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NHL Playoffs

#121
Sonic_Death said:
The only thing I'd change is my Rangers beating Buffalo. The only reason they beat us so much in the regular season is that 3/4 times Weekes was in goal.
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I agree, I think the Rangers have a pretty good chance at knocking out Buffalo. Buffalo is looking more and more like the team we were last year, plenty of talent but not enough grit. If NY really takes it to them on the forecheck and plays physical all series I think they can wear them down. Just no turnovers in the neutral zone or Buffalo will make you pay.

As a Canadian it kinda sucks that Vancouver had to come up against Anaheim, but whatcha gonna do? Luongo has proven to me that he's the real deal but I think the Ducks will be too much for all those Sedins.

-Nate
 
#122
kserg said:
nateo: Thank you, was about to do the same.

You know Joey, you complains are maybe legit. I am just sick of people keep on saying that hockey today sucks because it has less fights and less dirty plays (which it seems BB is complaining about every time someones says "hockey"). It seems that a lot of people (you excluded) liked hockey just for source of violence. Which is kinda sickening IMO.
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No, the game back then was just better.

the NHL has pretty much been killing themselves for the last 7 or 8 years.
 
#123
The Canucks need to keep playing like they did yesterday (well, in the last 2 periods, anyways) if they want any shot at beating Anaheim. I'm just happy it should be a different series than Dallas/Vancouver (which was 2 very defensive teams playing for 1-0). But if Vancouver lets up for one second, they'll be playing catchup and depending on Luongo to save them, like they've done so much all year.

But as a Canucks fan, I believe they can win! Obviously, though, they're gonna have to keep up their offensive production. Anyone who believes they can't do it needs only to look at their record between January and April, and how many goals per game they averaged in that span. They dug themselves back into a hole in the Dallas series, but that doesn't mean nobody will step up in this round. That said... Go Canucks!
 
#124
smakbass said:
So predictions for Round 2.....

My picks are
Buffalo over the Rangers
Ottawa over New Jersey
Detroit over San Jose
Anaheim over Vancouver

The last one pains me being a Vancouver fan but Anaheim is 3 and 1 against Vancouver this season and I dont think the canucks can stand up against them, but hey who knows...
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I agree, except that I think SJ will beat Detroit. SJ wants it more, and they've handled Detroit pretty well this season. I think the speed and physicality of SJ will be too much for Detroit to contain. Plus, I'm biased. SJ in 6.

Vancouver is leaning on Luongo a little too much, and they don't have the offense to match Anaheim. Ana in 5.

Ottawa/NJ will be a good series, I'm guessing 7 games, but I think Ottawa's got a little more depth than NJ, and will take it in 7.

Rangers will have a hard time containing the Sabres offense. Sabres in 6.
 
#126
Buff > NYR
Ott < NJ
Det > SJ
ANA > VAN

I think SJ/DET will be a good, clean, hard-fought series. The Sharks manhandled us in a few of the regular season games, but I think we're a stronger team now. Of course, Detroit and San Jose have one great thing in common: we both beat the crap out of Nashville... so I like San Jose. Now, I'm still going to stick with my boys, but if San Jose wins, I'll not be too upset.

My personal feeling is that the team that wins this series will be in the Cup finals.
 
#131
nateo said:
I'm perfectly happy letting you dislike the way the game is played now, but that last line is a bit puzzling. When Gretzky started out teams were scoring even more then they are today. In the '90s clutching and grabbing became the norm and things got slowed down to that style of hockey that some people now think of as the good ol' days.

I checked the stats (gotta cover my butt, right?) and here's what I came up with. In 1980 (the year Gretzky came into the league) the Islanders lead the league in scoring with 355 goals. This season it was Buffalo with the lead at 308 goals. In 1980 the lowest scoring team was the Winnipeg Jets with 246 goals while Edmonton had the bottom spot this year with 195 goals.

If they're trying to manufacture another Great One then they'll have to work harder since there's still a 50 goal margin per team to overcome.

-Nate

Sources:

1979-1980 Stats:
http://www.databasehockey.com/leagues/leagueyear.htm?yr=1980

2006-2007 Stats:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/standings?season=2007&group=conference&column=pointsFor&order=false
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All true, scoring isn't quite where it was at the 80s, when Wayne did most of his damage to the record books, but into the 1990s, he still remained effective. 130 points in 93/94. His "Greatness" extended into the period where cluthching and grabbing were at the forefront of the NHL defensive strategy.

I don't understand what the need is to attempt to recreate the 1980's style of play, which they are slowly moving towards.


Or maybe I'm just a bit bitter that my precious Avs didn't make the playoffs this year...
 
#133
Ottawa looks like the team in the East, with Buffalo not far behind. However, I think the Senators want it this year, and they have the team to do it. The west is a tossup. Anaheim, for sure, but I think Detroit and San Jose are both hungry teams and Vancouver has the defense/goaltending to make it to the finals if they can score a few goals (a la New Jersey from 5 years ago).

My prediction then? Cup goes back to the east - Ottawa over Ducks.
 
#136
kserg said:
Man, two post in a row and both are so wrong... The Stanley Cup will be decided in games between Sharks and Vancouver with Sharks beating the Canucks.
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Same conference.


And neither will take home the cup.
Detriot over San Jose
Buffalo over NY
Anaheim over Vancouver
NJ destroying Ottawa

NJ taking it in the east
Detriot in the west

And then a battle of epic proportions.
 
#140
So Buffalo manhandled NY 5-2 and Anaheim outplayed the Canucks, winning 5-1.

And right now it's 4-1 for Ottawa at 1st intermission.

Shall we take bets on whether Detroit or SJ will destroy their opponents in tonight's late game?

Also, I'm wondering if it's simply a case of a bad start, or if these series will be one-sided the whole way through? Brodeur usually gets better as the series progresses, and Vancouver looked shocked at Anaheim's superior speed last night. I think those teams will definitely bounce back, at least a bit.

EDIT: Half a period later: 4-3 Ottawa. Guess those guys took the 4-0 deficit and kicked themselves in the behinds pretty quickly.
 

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