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NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs


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The first time I go to a playoff game, and it couldn't get more depressing. Can't believe the Habs got swept. The Bruins deserved their wins, but I can't help but feel that the major difference (except for in game 2, where the Habs were completely outplayed) was goaltending- Thomas was consistently fantastic, and Price just sucked. I really blame Gainey for not giving Halak a chance after game 2. So ends the 100th season... Sad times.

You Habs fans are going to learn sooner than later that, not only is Price not the second coming of Roy, but that he is just not that good. He's going to be a Theodore/Biron type. Has great games, but will never be a premier goalie.

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You Habs fans are going to learn sooner than later that, not only is Price not the second coming of Roy, but that he is just not that good. He's going to be a Theodore/Biron type. Has great games, but will never be a premier goalie.

It's looking possible. Then again, the guy is 21- most goalies don't come into the NHL till 23-24. Hopefully age and experience will turn him into a better goalie. IMO, it looks like Gainey's worst legacy as GM so far has been how he has handled goaltending- trading away Huet for a second round draft pick and therefore leaving the team without a veteran goaltender, and continuing to hand the job to Price as if it's his birthright even when he plays awful and Halak plays great. We'll just have to see, though it's hard not to feel pessimistic right now, of course...

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It's looking possible. Then again, the guy is 21- most goalies don't come into the NHL till 23-24. Hopefully age and experience will turn him into a better goalie. IMO, it looks like Gainey's worst legacy as GM so far has been how he has handled goaltending- trading away Huet for a second round draft pick and therefore leaving the team without a veteran goaltender, and continuing to hand the job to Price as if it's his birthright even when he plays awful and Halak plays great. We'll just have to see, though it's hard not to feel pessimistic right now, of course...

Yeah...I still don't get that Huet trade. I mean, Huet isn't the best goalie in the world, but would definitely be a veteran mentor to the kid.

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I really thought they'd fold when Anaheim scored that third goal.

You mean the perfect centering pass from Joe Pavelski to Chris Pronger coming into the slot in full stride? The first goal was scored by Nabokov, and the second and third were scored with Shark assists. I think they recognized that those were fluky goals. The main thing is, they knew they had solved Hiller, they knew their power play was back, and they knew what they were doing was working.

I'm actually more confident of a series win now than before the series started. But, I'm an idiot, so there's that. Can't wait for tonight!

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But, I'm an idiot, so there's that. Can't wait for tonight!

You tooks the Blues in 7, so I have to agree :P

I feel bad for Price. Poor kid, I hope he gets to leave Montreal. I have no idea why the Habs didnt play Halak in game 4 though.

The Sharks/Ducks series is way more exciting than I excepted it to be, I'll be watching that one along with Flames/Hawks while waiting to see who the Canucks play in round 2.

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I find myself strangely heartbroken on behalf of Columbus now.

Umm, I don't?

A last minute goal to secure the sweep? Cool.

I just hope Ozzie can hang in there. He's always sucked up the playoffs.

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Umm, I don't?

A last minute goal to secure the sweep? Cool.

Put yourself in my shoes. I would rather watch a gutsy team never say die against an incredible foe than say, for example, watch an incredible team lose 3 out of four to a gutsy foe because of lack of heart in two of those losses. :sick:

And game 7 comes early (and often?) to San Jose.

I hope the coach gives them tomorrow off, and tells them to think about what they wanted to accomplish this season, and if they still do.

On the other hand, it's not like they haven't won three games in a row this season. Gut check time.

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The Jackets finally showed up and did what I was scared of them doing going into this series, but the Wings managed to match it just a bit better. It was a great game, especially since it looked like it might get out of hand early on when it was 3-1. Credit Ken Hitchcock with helping them learn a lesson about keeping their cool between games 3 and 4, because they looked a lot more comfortable even if they were still outmatched.

If the Sharks can't stage a gigantic comeback then this incarnation of the franchise might go down as the most underachieving the NHL has ever seen. Its a lack of mental toughness displayed in eerily similar fashion to the Bruins when a certain center who now plays for the Sharks was in Boston. I'm not solely blaming Joe for what appears to be another collapse, but he sure as shit doesn't help. His career numbers show one of the starkest dropoffs in point production and +/- of any player considered a star. There's something wrong in that locker room, and while Claude Lemieux wasn't the right guy to bring in, he might have been part of the right idea. However they've factored character and playoff experience into the acquisitions they make, they need to make it a priority in the off-season before all their talent gets too old to take advantage of a change in culture.

LoB - given their lack of effort and intensity in these games, can you feel me on the threat of teams blowing their load in regular season races and being out of gas in the playoffs because of it? Trust me, I've seen it so many times it almost makes me feel bad for them. Almost. :P

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I don't know if that is necessarily true. Blowing your load in the regular season sometimes works, sometimes not. Vancouver has been on a hot streak for months and it looks like they carried it through. So did Anaheim. Not so much for San Jose though. I think it has more to do with matchups than anything else.

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Put yourself in my shoes. I would rather watch a gutsy team never say die against an incredible foe than say, for example, watch an incredible team lose 3 out of four to a gutsy foe because of lack of heart in two of those losses. :sick:

Believe me LoB, I can totally relate. See below:

LoB - given their lack of effort and intensity in these games, can you feel me on the threat of teams blowing their load in regular season races and being out of gas in the playoffs because of it? Trust me, I've seen it so many times it almost makes me feel bad for them. Almost. :P

This has happened to the Wings SO many times (especially when it comes to goaltending). I can't count how many early departures from the playoffs I've seen the Wings make over the decades.

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I still don't know about this nebulous "blowing their load" as they never played above their skill level or with extra intensity, they were just consistently good. But in the playoffs, everyone raises their intensity, and the least I expected was for the Sharks to follow suit.

Yeah, statistically the Sharks are done. But right now, I'm thinking anything the Capitals can do to NY and King Henry, the Sharks can match against Anaheim and Hiller. Which is to say at minimum show some heart and make it exciting.

Edit: OK maybe Dan Boyle could score the goal that Ovechkin just did. Wow!

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