The 2004 SDMB NHL Playoff Hockey Thread

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
182

In Philly, none of this is enjoyable. None of it. It’s business, and pressure …and looming over the whole thing is a city with a dry spell of 22+ years in all major sports and 29 in the NHL. Baggage and more baggage.

You can say great game…wow…whew…whatever, but to pure fans in Philly, it is serious stuff.

All that said, we’d trade places in a heartbeat to be able to approach the game the way someone in Tampa can. And that is a compliment to your football team, and reminds us of how we enjoyed hockey so goddam thoroughly in 1973-1975.

This is haunting and unenjoyable for many…painful even.

183

21+, actually. The Sixers won in 1983.

Phillies won in 1980 (24 years now)
Flyers in 1975 (29 years now)
Eagles in 1960 (44 years now)

It’s funny, because you hear so much about how the Cubs and Red Sox are “cursed,” and yet at least other teams in those cities have won something.

184

Well, it’s not so much that it’s not so serious here, it’s just that this town is waking and warming to hockey in a big way and it’s a lot of fun to be in this situation. Game 7 against a storied team with some big studs and it’s on our home ice. Tampa is more balanced and gets more production across all it’s lines, Philly is more physical and can be more dominating. It does make it more fun for us that this against Philly, our nemesis of the last five or so years on the gridiron. Being good at sports is a new phenomenon here. And this team is full of young talent that was built pretty much from the ground up. They play exciting hockey. We’re used to the Bucs giving us heart attacks all of the time, so it’s not a big deal to get them from our hockey team. There are a lot of heroes and no big egos (yet): St. Louis, Andreychuk, Fedetenko, Richards, Lecavalier, Khabibulin, Boyle, Sydor it just goes on. Tortorella is intense, the way we like our coaches. It may turn out to be a bandwagon thing, especially if there is a lock out next year, but for now there are a lot of eyes, hearts and minds opening up to hockey. My parents, both near 70, have been hanging on every game. My dad was pissed last night that we lost. My mom asks me to explain stuff to her all the time so that she can understand as much as possible and enjoy the game. Last night I worked late and stopped in a brew pub near my last stop to catch the first period. I ended up sitting with an older couple who were originally from Scotland, but have lived in the Tampa Bay area for more than ten years and love the Lightning. They told me how they hoped some folks would make some noise, and the place was fair hopping by the time the second period started. This was not a sports bar but just a regular neighborhood place that had a lot of TVs. Every TV and every eye was on the Bolts. It seems to be all anyone is talking about around here lately. Even though it’s 90 here every day for a week and for the foreseeable future.

185

Bastards! You and your optimism!

Your whole post encapsulated my point. Good to see the enthusiasm and too see how people got pulled in like they did here 30 years ago.

In Philly, a handful of people will be in the emergency room if the Flyers lose because they will have broken knuckles punching a wall, or they will have cut their foot kicking in the TV.

186

If it makes you feel any better I just listened to some more sports radio as I had to drive down to St. Petersburg and back. The more cynical folks are on the radio now, complaining about how the Lightning stopped going after Esche who was not really having the best of nights and just sat back and waited for the Flyers to bring it to them. This after they had, to a man, stated how they were lucky to sit on a lead for 30 minutes in game 5 and how they couldn’t do that again. Net opinion was that if the Lightning had played balls out for the rest of the game (aka “their game”) and lost then you couldn’t fault them, but you could fault them for tensing up (locally called “pulling a Dungy”) and getting out of their rhythm. They talked about a sign Torts has up in the home locker room: “Safe is Death” referring to how when they play safe they lose. So if they can convince themselves to play 60 minutes of full out hockey on Saturday night (as Hitchcock has promised his side will) it should be a heck of a rematch. Here’s hoping that the emergency rooms are busy in Philly on Saturday night (minor injuries only, of course).

187

Now, take me…hockey nut…scars both physical from playing and emotional from watching. My emotions are wrecked from 1980 until now (Finals versus the Islanders).

I observe. No one I know will even organize a party for this. We obsereve. We wait. Often, we don’t watch.

I think the diff is this: Refs.

All out scrum…chaos…and the game is played like a 7th game should be (minimal ref involvement) = Flyers gain slight edge needed.

Otherwise, TB wins…maybe easily. The refs will decide this game on how they call it. Even if it’s equally abusive and choppy both ways…evewn if both teams are ‘getting away with murder’…if the refs let it go, Flyers gain slight edge…enough to squeak by. If Refs try to control game…even if penalties even out…TB easily.

So, really, for hockey fans who know this…that means if the game is tied going into the third, Flyers are favored, because the Refs will tuck away the whistles in the third (no matter what they di in per 1 and 2)and subsequent periods of a tied game seven, lest blood is drawn or a blatant high stick can’t be ignored.

188

I agree with you, Philster. If the Lightning are going to win this they need to either

a) have the refs call a tight game (lots of penalties is in TB’s favor) and/or
b) have a strong lead coming out of the third period and continue to press and/or
c) be damned lucky

One question on something I’ve heard a couple of times today, but don’t really understand: What is the home ice advantage of having the final line change? (I really don’t understand much of the strategy of line changes since it’s not that common in other sports AND they don’t show the changes much if at all on the television)

189

I heard them talking about that on TV at some point. I think the advantage is just that you get to dictate matchups. The Lightning, when they are at home, can stick St. Louis (for example) out there at the last second with whatever line they want, so they can catch the Flyers in a bad matchup. The ESPN guys called it “hiding” St. Louis, I think.

When the Flyers are at home, the Lightning would have to stick St. Louis out on the ice first, and then the Flyers could put out their checking line or whatever to stop St. Louis. Same thing the other way, like with Primeau- in Tampa, the Lightning can see him going on the ice and send out certain guys to beat up on him, as opposed to getting caught with a bunch of midgets out there. It’s just a matter of creating favorable personnel matchups.

190

Yeah ,Hockey is one of the few games where the actual play of the game changes with home ice. At every whistle, the away team must decide on thier lineup first. Then the home team can put out the lineup the want to face the away team’s. You can always go for a quick change to try for your matchup, but then you risk being caught on the change.

The away player in the face-off must also put his stick down on the ice first, giving a strategic edge in timing for the home guy when the puck is dropped.

191

Just popping this in because we seem to have some fairly new observers of the game and someone mentione not seeing line changes: A typical shift in hockey lasts one minute. That’s it.

You don’t see some line changes, because you are not looking for them.

Many times, after being on the ice for a minute, on the next charge up the ice, someone dumps the puck (after crossing the red line)…and everyone swings over to the bench and the next line -and maybe the defense pairing (they do this seperate from the lines alot)- jump on when the current line’s player(s) gets to the bench.

On face-offs without commericials, pay attention and you’ll see the exchange.

192

Bolts :D:D
Flyers :frowning:

Congrats to the Lightning. They really outplayed the Flyers and are every inch deserving of being in the Finals.

It wasn’t a well-played game by the Flyers by anyone’s standards. They were constantly beaten to loose pucks, they got no rebounds, they lost the battles in the corners, and so on.

Flames - Lightning now. Have no idea who’s going to win that one.

193

Bastards!
Enjoy the fun, Tampa.

194

You know we will! :smiley:

LET’S GO LIGHTNING!

clap clap clapclapclap

LET’S GO LIGHTNING!

clap clap clapclapclap

Oh, and as an aside, I wouldn’t mind having either Marty’s or Vinny’s baby…those boys are just too cute.

195

Yeah, that was sweet. Nice to see the Lightning take it to them last night. All but game 7 sold out last night, save those 200 eight dollar seats. So it looks like I’ll be watching this one on TV. Dantheman and Philster, don’t be too down on your team, that was a heck of a series. And I couldn’t even bring myself to taunt the one guy I saw out with a Flyers jersey after the game last night. You two ruined it for me by being so fair throughout. Hope some people from outside of Tampa Bay area or Alberta watches the Finals.

196

I think that there are going to be from 4-6 million Canadians tuned into CBC Hockey Night In Canada for every game.

Calgary has become Canada’s team (temporarily, especially for Edmontonians who will no doubt be cheering while simultaneously wanting to cause themselves harm for having such blasphemous emotions).

There has been a great deal of nationalism surrounding the playoffs over the past few years. The most ardent of fans of any of the Canadian teams will take any of the other Canadian teams as a favourite after his / her team is eliminated. ‘As long as the cup stays in Canada’ seems a popular sentiment.

I think I speak collectively for a large number of Canadians.

Bring on the Lightning! Welcome to our backyard.

197

Heh. Little tough to say, since it’s not there now. Hasn’t even been a Canadian team in the Finals since 1994, and no Canadian champ since the Canadiens of the previous year.

Kind of tough anyway, when only 6 of the 30 teams are in Canada. Of course, if this lockout occurs and one or more teams don’t return, my guess would be a Canadian team would get the axe.

198

Just out of curiosity, are there more Canadian players on the Flames or the Lightning?

199

Looks like 15 on Tampa’s roster, 17, on Calgary’s. Pretty much a wash.

200

As much as it pains me that the Flyers lost, there is still one aspect of the Eastern Conference Finals that pains me even more - the coverage.

The problem with the coverage you ask?

Well, it seems that I am in one of those areas where basic cable includes ESPN, but not the Deuce. Even the next most expensive package does not include ESPN2. As I recall only the most expensive two or three packages bother to throw in ESPN2 at all. (But that’s okay, becuase I get Bravo and Lifetime and Game Show Network instead :rolleyes: )

Intellectually, I can understand the decision to broadcast the game seven basketball game between Detroit and NJ instead of game 6 Lighning/Flyers. Of course when the game is a 20 point lead with time running out that decision makes a lot less sense that airing the overtime playoff game for a real sport.

(Yeah, I said it, a real sport. Basketball sucks. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a perfectly fine activity for gym classes and kids at the Y, but for grown men to be paid outrages salaries to play? Hell, no. And to waste the air time at all? bah.)

But, even forgiving them for that transgression (and fully recognizing that after the basketball game was over they did air the remainder of OT of game 6), I cannot, in any fashion, understand their decision to pass over game 7 coverage for more stinking basketball.

Those of you who find it worth defending ESPN will, no doubt, point out the large advantage basketball has over hockey in terms of audience. However, I submit that it is because hockey does not receive equal considerations, even for game 7s of the play-offs, that it lack a larger following in the U.S. ESPN and the other networks are shooting themselves in the feet. And I, for one, depise them for it.
Okay, had to get that off my chest and didn’t have the vitriol needed (anymore) for a full out pitting. Thanks.

201

akennett, what’s your definition of “real sport?” Possibility for a tie, lots of aimless hacking with sticks, players with no discernible athletic ability other than punching? Serious risk of multiple head traumas for those involved? One scoring play every twenty minutes? The occasional complete loss of gameplay and degeneration into utter melee? I mean, hell, I’m not here to rip the sport, I even followed along with the games and the discussion, but to hold up hockey as a “real sport” and basketball as the opposite of such is a laughable proposition.

Besides all that, don’t try to kid yourself about the audience share. Not even the NHL itself tries to pretend it can hang with the big boys.