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

[Pumpy Tudors]

Don't worry, Vince. The Sharks will win game 6 in Calgary. Of course, the Flames will win game 7 in San Jose.

[Vince]

Man, I haven't been this bothered by a single sports game since game 6 of the world series two years ago.

[Vince]

Dola - I have to give it to them...Calgary's defense is winning them this game. The Sharks can't put together any kind of sustained attack.

[bbor]

I was wondering what took you so long to comment Vince

[klayman]

Yay Flames!

[Karim]

Re: Team Canada

The only reason Brewer is on the team is Lowe. I used to be high on him like everyone else but his play since the Olympics has been awful. Surprised with Richards and Maltby and probably would have gone with Primeau and Madden. Actually, I though Madden would be a shoe in.

Re: Western Conference Finals

Can anyone win a home game? At least the next one, please?

[Maple Leafs]

How about Team Sweden.... no Kenny Jonsson. Apparently his eight-year streak of being the most over-rated defenceman in the league may finally be coming to an end.

It always bothered me that he was considered a superstar, mainly because he was traded from the Leafs when he was just breaking in. At the time, the Toronto media ripped the Leafs for trading a future star, so ever since we've all had to pretend that he did indeed become a great player. Nobody seemed willing to admit he was a soft, injury-prone offensive defenceman who didn't seem to get a lot of points.

Think Tomas Kaberle, but with multiple concussions.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Karim

Can anyone win a home game? At least the next one, please?

NO. NOT the next one. Game 7, yes. NOT Game 6.

[klayman]

Game 6 home win sounds fine to me.

[kingfc22]

I was at the game last night and I can't believe that the Sharks forgot to show up. Down 2-0 was bad enough especially when you count in that one of the goals was short-handed. But McLaren giving up on the play and watching Calgary skate down the ice 2 on 1 was even more disturbing. It just seemed like they didn't care. And then in the thrid period instead of trying to punish the Flames with some hits because they obviously weren't going to score they decided to just skate around and do nothing.

Vince, I agree with your Game 6 WS analogy. I was so disgusted walking out of the Tank last night.

[bbor]

Mclaren looked bush league on that 2 on 1 he gave up on.

[Vince]

Well, in the Sharks' defense, they were still throwing some mean checks in the 3rd period, and I'm happy that they didn't let the game degenerate into meaningless fighting like happened in Calgary. However, their overall effort in the 3rd period was completely lifeless. Calgary was playing great defense...but when the Sharks turn up the heat, even Calgary's BEST day defensively shouldn't limit them to under 20 shots on the night. That was absolutely pathetic.

[Simms]

ABC is out. NBC is in.

Or so says this report.

'Course, now that I'm back in the homeland with regular access to CBC/TSN, this doesn't really affect me much. But it sounds like an interesting arrangement, at any rate.

[Karim]

7 regular season games, 6 playoff games in the "traditional" Saturday afternoon time slot and games 3-7 of the Stanley Cup.

I guess beggars can't be choosers...

[Fidatelo]

I still can't believe that American TV has ruined the Saturday night hockey game in the playoffs

[Hurst2112]

Does this mean that John Tesh will be doing the music for the NHL too?

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I still can't believe that American TV has ruined the Saturday night hockey game in the playoffs

The rationale was that ABC paid more than CBC. Well, since now NBC is paying nothing up front, shouldn't CBC get first call on when to air games?

Yeah, whatever...

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

Does this mean that John Tesh will be doing the music for the NHL too?

Not unless they want a bunch of homicidal hockey fans (I mean moreso than usual)

SI

[klayman]

eh, hockey is hockey. Who cares when it is on, just as long as it is on somewhere.

[kingfc22]

Come on Sharks!! Bring it back to the tank for Game 7.

[Vince]

Hear hear. I am so nervous about this game tonight

[klayman]

be nervous! Go Flames!

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I still can't believe that American TV has ruined the Saturday night hockey game in the playoffs

Agreed....40 Americans watching hockey is apprently more important than 4 million Canadians.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by bbor

Agreed....40 Americans watching hockey is apprently more important than 4 million Canadians.

Actually, it's down to 39. Gus had to take his wife shopping.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Actually, it's down to 39. Gus had to take his wife shopping.

Yeah, but we're a boisterous bunch.

SI

[klayman]

Well that was cool.

[Cards4ever]

Originally Posted by bbor

Agreed....40 Americans watching hockey is apprently more important than 4 million Canadians.

Come on, I can't believe that you actually believe that.

[pennywisesb]

Man, I must say, the Flamers have moved above the Avalanche and Detriot for my most hated team in the NHL. The only thing that can make me feel better about the Sharks getting spanked, is that an American based hockey team wins the Stanley Cup! Come on Flyers or Lightning!

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Cards4ever

Come on, I can't believe that you actually believe that.

Cards...All we hear in Canada is how no one watches hockey in the states.It is frustrating for us then that all the games are dictated to by American networks.

It would be like football games being played on Tuesday afternoons because the NFL wants to capture the Japanese market.

[Vince]

Crap.

(Slumps over. Briefly looks up...)

Crap.

(Slump)

[Vince]

Dola - Congrats to the Flames. They definitely outplayed the hell out of the Sharks for the last two games. Their defense was incredible...the Sharks combined for 38 shots on goal in the last two games of the series. So hard to be on the losing end of a series that you feel your team played itself out of though

[Karim]

Flames girls going wild on 17th Avenue...

hxxp://flamesgirls.com

[Cards4ever]

Originally Posted by bbor

Cards...All we hear in Canada is how no one watches hockey in the states.It is frustrating for us then that all the games are dictated to by American networks.

It would be like football games being played on Tuesday afternoons because the NFL wants to capture the Japanese market.

Ratings are based on percentages right? So, wouldn't you have to take into account the ratings are low because of the entire US population? I don't think the football game comparison is a good one. Games on Saturday afternoons are not convenient for anyone, no matter if it's in the US or Canada.

[sachmo71]

Yay Calgary!

EDIT: Vince, I know how you feel. Nothing like watching your team killing themselves.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by bbor

It would be like football games being played on Tuesday afternoons because the NFL wants to capture the Japanese market.

And if that happened because 80% of the teams in the NFL were in Japanese cities, then we wouldn't have much to bitch about, would we?

[Ksyrup]

Dola.

Congrats to Calgary. I'll be rooting for them in the final, unless TB makes it. I can still remember attending one of TB's first games, as I happened to be going to school just outside Tampa when they first started.

[Karim]

Before the playoffs, there was a psychic convention held at the Stampede Grounds where the Olympic SaddleDome is. One psychic predicted that the Flames would make the Cup final but lose in a heartbreaker.

I wonder if the Eastern Conference representative will use that as ammunition like the Nazi's used Nostradamus' prediction of a French defeat?

Probably not...

I got nothing.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Yay Calgary!

EDIT: Vince, I know how you feel. Nothing like watching your team killing themselves.

Yup. I don't want to make it sound like Calgary didn't earn it...they played really well. I just think that if the Sharks played the Hockey I know they are capable of (the kind of Hockey they played against the Forces of Darkness (sorry DD) and in Calgary for games 3 and 4), the series would have been much different.

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Karim

Flames girls going wild on 17th Avenue...

hxxp://flamesgirls.com

Saved my 3000 post for the NHL thread

I get double points cause it has a link in it to flashing chicks

Damn...them Calgarians have some fake tits.

Hrm...my wife is from Calagry.......uhh...BRB

[sabotai]

Flyers win in OT! We head to a game 7!!

[Dr. Sak]

What a game....

In case you guys wanna see I took some pics while I was at Game 4

Flyers Pics

GO FLYERS!!

[Karim]

Go Flyers!

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by bsak16

What a game....

In case you guys wanna see I took some pics while I was at Game 4

Flyers Pics

GO FLYERS!!

Very cool. Love the pictures.

SI

[sachmo71]

Wow. Sweet series.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Very nice pictures and a great series. Been a fun one to watch. Primeau has been playing out of his mind. He can do this. He did this (to a lesser extent) back in the 1995 playoffs. For a spell he was the Wings best forward during that run. I remember some quote by Roenick (who else?) about how he was sick of hearing about Keith Primeau and how he is the "best" player in the playoffs, etc, etc. Of course, he and the rest of the Wings bitched out there in the end.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I was looking over the Team USA World/Canada Cup roster. They have 14 players who were on the 1996 team. They are an old team everywhere except in net. I do not like their chances all that much to be honest. Should be a great tourney. I loved the 1996 series. Great, great international hockey that led nicely right into the 1996-1997 NHL season.

H_B had graduated college. He was working at very easy temp job. He had plenty of time for hockey (and beer) and was able to watch many, many games. Good times... Good times...

[Simms]

I was a senior in college in Wichita and working a crappy job at Rent-A-Center. A group of the guys I played roller hockey with were going to meet up at our favourite sports bar to watch game 3 of the '96 final.

I asked this girl at work that I kinda liked if she wanted to come hang out with us and watch the game....even offered to buy her some food. After saying a rosary (seriously) during the 2nd intermission and getting no love from God, I got flat-out wasted by the end of the game, and she ended up driving me home while I left my car in the parking lot.

Seven years (as of last Monday) and two kids later, my wife and I still semi-fondly recount that night as our "first date".

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Simms

I was a senior in college in Wichita and working a crappy job at Rent-A-Center. A group of the guys I played roller hockey with were going to meet up at our favourite sports bar to watch game 3 of the '96 final.

I asked this girl at work that I kinda liked if she wanted to come hang out with us and watch the game....even offered to buy her some food. After saying a rosary (seriously) during the 2nd intermission and getting no love from God, I got flat-out wasted by the end of the game, and she ended up driving me home while I left my car in the parking lot.

Seven years (as of last Monday) and two kids later, my wife and I still semi-fondly recount that night as our "first date".

Now that is fuckin hilarious.

H_B : i agree..i was shocked when i saw the U.S roster..they are old...old like Red Wings old And they look very weak in net.I would'nt have much confidence in any of those three guys.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Simms

I was a senior in college in Wichita and working a crappy job at Rent-A-Center. A group of the guys I played roller hockey with were going to meet up at our favourite sports bar to watch game 3 of the '96 final.

High stick, god dammit! No goal!

[Johnny93g]

OH MY GOD....
I don't believe it....Theres gonna be......Hockey on Saturday night.....Im not kidding.....OMG...OMG....