08-09 National Hockey League Thread

[tyzack]

last nights game worried me.

[Yoda]

A couple thoughts...

1. It\'s nice to see Carolina go up 2-1 on Boston.  When a team that beats the Devils (except the rangers) goes on to continue to win, I like it (escpecially when they\'re playing boston).

2. I hope that the caps don\'t lost any confidence after last night\'s game.  I have nothing against Crosby, but I have an issue with the NHL, particularly when they get behind a certain player/team and the refs give certain calls.

3. The refs blew the no goal call in the ducks/wings game the other night.

Predictions:

Semis:
- Carolina in 6
- Washington in 7
- Anaheim in 6
- Vancouver in 6

Finals
- Washington in 6
- Anaheim in 6

Stanley Cup
- Washington in 6

[postom]

washington isn\'t going to win shit.  they have a goalie and ofugchkin.  and a little bit of forechecking.

pens are going to come back and win the series in 6

[postom]

bam!!!

[Rickey Roux]

Since not making the playoffs since the 2001-2002 season, the Chicago Blackhawks have certainly been the surprise of the 2008-2009 season.  Although they can skate with anyone, their physical play has confounded both Calgary and Vancouver.  I was hoping for a Chicago/Boston final, but the Bruins need to step it up big time.  At this point, Carolina, Anaheim and Chicago have definitely been the dark horses of the playoffs.  P.S.  Yoda, don\'t count us out.

[postom]

pens carolina is going to be a great series

[tyzack]

pens carolina is going to be a great series

fuck off.

after what happened last night there is no way the bruins are losing.

Also, carolina is a bunch of bitches.

[postom]

god i fucking hate ovechkin

[weekapaug19]

god i fucking hate ovechkin

he\'s so good

[tyzack]

This is an AHL game, and I declined an invitation to go to it, but it still sounds like it was great:

P-Bruins win, can end it in Worcester



By Bill Ballou TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
wballou@telegram.com

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I hate that team.

-- David Cunniff, SHARKS ASSISTANT COACH ON THE BRUINS


 
PROVIDENCE —  One of the beautiful things about playoff hockey is that there’s no political correctness anywhere. Take hatred, for instance. Not only is it not discouraged, it’s recommended, and there’s plenty of it to go around in this Calder Cup series between the Sharks and the Providence Bruins.

The Bruins won last night’s game here, 4-3, and now lead the series, 3-2. Worcester is one loss away from elimination, with the next game tomorrow night at 7:05 at the DCU Center.

“It’s going to go seven games,” Sharks coach Roy Sommer said, and who’s to doubt him? Each of the first five games has gone down to the final minute, and each has kept every fan in his or her seat until the final buzzer.

The hatred last night was spread all around the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. In the first period, Sharks assistant coaches David Cunniff and Bryan Marchment, and Bruins assistant Bruce Cassidy, were hollering at each other.

Throughout the game, Providence forward Brad Marchand was instigating and taunting. And in the third period, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask went after Sharks winger Frazer McLaren and belted him a couple of times with his blocker.

“I hate that team,” Cunniff said after it was over.

Marchand, Martin St. Pierre, Jeremy Reich and Levi Nelson had the Providence goals. Patrick Traverse, Jamie McGinn and Riley Armstrong scored for the Sharks.

Worcester had its chances to win this one. The Sharks even scored first, which — until last night — had resulted in victory every time. This time, though, Worcester sagged in the second period and let Providence build a 3-1 lead.

The Sharks came back to make it 3-2 on McGinn’s goal at 10:26 of the third period, but then they committed the mortal hockey sin of giving it right back. Nelson made it 4-2 at 10:42.

“That was it,” Sommer said. “You can’t give it up that fast. And that goal was my fault, too. Every time we give up a goal, or score one, I put out Desi’s line (Andrew Desjardins, Frazer McLaren and Dan DaSilva) and this time I didn’t. I figured we had some momentum going and we’d try to keep it going, but that other line didn’t get it done.”

Tom Cavanagh, Riley Armstrong and Logan Couture were on for the Nelson goal.

A minute after that, McLaren went to the net as Worcester swarmed around Rask and wound up pushing the goalie into the net. Rask got up and started swinging, and he and McLaren wound up battling on the ice. When it ended, referee Francois St. Laurent gave McLaren a double minor for roughing and Rask just two minutes.

Which McLaren couldn’t figure out at all.

“He hit me twice with his blocker,” McLaren said, “and that’s an automatic five (minutes), I think. But that ref had it in for me all night. I’ve had two misconducts the whole playoffs, and he’s called both of them.”

One misconduct was at the end of the first period last night, the other in Hartford on April 18.

Actually, hitting an opposing player with a blocker is not an automatic five for a goaltender. According to Rule 51.3, it’s a match penalty.

Even after Nelson’s goal and the penalties on McLaren, the Sharks didn’t wilt. Sommer pulled goalie Thomas Greiss with about 2-1/2 minutes left, and Armstrong made it 4-3 almost immediately. But the Bruins did a good job protecting their lead the rest of the way.

Through five games, it has been such splendid hockey that a best-of-25 seems like a great idea. The only problem with that is that none of the players would still be alive by the time it was over.

Hatred can take you only so far.

[weekapaug19]

B\'s looked good again last night...all the pressure is on carolina, on the road in boston.

[weekapaug19]

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1897847,00.html

really? reba reruns had more viewers

[tyzack]

WTF is Reba besides a phish rip-off?

[SkyePrizm]

P.S.  Yoda, don\'t count us out.

Damn right!!   I think they may go all the way.

[Yoda]

P.S.  Yoda, don\'t count us out.

Damn right!!   I think they may go all the way.

You gotta get out of the West first...