NHL: Playoff Edition

[Sirius]

I know Ovechkin looks fat in that picture, but FWIW the most in shape person I know has a gut close to that when he relaxes it, simply because his abs are that big and over-developed, and he's not a professional athlete.

[Swordfish]

I know Ovechkin looks fat in that picture, but FWIW the most in shape person I know has a gut close to that when he relaxes it, simply because his abs are that big and over-developed, and he's not a professional athlete.

Nah, he's straight up fat. There are tons of pictures out there...... It's not just the shape, he's sporting some major jiggle flab.

[Lord O' Bones]

Once again, the Sharks are winning this game everywhere but the score board.

Fuck it. New game. OVERTIME!

[Tyrion Lannister]

It feels like every other game in these playoffs has gone to overtime

I like it.

[Lord O' Bones]

Sharks win. 'Bout fucking time.

[Caligula_K]

Is this a typo, or do you actually think that Washington's defense is worse since we adopted a less aggressive approach? Because while the offense isn't scoring like it was, this Caps team looks to me like much more of a threat to win the East than they have in the last ten years. And the reason is the defense.

I could make predictions, but I don't know anything about the teams out West.

Haha, yes, complete typo. Defense is obviously much better nowadays- it's the offense that's been crippled. I don't agree that Washington is a better team than they were last year- their strengths are now just in different areas. I do think, though, that last year's Capitals were the most fun team the NHL has had since the glory days of Lemieux and Gretzky, and that they showed that fun, offensive hockey can be effective. It's why I slightly hate the fact that my Habs beat them in the first round last year (though obviously my happiness outweighs my sadness over that playoff run, ha), because it seems to have caused Washington to respond by becoming a defensive team, even though the only reason we won was because our defensemen blocked ridiculous numbers of shots and of course because Halak played as phenomenally as Patrick Roy. Goaltending was Washington's real issue in that series, not offense or even defense. Bring back Capitols hockey! Because daamn, some of those Rangers games bored me to death.

[Biter]

Sharks win. 'Bout fucking time.

Happy birthday, Benn Ferriero (He celebrated his 24th birthday by scoring that goal)!

[Week]

Weekapaugroove continues to be an asshole, the Sharks are not expected to win shit, and the entire sports world quakes with the normalcy of it all.

So who will surprise us this year? The Sharks? Weekapaug? No one at all?

:rolleyes: I didn't see the part where I attacked anyone on here personally. I'm not that petty (except for with people who think pitchers hitting makes baseball better :P).

Unfortunately, I do have to root for the Sharks because I still love Jumbo Joe. Playoff stiff that he is. Loved him in Boston still.

[Week]

Couple softies...time to pull the water boy and put in Leighton?

[Lord O' Bones]

:rolleyes: I didn't see the part where I attacked anyone on here personally. I'm not that petty (except for with people who think pitchers hitting makes baseball better :P).

Sometimes it's just implied. :grouphug:

Dick.

Unfortunately, I do have to root for the Sharks because I still love Jumbo Joe. Playoff stiff that he is. Loved him in Boston still.

I'm having a hard time figuring out how I feel about Philadelphia. Boucher is a fantastic guy if no longer a fantastic goalie, and Jody Shelley is a beast and I love them both for it.

But Chris Pronger.

[Week]

Wanker. :)

Bob is up. Gotta love putting in a goalie that hasn't dressed in 4 games.

[Lord O' Bones]

Nucks Preds. Let's get it on!

ETA:

A paid professional hockey analyst just informed me that the gap between a goaltender's legs is called the 5-hole.

During the semi-finals of the NHL playoffs..

*facepalm*

John Madden would be proud.

[Sirius]

So I'm just going to go right ahead and assume LoB is the exception here, but watching this Wings-Sharks game is reminding me how much I HATE Sharks fans. The crowd at the HP Pavilion comes across as some of the most ignorant and temperamental fans in hockey, and I remember thinking the same thing last year. I just watched a single shift, where Detroit had 2 perfectly clean hits where they knocked their man off the puck, and the crowd starts booing expecting a penalty call. And if this was the first time I'd noticed this I'd cut them some slack, but honestly it happens every time I watch a Sharks home game. What's up with the Pavilion crowd? Every, single, time. And it might just be the only rink that I notice it in, but it really seems to be San Jose-specific.

:bang:

</rant>

[Lord O' Bones]

All right. Serve held. Now steal one in the motor city.

So I'm just going to go right ahead and assume LoB is the exception here, but watching this Wings-Sharks game is reminding me how much I HATE Sharks fans. The crowd at the HP Pavilion comes across as some of the most ignorant and temperamental fans in hockey, and I remember thinking the same thing last year. I just watched a single shift, where Detroit had 2 perfectly clean hits where they knocked their man off the puck, and the crowd starts booing expecting a penalty call. And if this was the first time I'd noticed this I'd cut them some slack, but honestly it happens every time I watch a Sharks home game. What's up with the Pavilion crowd? Every, single, time. And it might just be the only rink that I notice it in, but it really seems to be San Jose-specific.

:bang:

</rant>

Maybe Blu-ray can speak to this as an objective observer, but I think if you went to the tank you'd find them to quite hockey intelligent. But one thing they've cultivated at the Tank, especially during the playoffs, is that they can be helpful by being LOUD. Players around the league admit that San Jose is one of the more intimidating places to play. I doubt they're booing a non-call, they're booing the hit on their guy. Because you can't just shout WOOO, YAY, and RANDOM NOISES all game, so to sustain the fervor and the LOUD they'll boo a play against Team Teal even if it's legal.

And you should see the silliness when Pronger is on the ice. If he has the puck the whole crowd is booing. Even on a touch pass for .2 seconds all you hear is a deafening Buh.

ETA: Or ask these guys.

Edit2: Also, everyone should watch

because it is several different kinds of awesome. I was at that game. What a fantastic night that was. Plus he addresses your rant towards the end.

Edit3: The Capitals seem to be utterly dominating Tampa Bay, but they have no answer for Roloson. That and an almost flawless Tampa PP at the end of the period has the Lightning up 1-0. The Caps need to get desperate and they need to do it soon.

Edit4: Well, that may be that. Crushing loss for Washington. As much as I want to believe a 2-0 series lead is insurmountable, I know it's not. But Washington (and Detroit) have to be dismayed at this point.

[Habber]

I've always thought of SJ fans as being quite intelligent for not being in a cold weather climate. Then again I don't watch a hell a lot of their games but most posters on hockey sites seem to be very balanced, honest and fair. Even near the best in the league I found. Having a great team but never winning may do that to them.

[Sirius]

I've started to wonder if it just doesn't have to do with wear the mic's/cameras are set up in the rink there. Possibly more crowd noise = more noticeable booing. Still pisses me off every time I watch a game being played there :)

[Lord O' Bones]

I've started to wonder if it just doesn't have to do with wear the mic's/cameras are set up in the rink there. Possibly more crowd noise = more noticeable booing. Still pisses me off every time I watch a game being played there :)

Get used to it. I expect plenty more Sharks wins this post-season.

[Tyrion Lannister]

Get used to it. I expect plenty more Sharks wins this post-season.

I sure hope you're wrong. Unless the Canucks get bounced by the Preds in this round, in which case I don't really care what happens next.

[BLU-RAY]

I've started to wonder if it just doesn't have to do with wear the mic's/cameras are set up in the rink there. Possibly more crowd noise = more noticeable booing. Still pisses me off every time I watch a game being played there :)

I think there's a really good chance that this is the case. Most of the hockey games I've attended have been at Madison Square Garden or the Prudential Center, but the ones I've been to at the Shark Tank... the crowd is just fucking loud, all the damn time. San Jose hockey has its foibles (mainly shitty ice due to the arena being kept a couple degrees too warm), but I don't think they are any worse than any other arena re: trying to sway the refs.

[Demonblade]

I've only seen a few Sharks games over the years (living in the middle of Canada and not having any NHL-specific TV packages will do that), but I, too, have noticed the loudness of the crowds there. I see it as a good thing, personally. Some of the games that they do broadcast up here (Calgary comes to mind) has the game playing amongst a polite, subdued crowd, which either tells me that the people who are attending the game are not that engaged to the best hockey in the world, or that they are simply less enthusiastic than other crowds. I think the more animated crowd, the better. Playoff games for the Manitoba Moose are actually pretty entertaining, especially when they open up the upper-bowl seats. Why? Because the crowd is really into it and the place is nuts. Having to watch a shitty AHL game does not take away anybody's enthusiasm, which makes for a great hockey experience.

In other news, the Caps are in a little hot water, being down 0-2 and playing the next two games in Tampa. But I think they were robbed in those two games, and if they keep playing the way they've been playing, they should still come out on top. That TB goal which bounced off of Green's skate was just pure luck and really made all the difference in that game.