The Official NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Ultimately, in this series PHX has only themselves to blame. They played without passion, and lost their composure. That's not a good combination.

This.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Arles

and the "matching" minors when Doan got tackled on a breakaway were both ridiculous.

A "breakaway"? Really?

[Arles]

He had the puck with no one between him and the goalie - maybe not a true "breakaway" but certainly a good chance.

Any rate, I agree with the sentiment here that the Kings are a much better team. I don't see anyone beating them from here on out.

And, again, regardless of the calls there's no way Phoenix would win. It's just a little silly to have to watch multiple major penalties and 5-3 power plays that are dubious when facing such a superior team. It's like having to face the Thunder in the NBA and have Durant and Westbrook go to the free throw line after every missed shot.

[RomaGoth]

The Coyotes came out and played like thugs in game 2 and they got called for it. Pretty simple really.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Arles

And, again, regardless of the calls there's no way Phoenix would win. It's just a little silly to have to watch multiple major penalties and 5-3 power plays that are dubious when facing such a superior team. It's like having to face the Thunder in the NBA and have Durant and Westbrook go to the free throw line after every missed shot.

Please don't bring this NBA ref conspiracy B.S. into hockey. The reason good players/teams in both sports get more than their share of iffy calls is because good players/teams consistently put their opponents in tough positions that force them to perform difficult/borderline-illegal defensive maneuvers to try to stop them. The more duress you put a defender under, the more often he'll screw up trying to stop you. The more times you force the ref to make a decision on a penalty call, the more times a call will go against you, even if he's making mistakes on calls/non-calls equally.

[bhlloy]

The diving penalty on Brown when Smith decided to carve his name in the back of his leg in an earlier game was just as bad if not worse. Sour grapes much?

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Arles

He had the puck with no one between him and the goalie - maybe not a true "breakaway" but certainly a good chance.

No he didn't. Doughty was between him and the goalie.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Logan

No he didn't. Doughty was between him and the goalie.

[Dr. Sak]

If that's a breakaway...well I don't know jack about hockey.

[heybrad]

Wow... having seen the video that wasn't remotely a breakaway.

[MrBug708]

I wish the conspiracy theory of an LA market would have yielded a Stanley Cup appearance more than just once prior

[heybrad]

The whining of fans about bad refs and conspiracy theories has actually gotten more annoying than actual bad refs and conspiracy theories.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I wish the conspiracy theory of an LA market would have yielded a Stanley Cup appearance more than just once prior

Ping MAPLE LEAFS

[miked]

Devils power play sucking balls.

[miked]

Dola, Prust should be sitting game 4, can't believe that was missed.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Oddly familiar

[Young Drachma]

Oh well. Maybe next game.

[BlackJack]

The way the rangers playoffs have gone, devils will surely win next game. reverse jinx in effect

[Logan]

Prust should be sitting the next game. Sorry as I am to say though, that was the exact point where the Rangers snapped out of their funk and started playing with some intensity.

[Young Drachma]

2-0 early lead for the Devils. Love what I'm seeing so far, but a lot of hockey left to play.

[Logan]

That was not a good period.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Now that was some Rangers/Devils playoff hockey.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Now that was some Rangers/Devils playoff hockey.

+1

[Johnny93g]

Downgoesbrown(maple leafs) tweeted this link out earlier tonight.

LA Kings Infographic - Los Angeles Kings | News

It's brilliant!

[bhlloy]

Devils needed to run Lundqvist later in the game. Sending Bernier in to fall on his ass just doesn't cut it

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

Downgoesbrown(maple leafs) tweeted this link out earlier tonight.

LA Kings Infographic - Los Angeles Kings | News

It's brilliant!

Fantastic. Between that and the Kings official twitter account. They've been nailing the publicity these playoffs.

[bhlloy]

Holy crap these refs and linesmen are shitting the bed in this OT. At least 4-5 horrible calls. At least they are somewhat evening out

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Holy crap these refs and linesmen are shitting the bed in this OT. At least 4-5 horrible calls. At least they are somewhat evening out

lol, I was about to post nearly that exact post.

[MrBug708]

Boom!

[chadritt]

GO KINGS GO!!!! Man I need to find a way to get a ticket to a finals game.

[Arles]

NHL got what they wanted. 3 missed penalties in OT and a potential hand pass on the winner, but congrats to the Kings. It's not their fault.

Enjoy the NY-LA series to those who will watch.

[bhlloy]

Man, I don't know about that. I don't see any way that's not a 2 minute kneeing penalty, even if the intent isn't there. The refs bottled call after call the whole OT

[EagleFan]

No hand pass on the winner. The refs made bad calls for both sides. Like the interference call that shouldn't have been, the delay of game that should have been. That hit on the blue line wasn't a penalty. Another "non call" was a dive.

The Kings dominated OT and deserved the win.

[bhlloy]

Why not EF? There doesn't have to be intent for it to be a penalty. Are you arguing there's not knee to knee contact?

[Arles]

For some reason they seemed to say knee has to be intentional when a high stick doesn't matter (doesn't make sense). BTW, the refs missed the shaft of the stick hitting Hanzel in the face earlier as well. I don't know how you miss all 3 of those (Tip over the glass by the D, high stick and knee), not to mention Brown taking his stick and slashing the goalie's glove off with the puck in it.

The offsides call that hurt the Kings was also terrible - but you could make an argument there should have been 5 penalties against the Kings in OT (and only one was called).

[johnnyshaka]

Or the offside called that wasn't offside just before Doughty's 2nd tirade in OT.

Lots of iffy calls/non-calls for either side...welcome to human officiated sporting events.

Love that Penner got the winner...he's such an enigma on the ice yet he's one dude that I'd love to have a few beers with after the game.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

No hand pass on the winner. The refs made bad calls for both sides. Like the interference call that shouldn't have been, the delay of game that should have been. That hit on the blue line wasn't a penalty. Another "non call" was a dive.

The Kings dominated OT and deserved the win.

The announcers were wrong. The shaft of the stick hit Hanzel in the face. He has a cut on his lip in the interview. It's just funny that they don't miss Morris flipping the puck over the glass at the end of the 3rd but miss the same exact play by the Kings D in OT.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Why not EF? There doesn't have to be intent for it to be a penalty. Are you arguing there's not knee to knee contact?

It was thigh to thigh contact I thought. There are going to be a lot of non-calls in any OT NHL game.

Waiting to see the gloves drop here in the post-game show at this point.

[MrBug708]

Good to see the better postseason team moving on! Sadly, not enough local support. It's silly to think the league wants the Kings there because of the market or that they are there because of their market.

[Arles]

Yeah, the Kings were much more talented. It will be interesting to see if anyone cares in LA now that both basketball teams are out.

[chadritt]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Good to see the better postseason team moving on! Sadly, not enough local support. It's silly to think the league wants the Kings there because of the market or that they are there because of their market.

Really? I havent seen the numbers or anything, id imagine Sundays game was rough, but im seeing a TON of people going nuts out here for the team. Maybe not as much as for the Lakers but thats not really surprising. I guess my circle of friends and coworkers is just really different from the rest of LA.

ETA: selling out the games, not sure what the problem is.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Arles

Yeah, the Kings were much more talented. It will be interesting to see if anyone cares in LA now that both basketball teams are out.

Kings actually have the most diehard and loyal set of fans out of any of the LA teams, by far.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Danny

Kings actually have the most diehard and loyal set of fans out of any of the LA teams, by far.

All thirty of them? Most of the Kings fans I know dont have much interest in any of the other sports really

[Danny]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Good to see the better postseason team moving on! Sadly, not enough local support. It's silly to think the league wants the Kings there because of the market or that they are there because of their market.

The sentiment the league is conspiring to get the Kings and the Rangers to the cup is ridiculous. I dont buy conspiracy theorists in any sports, but Hockey is the one I think it is the most ridiculous to make that claim in.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Danny

The sentiment the league is conspiring to get the Kings and the Rangers to the cup is ridiculous. I dont buy conspiracy theorists in any sports, but Hockey is the one I think it is the most ridiculous to make that claim in.

The league doesnt want the warm weather teams to go to the Stanley Cup!

Oh..er..

[chadritt]

Originally Posted by Arles

Yeah, the Kings were much more talented. It will be interesting to see if anyone cares in LA now that both basketball teams are out.

I think the support will be great. Theres been good support the last few weeks, radio stations break in with updates when games go final and things like that. At the very least this is such a transplant town that bandwagons get full FAST and the kings have always seemed to draw well, at least when Ive gone. I already know a few die hard lakers fans who are latching on to the kings for dear life.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Danny

The sentiment the league is conspiring to get the Kings and the Rangers to the cup is ridiculous. I dont buy conspiracy theorists in any sports, but Hockey is the one I think it is the most ridiculous to make that claim in.

+1

Phoenix lost because the Kings were better. Phoenix was lucky to make it out of the first round. Coyotes fans should be thankful; they just got to see their team make the best run of their entire 30+ year history, and also potentially have a new owner to keep them in Glendale. Every post by Arles makes me want to go back to hating the Coyotes and their 'fans' again.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Complaining about the league wanting the other team to make advance in the playoffs as a reason as to why your team lost is really an old, tired bit.

Just watching some of last night's game disproves such a crackpot theory. If the league was really all about LA advancing, why'd they call that suspect interference penalty on Doughty in the OT? Why'd the linesman call that one play offsides when Doughty held the puck in right at the blueline?

LA was the better and more talented team and they worked harder all series. More talent plus hardwork usually draws more calls. That's just the way of things.

I know LA went in as the 8th seed, but they really aren't anything like your typical 8th seed. Comparing them to, say, the 2006 Oilers it's night and day. The Oilers were scrapping by with middling talent and an old goalie who was really hot. LA is pretty stacked. Kopitar, Brown, Carter and Richards are all very talented forwards. Quick is one of the best goalies in the league. While Doughty struggled last year, he was a Norris Trophy candidate. Thinking back to 2008 and 2009, Scuderi was probably Pittsburgh's best defensive-defensemen in those playoff runs.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Complaining about the league wanting the other team to make advance in the playoffs as a reason as to why your team lost is really an old, tired bit.

Just watching some of last night's game disproves such a crackpot theory. If the league was really all about LA advancing, why'd they call that suspect interference penalty on Doughty in the OT? Why'd the linesman call that one play offsides when Doughty held the puck in right at the blueline?

LA was the better and more talented team and they worked harder all series. More talent plus hardwork usually draws more calls. That's just the way of things.

I know LA went in as the 8th seed, but they really aren't anything like your typical 8th seed. Comparing them to, say, the 2006 Oilers it's night and day. The Oilers were scrapping by with middling talent and an old goalie who was really hot. LA is pretty stacked. Kopitar, Brown, Carter and Richards are all very talented forwards. Quick is one of the best goalies in the league. While Doughty struggled last year, he was a Norris Trophy candidate. Thinking back to 2008 and 2009, Scuderi was probably Pittsburgh's best defensive-defensemen in those playoff runs.

Always glad we let him walk for $3M but had $5M to pay Paul Martin the next year.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Complaining about the league wanting the other team to make advance in the playoffs as a reason as to why your team lost is really an old, tired bit.

Just watching some of last night's game disproves such a crackpot theory. If the league was really all about LA advancing, why'd they call that suspect interference penalty on Doughty in the OT? Why'd the linesman call that one play offsides when Doughty held the puck in right at the blueline?

LA was the better and more talented team and they worked harder all series. More talent plus hardwork usually draws more calls. That's just the way of things.

I know LA went in as the 8th seed, but they really aren't anything like your typical 8th seed. Comparing them to, say, the 2006 Oilers it's night and day. The Oilers were scrapping by with middling talent and an old goalie who was really hot. LA is pretty stacked. Kopitar, Brown, Carter and Richards are all very talented forwards. Quick is one of the best goalies in the league. While Doughty struggled last year, he was a Norris Trophy candidate. Thinking back to 2008 and 2009, Scuderi was probably Pittsburgh's best defensive-defensemen in those playoff runs.

The two calls against LA that you mentioned were the two reasons I couldn't stand some of the stuff I was reading her. If they don't whistle that offsides call on Doughty, they had a legitimate scoring opportunity.

And wasn't LA sitting in the 3 seed not too long before the season ended? Agree that it shouldn't be looked at as a historic run, but they obviously deserve it based on running through the best teams in the West.