The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

[Dog]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

I will also subscribe to this thread.
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Haha, you got me

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Fans expect a Cup, but are waiting, waiting for Luongo or the Sedins to crack so they can label them chokers. Everyone knows that if they lose to Chicago here, every story involving the Canucks from now on will be "Mentally weak. Can't win the big games." Detroit fans who remember the 91-96 era Wings know what I'm talking about.

Would they be wrong in doing so? The fans who labeled those Detroit teams as such certainly weren't.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Would they be wrong in doing so? The fans who labeled those Detroit teams as such certainly weren't.

No, not really. Although I do think the Canucks' current rep as chokers in the Luongo era is a little unfair at this point. No first round upsets, no blown 3-0 or 2-0 or 3-1 series leads, no Jamie Baker moments, all of the teams that beat them finished above them in the standings. I won't deny the Canucks suffered emotional/discipline meltdowns against the Blackhawks each of the last two years, that was obvious for all to see.

My larger point is that the more the fans believe that they're chokers, the harder it gets for the players, and it gets worse every year. The fact that a lot of fans in this market aren't as savvy as they think they are doesn't help. I had arguments with people who wanted to trade the Sedins and Luongo (as if such a thing were possible in the salary cap era) for prospects and use the money saved to sign Kovalchuk and "other free agents". Seriously.

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

No, not really. Although I do think the Canucks' current rep as chokers in the Luongo era is a little unfair at this point. No first round upsets, no blown 3-0 or 2-0 or 3-1 series leads, no Jamie Baker moments, all of the teams that beat them finished above them in the standings. I won't deny the Canucks suffered emotional/discipline meltdowns against the Blackhawks each of the last two years, that was obvious for all to see.

My larger point is that the more the fans believe that they're chokers, the harder it gets for the players, and it gets worse every year. The fact that a lot of fans in this market aren't as savvy as they think they are doesn't help. I had arguments with people who wanted to trade the Sedins and Luongo (as if such a thing were possible in the salary cap era) for prospects and use the money saved to sign Kovalchuk and "other free agents". Seriously.

Haha, every fanbase has loons like that, especially the Canadian ones. I go on rants with a buddy of mine every offseason because the Red Wings never do anything on the free agent market, even if they have money to spend (I still say they should've signed Sammy Pahlsson after the 08-09 season). And it's never even serious, either. We both know the Wings rarely have the ability (or need) to be big spenders.

I am interested to see what happens if a certain 6.2 million dollars comes open for the Wings to use this summer though....

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

I am interested to see what happens if a certain 6.2 million dollars comes open for the Wings to use this summer though....

Tough to believe Lidstrom will walk away quite yet.

Good year to have money and a need for D-men, though. Ehrhoff and Bieksa are both UFA; I'm guessing the Canucks will be able to sign only one. Salo's also a UFA, but should be paid strictly by the shift.

[humaca80]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Haha, Philly in 4? Let's be realistic!! Has anyone even watched the NHL in 2011? Buffalo has the best record out of anyone since the allstar break. Very dangerous with miller after a week and a half break. Let's go buffalo!!!

I love hockey playoffs though I can never pay much attention to the regular season.

Canucks in 6.
Red Wings in 6.
Kings in 7 and the best first round series.
The Predators have only let me down and I hate the Ducks so I'm just not picking.

Rangers in 5,Lundqvist will be this years beastly playoff goalie.
Bruins in 4.
Flyers in 4.
Lightning in 7.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Doc, regarding momentum not mattering too much going into the playoffs, I obviously haven't watched near as much as you, but I read this link and thought it was interesting anyway....

Since 2005-2006, nine teams have entered the Eastern Conference playoffs with a sub-500% winning percentage in March and April. With the exception of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, none of those teams have advanced to the second round.

...

the Philadelphia Flyers will be entering the playoffs with the single worst winning percentage in March and April since the post-lock out NHL.

...

The common bond between the 2010 and 2011 Philadelphia Flyers is that they have history against them. The Flyers weak performance in March and April is unprecedented by a team seeded in the top-four. In addition, the Flyers had a five game losing streak prior to snapping the streak on the final game of the season. The 2006 Ottawa Senators were the number one seed and lost seven games prior to winning their season finale. The Senators advanced past the first round, but they faced a Lightning team that also had a losing streak. The Senators were eventually beaten in the second round. Teams that brought any kind of losing streak into the playoffs were eliminated in the first round 67% of the time.

http://thecheckingline.com/blog/matthew-brigidi/philadelphia-flyers/history-eastern-conference-playoffs

.....I'm of the thought that it all goes out the window once the playoffs start, but I guess "recent history" shows that maybe it matters a bit?

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Doc, regarding momentum not mattering too much going into the playoffs, I obviously haven't watched near as much as you, but I read this link and thought it was interesting anyway....

http://thecheckingline.com/blog/matthew-brigidi/philadelphia-flyers/history-eastern-conference-playoffs

.....I'm of the thought that it all goes out the window once the playoffs start, but I guess "recent history" shows that maybe it matters a bit?

Well, as long as they use the examples of 1st AND 2nd rounds:

2006 Red Wings: won 21 of their last 27 games
2006 Oilers: won 11 of their last 27 games

2006 Devils: won 11 of their last 11 games
2006 Hurricanes: won 5 of their last 11 games

2008 Capitals: won 14 of their last 17 games
2008 Flyers: won 9 of their last 17 games

2008 Sharks: won 18 of their last 22 games
2008 Stars: won 10 of their last 22 games

2010 Capitals: won 7 of their last 11 games
2010 Canadiens: won 3 of their last 11 games

--------

It is evident that teams that struggle right before the playoffs have had very little success in making deep postseason runs. Only 33% of teams have advanced past the first round and only one team has reached the conference championship.

Yep, 2 out of 6. Pretty evident, all right. In other news, I just flipped a coin 4 times -- 3 times it landed on heads! Better update my blog with this conclusive evidence.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Yep....small sample size indeed.

Like I said, I think it all goes out the window.

[Fiddy]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

cant wait for tonight.. heading to the CEC for the first ever home playoff game at the building!! should be fun.. i also woke up with a 4 overtime thought in my head tonight, hope im wrong!! last time i had that feeling, it was a 3 OT game, game 5 vs the Wings in the finals.. that was a GREAT game to be at lol. Wings fans giving us ish (in a fun manner), Talbot scores to tie, then Sykies called shot in OT.. woo city!!

lets go pens!! beat the bolts..

[pietasterp]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Hope the Wings are gonna be able to take care of biz sans Zetterberg or Kronwall...would not want to see another 7-game series (although obviously winning in 7 is preferable to losing....).

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Hope the Wings are gonna be able to take care of biz sans Zetterberg or Kronwall...would not want to see another 7-game series (although obviously winning in 7 is preferable to losing....).

Sans Kronwall? He's going to play.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

About the momentum discussion... I prefer to go in hot (or at least on a good note, like last year's shootout win to take the #7 seed), but I think it is read into too much. If you win it's because the momentum, if you lost then it's because the playoffs are an entirely different animal.

Believe it or not, the NHL playoffs are not a mathematical equation. This is not the Matrix. This **** is real, son! The games need to be played by real live human beings and no previous record has any effect on the game. For every curse or bad omen there is, there's another curse that's been broken. We all saw the Red Sox, the White Sox, etc break their long losing streaks. I'm confident I'll see the Flyers snap their almost 40 year Cup drought in my lifetime. It may not be this year, it may not be next, but I'll see it.

So screw all the talk, I just want to see the games and enjoy them. But this is a message board, this is what we do. We see the numbers, we digest the numbers. But we must wait to see what happens.

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

I'm confident I'll see the Flyers snap their almost 40 year Cup drought in my lifetime. It may not be this year, it may not be next, but I'll see it.

You sound like a Chicago Cubs fan

Only kidding, I agree I think Philly will win one in the next few years.

[pietasterp]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

Sans Kronwall? He's going to play.

Oh, really? Hadn't heard - last I checked I thought he might be a scratch. Looking forward to it even more now....