NHL Playoffs...

[JW]

My goodness,

We are one game into the NHL playoffs and my heart has stopped a few times already. Thank goodness for Difibrilators.

Watching last nights Dallas Stars - Vancouver Canucks opening round Game 1 reminded me of how much I love Hockey. I am a Stars fan, just want to get that out in the open.

4 overtimes to decide the game, unfortunately the Canuck won 5-4, led to a bitter bed time.

But as a Stars fan I am a little encouraged, the Stars out played them for more than half the game came back from a 2 goal deficit (Vancouver had 2 very flukey goals). Marty Turco played well enough to win (you got to expect that your team is going to score more than 4 goals when they pump over 70 shots at the opposing goalie). Turco played great last night, even the final Goal was not his fault, a great play by a wide open shooter.

If you like hockey, last night was your type of game. Just think we have a little over two more months of this.

Oh yeah,

Red Wings Suck

[Pinball]

Solid games last night, too bad i had to stay up till 3am to finish it. Kinda angry the Wild lost due to a garbage goal. Here are my picks. Argue away.

West:
wings vs. flames = wings
ducks vs. wild = wild
canucks vs. stars = canucks- just because of last nights game
preds vs. sharks = sharks

East:
sabres vs. isles = sabres
sens vs. pens = pens
devils vs. lightning= devils
thrashers vs. rangers = thrashers

second round:
wings vs. wild = wild
canucks vs. sharks = sharks

sabres vs. devils = sabres
pens vs. thrashers = thrashers

third round:
wild vs. sharks = sharks
sabres vs. thrash = sabres

finals
sharks vs. sabres = sharks

[dubbs11]

Coolest stat from last night's Stars vs. Canucks game was that Luongo had 72 saves!

[jessexy]

the best thing about playoff hockey is that there are no commercial breaks during overtime. the game keeps flowing for 20 straight minutes. almost as good at Olympic hockey.

[`MM9]

My favorite part of the night....



Stu Barnes at 61 years old was the most energetic player through out OT.


Stars rebound...take it in 6?

[Timbalaned]

glad my sharks won, and Pinball i like your pick of them taking it all. A little bitter about a cheap hit that took Cheechoo out though, that could be a big difference for them.

[Brent Burns]

I will still root for my Blueshirts (New York Rangers), but I have a feeling that the Atlanta Thrashers will take the series. During the regular season, the Thrashers won 3 out of 4 games against NYR.

Name this goalie who refused to wear a hockey mask except for the last 6 games of his last season? This person passed away in January, 2007.

[jessexy]

glad my sharks won, and Pinball i like your pick of them taking it all. A little bitter about a cheap hit that took Cheechoo out though, that could be a big difference for them.

isnt Cheechoo the guy who cheap-shotted Mike Modano, then immediately jumped up expecting retribution and cheap-shotted, Phillipe Boucher for the Stars about 2 weeks ago?

sounds like just rewards to me.

[Beta]

Name this goalie who refused to wear a hockey mask except for the last 6 games of his last season? This person passed away in January, 2007.

Andy Brown from the 'Guins?

[JW]

glad my sharks won, and Pinball i like your pick of them taking it all. A little bitter about a cheap hit that took Cheechoo out though, that could be a big difference for them.

isnt Cheechoo the guy who cheap-shotted Mike Modano, then immediately jumped up expecting retribution and cheap-shotted, Phillipe Boucher for the Stars about 2 weeks ago?

sounds like just rewards to me.

No, you are thinking of the guy from Nashville, Jordin Tootoo. Jonathan Cheechoo plays for the Sharks.


Great observation about Stu Barnes, he looked great. Another one who looked great was Annti Mietinen. Played his best game of the night last night.

My Pics
West:
wings vs. flames = Flames in 7- Mikka Kiprusoff turns it up for the playoffs and outduels the ageless Dominik Hasek. Oh yeah and RED WINGS SUCK
ducks vs. wild = Ducks in 6, unfortunately I think they have too much offense for the wild. They also have the luckiest goalie in the game in Giguere. I don't think i have ever seen someone give up as big a rebound and get away with it as Giguere
canucks vs. stars = Stars rebound after dominating last nights game and win 4 of the next 5. They at least better when on Sunday and Tuesday night. I will be at those Games.
preds vs. sharks = Predators in 6 this would set up a second round meeting between them and the Stars. BAD BLOOD PLAYOFF HOCKEY IS GREAT

East:
sabres vs. isles = sabres in 4
sens vs. pens = pens in 5 - Crosby becoming too much
devils vs. lightning= devils - Brodeur is the difference in this one
thrashers vs. rangers =Thrashers in 4-

WEST SEMIS

Ducks - Flames - Ducks in 5 - Giguere gets lucky and outduels Kipprusoff
Stars - Predators - Stars in 4 - Stars dominate Vokoun is definately a knotch below Luongo and Turco has two Shutouts

EAST SEMIS
Sabres - Penguins - Pens in 7 - Crosby continues a hot playoff run
Devils - Thrashers - Devils in 7 - Brodeur once again the difference

Western Conference Finals
Ducks - Stars - Stars in 7

Eastern Conference Finals
Penguins - Devils - Penguins in 5

Stanley Cup Finals
Stars - Penguins - Stars in 6
Marty Turco wins Conn Smythe[/b]

[FLAK]

glad my sharks won, and Pinball i like your pick of them taking it all. A little bitter about a cheap hit that took Cheechoo out though, that could be a big difference for them.

isnt Cheechoo the guy who cheap-shotted Mike Modano, then immediately jumped up expecting retribution and cheap-shotted, Phillipe Boucher for the Stars about 2 weeks ago?

sounds like just rewards to me.

No, you are thinking of the guy from Nashville, Jordin Tootoo. Jonathan Cheechoo plays for the Sharks.


Great observation about Stu Barnes, he looked great. Another one who looked great was Annti Mietinen. Played his best game of the night last night.

My Pics
West:
wings vs. flames = Flames in 7- Mikka Kiprusoff turns it up for the playoffs and outduels the ageless Dominik Hasek. Oh yeah and RED WINGS SUCK
ducks vs. wild = Ducks in 6, unfortunately I think they have too much offense for the wild. They also have the luckiest goalie in the game in Giguere. I don't think i have ever seen someone give up as big a rebound and get away with it as Giguere
canucks vs. stars = Stars rebound after dominating last nights game and win 4 of the next 5. They at least better when on Sunday and Tuesday night. I will be at those Games.
preds vs. sharks = Predators in 6 this would set up a second round meeting between them and the Stars. BAD BLOOD PLAYOFF HOCKEY IS GREAT

East:
sabres vs. isles = sabres in 4
sens vs. pens = pens in 5 - Crosby becoming too much
devils vs. lightning= devils - Brodeur is the difference in this one
thrashers vs. rangers =Thrashers in 4-

WEST SEMIS

Ducks - Flames - Ducks in 5 - Giguere gets lucky and outduels Kipprusoff
Stars - Predators - Stars in 4 - Stars dominate Vokoun is definately a knotch below Luongo and Turco has two Shutouts

EAST SEMIS
Sabres - Penguins - Pens in 7 - Crosby continues a hot playoff run
Devils - Thrashers - Devils in 7 - Brodeur once again the difference

Western Conference Finals
Ducks - Stars - Stars in 7

Eastern Conference Finals
Penguins - Devils - Penguins in 5

Stanley Cup Finals
Stars - Penguins - Stars in 6
Marty Turco wins Conn Smythe[/b]

Im sorry, but as good as Turco is in the regular season, has he ever won a play off series? I think the pens are going to be hard pressed to get passed ottawa as well, but some nice picks regardless.

Im pressed for time but im predicting Devils vs Sharks or Sabres vs Ducks with either Eastern conference team taking it.

[`MM9]

conn smythe....
Stu Barnes


haha, watch out.
Anyways, my realistic predictions

West:
Dallas-Vancouver
--Stars in 6, thanks to the youngsters that will keep the energy up, and nordstrom to shut down those twins

Nashville-San Jose
-San Jose in 7. eh, Thorton and Cheech are too much to handle. Joe will drop 42 dimes in this long series

Anaheim-Minnesota
-I like Minnesota in 7. Hello Backstrom, but watch out if Giguere can continue his playoff domination. I think its about who can produce more, Gaborik or Selanne?

Detriot-Calgary
-Detriot in 6. Boy are they consistant. As long as Hasek doesn't choke.

East:
NJ-TB
-NJ in 6. Best goalie in the league anyone?

NYI-Buffalo
-Buffalo in 5. Too strong, only problems if Briere, Afin, and Vanek don't produce. Ryan Miller Conn Smythe? or Vanek as my sleeper.

NYR-Atlanta
-New York in 7. Lundquist could have a huge playoffs

Pitt-Ottawa.
-Ottawa in 6. Heatley. Best player in the league in my opinion. Sooo consistant.

Western Conference Champ: Dallas Stars. Young guns, with tons of leadership, and stout defense. (So tempted to pick San Jose though. there is something about their defense that bothers me)

Eastern Conference Champ:Buffalo. Big-time offense.

I dont know about the finals: Im going to go against my heart and say Buffalo in 7. Controversial goal in OT anyone? PAy back???

[Brent Burns]

Name this goalie who refused to wear a hockey mask except for the last 6 games of his last season? This person passed away in January, 2007.

The answer: Gump Worsley. He was once hit on the forehead with a puck shot by Bobby Hull.

[jessexy]

Tootoo.....Cheechoo, which one was the guy from the tiny village in Canada that they wrote about in ESPN the Mag.

i'm about to start humming to myself "i think i can, i think i can, i think i can....."

[Jay Wisnieski]

I'm glad that all of you can watch hockey. I don't get Versus because I have a crappy cable provider and I can't find the satellite feeds at work, so I only get SportsCenter highlights...that is until NBC shows games on the weekends.

Also, this can't be said enough:
RED WINGS SUCK!