The Official 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk Thread

[VanCitySportsGuy]

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

Easily one of the best games in Canucks history (40 years of mostly crappy Hockey makes any Game 7 victory huge even if it's just the 1st round).

The Hockey Gods were with us tonight because we outplayed the Hawks. It's nice to finally slay the dragon. Crawford was unreal. It was nice not having to deal with Byfuglien. He was a real pain in the *** the previous 2 playoffs. The Hawks and their fans are really classy. Good luck next season.

Bring on the Preds!

Oh yeah Raffi Torres is still a scumbag and I wish he wasn't on the team.

[goh]

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

Good team, great hockey city, never won a cup, best team in the NHL this year I think they deserve it.

Wish we could have beaten them but we didn't, I don't like them but I do respect them as a good hockey team overall and I don't like the Wings or Sharks at all, I wouldn't mind the Preds either but that Vancouver fan base has been after a winner for a while and hasn't gotten one, if they are going to this year is going to be one of their better chances, and if they win it all I really think that adds even more into our rivalry.

You know there's another conference right? What's wrong on that side of things?

[Whitesox]

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

I don't like them but I do respect them

Sums up my feelings. I respect them, but I have come to dislike them over the years. As such, I would prefer another team to win, like the Predators.

[BlueNGold]

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

The Canucks, in just the 1st round, basically went through all of what teams who make the Stanley Cup Finals go through

[Psyblast]

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

The Canucks, in just the 1st round, basically went through all of what teams who make the Stanley Cup Finals go through

They'll have to break a trend, too. There hasn't been a Stanley Cup Champion that went seven games in the first round in almost 20 years.

[IlliniM1ke]

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

You know there's another conference right? What's wrong on that side of things?

lol this is true, I always follow the western conference closer though so just tend to pull for that side more.

[BlueNGold]

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

They'll have to break a trend, too. There hasn't been a Stanley Cup Champion that went seven games in the first round in almost 20 years.

Interesting stat.

The good news for the Canucks is that so far they've avoided the whole "Win the Presidents' Trophy, lay an egg in the 1st round" trend.

[l3ulvl]

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

What an exciting game! I have no ties to Vancouver and I'm the typical guy that roots for the underdog... but... as a long time Detroit sports fan I just couldn't bring myself to root for a Chicago team...

That said... Sharks in 4

Spoiler

I am not an optimist

[DrJones]

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

Unbelievable.

[mgoblue678]

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

What an exciting game! I have no ties to Vancouver and I'm the typical guy that roots for the underdog... but... as a long time Detroit sports fan I just couldn't bring myself to root for a Chicago team...

That said... Sharks in 4

Spoiler

I am not an optimist

What are you talking about? The Wings played the best hockey of any team in the first round without Zetterberg, meanwhile the Sharks struggled at times in their series. Think this one will probably go six or seven, not sure who will win, but predicting a Sharks' sweep is asinine given the rest the Wings will have going in and the way they played in the first round. In fact if the Wings play how they did in the first round, I don't see the Sharks winning the series, let alone sweeping it.

[SPTO]

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

Well I have to hand it to them. The Canucks showed up and played gritty hockey when they had to. You could tell the tide was starting to turn as early as Game 6 so it's not surprising they've played well enough to win last night.

I still don't have all that much confidence in Luongo but theoretically this is a HUGE monkey off his back and he should perform much better the rest of the way. The Canucks really need stronger and more consistent play from their forwards though. (Kessler, Burrows) It also should be distressing though not surprising to Canucks fans how soft the Sedins play. This is the playoffs damnit! Yet they seem to just loaf around and not do too much to impact the game.

On paper, playing Nashville should be a lot easier but I think they'll pose a challenge as they play a very disciplined defensive style of hockey and Rinne is a damn good goaltender himself. The Canucks need to bring a more disciplined and gritty game to the fore if they want to keep moving on. This next series should be pretty low scoring.

That said, for reasons of national pride i'll be cheering for Vancouver. (and Montreal)

[SqueakyD]

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

as a long time Detroit sports fan I just couldn't bring myself to root for a Chicago team...

That said... Sharks in 4

Spoiler

I am not an optimist

Unbelievable.

What, that the Canucks won or l3ulvl's prediction?

Good to see you alive and well after all this.

[jyoung]

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

What a rough way for Chicago to lose that game last night. Especially after the spectacular goal to come back in tie it up in the 3rd.

Oh well, as a Nashville fan, I'd rather play Vancouver than Detroit in the second round.

[slickdtc]

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

Sorry to break up all the Vancouver love here... lol.

But the Flyers finally were rewarded for their good play and showed that if you kept playing how you are, you're going to win (and big). I was only worried about Miller going Team USA on us, and it looked like he would. But that goal at the end of the 1st period was all we needed to give us confidence and then it was clear sailing.

Question: better slap shot? Leino's or Burrow's? Both of those were absolute rockets. Burrow's was obviously bigger, but Leino's really put the nail in the coffin.

Looking towards the B's/Bolts/Pens. None totally scare me, but I've seen Fleury play his *** off so I'd like to avoid them. In the end, I guess it doesn't really matter. But I think the Flyers have shook the goalie BS and are ready to come out firing on all cylinders in Round 2. Glad Boucher played well again, knew he had it in him.

Funny thing: the Flyers dressed Boucher (starter), Bobrovsky (backup), and Johan Backlund (emergency). Leighton was nowhere to be found.

[daflyboys]

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

I think it's safe to say the Michael Leighton experiment is over. He was a part of one of the (almost) greatest comeback in sports history last year, but without taking it all last year, unfortunately that's how it will be remembered. Ironically, I was pulling for the 'Hawks last night and the Toews goal was simply astonishing. Just a great game 7 to watch overall.