The OFFICIAL 2009-10 Stanley Cup Playoffs thread

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

something about the sabres hopes being at the bottom of some body of water with some (i assume) boat?

It would be nice if we could get a power-play and our top 6 players playing a full, hard game. We need to move all of our top 6 forwards, except Vanek. Of course, moron Darcy Regier will sign an AHL player and call it a great move.

Didn't like the non-icing at the end though.

Wouldn't it be something if all the division champs and Top 3 seeds fall in the first round?

[DaddyTorgo]

i'm not sure what was up with the non-icing - all the tv guys assumed it was icing too...

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

i'm not sure what was up with the non-icing - all the tv guys assumed it was icing too...

The NHL needs to fix the playoff officiating. It just gets worst and worst every year. All the games have been horrible in this regard.

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by samifan24

Whatever he said at the end of the game was good, too.

I'm still laughing at the "Snowball 1, Hell 0!" line.

[Galaxy]

I love the local moron fans.

"Come on Miller, you got to steal a game every once in a while."

What else do you want him to do? Convert water into wine?

[DaddyTorgo]

Seriously...he was stoning the Bruins a ton this series...not his fault the Sabres didn't win

[JPhillips]

The Caps need to win game seven to advance. I know it's playoff hockey and all, but they certainly don't look like a Cup contender right now.

[Dr. Sak]

Since 2008 the Caps have been in 4 playoffs series...all have gone 7 games and all of the 7th games have been at home. They lost to Philly and Pittsburgh but beat the Rangers...

[bhlloy]

Halak was ridiculous, and I love that he gave a big FU to Ovechkin on a number of saves after Alex's comments earlier in the series. That's the best goalie performance of the playoffs so far IMO (better than all of Anderson's). He just stood on his head the entire game.

Hate to complain about the refereeing but it was abysmal. Some of the strangest calls I've seen in the playoffs for a long time. The younger of the two refs kept calling terrible penalties from the back side when the play was right in front of the other ref who let it go.

[Maple Leafs]

Halak is good at playing hockey.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Aside from the selfish reason of it helping the Pens, I want to see the Caps lose just to see if Boudreau's head explodes.

[DeToxRox]

If anyone happens to see the Wings special teams, please send them to Phoenix yesterday.

[Dr. Sak]

And the Flyers injuries continue to mount even though they haven't played in almost a week...

http://www.csnphilly.com/04/27/10/La...408&feedID=704

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

If anyone happens to see the Wings special teams, please send them to Phoenix yesterday.

P.S. And please look for Dan Cleary as well.

Here's a picture:

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

And the Flyers injuries continue to mount even though they haven't played in almost a week...

Laperriere Out Indefinitely With Head Injuries

Laperriere was examined by doctors here and in Pittsburgh on Tuesday where Joseph Maroon, the vice-chairman of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, confirmed he had suffered a brain injury after reviewing a CT scan.

All I needed to read....Crosby's fault.

[JetsIn06]

The Red Wings are completely outplaying the Coyotes in every way right now. Bryzgalov is having a hell of a game even though they're down 3-1.

Anyone see that score by Phoenix on the faceoff? Pretty sweet.

[Matthean]

Wings go up 4-1 on a shorthanded goal after two. Shots on goal are 39-21.

[Wolfpack]

That was a pretty good beat-down by the Wings. You could tell which team could play a game like this in their sleep and which team had not been in this position before aside from a couple of players.

My pool of Sun Belt/non-traditional markets to root for is rapidly disappearing right now. I'm pretty much reduced to rooting for the Sharks or *shudder* the Caps.

[Fidatelo]

I think I'm cheering for the Hawks all the way now, almost exclusively due to Toews (but also because they are fun to watch). In the east I'd like to see either Caps or Pens, or even Philly. Not really a fan of Boston.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I think I'm cheering for the Hawks all the way now, almost exclusively due to Toews (but also because they are fun to watch). In the east I'd like to see either Caps or Pens, or even Philly. Not really a fan of Boston.

I'm not sure if you still root for the Rangers (this is going back a couple years), but if you do, you are obligated to be rooting for Boston out of that group.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Logan

I'm not sure if you still root for the Rangers (this is going back a couple years), but if you do, you are obligated to be rooting for Boston out of that group.

I do still root for the Rangers, but I'm not sure why I have to root for Boston with them missing?

[DaddyTorgo]

Boston's great - root for Boston!!

We need to revitalize hockey in this city (although with all the great college hockey powers in the area I'm not so sure it really matters).

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

If anyone happens to see the Wings special teams, please send them to Phoenix yesterday.

Luckily, your message made it through and the special teams arrived in time. There is still no word on Dan Cleary, though there are rumors that he had at least one good shift somewhere last night.

Now that is the type of Game 7 I can get used to. I was a little nervous after the first period. How many times have you seen one time dominate a period of hockey, throw everything they can at a goalie, come away 0-0 and end up losing? I was worried that Bryzgalov would get in their heads and Phoenix would come down and score some weak goal. Well, for as good as Detroit played in the first, they were even better in the second. The Wings had 20 some-odd shots. Howard was steady and, again, made the timely saves that let Detroit keep the momentum. The Stuart goal was the killer.

Other than the big three, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Filppula really stood out for me in this series. He's been playing great since Babcock put him on the 2nd line with Zetterberg, but he really was all over the place in this series.

A strong effort by the Coyotes throughout. It was nice to see their fans give them a standing ovation at the end of the game.

The Wings/Sharks series will be a good opportunity for San Jose to try and exorcise at least one of their demons. I don't think anything short of an appearance in the Finals will really get them over the hump, but if they manage to knock off the Wings, it will be a step in the right direction for them.

So, in my mind, the biggest question in this series will be: Whether San Jose can overcome being San Jose.

They, like the Wings of lo those many years ago, have become defined by their great regular seasons and disastrous playoff performances. After 4 games in their first seires all signs were pointing towards that once again. Mr. Anderson was going all Neo in Matrix between the pipes, Ban Boyle scores an own goal in OT, the wheels were coming off the wagon, San Jose-style. However, they managed to right the ship, unplug Neo from the Matrix, and pummeled Colorado to finish off the series.

Still, Colorado's farm club (they were missing, at least, Hejduk and Mueller) isn't the Wings. So, I am not sure whatever momentum San Jose built up after Round 1 will carry over all that well. Nabokov will have to shake off his label as a guy who crumbles at crunch time. Same with Jumbo Joe Thornton. What is kind of impressive, for the Sharks, is that they won their first round series without Thornton, Marleau or Heatley doing anything at all. It was all the Pavelskies, Clowes and Setugechies et al who did the damage.

Should be a fun series.

I think the best series in the second round will be Vancouver/Chicago. Both teams have a ton of offense, especially with how the Sedins+Samuelsson have been playing for the Canucks. Given how physical and entertaining the series was last year, this one should be even better.

There needs to be some kind of Eddie O drinking game that, at least, the phrases "active stick", "take away time and space" and "activate the defensemen".

It will be nice to be able to sit back and enjoy tonight's Game 7. Halak will have to keep playing like he did in Game 6. It will be interesting to see how Varlamov responds, given his nightmade performance in the Caps' last Game 7 against the Penguins last year.

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

There needs to be some kind of Eddie O drinking game that, at least, the phrases "active stick", "take away time and space" and "activate the defensemen".

That game's going to result in multiple cases of alcohol poisoning.

[Pyser]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I do still root for the Rangers, but I'm not sure why I have to root for Boston with them missing?

well, 2 of them are division rivals

i dont know why you cant root for the caps. maybe an ovie hater?

[Dr. Sak]

[Dr. Sak]

2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Semifinals Schedule - 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinals

[sterlingice]

How did that miss from Ovechkin?

SI

[sterlingice]

GOAL!

SI

[sterlingice]

Oh man. They had a chance right there

SI

[Dr. Sak]

There is no way Mike Green should be a Norris Trophy finalist.

[Dr. Sak]

Over under on how many cars are torched or overturned tonight in Montreal?

[Travis]

I wonder how Carlson is feeling now. His lazy play on Montreal's game winner basically made that goal happen and ended up hanging Green out to dry. Bad time to take a shift off.

[sterlingice]

Just brutal for the Caps. I've been watching more of them than any other team in the league this year due to proximity and they're just fun to watch but Halak was something else in the second half of this series.

SI

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Travis

I wonder how Carlson is feeling now. His lazy play on Montreal's game winner basically made that goal happen and ended up hanging Green out to dry. Bad time to take a shift off.

Personally I thought it was dumb of Green to take the body there. But you are right Carlson was lazy.

[bhlloy]

Neither defensemen is blameless on that one. Green shouldn't have taken the body unless he knew his guy was in position and Carlson should never have been second to that puck. I thought Green was terrible the last three games of the series, bad penalties and poor decision making.

[Travis]

Oh, not saying I agree with the play Green ended up making, but I'm also somewhat assuming that he trusted his partner to be getting back into that play. From what I could see on the replay Carlson wasn't even the next guy back, that was one of the forwards (I believe) who nearly cut the play off at the net. If Carlson is hustling that play likely never comes close to being dangerous.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Travis

I wonder how Carlson is feeling now. His lazy play on Montreal's game winner basically made that goal happen and ended up hanging Green out to dry. Bad time to take a shift off.

He has this comfort him at night at least.

USA! USA!

[Travis]

Somehow I doubt that's going very far in the dressing room tonight

[JPhillips]

Doesn't take long to go from best season to most disappointing season.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Travis

Somehow I doubt that's going very far in the dressing room tonight

I would bet the locker room isn't like this...

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

There is no way Mike Green should be a Norris Trophy finalist.

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

Personally I thought it was dumb of Green to take the body there. But you are right Carlson was lazy.

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Neither defensemen is blameless on that one. Green shouldn't have taken the body unless he knew his guy was in position and Carlson should never have been second to that puck. I thought Green was terrible the last three games of the series, bad penalties and poor decision making.

The thought last year in the Pittsburgh series was he was hurt and/or worn down...but he was as bad this series as he was that series. Twice in a row, it's no longer the exception, but the rule

[Travis]

Okay sure, he won gold in a national tournament, yay. He played a hell of a tournament there, no question. Not sure what that has to do with anything going on tonight though.

Now maybe he'll get to go rep the US again at Worlds. Given the D they've announced already I'd imagine he has a good shot if he wants to keep playing this year.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Pyser

well, 2 of them are division rivals

i dont know why you cant root for the caps. maybe an ovie hater?

Nah, more for knocking us out of the playoffs last year. But I don't know why anybody would root for either the Pens or Caps unless they were actually fans of that team.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Travis

Okay sure, he won gold in a national tournament, yay. He played a hell of a tournament there, no question. Not sure what that has to do with anything going on tonight though.

Now maybe he'll get to go rep the US again at Worlds. Given the D they've announced already I'd imagine he has a good shot if he wants to keep playing this year.

Don't get many chances to rub you guys nose in it as far as hockey goes. Let us have this fleeting moment.

[Suburban Rhythm]

PING Turner...

Please let us all know what RJ Umberger has to say about this.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Don't get many chances to rub you guys nose in it as far as hockey goes. Let us have this fleeting moment.

Not rubbing anything in my nose as I'm not a Habs (or a Caps) fan, was just commenting on what, to me, was an absolutely brutal play by Carlson that really ended up costing his team hugely.

I mean seriously, the biggest post season news for my guys is the fact that team Canada didn't bother to invite Penner to Worlds because MacT is that big of a douche.

[Wolfpack]

It's rather amazing that the three teams that were doing everything they could to lose their tickets to the playoffs at the end of the year are three of the four teams in the Eastern semis.

Now that the East is a fine mess, what would be a more interesting Eastern Conference Final possibility if it ever came to pass: Pens-Flyers or Habs-Bruins (foresaking the other choices because they wouldn't have nearly the buzz these two matchup possibilities would)?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

It's rather amazing that the three teams that were doing everything they could to lose their tickets to the playoffs at the end of the year are three of the four teams in the Eastern semis.

Now that the East is a fine mess, what would be a more interesting Eastern Conference Final possibility if it ever came to pass: Pens-Flyers or Habs-Bruins (foresaking the other choices because they wouldn't have nearly the buzz these two matchup possibilities would)?

Pens - Bruins would be 24/7 talk of Matt Cooke and Marc Savard.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Logan

Nah, more for knocking us out of the playoffs last year. But I don't know why anybody would root for either the Pens or Caps unless they were actually fans of that team.

Maybe because both teams are loaded with talented players? And both teams play a fun style of hockey?

I can get hating a division rival, especially Philly, but the Caps seem like a hard team to hate, to me. As a franchise its not like they have perennially been Ranger-killers, they play a blazing offense-first game, they have the oversized character of Ovechkin (love him or hate him), they have the crazy-bad defense, the iffy goaltending... who would not want to watch that team?