NHL 08 Playoffs

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:06 pm

Wings are falling apart with four minutes to go. Hasek looked shaky, big momentum shift as the series could go 2-1 instead of 3-0.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:09 am

Third OT in a row between Minny and Col. Both keepers are playing out of their minds, these two teams are so close that in the end special teams are going to decide who advances to round two.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:39 am

I expected this, but I might as well say buy-bye Sens right now. Sigh. I hope whatever "behind the scenes rotting" gets removed over the summer, as this team is now reminding me of all those teams who lost to the Leafs in the playoffs. No scoring, suspect D coverage, Spezza getting lots of assists (for the Pens) etc etc.

For long periods last night I saw the Pens pressing in Ottawa's zone......

The most consisten Sen has been Gerber (never thought I'd say that) and I was surprised about Foligno last night, but everyone else needed to step up.

Our only hope now is if we take the David Ortiz jersey from the new Yankees stadium foundation and carry it around to conjure up the karma to knock off a 3-0 defecit........

At least this means I'll end up saving tons of money from playoff tickets.....

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:54 pm

I'll be at the Flyers/Caps game tonight, and I can't wait. Two years without playoff hockey in Philly seems like an eternity. The Wachovia Center is going to be rocking.

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:51 pm

Got this from the NJD board at hfboards...

But Sean Avery =

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:47 am

Mike Richards is Cannon.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:34 pm

Ballsy win by the Sharks. But if anyone thinks that goal was Thornton's coming-out party, they're sorely mistaken.

Thornton was effing invisible that entire game until the last 30 seconds. He lost key faceoff after key faceoff, made careless passes, showed little desire to grind in the corners, etc., etc. About the only time he decided to use his body was on the game-winning goal. He's still softer than the Stay-Puf Marshmallow Man.

Marleau and Setoguchi were the engines behind that comeback. Marleau hustled all over the ice, showing real character, and Setoguchi was one of the few Sharks willing to jam along the wall to get a cycle going. His work to fend off Phaneuf on the game-tying goal was remarkable.

Campbell still sucked, too. He did very little that was effective last night.

All in all, though, HUGE win for San Jose. Colorado looked damn good, too. I think both of these series will go seven.

And how about Carey Price in the East? Montreal sure has a knack for putting rookie goalies into the fire in the playoffs with great success. Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and now Price. Don't let the 1-0 score fool you -- that Boston-Montreal game was a hell of a hockey game.

Eager for more great action tonight!

Take care,
PK

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:35 pm

Another solid performance by the Flyers. For the second game in a row, they heavily outshot the Caps, and the Caps looked frustrated and unsure of themselves.

I'm a Philly fan though, so I still have to complain about 2 things:
-The last Caps goal. It was reviewed, and I thought the purpose of the review was to see if it in fact hit Laich's stick which was clearly above the crossbar. Then, they allow the goal to stand but give Laich credit. Seems to me it either did not hit Laich, and therefore was a legal goal to the shooter, or it did hit Laich, and was therefore illegal and should have been waived off.
-What a cheapshot on Timonen. Again it is fan favorite Laich, coming at Timonen late and crosschecking/shoving Timonen facefirst into the goal. Dirty play, and should've been a penalty giving the Flyers a 5on3.

All in all though, I can't complain. Flyers are outplaying the Caps and look to be in control. Hopefully they can win game 4 tomorrow and really put the Caps on the ropes. Outside of that 3rd period meltdown in game 1, the Flyers have been the better team in 8 of the 9 periods this series, so I am feeling pretty good.

Some thoughts on other series:
-Impressive performances from the Ducks and Avs last night in must win games for them.
-Bruins still have no offense and are pretty much done now. Feeling pretty stupid for picking them.
-SJ regains the upper hand in their series thanks to a clutch Joe Thornton goal (yes Joe Thornton). On TSN they mentioned that Calgary has been outshot 141-79 over the course of the series. Yikes.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:39 pm

Wel, i'm off to the cow pasture tonight to watch the final bullet be put in the head of the Ottawa Senators.

Someone at work said it best..... They used to be faster then a lot of teams. Now everyone is faster and has more desire then the Sens.

Even in the paper today everyone seems resigned to their fate.........

I suppose that's what happens when you back into the playoffs since Christmas time!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:41 pm

Gang:

Something tells me John Muckler might be chuckling a bit about the state of the Sens ...

As a Sens' fan, whose head gets lopped off because of this failure? Murray? Or does Melnyk look at this season as an aberration, especially since Ottawa made it to the Finals last season, and stay the course with Murray?

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:09 pm

Right on PK, JM is having a nice Heineken somewhere while he's enjoying all the mess ongoing. I have a feeling that they'll sack B. Murray and either Spezza or Heatley will be traded this summer.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:32 pm

Personally, I think Murry will stay. Melnyk is a no-nonsense kind of guy, but I'm not sure if this mess can lay all at Murray's feet. Of the players who are still here from last year, they all just seem.... listless.

Spezza and Heatley have 2! assistes between them in 3 games. Alfie is playing hurt. And the D who looked pretty good this year have tanked this year. Redden, Mesarzos..... It says something when Luke Richardson plays his way into your 6 D.

The team as a whole doesnt' seem as quick and energetic as they did last year, or the beginning of this year. I think they are all worn down, from fatigue, from the Emery fiasco, and from whatever else behind the scenes stuff there is that the public won't hear about until much later.

Is that an excuse? yes and no. Yes, because i'm sure from the rubble this will be what they will all say. No, because they are paid to be better then what they have shown.

I don't mind losing (or even missig the playoffs, as an Oilers fan #1) but the lack of effort I see here has me very non-plussed.

Ever since I've moved to Ottawa and watched the Sens, it almost seems like if they can't use their speed and skill to win, they don't have the sandpaper or desire to win any other way......

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:17 pm

Naples39 wrote:What a cheapshot on Timonen. Again it is fan favorite Laich, coming at Timonen late and crosschecking/shoving Timonen facefirst into the goal. Dirty play, and should've been a penalty giving the Flyers a 5on3.

Laich's hit was similar to the famous cheap shot by Dale Hunter on Pierre Turgeon. I love how the media sweeps this stuff under the rug when it doesn't fit their preconceived storyline. If Scott Hartnell had cross checked Ovechkin into the net when the puck was already out of play, and Alex left the ice with a potentially serious injury, "Dirty Flyers" would be the headline on every NHL sports page and Hartnell would be suspended.

Speaking of Ovechkin, I was puzzled why the Flyers fans were booing him from the start of Game 3. He's Washington's best player and the best player in the NHL, but he's never beaten the Flyers in a playoff series or indulged in any dirty play. But I guess the Wachovia Center faithful knew this swan dive was coming:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0qS8XojBU

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:32 pm

Are you honestly saying that's not a trip?

Umberger's skate hit Ovechkin's skate, tripping him. Period. Was it intentional or a failed attempt at a knee-on-knee hit? Nope, so drop the cries of persecution against the angelic Flyers.

But R.J.'s skate hit Ovechkin's skate.

P.S.: Laich's hit on Timonen was bush league, no doubt.

Take care,
PK

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:39 pm

Watch it again, pk. At 0:34, 0:39 and 0:46 you can clearly see Ovechkin launch himself into the air. Ovechkin could have stayed on his feet if he wanted too after his skates hit Umberger's, but he chose to dive.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:44 pm

Umberger's skate does touch AO. Now, the falling down part does seem a bit dramatic.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:48 pm

10spro wrote:Umberger's skate does touch AO. Now, the falling down part does seem a bit dramatic.

Exactly. He embellished it, big time. No question about that. But there was contact.

Would it have been called if it wasn't Ovechkin? Probably not. But would the same call been made if a Washington grinder did the same thing to Richards, and Richards embellished? Probably.

But that's a moot point since Richards probably wouldn't embellish like that!

Take care,
PK

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:52 pm

Ovechkin is being booed because he is Washington's best player. Plain and simple.

As for that play, that was a ridiculous dive. Undoubtedly, Umberger's skate came into contact with Ovechkin's skate, but I don't think it should've been a penalty. Umberger held his ground and didn't stick out his foot, and he is by no means required to get out of the way of an opposing skater. It was incidental legal contact.

More importantly, Ovechkin's ridiculous flop came well after the contact took place, and Ovechkin literally leapt into the air after Umberger skated by. If that was any other player on the ice other than Ovechkin it wouldn't have been a penalty, and if it was someone like Sean Avery it would almost certainly be a diving penalty.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 7:03 pm

Naples39 wrote:if it was someone like Sean Avery it would almost certainly be a diving penalty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B53W-7tk4Uw

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 7:24 pm

What I loved most about the dive AO took was that Richards immediately skated up to him while he was down, and was barking in his ear to get up and stop faking.

No doubt it was a trip, but both Umberger and Ovechkin should've been sent off.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:44 pm

Are the out-of-market games being shown nationally somewhere?

Or do you have to get Center Ice or something?

What's with the hate for the Capitals from DC-area fans?

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:58 pm

Great news for the Flyers...

Timonen to play tomorrow for Flyers
Philadelphia Daily News

Kimmo Timonen will be back in the lineup tomorrow.
The Flyers' star defenseman, who was forced out of the game in the last minutes of the second period in the Tuesday 6-3 win over Washington Capitals, said this morning, "I feel fine. I'm happy. I want to play. I want to win. Like I said. I feel fine and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

HUGE news.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:08 pm

wco81 wrote:Are the out-of-market games being shown nationally somewhere?

Versus is showing two games a night in the first round. I'm watching Rangers - Devils right now here in south, south Philly.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:09 pm

wco81 wrote:Are the out-of-market games being shown nationally somewhere?

Or do you have to get Center Ice or something?

What's with the hate for the Capitals from DC-area fans?

Versus channel is showing a game or two a night on national TV.

And I can only speak for myself, but I am from Philly and have been a Flyers fan for 15 years. I just happen to live in the DC area for the time-being.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:49 am

Good bye Sens, hello hopefully brand new team next year!