2013 NHL Playoffs Thread

[Sabol]

it would be nutty round 2; LA, StL, Yotes, and Preds...

[andteater]

Clarification: Cooke was twice as dirty when he got the 17 game suspension. It makes no sense for Torres to get more (or even as much) as he got.

i think they're on the same scale of dirty. hmm. well. errr. that's actually a tough one, but what makes it tricky (in the Cooke situation) is that his most famous "dirty hit" on Savard went unpunished. in Torres' situation, he had quite a few suspensions on his record (all referenced in the Shanahan video) for the same offense.

what is really frustrating is that Raffi Torres would be a really effective player if he just kept the stupid shit out of his game. he is a perfect third line guy who can give you 15 goals and a ton of energy, but his bullshit plays that seem to happen over and over are cheating his team and his own self. he better learn to stop because the next one is going to be what, fifty games? a year?

andyk

[madlee]

Ms. BookBurner is looking like she's going to walk away with this pool.

[AnthonyVillalobos]

Canucks can now finally fuck off.

KINGS' advancement celebration will rage on tomorrow in this household.

[madlee]

Canucks can now finally fuck off.

KINGS' advancement celebration will rage on tomorrow in this household.

Everybody talks about how Flyers won the trade this summer.

I don't know. Maybe in the sense of breaking up some personalities, but Richards is a gamer and has always played big in big games.

Just a few years ago, he was in the conversation for best player in the league. He has fallen a bit in the last two years, but I wouldn't be surprised if he bounces back.

He's not that big, yet he plays big. I can't imagine what damage he would do if he wasn't 180lbs and weighed closer to 200lbs.

Carter will drive you crazy, because he's big, but plays small most of the time. When he does play to his size he's Malkin like: nasty and mean. But that is so rare.

Simmonds was terrible in the series vs the Penguins. Schenn was pretty good in the first half, then kind of disappeared. Courterier (the other half of the Carter to CBJ trade) was also great in the first half of the series but then disappeared a bit towards the end. I think they both were truly injured by the dirty hits and kept playing.

[Conditioned]

Mike Smith, what can you say? Great series for him. It's hard to fault any aspect of the Hawks game last night to be honest. When Toews broke free from 2 guys and Smith shut the door on the 5-hole attempt... that was as deflated as I've been as a Hawks fan in some time. that was the point where I felt it was game/series over to be honest

Phoenix vs. Nashville...this is going to be interesting as hell, I have no predictions on this one at all.

[madlee]

Phoenix vs. Nashville...this is going to be interesting as hell, I have no predictions on this one at all.

The TV broadcast will go to Heidi and no one will notice.

[cesb]

Mike Smith, what can you say? Great series for him. It's hard to fault any aspect of the Hawks game last night to be honest. When Toews broke free from 2 guys and Smith shut the door on the 5-hole attempt... that was as deflated as I've been as a Hawks fan in some time. that was the point where I felt it was game/series over to be honest

Phoenix vs. Nashville...this is going to be interesting as hell, I have no predictions on this one at all.

Yeah...read some guy in the Trib this morning bemoaning the Hawks exposed lack of depth, and I'll go along with that to some degree, but you know...what I saw was a Hawks team that had enough chances out of each line to take this series in the first 5 games, let alone last night. They had control of the puck most of the series, threw about 40 shots per game at Smith - we got stuffed by a hot goalie. That's it. You're just not going to win too many playoff series against the Yotes (or the Blues, or the Preds, or the Kings, etc.) when your own netminder needs a 2 or 3 goal cushion to win a game. Sorry Crow.

[Auntie Ovipositor]

Phoenix vs. Nashville...this is going to be interesting as hell, I have no predictions on this one at all.

I fear that's going to be the most boring series ever to make it to game 7, triple overtime. Phoenix played some interesting games in this series, so I hope I'm wrong, but eugh.

Blues vs Kings should be good, though. I'm surprised by how well the Kings have kept it together and played solidly. Richardson came back and was his usual playoff self, Richards and Carter were aces, and Quick remains Quick. I don't know if they can beat the Blues, but it's going to be quite the series. And both of those teams are only getting better.

Nucks, Sharks, Wings, and Hawks out in the first round. Weird year. And wasn't it just 2 years ago that goalies weren't worth spending money on? Every other team seemed to decide to throw some cheap young kid in and count on the other guys to win the game.

[Conditioned]

Phoenix vs. Nashville...this is going to be interesting as hell, I have no predictions on this one at all.

The TV broadcast will go to Heidi and no one will notice.

oh man, glad I read this between bites @ lunch or the keyboard would be littered. nice one!

[Conditioned]

Mike Smith, what can you say? Great series for him. It's hard to fault any aspect of the Hawks game last night to be honest. When Toews broke free from 2 guys and Smith shut the door on the 5-hole attempt... that was as deflated as I've been as a Hawks fan in some time. that was the point where I felt it was game/series over to be honest

Phoenix vs. Nashville...this is going to be interesting as hell, I have no predictions on this one at all.

Yeah...read some guy in the Trib this morning bemoaning the Hawks exposed lack of depth, and I'll go along with that to some degree, but you know...what I saw was a Hawks team that had enough chances out of each line to take this series in the first 5 games, let alone last night. They had control of the puck most of the series, threw about 40 shots per game at Smith - we got stuffed by a hot goalie. That's it. You're just not going to win too many playoff series against the Yotes (or the Blues, or the Preds, or the Kings, etc.) when your own netminder needs a 2 or 3 goal cushion to win a game. Sorry Crow.

that's just it. it's difficult to find a fault (save maybe the tender) w/the Hawks. they controlled play (mostly) and threw up a ton of shots. I'm not sure if they won if they could have continued beyond round 2 but...

good luck to phoenix the rest of the way.

now who do I cheer for?...I guess the teams w/the most badgers on their rosters...Rangers (Stepan, McDonagh) and Preds (Suter, C. Smith)

[Auntie Ovipositor]

Meanwhile, the series nobody wanted goes on longer than anyone thought it could. Devils in 10!

[windofpain]

devils have been playing there usual brand of uninspired hockey punctuated by flashes of brilliance, the only coach that had them playing 60 minute games was lemaire and that guy was doing it as a favor the last time around. honestly if they get past the panthers (and i hope they do, the fans at panthers home games might be more annoying them carolina fans) and get into the second round anything could happen, that team lives and dies on how retarded it can get in one game and what version of marty shows up.

[Sabol]

fuckin rangers..

[andteater]

this panthers game went from a complete snoozefest to an absolute joy. going to OT and i look for Versteeg to score (as i typed that, he just almost did it).

andyk

[John Houlihan]

fuckin rangers..

Fuck yes. I went to game 5, decided I was bad luck, so I went to see Archers of Loaf tonight instead of sneaking into game 7 at The Garden. Good move! Watched the first two periods and listened to the third in the car. Hockey on the radio blows. Archers were incredible. Let's Go Rangers.

[madlee]

Make your second round picks losers!!!!!

[ERawk]

Thank you, John. When they lost Game 5, I thought, "that bastard Houlihan fucked their shit up".

Already picked, mister second place.

[madlee]

Holy shit, second round starts tonight! ugh. needed a vacation already.

f'ing rangers. This team scares me, as did Boston and Pittsburgh. Perhaps it is foolhardy to think that there is much separating any of these teams. 3 game sevens with two going to OT seem to make me lean in that direction.

Despite the continuous gifted turnovers from Kuba, Rangers still only managed to squeak through. This team is just getting the bounces right now. Losing Boyle is huge and will definitely be an issue vs. Washington. You have to figure that Hunter is going to target the Rangers' 4 main defensemen.

I don't really know what would beat the Rangers. Their puck pursuit is second to none. They are good along the boards. They seem to win the majority of 50-50 pucks. If anything they are overachievers. I still think Lundqvist is really benefiting from the NYR system. He gives up juicy rebounds, but Ottawa was never there in time. Only one lucky bounce and the series would have gone the other way.

If the Flyers win and the Rangers win, jesus what a tough path: Pittsburgh, NJD and then the Rangers? wtf.

[madlee]

Already picked, mister second place.

You ain't getting any coffee this time!