10spro wrote:In terms of entertainment and good old hockey, I was pulling for the Wings today against the Ducks, so they could face CHI. Very close game vs ANA too with special teams in the end favoring the Wings. As I was predicting earlier, I don't think any team would like to face an under the radar DET team with all their experience and skills.
Jimmy Howard tends to play his best hockey at this time of the year, really looking forward to their series with the Hawks.
If the Wings continue to play with the intensity and passion that they displayed in last night's game 7 with the Ducks then they will not be swept by the Hawks.
I wasn't sure whether I was rooting for or against the Wings last night. It's always fun to watch the Ducks lose. The series confirmed exactly what I've believed all year. The Ducks were simply not as good as their record indicated. I relish every Ducks loss but I would have much preferred the Kings play them over the Sharks. I was confident that the Kings would beat the Ducks in the second round, even without home ice. Would have also been fun to see the Honda Center turn into Staples Center south with a huge invasion of Kings fans.
The Sharks are going to present a much bigger challenge and I would have rather seen a big team like that pound on the Blackhawks.
"Be tolerant of those who describe a sporting moment as their best ever. We do not lack imagination, nor have we had sad and barren lives; it is just that real life is paler, duller, and contains less potential for unexpected delirium." -Nick Hornby
I agree LAKing but i was rooting for the ducks, the less travel the better after that first round battle and Anaheim is as good as a home series , now they have to travel up north and play a much tougher team who's goalie is playing as good as Quick is. If they make it through Sharks what will they have left for Chicago i wonder.
I hate both the Bruins and Leafs. But it's game 7 and both teams are beating the crap out of each other so far. It's been physical, it's been hard fought so which poison am I picking? One team must advance so I guess I'll take the Leafs. Rask has been busier so far.
And if Bettman was smarter, he should have scheduled both games about 2-3 hours apart from each other. I understand both games are being played in the Eastern zone but at the same time you're trying to gather more interest in the states after a shortened season and also they are both game 7's.
Great game if you're a Bruins fan. Even as an outsider, it was a good series to follow. Leafs just stopped skating when BOS scored the second goal and started going in circles. Credit to coach Julien for placing big Chara in the crease while the D were taking shots. You don't take down a guy like Chara but c'mon you gotta push him around at least. That's what happened on their tying goal.
Thanks to my Canucks I was short of going perfect on my predictions for round one. I really like the match ups in the west in the second, it should be a classic watching the battle of CA, while the Hawks better not take the Wings too lightly.
Sharks in 6, and Hawks also in 6.
BOS-NYR will be close but the way Lundqvist played the last couple of games, this team is just peaking at the right time. Bruins had only one line going against the Leafs, that won't be enough against he Rangers. NY in 6.
I see the Pens going the distance again only because they are deeper that OTT. But if the Isles could score at will, the Sens ae much more balanced and patient team than NYI, how will the tandem of Vokoun-Fleury perform in round 2. Will Spezza be ready?
I thought I was going to get the Eastern conference only one game off perfection, but what a turd performance by the Caps last night. Losing 5-0 at home in game 7 is worse than blowing a 4-1 lead late on the road IMO.
Looking to the next round, I feel pretty good about the Rangers finding their game, as the Bruins have simply not been a good team the last month, and barely eeked it out against a less-than-stellar Leafs squad.
The Pens are clearly the most talented team the East, but their performance against the Isles was disturbing. The Sens, and maybe the Rangers the round after will really test their patience. Going back to last year against the Flyers, 2 playoff series in a row where they have looked simply immature.
Out west, about which I am far less informed, I presume the Hawks will keep on chugging, but I will take the Kings over the Sharks. I shouldn't have have gone against the champs in that tight matchup against the Blues.
f*** you Chicago take your loss like men, cheap bastards.
Im gonna go 10's pro on you all here and like i said earlier in the thread Detroit are fine and to you bitter Blues fans who where laughing at the Wings saying your team is better well, i told you so. Kicked Chicago arse tonight. and they got cheap and nasty at the end.
Lets go Detroit.
Danimal wrote:That disallowed goal was bullshit plain and simple. Officiating was one sided tonight.
I think the NHL wants to ensure this series goes 7 games. Watch how one sided it is Thursday in favor of Chicago.
I agree that the Wings got away with a very questionable "interference" call, however, the Hawks also got away with a nasty cross check on Franzen which lead to the Hawks one and only "official" goal.
Jimmydeicide wrote:f*** you Chicago take your loss like men, cheap bastards.
Im gonna go 10's pro on you all here and like i said earlier in the thread Detroit are fine and to you bitter Blues fans who where laughing at the Wings saying your team is better well, i told you so. Kicked Chicago arse tonight. and they got cheap and nasty at the end.
Lets go Detroit.
Hee, the series is definitely looking chippy. If you take aside the 3rd period of the very first game in which obviously the Wings were fatigued after their game 7 with the Ducks the day before, they have been playing the Hawks very tight and physical every single period. They were lousy calls on both sides as there have been since the playoffs started. Nothing, anyone can do about it but suck it up and play on.
Ironically, despite the rivalry with VAN, I don't really hate the Hawks but you're right about man-ning up when things don't go their way which was not too often this season. In the end so far, Howard is playing better than Crawford, Datsuyk better than Toews and the big Z out shadowing Kane.
MERACE wrote:
I agree that the Wings got away with a very questionable "interference" call, however, the Hawks also got away with a nasty cross check on Franzen which lead to the Hawks one and only "official" goal.
-MERACE
That was easily the worst officiated game of the playoffs so far that has involved the Hawks. Far too many bad calls to even start to account for which team got the worst of it. Hawks are the better team, but the Wings are confident and working hard. A game like last night with a couple bad breaks and the additional chaos of uncertain officiating evens things up even more. I think the Hawks still have enough firepower to overcome the deficit, but they've really put themselves behind the 8-ball now.
Here endeth my annual hockey post.
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MERACE wrote:
I agree that the Wings got away with a very questionable "interference" call, however, the Hawks also got away with a nasty cross check on Franzen which lead to the Hawks one and only "official" goal.
Right and the Wings got away with how many themselves? As I said the officiating was horrible but only one of those bad calls resulted in a goal being disallowed.
If Howard continues to play the way he has it won't matter much as there were next to no rebounds and 2nd chance shots. With the Wings being able to basically mug any Hawks player in front of the net without and repercussions and his goal tending they are certainly in control.
Like I said we'll see how the next game is officiated my hung is things go Chicago's way. Also we will see if the Hawks have any sack what so ever. They have had a pretty easy run this year. They had a 4 or 5 minute lapse that resulted in 2 goals. I've seen them do that lots of times this year where the defense just gets lazy but usually they can make it up with their fore check. I don't see that happening the way Howard is playing so its time to see if these guys have any stones.
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awesome looked like the dragons.
