NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs

[BLU-RAY]

I can still see in my mind's eye Sakic rushing the cup into 77's hands and hear Gary Thorne: "RAYMOND BOURQUE!" I admit I teared up a bit, and I hated the Avalanche. Good times.

As I'm still working from the fiction that as go the Caps, so go the Sharks *knock on wood, tosses salt over shoulder, flips cap inside out* I'm still rooting for them to pull out the series win. But the more I hear about the Tortorella incident, the more potentially annoyed I am. If, as Glan Sather says, they were being spit upon, security should have shut that shit down.

Also, after some time has passed, with consideration and rewatching much of the game, and now being removed from the passion of the moment, I still say that the officiating in last night's game was at best sub par.

Yeah, I was really, really happy for Bourque that year. Absolute goosebumps moment.

The Torts thing is ridiculous, and frankly, I feel like fans generally get what they deserve in these sorts of situations. He should've probably kept his cool better, but like you say, fans like that should be dealt with. People are assholes sometimes.

Regardless, though, Sather needs to get fired.

Edit: I can spell and shit.

[TheHoundRules]

I'm really not sure how this heartless Rangers team managed to win one game against Washington, let alone 3.

Game 6. One win away from advancing. Playing at home before a crazy fan base. What do they do? Fail to show up. Caps force a game 7.

[Biter]

Goaltending is important in the playoffs, but it's also overrated. People make a huge deal about having a great goalie and riding the hot goaltender in the playoffs, and it's a factor, but one goalie is just not gonna make you a cup champ. I can't remember the last time a team won the Cup based entirely on the strength of its goaltending.

I didn't have to read even one word of your summaries of the Cup winners, when the question is "Who won it solely on goaltending?" the answer is, as you said, Roy in '93. If things had turned out different, it could have been Hasek in '99, but it didn't.

The '86 Habs had Claude Lemieux, Mats Näslund, Robinson, Chelios, Bobby Smith, Gainey who gave it their all.

Seven years later, they still had some good forwards, but on D? Desjardins, Haller, Odelein? In the end, that playoff year was all about one guy playing for Montreal and one guy playing for L.A.

[Brandon Stark]

Great effort by the guys SJ fans have been waiting on all series. If the Sharks take game 6 I'll be surprised if they don't take 7 also, now that the fan base is going to be as energized as they've been all year.

Sweeping is great for resting injuries and whatnot...but as a fan it kinda sucks.

[Lord O' Bones]

Epic start. Let's keep it going boys!

Edit: Goddamnit! *sigh* Now we get to see if it's even within the realm of possibility that the Sharks can come back from a two goal deficit in 25 minutes against this Ducks team. I'm guessing no.

Edit2: Aaaaaand starting the third period on the PK is not gonna help. :bang: Why in hell didn't you fight Perry, Cheechoo? You didn't want to pull one of their biggest threats off the ice for five minutes? Props to little Joe for manning up though.

[BLU-RAY]

Epic start. Let's keep it going boys!

Edit: Goddamnit! *sigh* Now we get to see if it's even within the realm of possibility that the Sharks can come back from a two goal deficit in 25 minutes against this Ducks team. I'm guessing no.

Edit2: Aaaaaand starting the third period on the PK is not gonna help. :bang: Why in hell didn't you fight Perry, Cheechoo? You didn't want to pull one of their biggest threats off the ice for five minutes? Props to little Joe for manning up though.

Mmm, Anaheim looked dangerous on that PP, too. Nabokov kept the game within reach.

Well, that's the dagger. Just too much hustle from Anaheim in this 3rd for the Sharks to overcome. Not that the Sharks looked particularly lackluster, they had some chances, but the Ducks just looked hungry.

[Lord O' Bones]

Well, that's that.

Let's go Giants! *clap clap clapclapclap*

*sigh*

[Celtigo]

Well, that's that.

Let's go Giants! *clap clap clapclapclap*

*sigh*

Good luck with that. This is the worst run for the Bay Area's collective sports teams I can remember. I'm just setting the clock forward to a 9-4 Cal football season or something along those lines.

[BLU-RAY]

Well, that's that.

Let's go Giants! *clap clap clapclapclap*

*sigh*

Sorry, man. :(

[Demonblade]

The Sharks sure shit all over the bed tonight. How the fuck do they expect to win when they won't even get off the goddamn boards when they're in the Ducks' zone? You can't win when you only shoot from shitty angles and/or you make safe passes that doesn't spread around the Ducks' defense. Bullshit.

[Lord O' Bones]

Sorry, man. :(

Heh, thanks. :)

My only real concern is if that was Roenick's last game, that's going to be downright disgusting. Otherwise, Biter's statistics are encouraging and the team will mostly be intact next year.

I've got a fun Chicago team to watch, I don't hate Vancouver, and I have rare chance to root for Detroit.

Boston, Pittsburgh, and hopefully Washington are loads of fun to watch, and I don't hate Carolina either. It should still be one hell of a playoff.

[Caligula_K]

Wow, it's really hard to believe that the Sharks are out in the first round. They have a habit of choking, but not usually this early, and the amount of ass they kicked this season suggested they'd go far. Kudos to Anaheim and particularly Hiller.

And I like Calgary and all, but good on Chicago tonight. It's nice to see those teams that never make it to the playoffs go to the second round.

[Biter]

As usual, when the Sharks fail, I support any team with swedes on the roster. This year, that means any team except the Pens or Ducks.

Red Wings: A whole bunch of Swedes

Canucks: Sedins, Sundin, Öhlund, Edler

Blackhawks: PÃ¥hlsson, Hjalmarsson

Bruins: Axelsson

Capitals: Bäckström, Nylander / Rangers: Lundqvist, Näslund, Sjöström

Devils: Oduya, Hävelid / Hurricanes: Wallin

[Arakasi]

Calgary outshoots Chicago by a 3-1 factor and lost 4-1. Well Kipper is good but he needs to get back close to his previous level. Maybe its overuse, or maybe it is just he is in decline, but whatever it is it needs to be fixed or addressed. Him playing at the level he is now will never get Calgary anywhere.

I would disagree with what was said about goaltending up thread. Goaltending has a big impact on the playoffs and who wins the cup. Now true its often the best team in the end that wins the cup, but many times they end up playing an underdog in the finals who got there because of hot goaltending, thus making the final easier for them. Kip in 04, Giguerre when the Ducks lost in the final, the first time Carolina got to the finals and so on. Many early round upsets are pulled off because of superior goalies.

[BlueRose]

Sorry about your Sharks LoB.

Vancouver draws Chicago for the next round, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. But hopefully our guys are all healed and we can get a lot of traffic to the net. I also hope that there are no team wide brawls involving hair pulling :lol:

Hiller continues to amaze me. He is the only goalie in the west that looks like he's having a really fun time. I have no doubt that other goalies (like Luongo) are having fun too, but Hiller is laughing and smiling and just looks like this is the time of his life.

[Brandon Stark]

Red Wings: A whole bunch of Swedes

'm really impressed with Jonathan Ericsson so far.

For the record, its Franzen, Holmstrom, Samuelsson, Zetterberg, Ericsson, Kronwall, Lilja, and Lidstrom. Why are you even bothering with the other teams?

Think European scouting might have a little to do with Detroit's perennial success?

LoB, I'm glad we didn't have to go head to head in a series, but I'm sorry for you that your team took a dump so early. I'm also sorry for me that we have to play this Ducks team that I was hoping your guys would take care of. Its going to be a long off-season for SJ while they try to figure out how to fix things - I think its only bad for the franchise if they stand pat. Joe tried his best to be leader in the last few games, but it doesn't feel like anyone followed.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

As usual, when the Sharks fail, I support any team with swedes on the roster. This year, that means any team except the Pens or Ducks.

Red Wings: A whole bunch of Swedes

Canucks: Sedins, Sundin, Öhlund, Edler

Blackhawks: PÃ¥hlsson, Hjalmarsson

Bruins: Axelsson

Capitals: Bäckström, Nylander / Rangers: Lundqvist, Näslund, Sjöström

Devils: Oduya, Hävelid / Hurricanes: Wallin

Wallin is the 'Canes underappreciated secret weapon from the D-line, who always makes pivotal plays at clutch times.

[TheHoundRules]

Caps advance. A great game.

San Jose disappoints. My stanley cup matchup at the beginning of the season is done. Both teams lose in round one....SJ and Montreal.

[TheHoundRules]

Carolina scores 2 goals in the last 1:20 of the 3rd to win and advance. Wow!

First round is over. I finished 7 of 8. Missed on San Jose.

[Lord O' Bones]

Wow! What a finish! Go 'canes!