NHL Playoffs 09. Drop The Puck.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed May 27, 2009 12:16 pm

wco81 wrote:Damn those players are old.

So many top players in their mid or late 30s.

Even though S. Niedermayer is 35, I hope we have a chance to sign him if he decides to continue to play, his game and skating is still solid all around. He plays like a 25 year old.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:10 pm

Pretty good game at the JLA in DET so far. Both goalies are playing solid Hockey especially C. Huet, this guy is the reason so far the game is scoreless, a much more confident player than in game four.

Apparently one of the reason C. Ward was not the same goalie we saw in the first two series against NJD and BOS is that he had back spams since game three of the series with PIT and therefore that weak goal he let in yesterday. Brave but foolish too if you asked me, you have to give other guys a chance to play, a chance to win a game when you're not 100%.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed May 27, 2009 10:00 pm

Huet! Incredible save to send the game to OT.

Lets go Hawks!

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Wed May 27, 2009 10:16 pm

That save by Huet at the end of the 3rd is one of the more incredible playoff saves, ever. If the CPU blocked a shot of mine like that in a video game I would be screaming bloody murder and how that type of save never happens in real life.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed May 27, 2009 10:21 pm

Great year Hawks.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed May 27, 2009 10:27 pm

Stanley Cup Finals Schedule:

Sat. 5/30 - Pit at Det
Sun. 5/31 - Pit at Det

Tue. 6/2 - Det at Pit

Thu. 6/4 Det at Pit

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed May 27, 2009 10:28 pm

This should be a kick ass series.

Whats the status on Lidstrom and Datsuck?

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:59 am

XXXIV wrote:This should be a kick ass series.

Whats the status on Lidstrom and Datsuck?

Yeah, a dandy one to watch. And while the league has moved the schedule ahed those back to back games still stink IMO. I think the Russian will be ready for game one and no one has said too much about DET's captain but this being the finals, I would be surprised if he wasn't there this weekend. A guy that has step up big time in his absence is N. Kronwall.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri May 29, 2009 3:31 pm

Awesome fact of the day;

Matt Saler of On the Wings pointed out some crazy potential symmetry between these teams: Detroit has beaten the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins for its last four Cups. Those would be the three teams the Penguins defeated, sequentially, to reach the finals this season, plus Pittsburgh itself. Cue Twilight Zone music.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:17 am

Hey PK....what do you think the Oilers are going to do with Penner? Is he available? Or do they give him the benefit of the doubt with MacT gone?

Tim

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:38 am

I say Pittsburgh gets revenge and beats the Wings. Should be an excellent series to watch though.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:36 pm

Winning the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup both in one year would be awesome. Let's Go Pens!

I'll take Bill Guerin...if anyone else is drinking tonight and he scores, chug!

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:49 pm

GTHobbes wrote:Winning the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup both in one year would be awesome. Let's Go Pens!

I'll take Bill Guerin...if anyone else is drinking tonight and he scores, chug!

Id like to see the Penguins win for a couple reasons and that would be pretty cool for Pittsburgh.

As for the drinks.... Im chugging either way

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat May 30, 2009 6:14 pm

When you play three games in the next four days and you see that your team is a bit banged up, the schedule has to favour the younger Pens. Datsyuk's foot is still not 100%, Drapper is out and Ericsson is a question mark after recent surgery. Only their captain is back into action and that's a big advantage to give away at this time of the year.

I don't think you can stop Crosby and Malkin but at least you can contain them. Lidstrom and Kronwall will have their hands full but I think goaltending will be the difference in this series. Osgood has been rock solid as he's usually during the playoffs, I can't recall him giving a soft goal yet and his experience will prevail over Fleury's athletism. He wasn't really tested against CAR and this DET will pepper him with shots the entire series.

I am picking DET to repeat and the series to go one more game than last years. Some great match ups to watch for, Go Wings!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:47 pm

Pittsburgh in 7.

The Pens are too skilled, too healthy and too confident for the injured Wings to handle this year. Plus Pittsburgh gained valuable experience last year in the Finals' loss to the Wings, much like the Oilers did in 1983 when they were swept by the Isles in the finals.

Plus Scuderi and Gill are playing so well defensively in the back end that any deficiencies by Fleury will be masked or minimized.

The only things that carry this series to seven games are Detroit's experience, tenacity and grit.

Should be a fine series.

Take care,
PK

HipE · Post by **HipE** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:48 pm

I just hope tonight's game goes better than games 1 and 2 did last year, even if Detroit wins. As a Pens fan, there were zero positives to take out of either of those games.

GO PENS!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:50 pm

tjung0831 wrote:Hey PK....what do you think the Oilers are going to do with Penner? Is he available? Or do they give him the benefit of the doubt with MacT gone?

Tim

The Oil would LOVE to move Penner. But who the hell wants a lazy, uninspired, soft wing who weighs 245 and plays like he's 145 while earning $4.2 million per season for three more seasons?

If any GM is eager for that kind of player, then Steve Tambellini will add mountaintop property in Florida to the deal, too.

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat May 30, 2009 8:37 pm

What a start, what pace...it doesn't get any better. The question for M. Hossa will be: Did I pick the right team at the end of the series?

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:13 pm

Pens need to take the body and get nasty here and i need to not see erectile disfunction ads while im watching a game with my kids at 6pm in the evening.

I hate tv.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:40 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:Pens need to take the body and get nasty here and i need to not see erectile disfunction ads while im watching a game with my kids at 6pm in the evening.

I hate tv.

Its not tv you hate....

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:45 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:Pens need to take the body and get nasty here and i need to not see erectile disfunction ads while im watching a game with my kids at 6pm in the evening.

I hate tv.

the problem is that you are raising kids in California

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:01 pm

What a gem of a game. Kudos to the zebras for letting these guys play, this is how you ref a game. Pens's special team needs to be better, they dominated in the second period but where unable to solve Osgood. Zetterberg was huge killing those penalties as well and winning key faceoffs.

DET will only get better once they get Datsyuk and Draper, this team is deep. The fourth liners hardly play and when they did, the home team made it count. That goal changed the momentum of the game.

Fleury had some unlucky bounces but PIT better be ready for tomorrow and execute better, you're just not going to beat DET when you're going home 0-2 in the series.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:53 am

HD hockey is great. I really do not care about either of these 2 teams. I was hoping to see Chi or Philly in the finals, but it's good hockey regardless. Crosby will take over tonight in game 2, and have 2 points. I wanna see Pitt win, but I have my $ on Det.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:37 am

Better do something to extend the series, now that it's on national TV.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:59 am

At least Pens are not outclassed as they were last year during the first two games. But this young team must be thinking how and when will they get a little break. None more obvious than EM's instigator penalty towards the end of the game and I don't have any problems with people showing some emotion but talk about double standards, if that instigator penalty was given to a Boogard or Lucic those guys wouldn't be playing the next game.

DET is a deep team, a credit to their farm team, the guys that draft players every year and are right on the dot.

You look at the scorers tonight and yesterday and these are guys that are scoring for the first time in their young NHL careers, players like Helm, Abdelkader.

J. Ericsson for Pete's sake just had his appendix removed a week ago and he's contributing already. What happens when the injured come back? Zetterberg is amazing, and Ozzie just seems to always find the groove at right time.

Do I wish this series to go longer? Of course I do, but as I predicted there's no doubt in my mind who's going to take the cup again this year.