I don’t mind slashing penalties as long as they get called on the other team, too. I saw at least nine blatant hacks that weren’t called. I guess the NHL called and reminded the refs that U.S. teams draw better ratings (though I’m not sure that applies to a team that can’t even sell out playoff games.)
The Senators simply aren’t playing well. I have no idea what Happy Scrappy is talking about; they’re not even playing like a team that could have MADE the playoffs. We haven’t yet seen the team that beat Pittsburgh.
We saw them in the third period of the last game – Ottawa generated nothing offensively, but that was the plan. We weren’t going to give Jersey a sniff after we took that 5-3 lead. We’re starting to see Ottawa come on again tonight – Alfredsson’s goal has really sparked the team.
Teams tend to shoot less when they’re up by 4 goals. Really though, I find the Senators’ fire power very impressive.
I will concede that in the past I have been guilty of underestimating the Devils and overestimating the Sens. I also have been known not to learn from my mistakes. If Elias comes back healthy and Brodeur plays like, well, Brodeur, the series is certainly no lock for the Sens.
I don’t need a helmet to pull yours off, pull your jersey over your head and beat you like it’s old time hockey. Drop yer gloves!
Now where’s that gap-toothed goon smilie?
New Jersey absolutely escapes with a split at home. They are incredibly lucky not to go on the road down 2-0; Ottawa owned the game from the second period on. Still, I’m very happy: If this is the best the Devils have to offer, Ottawa is going to take this series, Brodeur or no Brodeur.
You couldn’t beat EGGS, boy. Maybe you wanna change yer SDMB handle to Rented Mule. ‘Cause you keep gettin’ chippy with me, and I’m only to happy to take you over to the corner and show you how we do shit-disturbers here in the Brendan Byrne.
It was ugly. It was nasty. It was un-Devilish. Perhaps it was a moral victory for the Sens. But you know how they mark moral victories? With an “L,” that’s how.
I was preempted from watching the Sharks game live for my great-aunt’s funeral. Fortunately, I have DVR. Unfortunately, when my back was turned, my DVR filled up, leaving me with no high-def hockey. :mad:
Stupid Red Wings got their two mistakes back, but the Sharks still now have home-ice.
In the coverage of Saturdays Sharks/Wings game, I think it says a lot that Clearys shorthanded goal was described as a “Detroit-like giveaway.” :smack: Nearly every San Jose goal has been preceded by the words “Detroit fails to clear their own zone.”
If Detroit even hopes to win this series, they are going to have to find away to at least escape the first period (even the first ten minutes)without San Jose scoring. San Jose is reminding me a lot of Colorado in their cup winning days: a flurry of offense in the first period to score goals, then locking down and blocking shots. They’ve already made Detroit into the underdogs.
Is there anything in the rules that makes chaining your goalie infront of the posts illegal? Cause I hope not. Hasek is gonna give me a heart attack if he keeps doing that
Yeah, when Hasek gets bored, he likes to go out and handle the puck. Sometimes you’re better off not to play perfect defence, just so Hasek has something to do.
Sorry, HSHP. I was in LA this weekend spending a few hours with my favorite actress. Didn’t watch a damn minute of hockey, and certainly didn’t need a helmet.
Too bad about the DVR, garygnu. Just make it home in time for tonight’s game. The Tank will be rockin’. Prediction: Sharks win, two goals for Cheechoo, maybe even a hat trick.
Only as nasty if you consider that Canucks are 1 for 20 on the power play (in the series) and couldn’t score on either of the two lengthy 5 on 3 power plays last night, while the Ducks were 2 for 5…which was the difference between winning and losing. Leadership is there, Quint…you’re just mistaken that it has to be an offensive player rather than the two Norris Trophy winners that are leading the team and keeping the goal ratio down to 2:1. Even if our top goal scorer (Selanne, just in case your wondering) has 0 shots in game 3 doesn’t not translate that the Canucks had shut down the Ducks. This series is being decided on who can score on the power play and who can master the penalty kill…and the verdict is in…It’s the DUCKS.
You are right about game 2 though…Anaheim was playing Vancouver’s game, but a game without a PPG is an anomaly nowadays, so don’t count on winning the series that way. There is only way to beat Anaheim in the series…shut down the Ducks power play and score on your power plays. Simple in theory, difficult to execute. Heh, good luck with that.
Manduck, Luongo is a great goalie, but so was Niklas Backstrom…it just goes to show that you need more than just a great goalie to win a series. He ain’t Jesus.
Ottawa shuts out New Jersey 2-0, up 2-1 in the series.
Ottawa’s been the best team in every game so far. I don’t know why this would surprise anyone; they were the best team in the NHL from December on, with New Jersey finishing as high as they did for having a superior goalie. The series is going exactly the way you’d expect.
Great game for Ottawa. New Jersey didn’t generate any scoring chances; all of their chances came off of poor turnovers by the Sens. New Jersey is going to have to find some way to generate goals to avoid going home down 3-1. Ottawa, on the other hand, just needs to keep doing what their doing. As we saw tonight, eventually one will go in.
I think pretty much everyone with any hockey knowledge acknowledges that the Ducks are heavily favoured to win the series. They have two of the best defencemen in the league, enough firepower to outscore most teams, and as far as tandems go, perhaps the best one two goalie combo in the league. Yet they have blown out the Canucks exactly once, lost one by one, and won one by one in which it can be argued that they were outchanced and outplayed. Why?
I’d say if they had an offensive leader on the team, someone who could show them how it was done, let’s say Joe Sakic- you could plan the parade route now. Their young guns need an offensive leader to keep them moving night after night. Selanne is awesome and might be the feel good hockey story of the year, but he can’t teach them how to grind through the playoffs because he doesn’t know how. Nothing against Pronger and Neidermayer, they’re great players with proven leadership, but I think in the case of this team they need a forward with the grit and experience to show em how it’s done. They don’t have one, and that’s why they’re in tough night after night in a series they should walk away with but are going to be lucky to get through without some serious injuries. Too many bad bounces and they’ll be waiting 'till next year.
Really though, I find the Senators’ fire power very impressive.
