Official 10-11 NHL Playoff Thread

[philou21]

What a weird timing to announce that.


<----Still not used to that.

[Danny]

Good start for the Canucks, the Bruins looking way too nervous so far.

[Danny]

well that came out of nowhere wtg Bergy

[batdad]

Advantage Boston. Clutch, grab, hook, slash, hold, interfere. All present on BOTH sides in this game, and not being called. There have been at least 10 instances that have been let go. The most egregious being the Higgins on Chara and the Bergeron slash on Kesler.

Apparently the NHL believes the only penalties that should be called are Flip over glass, high stick with blood and head removal.

That is not good for the league.

[batdad]

That Marchand is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE. This is Mike Richards on steroids.

[Danny]

Advantage Boston. Clutch, grab, hook, slash, hold, interfere. All present on BOTH sides in this game, and not being called. There have been at least 10 instances that have been let go. The most egregious being the Higgins on Chara and the Bergeron slash on Kesler.

Apparently the NHL believes the only penalties that should be called are Flip over glass, high stick with blood and head removal.

That is not good for the league.

Except that Boston's special teams have been better so far. More shorties than the Nucks PP.

[batdad]

No I don't mean advantage Boston because of the special teams. I mean advantage Boston because this allows them to just play with rhythm and do what they want with the lead. Dump chase protect. Refs calling penalties normally means that flow is disrupted and rolling 4 dump it out dump it in lines, does not work.

And...there goes the scansion again. Same spot as Canucks benefitted from vs San Jose...opposite direction. Nice effort from Bergeron.

Canucks are playing well. Thomas is playing better...and so is Marchand. Chara feet in stick on everything.

That is the cup folks. Congrats to the B's.

[Danny]

heh quit jinxing. Not over yet.

[Danny]

Tears...for the first time since my granpa's funeral. I'm out for a few days. Thanks Nucks for an exciting hatred filled series.
I so would love to be Marchand's agent now.

[Círyatan]

And the better team won.

Marchand was outstanding, so was Thomas, Bergeron and Recchi were very very good. A confident performance from a poised group of players. Great effort, guys.

Bobby Lou had a good night, unlucky for him to let that three in. Kesler with the most heart for the Canucks, was really flying today. Defence must be badly hurt, towards the end Edler looked like he couldn't skate any longer.

Congratulations to the Bruins! Better team on the night won.

Me, I'm going to celebrate a good season's performance from the Canucks and the best result since I'm a fan (the dying days of the West Coast Express, so not long). Next year's gonna be better.

[Midas]

Really choked right now. Riots downtown, Canucks couldn't mount an offense if their life depended on it. A final tomorrow.

Congrats to the B's for a much deserved win and a much classier group of fans on here than hfboards. I don't think I'll be going back on there for a couple of months.

[racicot]

Every time the Bruins won a game, I cursed the day this article was written. As soon as I saw it published, I knew they were destined to win.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc ... nhl-wp2780

I'm in shock. My lovable playoff chokers/nemesis just won the cup, and I feel awful. The fact is, though, that in the last 5 games, they made the Nucks look like the Islanders. No goaltending, tons of defensive breakdown and an offense as potent as an arrowroot cookie. I don't even know what to say.

I can take some solace knowing that Montreal gave this team a much better fight.



As a side note- this is an exact copy of my comment on that article
As a habs fan, this series as been far from embarrassing for the Bruins. Both games have been within two goals and although the habs have kept them to the outside, Boston has pretty much controlled the play. If Boston can stop the defensive zone turnovers while breaking out of the zone, they will win (convincingly) in game 3. This series is far from over; in fact, I think the Bruins will still win. Memories of Carolina in 06 are still swirling in my head, where Montreal took two on the road in Raleigh only to lose 4 straight. Carolina went on to win the Cup, go figure.

[bestrafer7]

Great win for Boston. A true underdog winner here. Great for Tim Thomas, he played the best year of any goaltender in the history of the game.

[philou21]

Well the better team won that's for sure. Congrats the B's! Canucks were awful after the third goal, they really gave up, too bad they were showing good things in the first....

At least I got a part I always like in the Stanley Cup final, Bettman being booed by everyone single person in the arena, good job Vcr fans! Also nice behavior by them, they made a nice ovation at the end, they even applauds when Thomas was named MVP and took the Conn Smythe. I even saw some fans stopping idiots who were throwning things on the ice!

That Thomas, oh boy, what a long, hard road he got. That's just awesome, I'm really happy that this guy won the Cup, he deserves it so much. I have great respect for him, he worked hard, he loves playing hockey and he really enjoy and earned what happens to him. Despite how I hate Chara, I can't take off that smile from my face when he took the Cup, he was looking soooooo happy. I can't really understand how they feel but it must be awesome. I like seeing the players take the Cup and just going crazy, you finally got it boy......Also happy for Julien, he must be happy that Mtl fired him a couple of years ago.

[batdad]

Why are my posts not showing? Where did they go.. I posted twice.

Danny-That was not a jinx thing. I actually believed it. And I did kind of believe it after games 4 and again game 6. Boston with Thomas in net was pretty much unbeatable. Boston with anyone other than Thomas in net...dead meat way back against Montreal.

Congrats Boston!
Boo classless Vancouver people both inside and outside arena. Jerk offs. Not as classless as 1994 mind you. Just a few idiots burning a couple cars and a garbage container. Idjits. Vancouver gonna go back to no fun city thanks to you guys.

Daniel--Boo, pulling out the injury and adversity line right off the bat. Disgusting. I won't be pulling for your team again...that was hideous. Okay I prolly lie. hard to grow up in a city and not have hope for their team.

Boston-Thomas...you are a god in this playoff run. Without you, Canucks would never have played your team. You are the team. Yes others such as Horton and Marchand and Chara help, but without your play...if you even play average..your team lost in the first round. Unreal.

Chicago-Be happy...your worst enemy is not on the Cup beside you.

Edler played tonight with two broken fingers. Could barely hold the stick (must have dropped it a half dozen times)
Kesler--heart and sole. He and Bieksa stand out as guys to me who WANTED to make a difference.

In rink fans-I hate that Bettman was booed...and I especially hate could hardly hear his speeches to Thomas the Bruins and Chara. But at least they stopped in time to cheer them when they got the trophies. Loved the ovations for Chara, Thomas, Looch and Recchi. Well done

AV--Atta boy. Asked about injuries by some reporters and said...they are all fine. Not an excuse if they were not. They are fine.

NHL--You have a major problem. You call all the clutch and grab and rubbish during the season and playoffs. Then in the final it is totally different. This is totally offputting for all but the fans of the team that just won the cup. Noone has any idea now what type of team it takes to win. Big and dirty? fast and dirty? What does it take? Clearly to win the cup..big and dirty wins. Absolutely ridiculous.

Again refs and NHL not the reason Boston won. Boston won because they played well enough in front of a goalie who has been outstanding all year and maintained his outstanding level of play. Vancouver and its goalie--not so much.

And Philou-I cannot believe I am adding this in...two references in the same day. But Chara....HE LOOKS LIKE BORAT on ROIDS with that beard and smile.

[batdad]

Okay the morons are winning. it is becoming a riot for sure. Turned over cars, cars being jumped on, tear gas, sound bombs, people jumping and kicking and smashing police cars. This is hideous and disgusting.

Our city did so much work to present itself last year, and it is now all ruined and destroyed by a few 100 morons. There are 100,000 people downtown tonight. Most of those are just fine, and are heading home. Now there are 100s of idiots. smashing business windows as well. Idjits everywhere.

I hate this. I hope that this city never gets another event of any magnitude. THere are too many losers here. Makes me want to leave.

[Jypfan92]

Congrats, Bruins!

[eric1985]

First.. Congrats to Boston, The better team won. No excuses. They just plain won.
Second - As a diehard fan and someone who grew up in Van I agree with Batdad, Im so disgusted with the idjits in Vancouver. Bunch of morons who prolly didnt care for the game and figured it would be a great time for idiotic violence. I actually hope some of the idjits got hurt, and feel horrible for the innocents who prolly got hurt. Glad i left the city. Way to go Thomas, You carried ur team like no one else could. You deserved the cup and the Conn Smythe.

[bruins72]

Last night was the third happiest day of my life (behind my wedding day and the birth of my sons). I was born in 1972, months after their last Cup win. I started watching the Bruins pretty religiously in 1982. I remember them coming close to winning it a couple times but I had almost resigned myself to the idea that I would never see a Cup win for the B's. Seeing Bourque win with Colorado was as close as I would get.

And now they've done it! I couldn't be happier!

Tim Thomas was an absolute MONSTER throughout the whole season and playoffs. I just love everything about the guy. What makes his accomplishments even more impressive is that he wasn't a starting goalie in the NHL until he was 32. He was a guy struggling to just earn a living playing hockey. He won the Vezina a couple years ago and then had an off season last year due to injury. Everyone wrote him off and declared Rask the new Bruins starter (including me). Many of us wanted to get rid of him due to his high cap hit (including me). He proved everyone wrong!

Marchand really made a name for himself with this year's playoff run. Boston fans had gotten a glimpse of this over the course of the season and had grown to love the little pest but he really turned it on in the playoffs. He had 20 goals in the regular season an 10 goals in the playoffs! That's clutch! And Bergeron cemented his status as a consummate Bruin. One of my favorite images of last nights game was from the final minutes of the game and Recchi is sitting between Bergeron and Marchand with his arms around them, pulling them in for a big hug. That line was special and the old man used every last drop left in his tank to be able to kiss The Cup once more. His leadership and influence really helped these young guys.

I loved Horton's gesture before the game. He brought a bottle of water from Boston and emptied it on the Vancouver ice so the boys could play on home ice. He's been a great addition to this team and he "gets it". Getting traded to Boston has been the best thing for him and his career. Whenever he's interviewed in Boston, he's just so happy to be there. You can tell it's genuine.

So now the Bruins have landed back in Boston with The Cup. In another week or so we've got the draft and the 9th overall pick. Also, we've got almost our entire team still under contract. It's a good time to be a Bruins fan!

[Loosie]

Congrats to the Bruins. The rioting idiots can go to hell (just the rioters not all Canucks fans)

[philou21]

Okay the morons are winning. it is becoming a riot for sure. Turned over cars, cars being jumped on, tear gas, sound bombs, people jumping and kicking and smashing police cars. This is hideous and disgusting.

Our city did so much work to present itself last year, and it is now all ruined and destroyed by a few 100 morons. There are 100,000 people downtown tonight. Most of those are just fine, and are heading home. Now there are 100s of idiots. smashing business windows as well. Idjits everywhere.

I hate this. I hope that this city never gets another event of any magnitude. THere are too many losers here. Makes me want to leave.

Is this reminds you of something? Like Vcr fans are die-hard ones but in the bunch there is some idiots? Just like the city who host the team I got in my avatar? Back a couple years ago when Mtl beat Boston and this IN THE FIRST ROUND, same thing happened. This is classless like you said, it's complete rubbish. A bunch of idiots, who like to do Adam Oates, jump on this occasion to start small riots and destroying a couples of cars/stores and because of this, in the NHL people will think that the REAL fans are responsible for this.

Oh and Bor....ugh Chara, darn he reeally look like him.

[batdad]

B72--I wish I could say I know how you feel! I was born in 1969. The year the Canucks came into the league. For 2.5 decades I was wishing I could feel the way you feel now for "my team". 1994 changed that, Bertuzzi changed that, and now 2011 has changed that. I found myself cheering as a Canuck fan, and actually believing it might happen, for the first time in my entire life. 1982 and 1994 I never believed they would. This year...they started to make me believe. Then I saw the way they acted in game 1 against Boston, and I went back to normal even though the Nucks won.

Marchand-Is an ass, and despite what some B fans say..he will not stand up against bigger guys. Picks on the skills. He is a rat, he admits he is a rat. But he is one heck of a player. Much like Esa Tikkanen and Ken Linseman were. Great players who happened to be rats. He is a throwback. He is a rat who can play. There is only one other rat in the league who can play right now...that is Burrows. You only have room for one guy like that on a team, unless they can play. Could you imagine how annoying a Burrows-Kesler-Marchand line would be? Blech. SCore, yap, hit, slash, dash, bite, hair pull....

I particularly liked Thomas in the handshake. The hug for Kesler..that better stop people from chirping Ryan for the way he plays the game. Pure class guy. Pure nothing but desire. It won't stop those in Chicago and Calgary I know...but Ryan Kesler? He is the consumate hockey player...and ANYONE should strive to be just like him.

Bieksa-Heart on his sleeve. Dude worked his tail off last night, and did EVERYTHING he could last night. Too bad he will no longer be a Canuck.

Thomas--Great handshake pic of him with Luongo. He chatting away to Roberto, ROberto basically just nodding and trying to get away. Loser ROberto. I did not like his attitude last night.

LOOCH--Love his post game interview. Vancouver is special to him (Boston-you better not let him go UFA when it is time, because he will sign here in a second). He has won Mem Cup, World Jr, Stanley Cup, Canada-Russia series here. This dude is from here. He is a great great guy! Thanked like 100 friends from Vancouver as well as parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts...coaches. EVeryone except god. (Thank god).

Bergeron-Totally subpar series. Showed up last night (lucky break for his 2nd goal but still..got it).
Rechhi-Who can't love this guy. DAnny---YOu are a moron for wanting this guy scratched for Seguin. Everyone in Boston is a moron who wanted this guy scratched. He is something else.

Chara-Still looks like Borat! But he got his stick or feet on anything Danny and Henrik tried to do. Great job. Did it perfectly.

***RIOT: What is wrong with parents these days? These kids out there were 2-5 years old when the 1994 one happened. They should have learned from their parents how stupid this rubbish is. There is a story that the car that was lit on fire, was brought to the downtown core intentionally to burn it...win or lose. The dude who started it, had some accelerant with him. TOTALLY PLANNED OUT. Same with the guy who did the cop cars. BRUTAL.***
I really hope that noone died. Some guy fell from the bridge and hit a Rogers Centre ticket booth awning, and bounced to the ground. Brutal. Just brutal.

Anyway...I am now totally unsold and uninterested in anything Canuck again. I just cannot put my heart into it. Last night was a great game..the better team won (because a goalie is part of a team)...and happy for Looch, Chara, Thomas, Recchi....great stuff.

[philou21]

You are born in 69? You're younger than I thought! I thought you were about the same age as my parents. ( 55-56 )


I saw a couple of people talking in the streets of Vcr and alot of them were shocked about those riots. A girl even said that she don't want to be associated to Vancouver for a couple of days. I can understand that.

[McQwak]

Congratulations, BOSTON BRUINS! Now Krejci and Kaberle (I know this wasn't his best season...) will bring the Cup here

As for the riots in Vancouver - I know only one city where this can happen after a lost hockey game (philou will know).

[Loosie]

There were apperently two stabbings, and the guy who fell may have jumped. TSN reports that nearly 150 injuries were treated last night due to the riots.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369127