Stanley Cup Playoffs!!!

[jediron1]

I think we all knew the Bruins/Montreal series was gonna be pretty one-sided, but Boston only had 17 shots. Seventeen Shots!?!?

I can’t remember the last time I saw a total that low.

I suspect the Pens will win again tonight. They are just too good at home. But I think this game will be much tougher. Gerber kinda found his groove after the first period and the Sens won’t lay down, even despite the fact that they have been under 500 since November and have seemed to have zero confidence since the All Star Break.

Montreal is 1 up, Pens are 2 up and what ever happened to the Senators. Ever since Bryan Murray took over they don't seem the same. I don't like the Senators but they are very interesting in their fall from grace. Now Rangers are 2 up and surprising Washington is 1 up. More hockey today!

[Grubendol]

Two things.

First: Sean Avery is a jerk (not that this is news). I don’t know if any of you saw the distraction business he was doing in front of Broduer but that was just ridiculous.

Second: Pens are one game away from a sweep. This was the toughest game, Alfredsson back but still pulled out like a bullet in the opening seconds of the third. Hossa, Crosby, and Staal get their first goals and the Pens now have the top 3 points leaders in the playoffs and the top three assist leaders in the playoffs.

Fleury has been incredible and I’m feeling really good but also nervous that they have handled the Sens too easily and will have trouble in the second round.

[Leo Hadley Jr]

Ill be holding my broom!!!!!!

[Jedi]

First: Sean Avery is a jerk (not that this is news). I don’t know if any of you saw the distraction business he was doing in front of Broduer but that was just ridiculous.

That goes without saying, but shame on the NHL for modifiying a rule mid-playoffs. They should have left it alone until the off-season and waited for Act 2 of Avery's interpretive dance and turned a blind eye to Brodeur creaming him.

[Shwing]

I just saw that Mick McGeough is retiring and won't be reffing at all during the post season, Flames straight to the Cup with that news. Worse ref ever.

Nope, Kerry Fraser gets the nod.

Remember 1986?

[Grubendol]

Pens first to advance. NOt much of a surprise. Sens tried, but the Pens were just too much. Fleury has matured immensely. My greatest fear is that it was too easy and they will struggle with the second round.

[Grubendol]

Philly looks like they'll wrap their series up soon. I'm sorry I missed last nights game. It looks like it was great. Montreal is starting to face a fight from Boston, the Sharks finally broke the see saw battle with the Flames and took a 3-2 lead.

Hasek is out.

[cocoisland58]

Hasek is out.

Hasek has temporarily lost his edge. He is off getting his confidence back. Remember we also have Oz, the great and powerful.

[Uncle Fester]

For a home town sports fan how does it get better?:

11:00 am Red Sox- Rangers

Noon: Boston Marathon (I'm going out on a limb and predicting a Kenyan wins it)

7:00pm Bruins- Habs Game 7! (Thank God I'm not a betting man or I'd be homeless)

Celtics #1 seed in NBA Playoffs

Life is Good:cheers::cheers:

[For-Life]

Well my pick is out. I never took in the heart effect for the Ducks. With Neidermeyer and Selanne out for half the season, because they were unsure if they would return, the team just did not have heart.

I have been doing well thus far though. I will have to just change who I think will win it all.

[Grubendol]

Some big surprises over the weekend, and not so big surprises. I LOVE that the Montreal Boston series has gone to a game 7. Nothing beats a game seven, especially when it is the #1 seed against the #8. Exciting times.

The Flyers Caps series just keeps getting more interesting and now Knuble is out indefinitely with a torn hamstring. Looks good for the Caps.

[Leo Hadley Jr]

And even bigger HOCKEY News........

I captured the Triple Crown in NHL 2K8 game 7 last night against my son!!!
The triple crown is the most prestigious award in our father son league. It makes the Stanley cup look like a pee wee trophy.
In an interview after the game, Leo Hadley Jr. was quoted as saying:

" Our game plan was to keep crashing them guys into the boards. We slammed them every chance we could!!! We built the momentum, and capitalized on our chances."

It was a hard fought series that went to game 7, but the more experienced team took home the coveted Triple Crown.

[Grubendol]

LOL! Awesome!

Congrats on the Triple Crown

Sweden fans?

[Leo Hadley Jr]

LOL! Awesome!

Congrats on the Triple Crown

Sweden fans?

OMG!!!!!
I gotta buy that jersey to strut around the house in while singing we are the champions!!!
That will really rub it in!!!

[For-Life]

and Le Canadiens win

[Leo Hadley Jr]

And the Caps force a game 7.

That should be interesting:cheers:

[For-Life]

So I was 6 for 8 in the first round. However, I did suffer a major loss with the Ducks losing to the Stars. I overestimated the Ducks, as they just lacked heart. I also underestimated the Rangers, as I felt Brouder would shock them. I did not consider Lundquivst.

Here are my round 2 predictions:

Montreal Canadiens versus The Philadelphia Flyers

Pittsburgh Penguins versus The New York Rangers

Detroit Redwings versus The Colorado Avalanche

San Jose Sharks versus The Dallas Stars


Slight changes with New Jersey and the Ducks out of it. I originally predicted the Penguins and Sharks to be eliminated in the second round. Both will make it to the third, with the Sharks going to the finals. Here are my subsequent 3rd and 4th round picks.

Montreal Canadiens versus the Pittsburgh Penguins

The San Jose Sharks versus the Detroit Red Wings


Montreal Canadiens versus the San Jose Sharks

Yes, I am saying it right now. I am now believing that an Eastern Team can win it. The Sharks will have to endure the beatings of Dallas and the Wings. Montreal has the will, and while will be challenged by pittsburgh, it will not be a physical contest.

[Grubendol]

Though young, I still think that the Penguins are a more balanced, better team than Montreal and hope they can get there.

But they have really struggled against the Rangers this year. I had really been hoping the Caps would pull it off last night. Either way it should be a great/fun series. Jagr playing back in Pittsburgh again. Whoa nelly, scratch my back with a hacksaw this is gonna be fun!

I know the Wings improved in the end, but I doubt their ability to get past the Avs. Montreal struggled against a team that they should have manhandled. Does this make them tempered or show their weaknesses? The Flyers play dirty and could seriously beat them up. Biron is hard to beat. I think the Habs/Flyers series will go at least 6 and the Flyers stand a decent chance of taking them out.

The Sharks finally played like the Sharks last night. I expect them to make the finals fairly easily.

[For-Life]

Pens do not have the defensive strength that Montreal has. That is the difference.

Montreal may have struggled against the Bruins, but keep in mind that they did not have their best player for five of those seven games.

[Grubendol]

See, that’s the conventional wisdom but I just don’t buy it. The Pens are a much stronger defensive club than they get credit for. Granted the Sens were a pushover, but they were completely shutdown over that series.

In particular, if you look at their numbers since the acquisition of Hal Gill, they have become even more solid in the back. Jordan Stall is one of the best two way centermen around right now. I think you’ll be surprised by what they do to the Rangers defensively and eventually to Montreal. During the Regular season, they did quite well against Montreal and the matchup favors the Pens. During the regular season the Pens won the series 2-1-1

[For-Life]

See, that’s the conventional wisdom but I just don’t buy it. The Pens are a much stronger defensive club than they get credit for. Granted the Sens were a pushover, but they were completely shutdown over that series.

In particular, if you look at their numbers since the acquisition of Hal Gill, they have become even more solid in the back. Jordan Stall is one of the best two way centermen around right now. I think you’ll be surprised by what they do to the Rangers defensively and eventually to Montreal. During the Regular season, they did quite well against Montreal and the matchup favors the Pens. During the regular season the Pens won the series 2-1-1

Hal Gill is an awful player. Thank god my leafs got rid of him. All he does is slow people down.

[Grubendol]

He’s been pretty great on the Pens so far, and there are so many things wrong with the Leafs, I think it would be hard to pin any of it on any one person.

[For-Life]

Not pinning it one person, trust me. The whole team is a mess. But they got 30% faster once he left

[Grubendol]

Well, speed is not a weakness for the Pens, so maybe that’s why I’m not noticing it, but in the Sens series I saw him beat players back to get Icing waved off and to make some incredible defensive reaches with that insane height of his to prevent shots.

[Grubendol]

BTW, Defensive rankings across the league are as follows:

DEFENSIVE RANKINGS

TEAM
GOALS
SHOTS
PPG
PPC
PK%
Detroit
2.2
23.5
0.7
4.4
84.0
Anaheim
2.3
28.1
0.8
4.9
83.2
San Jose
2.4
24.2
0.5
3.8
85.9
New Jersey
2.4
27.5
0.7
3.8
82.9
NY Rangers
2.4
25.9
0.7
4.1
84.2
Dallas
2.5
26.1
0.6
4.3
85.4
Vancouver
2.6
28.9
0.8
4.4
82.2
Pittsburgh
2.6
30.8
0.8
4.4
81.2
Minnesota
2.7
30.1
0.6
3.9
84.7
Columbus
2.7
27.4
0.8
4.7
83.5
Colorado
2.7
27.3
0.7
3.7
81.5
Boston
2.7
30.5
0.9
4.0
78.8
Montreal
2.7
31.6
0.8
4.2
81.5
Florida
2.8
33.6
0.8
4.5
82.1
Calgary
2.8
28.5
0.9
4.7
81.3
League Average
2.8
29.1
0.8
4.3
82.2
Nashville
2.8
29.8
0.6
4.1
86.1
Phoenix
2.8
30.7
0.8
4.0
80.7
Washington
2.8
27.6
0.8
4.3
81.1
Philadelphia
2.8
31.8
0.8
4.7
83.1
Chicago
2.9
28.6
0.8
4.7
82.1
St. Louis
2.9
27.4
0.7
4.4
84.5
Buffalo
3.0
28.4
0.7
4.0
83.3
NY Islanders
3.0
30.3
0.8
4.6
81.9
Ottawa
3.0
30.0
0.9
4.6
80.9
Carolina
3.0
28.9
0.9
4.3
78.7
Edmonton
3.1
31.4
0.7
4.4
85.0
Toronto
3.2
29.3
0.9
4.3
78.4
Los Angeles
3.2
32.0
0.8
3.8
78.4
Tampa Bay
3.3
28.2
0.7
3.7
81.9
Atlanta
3.3
33.9
0.9
4.3
78.8