Official 10-11 NHL Playoff Thread

[Danny]

Well that was great, couldn't catch the Bruins game last night so I downloaded it, just wanted to check some news before watching, already had the file loaded in my player, and then I spoil it for myself here
Well I didn't know the exact outcome but it kinda became obivous after the last post.

[racicot]

Bruins started strong, Habs not. The third period was good to watch though, pretty depressing!

There. Previous post fixed by the habs fan...

[bruins72]

That was a step in the right direction last night. The B's started out pretty strong but it seemed that once the Habs scored, the Bruins were just trying not to lose instead of trying to go for the kill and finish them off. I need to see a killer instinct with them!

[racicot]

That was a step in the right direction last night. The B's started out pretty strong but it seemed that once the Habs scored, the Bruins were just trying not to lose instead of trying to go for the kill and finish them off. I need to see a killer instinct with them!

I wouldn't worry too much. The first period showed how the Bruins can play if they put their mind to it. They are bigger, stronger, have tons of forward depth and will win this series in 7 in my books. Let's be honest, Kelly, Marchand, Peverley and Campbell would all be second liners on the habs.

I am a die hard habs fan, but they have no business being here. Heart can only get you so far; you need skill at some point. I'm pretty convinced that Eller, Pyatt and White would be deep in the Providence depth chart.

There seems to be all this commotion going on by Bruins fans about how changes are necessary, calling for Julien and Chiarelli's head etc. I just don't get it. This team is deep, strong, skilled; they just didn't get a lucky break in the first two games after controlling the play. This team will be fine in the playoffs this year, and if the habs get lucky, they will still be the class of the Northeast for years to come.

[bruins72]

I'm on the "Fire Julien" bandwagon. He plays "his guys" too much when they really don't earn it. Why is Ryder even dressed in this series? And the way Julien has handled Seguin? Ugh! He just hasn't done right by the kid. Seguin should be playing right now instead of Ryder. Another problem with Julia is how he's just unwilling to make adjustments to his lines or his game plan until he's practically forced to. I think he's a good coach to bring a team up from the cellar and restore them to respectability but I don't think he's the kind of coach that can take a team to the elite level.

I'm not out for Chiarelli's head just yet but I can see where some folks might have some concern. He's been terrible at managing the cap. He's given out big contracts to players when maybe he shouldn't have. He's kind of handcuffed the team in regards to being able to make moves to improve. The only reason they were able to get Kaberle is because of Savard being on the long-term IR. If not for that, he wouldn't have had the cap space available to go after him.

[philou21]

Bruins started strong, Habs not. The third period was good to watch though, pretty depressing!

There. Previous post fixed by the habs fan...

That wasn't depressing. Habs played well and the game was exciting to watch, like a playoffs game should. Maybe it's because I'm not a Habs fan that I found it exciting and not depressing.

[racicot]

Why is Ryder even dressed in this series? And the way Julien has handled Seguin? Ugh! He just hasn't done right by the kid.

I'm not out for Chiarelli's head just yet but I can see where some folks might have some concern. He's been terrible at managing the cap. He's given out big contracts to players when maybe he shouldn't have.

I will agree with you on the first point. Seguin is a kid that should be on a scoring line and should have been in the lineup in game 3. I used to like Julien as a coach in Montreal, and was pretty upset that he was fired, however, after his random firing just prior to the playoffs in NJ, I don't know what to think of him.

As for Chiarelli, I think he is one of the best. He drafts well, I loved the Kessel trade as well as the Valabik/Peverley deal and although he is maxing the cap, a lot of other teams are too. Look at Montreal. They have Gionta, Gomez and Cammalleri tied up for 19.3 million until at least 2014. That's over 30% of their cap over the next three full seasons for a group of pint-sized forwards who either above 30 or quickly approaching (in Cammy's case). It's tough being a GM under the cap system in a big market; as there is a ton of pressure to bring in big guys so that your fans will be satisfied; and it often results in overpayment of players in a desperate attempt to outbid one another (see Ryder @ 4M). All in all, I think he's done a great job. Somehow, he has managed to have 2 all-star calibre goalies, Chara, Horton, Lucic, Bergeron, Kaberle, Kelly, Seguin, Recchi, Marchand, Campbell, Seidenberg, Krejci, Peverley and Paille on the same team. I think it's incredible. The only blemishes on the cap for next season is Thomas, who is a little expensive at 5 million for 2 more seasons methinks.

The best part for Bruins fans is that all of the dead weight is gone this offseason. Kaberle, Ryder, Recchi and Hnidy are the only UFAs; the core of this team is still fully intact.

[Danny]

You are making some good points racicot but keep in mind the Boston fanbase is just as bad as the Montreal/Toronto one when it comes to judging their players...and they usually have short memories. Lucic scores two "ZOMG HE'S NEELY V2.0" Lucic doesn't score for two games "OMG BUST SEND HIM TO PROVIDENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111". I agree with you about Chiarelli. I won't say he has done bad with the cap until the moment he has to dump very good players for nothing just to stay under. I would agree he's definitely one of the better GMs around.
I'm not sure about Julien though. I've been supportive of him but he's got to provide results at some point eventually, anything but a Conference Final appearance this season and I'll join the "fire Julien" bandwagon, enough is enough. B72 is spot on, he just seems like a perfect coach to get you from rubbish to good, not from good to great. I'm not so sure his firing in NJ was random, maybe there was something more behind it. Granted it didn't help that much since the Devils didn't exactly go on a great run that year, but it appears, except for sweeping the Habs two years ago, that everytime the Bruins are favourites they just don't deliver, regardless of personnel on the ice, and it just might be that he's too timid and cautious and his teams lack a certain killer instinct.
They did pretty well against the Habs 3 years ago as soon as they had nothing to lose but then completely blew game 7 with all the momentum in the world when all of a sudden they weren't the underdogs anymore, they choked against the Canes 2 years ago up until the point of being 3-1 down, when they seemingly had nothing to lose they tied the series only to choke on home ice in game 7. They were the lower seed with the worst offence in the league against Buffalo last year and they did well. They were considered underdogs going into the Flyers series and started out perfectly, as soon as they were up 3-0 the "OMG we must win this now at any cost" thinking kicked in and boom, le choke. Same this year, huge favourites to start the series and they play like rubbish, go with a 0-2 into Montreal with a lot of people expecting them to lose and suddenly they start scoring, lead for pretty much the whole game and win. And I don't think the coach is innocent on that one. They've got the talent and physicality to steamroll anyone, and they regularly do in the regular season, but as soon as games start to mean a lot he killer instinct seems to disappear.
I didn't mind Ryder over Seguin though, to begin the playoffs, he has been one of the Bruins top forwards in 3 out of 4 playoff series he's played with the Bs. But it's obviously not working since this time around he'd need a cardboard plane to hit the net.

[racicot]

I suppose you're right; everyone is critical of their own team's players. Hell, I guess I did the same thing by saying that Eller and Pyatt were rubbish in my previous post.

I suppose through year after year of playoff disappointments, you do have to turn the focus on the coach. I just feel they'd be doing a disservice to Julien if they fired him. He and Chiarelli pulled that team from nowhere to become perennial contenders right from 2008 onward; and the future is only looking brighter. Despite the fact that they've had their fair share of problems in the post-season, most notably the 3-0 Flyers collapse last year, I just feel like their best days are waiting in the wings. No time to panic and think that anything less than an ECF birth is unacceptable, because they are in a position to go just as far next season.

I understand, too, that you could argue if the team hasn't had that killer instinct in the past, that they might never get it unless changes are made. I guess that would be a reasonable justification for the Julien firing. If they collapse in Montreal and lose in 5, I would agree with the sacking. If they advance to the ECSF or get at least to game 7, they should give him another go next year.

But you guys are the fans, and have likely watched them more this year than I have, so perhaps I shouldn't suggest these things.

[Danny]

I'm not 100% sure on this but I believe Dave Lewis is still on the Bruins payroll, and that mistake is on Chia, so there's a decent chance you'll see Julien behind the Bruins bench regardless of what happens this year. I doubt Jacobs wants to be paying three head coaches

[racicot]

Ha, Dave Lewis. That guy's mustache always made me uncomfortable.

If I remember correctly (and I likely don't),he managed to do the unthinkable: he took the defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings and had them swept by the 7th seed ducks in the first round in 2003. No wonder Boston hired him; he's a keeper.

EDIT: Wait a minute, he would be on the payroll NEXT season? His last coaching season was 06-07!

[Danny]

Yeah you're probably right, he shouldn't really be on their payroll next year.

[bruins72]

Dave Lewis was on the payroll still this year but I think you're right about him being gone next year. Julien just renegotiated a new contract before this season or maybe it was the one before that?

Anyhow, Racicot was talking about reasons why Chiarelli was one of the best GMs. I wouldn't say he's anything special with drafting. Credit for the team's drafting should go to Scott Bradley, their Director of Player Personnel, has been the Bruins' draft mastermind for years. Also, Assistant GM Jim Benning has been credited as one of the best talent evaluators around. As for trades, he's a mixed bag. I don't give him too much credit for the Kessel trade because that trade was essentially what Burke forced him into. He had no choice in that deal. It just so happened to work out REALLY well for the Bruins. I will give him credit for the deal to get Peverley and Valabik. That was a nice deal. But then he overpaid incredibly for Chris Kelly and also took on additional salary (around $2M I think) that the team is still on the hook for next season. He also overpaid to get Kaberle. I was okay with that at the time the deal was made but still thought it was an over-payment. And the reason he did that was because he came out empty-handed at the trade deadline for the last couple years when he was looking to add to the team. He's made a few minor trades that seemed to have worked out (acquiring McQuaid, Boychuk, Kampfer, Bartkowski, and Cohen in minor deals to shore up the defensive depth pool). But then you've got deals like trading Bochenski for Versteeg. Or making the trade for Manny Fernandez and taking on his big salary. He's a mixed bag when it comes to trading. And the contracts, he just re-signs everyone. He re-signed an oft-injured Ference for above market value even though he wasn't competing with anyone to sign him. He also re-signed young players that would have been RFA's for above market value at the time. Even though he's earning it now, most people thought he paid Lucic too much at the time. He's so afraid of losing players he rushes to get them under contract.

All that being said, I think Chiarelli has done better since Neely became him boss and has guided him. I'm not looking to can him. Julien on the other hand, I'm ready to move on from him.

[racicot]

Very fair response. I totally forgot about Manny Fernandez backing up Thomas for a couple of years, although admittedly, it was a pretty forgettable signing. Kaberle was most definitely an overpayment even if he played to his potential, however no one could have foreseen how poorly he has played lately. As for Bochenski, that was bad too, but hindsight's 20/20 and a lot of teams were high on Bochenski in his younger days (incidentally, isn't he a beast on EHM07?) plus they turned him around for Hnidy in a trade with the Ducks.

On another note, if anyone stayed up for the Sharks/Kings game last night it was totally worth it (and I'm in the Atlantic time zone!). What a game. Down 4-0 in the 2nd and it's tied at 5 by the 2nd intermission. Sharks just flipped a switch and decided not to suck all of a sudden.

[philou21]

I was already sleeping when the game started. To bad I would've prefered to watch this one instead of the Nucks game.

[racicot]

Some random opinions/thoughts about yesterday's hockey games:

Game #1 Phoenix/Detroit
-Who knows if the Phoenix players were actually concerned about the ownership debacle to a point where it affected their play, but one thing is certain, it was the first excuse in almost all post-game interviews. One could argue that the potential move could be used as a motivational tool rather than a hindrance, however, having to move your kids from Phoenix to Winnipeg would be a pretty big concern. Imagine someone like Shane Doan's wife and kids, who have known nothing but Phoenix being asked to hightail it up to Winnipeg (in Winter no less); it would be a rude awakening.

Game #2- Washington NYR
A four-goal comeback on Tuesday and a 3 goal comeback on Wednesday, what is going on? The first couple of days of the playoffs had virtually no goals, so this sudden shift in goal scoring comes as a surprise. On a separate note- the crowd was chanting "can you hear us?" to Bruce Boudreau after the Rangers took the lead 3-0 because of his earlier comments about fans at MSG. I would have LOVED to have heard the fans at the garden after Chimera's OT winner (or should I say Gaborik's OT loser?)

Game #3-Anaheim and Nashville
1- The big news story here is that there is a team in Nashville. When did that happen!?
2- Didn't watch it, didn't care to either. So I can't comment on it.
2.5....nuts Carrie Underwood was probably there. Maybe I should have watched it.

Game #4-Buffalo Philadelphia
Anyone else think that Mike Richards 5 minute elbowing penalty was awful? Honestly, I'm not a Mike Richards fan, especially after his hit to David Booth, but that was crazy. Kaleta takes a run at him and he flinches in self defense for a 5 minute major?! I'm not even certain a minor penalty was warranted. As for Buffalo, this is how they have to play if they want to win the series. If they keep trying to get into run and gun matches with the Flyers, they will lose like they did in game 2. This is turning into one of the most evenly matched series on the schedule.

Game #5- Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh
You have to feel bad for Roloson. He makes 50 saves but lets in a complete softy to James Neal in 2OT. I also got wind of a news story that FOX Tampa is going to have a new game show called "Where in the World is Steven Stamkos?". (Hopefully you get the Carmen San Diego reference, but seeing as most of you are from Europe or Quebec, you likely won't! )

General Thoughts:
Anyone else think this headshot business has gotten out of control? The hits on the ice are the same, but people are suddenly freaking out about any check that is thrown. I'm all for player safety, but we have to realize that things happen fast. A guy's head can duck, or he can spin into the boards, making what was intended to be a clean hit look fairly dirty. You used to have to pull a Kyle McLaren-esque hit to get suspended, but now a basic 2 minute elbowing minor results in a 3 game suspension.

If you look at Scott Stevens, he was supposedly one of the games best hitters. If you watch footage of his hits, many would be suspendable offenses now

[philou21]

I can understand why some players will hate to go to Winnipeg but at the same time......shut up! They still got their millions in their pocket so go play where you should and shut up. They wants millions plus a hot/sunny place at the same time, take your retirement instead.


About the headshot we ( I speak for the fans ) just need to be more careful. Maybe it's normal to freak out when the hit happen but try to watch the replay 2-3 times before saying rubbish or anything. I always wanna watch the replay and I can tell this changed some of my thoughts a couple of times.


I haven't seen well Richards 5 min but I was really thinking why did he got that?


Oh and let Stamkos alone.....it's still his first playoffs ever in the NHL. Your quote is funny though!

[racicot]

I can understand why some players will hate to go to Winnipeg but at the same time......shut up! They still got their millions in their pocket so go play where you should and shut up. They wants millions plus a hot/sunny place at the same time, take your retirement instead!

Agreed. I too, want to see another Canadian hockey team, but I think we can agree it would be a pain as a player under contract to be relocated from Phoenix to Winnipeg. I don't think you could have two cities be so terribly different. However, I guess it's really the same as a player being traded from Florida to Calgary, so maybe I don't have an argument here.

[bruins72]

Changing locations is a part of the business. Players should always be prepared to move their families. Some players have their family stay in one place and then during the hockey season they'll leave their family and get an apartment in the city they play in. That way they don't uproot their family. Of course, if you're a player like Doan that has spent so long in one place and your family has put down roots, I can see it being a concern.

Either way, I don't think it was fair for the story of a potential team move to have come out when the team is in the middle of a playoffs series. It's an unwanted distraction. I remember back in the 90's when the Patriots were facing the Packers in the Super Bowl, there was a story (which turned out to be quite true) that Patriots coach Bill Parcells was in negotiations to take over as coach of the NY Jets. It became a MAJOR distraction to the team.

[batdad]

Dude--The moving Phoenix story did not just come out. I know you know that. This is not a story that should have made any difference at all to the players. It is a lame ass excuse for losing to a better team. The players have had the Winnipeg stuff in the back of their heads for some time now. In fact, the players and coaches were given EXTRA credit for doing so well last season because of the story. Tippett partially won coach of the year for it.

The boys in Phoenix have been listening to this Winnipeg story for 2 plus years now. So any whining about it should be nipped in the bud. Many guys still signed deals with Phoenix even after knowing it was a possibility, and perhaps even a probability Winterpeg was going to happen.

And Shane Doan? Sorry...not feeling sorry for him. He could have asked out at any time in the last 15 years and has not. Back to Winterpeg with ya Shane. And I hope your family enjoys it. You only have 1 or 2 more years left anyway. Too bad you built a house. But you started building it AFTER the rumours started about the move and AFTER the ownership problem began. No whining about that bud.

[philou21]

At least if they move out he didn't last 1 or 2 years with the team, it's been 15 now! So it's not that bad. I know it sucks to move for the kids and other things but it happen all years with other families too. I'm not worry for him anyway and I don't care.


Tonight game is really important for both Habs and Bruins. Even though I've put Boston in 7, I'm starting to think that if the Habs take the lead 3-1 the series will go for MTL but if Bruins ties it, the Habs are done.

[mark_htfc]

Thomas keeps up at 1-1 with some great saves, only for his defence to allow an easy score

[philou21]

Why did you said? It's 3-1 now and Thomas seem to be really widdled off. I almost feel sad for him, been booed by 21 000 people.

[mark_htfc]

Still a long way to go in this game but we can't afford to keep getting outshot. If we lose this, our season is over . I can't believe how easy we gave those two goals away, if it wasn't for Thomas this game would be over already.

[philou21]

3-2 now. Those two goals by the Bruins were almost at the same place, aiming at the same corner, they should keep shot there.