The Official NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

[Suburban Rhythm]

Is there no white flag smiley?

Staal and Letang are supposed Selke and Norris candidates for the next 5+ years. Not sure of the exact names of the respective trophies handed out in the AHL, but they'd struggle for those right now.

And I am never a coach blamer - Bylsma is not telling them between periods "Hey, why don't you stand around a little more?" - but one thing I don't get.

Couturier is frustrating Malkin. Crosby's line has been giving Coutuerier trouble. You are at home. How is it so easy for the Flyers to match up that line?

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I'm glad that the Devils and Panthers will finally get underway tonight. My good ol' boring Devils vs. a Florida team that (I think) won fewer hockey games than I did this season. Yay, I guess.

Go Devils anyway.

Damnit, I expect the Devils to win the series, but I at least want a playoff win as a consolation prize. You guys can have that much pity on us, right?

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Damnit, I expect the Devils to win the series, but I at least want a playoff win as a consolation prize. You guys can have that much pity on us, right?

You must trust in the beneficence of Brodeur to cough one up (or maybe more).

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Damnit, I expect the Devils to win the series, but I at least want a playoff win as a consolation prize. You guys can have that much pity on us, right?

Originally Posted by britrock88

You must trust in the beneficence of Brodeur to cough one up (or maybe more).

Fatso Brodeur will give at least one away. No worries there.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Yesterday was the 21st anniversary of Frank Pietrangelo and The Save on Peter Stastny. I was going to post a link, but I didn't have the motivation to piss off Pumpy after watching that disaster last night when MAF couldn't make A save.

[Grover]

lol Tim Thomas.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Anyone else watching Sharks-Blues? Care to explain to me how:

A) That hit by Galliardi was a penalty, and

B) Two Blues can then jump him and punch him, and the Blues get no penalty?

[Vince, Pt. II]

And

C) How the hell the Sharks can have 6 men on the ice for a delayed penalty and can't get it out of their own zone against one forechecker.

[Grover]

Galliardi definitely left his feet and launched into the player.

That being said, there should have been a matching minor on the Blues end.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I hate bitching about the refs, but this is getting ridiculous. McDonald sweeping Couture off his feet and getting no call.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I hate bitching about the refs, but this is getting ridiculous. McDonald sweeping Couture off his feet and getting no call.

That got interesting at the end there.

I love playoff hockey.

[DeToxRox]

So the Sens/Rangers series has certainly turned ugly.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

So the Sens/Rangers series has certainly turned ugly.

Yes. That game was crazy nasty.

Solid day all around so far.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

That got interesting at the end there.

I love playoff hockey.

I agree. Just wish the Sharks would play with a little more urgency the whole game. I think part of the problem is that the Blues are a better hockey team, so it just LOOKS like they're not playing with urgency.

[MizzouRah]

Oh act like the Sharks just play good ol clean hockey!

What a great game, Go Blues!

[britrock88]

So what do you guys think about the Shaw hit on Mike Smith?

[Grover]

A. that should never have been a penalty on Shaw. Incidental contact. But whatever, fuck the Blackhawks.

B. Smith should have been removed from the game after that hit. I can't believe they allowed him to stay in.

[sterlingice]

Hawks force OT yet again!

SI

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Oh act like the Sharks just play good ol clean hockey!

What a great game, Go Blues!

Hey, I never said the Blues are dirty or that the Sharks are clean. The Blues just seem to not get called for penalties. Often.

[Grover]

Insane first 5:25 here...

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Hey, I never said the Blues are dirty or that the Sharks are clean. The Blues just seem to not get called for penalties. Often.

I have rose colored glasses on, but I thought the game was called pretty even, there were a few times when a Blues player would get interfered with and no call was made.

I do hope Hitch starts Elliott in game 3.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm definitely wearing teal colored glasses, so take my critique with a grain of salt.

I'm not sure why Elliott didn't get more starts looking at his stats. Nice problem to have, I guess.

[Fidatelo]

This hockey is pretty out of control. Better them than me, I suppose.

[bronconick]

The officials in St. Louis totally lost control of that game. They needed to start giving out 2+10's and emptying the benches, not put one team shorthanded to end the game and wonder why a brawl then occurs since the other team's obviously going to take advantage of that fact.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I'm definitely wearing teal colored glasses, so take my critique with a grain of salt.

I'm not sure why Elliott didn't get more starts looking at his stats. Nice problem to have, I guess.

I agree.. it's one of those things where they are paying Halak all this money to be the #1, but I don't care - go with the hot goalie... and that's not to say Halak isn't playing well, because he is.. but Elliott has been damn good too and has now given you another shutout, give him the start.

[bhlloy]

Aaron Asham just got him a nice 20 game suspension at least. Penguins are done

[kingfc22]

The NHL needs to do something about its "style" of officiating in the playoffs. I like hard nosed play, but most of these games seem like all out brawls at times. Call penalties as penalties and the game would be better off for it.

[bhlloy]

Lol maybe not. What a series

[BlackJack]

Fleury. He stinks.

[bhlloy]

Terrible. How bad do you have to be before you get benched in Pittsburgh?

[Grover]

I love the playoffs. I love the Flyers.

[MrBug708]

Lets. Go. Kings.

/token hockey post

[Suburban Rhythm]

Anyone expecting Fleury to get pulled hasn't seen Brent Johnson this year.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Dola

As I just sent to Sak-

We've secretly replaced these goaltenders with bags of Jello. Let's watch and see if anyone notices...

[Grover]

What a disgusting display by the Penguins today.

James Neal is headhunting late in the third.

[tucker rocky]

Safe to say, the Penguins are done.
Might as well not show up Weds.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by tucker rocky

Safe to say, the Penguins are done.
Might as well not show up Weds.

As a Flyers fan, I know never to say never after the Bruins series in 2010.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Grover

What a disgusting display by the Penguins today.

James Neal is headhunting late in the third.

Never seen Neal play that way before. Only in the last week of the season did he have his first fight as a Penguin, 15 months time.

The only guy clearly out of line was Asham. He's got to be out for Wednesday (and further, if Philly doesn't take pity on us and end it as fast as possible).

Officials lost control of that game early. Still can't understand how the first fight of the game is Cooke and Carle...and neither is called for anything. Crosby and Giroux each got called for hugging each other though in the same sequence.

[Logan]

3 games for Hagelin. The NHL and their method for suspensions is a complete fucking joke and a disgrace. That's all.

[EagleFan]

Asham has got to be gone for a while.

Neal at the very least should have gotten a penalty for that hit. There were several options that could have been called but they did nothing.

The Penguins were out of control. They were head hunting like crazy out there. You would think with Crosby having his concussion problems that they wouldn't even want to open that door.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by Grover

As a Flyers fan, I know never to say never after the Bruins series in 2010.

That series was the worst... because someone had to win it.

[Dr. Sak]

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

The NHL needs to do something about its "style" of officiating in the playoffs. I like hard nosed play, but most of these games seem like all out brawls at times. Call penalties as penalties and the game would be better off for it.

+1

Shits out of control this year. It's like the 70's again. Boston started it last year, and now everyone is just looking to thug their way to the cup.

[Mota]

I'm a Penguins fan, but was ashamed today to admit that. They had obviously already quit this game and were acting like a bunch of babies. I had to explain to my son that his favorite team were spoiled brats that were acting out by fighting and playing dirty because they didn't believe in themselves. I teach him to give it his best from start to finish, and if these guys are role models they're teaching kids around the world the exact opposite.

That's exactly why I don't believe that fighting should be a part of the NHL. It was a farce out there and it's all "part of the game". Maybe that game wouldn't have been such a joke. They act like that because they're allowed to.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by britrock88

You must trust in the beneficence of Brodeur to cough one up (or maybe more).

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Fatso Brodeur will give at least one away. No worries there.

Truly, Brodeur is beneficient.

Please, Marty, may I have another?

[bhlloy]

What a fucking joke on that suspension. I don't have too much problem with the Carkner one, but 3 for Hagelin is an absolute joke compared to Weber and Bitz. So much for Shanahan's credibility.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

What a fucking joke on that suspension. I don't have too much problem with the Carkner one, but 3 for Hagelin is an absolute joke compared to Weber and Bitz. So much for Shanahan's credibility.

Comparing those suspensions, I doubt anything happens to Neal or Asham, which will be a joke.

Shanahan's a huge joke. Not suspending Weber because they "take into account the length of the playoff series" is such a piss poor excuse for not reprimanding players.

[bhlloy]

Nothing will happen to Neal, you can take that to the bank.

Asham is in some serious trouble, without looking it up I'm sure he's a repeat offender, he's already branded as a thug in the media and he did something really really naughty. I wouldn't be surprised with 10. If Schenn was actually hurt he'd be looking at a very long time indeed.

[sabotai]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey...e-in-hot-water

“I’m flying through the neutral zone, I’m regrouping. I didn’t even mean to hit him,” said Neal, who wasn’t penalized on the play. “I don’t know if the puck was in his feet or not or where it was. ... I let up as much as I could. It is what it is.”

Generally, when you're trying to "let up", you don't leave your feet and jump into the other player.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I have to wake up early for work tomorrow, but the sensible part of my brain hopes that the Vancouver/LA game stays scoreless throughout the rest of regulation and at least five overtimes.