Since there's an NBA playoff thread, I thought it would be prudent to get one started for the NHL as well. I know there are some hockey fans here, and if you're not into hockey, I highly recommend you rectify that. It's really a fantastic sport. As a Sharks fan, I'm pleased with how the first round games are progressing thus far.
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I am amazed at the number of series tied 2-2 right now. Teams like Montreal will have a long lay off after sweeping the Bolts.
In full disclosure, I am a Penguins fan and it's driving me nuts that we are tied with Columbus.
Yeah, I'm hoping the Sharks can put the Kings away tonight and get some rest before round 2. If we can stay healthy, I like our depth.
I don't even know how to react to that last game. I'm not angry because I expect Fleury to do something stupid, I'm not shocked either. I'm just disappointed I guess. Forget the last goal of regulation, at least that was just a bad bounce. He got beat glove side on a wrister from the blue line.
Fleury's gaff last night was inexcusable. Especially when Columbus has an EXTRA MAN on the ice.
I agree that it was inexcusable, but the goal in OT was a worse goal than the one to tie it.
I tend to agree with you. I thought the regulation goal could easily have been avoided. But the one he let in in OT must have been a lack of concentration or a lack of confidence. But they ran into this last year. Since he won the cup I don't know what's happened to him. He's now turned into that guy that confidence is everything with him.
The Penguins in general have not been the same team since the Olympics. There were some injuries late in the year, but they're mostly healthy now. Crosby and Fleury need to step up and win this series.
I'm tired of fluery making the same dumb mistakes for four years in a row
Aren't we all? Pens fan (Crosby and Malkin) here too.
Used to be a top tier goalie, still shows flashes of it. Hell 90% of that game he played his Ass off, he justmakes dumb mistakes and gives up bad goals
Problem is they don't really have anyone they can put in instead of him. I go to a lot of WB-Scranton Pens games and I've seen Zatkoff but he's still too inexperienced to play. Vokoun was up here for 3 games for conditioning but no way would I put him in. The loss of Gibbons for the last game I think was a factor too. He's a good center. Hell, you guys watch though, Megna is gonna be great, I saw him play a lot at WBS.
Habs intro. Impressed.
Meh. The first minute where they were doing the light up of their flags had me going to sleep but the rest wasn't too bad.
I've been to the Bell Center (or Bell Centre if you are in Montreal) and I was able to do the tour where you go into the locker room and you see the skates and all that happy crap. There's a huge thing across the top of the locker room with all the great players and there's a quote from In Flander's Field "To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high." This is why you see the kid with the torch. It reminds me of the Hokie quote "For those who have passed, for those to come reach for excellence." You know what I'm talking about. But also the press section is right above the ice, you go out onto this platform that's around the banners and everything. They may have changed that since I've been there. But it was a pretty amazing experience. As far as this intro, the people of Montreal are dead serious about hockey, I have yet to go there for a game, but I will one day, I've heard the atmosphere is amazing. I'm not a Habs fan, but I want to experience it.
NHL Playoffs > NBA Playoffs
Some great Hockey going on right now - The Avalanche are live! So are the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Caps are out, so I'm just rooting for good Hockey.
Although I still coach baseball and basketball, NHL Playoffs > than any other sport, IMO. There is nothing like the intensity of playoff hockey. Growing up in VA, I knew absolutely nothing about hockey until I moved up here 18 years ago. My son starting playing hockey our 2nd year here, and through those years of youth and high school hockey, I became hooked. We were Bruins season ticket holders from 2001-2008, but had to give them up when the credit market crashed. Bobby Orr and Derek Sanderson are my neighbors (same with Keith Tkachuk and Tom Poti), and they are great guys, although very different personalities.
Although 2013 sucked for me in a lot of ways, I was able to see live a Stanley Cup Final game @ the Garden, the infamous Big Papi's "this is our f***ing city" game, World Series Game 1 @ Fenway, and VT @ BC. And, on Monday, I was at the finish line for the Boston Marathon. Not a bad last 12 months for sports...
That is truly amazing! Quite the historic moments that you were fortunate enough to see. I agree- NHL Playoffs is some of the most intense sport of all sports. The fans seem way more into the game and go nucking futs! I'm not sure there is another sport that can match the intensity. For anyone who thinks differently, watch the last minute of Miracle on Ice - the original as called by Al Michaels. Still to this day, I get nervous watching it.
And wow - neighbors to Bobby Orr?!?! Amazing. I imagine he has quite the stories.
While understandably a bit guarded (given the demands on his time and the fact that he can't go anywhere in New England without being mobbed), Bobby is one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. Hell, in October he was fishing golf balls out of a pond for me while I was putting out on an island par 3 during a Member-Guest at our club (of which he's now part owner). He's still a pretty good golfer, too...both Derek and him are deadly from 150 yards in...still have great hands. Speaking of hands, Bobby has some of the largest and strongest hands you will ever see. I'm not exactly small, and his hand just envelopes mine.
Tom Poti was a guy I thought was going to be one of the great defensemen but it just never happened. Tkachuk was a beast, is he still?
Keith is huge, and has gained quite a bit of weight since retiring. It sucked that he lost a bunch of teeth after taking a puck to his face with something like 3 games left in his career...it took over a year before he got them fixed. Keith is still hyper-competitive...just ask about the "no blood no foul" wiffle ball games during the 4-day Member-Guest. His brother Kevin is a also really nice guy, and Keith's son Brady is turning out to be quite an athlete. Along with Bobby, Kevin is one of the co-owners of the club.
I don't know Tom at all really, pretty much keeps to himself and doesn't play golf with the guys, nor does he play in any of our tournaments. I know he had a lingering groin injury, and I've just recently seen him jogging around the neighborhood with his wife. Also a pretty big guy.
Thanks for the response, it's interesting to know.
I'm just still amazed people watch the NBA. It's such a joke of a league. Kind of hard to watch compared to the heart and hustle put it by the college kids.
6 fouls instead of 5, get the ball at half-court after a timeout, defensive 3 in the key, playing music during the run of play. Just some of the things that make the NBA more unbearable to watch. I'll tune in for a quarter trying to tell myself "You love basketball, watching this should be interesting." But it never is, just a bunch of whiners playing by rules that make no sense.
I'm the exact same way - Maybe I'll watch a Game 7 game in the 2nd half, but it is just so difficult to watch the NBA vs. College Hoops. The passion just isn't there.
As a recent basketball convert (plus the Caps aren't in the playoffs this year), I feel the exact opposite. College basketball just send less entertaining to me (outside of cheering for VT). The lesser skill levels, combined with a too-long shot clock make for a lot if boring games. Give me NBA talent to watch any day.
I do agree with the shot clock. I don't think it should be 24 seconds like the NBA, but a 30 second clock isn't a bad idea.
The talent? Sure, but the intensity is awful. And the X's and O's of the NBA are a joke. Every offense runs two plays, the pick and roll or they go Iso. Other than that it's just street ball. A lot of fast breaks which get boring when only 2 guys decide it's worth their time to get back on defense.
Go Rangers beat the Flyers!
I'm a Flyers fan, so I think I will know friday night whether or not the season is over. Think the Rangers are a better squad, but Flyers have enough young talent to make a run I think. Although I can't see anyone but the Bruins coming out of the East.
Flyers are just SO young right now across the board. They're not built to win this year, they're built to win a couple years down the line. The roster they've assembled is stealthily good, and should pay off dividends in the near future if Holmgren doesn't go crazy again.
We just don't have the defense to compete this year, unfortunately. Looking forward to getting Gostisbehere and Morin up to speed in the next year or two. Plus we have Scott Laughton waiting in the wings at forward. He's looked good in juniors, would love to see what he can do at the AHL/NHL level.
Go Flyers! Would be nice to get Mason back. Never have been a fan of Emery.
You'll get your wish tonight. Mason is between the pipes.
That said, the way they played defense in front of Emery the other night, it might not matter.
You are right about the Bruins, I think they are the ones to look for, to be honest as a Pens fan I want them to win, however, I've always liked Jerome Iginla, and I want to see him one in a Ray Bourque kinda way.
I'm a Stars fan and that game last night was wild. I hope we can steal one from the Ducks in Anaheim tomorrow night
I decided to stop studying to watch the last 4 min of the pens game. Big mistake. I wasn't able to concentrate after watching fleury pull the biggest bonehead move I've seen from him. Which is saying a lot
There is definitely something in the water in PA. Every time either the Pens or the Flyers reach the playoffs, regardless of how well they've played in the regular season, the goaltending absolutely falls apart.
Case in point, look at the playoff series a few seasons ago between those two teams.
The scores of each game was like 8-6. It was like the goalies were napping. Or drunk.
Fluery has sucked in the playoffs the past two years Islanders and Jackets have given them a run especially the jackets this year.
Well I guess ill just put down my picks for this round..Blue Jackets, a giant meteor to hit MSG (but if anything the Flyers to win), Bruins, Ducks, Sharks, Blues, and Avs. (I'm and Islanders fan so no Atlantic teams...)
Props for not making the "NHL Playoffs" mistake.
Go B's!!!
Claude Giroux is going to have a monster game on Friday just watch
Hoping my Blues figure out a way to win again vs the Blackhawks. Have let these last two games slip away to allow them to get back into the series. Unfortunately looking very much like the series vs LA last year. Win the first two in close games, outplay them in games three and four but lose, and then fail to show up for games 5 and 6 and lose the series.
Definitely pulling for the Blues...losing Backes hurts but I am hoping they overcome it. The Blues Blackhawks series is a fun one to watch though
For a Caps fan, it was quite a disheartening season... bleh.
I'm enjoying the NHL playoffs a lot more than usual because the Caps weren't in it to piss me off by getting knocked out in the first or second round.
FWIW: Hershey Bears (Caps feeder team) missed the Calder Cup Playoffs too - just a bad year for the entire Caps affiliates.
Yeah, I went to some Hershey playoff games when they won the Calder in 2010. Minor league hockey playoffs are ridic.
At least you had hope.
The Canes... oof what can I say. At the end of the year, the owner had an interview with Forslund, our play by play guy, and essentially laid the entire blame of the season at the hands of Peters (who shockingly played well in his callup) and on the fans for not buying into the team and gobbling up season tickets.
In Washington, things might have turned sour this year, but at least your management knows when you have something that isn't working. Here, its all "Lets just add another Staal, cater to their every whim, never ask them to do more (or even TRY) during the games, raise ticket prices by 30%, ride on the ridden-into-the-ground Cam Ward for the season, and see what happens". Wash. Rinse. Repeat. I'm not even lying, Semin was probably the one guy on the team that busted his ass the most this year.... Semin.
If anyone says hockey is boring just make them watch the Blues-Blackhawks. Series has been ridiculous.
I've never been a huge hockey fan but the Caps success made me pay attention and I've been watching more and more playoffs the past couple years. Now, as soon as the Nats game is over I switch right to whatever game is on. Disappointed that the Caps aren't playing, and I hope Oates and McPhee get canned, but the playoffs don't let me down. Exciting every night. Also Nathan MacKinnon is a monstar.
Hell the pens vs blue jackets every game has ended 4-3 series tied at2 each and each game a team has had a 3-1 less and then lost
Go B's!
quack....Quack....QUACK
Mr Ducksworth?
Just saw andrew ford tweet go flyers . . . . . wonder how all the ranger fans feel about this
Screw the Rangers fans, I'm pissed as a Pens fan. Andrew Ford is now my mortal enemy.
Thinking about train or bus up to NYC tomorrow...should be awesome!
Go Flyers!
I'm giddy. Dreamed last night they beat the Rangers 7-1. Never thought the team would even come close to 5 goals. I'll go ahead and say I called it
As a caps fan the playoffs this year are finally a year where I can enjoy the playoff hockey without severe dissapointment of choking to a lower seed. Plus I get a good laugh everytime the AD comes on with ovechkin talking about missing out on playoff hockey, nothing like good ol' irony.
That commercial always makes me laugh too
I am actively in pain and suffering.
I'm with you bro...can't stand the Flyers.
I feel you. I have only been following hockey for about 5 years or so, but the team I decided to throw my hat in with needs a game 7 after leading a playoff series 3-0...for the second time during that span. Not good...
Yes, hockey is painful like that. Over time you'll get used to it, you curse and kick stuff and then the next night you are right back there watching it again thinking it's going to go well.
Suffering with my Blueshirts since the year before Messier joined the Rangers (losing to the Caps in 1991 in the John Druce series). A loss tonight would be up there with 1997, and that was real bad.
I believe we'll win tonight, but won't survive the Pens.
What was the stat I saw on my phone last night? If I'm quoting from memory properly, Rangers are 5-0 in Game 7s and 2-0 with Lunqvist in goal. Plus at MSG, dude, think you're gonna be fine. It's on MSG up here, I'll be watching. Pens fan saw them play the Rangers in the Garden last November (but don't tell anyone, I have a Lunqvist shirt. I'll be wearing it tonight)
Pens want no part of the Flyers, all pens fans are pulling for the rags tonight...
Can't believe you'd say pens don't want any part of the flyers I don't think that's true
Pens don't know how to play the Flyers. They're a better team but they completely lose composure and forget how to play, the Flyers just get too under their skin. Beating them would be awesome but most Pens fans have seen how the team completely shuts down when they face Philly and want no part of it.
did you suffer through that Cup win, too? i was born a Flyers fan and we have 5 Wales Trophies (4 that i can remember) with 0 Cups in my lifetime...i don't want to hear any rags fan whine about suffering...until the final horn tonight!
Yup, I'm in the same boat. 8 trips to the finals in our history, and we've lost the last 6.
Let's Go Flyers!!! Playoff hockey is the absolute best. I might even like it more than the NFL.
I've come to realize something over the years, I really hate watching my team (Pens) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I watch the game on the edge of my seat the whole time and am only relaxed during intermissions, I live for the intermissions. The best day of the week is the one when the Pens don't play. The only fun part is watching other teams play.
I'm that way with Sunderland in soccer, that's pretty funny that someone else feels that way
Trying to watch the Liverpool v Chelsea match this past sunday, I wanted to throw the remote at the TV a bunch of times. Then I turn on the Flyers game and it was exactly the same way. Two losses in one day is hard to take.
Sunderland this year makes a GREAT case for relegation in US sports. without relegation, no one but a Sunderland fan would care about them, but i have been watching them for the better part of a month hoping they can stay up. I'm an Arsenal fan, but seeing Sunderland go down would just seem wrong. between the race for the top 5 spots and the race for avoiding the bottom 3 spots, you end up with 8-10 teams, almost half the league, playing for something still at the end of the year. i love it!
Unfortunately there were days when I thought Sunderland DESERVED to go down. Then they do stuff like beat Chelsea and roll over Cardiff. I have no idea, it's a friggin roller coaster
I'm usually on the edge of my seat watching all the games because during this Stanley cup playoffs it seems like crazy stuff is happening the entire time (albeit without my islanders). I may just not remember correctly but it seems like this years Stanley cup playoffs have been more crazy then in years past especially in the western division.
i am much excite for three game 7's tonight.
Better luck next year, Flyers. Though I'm not so sure we'll outlast Pittsburgh.
Heres a leg for the sore-loser philly fan who downvoted you. However, now that its second round, screw the rangers and Lets Go Pens!
I was there back in 97 when the Flyers beat the Ranger to get to the cup. Was supposed to go to a Phillies game, but it got rained out and we managed to find tickets (I'm assuming from a scalper). A great time was had. Can't say the same for this one.
While i'm bummed about the Flyers season ending, there are 2 fantastic games still on tonight...god i love playoff hockey...
Reverse swept. Awesome.
Theres a reason they play the games sucks when its your team going out trust me I know the pain being a CrAPS the bed fan
An exciting Montreal-at-Boston game will be going into OT
i love playoff hockey...
Hopefully like 4 OT's. Love OT playoff hockey.
i took the day off to chaperone my son's field trip...bring it!
And the Canadiens win it early in 2OT
I hate the Habs!
I was not expecting the Rangers to look fresh tonight, much less end up with the W. This looks like it will be a real exciting series!
i've hated the rags my whole life, but i hate the pens SO much that i jumped out of my seat and cheered when that puck went in (both times)!
The Bruins seem to have lost all their composure today.
Now they rally
Benoit Pouliet! Derek Brassard! I am so pregnant this morning. Let's go Rangers!
The Blueshirts need to make better use of those Power Plays
Fleury played great today. Lundqvist did too, if it weren't for him we would've had 5 or 6 goals.
All the momentum is with the Pens right now, and Crosby has finally made his presence known again.
He's lucky he's not Ovechkin. They'd have run him out of town by now.
Pens strike first, the Blueshirts need to treat tonight like a Game 7.
Abysmal effort until the last couple of shifts.
Ugh. I don't see us turning things around now, short of an absolute miracle.
Great start tonight for the Blueshirts, now they need to finish strong.
Why can't the Rangers play every game like that?! Sunday will be interesting
He won it for his mother
"St. Louis to play for Rangers after mother's death"
http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=29231
Huge win for the Blueshirts tonight. I know St. Louis playing through the death of his mother is the story, but McDonagh and Pouliet were in beast mode tonight, and Brassard benefited.
Finally, a Power Play Goal!
We've only closed out 1 series at home under Bylsma (last year against Ottawa), so Game 6 is really our only chance to win the series.
Pens didnt look into it last night. The D didnt play shutdown like in the previous 3 games. Im not worried
Now I'm worried
Another great start for the Blueshirts. Having Kreider back definitely helps, but how about St. Louis honoring his late mother with the opening goal!
The Rangers force a Game 7, and I couldn't be any more proud of them!
GAME 7
The Rangers strike first, gotta keep it up!
DAMN PROUD OF THE BLUESHIRTS!
As a Pens fan, I've gotta give it to the Rangers. It was a well fought series. And as I'm sure Coach Bud Foster would say, Lundqvist played his nuts off tonight.
He was clutch in the 3rd period. The Pens definitely got enough pressure on that end of the ice, but Lundqvist was clutch.
pens lost, i can go back to cheering against the rags, and all is right in the world again...
Halfway there
Congrats to the Canadiens
I was hoping they would lose so all of Canada would be shut out of the Stanley Cup again.
One of the few things lasting longer than Canada's drought of the Cup is Tech's bowl run. Long live both records!
Great win for the Rangers, hopefully Brassard isn't in too bad shape.
It is really stunning to see how Montreal, who has good speed, looked totally unprepared for the Rangers speed coming out of the neutral zone. Kreider can make a huge difference in this series because the Habs don't have the big defenseman who can handle him (or Nash if Nash played like a power forward.)
I am worried about the Brassard injury. Having three lines that were offensive threats turned around the Pittsburgh series. Bylsma couldn't get the matchups that he got in the first couple of games when the Rangers had to utilize Miller, Fast, and Carcillo. Moving Moore up into Brassard's spot also means they lose the natural checking line with Boyle and Dorsett. Boyle will have to move over to center, and if Vignault wants to use Boyle as a defensive forward that means the Rangers can only use three lines.
Then there's this, which could really hurt the Canadiens:
Montreal Canadiens Carey Price tests knee injury with status for Game 2 still uncertain
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/05/18/montreal-canadiens-carey-price...
So for Pens fans (or whoever) agree with the shitcanning of the GM?
I was a fan of Shero. He brought some great talent to the Pens and the players just werent able to get it done - Stanley Cup playoffs are hard. The two things I wasnt a fan of with him were his draft picks and the Letang signing. I cannot stand Tanger as he turns the puck over way too often and tries to force passes that he shouldnt. As for the draft picks, its hard to sign top talent when youre picking late every season.
I think they should have fired Disco Dan and kept Shero but I dont run the team and can only support what 66 decides
I agree with you. I think the other problem is he's locked into a salary cap situation and can only sign so many people past the top liners. That said, someone had to take the fall. I don't know if Dan is the one to take them over the top, then again I didn't see Alain taking the Rangers to the ECF nor did I think MEEECHELLE would take the Habs there either.
***UPDATE***
Huge loss for them.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is out for the remainder of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers, coach Michel Therrien told reporters Monday morning.
http://espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/10953370/2014-nhl-playof...
The Rangers weathered an energized Montreal goal early on tonight, and responded with the next 3 points to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Amazing.
2-0 going home no less. And they looked like they can weather anything Montreal throws at them. They will be even better if Brassard comes back
Helluva good game tonight, Rangers strike first, the Habs score in the 2nd & 3rd periods, and the Rangers force OT with 28-seconds left!
Canadiens win.
Looks like Brassard will be back for Game 4, which is crucial with the Carcillo 10-game suspension. The Habs' Prust will serve a 2-game suspension.
The Rangers need to regain momentum in a big way.
Rangers take a 3-1 lead after, thanks to Brassard returning to the ice, and the great shot by St. Louis in OT.
Game 5 of the Western Championships goes into OT. Hoping Chicago can drag it out to Game 7.
Going into 2OT.
Edit: Handzus gives the Hawks the win!
ON TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL, LET'S GO RANGERS!
Most insane save by King Henrik:
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW EXCITING THIS IS?!!!
Hawks force a Game 7, after a brilliant Patrick Kane performance last night. Sunday just might be the most intense game of the year.
The Kings win an OT thriller in Chicago to face the Rangers.
NY vs LA? Bettman must be beside himself...he's only dreamed of a moment like this.
Kings in 4 or 5 honestly. After watching the two conference final series, I just dont see the Rangers being able to compete with LA, unless LA just runs out of juice.
I'd be more upset, but this Rangers team came a long way from how they started out the season. Congrats, Kings. The Western Conference is scary-good right now.
I feel a little better about the Sharks giving up that first round series now. The Kings are ridiculous.
Didn't think we needed a new thread, so...
Congrats to Cackalacky