Stanley Cup Playoffs thread

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Tue May 02, 2006 7:23 am

The writing was on the wall after game 5. manny let in some softies but where did the offense go? The only time I heard Shanahan's name was when he was taking another bad penalty. And Datsyuk has not scored a goal in how many playoff games now? 26? I agree with the papers, this team needs serious rebuilding. I just don't see any captains among them.

Congrats to the Oilers, the better team won.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue May 02, 2006 7:48 am

10spro wrote:[quote="pk500
And even if it was above crossbar level, McGeough didn't call it right away and stop play, so it couldn't be reviewed.

Take care,
PK

You're right pk, he didn't call it at all actually (that was his mistake), so the play went on resulting in the tying goal, but I thought the stick was above the crosslevel.[/quote]

I think the replay they showed on CBC, focussing on the potential high stick, showed that when contact was made... it was at crossbar level or even slightly below. His stick went well above crossbar level though... before it hit the puck. So it *looks* at first glance like he hit it well above crossbar level.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 8:53 am

JackDiggity wrote:Congrats on the win.

Bringing up bullshit about the division they play in is something Detroit cannot control. Plus they had a winning record against your teams of "Steel" 28-10-3 .

It had nothing to do with why the Wings have lost to your Oil. They were outchoached and outplayed period. Thanks for pissing on Detroit's great season.

This doesn't matter now but look at the records before you diss Detroit's regular season.

http://www.nhl.com/standings/20052006/w ... dings.html

Jack:

You can draw any conclusions you want. But I think it's no coincidence that Nashville and Detroit -- the only playoff teams in the Central -- were sent packing in the first round.

Fact is, the Wings had a great regular season. And it also was helped by playing in the Central. I know, I know: They have no control over it. And I know, I know: They took care of business against the Central mutts, and Nashville.

But I still think it has an effect, even if it's not Detroit's fault. It's certainly not the main reason that Detroit lost to Edmonton, but I think it plays a part, however big or small.

MacT outcoached Babcock. That has nothing to do with the division they play in. The Oil outworked the Wings, and I think that DOES have something to do with the division they play in.

You simply don't have to exert the kind of effort to play Columbus, Chicago and St. Louis a combined 24 times per season as you do in other divisions, regardless of Detroit and Edmonton's records against those teams. All three of those teams were at least 10 points worse than Minnesota, the last-place team in the Northwest.

The Wings coasted to the Presidents' Trophy; the Oil had to claw to get in the playoffs, and we see which team was better prepared for the steel needed in the playoffs.

This isn't a new observation by me, created to throw sand. It's something I've said all season, as Laurenskye and I have debated about it all winter.

If you honestly think Detroit would have had 124 points playing in the Northwest or Pacific, all the power to you. I don't believe it would have.

Take care,
PK

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:17 am

In general, it's hard not to agree that the Wings might have been more playoff-ready if they hadn't played in the division they're in. But then I have hated the notion of this unblanced schedule from the very beginning. It's an abomination and it also means far too few original-6 matchups in the regular season. Did it really make a series-changing impact on them? I can't really accept that. Seems like too much of a cop out, but certainly I don't think it helped them.

That said, I still think the Wings have to take a hard look at the goaltending issue this off-season. No, Legace wasn't bad. And yes, they lost for lack of goal scoring and lack of disciplined (and impassioned) play as much as anything, but if you want to win the cup you can't get ordinary or even merely competent goaltending. You have to get outstanding goaltending and no one can tell me Legace even sniffed the level of play that Roloson exhibited in this round.

Rolo and the Oiler D was as big a factor as the Wings' sub-par play in the offensive zone was for the lack of scoring punch. Win the Wings weren't missing the net entirely with their shots, the Oilers were blocking or deflecting everything away from the net, and Rolo took care of his business.

Anyway, the last thing that should be done in Detroit is blow up the roster. Some players should go, yes, but not the core. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Shanny, Lidstrom, Kronwall should not be gone. Guys like Lang and Draper I think should stay too. Smellios needs to go, though, and I think Jason Williams should be out too. He made two horrible plays last night that lead directly to the Oil's first goal and game-winning goal. If Legace stays, I think he should go back to being the backup. Frankly, right now I'd have more faith in Chris Osgood than Manny. Osgood gives up some truly head-scratching goals, but he'll put up an outstanding game for every mindboggling one and he took far too much blame for some of the Wings playoff failures in '99 through 2001.

The real problem for the Wings next year, though, will be finding someone to replace Yzerman's presence as a leader. I think Shanny and Lidstrom have the clout to don the "C", but based on this playoff, the guy I think earned the opportunity to captain the team was Henrik Zetterberg. That guy stepped up bigtime when others shrank and to me, that counts for a lot.
---Todd

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:53 am

How about that ass kicking Frederic Beauchemin put on Iginla last night!!! Droped Iginla right to the ice with his first punch. He also landed another visious left that landed square on Iggy's face. Iginla didn't land a single punch.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:57 am

ubrakto wrote:In general, it's hard not to agree that the Wings might have been more playoff-ready if they hadn't played in the division they're in. But then I have hated the notion of this unblanced schedule from the very beginning. It's an abomination and it also means far too few original-6 matchups in the regular season. Did it really make a series-changing impact on them? I can't really accept that. Seems like too much of a cop out, but certainly I don't think it helped them.

And that's all I was trying to say. I'm sorry if it came across as if playing in the Central was the main reason the Wings lost. It's not. But it is a factor. How much of a factor is debatable.

The biggest factors clearly were the desire and grit of the Oilers, the strong play of Roloson, the inability of the Wings' stars to score and MacTavish's adaptability as a coach.

Take care,
PK

rubba19 · Post by **rubba19** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:58 am

This game made me sick. Didn't sleep well at all last night, and found absolutely no enjoyment in what was a spirited CGY/ANA game.

Personally, I thought that the defensive zone play of the Wings was atrocious. Pisani wasn't touched on either of his goals and Hemsky was left alone for the winner. IIRC, Andres Lilja was on the ice both times and both goals were on his side.

I really don't care who you are, if Kurt Maltby was your third best player in a playoff series, you probably aren't going to advance.

The future of the West is EDM, CGY, SJ, and ANA now.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:00 am

tjung0831 wrote:How about that ass kicking Frederic Beauchemin put on Iginla last night!!! Droped Iginla right to the ice with his first punch. He also landed another visious left that landed square on Iggy's face. Iginla didn't land a single punch.

I loved the way how both players removed their visored helmets before the fight. That's a definitive answer to those who say making visors mandatory will remove fighting from the game.

Beauchemin played in Syracuse of the AHL in the last couple of years, as he came to the Ducks' organization from Columbus -- Syracuse's parent club -- this season in the Fedorov deal. He's been a pleasant surprise for Anaheim, as he never really tore it up down here.

I know this sounds weird, but I want Calgary to win Game 7 even though I hate the Flames because I want a Battle of Alberta in the second round.

Take care,
PK

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:02 am

pk500 wrote:Still, I stand by my belief that playing in the Central did the Red Wings and the Predators no good. Having a big portion of your schedule comprised of relatively easy games against Columbus, St. Louis and Chicago simply doesn't steel a team like playing against Calgary, Vancouver, Colorado and Minnesota night after night. The Oil's massive struggle just to get into the playoffs prepared it well for this series.

GO OIL! And pardon me now as I get a bit f*cked up to celebrate!

Take care,
PK

You've been saying all season that Detorit's record was bloated by playing in an awful division and that their true strength won't be known until the playoffs. And it turns out you were 100% right.

ubrakto wrote:In general, it's hard not to agree that the Wings might have been more playoff-ready if they hadn't played in the division they're in. But then I have hated the notion of this unblanced schedule from the very beginning. It's an abomination and it also means far too few original-6 matchups in the regular season. Did it really make a series-changing impact on them? I can't really accept that. Seems like too much of a cop out, but certainly I don't think it helped them.

I also hate the unbalanced schedule. I want to see the Flyers play every other team in the NHL at least once a season. And I really don't need to see them play the Islanders or even the Rangers 8 freaking times a season. 6 times would be plenty.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:21 am

Feanor wrote:I also hate the unbalanced schedule. I want to see the Flyers play every other team in the NHL at least once a season. And I really don't need to see them play the Islanders or even the Rangers 8 freaking times a season. 6 times would be plenty.

Yeah, I agree. Are they going to keep doing it? It seems like everyone hates it.

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:30 am

How about the Red Wings not playing the Maple Leafs at all this year because of the unbalanced schedule? How does the league let that happen? It's like the Red Sox not playing the Yankees.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:36 am

The unbalanced schedule sucks. I'd rather see the Oil play Northwest teams six times per year instead of eight, allowing an extra trip or two East.

Take care,
PK

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:39 am

pk500 wrote:
You can draw any conclusions you want. But I think it's no coincidence that Nashville and Detroit -- the only playoff teams in the Central -- were sent packing in the first round.

PK

Well I would never argue that the central wasn't the weakest division in hockey but it wasn't hard to see that Nashville was going to be eliminated in the first round regardless. Their number one goalie was done for the season a few weeks before the playoffs started, and they were taking on one of the hottest teams in the league in the Sharks. That's just a recipe for disaster.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:42 am

pk500 wrote:
tjung0831 wrote:How about that ass kicking Frederic Beauchemin put on Iginla last night!!! Droped Iginla right to the ice with his first punch. He also landed another visious left that landed square on Iggy's face. Iginla didn't land a single punch.
I loved the way how both players removed their visored helmets before the fight. That's a definitive answer to those who say making visors mandatory will remove fighting from the game.

Beauchemin played in Syracuse of the AHL in the last couple of years, as he came to the Ducks' organization from Columbus -- Syracuse's parent club -- this season in the Fedorov deal. He's been a pleasant surprise for Anaheim, as he never really tore it up down here.

I know this sounds weird, but I want Calgary to win Game 7 even though I hate the Flames because I want a Battle of Alberta in the second round.

Take care,
PK

I want a Flames and Oilers series so bad I can taste it. Wow, will that ever be a series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Oilers could pull off the upset.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:48 am

Hey, the Oil just knocked off the President's Trophy winner. Anything is possible now!

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:49 am

tjung0831 wrote:How about that ass kicking Frederic Beauchemin put on Iginla last night!!! Droped Iginla right to the ice with his first punch. He also landed another visious left that landed square on Iggy's face. Iginla didn't land a single punch.

Loved it! A lot of people picked Calgary as the sure winner, I am still going out on a limb and say, Ducks in a HUGE upset. Don't underestimate them, they are a very quick team in transition, the tempo of the game is controlled by S. Niedermayer and the Finn Selanne is the bargain of the year. But what about Bryzgalov? What a surprise starter and he did a great job.

All games finished with a goal difference I believe, this series is tighter than a lot of people thought it would be, and although I would love to see the battle of Alberta, I picked the Ducks from the beginning to be the "TRUE" upset of the 1st round of playoffs.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:50 am

Anybody else a little shocked that Yzerman was on the bench for that final faceoff? He should have been on the ice as one of the 6 players. He was Detroits 4th leading scorer in the playoffs. It also might have been his last game. He even had a little look up at Babcock like he couldn't believe that he wasn't on the ice for that final faceoff. I felt bad for Yzerman....

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:54 am

Leebo33 wrote:
Feanor wrote:I also hate the unbalanced schedule. I want to see the Flyers play every other team in the NHL at least once a season. And I really don't need to see them play the Islanders or even the Rangers 8 freaking times a season. 6 times would be plenty.
Yeah, I agree. Are they going to keep doing it? It seems like everyone hates it.

Perhaps the only thing that sucked about the new NHL this season. Hey, playing Minnesota with their sleeping style 8 times in a year is no fun. Having said that, I know Bettman and CO are aware of this scheduling complain and hopefully something will be done.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue May 02, 2006 11:01 am

tjung0831 wrote:Anybody else a little shocked that Yzerman was on the bench for that final faceoff? He should have been on the ice as one of the 6 players. He was Detroits 4th leading scorer in the playoffs. It also might have been his last game. He even had a little look up at Babcock like he couldn't believe that he wasn't on the ice for that final faceoff. I felt bad for Yzerman....

I am sure this warrior was hurt. Being a great faceoff guy, everyone would think he should have been there, but (I can tell you from personal experience) if your back is sore, there's not much you can do. Full credit for setting up DET 2nd goal and trying to lift his team moral. He was hurt but he's not going to use it as an excuse. A great Captain.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue May 02, 2006 11:34 am

There was a lot of talk in the Philly papers before the season started about how the new schedule would create rivalries and be really exciting. Like the Flyers and Rangers need 8 games a season to have a rivalry. I think a lot of GMs, especially in the East like any schedule that means less travel, but I think most fans want variety.

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:29 pm

A little present for ya Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFePg82 ... ve%20smith

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:32 pm

The infamous Steve Smith's goal. Hey Flames still has a game to play.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:36 pm

laurenskye wrote:A little present for ya Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFePg82 ... ve%20smith

I love that goal. It won the Habs the 86 Stanley Cup.

EDIT:Actually the moment it happened I wasnt thinking that far ahead. I just felt bad for that guy. Game 7 of the conference Finals, Early 3rd period and on his birthday....

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:55 pm

laurenskye wrote:A little present for ya Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFePg82 ... ve%20smith

Can't bear to watch it, sorry. That prevented the Oil from winning five straight Cups.

Take care,
PK

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:03 pm

laurenskye wrote:A little present for ya Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFePg82 ... ve%20smith

Is that Gary "Stop it right there!" Dornhoffer doing the color commentary?