This thread is just an excuse to boast about our San Jose Sharks, who two or three weeks ago did not look like playoff material. Well, they’ve just won eight straight and are headed for the playoffs, and their first match will be against Nashville.
And we got to see that eighth game win yesterday! Anaheim at Sharks, 6-3. That was one screaming, high flying game. I got to see our wonderful Jonathan Cheechoo score a hat trick, despite his being hurt in the third period. He came back and scored it against an empty net in the last three seconds of the game. Joe Thornton, Nils Ekman, and Vesa Toskala were also brilliant in bringing about the win. Wee-ha! Best hockey game I ever saw.
We need one more point to get in and have looked decidedly mediocre this year. But our win last night against Carolina eliminated the Leafs, so there’s something.
The Sabers are hot this year. They set a club record for wins. After the bankruptcy a few years ago and loosing millions of dollars they are in the black with a stable owner and things look good.
It’s mostly a bunch of no name kids that will be around for years. I’m afraid to get too excited, but maybe just maybe there is a shot.
I can’t say I’m totally surprised that the Leafs didn’t make the playoffs though I am at how they turned things around since getting destroyed by Montreal a month ago.
With Vokoun out, I can’t see Mason getting the job done against San Jose. Having said that, San Jose is effectively a one line team right now. Shut down Thornton, Cheechoo and Ekman and the Predators will be moving on.
It’ll be an interesting first round of the playoffs all I can hope for now is that the Flyers go out quick and painfully.
After coming from 5th place last season to win the Southern Professional Hockey League Championship, my Columbus Cottonmouths got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Yep, the Red Wings are unstoppable this year.
Um…go Edmonton?
By the way…as a Detroiter going to school in Buffalo, you Buffalonians REALLY cling to your teams, even when they suck. Then again, everyone else does, but you people have SUCH an inferiority complex…
We’ve basically been out of it since November. Mario’s heart ailment caused him to retire for good this time. We might lose the team very soon. On the bright side, Sidney might be the youngest player to reach 100 points in a season.
All in all, one of the worst years I can remember. Suffice it to say, I’m a huge St. Louis fan for these last couple games.
Ottawa’s having the best year evar! They’re fighting it out with Carolina right now for 1st place. Their last 10 have been suckass, though, which doesn’t bode well. They have a bad habit of choking during the playoffs.
I’m worried about them. They have everyone back now, Havlat, Chara, Philips, and Redden but then proceded to get spanked by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Emery is an okay goalie and Ottawa has the firepower to lay the wood to anyone in the east if they are playing well but that hasn’t happened recently.
The good news is that the Leafs aren’t around to knock them out of the playoffs and that might relieve a bit of stress. If Hasek comes back you’ll see them in the finals. If he doesn’t it’ll be considerably tougher but would still be more than capable of doing it because they probably have the deepest defence in the league (and their offence ain’t bad either).
Calgary
Good defence, anemic offence, best goalie in the league. If Kiprusoff gets hot they could do the same thing as they did in 03/04. Personally, I think the west will go to San Jose though, possibly Detroit.
Detroit didn’t do too badly this year. First overall is a nice achievement. Good to set a new record for consecutive wins on the road. Hopefully it will continue into the playoffs.
And congratulations to San Jose. Nice of you to make it into the playoffs. Better send a thank you card to Boston.
If I may, I’d like to ask a quick moment of silence for the St. Louis Blues whose playoff streak ended in a rather ugly slide down the standings.
I thank you. So should we start a thread specifically for the playoffs or just camp out in here?
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