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NHL PLayoffs 2009

#421
Bad Brains said:
83 Oilers?
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The 83 Oilers were a VERY talented team that lost in the finals to the I-holes. They didn't know what it took to win. Now they do. Doesn't mean they will, but if both sides are healthy it's going to be an epic finals.

Congrats to the Pens for finishing off the canes. The second goal last night summed up the series to me in a single play. The Talbot bloop shot was a shot that a peewee goalie should have stopped. The Canes had 2 long series beforehand and they just didn't have enough in the tank to compete with a Pens team on a mission. From what I saw of the games, they just couldn't keep up with the Pens for 60 minutes.

Tonight the Wings should finish off the Hawks, though I'm honestly torn. I was hoping for the Canes to win last night just to guarantee the Finals would start next weekend instead of this weekend (let everyone get healthy) since I was reading someplace that they were considering going back to back game 1 and 2 for the Finals by moving it up if the Wings close it out. While I understand the desire to not have 8 days or so between series, forcing the teams in the finals to go back to back this late in a playoff run is a disservice to both teams. It's the finals, nuff said.
 
#423
Well, as we all know, anything can happen.

But to be realistic, if Detroit is on their game and they are healthy, everyone knows they would destroy Pittsburg.

Detroit is too deep. Their 2 best players were out for game 4and they embarassed Chicago.

If Pittsburg's best players, Crosby and Malkin, were both injured........
 
#424
If the Wings can finish off the Hawks quickly, a Detroit vs. Pittsburgh series should be awesome. If the Hawks stretch the series a bit longer, advantage Pittsburgh.

At this point, I'm hoping Detroit closes it out against Chicago right away. If both teams are at their best, it should be a fantastic final series. Detroit is always good. The Pens are playing their best at the right time. My head is telling me Detroit in seven; but my gut is telling me the Pens are the "team of destiny" this year. (And yes, I know I'm jumping the gun because the Wings/Hawks series isn't even over yet.)
 
#426
Jeff K said:
If the Wings can finish off the Hawks quickly, a Detroit vs. Pittsburgh series should be awesome. If the Hawks stretch the series a bit longer, advantage Pittsburgh.

At this point, I'm hoping Detroit closes it out against Chicago right away. If both teams are at their best, it should be a fantastic final series. Detroit is always good. The Pens are playing their best at the right time. My head is telling me Detroit in seven; but my gut is telling me the Pens are the "team of destiny" this year. (And yes, I know I'm jumping the gun because the Wings/Hawks series isn't even over yet.)
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The Pens are playing quite well (not to sound like a broken record, but again, the 83 Oilers (lost to a very dominant Islanders team in the finals) were the Pens last year, will the Pens be the 84 Oilers (won the rematch against the Islanders in the finals) this year?)

As much as I want to see the Wings close out the series tonight, with the injuries to Datsyuk and Lidstrom, plus the fact that the NHL will move the series up to start this weekend with back-to-back games (a travesty imho, it's the stinking finals, go Friday-Sunday, not Saturday-Sunday) if the Wings close it out, I honestly won't complain if the Hawks pull out a win tonight. While I wholeheartedly subscribe to the not letting an opponent breathe if you've got a stranglehold on a series, rather crush their larynx and rip their head off, tactically speaking, it would behoove the Wings to let the series go to six games to get the rest between games and heal up. (Plus, it'd make my Wings in 6 series prediction for the WCF correct). Still, if the Wings drop game 5 and end up losing the WCF it'll be classified one of the worst meltdowns ever.
 
#429
Jeff K said:
If the Wings can finish off the Hawks quickly, a Detroit vs. Pittsburgh series should be awesome. If the Hawks stretch the series a bit longer, advantage Pittsburgh.

At this point, I'm hoping Detroit closes it out against Chicago right away. If both teams are at their best, it should be a fantastic final series. Detroit is always good. The Pens are playing their best at the right time. My head is telling me Detroit in seven; but my gut is telling me the Pens are the "team of destiny" this year. (And yes, I know I'm jumping the gun because the Wings/Hawks series isn't even over yet.)
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Well said, it may be a compelling enough matchup to attract casual hockey fans of other teams (like me) to watch.
 
#431
Please....please....please get better Lidstrom and Datsyuk. I can already hear it if the Pens win a game with them out. I so hope the entire Detroit roster is at 110%.

Between the "NHL wants Crosby to win a Cup" conspiracy theorists around here and if any Red Wing is out injured, we'll get no credit for any game we win. Heck, it already started before the Finals matchup was set.

-Mike
 
#433
MJ5150 said:
I so hope the entire Detroit roster is at 110%.
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Are you sure you want that?:D

So what's up with Darren Helm single handedly killing that penalty for about 30 seconds in the Chicago zone and then getting the GW in OT? Is that man under the radar or what? Detroit is stacked on all 4 lines. Even without 2 of their best players (Lidstrom, Datsuyk) and their best face off man (Draper) they still managed 2 wins in this series.

The problem I see the Penguins having is that, because they rely so heavily on their 2 stars showing up and playing their best every game, they'll get a lot of ice time and they'll be getting tired towards the end of the series. Keeping up with the Wing's four lines will probably tire those guys out quite a bit. If we can get to their goalie then I think we'll have a decent shot at a repeat. If we can't then it's going to be a tough series.
 
#434
capnsandwich said:
Are you sure you want that?:D

The problem I see the Penguins having is that, because they rely so heavily on their 2 stars showing up and playing their best every game, they'll get a lot of ice time and they'll be getting tired towards the end of the series. Keeping up with the Wing's four lines will probably tire those guys out quite a bit. If we can get to their goalie then I think we'll have a decent shot at a repeat. If we can't then it's going to be a tough series.
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You bet. Besides not wanting to hear it from your Detroit homers, I would really prefer to play a team at full strength.

No one on the Pens is going to be tired unless they get occasionally caught playing a long shift. It's not like Kennedy, Fedotenko, Kunitz, Staal, Malkin, and Crosby are going to be gasping for air at the end of every game. Maybe Guerin though. :D

But hey, I predicted this Finals matchup with us losing in seven when the playoffs started. Detroit is the best team in the NHL right now, I know that much.

-Mike
 
#436
capnsandwich said:
It's going to be a good one, I do know that much.
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You got that right. All youn'z RW fans here are classy, so I will enjoy your analysis and comments after each game.

I like the RW's anyway, so I can't really lose here. I remember crying my eyes out when I heard about Constatinov. It seems in my memory that Detroit led the way in bringing the Russian players to the NHL and they were playing this new brand of hockey. Maybe they didn't, it just felt that way to me.

I was a Pen's fan back then, but living out here so I saw a lot of Detroit games. They were the "other team" I followed, but not nearly as close as you guys do. I wouldn't really say I was a fan, more of a respect since they were always pretty good.

-Mike
 
#438
Here is the official schedule for the Finals from NHL.com....

Saturday, May 30 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS
Sunday, May 31 at Detroit, TBD-Night NBC, CBC, RDS
Tuesday, June 2 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Thursday, June 4 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS, CBC, RDS
* Saturday, June 6 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS
* Tuesday, June 9 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS
* Friday, June 12 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS

- * denotes if necessary
- All Times are Eastern Standard Time

-Mike
 
#439
Good game by the 'hawks tonight, even though we lost. Huet showed us what he's capable of (I had seen moments of brilliance from him but he is usually inconsistent and easily rattled), so there is hope for the 'hawks next season in net. I definitely see Khabi leaving, which should give Huet more games so he'll be able to get a rhythm going.

What an effort by the 'hawks to at least come out and give it their all. I'm definitely proud to be a fan. Fraser was solid tonight in Havlat's place, with a key backcheck to stop Hossa from getting a shot on a 2 on 1. A lucky bounce for the Wings in OT and they manage to put it away, as well as a huge game by Osgood. Best of luck to them in the finals.

And Chelios said it back in 1994, and its still relevant in today's NHL:
 
#440
capnsandwich said:
Yeah but Pittsburgh is the hottest. Sometimes that trumps being the best. It's going to be a good one, I do know that much.
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Are they really that much hotter than Detroit? I mean they had a better second half of the season but they HAD too otherwise they were in danger of not making the playoffs. As far as during their playoff run it's not like they won 12 straight. I mean even though the Chicago series was close (score wise) Detroit still won it in 5. If anything the Pens had a tougher go of it in the playoffs against teams that aren't as defensive minded.

I'm not ready to conclude this Pittsburgh team is that much better than last years. Yes Malkin and Crosby are playing far better hockey, but Gurein is no Hosa, and remember Detroit won last year without Franzien. I would say this much, healthy Detroit is still a far deeper team. Last years team didn't have Franzein, Hosa, or Errickson. And both Helm, Kromwell and Cleary are playing at a far higher level as is Fillpula. In fact at times Helm and Fillpula have looked like emerging stars and Helm is going on Detroit's third line, he'd be on any other playoff teams number one or two line. As a Detroit fan my biggest worry is the health of the team. I know Datsyuk and Lidstrom skated yesterday and Errikson is suppose to be ready by Saturday.

I still see the series a lot like last year. To me the 83 Oilers-Islanders comparison falls flat in the sense that the Islanders were an aging team, while Detroit is a reletivly young team just coming into to it's prime. There is really only one veteren that plays a significant role in Detroit and that's Lidstrom who is playing at Norris level again this season as a 39 year old. The other thing I find interesting is that East does not play as physical defensive minded hockey as some of the teams out West play. While I enjoyed watching the East games, I couldn't believe the amount of open ice that existed, ecspecially compaired to the Aneheim-Detroit series. Pittsburgs stars will have to get use to opperating with a lot more company arround them and not as much ice for them to razzal-dazzle in. As a Detroit fan my only real concern is the Health of Lidstrom-Datsyuk and Ericcson. If they are anywhere near 90% it's over in six, maybe five. If they aren't we may have a series.
 

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