nhl playoffs are here! it took 82 games but they are here!


 
S

Sandy B

TVWBB Super Fan
This is why the parity in the nhl is the best in pro sports, teams getting in or out with one or two games left in the regular season.

The surprises: the defending champion routine of squeaking into 8th came back to bite them this year. And the Bruins being on the outside looking in was also surprising. They played well down the final stretch ( ok maybe not well but ok) but the sens would not be denied! That and Pittsburg swooning it wasn't clear who would make the cut, the pens have been awful.

There are a lot of good stories, in the east and west. I'm an Easter conference fan so here goes

NYR vs Pitt : rangers easy
Mtl vs Ottawa: I have to say habs but the sens are both our kryptonite and the hottest team in the league
TBL vs Detroit: bolts, semi easy
Caps vs isles: caps in a push

Ducks vs jets: ducks but really close, the peg getting back in after 20 years is a a GREAT story. Pavelec is turning it up.

Preds vs hawks: will be the.most physical nasty 1st round series. Great to feed this rivalry. Hawks

Van vs Calgary: who would have thought the flames get in when gio goes down?not me. I'll take calgary.

St Louis vs minny: another pairing with animus, the blues are my sleeper in the west. They have to go deep sooner or later, an early exit might lead to a blow up.

Out of 8 series, I think only one is a clear live ( NYR pitt) but I'm awful at picking winners. But the playoffs are gonna be great!
 
Nice post Sandy! Don't totally agree with your predictions ;), but you make a good argument for all your picks. Huge west conference guy and really disappointed my sharks are out this year. Probably won't happen but I'd love to see the old western conference Red wings take the east. We'll see about the Blues, gut tells me their out in first round. Predators and Hawks will be the best first round series in my opinion.

As long as the ducks and Canucks lose in the first round I'll be happy. After what the Kings did to the Sharks last year and say I'm real sad they didn't make it :D

Regardless super excited for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
 
There is nothing like the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The best of 7 series is the best playoff in any sport. The toughest team survives.
 
Dustin Flavell said:
Nice post Sandy! Don't totally agree with your predictions ;), but you make a good argument for all your picks. Huge west conference guy and really disappointed my sharks are out this year. Probably won't happen but I'd love to see the old western conference Red wings take the east. We'll see about the Blues, gut tells me their out in first round. Predators and Hawks will be the best first round series in my opinion.
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As to the bolded, I think that of the 8 teams, detroit ( maybe pitts) is the least likely to come out of the east. Their goaltending has been awful, and I'm guessing that they go with an unproven Mrazrek.

as for the blues, you statement seem to strike me with a certain sense of deja vu, like I've heard the exact same thing, multiple times before.

and you can call me a homer all you want but I think the habs sens is going to be the belle of round 1. Speed ( habs), youth ( Sens), physical play (Sens), a top 5 winger ( Habs if max plays not injured), one for sure norris candidate with one likely one, along with the residual animus of the gryba-eller hit, its gonna be intense. The only question is goaltending, and this shouldnt be a question at all but you have the likely vezina winner ( and hart winner, hey I already admitted I'm a homer) against an AHL throwaway who has defied ALL odds and got a team left for dead 6 weeks ago into the playoffs. the hamburgular is rocky balboa who is gonna, against all odds, try and take the champ to the mat ( hopefully this remains true as I think Creed won the fight in rocky1)

the only thing that sucks is that I'm travelling on Wednesday and I am SURE that my hotel wont get the nhl network so I will have to figure out something else to watch game 1.

but as other have said, the Stanley cup playoffs are are the best in pro sports.
 
Bill W San Diego said:
My Kings are out so GO DUCKS!
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Really? Anyways....I never have, nor ever could or would root for the Mighty Ducks of Disney. Ever.

Of course I'm pulling for home town Detroit. I'd like to see Calgary go the distance simply for rubbing it in Iginla's face. Poor sportsmanship on my part, but I've never been a fan of 'cup jumpers'. Pulling for the Blues too. Like to see them win it all.

Looks like PK got himself into a jam.
 
Greg said:
Really? Anyways....I never have, nor ever could or would root for the Mighty Ducks of Disney. Ever.

Of course I'm pulling for home town Detroit. I'd like to see Calgary go the distance simply for rubbing it in Iginla's face. Poor sportsmanship on my part, but I've never been a fan of 'cup jumpers'. Pulling for the Blues too. Like to see them win it all.

Looks like PK got himself into a jam.
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OK Greg, I say the Ducks go deeper into the playoffs than the Wings. What say you?

Bill
 
Bill W San Diego said:
OK Greg, I say the Ducks go deeper into the playoffs than the Wings. What say you?

Bill
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Yeah. They certainly might. The post season is the second season, and what the Kings did in the last few years proves seeding doesn't mean that much.

Detroit showed they have more depth than people thought last night. We will see! Very exciting!
 
Looks like the Hawks need a serious wake up call. Or at least Corey Crawford. Let him sit out a game.
 
Oh yeah, not cup related. But how about Stoll? Wow. I'd venture to guess this might be more prevelant in the NHL. Especially alcohol and pain killers.
 
Greg said:
Oh yeah, not cup related. But how about Stoll? Wow. I'd venture to guess this might be more prevelant in the NHL. Especially alcohol and pain killers.
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meh, in the last two years you have 2 ( ryan malone last year and Stoll). the nba, the mlb and good god the nfl would DIE for this level.

I hope he gets help if he needs it. but a young millionaire getting caught up in this type of thing really shouldnt be much a surprise. Ribero had "similar" problems and against all expectations, turned it around pretty well.
 
Sandy B said:
"the nba, the mlb and good god the nfl would DIE for this level."

Don't pay any attention at all to mlb, nba, nfl, etc. Well, except the Michael Vick story since my wife and I are pit bull rescue advocates.

"Ribero had "similar" problems and against all expectations, turned it around pretty well.
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Sure. Boogeyman and Probert...not so much. Of course I hope Stoll gets the help he needs. He kind of played himself though coming into UFA. Both this incident and his level of play this past season. We will see.
 
Greg said:
Sure. Boogeyman and Probert...not so much. Of course I hope Stoll gets the help he needs. He kind of played himself though coming into UFA. Both this incident and his level of play this past season. We will see.
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Boogaart was not street drugs and property was a long, long time ago. Do players ( with millions in the bank) have problems? Sure.

But if you rank mlb,nba, nfl and nhl, the nhl finishes fourth by a freaking mile. So.much so I'm not convinced it's higher than gen pop.
 
Sandy B said:
Boogaart was not street drugs and property was a long, long time ago. Do players ( with millions in the bank) have problems? Sure.

But if you rank mlb,nba, nfl and nhl, the nhl finishes fourth by a freaking mile. So.much so I'm not convinced it's higher than gen pop.
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I'll take your word for the other leagues. Again, zero interest. My initial point was that this is probably more prevelant in the NHL than people know.

Now, as far as 'street drugs' versus prescribed drugs. No difference if there was abuse. Same with alcohol. Also I don't see why Probie's issue is any less because it didn't happen last week. But whatever.

This will be my last post regarding the subject. Back to-

LETS GO KINGS....err, uh...RED WINGS!!!
 
30 teams, 23 man roster. That's 690 players the inverse of which is 0.14% presuming one possession charge per year. Methinks this is, at worse, the rate in the general population. I guess it could be far more rampant but even at 5x, its likely still behind the other three leagues.
 
Not looking good for Winnipeg. I'd like to see them get at least one against Disney. Disney is just too good.
 
If you missed the Ducks Jets game last night you missed one of the hardest hitting games of the playoffs so far. Great game. I'm with you Greg I'd like to see the Jets win at least one game for the fans, who were fantastic last night, (White Out) I loved it.

Bill
 
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