Official 2006 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Talk *SPOILERS!*

Post by **inSTAALed** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:07 pm

Sometimes having front row seats to the playoff games sucks

Post by **Minstrel** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:08 am

It was a great game though! As our Hawk broadcaster Pat Foley always says at the end of most games Hawk losses, especially tough ones, "Well, we hope you enjoyed the game in spite of the outcome"

Boy this Ottawa/TB series is getting wild... yet another game in which a team has thrown a snowman up on thier opponent as this thing is 8-4 Ottawa in a game that it's obvious that the message to TB is meant to be: "Just in case you think we can only beat you with skill we can also throw a beatdown on you as well if you'd care to test us." As there was an early-on near brawl even before the game got out of control score-wise. Chris Neil was shown telling Sean Burke "I've got you; you're next" after he'd gotten in a scuffle thinking TB was taking runs at Emery.

This thing ended though with an actual brawl featuring Chara vs Lecavalier as two of the combatants after a Varada hit from being into the boards on Fedotenko. It still neds to be pointed out however that Emery did still allow four goals (should have been five if not for a last minute goal being overturned via review) and no matter how much Ottawa wants to say they can score and play physical you still need someone to stop the other team from scoring at will. The only reason they may make it out of the first round is they have actually met up with one of the teams that has just as many problems in goal as they do. Put this team against an opposing goaltender that can keep them to three goals or so and they are going down.

Post by **Minstrel** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:52 am

ANA v CGY is a real war in the first... tons of hitting, great intensity.

Two things if you aren't very well aquainted with Anaheim:

1. Corey Perry is just rediculous wOw, this kid is awesome! I love moments when you see a player make a play, even if it's just a quick move where you see they have grasped the concept that they always have more time than it seems. That is the mark of a true superstar/elite player, what they do in those extra moments is what can be the difference in a game. Perry was getting blasted regualrly as Calgary continues to test him with hits whenever they can but the kid is unflappable and still has shown that amazing sense almost like he can see a second ahead.

2. If you don't know who Francois Beauchemin is now, you will soon. He's the guy that people watching a game will end up saying something like "Who is that guy out there with the scary freakin CANNON from the point??"

darn can he fire the puck. He took a point shot today that was literally right in Kipper's left ear; it was so hard it took his mask off and almost propelled it into the net. His shot and Scott Niedermayer's presence/passing? I'll take that duo on my team any day.

flea · Post by **flea** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:12 am

Well, for everybody who thought the RedWings would have a quite easy series against the Oilers:

The Oilers just took the third game of their series in double OT by 4-3....putting ahead by 2-1 in the series!!! Stoll scored the gamewinner, following a chance by Sergei Samsonov and Horcoff.

WATCH OUT DETROIT!!!

Post by **Minstrel** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:27 am

I would not be one of those people btw

but yeah it only took until like 1 am but they finally sealed the deal!

We almost had another 'netgate' incident too! Detroit "scored" from quite literally an impossible angle about a foot behind the goal line at one point in the overtime but it was because the bottom of the net had a gap and the puck went under it, hit the back of the net and bounced out (and the net was hung up a bit as well). Anyone else remember when John LeClair literally put one through the side of the net? The it was one of those "Okay, how the hell did that go in??" things too until the replay showed it broke through the side of the net and ended up in the goal.

In the end btw PHI and OTT combined for 129 PIM tonight

including this portion of the boxscore:

17:43 V Varada (double minor boarding, hooking)
17:43 Z Chara (major fighting)
17:43 D Heatley (major fighting)
17:43 A Meszaros (misconduct)
17:43 M Fisher (misconduct)
17:43 P Kubina (misconduct)
17:43 R Craig (misconduct)
17:43 N Pratt (major fighting)
17:43 R Fedotenko (misconduct)
17:43 V Lecavalier (major fighting)

Dingman got an instigator landing him a misconduct too so I'm absolutely positive that is the first and last playoff game that will feature both six misconducts and five (should be six if not for the bad waive-off late) individual player's first NHL Playoff goals. Crayzee!

JFTR I posted about Beauchemin before he scored his second goal of the evening

Systemfel · Post by **Systemfel** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:48 pm

C'mon, Wings, wake up. This isn't gonna cut it!

Post by **inSTAALed** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:01 am

That's hockey baby!

Post by **Minstrel** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:54 am

My only comment about the Canes life-saving hopeful turning point in the series win tonight is like my friends and I used to say when we were kids and someone had an awesome game:

Welcome to the Cam Ward Show, I'm your host, Cam Ward

GO CANES!!!

It's gotta be tough to be a Dallas fan right now

especially when you consider this scray stat they mentioned yesterday... Marty Turco is I believe 1-7 in Playoff games now for his career. It really isn't just because they are both rivals of my Hawks, but these performances are showing why no matter how well they did during the season I put little to no faith in Detroit or Dallas' chances as others did. It's the same "feel" I got that made me remind people that were for example writing off New Jersey as so many were before this series:

It all starts from the pipes out; and if you have issues there they will make it very very difficult to have success in a 7 game series. The Devils are one win from advancing now and have now won their last fourteen games!

This one was Marty's 21st playoff shutout. I know a lot of people in their minds lump him together with the "old guard" of Roy (who had 23 in his career), Belfour and Hasek and tend to think he's the same age, but Marty is actually only 33. For comparison, Turco and Kiprussof are 30 and 29.

flea · Post by **flea** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:19 pm

I really hope that last night win was the Canes turning point against the Habs....at least thats what I hope as a Bruin fan

And about Marty Brodeur and the Devils: yeps, I can remember just about 2 months ago a loooot of people where saying that the departure of Niedermayer and the retirement of Stevens were two stones too heavy to carry for them and that they have nothing to do with challenging for the Stanley Cup......and now just look at them: 14 straight wins and in my mind the strongest title contender right now!!

For me Marty can be the greatest goaltender in NHL history!! Yeps, I know that this sounds a bit excessive (sp), but I really think he can be simply the greatest. As Minty already said, hes only 33 years old, what isnt really old for a goalie and has still looooot to offer and lots of games to win ahead of him!!!

Post by **Minstrel** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:13 am

I'm happy with the league still making the stick penalties but there has been some really pathetic non-calls on 2003-vintage pick plays and other means of "neutralizing a team's speed" that really have to be looked into. Calgary (I know... shocking!!) has been using this approach on Selanne all series and tonight Detroit has a no-call on a pick at the blueline by Lidstrom that then led to a wide open lane for him to shoot the game-changing goal home through a screen.

Let's see what do both teams have in common? Oh yeah, they're both icing lineups that are too old and/or unskilled to keep up with fast and/or young teams fielded by Edmonton and Anaheim. And if either of them continue to get away with it?

Tonight's blatant non-calls made me throwup in my mouth. They need to re-invest in making these calls of teams doing assorted hooking and holding etc to "slow up" players without the puck and let the darn Dinosaurs deal with their slow, painful, marches to extinction.

noctambulist · Post by **noctambulist** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:15 pm

I'm also curious about the slashing non-calls on the goaltenders. If a player took a two-handed whack at any other player on the team, would it not be a slash? I'm not saying that a player shouldn't be able to try to poke the puck in while it's still in play, but I'm seeing a lot of "attempts at the puck" after the whistle.

Also, why is it OK to go flying into the goaltender if he's in the crease, but not when he's out of the crease? I think it was St. Louis who scored a goal last night by charging into the goalie and having the puck bounce off his leg. It looked like goaltender interference to me but the goal counted.

flea · Post by **flea** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:09 pm

noctambulist wrote:Also, why is it OK to go flying into the goaltender if he's in the crease, but not when he's out of the crease? I think it was St. Louis who scored a goal last night by charging into the goalie and having the puck bounce off his leg. It looked like goaltender interference to me but the goal counted.

I think u are talking about the first goal from TB. The one who St. Louis scored, right?? I couldnt believe they gave the goal!!

....and btw, how important is Martin Havlat to the Sens!!! Hes really playing the way he knows and in the most important time of the season!! Nice to see him back!!

Do u guys think the referees are calling more penalties now in the playoffs?? Are they doing a good job?? I ask that because I heard that normally in the playoffs the referees are less "permissive" (sp) with the players and are calling more penalties. Is it really like that??

Greets

Systemfel · Post by **Systemfel** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:23 pm

Big win for Detroit yesterday. They really showed what they're capable of, I think.

And on the no-call on LidstrÃ¶m when the Wings had that 5-on-3 advantage, there really shouldn't have been a penalty, I think. Overall the officiating sucked...

Post by **Minstrel** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:50 pm

Systemfel wrote:Big win for Detroit yesterday. They really showed what they're capable of, I think.

And on the no-call on LidstrÃ¶m when the Wings had that 5-on-3 advantage, there really shouldn't have been a penalty, I think. Overall the officiating sucked...

Uh huh...

That would be capable of what? Chelios and Lidstrom being able to "get away with" more because they are veterans given a pass for having to subscribe to the current rules? Yup, that they're capabale of for sure.

I'm sure your opinion on the non call also has nothing to do with moments later Lidstrom scoring the goal as a direct result of the pick play giving your feeble broken down team and undeserved chance to stick around in the series would it? I can understand why you don't think there should have been a penalty. Doesn't make ya right though

Post by **inSTAALed** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:02 pm

I agree with Minty

That was a pretty bad no-call. I watched that game last night... made me late to school today from sleeping in.

Oh well

flea · Post by **flea** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:20 pm

inSTAALed wrote:I agree with Minty

That was a pretty bad no-call. I watched that game last night... made me late to school today from sleeping in.

Oh well

Oh well......Its playoff time!!! U have an good excuse

Post by **inSTAALed** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:54 pm

flea wrote:
inSTAALed wrote:I agree with Minty

That was a pretty bad no-call. I watched that game last night... made me late to school today from sleeping in.

Oh well
Oh well......Its playoff time!!! U have an good excuse

And that was exactly the excuse I used

Post by **Minstrel** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:20 pm

Heh... one of my friends from my theater who is also a diehard hockey fan said to me while we were hanging out before taking stage for our show "Man, I gotta serious case of hockey head so if I don't seem quite as sharp as usual you'll know why"

I agreed completely. We of course still killed the other team because we are just that good... but it was still funny.

My

cable went out while I was at my shows tonight so instead of the games I had hours of footage of a blank black screen after more than around mid-way through the first intermission of the early games

Luckily it came back on for most of the 3rd period of the Carolina game

GO GO CANES!!!!

Have I mentioned how much I respect Rod Brindamour? Man he was great in (what I could see of) tonight's game. It's amazing the minutes he's played all year and the steadiness he brings to the team. It's a 3 game series now!

Speaking of back to even I'm surpised to see Philly has evened their season as well

but this goes to why I will never give Peter Forsberg the credit he probably deserves: because just like sometimes you couldn't knock him off the puck with a bazooka some times when the refs are watching closely and he's battling someone he can all of a sudden be knocked over with a feather

He looks to be the greatest most dynamic game-changer impact player to ever put on skates when he decides hos going to go all out but and others he's just kind of taking laps around the ice with his engine on idle. The whole "Peter Forsberg Package" just drives me crazy

so even if we totally disregard his tendancy to get injured frequently no matter how good he can be he would drive me nucking futz if he was on my hometeam and I'm not really even sure I'd want him to be even as a free agent at a "reasonable" contract

Edit: wow, that's alot of Eye Rolling Emoticon Actionâ„¢ for one thread... sorry

Post by **E5150_ca** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:35 pm

Yea, Forsberg was an olympic diver in his past life. He sometimes looses himself on the ice and try's to do one of those triple backflips, it explains all the injuries.

Also, what the heck is up with Theodore. As the commentator kept (REPEATEDLY) saying last night, every save is an adventure with him.

Minstrel wrote:Edit: wow, that's alot of Eye Rolling Emoticon Actionâ„¢ for one thread... sorry

You should probably get that looked at

Post by **Minstrel** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 1:09 am

HUGE congrats to Marty Broduer and the New Jersey Devils for being the first team to punch their ticket for the next round!

I would not want to be the team that has to face them next

Also continued congrats to Edmonton on their potential "shocking upset" (or so says The Media)

over Detroit! With a win today that means they can send the Detroit Dinosaurs home for the upcoming Considering Retirement Season by winning Monday's game in Edmonton

Doesn't look good for TB to extend this series with Ottawa tnoight though as they are already down 0-2 at the first intermission

Post by **inSTAALed** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:00 am

Minstrel wrote:I would not want to be the team that has to face them next

If we beat Montreal, we get the Devils

Post by **Minstrel** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:27 am

Ugh

that's what they get for not winning any of those late games to get that one extra point ahead of Ottawa I guess

darn... was thinking they'd end up with Philly or Buffalo forgot Ottawa snuck ahead of them.

Speaking of Ottawa they've assured the Cup will have a new team etched on it this year, no repeat as Tampa was sent packing today too. The Avalanche failed to beat Dallas (COL has a sjocking bad record in potential series wining games btw!!) and while they still are two games ahead...

Post by **inSTAALed** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 1:32 pm

How did the Calgary game end up last night?

I stopped watching it because the officiating was so darn terrible.

Post by **inSTAALed** » Mon May 01, 2006 3:02 am

Hurricanes win, 2-1.

Goalies played awesome tonight

Post by **Minstrel** » Mon May 01, 2006 10:02 am

Yeah!!

Sounds wierd to say but I think that's the first game that start to finish they "played like them". I'm hoping they just needed to settle into a groove and that it was the veteran experience of bringing Weight and Rechhi in that made the difference because otherwise they are a very young team. One thing I loved seeing tonight is that it looks like Vasicek is back to 100%

He was really flying out there today; he can be a real difference maker I think. And their D and Ward in goal have really been playing solid. Hopefully they get a "home town reffing" job again when they go up to Montreal

Tough way to lose a series with Dallas who lost three games in OT with Colorado... but to me that says you can't finish when the pressure is on so you deserved to lose. I never gave Dallas fantastic chances like others did but I'm still surpised at how that series went especially early on. Also, whodathunkit that Andrew Brunette would become a "key addition" once they hit the playoffs? He scored the OT game and series winner today and he's been everywhere for COL! It will be very interesting to see how they play in their next series especially Theodore who must still be working his way back into shape. They could be dangerous.

So today the Sharks sent Nashville packing too; they are really clicking and it was pretty obvious Nashville just couldn't handle them... I think you can have smaller players on your team as key players with the "new rules" but banking on two players under 5'9" to carry your club as difference makers might be a little much still. Maybe they can convince Tampa Bay to sign Brad Richards and trade them St Louis? Next year they could have Marty center Sully and Kariya; instead The Grind Line it could be the 5 Foot Nine Line

Another thing this series has shown is that Marleau is another of those chronically underrated guys. Maybe scoring 7 in the first series will garner him some respect

They look as good as anyone I've seen so far; well, them and New Jersey.

I can't handle that CGY/ANA series either

It really is like playing two diffferent teams though if you score first as opposed to letting CGY score first then they just slowly squeeze the life out of you... which is just heinously painful to watch... so scoring first is the key!! It really aggravates me because Anaheim has dominated them for giant stretches and no matter what the series score is I still feel that Anaheim is "winning" that one and I'd much rather see them move on than frakin Calgary. With Dallas, Calgary and Detroit gone I could enjoy the rest of the playoffs no matter how things turn out I think.