NHL Playoffs 09. Drop The Puck.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:25 pm

Spooky wrote:Wow! the 'Bulin-Wall' was insane last night. He clearly won it for the Hawks. Flames had almost triple the amount of shots on goal and yet lost 4-1. Crazy.

Not to take anything from Khabi, but with the Flames' blueline depleted any of the teams already playing Golf would have doused the Flames including the Blues and CBJ in the West. CAL got a lot of shots but CHI had better scoring chances.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:37 pm

toonarmy wrote:I pretty much agree with the Burnside article on the Sharks. Fact is that, as I have been saying, it's ludicrous to pin all this on one man. It will be interesting to see what direction the Sharks take in the offseason. Do they essentially scrap what they have and build from scratch in a whole new direction, or do they try a piecemeal approach in which they add toughness and grit here and there?

If I were D. Wilson I would trade their Captain P. Marleau and J. Thornton while they still have good value. You can't blame their blueline this year as their new guys Blake and especially Boyle were horses for SJ, but Nabokov did not play up to his potential during the series with ANA.

I have to agree with B. Melrose too. Wings better be prepared for their physical game. If Ozzie doesn't perform well, it's the Ducks in 7 but he's known for raising his game a notch during the playoffs. Like PK mentioned, the key for ANA is to stay disciplined, if not DET's PP will have them for lunch.

This Duck team just reminds me so much of their Cup year in 03. Does anyone skate better than S. Niedermayer? I haven't seen anyone staple him or catch him off guard, he's so smooth and sees the ice like no other D-man.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:50 pm

10spro wrote: Does anyone skate better than S. Niedermayer? I haven't seen anyone staple him or catch him off guard, he's so smooth and sees the ice like no other D-man.

I agree 100%....I dont think he has gotten the proper recognition he deserves as an all time great.

Great player who is even greater in the big games. Looks good skating with Cups.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:23 pm

10spro wrote:Does anyone skate better than S. Niedermayer?

Dan Boyle is an equal as a skater.

Take care,
PK

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:46 pm

Go Rangers! Gonna be a hella 3rd period. The only teams left that I care about are the Rangers, Hawks and Bruins. Hawks and Bruins are on to the next round. I have a feeling the Caps will win, though.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:35 pm

Looks like the Capitals have some momentum brewing. I'd love to see a Capitals and Bruins eastern conference final.
ROCK THE RED!!!!

Tim

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:38 pm

Federov still kicking ass . That was good stuff.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:20 pm

GameSeven wrote:I'll be heading to tonight's Game 7 at the Rock and I've got butterflies already.

I'm not wildly optimistic given the sheer domination of last game by the Canes, but the Devils have the talent to get the job done if they return to the puck possession game that was successful earlier in the series. The team's confidence seems to have been shaken. Also, it seems that the ice time for the checking line has been creeping up and the blueliners have begun to play more passive. That's a recipe for disaster IMHO.

Hopefully the guys bring their 'A' game tonight and can bring another round of hockey to the Rock.

Cripes, what a loss. I hope you took mass transit or have a designated non-Devils-fan driver, G7.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:44 pm

WTF is up with Versus? After the Rangers game ended, they did a "live look in" on the Nj game. After a little bit, they came back to the studio and said "due to contractual obligations" or something like that, they can not show the game. Wtf is up with that? Made me really angry.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:46 pm

pk500 wrote:
10spro wrote:Does anyone skate better than S. Niedermayer?
Dan Boyle is an equal as a skater.

Good choice. But I've seen him being hammered a couple of times during the ANA series, with Scotty he has this uncanny vision, an escape when he knows he's going to be plastered.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:48 pm

Ovechkin/Semin against Crosby/Malkin. It doesn't get any better. None of these guys like each other...

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:22 pm

What a series NJD-CAR turned out to be! Unfortunate that it slipped under most people's radar but their see-saw battle had it all. P. Maurice was brutally honest when he said he was expecting OT to decide this series.

That wasn't vintage Brodeur as he should have stopped E. Staal's winning goal. But the guy that deserves all the credit was T. Gleason for making that diving save at the offside line, sauce passes to Pitkanen who then finds Jokinen for the tying goal. He also did pretty well controlling the Devils' top guns.

Canes' unsung hero was C.Ward, he kept giving the team a chance when NJ was all over them in the third period and E. Staal was the best player in the series.

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:44 am

webdanzer wrote:Cripes, what a loss. I hope you took mass transit or have a designated non-Devils-fan driver, G7.

Yep, it was a heart-breaker. In a way, I'm probably still stunned by it. On the other hand, I've had a lot of success to enjoy among the teams I root for so I can take the good with the bad. Still, this one will take a while to shake. I'll only *really* get pissed off if I think about it too much so I'll probably just let it go as much as possible.

The Devils of mid-season could have taken on anybody. That said, they probably would have had considerable struggles beyond this round anyway.

Oh, and a big F%$# you to the Canes

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:19 am

Of all the nights for me to fall asleep VERY early ... Missed both finales. Ugh. Age creeps in. Thank God for highlights on NHL.com.

But the second-round series between Washington and Pittsburgh is delectable. Think the schedule will be arranged so these two teams will play in the afternoon on Saturday or Sunday so the game can be shown on NBC? Uh, yeah.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:47 am

10spro wrote:What a series NJD-CAR turned out to be! Unfortunate that it slipped under most people's radar but their see-saw battle had it all. P. Maurice was brutally honest when he said he was expecting OT to decide this series.

You're 100 percent right. It was the best series of the first round in terms of competitive, quality hockey. And it probably was the least-discussed and appreciated series of the first round until Game 7.

10spro wrote:That wasn't vintage Brodeur as he should have stopped E. Staal's winning goal. But the guy that deserves all the credit was T. Gleason for making that diving save at the offside line, sauce passes to Pitkanen who then finds Jokinen for the tying goal. He also did pretty well controlling the Devils' top guns.

Finally saw the highlights. You're right about Marty. But he made some huge saves in the first and second periods to keep the Devils in the game. What a scramble around the Canes' net in the last 20 seconds of the game!

Too bad for King Henrik, too. He played really well for the NYR's last night after bad outings in Games 5 and 6. But Varlamov so far is the biggest story of the first round for me. This kid could be for the Caps what Cam Ward was for the Canes in 2006 -- a replacement goalie in the first round who ends up taking the team a long, long way.

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:50 am

Here's the next round schedule:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=420555

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:34 pm

Who said the Sharks would have beaten the Blues? Yeah.. whatever!

Can't wait for the second round to start!!!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:40 pm

Damn Commies monopolize Hart Trophy nominations: Malkin, Ovechkin, Datsyuk.

Shame Mike Green couldn't have received consideration, as he had a ridiculously good offensive year for a defenseman. But he's nowhere near as complete a player as Datsyuk, and there's no way two guys from the same team are going to get nominations since the award criteria is the player most valuable to his team. Hence, no Crosby, either.

Take care,
PK

johnvon314 · Post by **johnvon314** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:20 pm

Congrats to the Canes... amazing finish. Their ability to keep the puck in the offensive zone (or the Devil's inability to clear) saved the day.

John

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:45 pm

So round two is almost upon us, while some teams were battling it out, the Canucks were in Maui soaking some sun.

Just kidding, it was a nice stretch of rest for a few guys that were quite banged up in their series with the Blues.

I didn't do too shabby with my 1st round predictions going 7 out of 8, so here's how round two will phase out:

There's no doubt that the match up to follow will be in the East between CAPS-PENS, while both encounters in the West will be quite physical.

BOS-CAR:

What a comeback for the Canes against NJ, the E. Staal line looked dominant but it'll be tough when he faces someone like Z. Chara. I don't think it'll be a walk in the park for the Bruins, P. Maurice's team has shown enough resiliency and that never give up attitude.
C. Ward is playing very well but BOS has more depth in their lineup and will advance. BOS in 6.

WAS-PIT:

I don't think AO played his best against the Rangers, he had some flashes including that awesome goal in game 6 but he didn't have to. Caps are loaded with talent and their D will have their hands full with this PIT team. Having said, I wasn't totally sold on the Pens when they took their series with the Flyers as Philly outplayed them in general but they ran into a solid M.A. Fleury as he stole a couple of games for them.

This is the NHL's dream match up, it couldn't be scripted any better, we all know about the players involved and in the end it'll be a fast and furious series with WAS winning in 7.

DET-ANA:

I for one, wasn't surprised at all at how the Ducks took the series over SJ. They have one of the best forward lineups in the league, the D-men are solid but in the end DET's speed and skill will frustrate them and make them commit dumb penalties. Special teams will win it for DET as ANA will be rather undisciplined with all the talent that the Wings have. Hiller efforts will not be enough this time. However if Ozzie falters this could be the upset of round two.
I am still going with DET in 6.

VAN-CHI:

This match up will be more physical that what most people think. Their last game in regular season was a test of that and many guys did not show much respect for the other including Burr who seemed to like D. Keith's hair too much.

I think the key for my 'Nuckers is to press their mobile D-men, put pressure on the likes of Seabrook, Keith and Campbell. Canucks more experienced D-men will take care of CHI's talent up front but they must play a more disciplined game because CHI's PP will score more often than St Louis.

Bobby Lou is playing his best Hockey since his injury and in the end VAN will take it in 6.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:45 pm

This is the best overall set of second round match-ups in a while. I wouldn't dare try to put any money on a couple of the series.

I like the Bruins over the Canes, despite the fact that the Canes are playing tough hockey. The Bruins dominated the Canes in the regular season, winning 5-1 in the final two reg season games. Sure, this is not the exact same Carolina team from the regular season, but I think Boston poses too many matchup problems for the Canes. I cannot see Boston having too much trouble here.

The most intriguing series is the Caps and Pens. The Pens have yet to play the hockey of which they are capable. They were a little dull in the Philly series, yet still managed to defeat a very capable Flyers team. Washington is too inconsistent for me to think they will win this series. Their offense is explosive. They have the most exciting player in the league. However, I think the Pens take this one in 6, maybe 7. I sure do look forward to watching this series. What a treat for NHL fans!

The Chi/Van series is another interesting one. Both of these teams played inspired hockey in the first round. The grit of the Canucks has been great, but Chicago has also shown real character and determination. I enjoy both teams and like the players on each team. My head tells me Vancouver wins this series in 5 or 6, but there is something about Chicago that puts some doubt in my mind about that thought.

Now we get to the series that I think is the toughest for me to call -- Wings versus Ducks. These teams played each other close in most of the reg season games. The thing is that the Ducks now are so much better than they were earlier in the season. All thoughts of the perennial choke job of the Sharks aside, they were still the President's Trophy winner and a very good team, and the Ducks made them look fairly ordinary. Detroit is so talented, though, that it is hard to bet against them. Their speed and skill is fun to watch. This series will come down to goaltending. I give the defensive edge to the Ducks and the offensive edge to Detroit, meaning it will boil down to how well Hiller can make amazing saves and whether or not Osgood brings his A game. I guess it's possible that Detroit is so good that they will make Ana look like the 8th seed they are, but I foresee this series being an all-out war, going seven games as long as Hiller can keep playing like he has been. I predict Detroit in seven, but I am rooting for the Ducks.

All in all, the only thing that ticks me off about this round is that there are games being played at the same time so that I cannot watch every minute of every game in every series, especially the two Eastern Conference series. Normally I am not interested in every series of a second round enough to watch every single game, but this year I am interested in every game. The fridge is stocked with plenty of McEwan's Scotch Ale and a bevy of snacks. Time to kick back for several weeks and enjoy intense playoff hockey.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri May 01, 2009 7:33 pm

Quick predictions, as I couldn't get into the site yesterday.

Washington in six over Pittsburgh. Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. Varlamov is Cam Ward in 2006. He's so green that he doesn't even know what pressure is, yet he's playing out of his mind. If Washington can solve Lundqvist, it can certainly solve Fleury.

Carolina in seven over Boston. Carolina is destiny's darlings after beating Brodeur and a very tough Jersey team. Carolina just seems to find ways to win. And much like Detroit in the West, Boston wasn't tested at all in the first round due to the very weak nature of its opponent. It isn't tempered tough. The edge Boston held over Carolina in the regular season means very little because this isn't anywhere near the same Carolina team. Staal is playing out of his mind, Ward looks like vintage 2006 Ward, and Maurice has done a fine job of coaching.

Anaheim in seven over Detroit. Anaheim has a Conn Smythe Trophy winner sitting on the bench. That's how good Hiller is playing in the playoffs. Plus defense wins in the playoffs, and there is no better blue-line quartet in the NHL right now than Pronger, Niedermayer, Beauchemin and Whitney. Columbus didn't test Detroit much at all in the first round, and Anaheim is a MUCH better, more physical team that will grind down Detroit.

Vancouver in six over Chicago. Hum after me, to the tune of the Kingsmen's classic: "Louie, Louie, oooh, oooh, you're gonna touch the Cup this year, ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya." Luongo is the best goalie in the world right now, and he's playing like every bit of it. Chicago is too porous on defense despite its youthful enthusiasm, and Vancouver is too deep in all areas of the game to lose this series.

This should be a great second round!

Take care,
PK

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri May 01, 2009 9:05 pm

f***in Ryder

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri May 01, 2009 9:34 pm

f***in Lidstrom

...What a player.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:12 am

'Nucks survived a scare in game one as they shouldn't have blown a 3-0 lead. They did show some rustiness and their undisciplined play showed in the third period when the Hawks took it to us. Luongo had some juicy rebounds and before you knew it, it was 3-3. Thank goodness CHI played undisciplined as well during the first two periods but our PP has to be better to put these kids away.

CHI is a cocky bunch, very skillful and if you blink an eye they are all over you. Their inexperienced showed as VAN had a 4 on 1 with 80 seconds left and Salo put the game away. You tied the game 3-3 against a good Luongo but not as solid as the first round, why not try OT? They went for the win and it created the big breakthough for Canucks.

Canucks will learn from this, they did not play well and as I was saying earlier their rustiness showed. Expect a better performance from them on Saturday. The third line of Wellwood, Bernier and Raymond was huge again. Go 'Nucks.