2013 NHL Playoffs

[ejp626]

Game 3 tonight. Now we'll see what our guys are made of and whether this is going to turn into a battle. It would be a little disappointing to me if it ended with less than 6 games. I'm actually hoping for 7.

I can certainly see this going 7. Pretty good series so far. Helps that I am not emotionally invested (unlike my wife ).

[Soulstation1]

My pick

Another OT game...

[patricia]

Game 3 tonight. Now we'll see what our guys are made of and whether this is going to turn into a battle. It would be a little disappointing to me if it ended with less than 6 games. I'm actually hoping for 7.

I can certainly see this going 7. Pretty good series so far. Helps that I am not emotionally invested (unlike my wife ).

Me too. MY guys, the Flames, bombed out before the playoffs. Then, I picked the Oilers......gone, then the Canucks...........gone. Then, in desperation, I cheered for the Pens, because Iggy joined them this year. Pens.............gone.

So, I'm hoping the Western team, Chicago goes all the way, but not so that it will break my heart if they don't.

I'm watching because I love hockey and love to see it played well. So, there's that.

Edited June 17, 2013 by patricia

[Jazzmoose]

The Canucks? During the playoffs??

[GA Russell]

There is talk again of the NHL entering Seattle.

Phoenix appears to be on the ropes, but Seattle with its 11,000 seat arena isn't ready yet.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/seattle-on-nhls-relocation-radar-yet-again/article12602546/

[patricia]

The Canucks? During the playoffs??

No, not during the playoffs. Just before, when the Flames AND then the Oilers went down in flames.

Even though I live in B.C. the Canucks have never won my heart, hockey-speaking. My jersey has Kipper's number and name on it.

The Oilers seemed to be coming up strong, particularly after Nugent-Hopkins joined the team. He seems to be injury-prone, unfortunately.

The Oilers will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come, IMO.

But as the teams fell to defeat, one by one, I still have to have one playing to care. So, Chicago. They do have Toews and Kane, both impressive, at least during the regular season.

Edited June 18, 2013 by patricia

[alocispepraluger102]

that crappy ice slowed the speedy hawks.

[patricia]

that crappy ice slowed the speedy hawks.

As I watched last night's game, I said to no-one in particular that the Hawks seemed out-of-sync. They weren't as fast as they usually are and were missing usually easy passes by several inches.

I try not to excuse a team's poor performance by blaming the ice, or the unfriendly fans, or other factors which shouldn't matter. I usually reason that they should be able to adapt. But, last night was so frustrating that I was almost throwing my shoes at the screen.

The Bruins were playing on their home ice and were used to the different conditions and the Hawks were in foreign territory.

Does anyone know if the Hawks had a meaningful practice, to acclimate themselves?

In short.....................YIKES!!

[papsrus]

Go Leafs

[Soulstation1]

My pick

Chicago in 6 games

Couldn't name 1 player off either team

Chicago must win the next game!!!!

[Jazzmoose]

The Canucks? During the playoffs??

No, not during the playoffs. Just before, when the Flames AND then the Oilers went down in flames.

Even though I live in B.C. the Canucks have never won my heart, hockey-speaking. My jersey has Kipper's number and name on it.

The Oilers seemed to be coming up strong, particularly after Nugent-Hopkins joined the team. He seems to be injury-prone, unfortunately.

The Oilers will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come, IMO.

But as the teams fell to defeat, one by one, I still have to have one playing to care. So, Chicago. They do have Toews and Kane, both impressive, at least during the regular season.

Yeah, the Oilers have certainly set themselves up for a return to glory.

I wanted to go for Chicago; keep the cup in the west and all that, but I've got too many friends who are Bruins fans. (In a town this small, away from any hockey teams, read that as "one" friend... )

[Soulstation1]

My pick

Chicago in 6 games

Couldn't name 1 player off either team

Nice choke job Boston!! B

Thank you

[GA Russell]

Congrats ss1! You pick last year's Grey Cup, and now you pick this year's Stanley Cup.

[alocispepraluger102]

what an incredible nhl playoff series-congrats to all players and all teams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited June 25, 2013 by alocispepraluger102

[ejp626]

Pretty astonishing end to that game. Thought for sure it was headed to overtime. 2 goals 20 seconds apart!? And unless I am mistaken, the first Blackhawks goal was a short-handed one. What a series...

[Mike Schwartz]

Pretty astonishing end to that game. Thought for sure it was headed to overtime. 2 goals 20 seconds apart!? And unless I am mistaken, the first Blackhawks goal was a short-handed one. What a series...

Amazing finish indeed!

[papsrus]

One of those Boston players -- Bergeron -- was playing with a broken rib, torn cartilage. Unreal.

Always kind of thought Chara was a bit overrated (kept hearing best defenseman in the game, blah, blah). The Blackhawks were able to knock him off his game by getting him in close quarters, where that pole he uses for a stick was less ... useful.

Wouldn't have minded seeing a Game 7, but good for Chicago for taking it in what Boston fans must think was a colassal meltdown.

[alocispepraluger102]

after watching this year's playoffs, i've discovered that nhl hockey is now my favorite sport to watch, by far.

observing and fathoming the subtleties and ebb and flow of a hockey match is like solving pi.

much of the pleasure comes from the fact that advertisers haven't found a way to effectively control the sport.

Edited June 25, 2013 by alocispepraluger102

[patricia]

Pretty astonishing end to that game. Thought for sure it was headed to overtime. 2 goals 20 seconds apart!? And unless I am mistaken, the first Blackhawks goal was a short-handed one. What a series...

I wouldn't have been surprised if some Boston fans heard the last two Hawks' goals on their car radios, if, assured of the win, they tried to beat the traffic.

Pulling even AND ahead by one to win in the last less than two minutes of the third was an astonishing turnaround. WOW!!

Congratulations to the Blackhawks!!

One of my friends commented that when Chara got upended a couple of times, the stadium experienced a noticable jolt. He went down like a tree. So, he's certainly not invincable.

Edited June 25, 2013 by patricia

[Quincy]

after watching this year's playoffs, i've discovered that nhl hockey is now my favorite sport to watch, by far.

observing and fathoming the subtleties and ebb and flow of a hockey match is like solving pi.

much of the pleasure comes from the fact that advertisers haven't found a way to effectively control the sport.

It's a sport greatly helped by modern TV sets too. Who knows, maybe its audience will grow?

[T.D.]

after watching this year's playoffs, i've discovered that nhl hockey is now my favorite sport to watch, by far.

observing and fathoming the subtleties and ebb and flow of a hockey match is like solving pi.

much of the pleasure comes from the fact that advertisers haven't found a way to effectively control the sport.

It's a sport greatly helped by modern TV sets too. Who knows, maybe its audience will grow?

I really doubt it. I played the sport a lot, so never had any trouble watching it on TV, but I couldn't tell you how many times I've heard the (apparently justifiably) stock excuse "Well, I could never get into hockey because I can't follow the puck." [Aside] I think the fighting would be a negative for potential TV viewers, but I might very well be wrong.

Congratulations to the Hawks! I grew up in the Chicago area, and was a huge fan of the early '70s teams which came close (a couple of Finals losses) but never made it.

Edited June 25, 2013 by T.D.

[patricia]

after watching this year's playoffs, i've discovered that nhl hockey is now my favorite sport to watch, by far.

observing and fathoming the subtleties and ebb and flow of a hockey match is like solving pi.

much of the pleasure comes from the fact that advertisers haven't found a way to effectively control the sport.

It's a sport greatly helped by modern TV sets too. Who knows, maybe its audience will grow?

I really doubt it. I played the sport a lot, so never had any trouble watching it on TV, but I couldn't tell you how many times I've heard the (apparently justifiably) stock excuse "Well, I could never get into hockey because I can't following the puck." [Aside] I think the fighting would be a negative for potential TV viewers, but I might very well be wrong.

Congratulations to the Hawks! I grew up in the Chicago area, and was a huge fan of the early '70s teams which came close (a couple of Finals losses) but never made it.

Not being able to follow the puck sounds like an eyesight problem, not a fault of the game. Oddly enough, some years ago the league decided to actually put a light in the puck, but that was soon seen, both by the fans and by the NHL, to be a dumb idea.

Having watched hockey being played since I was a little kid, I can say that the game AND the fans have changed over the years.

The thing that bothers me most, I think, is the glorification of the "fights" that are lovingly covered with several cameras for the fans' apparent benefit. I suspect that those who wait for these fights have never seen hockey, played pure, with meaningful penalties meted out for senseless fights. To me, the game is hockey, not thuggery.

All three of my brothers played hockey, from the time they were little kids and the game was the thing with all their coaches. Thugs on the team were not tolerated.

The hockey skills displayed by the players and the strategies played out, or thwarted by the opposing teams are enough to hold my interest.

Edited June 25, 2013 by patricia

[tkeith]

One of those Boston players -- Bergeron -- was playing with a broken rib, torn cartilage. Unreal.

Always kind of thought Chara was a bit overrated (kept hearing best defenseman in the game, blah, blah). The Blackhawks were able to knock him off his game by getting him in close quarters, where that pole he uses for a stick was less ... useful.

Wouldn't have minded seeing a Game 7, but good for Chicago for taking it in what Boston fans must think was a colassal meltdown.

Don't view it as a meltdown, at all. The whole series was a great, hard fought series. I bleed black and gold, but believed Chicago was the superior team. There was not a dull moment in 6 games, and game 1 is one of the greatest games I've ever watched. Congrats to the Blackhawks, they earned it. There was no "Buckner moment" in this, they simply played hard and reaped the rewards.

[T.D.]

Not being able to follow the puck sounds like an eyesight problem, not a fault of the game. Oddly enough, some years ago the league decided to actually put a light in the puck, but that was soon seen, both by the fans and by the NHL, to be a dumb idea.

Having watched hockey being played since I was a little kid, I can say that the game AND the fans have changed over the years.

The thing that bothers me most, I think, is the glorification of the "fights" that are lovingly covered with several cameras for the fans' apparent benefit. I suspect that those who wait for these fights have never seen hockey, played pure, with meaningful penalties meted out for senseless fights. To me, the game is hockey, not thuggery.

All three of my brothers played hockey, from the time they were little kids and the game was the thing with all their coaches. Thugs on the team were not tolerated.

The hockey skills displayed by the players and the strategies played out, or thwarted by the opposing teams are enough to hold my interest.

Yeah, I was going to mention the Fox Sports "glowing puck" but decided not to. I didn't care for the effect, but thought it was a reasonable try...believe me, in the US, the "can't follow the puck" thing is incredibly frequent among non-fans.

I personally see no reason for the fights, but get the impression that the "traditional Canadian fan base" digs them (as does a certain element of the US fan base).

I agree fully about the thuggery. [Aside: I played in adult recreational leagues until turning 40. Fighting was of course "not allowed", but occasionally occurred. I made sure never to get involved, even to break things up - there's a huge risk of someone jumping in and blowing out your knee while you're trying to separate the combatants... ]

Edited June 25, 2013 by T.D.

[Soulstation1]

IMO

Best hockey fight ever.....