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Post by FHillsNYHoya on Mar 11, 2008 9:36:13 GMT -5
Based on teams depth, balance, goaltending, and the way they're playing right now, which Eastern Conference team do you think has the best chance to take down the Ducks/Stars/Red Wings/etc. in the Final this year?
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 11, 2008 10:28:20 GMT -5
I'll be crazy and throw the Rangers out there. They're playing some damn good hockey as of late, and they've got talent plus some guys with playoff toughness (i.e. the stuff Ottawa doesn't have).
The Devils will always have a chance as long as Brodeur's in net.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2008 10:44:07 GMT -5
I'll be crazy and throw the Rangers out there. They're playing some damn good hockey as of late, and they've got talent plus some guys with playoff toughness (i.e. the stuff Ottawa doesn't have). The Devils will always have a chance as long as Brodeur's in net. Montreal and Pittsburgh are better than both. I will agree on the Devils ONLY because of Brodeur (but my GOD are they boring to watch). Staying in net, Price is a huge variable for the Habs. If he lives up to the hype, they could make a deep run in the playoffs. They have a roster than can punish you both physically and on the scoreboard if you make mistakes. Lastly, the Eastern Conference better hope the Caps stay out of the playoff picture. I would NOT want to play them right now.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 11, 2008 12:16:37 GMT -5
The Caps have tailed off as of late. Carolina finally pulled their heads out of their a*ses and started playing some good hockey. Right now the Southeast is theirs to lose.
Do Montreal and Pittsburgh have playoff toughness? I'm not so sure. Getting rid of Huet was a big mistake. They should have kept him for the rest of the season, then let him go in free agency. Trading away your starting goalie for a non-first round draft pick when you're near the top of the conference is pretty stupid.
The Pens have plenty of punch up front, but can they keep the puck out of their own net? Will Fleury repeat his performance from the World Juniors a few years back?
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Post by FHillsNYHoya on Mar 11, 2008 12:29:28 GMT -5
I was thinking Montreal and the Rangers, but Pittsburgh is certainly a possibility as well.
Agree 100% w/the Ovechkins being a team no one wants to face in the playoffs....
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Mar 12, 2008 22:22:12 GMT -5
if the caps make it then they have the talent to beat anyone in a 7 game series, but they beat them selves so often that a second round departure would be most likely. they are a lot better then their record but have a tendency to collapse and collapse bad (see this weekend). any team should fear ovie in the playoffs- no one knows how he will play but it will be crazy intense
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 24, 2008 9:12:06 GMT -5
Well, with the Hoyas out, at least I have the NHL playoffs to look forward to...... The Bruins are still going to make it in, right.....RIGHT? Boston didn't actually just lose every single regular season game to Montreal, right......RIGHT? Crap. At least Bergeron is practicing again. That's good news, even if it doesn't do them any good this season.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 31, 2008 11:37:57 GMT -5
Is anyone else excited about this week?
OK, for once I will not talk about the Bruins. They are at 91 points. I think 93 should make the playoffs, 94 at most, and they should be able to get that. If they can't get a couple of points in three games, I got no sympathy for 'em.
But look at the Caps, man! Look! At! The! Caps!
They are two points out of the playoffs right now. They could beat Carolina tomorrow night and jump all the way up to the #3 spot.
(OK, they would still technically be behind Carolina because of tiebreakers, but don't spoil my excitement with logic)
I am going to that game tomorrow; it is going to be awesome!
Another wrinkle of the Caps season. If they do win their division, or even make it in in the 8 slot, Ovechkin is a lock for MVP. If they don't, he almost certainly doesn't get the award.
The best part is, unlike the West, the top 8 teams in the East are separated by 8 measly points. Virtually every team is in the 40-46 win category. The playoffs are going to be monster.
And you can still tune over to the West to watch Detroit "beautiful game" everyone, or watch Anaheim pound everyone into submission. I like upsets, and will be rooting for them in the East (and for Colorado to beat Minnesota, which isn't all that much of an upset), but I want to see Detroit play Anaheim in the playoffs. Unfortunately, due to those morons in San Jose, it will probably have to be in the conference semi-finals, not the finals.
(Actually, I don't really dislike San Jose, just a little lingering Joe Thornton bitterness.)
Come on, people! You have GOT to watch this stuff!
College basketball is over. The NBA won't be exciting for a few more weeks yet (and even then, only exciting in the West), you've got months to watch baseball's paint dry, football is a pipe dream at this point.
As Jeremy Sisto said to Alicia Siverstone, "You're only hurtin' yourself here, babe!"
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Mar 31, 2008 14:44:41 GMT -5
I'd love to go to that Caps-Carolina game, but I've got a class I can't miss. The Tampa Bay game is the only remaining game I can make.
Of course, if they make the playoffs I'll be there for as many as I can!
Playoff hockey is some of the best stuff in all of sports.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 1, 2008 21:14:41 GMT -5
Caps beat the Canes! Now tied for 1st, with two games to go!
Ironically, both teams have home games against Tampa and Florida to finish out the season. The Canes get Tampa tomorrow, and the Caps get them on Thursday. The Canes then get Florida on Friday, while the Caps get them on Sunday.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2008 8:35:25 GMT -5
Sabres need help.
1 - they need to win out.
2 - Boston and Philly can only pick up a maximum ONE point in their remaining games.
3 - In a three-way tie at 92 points, Buffalo would actually have a tiebreaker over those two teams. But a three-way tie at 91 and the Sabres are out.
Losing SIX games this season when ahead by at least two goals is going to bite them in the ass. As is the stupid shootout (which I STILL despise in that a skills competition can decide playoff spots). It also didn't help they have a terrible backup goalie, and Miller has had to play over 70 games, including the last FORTY or so IN A ROW.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Apr 2, 2008 12:26:11 GMT -5
Nice of the Hurricanes to show up last night! [/sarcasm]
Don't get me wrong, I like the Caps and -- as long as it's not at the expense of the Bruins -- I'd love to see them in the playoffs (better yet, in the playoffs as the 3, with Boston as the 6, so I can see them play each other).
But Carolina was God-awful last night. Staal, Cole & Whitney couldn't get out of their own way and the defense was horrid. They got hosed by the refs a few times, but they did almost nothing to help themselves either.
Not really the way you want to end the season with the playoffs on the line. Both the Caps and Carolina have those last two games at home though, as Stig pointed out, so this is far from a done deal for Washington. Carolina is a lot better at home than they are on the road (not always the case in the NHL; see: Sharks, San Jose).
As for Philly, I too am hoping they tank this last week, but not for the same reasons as Buffalo. The Flyers are officially "on my list" this year for ruining Bergeron's season. Here's hoping they can continue shaving and begin booking tee times next week.
Huge game for Boston tonight. New Jersey just clinched a playoff spot last night, so maybe they'll be a little relaxed and the Bruins can take advantage (at the very least, I think they might rest Brodeur tonight).
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 2, 2008 18:45:08 GMT -5
Since when did Martin Brodeur ever rest?
Random thoughts: - The Bruins really need just one more win. It won't officially clinch, but if they got that they'd need a lot of things to go wrong to lose their spot.
- The Southeast will only get one team in. Washington has the advantage in that they get both TB and Florida on their 2nd game in two days, but Carolina is the (slightly) better home team. The Caps are playing better hockey right now (see last night), so I give the tiniest of advantages to them.
- Buffalo needs a miracle.
- It probably won't happen, but it would be lovely if Ottawa managed to choke and miss the playoffs.
- Montreal hasn't crashed and burned after Huet's departure like I thought they would. So far. Let's see if Price's head can stay in one piece in the playoffs.
- Out west, Calgary's win last night over Edmonton was huge. Not only does it almost clinch a playoff spot, but it also knocked Edmonton out. Both are very important in Calgary.
- Woe to whoever plays the Sharks in the playoffs.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 3, 2008 0:19:33 GMT -5
Carolina holds serve. A decent night for Boston despite the loss, since they get a point for the OTL and Philly lost.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2008 7:43:22 GMT -5
Buffalo's "miracle" just got slightly more do-able.
1) Need to win at Montreal tonight, obviously. Talk about a tough task... Le Centre Bell is a ridiculously tough place to play, especially considering Les Habs are still fighting for that first-overall seed.
2) Boston - gotta lose in Ottawa tomorrow. If the Sens can somehow just pull it together for ONE FREAKIN' GAME and win, the B's max out at 92 pts. heading into Saturday's finale with Buffalo.
3) Philly - can pick up one point at NJ OR Pitt on Friday or Saturday, respectively. They top out at 92.
4) If that happens, and Buffalo beats Montreal and then Boston in the finale, all three teams would have 92 points. And from my math, Buffalo, believe it or not, would have a tie-breaker and get in.
Boston picks up one more point and they're in. If it comes down to Buffalo and Philly with 91 points, Philly has more wins and gets the tie breaker. But if they tie at 92, Buffalo is in.
All that said, if Carolina and Washington keep winning (and they very well may with nothing but fluff on the schedule this last weekend), Buffalo AND Philly could both be out.
Like I said... Buffalo losing six games in which they led by two or more and performing HORRIBLY in shootouts this season (don't get me started) is going to bite them in the ass.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Apr 3, 2008 9:48:21 GMT -5
Well, Boston got a little lucky, I'll admit that. But I'll also take it.
They definitely outplayed the Devils, but Brodeur was just his usual amazing self. Most other goalies, Boston probably would have scored at least 4 last night.
(Funny Stig, when I tuned into the game, that's one of the first things Emerick talked about. "Why isn't Brodeur resting if they clinched last night?" Emerick basically said, "He's Martin Brodeur; he doesn't need to rest.")
On the other hand, New Jersey definitely scored three in regulation, and all you had to do was look at the s***-eating grin on Tim Thomas's face to know that he got away with one by hiding the puck from the replay cameras. I don't think even a goal judge would've been able to see that one. He should join Penn & Teller's magic act when he retires.
The OT was amazing, but once it got to a shootout, I knew it was over. Brodeur just wasn't going to let anyone beat him. Thomas matched him for a few rounds, but what are ya' gonna' do?
I'm not really expecting Boston to have a long stay in the playoffs if they get there, but they have worked really hard this year & have overcome the injury bug more than should be asked of most teams, so I'd like them to get at least one series.
On the other hand, you never know. Kobasew and Bergeron are obviously not coming back for the playoffs, but Savard should be ready (I hope), and Andrew Alberts played pretty well last night in his first game back.
Honestly, it'd most likely be a sweep or 4-1 loss, but something tells me after getting humiliated by the Habs all year, a lot of the Bruins would like nothing better than a crack at them again in the playoffs when all the pressure will be on Montreal.
I am also not a big fan of the shootout (and Boston has actually done about .500 in those this year, so it's not tied to that). I never thought I'd say this, but if the two teams play 65 minutes of hockey with no winner, then just give them both a tie and one point. It's more than a little unfair for one team to get an extra point based only on, as Buffalo accurately points out, a skills competition. Why not just have both teams skate lines and whoever finishes first gets the win? Or maybe the home team gets to choose the skills competition they'll compete in for the win?
Caps gotta' keep up tonight. I have sneaking feeling that Carolina isn't going to poop the bed in their final home game, so the Caps best chance is to shoot for the 8 spot. I'll be rooting for them (sorry, Buffalo).
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 3, 2008 21:08:12 GMT -5
Washington holds serve right back. Both the Canes and the Caps host the Panthers for the decisive finale.
The Habs are about to finish off Buffalo. The Sens look like they're going to make it off the brink. I'm not sure if either of those are official elimination/clinch, but realistically the Sens are in and the Sabres are out.
That leaves Boston, Philly, Carolina, and Washington fighting for 3 spots. If there's a tie, I think the Washington/Carolina tie gets broken first, which might affect things.
Remaining games: Carolina (92 pts): vs. Florida Caps (92 pts): vs. Florida Bruins (92 pts): @ Ottawa, vs. Buffalo Philly (91 pts): vs. Devils, vs. Pens
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Apr 4, 2008 9:54:38 GMT -5
Tough break for the Sabres last night. I think I counted about four posts or crossbars hit in the last 7 minutes alone.
And those a-hole Habs fans, chanting "Hey, hey, hey goodbye" with more than 4 minutes left in the game. They deserved to lose for that. God, I hate them so much. Even when they're eliminating a rival for a playoff spot, I can't bring myself to root for them.
I'm starting to think Ovechkin is MVP regardless of whether the Caps make the playoffs or not.
Please sew this thing up tonight, Boston, for the love of God.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Apr 4, 2008 20:36:00 GMT -5
THE DOOR IS OPEN, ALEX!
Will you walk through it?
(Come on Bruins. Finish off these lousy Ottawa communists!)
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 4, 2008 20:45:49 GMT -5
Canes drop their finale! All the Caps need is a tie by the end of regulation and the division is theirs!
Philly beat the Devils, so the Caps will need at least a point to get into the playoffs. I think Carolina still has the tiebreaker over the Caps, but I'm not sure.
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