2010 NHL Playoffs

[jack_tors]

I'd love to see the Blackhawks get knocked out so the suffering of Marian Hossa continues. How many years in a row has he come up short?

Back to back years on the Cup runner up.

He's definitely an asshole.

No hope for PHX today playing at the Joe. Their Cinderella run ends today.

I think LA is done too. They've hit the wall.

Good call the SJ series. I would be lying if I said that I expected SJ to take the series over and win it..

One time win by the Habs or is Washington back to play so so hockey and will have trouble finishing them off?

[skatingtripods]

One time win by the Habs or is Washington back to play so so hockey and will have trouble finishing them off?

I have to think the Habs are done in 6. So much pressure on them to perform at home.

Washington hasn't impressed anybody, that's for sure. They're going to have a ton of trouble with PHI. I wouldn't be shocked if PHI beats them.

[jack_tors]

I'd love to see the Blackhawks get knocked out so the suffering of Marian Hossa continues. How many years in a row has he come up short?

Back to back years on the Cup runner up.

He's definitely an asshole.

No hope for PHX today playing at the Joe. Their Cinderella run ends today.

I think LA is done too. They've hit the wall.

Man has Phoenix shown up today. If they can hold on to and force a game 7 that should be an epic battle.

Philly vs Was would be a great, physical series. Which ever team's goalies can hold up probably wins that series..

Phoenix scores again as I type making it 4-1.. back to the desert we go.

[skatingtripods]

Statement game by PHX. Getting good PP production and suffocating DET along the boards.

Game 7 is a complete toss up assuming this game stays the way it is.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Statement game by PHX. Getting good PP production and suffocating DET along the boards.

Game 7 is a complete toss up assuming this game stays the way it is.

I thought they had no hope?

[jack_tors]

Statement game by PHX. Getting good PP production and suffocating DET along the boards.

Game 7 is a complete toss up assuming this game stays the way it is.

I thought they had no hope?

With Detroit's history, being at home, Phx's track record, and Det winning the past 2 games by a combined total of 7-1, I thought Phx was done too.

[skatingtripods]

At least I was right about one game yesterday.

Luongo's save on Smyth was an absolute thing of beauty.



Should be three awesome games tonight. Three teams facing elimination. Two of them on home ice.

I want to go with my heart and take Buffalo, but I just don't know. They took it to Boston last game and they get Vanek back tonight. Drew Stafford sits, and that's a good thing as he's been pretty bad in the series. Look for the Kennedy-Roy-Vanek line from games 1 and 2 to be reunited.


I hope Washington ends Montreal's season in front of all their dickhead fans. Classless assholes. Halak's been really good or really bad all series. I think MTL scratches and claws out a game 7.


Chicago really hasn't been impressive at all against Nashville. I think they take it up a notch and get a convincing road win to end the series. Barring some late game heroics, they'd be golfing already. But, you can say the same for SJ. SJ stepped up on the road in game 6. That's what good teams do. Chicago is a good team.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Chicago is going to lose tonight. 4-2.

[jack_tors]

Habs outplaying Washington tonight. If this goes 7, its anyone's series.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Halak is playing out of his mind.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Watching the Caps choke is pretty entertaining.

[skatingtripods]

Watching the Caps choke is pretty entertaining.

They'll find a way to pull it out tomorrow, I think, but they've really been exposed. Like I said above, I wouldn't be shocked to see PHI beat them. The problem for PHI would be the really long layoff between game 5 of their series and game 1 of the conference semis. They'll be really flat coming out of the gate.

I'm fired up for the PHX/DET game tonight. I have no rooting interest in either team, but I fully expect an excellent hockey game.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Barry Melorse made a funny point on Sportscenter this moring. If Phoenix wins the cup, does Gary Bettman hand the Cup to Gary Bettman?

[jack_tors]

Who do you all got? I take Phoenix and the Evil Empire's reign is over! Perhaps wishful thinking but I am picking the unlikely team.

[skatingtripods]

Detroit in an OT heartbreaker for the home fans.

[jack_tors]

Habs have the Caps on the ropes.. Lets see if they can land the knock out blow.

[swerb]

Wow ... what an upset by the Habs. What a series. 6, 7, 8 seeds all win 1st rd series in the East.

[skatingtripods]

That's the same Halak who backstopped Slovakia to their best tournament finish in years. Very impressive.

The Caps on the other hand,

[Cerebral_DownTime]

The Caps are choking dogs.

The EC is a joke anyways.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

It was great to see Chicago get run out of the building.

They better find a goalie.

[skatingtripods]

It was great to see Chicago get run out of the building.

They better find a goalie.

Vancouver's a damn good team.

Chicago may need to separate Kane and Toews because Ryan Kesler did an outstanding job on them last night.

[jack_tors]

The Wings are in serious trouble and I like it. I wonder if SJ is waking up at just the right time to make these playoffs interesting. I would really prefer to see a Vancouver/SJ series for a chance at the cup. No offense to Chicago but I want to see if Luongo has enough gas in the tank to win the WCF and then win a cup after the Olympics.

Pit should hold on vs the Habs but I give the Habs credit, its been a battle and Halak has looked good.

Question, when did Josh Gorges become good enough to play on a playoff team? LOL, I remember him fondly with the Barons and didnt think he was anything special. Havent really watched the Habs much so wondering if that changed?

[skatingtripods]

Question, when did Josh Gorges become good enough to play on a playoff team? LOL, I remember him fondly with the Barons and didnt think he was anything special. Havent really watched the Habs much so wondering if that changed?

He's not anything special. That's what makes him so good. He's just a sound defenseman positionally. He always had that, and he's always had the hockey sense. I wasn't sure if he was strong enough to handle the physical play at the NHL level. But he's been pretty good.

I'm surprised it took him this long to blossom in to a good player, but I'm not surprised that SJ gave up on him.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Man the Sharks look like they're not gonna yak this year. Chi/Van goes 7 games. The Redwings are old and Boston still sucks.

[jack_tors]

Question, when did Josh Gorges become good enough to play on a playoff team? LOL, I remember him fondly with the Barons and didnt think he was anything special. Havent really watched the Habs much so wondering if that changed?

He's not anything special. That's what makes him so good. He's just a sound defenseman positionally. He always had that, and he's always had the hockey sense. I wasn't sure if he was strong enough to handle the physical play at the NHL level. But he's been pretty good.

I'm surprised it took him this long to blossom in to a good player, but I'm not surprised that SJ gave up on him.

Perhaps I am not giving him enough credit. I watched a lot of bad hockey and it was awhile ago. I just remember him being pushed off the puck a lot and kinda getting manhandled but hell, they ALL did back then with the exception of Murray. Nothing was better than watching Riley Armstrong get beaten all over the ice.

[StewieG]

Luongo looks gassed.

[jack_tors]

Do the Blackhawks finish this tonight or does Vancouver live to see game 7?

[Cerebral_DownTime]

The Habs are harder to kill than Jason Bourne,

[jack_tors]

The Habs are harder to kill than Jason Bourne,

And way more annoying because of the whole French Canadien thing..

If the Cavs had a quarter of the Habs heart, we would be discussing Orlando.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

The Habs are harder to kill than Jason Bourne,

And way more annoying because of the whole French Canadien thing..

If the Cavs had a quarter of the Habs heart, we would be discussing Orlando.

At least there's the Buckeyes.

[peeker643]

Huge goal for the Pens there. 4-2 is do-able. 4-1 would have been daunting. P'burgh just ground out that score although at times they looked as disjointed as the Cavs did last night.

[jack_tors]

Huge goal for the Pens there. 4-2 is do-able. 4-1 would have been daunting. P'burgh just ground out that score although at times they looked as disjointed as the Cavs did last night.

Yeah, with the Pens offensive, they are still in it. However, Habs have played their style for most of the game, 12 blocked shots last I saw. Going to be an uphill fight and they have to get to Halak.

[peeker643]

Huge goal for the Pens there. 4-2 is do-able. 4-1 would have been daunting. P'burgh just ground out that score although at times they looked as disjointed as the Cavs did last night.

Yeah, with the Pens offensive, they are still in it. However, Habs have played their style for most of the game, 12 blocked shots last I saw. Going to be an uphill fight and they have to get to Halak.

Man. the Pens fans were really nuts before the game, really shitty when it was 4-0 and really great again when the Pens scored twice.

[jack_tors]

Huge goal for the Pens there. 4-2 is do-able. 4-1 would have been daunting. P'burgh just ground out that score although at times they looked as disjointed as the Cavs did last night.

Yeah, with the Pens offensive, they are still in it. However, Habs have played their style for most of the game, 12 blocked shots last I saw. Going to be an uphill fight and they have to get to Halak.

Man. the Pens fans were really nuts before the game, really shitty when it was 4-0 and really great again when the Pens scored twice.

Hey, they won the Stanley Cup and Lombardi Trophy, imagine how spoiled they are. LOL

[peeker643]

Selfishly hoping the Pens score on the PP to start the third. That will ratchet up the tension considerably. And I'm only in it for the excitement with no rooting interest.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Not to draw unwanted heat, but I really don't have a problem with Pittsburgh, the city or the people.

[peeker643]

Not to draw unwanted heat, but I really don't have a problem with Pittsburgh, the city or the people.

I like the city. No issues here either other than NFL Sundays. Hate that team. Nothing further.

[jack_tors]

Not to draw unwanted heat, but I really don't have a problem with Pittsburgh, the city or the people.

I have seen 6 Pens games in Pittsburgh and have come away less than impressed with the fans and city (although PNC Park is damn near perfect). Went with Pens fans each time and the last 2 times listen to hilljacks bang on Cleveland during both intermissions. Werent wearing or saying anything to distinguish myself as an outsider, just bad luck I guess.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Game over.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Not to draw unwanted heat, but I really don't have a problem with Pittsburgh, the city or the people.

I have seen 6 Pens games in Pittsburgh and have come away less than impressed with the fans and city (although PNC Park is damn near perfect). Went with Pens fans each time and the last 2 times listen to hilljacks bang on Cleveland during both intermissions. Werent wearing or saying anything to distinguish myself as an outsider, just bad luck I guess.

and Cleveland fans bang on Pittsburgh fans for no apparent reason.

I've been to many Browns games at CBS, and at least half of the people there were dumbass drunken white trash that i'd like to punch in the face.

[peeker643]

Game over.

Pens need two in the next five minutes to have a puncher's chance.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

NatGeo's Lockdown is profiling Cuyahoga County Jail.

[TouchEmAllTime]

Interesting to hear Barry Melrose compare Sidney Crosby's wetting of the bed to Lebron's just the night before. Is it a full moon?

[Cerebral_DownTime]

How many 3-0 leads can Boston blow vs Philly?

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Philly does it! Down 3-0 in the series, down 3-0 in the game and they do it. Infuckincredible. The NBA wishes they could have playoffs this good.

Best playoff in pro sports.

[TouchEmAllTime]

Philly does it! Down 3-0 in the series, down 3-0 in the game and they do it. Infuckincredible. The NBA wishes they could have playoffs this good.

Best playoff in pro sports.

Was hard not to root for the Flyers to pull it off once they got it to a game 7, pretty amazing stuff there. Habs-Flyers should make for some more great drama.

[skatingtripods]

Philly does it! Down 3-0 in the series, down 3-0 in the game and they do it. Infuckincredible. The NBA wishes they could have playoffs this good.

Best playoff in pro sports.

With their backup goaltender no less. He got released by Carolina after going 1-4 with a 4.28 GAA and an .848 sv%.

First time in history that a conference final is a #7 v. #8. I was in the sportsbook at Casino Niagara watching the end of the game. Very pro-Habs crowd. Even with what Crosby did for them in the Olympics.

Crosby was embarrassing in that series. Poetic justice that his cheap shot hit on Gorges at the start of the game set Montreal rolling.


I suggest everybody watch every game of the SJ-CHI series. More talent in one series than I've ever seen. Could be quite a few 5-4, 6-5 games. Should be awesome.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I'm going Habs and Sharks.

I think (not know) the Sharks are deeper than Chi.

[skatingtripods]

I'm going Habs and Sharks.

I think (not know) the Sharks are deeper than Chi.

I like the Habs too. Halak is much better than Leighton.

Hard to say who is a deeper team. Goaltending decides the series. If Niemi is good, Chicago wins. If Nabokov is good, SJ wins. Nabokov has to be wearing down, though. 82 games for Nabokov plus a couple in the Olympics.

Chicago's energy line might be another difference. I think they're better than SJ's checking line and I think they have more speed to shut down the Marleau line.

Overall, it may boil down to which team's stars play better. Toews hasn't been great. Kane has. Chicago needs a guy like Pavelski to step up. Thornton and Marleau have been pretty good for the Sharks.

All in all, I expect an awesome, intense seven gamer.

[skatingtripods]

Antti Niemi has been beyond excellent in this game.