hifigator
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Post by hifigator on May 13, 2009 13:35:32 GMT -5
3 game sevens: it doesn't get much better than that.
I'm hoping for OT tonight. That's really special.
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jester
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Post by jester on May 13, 2009 15:25:31 GMT -5
NHL fans may have more college degrees - mostly b/c most fans reside in the cold hockey states/Canada where in general more residents have degrees I suspect (no internet verification)
I agree the CAPS have really gotten me into hockey again - the problem with hockey is that there are fewer stars - its not like Ovechkin is playing every minute the entire game, its a lot easier for him to go scoreless, etc - plus its team style like soccer doesnt lend itself to that. So I am less likely to know the good but not great players on other teams and root for them personality wise or skill wise like I would for an NBA team lets say. Like soccer, it is more likely as a fan I will root for a home team then be excited about another game. I think the rule changes open things up and it will be easier to root for other hockey teams in the future though...
That said, regular season hockey games may be preseason, but they are (at least in DC) one of the more exciting sporting events one can go to - great team, great owner, constant action, knowledgeable and involved fans.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on May 13, 2009 16:06:51 GMT -5
I'm not sure how the NHL regular season differs from the NBA or MLB regular season.
OK, that's not entirely accurate. I will say one thing for baseball. Despite the interminable length of its regular season, it is still, precentage-wise, the most difficult of all major sports to get into the playoffs, even with the wild card, so yes, that's an argument for a regular season, but not for 162 games.
But the NBA has the equal number of teams as the NHL, the same number of regular season games, and the same number of teams that qualify for the playoffs. Where's the difference?
All major sports leagues' regular seasons are too long (even football should probably be a 14-game schedule). I estimate the chances of any league shortening its regular season at about -1500%
But you're right about one thing. Hockey fans in DC have come a long way since 1998*, when I would characterize maybe 1-5% of them as knowledgable and involved, and the MCI Center was a "Sea Of Red" for a whole 'nother different reason.
(*the exception being the amazing influx of "long-time" Capitals fans whose sweaters and baseball caps all seem to be brand new for some reason, and who don't know why those blue lines are painted on the ice. Sorry, I get a lot of these people - mostly women, no offense - in my office and, while I'm happy they are liking hockey, of course, please don't try to lie to me and tell me you've been following the Caps for years. It just makes you look like an idiot when I ask you what position Mike Green plays, or when you try to tell me that Alexander Ovechkin is a great team captain.)
Anyway, enough of me being a snob.
Here's to a great game tonight!
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on May 13, 2009 16:33:23 GMT -5
Looking forward to a good one tonight. Are there EMTs standing by at jgalt's place? Ill check in as soon as possible after the game, win or lose, just to let everyone know if im alive ;D Boz, its kind of a joke that they have to bump the Boston game to regional. I think ill be able to watch it on NHLTv, but it is unclear. I guess the upside, as you point out, is that there will be no annoying Vs broad cast (although I like when Joe Benenatti is on as he is the Caps guy, but the intermissions are hard to take) As for the other discussion going on- well not everybody likes every sport, they are all different, and they can all co exist happily, so im not too worried about it (even though i could come up with pages and pages of criticism for every sport)
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whatmaroon
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Post by whatmaroon on May 13, 2009 17:56:07 GMT -5
Telling sign of the state of hockey fandom c. '98: second Caps game at the brand spankin' new MCI Center, December 1997, was something like 8,000 short of a sellout despite the presence of a couple thousand college students lured by half-price tickets. Granted, it was a mid-week December game against the Islanders, but the atmosphere was generally pathetic and I actually pitied the guy sitting next to me who'd paid full price for his ticket. On the ice, Mariusz Czerkawski was the only player who provided any real excitement, scoring both Islander goals, while Chris Simon blew at least half a dozen chances gift-wrapped by Adam Oates and/or an awful Islander D. By far, that was the worst professional sporting event not relating to game outcome I've ever attended.
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PDRHoya99
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Post by PDRHoya99 on May 13, 2009 18:06:10 GMT -5
Telling sign of the state of hockey fandom c. '98: second Caps game at the brand spankin' new MCI Center, December 1997, was something like 8,000 short of a sellout despite the presence of a couple thousand college students lured by half-price tickets. Granted, it was a mid-week December game against the Islanders, but the atmosphere was generally pathetic and I actually pitied the guy sitting next to me who'd paid full price for his ticket. On the ice, Mariusz Czerkawski was the only player who provided any real excitement, scoring both Islander goals, while Chris Simon blew at least half a dozen chances gift-wrapped by Adam Oates and/or an awful Islander D. By far, that was the worst professional sporting event not relating to game outcome I've ever attended. Telling sign of the state of hockey fandom c. '98: Round two of the playoffs I decide I'd really like to see if I can track down tickets. I visit the caps website a couple days before, but in a request via email. They call me back in less than 24 hours, and of course they'd be happy to sell me 4 tickets to watch the caps demolish the senators the next day. I'm guessing nobody got their tickets the day before for tonight's game.
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whatmaroon
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Post by whatmaroon on May 13, 2009 20:08:24 GMT -5
Well, DET 7 - COL 0 in 2002 in the De Facto Stanley Cup Finals is the most disappointing game 7 I can remember, but this has to be pretty close. Hopefully the Caps can do something interesting in the last 13 minutes, but 6-1 doesn't cut it. And, as I type that, they make it 6-2.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on May 14, 2009 1:07:46 GMT -5
Every once in a while a hockey team lays an egg in a huge way. The Caps picked the worst possible time to do that tonight. They were just awful in every way.
You have to give credit to the Pens though - they played a superb game. They were as good as the Caps were bad.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on May 14, 2009 8:39:34 GMT -5
The Caps' defensive lapses finally caught up to them in this game. Varlamov was only going to be able to save their butts for so long. He's not Patrick Roy (yet), and one of two things were going to happen. Either they were going to start playing better defense, or they were going to get burned.
I think overall, all season long, on paper, etc., etc., the Caps are the better team. If they can add some solid vets and a couple of better blueliners, I think they'll stay at the top of the Eastern conference for a while longer. But in this series, I do think that Pittsburgh is/was the better team right now.
Then again, who knows what happens if Ovechkin scores in the first period??
Most Caps fans I've heard from since 9:30 last night have this in some pretty good perspective. Obviously, it would have been great for them to move on, and they were a good enough team to move on, so it sucks. But this was still a great season and not a disappointment.....as overprivileged fans of other teams I could mention might think if the same had happened to them.
(I hope I can have that same kind of perspective if my B's can't pull this one out tonight.)
Anyway, it was an amazing series. It's too bad it ended so anticlimactically, but it doesn't negate how much fun it was to watch the other six games.
As for tonight, I think Anaheim's run ends here.
With Boston, I will only say:
pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on May 14, 2009 11:33:11 GMT -5
Boz, we are NOT in agreement. Go Ducks! and, to a much lesser degree ... well, suffice it to say ... NOT Boston!
No Bruins or Red Wings thank you.
On Edit: I think you are right on both counts ... just don't want either count. The way the road teams have fared this year and in playoffs in general, maybe I can get one of the two. (If so, then please let it be the DUCKS!)
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Boz
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Post by Boz on May 14, 2009 21:33:48 GMT -5
I CAN'T TAKE THIS Edited!!
I'm gonna' have a heart attack. I know it. My phone is on 9-1-.....
pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease
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TBird41
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Post by TBird41 on May 14, 2009 22:12:22 GMT -5
I CAN'T TAKE THIS Edited!! I'm gonna' have a heart attack. I know it. My phone is on 9-1-..... pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease Am I the only one surprised by the coherence of this post? ;D
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Boz
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Post by Boz on May 14, 2009 22:30:55 GMT -5
I am now an atheist.
That is all.
@@%&%$&@$#$@, %$#&%&$ *&^%#$ THAT $@^@#$ PUNK gets to score the game winner!!
I guess that wasn't all.
Go Penguins, I guess.
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whatmaroon
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Post by whatmaroon on May 14, 2009 23:33:35 GMT -5
Well, Detroit was the matchup I, as well as most every other Hawks fan, wanted. Anaheim had its attractions-home ice advantage, and an opponent with a lower peak, but I thought they could do what Calgary tried and was unable to do, namely physically overpower the Hawks. The Wings have a gear the Hawks don't, but they aren't at that gear that often, and when they're mortal, the Hawks can beat them. Plus, well, Luongo to Chris Osgood? Sure, they got to Roberto at times, but I'll face the multiple Cup winner over him every day and twice on Sunday.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on May 15, 2009 9:48:06 GMT -5
I am now an atheist. That is all. @@%&%$&@$#$@, %$#&%&$ *&^%#$ THAT $@^@#$ PUNK gets to score the game winner!! I guess that wasn't all. Go Penguins, I guess. Now now. His coach says we fans don't know what a nice guy he really is.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on May 15, 2009 11:59:21 GMT -5
So, with boston and the caps out and therefore Boz and I without anything to gloat/bitch about, i guess we cant expect only three more posts in this thread.
Here's rooting for the Canes and Wings, I guess
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on May 15, 2009 13:28:10 GMT -5
Anyone but Detroit ... so I guess I am a bigtime Blackhawk fan now. I'm not too concerned with either PItt or Carolina though. I guess I'll pull for Crosby. Either way, as long as it isn't rhe Red Wings, then I guess I am happy enough.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on May 18, 2009 11:30:10 GMT -5
Well, Detroit was the matchup I, as well as most every other Hawks fan, wanted. Anaheim had its attractions-home ice advantage, and an opponent with a lower peak, but I thought they could do what Calgary tried and was unable to do, namely physically overpower the Hawks. The Wings have a gear the Hawks don't, but they aren't at that gear that often, and when they're mortal, the Hawks can beat them. Plus, well, Luongo to Chris Osgood? Sure, they got to Roberto at times, but I'll face the multiple Cup winner over him every day and twice on Sunday. I think Hawks fans should be careful what they wish for. Personally, I am hoping for a long, exciting series. The exciting part was delivered, but I'm not sure the "long" part will be. Osgood can be had, that much is true. The problem is not scoring, it's stopping Detroit from scoring. It was an amazing first period, but it's difficult to match the Red Wings for the entire game....again, when they're on. And they were definitely on yesterday. The other series? Hell, I don't know what to expect. I think Pittsburgh won't have as much trouble as Boston in solving Cam Ward, but I don't know how you can bet against the team that just took out the #3 and #1 seeds. Of course, having the second and third best players in all the game might help.
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whatmaroon
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Post by whatmaroon on May 18, 2009 12:03:29 GMT -5
Well, I didn't say I expected them to beat the Wings, just that was the matchup most Chicago fans wanted. The rivalry value is great, I personally find the Wings more pleasing to watch than the Ducks, games start at a reasonable time, and the last playoff series between the two teams (1995 WCF) was so ridiculously one-sided there's nowhere to go but up.
In hockey terms, I thought the Ducks were also a bad matchup for the Hawks, just in a different way than the Wings-a superior version of the physical game Calgary tried to play, only the Ducks are good enough to play it and wouldn't keep putting the Hawks on the power play.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on May 18, 2009 12:16:19 GMT -5
Hey, last series didn't start out so great for Chicago either and halfway through Game 2 it looked pretty bad.
And look how that turned out.
Anything can happen, it's just that Detroit's almost certainly the best team left standing. Probably the best team overall to begin with anyway, but I didn't want to admit it.
Two original 6s in the Final Four? Absolutely, I love it, 100%. Too bad my guys had to choke, or we might have been able to have two original 6s playing for the Cup.
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