I reckon you (and other Pens fans) certainly do know. I also reckon that I need to proof a little bit more. The bright side is that despite their poor performance they were pretty close in both games. I’m not sure how much money I’d bet on it but they can turn this thing around. The Canucks on the other hand…
The thread is for all NHL fans to discuss the playoffs, not just for responses to you, you know.
And the quality of play in the Flyers-Penguins series IS curiously poor. I think everyone was expecting a really intense series, which usually means the checking keeps offense to reasonable levels. Yet that is precisely the opposite of what has happened, especiually with regards to the Penguins, who have seemed bizarrely disorganized in their own end.
If the series keeps on this way the implication, to me, is that no matter who wins they’re going to get run over in the second round.
ETA: Yancouver had 48 shots against LA’s 26 last night. That’s pure goaltending difference, not team play. Vancouver is an excellent team that insists on starting their second-best goalie.
My brother and I were talking about this last night. It looks like the winner will play Boston or New York (there are some assumptions there, I realize). Both teams have tight checking and a great goaltender. The way things are going, neither the Flyers or Pens stand a chance against either team.
As for the Canucks, the difference is goaltending and Quick has been great all year so I don’t really see his play tailing off. The problem is compounded without the second Sedin. I don’t know what the word on him is, Day to Day? I guess if he comes back there could be a series.
To be honest, if they keep playing this way, I wouldn’t bet on them beating Ottawa, either, and I’d give them a 50-50 shot against Washington. You can’t stop playing defense and be considered a favourite against anyone with a competent offense.
I appreciate that the Canucks would be better with Sedin, but even without him they were absolutely all over the Kings. 48 shots is a barrage. The reaso nthey lost was that their goaltender was incompetent and the Kings’ goaltender was outstanding.
I don’t mean to dump on Roberto Luongo, but I’m just pointing out a fact; the Canucks have two goalies, and the backup’s better than the starter, but they keep starting their second best goalie because he has a big contract. It’s bizarre.
:dubious: Shots on goal are due to the defense, not the goaltender, something which I thought was common knowledge (and common sense). Save percentage is probably a hybrid of the two, more on the goalie than the D tho.
RIP Butch Bouchard. 4 Stanley Cups, two as captain, and the man who Jean Beliveau called his model for his own captaincy. His #3 jersey rests in the rafters at the Bell Centre, retired off of Ryan O’Byrne’s back during 2009’s centennial.
Kids, you want to impress at training camp? Show up on a bicycle, having biked 80km from home to the camp.
48 is a lot of shots but the quality would undoubtedly get better with D. Sedin. That’s all I mean. The other issue is Kessler who lost 19 goals this year but is roughly back to where he is historically which might be a problem going forward.
Re: Luongo. I heard through the vine that the goalie that Vancouver will try to trade this summer is, in fact, Luongo. The (super obvious) problem is that he is a 5.3 million cap hit for literally another decade. There is probably a GM out there stupid enough to take him, however. I enjoy how the leafs fans chew up and spit out players they are disappointed in so a trade to T.O. would be pretty neat. I don’t expect that, however.
ETA: Upon research I noticed that Crosby is a UFA after the 2013 season. Surprised this isn’t more of a story. In the NBA it would be.
I know I’m late to the party, but I haven’t had a computer since September and my IPod has been hamsterish on the Boards. Can anyone explain why Dubinsky was thrown out of the game tonight for doing the linesman’s job for him?
Third man in rule. They try to keep fights fair, so if anybody jumps in while two guys are throwing it is automatic.
Now in this case the difference between a “hockey fight” and a “fucking assault on a guy who didn’t know he was in a fight” is something that me and the refs have a serious disagreement on.
Just to clarify, you’re talking about Boyle on Karlsson from game one, right?
If New York doesn’t like it they shouldn’t have started shit in the first place.
Please, if your boy can’t handle a few glove handed love taps he’s playing the wrong sport.
Wolfman, I was being a bit facetious, but you got the point.
That said, refs need to get a hold of this game before someone gets seriously hurt.
Perhaps you misunderstood.
If you get 48 shots and they get 26, and you still lose 4-2, your goalie wasn’t good enough and theirs was.
In bad news, Daniel Alfreddson was apparently concussed by an astoundingly cheap elbow that Brendan Shanahan will level a $2500 fine for. I’m sure Matt Carkner might also get a whopping $2500 fine for his assault on Boyle.
Now St. Louis and San Jose in a battle royale cage match.
Heck of a job Shanny. :rolleyes:
I know that, I should have included a ;). You do know what a joke is, right?
It’s incredibly depressing to watch, seeing the Pens get the lead, and then just blowing it in the third.
As for Crosby, the idea of him going anywhere is laughable.
Have to disagree with you big time there. Haglin isn’t that kind of player. He’s a skater not a checker. He deserved a 5 minute major (you have to control your checks) and possibly the game misconduct Dubby shouldn’t have gotten, but it’s uninformed to call any hit by Hagelin ‘cheap’. Cheap is punching a guy 7 times when he’s down on the ice defenceless.
Also, let’s ignor the fact that Callahan and Richards had their heads rammed into the boards by Ottawa. It doesn’t matter, the Rangers aren’t supposed to win.
Sorry. I came late to this game this year, but since (almost) all series are tied 1-1 until after Sunday, I’m okay making my picks late. Here goes:
EAST
New York Rangers
Washington Capitals (What can I say? I’m a Caps fan)
Florida Panthers
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers – both these teams can suck it, but if I’d have to pick the lesser of two evils, I’ll take Philthadelphia. If the state of Oregon didn’t have rights to the term “Civil War” (OSU Beavers vs. Oregon Ducks), I’d put it here.
WEST
Vancouver Canucks – What can I say? I like the twins. And I don’t agree that Dallas isn’t in it. (6 games)
San Jose Sharks
Phoenix Coyotes – the only thing I like about Chicago is the Amstel Light song they play when they score. We’ve yet to hear it because they’ve yet to play at home. Are the Coyotes still in bankruptcy trouble?
Nashville Predators. I hate all things Detroit except for Ted Nugent, but the Preds have got damn awful ugly uniforms.
Funnily enough, that is word for word what was said after Wolski concussed Alfredsson back in November.
I am forced to conclude that the Ranger are just that kind of team.
Look, I’m sorry, but I call them as I see them.
What a player’s reputation or style is is completely irrelevant. You say Hagelin isn’t “that kind of player” but it’s not relevant what kind of player he allegedly is or isn’t. What matters is that he elbowed Alfredsson to the head, and to any honest observation did so intentionally. That’s the end of the story. It doesn’t matter if he’s never done it before; he pulled a cheap shot, it was an intent to hit the head, and he deserves a suspension for it.
No, let’s not. If there were head shots, they should be independently examined and punished appropriately. That has nothing to do with Carl Hagelin, whose action should be independently dealt with based on what Hagelin did. If, in another incident, an Ottawa player did an equivalent thing to Callahan, that player should be equally punished. If that means Ottawa gets three suspensions and it hamstrings them for Game 3 well that’s unfortunate for them but them’s the rules.
It’s by NOT enforcing the rules, and in retrospect by suddenly loosening up on these rules a few months ago, that we are getting some of the most appallingly dirty playoff hockey in recent memory.
I don’t even know what this means.
I don’t believe in this “your team did this so my team get a shot back” bullshit that permeates these threads and hockey discussion in general. As a Senators fan I am happy to freely admit Carkner’s attack on Boyle absolutely was dirty and unsportsmanlike. I wish it wasn’t so but it is so, and what Boyle did in Game 1 is, in my opinion, totally irrelevant; Carkner committed a suspendable offense and must be suspended. So did Hagelin; I don’t care what team they’re on or what their playing style is. Punching a guy out who isn’t even aware he’s in a fight? Suspend the player. Blindside elbow to the head? Suspend the player. I don’t care if he’s on your favourite team or my favourite team or a team I have no rooting interest in for or against. I don’t care if there were other cheap shots in the same game. I don’t care if the perpetrator is a “skater” or a “checker,” star or goon. Deliberate head hit, you sit in the goddamned press box.
Is that going to happen? Probably not, because the NHL is too chickenshit to set rules for player conduct and stick to them longer than a few months (or a few hours when the playoffs roll around.) And the NHLPA is completely screwed up on the issue. So it’s not going to be the way it would be if I was in charge, because I would, without remorse or shame, gladly suspend the NHL’s biggest star in the playoffs for a head shot.
Wings are not looking good.