to those matches. I think maybe putting the teams back in the same division helped.

P.S. Didn't Winnipeg and Quebec enter the league the same year as Edmonton? I thought they were all part of the WHA, and they were all absorbed by the NHL. Eh, whatever.

ANYWAY...I have some round two playoff predictions to make:

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Anaheim (7)
I don't really see Dallas getting caught flat-footed like Detroit was. Granted, Anaheim is a pretty good team, but I think Edmonton's quality of play was about as good as theirs in the first round, if not slightly better. Unless Giguere can keep playing at the level he did versus the Red Wings, I think that the Stars will be a bit too strong for them.

Dallas in six

Vancouver (4) vs. Minnesota (6)
Personally, I think this could be a very interesting series. I believe Vancouver is a bit fortunate not to have to face Colorado, but the fact that Minnesota beat them says something. Both teams are on a bit of a roll, but the Canucks have looked slightly better. It'll be a close series.

Vancouver in seven


EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs Philadelphia (4)
I doubt that the Ottawa will win this series as easily as they did against the Islanders, but they still look pretty impressive. If Philly can play at the level they did last night, there might be an upset, but I don't really see that happening.

Ottawa in six

New Jersey (2) vs Tampa Bay (3)
I think Tampa Bay's in this series more due to Washington's chokejob than anything else, but I'm still glad to see them in here. But I think New Jersey's just too powerful all-around. I can see the Lightning taking one or two games, but not much else.

New Jersey in five

So there're my predictions, right or wrong. More likely wrong. :p

[Jerry Mouse]

Two words: Red Wings. :) :cool:
Aren't the Wings playing golf right now? :p

(Actually, I don't think it was until 1970 that the Canucks were added, the Oilers and Flames in '79 and '80, and...I forget when the Jets and the Nordiques came along.)
Correct on the Canucks. The Jets and Nordiques came into the NHL from the WHA in 1979 with the Oilers and Whalers. The Flames moved to Calgary from Atlanta in 1980.

[Burgundy Ranger]

These past three days show why the NHL playoffs are the best tournament in North American pro sports.

Now, on to the predictions (BTW, the Associated Press writer is picking Philly, Tampa, Anaheim and vancouver):

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

http://www.webskins.org/TWT/logos2/ott.gif IN 6 -- There's no way the Flyers get 2 goals in four games like last season but the Sens' speed, and week off, are going to be the difference.

http://www.webskins.org/TWT/logos2/nj.gif IN 5 -- Again, Brodeur. He's simply the most playoff-proven goalie in the East. Khabibulin is as good, skill-wise, but the playoffs get to everyone sooner or later. Also, Madden's line will be able to control Tampa's uber-line with Lecavalier and St. Louis.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

http://www.webskins.org/TWT/logos2/dal.gif IN 6 -- I'll give the Ducks some credit here. I thought they were gonna be wiped out by the Wings in 4. Giguere has to be the man again.

http://www.webskins.org/TWT/logos2/min.gif IN 6 -- I gotta pick some upset, don't I? This is it. Vancouver shoulda been ousted by St. Louis but the Blues have a history of such collapses. Blues in the West, Caps in the East, same team. Minnesota don't know no better.

[TimTwoFace]

Correct on the Canucks. The Jets and Nordiques came into the NHL from the WHA in 1979 with the Oilers and Whalers. The Flames moved to Calgary from Atlanta in 1980.

Yeah, Atlanta? Good thing they moved out of Atlanta, too - Calgary is a far better hockey market anyway, and Atlanta isn't a hockey market to begin with.

Yeah, really.

No, I don't expect any beats, cuz I doubt there are any Thrashers fans here, anyway. :D

-Tim
*GETS THRASHED*

[Lucky Bob]

BTW, I just HAD to post this...

http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com/images/RedwingsPR.jpg

[TimTwoFace]

Dude, Bob, where did you find that? It's awesome! *SETS IT AS WALLPAPER*

So...the games start tonight. *EXCITED*

-Tim

[Lucky Bob]

Dude, Bob, where did you find that? It's awesome! *SETS IT AS WALLPAPER*

So...the games start tonight. *EXCITED*

-Tim

www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com

[TimTwoFace]

:eek:

Dangit, it looks like the Dallas/Anaheim game is going into FIFTH overtime in a few minutes. FIVE OVERTIMES. That means they've played 7 periods already, and can very well become the longest-ever played game in Stanley Cup playoff history.

7 periods - that's 2.33333 games in one night.

As a Vancouver fan, this IS a good thing, because whichever team comes out of this series to play Vancouver (I hope...they SHOULD beat the Wild) will be so tired and burnt out that it'll be a huge advantage for the Canucks.

:D

As for the Jersey game, I figured they'd beat Tampa. It could be a sweep, but I still think Tampa will make it a series and push it to six games.

-Tim

[Tanooki]

(I hope...they SHOULD beat the Wild)
*slight smirk* don't count on it, bub...

KoD

[Nick Biped]

Unbelievable, five overtimes for the Dallas/Anaheim game. I saw on Sportsnet that it was the 4th longest game in playoff history. No way I would've been able to stay up for that.

And it looks like Anaheim came out the winner in it. Actually, they looked pretty good throughout the game. I know I said for Dallas to win it in 6, but I think it'd be neat if the Ducks beat them. :)

New Jersey beating Tampa Bay...*yawn* I'm not really surprised one bit. The Devils've looked really solid during these playoffs, but still, this is probably the series that I care the least about.

And tonight the two Canadian teams're playing. I'll probably miss the first one 'cause I have an exam the exact same time (but at least it's my last one for the year :D), but I'll hopefully see the Vancouver-Minnesota one.

Here's hoping Ottawa and Vancouver come out on top!

[TimTwoFace]

Here's hoping Ottawa and Vancouver come out on top!

Hear hear, buddy! Judging by their ONLY match-up in the regular season, that would be a really high-flying finals, and a lot more exciting than a defensive-minded final (like, say, a Minnesota/Jersey final would be).

So my predictions for tonight:

Vancouver over Minnesota 3-1.
Ottawa over Philly 4-2.

:D

-Tim
(FIVE overtimes? *SHUDDER* Glad I wasn't watching that game...)

[Tanooki]

Vancouver over Minnesota 3-1.
it's a good thing i don't like to talk smack. ;)

i predict minnesota on top 2-1 tonight and taking the series in a well fought seven game set

GO FERNANDEZ!!!

KoD

[Burgundy Ranger]

I managed to stay up through all of it.

After that no-goal call in the 3rd OT, I sure hope the people minding the doors let the people back in if they had made it outside after what they thought was the game-winner.

(That goal should have been allowed to stand. The net rose up but still hadn't cleared the pegs. They applied the rule properly. It's the wording of the rule that stinks.)

Anyhow, that's the best thing about playoff hockey. Sure, fatigue and such sets in and they quality of play suffers. It's watching to see who has that last spark of fight, grit or luck that gets the game-winner.

On to tonight. Ottawa has the advantage of a long time to rest after beating the Isles in 5. Philly had back-to-backs to end the Toronto series, including one that went 3OT with travel in between. I see the Sens winning tonight but the series is going to be tight.

How much more can Minnesota do? We'll see. I'd love to see Minnesota-Dallas in the West finals, so the Minnesota fans can get the ultimate payback on the team that left them 10 years ago.

[TimTwoFace]

I was thinking...should alter the poll at the top of this thread and eliminate the choices for all the teams that have already been knocked out of the playoffs? It looks really funny when the team with the most votes (Colorado) isn't even in the race any more. Shocking, but true.

-Tim
(Go Canucks!)

[Nick Biped]

*shakes head* Unbelievable. Anaheim did it again in overtime over Dallas. This is like their 4th overtime game of the playoffs, right? They just seem to know how to win those games. I'm pretty impressed by them now. I have to get out of the mindset that they're some flukey underdog team, and that they're actual contenders. At this point, I'm rooting for them to take the series and to face Vancouver in the next round.

Speaking of Vancouver, very good start to their series yesterday, and scoring with 1.2 seconds left. Wow, I was pretty sure they were done, but great to see them win. Here's hoping they can keep on going strong! :)

Not an especially great 1st period by Ottawa yesterday, but they did enough in the last two to win. They were probably just shaking off some of the rust that built up during their week or so off. Not really worried.

And New Jersey beat Tampa Bay...ho-hum. It doesn't really matter to me who wins this one, but I'd like to see the Lightning make a series of it.

I'm a bit surprised that I was the first one to comment on all these games. Maybe TimTwoFace is still hungover from last night's Vancouver game? :D (j/k)

[The Penguin]

I was thinking...should alter the poll at the top of this thread and eliminate the choices for all the teams that have already been knocked out of the playoffs? It looks really funny when the team with the most votes (Colorado) isn't even in the race any more. Shocking, but true.I think it adds a certainly irony to the poll and besides you started it back when all those teams were in it. Anyone who's going to vote has probably already voted too. ;)

[TimTwoFace]

WHOOOOOO! That Vancouver game was awesome...highs, lows, highs, lows, a few more lows, 1.2 second highs, and then an overtime win. What scares me is that most of the games in the Vancouver/Minnesota series might turn out being that close. If Vancouver wins them all, I'm happy, but I might have a heart attack before Game 4...or 7...comes around. That's what I like about the team, though - you can never count them out, even with 1.2 seconds left. ;)

As for Minnesota...why can't anyone realize that this team really IS the real deal? Who cares what their payroll is - ALL the small-payroll or small-market teams are doing well in the playoffs (Vancouver, Ottawa, Minnesota, Tampa, Anaheim), so why is it so hard to believe that a team of nobodies isn't talentless? That's why I fear the Wild. :p

Ottawa/Philly, Game 1
I'm happy with the result, and the effort Ottawa gave in the 2nd and 3rd period is what they'll have to do each game to beat a tough Flyers team. They aren't going to be a pushover like in last year's playoffs - admittedly, that WAS pathetic. But compared to last year, both teams have beefed up in size, strength, and talent. This should be a great series to watch.

New Jersey/Tampa Bay, Game 2
A much more even score than in Game 1, but still it looked ultimately boring to me, judging from the highlight reels. Series that focus on a goaltender's battle are only awesome if each team is very offensively minded at the same time.

I kinda want Tampa to win this one, just to be easier opposition for Ottawa (hopefully) in the third round. But Jersey would be interesting to watch too, I suppose.

Anaheim/Dallas, Game 2
...and what exactly do they have in that pond of theirs, anyway? Geez...TWO games in a row? I'd love to see Dallas go down, and I thought the Ducks would do it, but going down 2-0? I didn't see that coming - I expected it to be more evenly balanced than the Detroit series. To Dallas' credit, each game went to overtime, but still...

If Vancouver goes to the next round, I can only wonder how they'll handle the Ducks...

-Tim
(Quack, Quack?)

[cross blues]

The Senators won't have such a big advantage in any more games vs. the Flyers. With 7 days rest for the Sens and only 2 for the Flyers, a first game loss was probable. Also Ottawa had a much easier first round opponent. I think Philly will win the next 4 because Ottawa is nowhere near as talented or physical. When the Flyers get their legs back, that series is over. I'd also like to add that Comcast should die for putting a black out on ESPN Flyers' games.

The Stars aren't done yet. I think they'll win both at the pond and end up taking the series in 7 games. Wishful thinking with the drive the Mighty Ducks are on, I know.

As for Canucks and Wild, that one is too close to tell. I have never even seen Minnesota play, except in highlights.

Hopefully TB can top New Jersey. I hate New Jersey.

I'd like to see a Flyers vs. Stars Stanley Cup. I've been wanting the Cup to come to Philly for as long as I can remember. If the Flyers should lose to the Sens, then I just hope two evenly matched teams are in the finals. Blow-outs are so boring. At least there are no Hurricanes to ruin the final this year.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

If the Stanley Cup Final features two of the following teams--New Jersey, Minnesota, Dallas, or Anaheim, it's going to one boring-ass finals series. Trap, trap, trap....YAWWWN.

[TimTwoFace]

If the Stanley Cup Final features two of the following teams--New Jersey, Minnesota, Dallas, or Anaheim, it's going to one boring-ass finals series. Trap, trap, trap....YAWWWN.

...I'm still rooting for a Vancouver/Ottawa match-up. That would be a great series because both teams are physical, fast, and have a lot of firepower. If Philly comes out of the east, that would also be an entertaining team to watch - they are also fast, physical, and score in bunches.

I hate Dallas with a passion, but if they DO make it to the finals, I wouldn't say they're boring. They don't play the trap like Minnesota and Jersey do. As for Anaheim...dude, I dunno what to think of these guys. They don't trap, that's for sure - otherwise Giguere's stats wouldn't be THAT impressive.

...right now Ottawa is losing to Philly 2-0 with 5 minutes to go. Looks like that series is gonna be tied. This should be a good series to watch - unlike that boring Tampa/Jersey snoozer. Love Brodeur as I do, the rest of the team is a bore. :p

-Tim

[dark knight acolyte]

OK, let me ask...have there ever been any more teams in a single playoffs/ conference that feel "fated" to win it all?

Consider:
Anaheim, obviously feels fated.
Vancouver, down 3-1 last series and in game 1 to Minnesota.
Minnesota, down 3-1 to Colorado....

2 of those teams are going to FEEL REAAAAAL empty. Because, frankly, right now,they're all playing hockey of championship caliber. While I'm not real entertained by the teams remaining in the playoffs..I will say this. It should be healthy competition.

I'd like to see NJ and Vancouver in the playoffs, for one sheer reason. TimTwoFace's team vs. the single team everyone in the world hates...or almost everyone.
Hey, good times, right?

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

...

I hate Dallas with a passion, but if they DO make it to the finals, I wouldn't say they're boring. They don't play the trap like Minnesota and Jersey do. As for Anaheim...dude, I dunno what to think of these guys. They don't trap, that's for sure - otherwise Giguere's stats wouldn't be THAT impressive.



-Tim

Anaheim traps. It's not their trademark, but it is a part of their defensive system. Their trap is not unbreakable like NJ's, but it's there. They do have pretty good defensive players. A lot of shots against Giguere in the Red Wings series weren't always quality shots.

[TimTwoFace]

Well, well, well, wasn't that an interesting game tonight. I'm referring to the Vancouver/Minnesota game, of course.

Vancouver let in two quick goals - the third was weak and Naslund's fault, totally - and they came so close to coming back again. This is why I never counted out Minnesota; Vancouver should still be able to handle them, but tehy have to get them off their uber-defensive system better. THIS is a team that traps. And that's why they're hell to play against - it's successful and annoying as hell to play against. :p

What a nice little melee that happened after the game, though; I doubt any suspensions will come into play, because really, it was nothing that rough - just a big shoving match - but guys, cut out the cheap stuff. I want a rough team in this city but a fair one, too. Oh well, at least this proves one thing - the teams hate each other and maybe that'll make this series rougher and tougher for both teams. That's a lot more fun to watch, anyway.

-Tim

[Nick Biped]

Yeah, very entertaining game between Vancouver and Minnesota yesterday. Er...not much I can add to what TimTwoFace said. :p

Anyways, Ottawa looked kind of flat vs. Philadelphia yesterday. I mean, they got some good shots, but overall, they weren't very impressive. Not to take anything away from Cechmanek, though. Oh, well, Ottawa should still be able to win the series. They have the talent to do so.

[Dark]

Oh, well, Ottawa should still be able to win the series. They have the talent to do so.

Took me long enough to find this thread, but now that I'm here, it's time for some Philly Zealotry. So long as Chechmanek is on, the Senators are going down. Hitchcock's brand of defensive hockey will keep the scores close, and Chechmanek is a machine when he needs to be. Especially because of the way the senators practically challenged the flyers to make it a physical series (hitting the goalie? come on now.) You can't do that to a Philly team and not expect to get the snot beaten out of you for the rest of the series. I would not be the slightest bit surprised if the Flyers turn the tide and win the next 3. Especially coming home to the raucous FU center with one of the biggest home ice advantages out there.

[TimTwoFace]

I still think the Ottawa/Philly series is going six or seven games. They're very evenly matched in both size and skill. Ottawa just came out flat in game 2, just like Philly was flat for most of game 1.

THIS JUST IN: Tampa officially comes back and actually makes a series with Jersey. The Devils still lead 2-1, but Tampa showed a lot of character in scoring three times in the first period, losing their lead entirely, and then getting it back in the third. That game was a lot more open than I thought it would be - and it was THAT much more entertaining. :)

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

Whoa, how'd this thread drop to page two so quickly? :p

Just a comment on last night's games: WHOO!!! I was really happy to see both remaining Canadian teams win and take a 2-1 series lead over the Wild and Flyers. I can't say much about the Ottawa game, as I didn't watch it, but through my drunken stupor at the bar while watching the Canucks, I was moreover peeved after the game was over. Yeah, we got the win, but it wasn't a convincing win. I mean, 3 goals on 13 shots? We really need more shots than that. That's a franchise record low. Oh well, we got the win and that's the important thing. Now I have to wait all the way until Friday for Game 4...sigh...

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

Whoa, how'd this thread drop to page two so quickly? :p

Just a comment on last night's games: WHOO!!! I was really happy to see both remaining Canadian teams win and take a 2-1 series lead over the Wild and Flyers. I can't say much about the Ottawa game, as I didn't watch it, but through my drunken stupor at the bar while watching the Canucks, I was moreover peeved after the game was over. Yeah, we got the win, but it wasn't a convincing win. I mean, 3 goals on 13 shots? We really need more shots than that. That's a franchise record low. Oh well, we got the win and that's the important thing. Now I have to wait all the way until Friday for Game 4...sigh...

If you work for the Mouse, you ain't rooting for a Nucks-Sens finals. It might be the most entertaining matchup but two Canadian teams will ruin the already-likely bad ratings.

The Flyers are being exposed. They got the early jump, scoring the first goal in the first 5 minutes of each of the three games. But they have big trouble withstanding the pressure for the next 55 minutes. The power play stinks and Cechmanek ain't a big-time goalie. He seemed glued to the left post all the time while Hossa was coming around the other side for the wrap-around.

The Wild might be in trouble too, especially now that Naslund and Morrison are back in form. (Note to Bertuzzi: You don't need to be THAT physical)

Big night in the Twin Cities, with Wolves and Wild playoff games, and a Twins game (ho-hum) -- all at home. The attendances:

Lakers @ Wolves: 20,098 (home record)
Canucks @ Wild: 19,394 (state hockey record)
D-Rays @ Twins: 12,188

That's 51,680 going to three events within 21 miles. Not bad for that neck of the woods. Hope the traffic wasn't all that bad.

[TimTwoFace]

Lakers @ Wolves: 20,098 (home record)
Canucks @ Wild: 19,394 (state hockey record)
D-Rays @ Twins: 12,188

That's 51,680 going to three events within 21 miles. Not bad for that neck of the woods. Hope the traffic wasn't all that bad.

Yeah, I was thinking that the other day. I'm disregarding the Twins - there are plenty of cities out there with MLB teams - but it must be really cool to be in the Twin Cities and have TWO teams in the playoffs of their respective sports battling at the same time. The only other cities currently in that prestigous position are:

Dallas (Mavs and Stars)
New Jersey (Nets and Devils)
Philadelphia (Flyers and 76ers)
Anaheim (Ducks and Lakers...if that counts. That's kinda iffy, I guess.)

What did you mean by "the Mouse" not liking an all-Canadian final, though? Is that a Disney jab? If so, of course they wouldn't want that - cuz it would then mean that the Ducks aren't in the finals. :p For me, I could care less about the ratings, whether the teams that get to the finals are both Canadian, both American, or one of each. It's all about the hockey that's gonna be shown, not where they come from. :)

Of course, all Canadians do like to see all Canadian teams get some sort of success in a Canadian sport that is dominated by teams from American cities. Yeah, even Toronto is better than seeing, say, the Panthers get to the finals again. But just barely. :p

-Tim
(Yeah, and the Habs haven't won the Cup enough yet, either. :()

[Burgundy Ranger]

Yeah, I was thinking that the other day. I'm disregarding the Twins - there are plenty of cities out there with MLB teams - but it must be really cool to be in the Twin Cities and have TWO teams in the playoffs of their respective sports battling at the same time. The only other cities currently in that prestigous position are:

Dallas (Mavs and Stars)
New Jersey (Nets and Devils)
Philadelphia (Flyers and 76ers)
Anaheim (Ducks and Lakers...if that counts. That's kinda iffy, I guess.)

I think you'd have to go Lakers and Kings, since they share the same building.

What makes Minnesota and Dallas even more cool is that the two teams each have their OWN arena and can both be at home on the same night.


What did you mean by "the Mouse" not liking an all-Canadian final, though? Is that a Disney jab? If so, of course they wouldn't want that - cuz it would then mean that the Ducks aren't in the finals. :p For me, I could care less about the ratings, whether the teams that get to the finals are both Canadian, both American, or one of each. It's all about the hockey that's gonna be shown, not where they come from. :)

The "Mouse" comment was more in regards to Disney owning ABC and ESPN, which will be showing the Finals.

We're all in the same boat -- we'll watch the Finals regardless who's in it.

[TimTwoFace]

Ehhh, I could care less about ABC and ESPN's coverage of the NHL, personally. I've seen it, and compared to the CBC, it just doesn't seem the same. Maybe I just haven't gotten used to it; I suppose ESPN is OK, but every time I've flipped on an ABC broadcast, it makes me feel bad to see just how sub-par it is. :p

Anyway, about the results tonight:

-New Jersey won, no surprise there. They lead Tampa 3-1.

-Anaheim got a last second goal. Again. They lead Dallas 3-1. I've stopped enjoying Anaheim winning all the time - now it's just getting annoying.

-Tim

[HylianFireStorm]

Annoying? Dude, have you flipped your lid? Even if you are a Stars fan, you've got to give them credit for this.... IT'S THE MIGHTY DUCKS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. LOL, it's awesome is what it is. One hell of a Cinderella story. They face Vancouver next round and then go on to face the Eastern Conference after that. I'm picking the Ducks.

Mike

[Burgundy Ranger]

Annoying? Dude, have you flipped your lid? Even if you are a Stars fan, you've got to give them credit for this.... IT'S THE MIGHTY DUCKS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. LOL, it's awesome is what it is. One hell of a Cinderella story. They face Vancouver next round and then go on to face the Eastern Conference after that. I'm picking the Ducks.

Mike

I'm 100% enjoying the Ducks. If they pull it off, I can't come up with a more shocking pair of upsets in one playoff season. First, the Cup champs and then the #1 West seed?

Most times, a surprise finalist gets help with the #1 seed and/or favorite being knocked out by someone else.

[Burgundy Ranger]

Ehhh, I could care less about ABC and ESPN's coverage of the NHL, personally. I've seen it, and compared to the CBC, it just doesn't seem the same. Maybe I just haven't gotten used to it; I suppose ESPN is OK, but every time I've flipped on an ABC broadcast, it makes me feel bad to see just how sub-par it is. :p

-Anaheim got a last second goal. Again. They lead Dallas 3-1. I've stopped enjoying Anaheim winning all the time - now it's just getting annoying.

-Tim

I know what you mean. I've only seen a handful of HNiC broadcasts, only during free preview weeks on DirecTV at work. But there, we have the sound down and I'm working on other things. Would LOVE to be able to devote my full attention to HNiC one night and see/hear everything.

Even ESPN has its troubles, considering they now have the NBA as well and, even though they won't say it publicly, has to value the hoops more than the pucks and give it a higher level of techincal and financial resources.

I hope "annoying" doesn't mean that another "better team" is on the verge of elimination.

Any playoff or tournament exists to determine a "champion" -- which is a very far cry from "best team." If the "best team" won these things all the time, I'd stop watching yesterday.

[TimTwoFace]

Any playoff or tournament exists to determine a "champion" -- which is a very far cry from "best team." If the "best team" won these things all the time, I'd stop watching yesterday.

Oh, exactly. That's why I love the playoffs in ANY sport - that means that even though you are the best through the regular season, that in no way means you'll win it all and be the champion of that particular sport that year. I'm very happy to see a lot of upsets this year - Minnesota over Colorado and Anaheim over Detroit, most notably. Cinderella stories are a lot of fun to be a part of; think back to the Habs in 1993, the Canucks in 94, Florida in 96, Carolina in 2001...they all did pretty well in their playoffs, even though they were originally given no chance.

I still think that neither of these teams will make it to the cup final. Vancouver is still gonna take Minnesota in six gruelling games, and then will have a very good shot against either Dallas or Anaheim. Remember, it was Anaheim that Vancouver was leading 3-1 in a game very late this season (with Gigeure in net, I believe); they ultimately lost, but this was when the Canucks were going through that mini-meltdown over theirs. That's a thing of the past now, so I think they could take the Ducks.

Of course I want Vancouver to win it all. They have a helluva good chance, too. But even if they don't, I still want to see an entertaining product on the ice; the Ducks aren't very entertaining to watch, with the exception of Gigeure's awesome saves. Dallas is a much more entertaining team - big, physical, fast, and talented. From a pure entertainment standpoint, I'd much rather see Vancouver and Dallas in the Western Conference final.

As for the east...ugh...I was really hoping this Ottawa/Philly series would be more entertaining. Now it's just a see-saw battle where only one team shows up to play on each night. At this rate, Ottawa will win in Game 7...a 1-0 affair. What fun is that? :p

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

Of course I want Vancouver to win it all. They have a helluva good chance, too. But even if they don't, I still want to see an entertaining product on the ice; the Ducks aren't very entertaining to watch, with the exception of Gigeure's awesome saves. Dallas is a much more entertaining team - big, physical, fast, and talented. From a pure entertainment standpoint, I'd much rather see Vancouver and Dallas in the Western Conference final.

As for the east...ugh...I was really hoping this Ottawa/Philly series would be more entertaining. Now it's just a see-saw battle where only one team shows up to play on each night. At this rate, Ottawa will win in Game 7...a 1-0 affair. What fun is that? :p

-Tim

I'm surprised Vancouver's playing as well as they are. I sat here on that last Sunday of the season, listening to the Nucks-Kings game and the Vancouver announcers couldn't get over how poorly they were playing in a game for the division title. Then to hear Naslund say "we choked" in the post-game address to the fans, I gave them up as spineless.

Their rally vs. St. Louis was a 180-degree turn.

I too want more from Ottawa/Philly. But that Toronto/Philly series is quite a bit to live up to. Cechmanek is certainly having a Jeckyl-and-Hyde series.

[Nick Biped]

Heh, been a while since I posted here. Seems like lots of stuff's been going on since. I'd brag about how on April 23rd I predicted New Jersey to win their series in five, but hey, I'm not that sort of guy. :D

*cough* Anyways, the Devils seemed pretty solid throughout. They'll give whoever wins between Ottawa and Philly a real challenge. Speaking of Ottawa/Philly, like it's been said, it hasn't been very exciting so far. I have no idea who's going to win this series now; it almost seems like a toss-up.

As for the other two series, I have to say I'm pleased with how good Vancouver's looked so far in beating Minnesota's trap. The fact they're ahead 3-1 shows how well they've done.

And I've gotta say I'm surprised that Anaheim's beating Dallas 3-1. I didn't think Giguere would keep playing as well as he has, but he's proved me wrong. Well, it's neat to see these "underdog" teams do as well as they have. I enjoy it when it happens in any sport. :)

[TimTwoFace]

Whoo! The playoffs are shaping up as I'd hoped and expected.

(Regarding the last four games, from Friday and Saturday):

New Jersey vs Tampa, Game 5 - NEW JERSEY MOVES TO ROUND 3
I can't say I was surprised. This series was hardly exciting to watch; sure, the games were close and game 3 or 4 (whichever one Tampa actually won) had some great open-ice action. I called Brodeur...er...New Jersey to move on to Round 3 in 6 games; I guess I was close. It was interesting to see Khabibulin on the bench for all of Game 5; the back-up wasn't that bad, either. But no one was good enough to beat Brodeur this year.

Dallas vs Anaheim, Game 5
Thank GOD that Dallas actually came to play this one. They actually got Anaheim to bench Gigeure - and that's a good sign. I've been watching this series rather closely because if (I mean, WHEN) Vancouver beats Minnesota they'll be playing the winner of this series. Gerber didn't too bad for Anaheim after J.S. was pulled, either. Oh well, I have no real preference as to who moves on to face Vancouver. In Dallas you have a really tough, fast, and entertaining team - they play Vancouver's style, and would be a tough opponent. In Anaheim you have a tight defensive team with a goalie on an unbelievable run. Who would you want to face?

As long as this series goes six or seven games (well, it HAS to go six now), I'll be happy. It'll tire out both teams, hopefully bruise 'em up a little, and make them weaker. :)

Ottawa vs Philadelphia, Game 5
I'm really happy with the result, don't get me wrong. I really want Ottawa to kill the Flyers in this series. But I can't say it's too entertaining. Yeah, Philly was laying on the hits a whole bunch in this game - and the much tougher Ottawa team of 2003 was more than willing to respond. But as far as talent goes, it seems to see-saw back and forth between each team for each game in this series. I still say Ottawa in 6 games.

Vancouver vs Minnesota, Game 4
...how did the Vancouver/Minnesota fall a full game behind all the other series'? Oh well.

Ya know, everyone makes fun of Minnesota for playing a boring style of hockey. Sure, it isn't the high-flying fun that teams like Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Dallas, Philly, Colorado, Detroit, St. Louis, (etc, etc) play, but it's effective. And it isn't THAT boring; maybe Vancouver's play is effecting them and making them look more exciting.

Each game has been a nailbiter, right down to the last second. Two games were decided in overtime (like last night), in one game Vancouver nearly tied it up in the final minute (Game 2), and Game 3 was a really tight-checking, low-shot game. No team has ever won by a spread of more than one goal - that in itself makes the series all the more nerve-wracking. The series is getting more physical, too - it makes me wonder how many Wild players went off the ice injured last night. Mitchell and Park really looked in bad shape after the game ended last night. All three goalies have been doing a good job, and even though Vancouver is winning the series, Gaborik is still the most productive player from both teams. Vancouver just has a much better supporting cast.

I predicted the Canucks to win in 6, but if they manage to close the series on Monday in 5 games, I'm not complaining. :)

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

Another night of hockey is done, and two more series' are also in the
books.

Ottawa vs Philadelphia, Game 6 - OTTAWA SHALLACKS PHILLY AND WINS
I originally predicted Ottawa to win this series in 6 or 7 games - but to totally dominate the final game? IN Philadelphia? This wasn't so much about one team playing superbly well, but another team playing poorly and the better team capitalizing. Congrats to Ottawa for making it farther than they've ever gone before - the series against New Jersey won't be easy, but I still think the Sens will win. As for the Flyers...they should just be a better team. They have the talent, but they always implode this time of year.

Dallas vs Anaheim, Game 6 - ANAHEIM KEEPS ROLLING
Let's face it, Anaheim is a much better team than everyone has given them credit for. They've always played well against Dallas in the past two years, and that's why their defeat over the Stars this year isn't that surprising. Now Anaheim gets to wait in the wings for their next opponent, which will be either...

Vancouver vs Minnesota, Game 5 - WHAT THE...?
Vancouver, what were you doing? The first period was OK - a 1-1 tie after one period isn't a bad situation to be in - but that second period was a killer. What happened? Methinks all the Canucks were trying to hard to put on a stellar show for the crowd and were looking ahead to the Conference Finals, and weren't careful with their handling of the Wild. Give them credit - as I always knew, they're a talented, well-coached bunch, and they pounced on every opportunity they had. Vancouver should be able to bounce back - it's better to lose horribly in a 100% off game than an overtime nailbiter, in my opinion - but now they can't do it at home unless they want to push it to Game 7. And I don't want to do that.

-Tim

[Jerry Mouse]

Another disapointing end to the hockey season for me, now that my Flyers are done. Oh well, I guess there's always next year(Boy, I'm getting tired of saying that EVERY freaking year!!:mad: :( )

[Jade_GL]

Join the club. :) I say that every year with my poor Bruins, but I think that it won't come true. At least Philly has gotten through some of the playoffs. I am kind of upset though. I like Philly as a team and I especially like John Leclair. I wish they had gotten past Ottawa.

How 'bout them Mighty Ducks? What an awesome game, although all those instant replay reviews in the last period had my stomach in bunches. Man, that is a hard thing to watch for all involved. Either someone feels screwed or vindicated, it's not fun for me as a fan. I wish they'd just score goals that are definitely goals. :D

Anyway, I think the Ducks definitely have something special this year. I can see them taking the whole thing with how they're playing.

[Mad Monkey 7]

I think that the Duck will make it to the finals.

[TimTwoFace]

I can appreciate a Cinderella story as much as the next guy - ie, the Ducks, the Wild...but I certainly hope that they don't get through to the finals. Why? Well, they'd both have to knock off my Vancouver Canucks and I don't want that happening! :)

I'm confident that the Canucks will make the third round - and even though most people think Anaheim is just a boring team, I think this round could be very exciting for both sides. If it's the Ducks and the Wild in the semi-finals...I don't really wanna think about that. Trap vs trap? :p

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

OK, the Canucks really blew it in Game 5, and were just thrown off their game in Game 6. Here's hoping that they pull it off in Game 7. I never doubted the Wild COULD come back, but they shouldn't have been given the chance.

Remember, anything can happen in a Game 7.

-Tim

[Tanooki]

YEAH WILD!!!

i have to admit that i wasn't much of a hockey fan until the wild entered the playoff scene. rest assured, i will be watching most of the season next time around

about game 6 though. i never understood why the wild fans kept booing todd bertuzzi whenever he touched the puck...until now. that was a pretty low and dirty thing for him to say to the wild fans waiting in line for game 6 tickets. "what are you buying tickets for? there isn't going to be a game 6" BOOOOOOOOOO!!! we'll see you in game 7, pal!

oh. and this is to timtwoface
tim, even though our teams are going to be duking it out in what is to be an outstanding game 7, i hope we can still be toonzone buds for life!

KoD

[TimTwoFace]

oh. and this is to timtwoface
tim, even though our teams are going to be duking it out in what is to be an outstanding game 7, i hope we can still be toonzone buds for life!


*GRABS MACE BEHIND BACK* We'll wait until tomorrow my friend. Therein lies our destiny...

:D

-Tim

[Tanooki]

*GRABS MACE BEHIND BACK* We'll wait until tomorrow my friend. Therein lies our destiny...

:D

-Tim
*grabs hold of really big, awesome sword* i'm ready for whatever comes at me...

:)

KoD

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Canucks are done. So much for having the series in hand 2 games ago.

[Jade_GL]

The Wild won 4-2. Wow, talk about scoring two quick goals, one on the power play.

Was it just me, or did the Canucks get a penalty whenever they needed to score? It seemed like they were always fighting uphill, even though, in most games, they were leading after a period or two.

I feel kind of excited for an all under-dog West Finals, but I am going to pick the Ducks. For some reason the Canucks rolled over, I don't think the Ducks will.

Sorry about your team Tim!!! I was actually rooting for the Canucks. I know way less about the Wild, so they weren't really a big deal for me. Anyway, I hope the next series is as contested as this one was.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Heh, yeah, it was fixed. The league wanted an American team in the NHL Finals so it might help ratings... :p

Seriously, the Canucks just took a few really dumb penalties at crucial moments. Also, you gotta blame Cloutier. He was never a great goaltender, and until the Canucks get one, they'll always have problems getting to the Finals, let alone a Cup

[Jade_GL]

Oh, I didn't mean that I thought it was fixed. :) I just thought they took way too many penalties at crucial moments to actually win games. It seemed that every time I turned around, Bertuzzi was in the box and the Wild were scoring a goal. It's really too bad. It was like they just imploded at those important moments.

[Tanooki]

:eek:

they did it...? they actually did it! THEY WON!!! go minnesota!!! i am now glad to be from the "state of hockey". ...sorry, tim...maybe next year...

KoD

[TimTwoFace]

Razzin...frazzin...

Well, let's be honest here. I'm not too upset with how the Canucks played last night. That was OK - we were kickin' their butts for most of the game. Seriously. But then that flukey over-the-back-of-the-net goal got the Wild on the board, and that second goal on the empty net (Clouts, what were you thinking!?) tied it up. Argh.

If we put in this much effort in Games 5 and 6, the Canucks wouldn't even be in this mess right now. But that's neither here nor there.

I don't even remember a single power play in Vancouver's favour. The Wild got only two, and that's cool, but we got none! I didn't think either team was particularly dirty last night - I really liked how most of the game was penalty free. That was good hockey for both teams.

As for Cloutier...well, I'm not blaming him. He wasn't terrible. But he didn't make the big saves a team needs to win a Game 7. He'll be fine, he's still young - put this game in another "learning experience" category.

Congrats to the Wild - they always WERE a good team, and I believed this from the start of the season, when everyone else was writing them off as a team that will face a collapse at any moment.

My support is still behind Ottawa, though. And I think they WILL win the Cup this year.

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

I had a hunch Vancouver would fold. I was giving them the one last home-ice edge to maybe pull it out. But it didn't help them get the division title, why should it have helped now?

You know what's doubly stupifying? Saturday's Ducks-Wild game is the 3:00 game so that ABC can show 1) two U.S. teams and 2) Disney's team. That's totally unfair to the Wild who, despite having home-ice advantage:

Had to play games 6 and 7 on back-to-back nights
Had to travel from Vancouver back to St. Paul
Have just 38 hours before the start of the WCF


Every bit of fair-competition logic would suggest having the Ottawa-NJ game as the early game.

But I guess it's best for both TV interests -- two U.S. teams in ABC's slot and Ottawa in the traditional HNiC slot in Canada.

BTW, I'm picking Jersey and the Ducks.

[TimTwoFace]

Yeah, I hate the scheduling, myself. I'm not blaming the loss of the Canucks...or Leafs...or Flyers...or Colorado...or whatever on poor scheduling, but honestly, there should never be back-to-back games during the playoffs. In fact, the only thing that SHOULD get in the way of setting playoff dates are concerts and other events that are planned to be in certain buildings, and have been months in advance.

I remember following the Vancouver/St. Louis series and thought that schedule was perfect. Each and every game was exactly 2 days apart, no more, no less. THAT'S how you should schedule. Anything that varies from that should involve a three day break, not smooshing two games into two nights.

Now, with only two series' left, they should be played on alternate days. Ottawa/Jersey should start on Saturday, and Minnesota/Anaheim should start on Sunday. The only other arena that needs to work around another sports team is Jersey (with the Nets of the NBA), so that should be really simple to figure out.

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

Regarding today's games:

Minnesota vs Anaheim, Game 1
Oh God, shoot me. I respect both these teams a great deal for getting this far, but this game was an absolute bore. Both goalies - Gigeure and Fernandez - deserve a lot of credit, as this was a 1-0 game, but geez, it was a colossal bore. The teams are like mirror images of each other - both play the trap really, really well. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't go to overtime, but if this keeps up, I'm guessing each game will go to triple OT. *SHUDDER* In the long run, I couldn't care less who wins...but I'll pick Anaheim in 6. Whoever does come out of this series doesn't have a chance against the heavyweights in the east, if you ask me.

Ottawa vs New Jersey, Game 1
This was a MUCH better game. For both teams. Yeah, Ottawa won, and they're my team of choice now (gotta bring the Cup back to Canada, and all that), but even if they DID lose, this would have been a very entertaining game. Everyone picks on New Jersey for playing the trap - and they CAN do that very well, as they're very defensively-minded - but they can definitely turn on the offence in an instant when the game opens up. And that's how Ottawa likes to play. Lalime and Brodeur made spectacular saves all game long. I pick Ottawa in 6 - and then to win the cup in the next round.

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

Will Minnesota score a goal tonight? I know Giguere is good, but please, he's no Ken Dryden!

Last night's Sens-Devils game was more like what I think the whole series is going to become. All that talent on Ottawa; the better goalie on New Jersey.

[TimTwoFace]

Ugh...this Anaheim/Minnesota series is going to be a complete bore if it's going to be another case of "How awesome J.S. Giguere is". I'm happy for him, and what he's doing is really impressive, but this isn't very entertaining hockey. That, and I think that the Wild are STILL burned out from playing in two 7-game series without any real chance for a break.

As much as I want Ottawa to win in the east, I'm glad that Jersey got a game. It'll make it a real series - that's what real hockey is. The two best teams going at it.

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

Well, after tonight's episode of the J.S. Gigeure show - erm - hockey game, all I have to ask is...

Do you think Giguere will beat the Shut Out record? He's currently played in about 218 consecutive minutes of perfect goaltending hockey. The record was set by a guy on the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1945 - forget his name - at 248 minutes (I think). Will he make it?

And when will Minnesota score? I mean, honestly, this is pathetic, Wild! You ARE a better team than THIS.

-Tim
(Quack.)

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Well, after tonight's episode of the J.S. Gigeure show - erm - hockey game, all I have to ask is...

Do you think Giguere will beat the Shut Out record? He's currently played in about 218 consecutive minutes of perfect goaltending hockey. The record was set by a guy on the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1945 - forget his name - at 248 minutes (I think). Will he make it?

And when will Minnesota score? I mean, honestly, this is pathetic, Wild! You ARE a better team than THIS.

-Tim
(Quack.)

Minnesota has never been a great offensive team. They may be able to beat an aging and much more human Patrick Roy in 2003, and a goaltender of questionable quality in Dan Cloutier, but when it comes to elite goaltending, you had to expect their offense to struggle.

[TimTwoFace]

Struggle, perhaps, but they're a great team, and always put in a great team effort. I'm not saying Minnesota would win the series, but I thought they could at least muster winning just a game - or just a goal. :p

Not to take away from Giguere's awesome accomplishments this year, but I doubt he'll be able to keep it up next year. This is just too high a level of play to maintain over the long haul - but if he does, all the power to him. Too bad he isn't playing in a city that's a bigger die-hard hockey market, though. If Patrick Roy retires, I could see Colorado making a play for him in the off season.

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

It don't make much sense, but I learned a long time ago that sense and logic don't apply in the playoffs.

The people I know who aren't hockey fans seem to always knock the playoffs because of the propencity to have an "out-of-the-blue" finalist. A team that doesn't have the greatest of regular seasons but gets hot, gets a break or three in other series and ends up in the Finals.

In the past 10 SCFs, you've got L.A. (93 - but of course, they had #99), Vancouver (94), Florida (96), Washington (98), Buffalo (99 - had Hasek) and Carolina (02). Anaheim is looking to be another in this list.

So, is this "trend" good for hockey or, will it have trouble drawing fans if the highlight of your season doesn't have two of your best teams playing for the Grail?

[Ordinary Guy]

It's been so long since I've gotten into hockey. I mean I used to play a little in high school. But I've started getting back in it since my Ducks are 1 game away from going to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time.

Quack, Quack, Quack....Go Ducks!

[TimTwoFace]

The funny thing about Anaheim is that they DID have a great season. The first half wasn't too great, and that's why they didn't finish any higher in the standings - but in the second half of the season, they earned 50+ points, and were the best team in the western conference since Christmas besides the Red Wings.

Ottawa or Jersey SHOULD win the Stanley Cup this year, but Anaheim will definitely be good competition.

-Tim

[Barb Gordon]

For the first time in their ten year existence, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, California are on their way to the Stanley Cup! Tonight's game was quite close, especially when Minnesota finally scored against Giguere, ending his amazing playoff shutout streak. It was also Giguere's 26th birthday...*group "aww" inserted here*. It's never felt so good to live in good old Southern California... :D

Story on tonight's game (http://www.mightyducks.com/PressBox/PressBox2.asp?PressBoxID=693)

~Barb

[TimTwoFace]

I suppose it's not so hard to believe, but just hearing the words "Mighty Ducks" and "Stanley Cup Finals" in the same sentence is something I never thought I'd see for a while. Then again, nearly every year, there's a dark horse team that makes a great run at the finals, and it's usually because of great goaltending. And that's by far and large the main reason for Anaheim's success - great, great goaltending. As far as I'm concerned, J.S. Giggy has already won the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP. Even if he didn't get into the finals, he'd still be deserving, in my opinion.

As for Minnesota - what a collapse. And I thought the Canucks blew chunks against THEM in the last three games of the semi-finals. Nice to see that the Wild managed to get a goal tonight. Doesn't matter. Giggy had a happy birthday, anyway. And he's only 26?

It's strange to see that the Stanley Cup finals are returning to California for the first time in ten years (Montreal vs LA in '93). But then again, every year there's a great team that manages to go deep with great goaltending. Look at the Montreal Canadiens of 1971 with Ken Dryden - then the Canadiens again in 1986 and 1993 when Patrick Roy won his first cups. Then there was Kirk McLean with the Canucks in 1994, pushing it all the way to game 7 - the most nailbiting finals ever. Florida in 1996. The 'Canes in 2001. And now the Ducks.

It won't be easy, though. Whomever comes out of the east, with Ottawa and New Jersey - and of course, I'm pulling for Ottawa - will be a really tough test for the Ducks. Both teams have much better offense, defence, and goaltending. This could be a surprisingly good series, if the teams open up and play end-to-end hockey each night.

Congrats to the Ducks to making it this far. They don't have a Rally Monkey in the Pond too, do they?

-Tim

[Barb Gordon]

*glare* no, no rally monkey....we have the fowl towels :D I'm really amazed at the random gimmicks that can be created, but I've got to admit, that's a pretty ingenious one.

Maybe it was me, but watching last night's game was almost painful at times. I couldn't believe that I was watching the same teams that were against each other for Wednesday nights game. That night the Ducks were so connected with each other, everything seemed to run so smoothly. Last night, ick, last night both teams seemed to be bordering on frantic in their playing...almost to the point of just hitting anything, puck or player, with their stick.

~Barb

[TimTwoFace]

Fowl Towels eh? Actually, the whole towel thing started in 1982 in Vancouver. No, really, it did. :) Vancouver was in the conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks and were losing in Game 2 in Chicago; the refs were terrible, and were making terrible calls, all going Chicago's way. During the game, then-coach Roger Neilsen hoisted up a white towel from the bench on a hockey stick in mock-surrender; the crowd roared with boos, and then other Canuck players started doing the same thing. Vancouver went on to lose that game, but the following game, game 3 back in Vancouver, a number of the fans brought towels to the game in a sign of support for the team. Vancouver went on to win that series and then advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in their history. They lost in four straight to the NY Islanders, but it's still a memorable moment. And ever since, "Towel Power" has become a Vancouver tradition - but it can only be used in the playoffs.

:) I like the nickname Anaheim chose, though. That's cute.

Anyway, about this afternoon's game, Ottawa fell apart in the third period and New Jersey went on to win the game 5-2, and then take a 3-1 series lead. I think Ottawa CAN come back, though I never expected either of these teams to be down 3-1 in this series. I thought it'd be a see-saw battle until Game 6 or 7.

-Tim

[HylianFireStorm]

Anaheim vs. New Jersey. Anaheim wins in 6, that's my prediction. Go Ducks go!!!

Mike

[Barb Gordon]

Thought I'd seek the advice of some of you big puck fans out there. I could look it up online, but it's always fun to get info from fans! Just what is the history of the Stanley Cup, and what does it involve? ie, how many games played, stuff like that.

~Barb

[TimTwoFace]

OK Barb, here's some background info for ya about the Stanley Cup. (This is a time for my Canadian knowledge to shine! :D)

The Stanley Cup's History (http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/cup/index.html)

Here are the key bits of info:

It all started on March 18, 1892, at a dinner of the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association. Lord Kilcoursie, a player on the Ottawa Rebels hockey club from Government House, delivered the following message on behalf of Lord Stanley, the Earl of Preston and Governor General of Canada:

"I have for some time been thinking that it would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion (of Canada).
"There does not appear to be any such outward sign of a championship at present, and considering the general interest which matches now elicit, and the importance of having the game played fairly and under rules generally recognized, I am willing to give a cup which shall be held from year to year by the winning team."

The Stanley Cup is the oldest sporting trophy and championship in North America, now dating back 110 years.

As for the teams on the Cup, here are the most notable and prevalent of current NHL clubs. Any teams that existed prior to the "Original Six" era are excluded from this list.

1. Montreal Canadiens - they've won this championship 24 times, 23 of which being since the inception of the NHL in 1917. They also hold the longest winning streaks in history - 5 years in a row from 1956-1960, and then 4 years in a row from 1976-1979. (The NY Islanders also have a 4-year dynasty.) Up until a few years ago, the Montreal Canadiens were historically the best professional sports team in North America with their 24 championships; the NY Yankees surpassed them a few years ago and now have 26 World Series titles. The Habs last won in 1993.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs - at second most times winning the Cup, they're a big step down at 13 - two of which under a different name in the early days. Their last title was in 1967.

3. Detroit Red Wings - the most recent champions have won 10 over the years. Octopus power! :)

4. Ottawa Senators - they've won it 7 times, but all way back in teh 1910's and 20's. The current inception of the team (in existence since 1992/93) hasn't won. This season is their best post-season to date.

5. Boston Bruins, with 6. Most recently in 1972 with good ol' Bobby Orr & Co. on the team.

6. Edmonton Oilers, with 5 - four with Gretzky, one without. That proves that it wasn't just a fluke all those years. Most recently in 1990.

7. New York Rangers, with 4. Most recently in 1994, over my home team *COUGH*. I doubt they'll win again any time soon, though - but that's another story altogether.

8. New York Islanders, with 4 straight from 1980-83. The NHL was filled with dynasties in the 70's and 80's - first Montreal, the NY Islanders, then Edmonton - the good ol' days.

9. Chicago Blackhawks, with 3, most recently in 1961.

The Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche have won two a piece.

The Calgary Flames (1989) and Dallas Stars (1999) have won it one time each.

Hope that helps, Barb & Co!

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

Ottawa won their game this evening. They should be playing like that more often - that's the type of team they really are, the run-and-gun type that is exciting to watch. I dunno what's gonna happen in Jersey, because the Devils have had an awesome playoff home record this season, but Ottawa's also been the best team period - should be a real clash of the titans if both teams bring their A-game to the table.

I wonder what all the Ducks are doing in the mean time. If I were them, I wouldn't want too long a rest - I wouldn't want to get out of my groove.

-Tim

[Burgundy Ranger]

Hey Barb, one of the greatest traditions of the Cup is the one where each player of the winning team gets the Cup for a day to do with almost anything they please. Many take it to their hometowns (which was a big deal when some of the recent players of European descent took it to places like the Czech Republic, Russia, etc.).

Then, there's the time when it ended up on the stage of a *cough* "gentlemen's club", or the time it ended up at the bottom of a river. I found this story that mentions that occurance and many others:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WolfFiles/wolffiles219.html

As far as last night goes, I didn't see the game but it sounds like the inclusion of Spezza on the Sens' power play was just the type of kick they needed to stay alive.

Let's see if it works tomorrow, back in Jersey.

Also, it'll be curious to see how this extended break affects the Ducks.

[TimTwoFace]

Yeah, I love the stories of seeing the cup travelling the globe. It's been all over the US and over virtually every inch of Canada, but it's travelled everywhere else too. I remember last year when Hasek's Red Wings won the Cup, he brought it back to his home in the Czech Republic and there was a gathering of thousands just to see the dang thing. :)

Next time I swing through Toronto I am definitely going to the Hockey Hall of Fame to check out the Stanley Cup. That's where it stays for the majority of the year. Thing is, the one that everyone wins and parades around the world isn't the original - it's just a perfect facsimile of the original Cup bought in 1893; around the 1960's it was getting so worn and so many more rings had to be added, the NHL decided just to copy the Cup - with all the names from the original in tact - and use that from then on.

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

Whoo! Ottawa pulled it off AGAIN! I was away all day getting my degree (whee!) so I missed the game, but I hear it was a real nailbiter. Jersey finally lost a game at home in the postseason, and it couldn't have been a better time for Ottawa.

Game 7 at the Corel Centre - this game can obviously go either way, but I think Ottawa has the momentum and the talent and the home ice advantage to pull it off. Teams have come out of 3-1 deficits to win their series' three times this season so far (Vancouver vs St. Louis; Minnesota vs Colorado; Minnesota vs Vancouver), and it's only happened 18 times in history. Will Ottawa make it 19?

Whoo!

We're comin', Anaheim!

-Tim
(Who cheers for any Canadian team...except the Leafs)

[HylianFireStorm]

::dons the Ducks garb and smiles, sharpened blades hanging across his shoulder, his stick on his back like Casey freakin Jones. he smiles and looks around.::

We've never been good, we've always been a Disney joke. Now, the jokes on yall.

Mike

[Burgundy Ranger]

Boy, am I ready for a one-game showdown for the "I ain't gonna touch it" Prince of Wales trophy.

Did anyone else notice that this is the first time in 50+ (not sure exact number) years that one "semi-final" round will go 7 games while the other was a sweep?

I ain't gonna call it. I was packing the Ducks for Exit 16W (where you get off the N.J. Turnpike to go to the Meadowlands) a week ago.

[TimTwoFace]

Ultimately I think Ottawa will win it. They are a better offensive team, and are faster, and just as tough and defensive as Jersey if need be. The main difference is the goaltending - as great as Lalime has been through the years, Brodeur has always been solid. Now with Patrick Roy on his way to retirement, you could easily suggest that Brodeur is the best consistent goaltender currently in the league.

This will be a nailbiter, but I think that since Ottawa is back on the right track and playing in their own barn, they should squeak a win out this time. 3-2, Ottawa...in overtime. :)

-Tim
(And just why are nearly all the best goalies French-Canadian, anyway?)

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I knew Ottawa wouldn't win it. They'll probably be even better in later years, but I knew that this year, the veteran team would win. IF the Sens are the next Oilers, then this is their NY Islanders match.

What a boring NHL Finals this is gonna be. Could be a lot of 0-0s going into OT type of games...

[TimTwoFace]

Argh...Ottawa could have so easily won that game, but no, they lost it in the last 2 minutes. Not only did I want them to win more because I actually like that team, but...well...dang, this Stanley Cup final is gonna be BORRRRING.

If the Ducks and Devils surprise me, I'll be very happy. Otherwise this is all about defense vs. defense.

-Tim

[cross blues]

Actually, I think the Western Conference is so much better than the East that Anaheim will win in 4, 5 at the most. I didn't think the Ducks had it in them, but watching their domination over pretty much everyone has changed my mind. And don't forget Anaheim has had a long rest, and Stevens touched the conference champoinship trophy!! dumbass... Whatever happens, I think it will definitely be a better final than last year. I think New Jersey will fail at trying to contain the Ducks' offense and will have to play a more open offensive style to match. It's all gonna be on the goaltenders.