Annual NHL Playoff Thread

[Walter Sobchak]

To my fellow NHL fans. How are we all enjoying the playoffs thus far?

I'm loving most of these games I've been watching. Of course, I watch all of the Bruins/Sabres games, and I'm trying to suck in as many of the other games as I can.

I'm delighted by the Bruins' effort.
I'm saddened by the Devils.
I'm cheering for the Yotes.
I'm a little surprised so far by the Kings, ditto for The Preds.
I'm very surprised by the Avs.
The Caps are doing what I thought they would.
Sid was positively NASTY last night.

There are some good series out there. Thoughts?

 

[BigHairyGuy]

Looking forward to Caps/Pens. Is there any better story than Sid v. Ovy?

 

[SmoovD]

I can't say that I have been able to keep up with the teams/player moves the past few years but I can always get excited for playoff hockey. Don't really care who wins as long as the games are good. And they are almost always good in the playoffs.

So bring on the games.

 

[garyg]

Best week of the whole year, full hockey schedule & in case you like hoops their playoffs are available during the intermissions! Here in Hockeytown we get CBC from Windsor for an authentic gamecast .. in the alternative to Versus

 

[Gruder]

Go Caps!

(That is all.)

 

[Navig8tor]

Love the playoffs!

Pittsburgh is a sports town and we love our penguins. I try to get to a few regular season games a year but every game is on TV so I have seen most of the season. Syd is definitely something. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow up.

Wish we got the CBC but I usually turn the tv volume down and listen to the play by play on the radio. Mike Lang is a classic and a pittsburgh icon.

"....and he beats him like a rented mule!!!!!!"

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Anyone care to post their picks for the finals?

Right now, it's hard for me to go against the Pens. The Caps are really something, but I feel like they HAVE to score 4 goals to win a game. They just don't have the goaltending IMO to win a low scoring series. The good thing for them is that they are definitely capable of 4 goals a game. I think the Pens edge them out, though when push comes to shove. Of course, I'm rubbing a rabbit's foot right now for the Bruins, but I'm not delusional.

The west is really interesting. I'm going to go with, hmmm, it's a hard one. Detroit's too good on paper, even though they've had a subpar season. But something, even though it defies logic, is telling me Vancouver. I keep flip-flopping. My heart says Canucks, my brain says Wings.

OK, trendy as it seems, I have to say Pens and Wings AGAIN. Pens over Wings again.

One thing's for sure. Somewhere Ouch's dog is hiding under a table.

 

[shmeegs]

Love the playoffs!

Pittsburgh is a sports town and we love our penguins. I try to get to a few regular season games a year but every game is on TV so I have seen most of the season. Syd is definitely something. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow up.

Wish we got the CBC but I usually turn the tv volume down and listen to the play by play on the radio. Mike Lang is a classic and a pittsburgh icon.

"....and he beats him like a rented mule!!!!!!"

LETS GO PENS!!!!


I literally have been watching every Pens game for the past 3/4 yrs with mute on the TV. I can't stand Steigerwald, he annoys me. And Errey's mouth is always sucking the balls of some Penguin player even if he screws up. Lange and Bourque are awesome and are much better than the dynamic retarded duo.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Gollum? Where are you? What is happening to your Wings? Gary, seen Gollum?

 

[gollum83]

I'm cheering for the Yotes.

 

[garyg]

Gollum? Where are you? What is happening to your Wings? Gary, seen Gollum?

Hockey in the desert is still an afront to mankind, or mandom. Gollum is about somewhere, I think that the other Gary, Bettman the #$@%, hit the need 7 game button in the War Room in Torronna today. He obviously hit the My Boy Sid needs rest button last night ..

 

[gollum83]

Hockey in the desert is still an afront to mankind, or mandom.

Yes. Yes, it is.

 

[rafikz]

Halaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak



Go Habs Go !!!!!!!

 

[ChrisS86]

Anyone care to post their picks for the finals?

Right now, it's hard for me to go against the Pens. The Caps are really something, but I feel like they HAVE to score 4 goals to win a game. They just don't have the goaltending IMO to win a low scoring series. The good thing for them is that they are definitely capable of 4 goals a game. I think the Pens edge them out, though when push comes to shove. Of course, I'm rubbing a rabbit's foot right now for the Bruins, but I'm not delusional.

The west is really interesting. I'm going to go with, hmmm, it's a hard one. Detroit's too good on paper, even though they've had a subpar season. But something, even though it defies logic, is telling me Vancouver. I keep flip-flopping. My heart says Canucks, my brain says Wings.

OK, trendy as it seems, I have to say Pens and Wings AGAIN. Pens over Wings again.

One thing's for sure. Somewhere Ouch's dog is hiding under a table.

I'm obviously pulling for the B's too. If you have a hot goaltender like Tuukka, you can make almost anything happen in the playoffs. Plus, as of today, Savvy is coming back for the second round. That will give the Bruins a big emotional lift as well as added offense in 5 on 5 and PP situations. If Washington somehow manages to lose their series, the Bruins have a great chance to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

I don't want to see the Pens come out of the East, but they do look solid. Fleury looks much better in net after that bad start in game 1, and Pittsburgh's special teams are working with a steady PP of 25%. I'd pick them in a Conference finals situation facing Washington. I don't think Washington's defense will be able to handle a much more offensively talented Penguins squad (compared to Montreal), and I think the Caps' anemic powerplay will come back to bite them in the @$$. Something just isn't "right" overall with Washington right now, and if they don't fix whatever it is, they might be out of the playoffs sooner than later.

The west is like a Magic 8 ball, who knows who's going to emerge. You can make great cases for San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, Phoenix/Detroit. I don't see the Canucks making it past the Hawks in their match up. The Canucks PK was horrendous in the series against the Kings, but Luongo was there to bail them out. You have to wonder how the Canucks defense and PK will hold up against the Hawks' attack. I'm just not so sure the Canucks' 3rd and 4th lines will be able to handle Kane, Toews, et al., so I'm picking Chicago in 6 games with the home-ice advantage.
I do think that regardless of who wins the Detroit/Phoenix series, that team is going to knock off the Sharks in the semi-finals. Unless the big guns on SJ like Thornton, Marleau and Heatley wake up offensively, this will hurt them against either a stalwart Phoenix team, or highly talented offensive Wings team. On the flip side, If the Sharks' top line starts scoring, they could be a real danger against Phx/Det if they can get both primary scoring and secondary scoring from guys like Pavelski and Clowe.

For a finals pick, I'd call Pittsburgh/Chicago, with Pittsburgh in 7 games

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I do think that regardless of who wins the Detroit/Phoenix series, that team is going to knock off the Sharks in the semi-finals. Unless the big guns on SJ like Thornton, Marleau and Heatley wake up offensively, this will hurt them against either a stalwart Phoenix team, or highly talented offensive Wings team.

For a finals pick, I'd call Pittsburgh/Chicago, with Pittsburgh in 7 games

Unfortunately for the Sharks, Jumbo Joe is a non-factor come playoff time. Actually, I haven't looked at his playoff stats, but off the top of my head, I seem to recall Thornton being average at best in the playoffs.

Bold picks for the finals. I like it. I agree with you on the 'Nucks. Their PK is garbage, but BobbyLu can carry a team when he gets going.

 

[ChrisS86]

Unfortunately for the Sharks, Jumbo Joe is a non-factor come playoff time. Actually, I haven't looked at his playoff stats, but off the top of my head, I seem to recall Thornton being average at best in the playoffs.

For me, his '04 playoff stint is burned in my memory. Zero points, -6 in 7 games. After that pathetic display, and poor play in playoffs prior, it was good riddance to Jumbo Joe in Boston

 

[rafikz]

Good hockey knowledge around here

Game 7 is tomorrow (Wash-MTL)

Let's hope Halak can pull off another KenDrydenesque performance tomorrow


I'm very nervous

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Good hockey knowledge around here

Game 7 is tomorrow (Wash-MTL)

Let's hope Halak can pull off another KenDrydenesque performance tomorrow


I'm very nervous

Halak was incredible last night! I was flipping over to the Habs game during Bruins commercials. I hope they bounce Washington. Don't get me wrong, it's in my blood to hate the Habs, but I like to see a good hockey city get some good hockey excitement (no offense D.C.).

 

[garyg]

Halak was incredible last night! I was flipping over to the Habs game during Bruins commercials. I hope they bounce Washington. Don't get me wrong, it's in my blood to hate the Habs, but I like to see a good hockey city get some good hockey excitement (no offense D.C.).

+2, I'd love to see The Habs in the Finals again, hopefully against, well let's just say I would hate to have to change me avatar in April. That is all I have to say about that