Stanley Cup Playoffs thread

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:51 pm

Yeah and another goalie that all of the sudden went cold. Where's the Gerber of the regular season?

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:56 pm

And sooner or later it had to happen. Sure give credit to the Stars for coming back at the end of the 2nd period 4-3. But Theodore looks shaky.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:07 pm

tjung0831 wrote:
Naples39 wrote:
tjung0831 wrote:I expect to see Peter Forsberg as tonights missing persons case on Greta Van Susteren's show on the fox news channel at 9pm CST.
Yes, because it's Forsberg's fault they gave up 6 goals, and JP Dumont is obviously a much better player. What do you want the guy to do? Singlehandedly take over when his team is being utterly dominated? The Forsberg line has actually played pretty well, it's the other 15 skaters that are the problem (forsberg is even +1 tonight).
I think you missed my point completely. As far as Dumont being the better player, he sure as heck has been right now when it counts. Leaders make a difference and that's what Forsberg was brought in to do and at this point he hasn't done it yet. The Flyers are big and slow and being outclassed by a smaller, more talented team.

Actually judging by your latest response, it seems I understood you perfectly. The Flyers have been completely dominated, and no one player is just gonna step on the ice and change such an overwhelming tide no matter how good he is. As I said before, the Forsberg line has played quite well, and the rest of the team has gotten worked.

When Forsberg is on the ice, the Flyers have outscored Buffalo 3-1. When he isn't, the Flyers have been outscored 10-1. Now it's Forsberg's fault that when he sits on the bench, Mike Rathje and Derian Hatcher are slow?

I mean really, what do you expect him to do? Score 5 goals a game and shoot lightning bolts out of his ass? Give me a break.

fightingcamel · Post by **fightingcamel** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:23 pm

pk500 wrote:Wow, give Carolina and Dallas some credit. Both teams have some stones, rallying from 3-0 deficits.

The pace of the first OT between Carolina and Montreal was SICK. Up and down the ice, glorious chances on both ends. Not sure how much longer they can keep it up, heading into the second OT, but man, it is fun as hell to watch.

Cam Ward is the hero of the night, even if the Canes lose. To come in cold and stem the bleeding for Carolina in goal against a hot Habs' team is quite the feat. Oh, and Dumont and Pominville had pretty good games for Buffalo, too. I'd like to own a Hat World franchise in Buffalo right now.

Take care,
PK

That was a great game! (regardless of the ending)

Maybe Ward can get hot and they can steal a few from the Habs now

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:41 pm

CAR is missing E. Cole badly. What has M. Recchi done?

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:44 pm

recchi set up the screen for the game tying goal...

where is staal? The canes need to play some decent defense...put a body on kovalev...if he has room..forget it..he is an amazing skater with an amazing shot...

ddtrane · Post by **ddtrane** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:47 pm

Turco strikes again giving up the shortie late to tie the game. Anyone cares to guess when he gives up the game winning goal?

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:50 pm

man.....another great game!!

i love playoff OT!!!

ddtrane · Post by **ddtrane** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:54 pm

Sudz wrote:man.....another great game!!

i love playoff OT!!!

I second that emotion.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:04 am

At the end of Hitchcock's press conference as he walked off the podium he told the reporters: "Tell Lindy to go f**k himself, and mind his own f**king business." They had to beep it out on Comcast Sportsnet Philly. I don't think he liked the Buffalo coach saying the Flyers played like "idiots", even if it was true.

I assume they don't like each other going back to the 99 Finals when Hitch got a ring and Ruff got a chip on his shoulder.

ddtrane · Post by **ddtrane** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:11 am

ddtrane wrote:Turco strikes again giving up the shortie late to tie the game. Anyone cares to guess when he gives up the game winning goal?

I hate to quote myself, but Turco strikes again, he just doesn't have it for the playoffs. I just didn't realize it would be this soon, but I knew he would give up the gwg.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:27 am

I know 7 seeds beat 2 seeds a lot in the NHL playoffs but it's still pretty amazing to have both 2 seeds down 2-0.

I was really impressed with Carolina when I saw them this year, and I think they could still make a series out of it. Carolina swept Montreal 4-0 this regular season which just shows how you can throw regular season heads to heads out the window when the playoffs start.

mobiggins · Post by **mobiggins** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:04 am

Turco is a sham. The guy spends way too much time looking for the acrobatic save and throws all fundamentals out the window. He has awful positioning, and everytime he moves from side-to-side he opens himself up big-time. Compare that to Hedberg who is as compact as a friggin' Pong rectangle when he moves in on shooters. Hedberg should also be starting next game, because Turco just doesn't give the Stars any chance to win. All season long they've had to fight against the number of goals he let in, and he almost always put them down by one or two goals first. He only had three shutouts and an .895 SV% behind one of the stingiest defenses in the league. He should have been challenging Kiprusoff for the shutout lead. If the Stars lose this series, which they probably will, he had better not be on their roster next year. Most overrated goalie in a long, long time.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:26 am

Turco's playoff shoddiness was the biggest reason I picked the Stars to be upset in the first round. Every was so caught up on his wins and GAA that everyone forgot how crappy his save percentage was this year, like Mo pointed out. Man that pick is looking great now.

I also hope Carolina can turn it around. That team is a blast to watch, and I have been pulling for them since they acquired my two favoriate players in the league; Doug Weight and Mark Recchi. I think it's very doable for them to come back, but they MUST get some decent goaltending to have a shot.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:33 am

ddtrane wrote:
Sudz wrote:man.....another great game!!

i love playoff OT!!!
I second that emotion.

Third it!

Take care,
PK

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:28 am

Observation from a twleve pack point of view...

NHL regular season seem to be alot more like a preseason. Teams dont seem to kick it up til later.

The Devils and Habs are perfect examples. They slept walked through the first two thirds of the season then caught fire.
Were they just phoning it in or had they not jelled yet?

Then you have teams like The Rangers, Stars and Canes who put it on cruise at the end of the season and now cant seem to find the next gear.
They do still have time...Im not counting them out just yet.

One thing is for damn sure ...The intensity, focus, grittiness and the excitement (FOR FANS) does go to a whole new level when the playoffs start. Its almost like a completely different game.

Playoff hockey OT is as electric and intense as a sporting event can ever be.

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:57 am

And I second that 12 pack observation.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:34 am

Oh great. Primeau is saying he wants to be back for game 3 or 4. It's not enough the Flyers are going to lose the series, Primeau wants to come back after not playing since he got elbowed in the chin in October and have his career ended once and for all. Why can't he just wait till next season and give himself another five months to get his head straight.

"I'm just trying to get back," he said yesterday. "I wish it was tonight. But I'm just not at that point. So I can't say, yes, Wednesday, I'm going to be back. I really can't. But I want to be back tonight; I want to be back tonight, Wednesday, Friday."

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:09 am

Thirteen hours away from faceoff between the Oil and the Wings, and I'm already stoked and nervous. Guess that's what it means to be a fan ...

On a side note, OLN announced that it's changing its name to Versus, starting Sept. 1. The blurb I read in the paper said the change was being made just before the start of the NHL season, so it sounds like hockey is staying on OLN.

Honestly, I think OLN is doing a good job at putting hockey front and center on its network, treating it like the flagship franchise of the network. I just wish more eyeballs got the network!

Take care,
PK

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:43 am

Apart from their stupidly big overlays, OLN's playoff coverage has been pretty good.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:45 am

Does OLN have the abilty to switch games when one is out of hand?..or are they locked into the one they have on?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:04 am

Even after its success in Game 2, I find it hard to believe that the Edmonton media is still freaking out because the Oilers are playing the "press," or a pseudo-trap.

Yeah, as a 20-plus-year Oilers' fan, I expect to see my team play run-and-gun hockey. But you can't do that against Detroit. And the press is working, so shut the f*ck up, please, media men!

It's ironic that if an NFL coach adapts his game plan to match up with his opponent, he's a genius. When MacTavish does it, you would think that he was pissing on the Gretzky statue outside of Northlands Coliseum, based on the media coverage I've read in the two Edmonton papers and the questions being asked of the players in the Oilers' podcast I get.

If the "press" works, keep on doing it, boys!

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:37 am

And it's the intensity and player matchups that brings me back to watching this year's playoffs despite my Canucks not making it.

If the NHL was back to the previous muggings, with my team OUT of the playoffs, I doubt I would have followed the games with the same interest I had so far. If it wasn't for the changes I doubt we would have seen entertaining games like the Habs-Canes game yesterday.

pk ,I hope your Oils do well tonight, although their play at home worries me. One team that may go far again and has been a sleeper during the season is NJ. With an experienced team and Marty Brodeur back in shape, they may go further than a round or two.

Another series I can't wait to watch is the PHI-BUF one. Will the real Flyers finally show up? BTW, that hit by D. Gauthier is worth of a suspension.

Just a little curiosity. With all the new changes this year, is it a coincidence that players like M. St Louis, P. Kariya, D. Briere, S. Sullivan, Pang and other so called smaller players are having a good run so far?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:54 am

Bettman is attending the Oil-Wings' game tonight in Edmonton. Expect a ton of penalties to be called, as the refs will suck up to the boss. That could hurt the Oil, as Detroit's power play is still lethal.

I read a stat where a large number of penalties have been called at the two playoff games Bettman has attended, including Game 1 of the Devils-Rangers series.

Discipline, Oil boys, discipline!

Take care,
PK

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:56 am

pk500 wrote:Even after its success in Game 2, I find it hard to believe that the Edmonton media is still freaking out because the Oilers are playing the "press," or a pseudo-trap.

Yeah, as a 20-plus-year Oilers' fan, I expect to see my team play run-and-gun hockey. But you can't do that against Detroit. And the press is working, so shut the f*ck up, please, media men!

I totally agree. I can't stand when teams get criticized for playing and winning games in a so-called "negative" fashion. The only right way to play is the way that wins games and championships. If defensive hockey or defensive soccer wins games but doesn't look great, then let the NHL or FIFA change the rules.