Lots of back and forth series aside from Canes and Avs Rd 1.
The question we all want answered for round 2 is.... will Alum be pulling for the Canes or his boy Gritty in Rd. 2?
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Hah! This is the one series I've been waiting for since the Whale moved down. Just a shame it is now and not the ECF.
Truth be told, Canes first cause they're my only true local team. Regardless, I hope whoever wins this series wins the Cup.
As for my prediction, watching the Flyers the last round, I don't think they are prepared for the Canes system. They looked straight up gassed against Pitt the last few games and Carolina will skate them far harder than Pitt did.
I'm just glad I snagged a ticket to Game 2
How are the Capitals doing?
Getting ready to play 18 holes somewhere in Cabo. So better than most of us
I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around.... The Utah Mammoth.
Rooting for the Sabres cause that's where I learned to love Hockey.
Playoff Hockey is the best hockey.
Sabres fan here. Just glad to be out of the playoff drought. Hopefully we take care of boston tonight because I do not want to see this thing go to 7.
Long time coming...
And so it's the Canadians....
Yup, i think i would've preferred TB but i feel we still outmatch montreal
I'm a die hard Rangers fan, but my son has really fed into the local Utah Mammoth hype, so hoping they can pull out tonight's game against the Knights. Tusks Up
Lets Go Flyers!
Good series Canes. Knew my Flyers had some slim odds without Tippett and then when Cates went down knew it was over. But at least we sorta looked like we belonged and the future is looking bright. (Assuming Vladars season wasn't a fluke and we get a new PP coach)
Vladar is good
Honestly the Flyers are where the Canes were in 2019. Very young, tons of potential, just not ready to put it all together. Also, Konecny is going to have nightmares about Freddie for the rest of his life. Oof.
Yeah TK was..... not it. He's our lil rat and been one of the lone bright spots during our shit years and I love him for that but... with our wing depth, if people come asking next trade deadline, I'd certainly listen to offers
FTFY. Obviously we need a new PP coach as well but it was immensely frustrating watching the January Flyers reappear after looking like they belonged in the first round. Power play issues, turtling/dump and chasing ad nauseam, basically just ceding control of the game flow to the Canes without seriously challenging them. Playoff Konecny rearing his ugly head on that blown breakaway chance in game 2. And don't get me started on the way they're wrecking Michkov's psyche by scratching him and limiting his ice time. If/when he leaves Philly he's going to turn into an offensive dynamo. It's a movie I've seen over and over again at this point.
We've got a lot of young talent coming in, and this was still the most fun Flyers season in, like...14 years. But that's the sad part. It just feels like 2nd round is as far as this group and this front office is ever gonna get, and no true fan will be satisfied with that. Bring Eric Tulsky home, wipe the philosophical slate clean, and join the 21st century already.
Anyway, I won't be watching the rest of the playoffs. Don't really care who wins the Cup, although it would be nice to see it go to Buffalo I guess.
The Michkov/Tocchet situation is absolutely fucked. Especially given the hypocritical leash Toc gave other players this year. Mich is gonna be Gauthier all over again (though probably less of whiner about it)
To be fair, this Canes team is very, very good - I don't know if the Flyers regressed, or just the matchup with the Canes made it look that way
The Canes are a machine. Its one of the most defensively sound teams I've ever watched. They completely take away everything you are trying to do and make you look back in the process. In my opinion, the Flyers didn't regress, this Canes squad is just that good. They completely shut down a scalding hot Ottawa team in the first round as well.
And to be clear, this form of the Canes didn't come around until there were a couple weeks left in the season when they went up against I think Columbus and Detroit, both fighting for their playoff lives and held them to 19 shots combined over both games. That's when you saw them really put it all together and show what they were capable of.
Philly was always going to have a tough time against that defense. Montreal or Buffalo likely will as well. Its just not something you can adequately prepare for.
I'm just hoping that what looks like it will be a lengthy layoff until the eastern conference finals doesn't take them out of the groove that they are in. With Rod at the helm, I don't think we have to worry too much though. At least they'll have time to rest up and recover
They were very out of the groove in the first period of Game 1.
Stereotypical second period where they dominate but one or two less goals then they should have gotten.
Game 2 is a must win.
I was at Game 1 last night. There was euphoria 30 seconds in and then 30 seconds later poof. The Canes were slow in that first period. Way too slow - physically, mentally, all of it. They really did lose a sense of game speed with the long layoff. It was not until late second, early third that I felt like they were up to speed.
Welp that first period definitely answered the "Rust vs Rest" question. Even Rod said something like "I don't know what I just watched". Played great in the second, should have evened it up, but a few plays were off by a few inches. That hole they dug themselves into the first just ended up too big to crawl out of.
Maybe it's a good thing that they have finally hit a little adversity in the playoffs and this will wake them up and come out firing Saturday night. Can't afford to go down 0-2 then travel to Montreal.
Absolute dogshit performance top to bottom. Statistically it was one of the worst games that Slavin has ever played in the NHL.
That kind of stuff just doesn't happen to the Canes. Yes, Montreal was good, but hoo boy the Canes turned minor errors into catastrophic collapses. Have to expect they look better tomorrow, cause if they don't this is going to be a quick series.
Well... looks like its going to be a quick series, just not in the way I thought 6 days ago
Game 1 was very much a layover hangover game. They looked completely out of sorts in that first period but by the end of the 2nd period they were looking a little more like themselves.
Game 2 was a result of just throwing pucks at the net. You could feel that the huge SOG disparity was going to end up favoring the Canes in the long run. Getting the series even before heading to Montreal was a good confidence boost for the team too.
Game 3 was another game a lot like game 2, but just not on home ice. It felt a little bit like they stole one there but even with two back-to-back OT wins they didn't look quite themselves. That Aho line just hadn't really produced, but they started to exert some influence on the game late in game 3. You kinda felt like if the Aho line fires up then the series would be over pretty quick because then they'd be rolling and tough to stop.
Game 4 was a lot of fun in that first period. The Aho line did indeed fire up and delivered big time. 3 goals in like 2 minutes and Montreal just never had a chance from then on. Snagging two on the road to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series as they head back to Carolina was a big statement by this Canes squad. I expect them to win tomorrow and punch their ticket to the finals.
I was going to be content with the series coming back 2-2 as I just don't like this Habs team to beat the Canes 2 out of 3, but after last night I agree. This series is over, the Canes have completely taken away their will to fight, and with the fatigue showing large right now I expect tomorrow's game to be a continuation of what we saw last night.
This Canes squad is a complete machine. 11-1 so far in the playoffs, and outside of the one game where they were coming off a break that was as long as the Olympics they've basically controlled every game that has been played. Defensively it might be the most perfect execution of a system the league has seen in a generation, it really is impressive to watch
They are, probably odds-on Cup favorites at this point. And the Flyers didn't go down without a fight, I was just hoping the fight would be a little more even.
Shit, I hope you're right. I've never had a team win a title without something bad going on at home, and just today I found out we need to put our dog down this week, so.....
yeah
Somehow, that does not seem like a good trade. Losing a good dog is an awful feeling. Hope they have had a great life and that you enjoyed the time with them. May the rest in peace.
If I could bargain I would go back and have us swept in the first round... I adopted him on my birthday and what is coming in the next couple days will unquestionably be the hardest thing I've ever done but he's in pain and scared all the time now and there's nothing the doctors can do to help.
We brought him home today so our daughters would have the opportunity to spend some time with him and say goodbye before it all happens. It's been a rough time in the household
Minnesota finally woke up last night. By chance and a little spare $$$ I happened to find myself in the arena for game #2 and Minnesota just looked completely outclassed. They managed to finally take advantage of some opportunities last night during the 4-4 and then the 4-3 advantage in the first, and never looked back. Game 4 is going to be an interesting watch.
LET'S GO CANES!!!!
3-0 after 1 in game 5
First team in league history to make the Stanley Cup finals with only 1 loss through the first 3 rounds
Let's Go Canes!
LET'S GO CANES! STANLEY CUP CHAMPS!!!
Told myself early in this 8 year run to just enjoy the ride, since I didn't appreciate VTs 10 win streak without reaching the mountain top.
So incredible that the Canes went and won the whole thing!
Still can't believe it! What a run. They were a great team, and they added the pieces they needed to finally get over the hump and win it all. Let's go Canes!!!
Yep, that was fun. Had a ticket to the watch party in the arena with my dad. After the game just stood outside watching the crowd for a bit taking it all in.
What a run. I still can't believe the team is this good after all the years of bad play throughout the 2010s. Hell around 2016 I had given in to the thought the team was going to move to another city. To be celebrating a championship here in my hometown is something else.