Son-of-a-Weizen Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 An embarrassing loss for Montreal. Some of those boys need to go back to school and git some learnin' re: self control. Some of the Montreal fans might also want to make appointments with the local Optometrist. What? They didn't see Gionta cross-checking the Caps player in the back multiple times like a fiend? heh hem .... Ah, I think it's becoming clear what the 'O' in Ovechkin stands for. He was a non-factor in the clutch. And a guy who seems a bit lost when the offense is struggling. A front-runner, in other words. Historic chock by the Caps. Yes, an abomination for sure....but rather than zero in on Ovechkin and make it all about him, I think it was clear early on that the team was going to founder on the rocks if Semin didn't start racking up some points. He never caught fire.....barely a spark even. End of story.** ** well, not really. We still have to listen to the "Caps had the best record in the league during the regular season" line for awhile to come. I don't know how many times I've heard the announcers mouth that line during this series. Tiring. Give it a rest already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 Somewhere in the offices of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman is wiping the tears from his eyes and wondering "why me"? His dream match-up, Cindy and Alex, is not to be. A PR disaster for the league and a personal disaster for the Commish. Wish I could share in his disappointment, but I've had Crosby and Ovechkin rammed down my throat for so long that I couldn't be happier. At some point, the NHL has to start acting like there are more than two players in the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 How 'bout them Caps?! I'm not really a fan of hockey at all, but started watching parts of the exciting Was/Mon series. Surprised to see the regular season goonery largely absent from these games. What a relief. Could turn me into a fan, ...maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indestructible! Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 His dream match-up, Cindy and Alex... Cindy? Really? I think the best player in the game deserves a little more respect than that (although, truth be told, I think Datsyuk might be the best overall player in these playoffs right now). Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold, WJC, Hart/Ross/Richard/(soon to be called)Lindsay Awards... not bad for a 22 year old! I agree with you about the overhype of Crosby vs. Ovechkin... it's the equivalent of the Yankees vs. Red Sox that ESPN shoves down our throats every chance they get. The game of hockey is good enough to not need such unnecessary hype. Anyway, as boring as it would be to most folks, I would love to see Red Wings/Penguins Part III this year. At the very least, Anyone But Vancouver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 (edited) Post-game analysts kept touching on the fact that Montreal played a great 'team' game. They played as a unit. And they played within a pretty effective defensive scheme. It wasn't 'just' the goaltender, as evidenced by the number of blocked shots, tipped shots, forced turnovers, and the ability of the Habs to generally disrupt the Caps' offense while patiently waiting for opportunities to counter attack. The Caps did not play a great team game -- offensively or defensively. And this is, IMO, the difference between guys like Ovechkin and guys like Datsyuk and Crosby. Ovechkin is a one-man wrecking ball. Highly skilled and exciting to watch, but he does not play within a disciplined system. And because of this, Datsyuk and Crosby are more effective all-around players than Ovechkin. Face it, the guy ends up literally standing around watching everyone else when Plan A falls apart. That points to coaching. Edited April 29, 2010 by papsrus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 Ovechkin is a cherry picker. When I played, we called guys like him blue line cruisers. They didn't play much defense and were basically just looking for an outlet pass or to be part of an odd man rush. Good for their own stats, not so good for the team. With respect to good game plans, the Red Wings game seven approach to the Coyotes was something to see. Their forechecking was so tenacious it took Phoenix completely out of their game. No matter what they did, they couldn't get their engine to turn over. I can't recall seeing one team dominate another to that extent. I agree that Datsyuk may be the best all around player in the league. He's a proven offensive force but he's also won the Frank Selke trophy as the leagues best defensive forward for the last two years. He is among the three finalists this year as well along with Ryan Kesler and Jordan Staal. Datsyuk had 132 takeaways during the 2009-10 regular season, The next highest number was 83. That's two way hockey at its best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 How 'bout them Caps?! Surprised to see the regular season goonery largely absent from these games. What a relief. Could turn me into a fan, ...maybe. The only guy who seemed to constantly be in there provoking/looking for the fight is the same idiot who caught the 4 game suspension back in March -- Lapierre. I was somewhat disappointed that he didn't get clock'd a time or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 7-1....and the Wings live to fight another day. Bruins are up 3-0 in that series. They aren't that good.....but the Flyers aren't coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 If you're a Red Wing fan, that was fun to watch. For the first time in this series, they played a solid game on both sides of the puck. Franzen gets the natural hat in the first period and Todd Bertuzzi dials up a four point night. Looks like some hard feeling are starting to develop. I think that's good for the Wings. That B.S. from Joe Thornton in the third period was bush league all the way. No wonder they ran him out of Boston. While a win is a win, Detroit still has a monumentally steep hill to climb. In the history of the SCP, only two teams have come back from 3-0 deficits, so this is, at best, the longest of shots. But, if they can find a way to win on Saturday night, then it starts to get interesting. One game at a time guys. The other series that's starting to throw off some sparks is the Habs and Pens. That was some intense hockey being played in the third period at the Forum tonight. I see that series going seven. I'd love to see the Canadians win this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 It's funny how things look different depending on who you're rooting for; my feeling is the Sharks still might actually have a chance to pull this off against the Wings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 It's funny how things look different depending on who you're rooting for; my feeling is the Sharks still might actually have a chance to pull this off against the Wings... I'm sticking with my original prediction. Red Wings in six. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 If you're a Red Wing fan, that was fun to watch. For the first time in this series, they played a solid game on both sides of the puck. Franzen gets the natural hat in the first period and Todd Bertuzzi dials up a four point night. Looks like some hard feeling are starting to develop. I think that's good for the Wings. That B.S. from Joe Thornton in the third period was bush league all the way. No wonder they ran him out of Boston. While a win is a win, Detroit still has a monumentally steep hill to climb. In the history of the SCP, only two teams have come back from 3-0 deficits, so this is, at best, the longest of shots. But, if they can find a way to win on Saturday night, then it starts to get interesting. One game at a time guys. The other series that's starting to throw off some sparks is the Habs and Pens. That was some intense hockey being played in the third period at the Forum tonight. I see that series going seven. I'd love to see the Canadians win this one. They haven't played @ the Forum since '96.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 They haven't played @ the Forum since '96.... When I wrote this, I wondered if they still called it by that name. Old habits die hard. Next thing you know you're going to tell me it's no longer Maple Leaf Gardens and that Punch Imlach no longer runs the show in Toronto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 Ovechkin is a cherry picker. Received this from a pal yesterday: A guy walks into a bar and asks for an Ovechkin. The bartender asks how to make it and the guy replies "its a white russian with no ice or cup" Ouch!!!! I'm sticking with my original prediction. Red Wings in six. Oh no Mr. Bill oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 I'd like to take my lie #6 Northland and break it over Brian Rafalski's head. His heads-down no-look-behind-the-back-next-thing-you-know-the-pucks-in-the-back-of-the-net pass that led to the winning goal was an all-time bonehead move. For someone with that much experience, inexcusable and unforgivable. On the upside, now that the Red Wings are eliminated, I can watch the rest of the playoffs without a scintilla of emotional investment. Time to figure out who to root against. How about Pittsburgh? Yup, that'll work. As to predictions, if Antti Niemi can stay hot, I don't see anyone beating the Blackhawks in the West. And, as much as I hate the idea, Pittsburgh probably comes out of East. My heart says the Hawks take the Cup in seven. My head says Pittsburgh in six. What a bummer that would be. I'm afraid for Detroit fans everywhere, this is the last hurrah. This is an aging team whose best days are clearly behind it. I'm not one who is particularly enamored with the moving parts in the farm system, so I'm not sure with the restrictions and realities imposed by the salary cap, that the Wings will need to be reckoned with for some time. It was sure a nice run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 Hah. If the Sharks can bet the hated Red Wings, they can beat anyone. This is the year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Habs 4, Pens 2 heading into the third period. Should be a furious finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Needless to say that people here are going crazy . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalupa Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 THE FLYERS WIN!! THE FLYERS WIN!!!!!! WAHOO!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 I'm no Philadelphia fan (I refuse to root for any team that includes Chris Pronger), but give them their due. Coming back from a 3-0 deficit and from three goals down in tonight's game seven is an accomplishment for the ages. Congrats to the Flyers and all their fans. What a weird NHL playoff this has been. I can't remember anything quite like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalupa Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 I'm no Philadelphia fan (I refuse to root for any team that includes Chris Pronger), but give them their due. Coming back from a 3-0 deficit and from three goals down in tonight's game seven is an accomplishment for the ages. Congrats to the Flyers and all their fans. What a weird NHL playoff this has been. I can't remember anything quite like it. And the did it on the road. Dave - has there ever been a conference final w/ a #7 seed vs. #8??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalupa Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 Historic. The only other teams to win a series after trailing 3-0 were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who beat Detroit, and the 1975 New York Islanders, who eliminated Pittsburgh. The other 159 teams that won the first three games in a series all won them. Bruins are up 3-0 in that series. They aren't that good.....but the Flyers aren't coming back. Hi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 God, those idiots. Too much time spent lounging about... Beantown sports pages will go nuclear in the am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 Dave - has there ever been a conference final w/ a #7 seed vs. #8??? Nope, this is a first. The current playoff format has been in place since the 1993-94 season. Before this year, the lowest two seeds to play for the conference championship were Anaheim (7) and Minnesota (6) in 2003 and Anaheim (8) and Edmonton (6) in 2006. Like I said, I've never seen anything like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 (edited) The NBA has one upset (and I'm not sure it was really even really that much of an upset) and the entire league is in a collective tizzy. OMG! LeBron's Gone! No Cavs-Lakers final! Meanwhile, the NHL has had a No. 8 seed (No. 16, overall) knock off a No. 1 seed, then go on to knock off the defending champs, taking out the game's two biggest stars and the league's leading goal-scorer on the way, and now a historic comeback by Philly, and the league is giddy with excitement. Plus, two original six teams in the final four. And no matter which team wins now, it'll have been a long time coming for the eventual champions. ... playoff hockey, you can't beat it. Edited May 15, 2010 by papsrus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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