It's here! The NHL 2003-04 playoff thread

[Simms]

Who the hell is coaching the Leafs tonight, and what have they done with Pat Quinn?

Aggressive forechecking? Winning one-on-one battles on the boards? Players in front of the Flyers' net? Where has this type of hockey been for the past 6 years?

Geez....now let's see if they can keep it up for longer than 20 minutes.

[EagleFan]

Esche!!! Esche!!! Esche!!!

Now if they can split up in Toronto, they're well on the way to sending those cheap shot artists home for the season.

[klayman]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

It's warm, cozy, and nice! Klayman's here. And he LOVES it.

NEVER!

What is this hockey thing all you guys are talking about?

[bbor]

Good game by Toronto tonight..Esche beat them....but you can see the Leafs confidence growing.

[Draft Dodger]

well, so far today I've been booted by my webhost and I found out that the video footage I've secretly been taking of my son for the last few weeks for a Mother's Day present is unuseable. and it's barely noon. I can't say I'm getting good vibes for the Avs game tonight.

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

well, so far today I've been booted by my webhost and I found out that the video footage I've secretly been taking of my son for the last few weeks for a Mother's Day present is unuseable. and it's barely noon. I can't say I'm getting good vibes for the Avs game tonight.

Has somebody got a case of the Mondays?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

well, so far today I've been booted by my webhost and I found out that the video footage I've secretly been taking of my son for the last few weeks for a Mother's Day present is unuseable. and it's barely noon. I can't say I'm getting good vibes for the Avs game tonight.

I hate days like that. I had the same feeling on Thursday when the Wings blew game one versuses the Flames. I had a subpar day at work, poor indoor soccer game, my internet wasn't working on Friday morning (when I wanted to listen to the game). It was bad.

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I hate days like that. I had the same feeling on Thursday when the Wings blew game one versuses the Flames. I had a subpar day at work, poor indoor soccer game, my internet wasn't working on Friday morning (when I wanted to listen to the game). It was bad.

Curse of the deadthings....

Where's Nicky

[Draft Dodger]

wow...amazing how finding out you are going to have another baby can really turn your day around!

[Booj]

Congrats DD

[Draft Dodger]

thanks!

(that was a hockey-thread-only announcement, btw - still a little to early to tell the world yet)

[Vince]

Congratulations man

[sterlingice]

Congrats. Now you've told 5 people

SI

[klayman]

Way to go DD. The baby will make up for the Avs not winning the Cup for the next decade

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by klayman

Way to go DD. The baby will make up for the Avs not winning the Cup for the next decade

the Avs are under some pressure here, because our son was conceived during the Avs last cup run. they need to repeat for consistency's sake.

[Vince]

Don't tell me this DD...it's about time the Sharks got out of the second round.

[EagleFan]

Congrats DD

[pennywisesb]

GO SHARKS!!!!!!!!! man, they look so good right now, marleau is on fire so far!

[kingfc22]

GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!! Brilliant play by Vinny.

[sterlingice]

This is a fun last 10 minutes. You know it will be 10 minutes of the Avs crashing the net, trying to keep their season alive and that's just exciting playoff hockey.

SI

[Draft Dodger]

man - good game. tough to lose again, of course.

those Sharks are a damn fine team.

[Maple Leafs]

Was the crowd mike on the TSN broadcast not working, or were the Avs fan just completely silent during much of the third period?

[bbor]

Too bad for Selanne and Kariya.....they did the right thing with the wrong team.They should have joined gods team(Leafs)

[Karim]

The Pepsi Centre was a tomb.

It's going to be pandemonium tomorrow in Calgary. I think I'll be watching the ABC broadcast to get an American perspective on things and the fact I'm loathing listening to Glen Healy. It's like he works for the Red Wings and I'm sick and tired of hearing how he rode the bench in New York to a Stanley Cup ring.

[klayman]

Originally Posted by bbor

Too bad for Selanne and Kariya.....they did the right thing with the wrong team.They should have joined gods team(Leafs)

I don't see how. Either way, they're playing golf at the end of the 2nd round

[bbor]

Originally Posted by klayman

I don't see how. Either way, they're playing golf at the end of the 2nd round

LOL

(prick!)

[klayman]

Originally Posted by Karim

It's going to be pandemonium tomorrow in Calgary. I think I'll be watching the ABC broadcast to get an American perspective on things and the fact I'm loathing listening to Glen Healy. It's like he works for the Red Wings and I'm sick and tired of hearing how he rode the bench in New York to a Stanley Cup ring.

I agree. Healy is one of the worst colormen on CBC, although that isn't really saying much. I don't know what CBC executive thought analysis from a journeyman goalkeeper with a lifetime .380 winning percentage and no personality was a good idea, but it is not.

[klayman]

Originally Posted by bbor

LOL

(prick!)

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

wow...amazing how finding out you are going to have another baby can really turn your day around!

Wow! Congrats, D2!!

Give me your address and I'll send over a tiny little Red Wings jersey for the kid!

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by bbor

Too bad for Selanne and Kariya.....they did the right thing with the wrong team.They should have joined gods team(Wings)

Agreed!

[ice4277]

Originally Posted by Karim

It's going to be pandemonium tomorrow in Calgary.

With as loud and hyped as the crowd is supposed to be, I would be happy with the Wings splitting the pair in Calgary and getting home ice advantage back. All in all, should be a great couple of games, especially the first period tonight.

[Ksyrup]

Man, that was a boring game last night. And then the only goal is scored off the goalie's back. That like a 1-0 baseball game where the pitcher wild pitches home the only run.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

wow...amazing how finding out you are going to have another baby can really turn your day around!

Congrats! Our second one is due within the next 2-3 weeks.

[Maple Leafs]

Speaking of home ice advantage... would it seem whiney and unbecoming of me to point out that the Leafs had a better record than Philadelphia, but the Flyers got home-ice advantage due to the NHL's continuing, stubborn insistance on pretending its divisions mean something?

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Speaking of home ice advantage... would it seem whiney and unbecoming of me to point out that the Leafs had a better record than Philadelphia, but the Flyers got home-ice advantage due to the NHL's continuing, stubborn insistance on pretending its divisions mean something?

Considering that teams play more games against the teams in their division than they do non-divisional teams, I'd say that the divisions do mean something.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Speaking of home ice advantage... would it seem whiney and unbecoming of me to point out that the Leafs had a better record than Philadelphia, but the Flyers got home-ice advantage due to the NHL's continuing, stubborn insistance on pretending its divisions mean something?

Well, I've always wanted to see a 1-16 tournament. I hate having to play rivals in the first round and then someone like Carolina in the Stanley Cup. Imagine Phil/NJ or Tor/Mon or Det/Col or Cgy/Edm or Chi/Stl etc. for the Stanley Cup.

But of course it will never happen unless I get a customized hockey sim

[Karim]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

More criticism of Bettman... The plight of the Canadiens under Bettman akin to the Yankees and Expos switching places.... interesting analogy.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

Considering that teams play more games against the teams in their division than they do non-divisional teams, I'd say that the divisions do mean something.

But how does it make sense to reward the team with the weakest division by giving them a higher seed? The Leafs had to play in a division with four playoff teams and a fifth that just missed, and still finished with more points than the Flyers, who play in a division with lousy teams like the Pens and Rangers, not to mention the Islanders.

That sentence had too many commas.

Anyway, it never made much sense to me and every year it seems to result in at least one matchup where the "better" team (based on the regular season, at least) is the lower seed. I'd like to see them seed based on standings, or at the very least drop the automatic seeds for division winners after round one.

All of which is sour grapes now, of course, but still...

[bbor]

I heart 1-16 playoff treeh

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

But how does it make sense to reward the team with the weakest division by giving them a higher seed? The Leafs had to play in a division with four playoff teams and a fifth that just missed, and still finished with more points than the Flyers, who play in a division with lousy teams like the Pens and Rangers, not to mention the Islanders.

That sentence had too many commas.

Anyway, it never made much sense to me and every year it seems to result in at least one matchup where the "better" team (based on the regular season, at least) is the lower seed. I'd like to see them seed based on standings, or at the very least drop the automatic seeds for division winners after round one.

All of which is sour grapes now, of course, but still...

Agreed...though i still think we will be ok in this series....just got a feeling

GO LEAFS GO

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Karim

Well, I've always wanted to see a 1-16 tournament. I hate having to play rivals in the first round and then someone like Carolina in the Stanley Cup. Imagine Phil/NJ or Tor/Mon or Det/Col or Cgy/Edm or Chi/Stl etc. for the Stanley Cup.

My suggestion:

1. Get rid of the division winner automatic seeding. Rank the conferences 1-8.

2. Once the semi-finals are up, rerank the teams 1-4 and match them up that way. That would result in inter-conference matchups some years, but not others.

Like you, I just can't stand the idea of never having a TOR/MON or DET/COL Stanley Cup.

[henry296]

The 1-16 might be really hard in the future because of the new NHL proposal to eliminate inter conference games and move to a 72 game schedule.

Todd

[klayman]

Plus they want to add a couple of teams to the 16 that make the playoffs.

[Karim]

Someone was outside the Red Wing's hotel this morning with a bullhorn, making sure the Wings wouldn't sleep in for tonight's game.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by klayman

Plus they want to add a couple of teams to the 16 that make the playoffs.

Eesh. I really hope not.

Don't get me wrong. I think a much higher percentage of teams should make the post season. Let's say... 16 out of 24?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by klayman

Plus they want to add a couple of teams to the 16 that make the playoffs.

You can't be serious. I mean, I love the playoffs, but they're already quite long. And, like the NBA, some teams get in that just aren't that good. Keep it at 8 teams per conference and 16 games to win the cup.

SI

[klayman]

The thinking is that the NHL has expanded all these years, but still the same amount of teams are making the playoffs as before. It used to be just 5 teams that were out of the quest for the cup, and now it is nearly half of the league. Sadly it all boils down to money. The owners don't really care if you or I think the playoffs are too long, they just want the couple of extra million a playoff series would generate.

What I would like to see is more teams added to the playoffs (maybe 1 to 20) but see the season drastically shortened to somewhere around 66-72 games. Plus, I don't feel there is really a need for the first series to be a 7 game one, when 5 would suffice. But that's just me, I'm a radical when it comes to hockey.

[Karim]

If the playoffs were ranked 1-16, heres how the matchups would have been:

(1) Detroit vs. (16) Nashville
(2) Tampa Bay vs. (15) New York Islanders
(3) San Jose vs. (14) St. Louis
(4) Boston vs. (13) Montreal
(5) Toronto vs. (12) Calgary
(6) Ottawa vs. (11) Dallas
(7) Vancouver vs. (10) Colorado
(8) Philadelphia vs. (9) New Jersey

I'd like to see no more teams in the playoffs, a reduced schedule and the Stanley Cup has to be finished by May 31st. Going until June 6th as they did one year is just ridiculous. We'd see better quality hockey and fewer injuries I think, if we'd give these guys' bodies a chance to heal.

Hmmm.... Can you imagine a customizable hockey sim ala OOTP6? I think I'd have enough room on my hard drive for EHM:FE and a fictious league...

[bbor]

Poor Montreal...what a heart breaker

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Karim

(5) Toronto vs. (12) Calgary

(salivates)