The NHL Thread

[Demographic Shift]

only watch playoffs. but I've heard Calgary good this year. I hope they make a run for for the reasons you stated. plus I want the sea of red to return to 17th Ave. I was too young last time to partake but would take a trip to cow town if that type of scinangians return this spring.

KeonClarke to this day is still sleeping off the effects of those red mile nights during that title run ....LOL.

[slaw]

KeonClarke to this day is still sleeping off the effects of those red mile nights during that title run ....LOL.

They really clamped down on it the second go around. I lived about two blocks away and we stopped going down the second time cause we were afraid, not of the crowd but of the cops. In fairness, it got much rowdier the second go-around and too many people were taking too many liberties but the police got very aggressive. My girlfriend got run over by some steroid monkey copy chasing after a guy with a beer and banged her up pretty good. Ridiculous. We saw a few guys getting dragged off and knocked around. That was it for us.

The first time was the best cause it was completely spontaneous and it was just people having fun. After that, you got a lot of the power drinkers, hard core partiers and trouble makers and it wasn't the same.

[DanH]

OK.. here we go.. the NHL embarks on a two month long endurance test known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Every second night .. with busted fingers, aching shoulders and knees, borderline concussions and more sutures than Toronto General hands out on a Saturday night on full moon the NHL playoffs kick off tonight.To the NHL Load management is draft beer and cheap strip mall chineese food.

So who ya got ?

In the East I like the Caps and the Lightning... I think the Islanders upset Sid the Kid and when you least expect it the Leafs win a series from their nemesis in Boston. When the dust settles Tampa carries the East flag to the Cup Final.

In the West I like Nashville and Vegas. I think Calgary walks past the Avs but without a first string goalie falls to Vegas in the quarters. My preseason pick to bring the cup home the Jets seem to have hit a flat spot at the wrong time and run into the hottest team in the league in the Blues. Oh so close last year the Preds who have as good goaltending with Rinne as Vegas has with Fleury get by the Knights to carry the flag for the West.

It goes 6 and Tampa Bay brings it home.. Stammer gets his Cup and while a lot of accolades will go around none bigger should go to Steve Yzerman who built this freight train of a team but stepped away for what most likely were health reasons.

So who ya got Danny ? SJudge ? Slaw ? and any others who love the national sport.

Ooh, I'm late on this.

I got Leafs, Lightning, Pens, Caps in the 1st round. Flames, Blues, Nashville, Sharks.

Flames and Blues, Flames take the West. Lightning beat the Leafs, Pens take down the Caps, and then also beat the Lightning to get to the big dance. Flames take the Cup, 7 games.

[Demographic Shift]

So.. the Leafs get the split they wanted in Boston...

But it looks like they are going to lose Khadri for a game or two. Seeing he is the only guy that will stand up for his teammates thats a tough one to take. Looks like he gets 2 games

Wonder which player on the Leafs asks William Nylander if he is interested in playing here next year or not. What an indifferent to shit performance he put on last night. Wouldn't surprise me if Babcock scrathes him from game 3.. just a message William.

Is Auston Mathews afraid to chip a nail... like where the hell are you. Your 6'3" and 225. Stop playing like your 5'9" 175 and use that size. Late in the game 3 guys jumped on Hyman in front of the net. 3 on 1. Both Nylander and Mathews skated away. Ron Hainsey at 37 had to come in.. Cmon Auston. Its not mens no contact. Its the NHL.

Avery on barstool sports weighs in on it... Don't think Sean is the only one who looks at it this way.

http://<a href="https://www.youtube....0EIaPHw5fo</a>

[slaw]

So.. the Leafs get the split they wanted in Boston...

But it looks like they are going to lose Khadri for a game or two. Seeing he is the only guy that will stand up for his teammates thats a tough one to take. Looks like he gets 2 games

Wonder which player on the Leafs asks William Nylander if he is interested in playing here next year or not. What an indifferent to shit performance he put on last night. Wouldn't surprise me if Babcock scrathes him from game 3.. just a message William.

Is Auston Mathews afraid to chip a nail... like where the hell are you. Your 6'3" and 225. Stop playing like your 5'9" 175 and use that size. Late in the game 3 guys jumped on Hyman in front of the net. 3 on 1. Both Nylander and Mathews skated away. Ron Hainsey at 37 had to come in.. Cmon Auston. Its not mens no contact. Its the NHL.

Avery on barstool sports weighs in on it... Don't think Sean is the only one who looks at it this way.

http://<a href="https://www.youtube....0EIaPHw5fo</a>

Oh, I think they're going to lose Kadri for more than a game or two. I'd guess 9: rest of the Boston series and minimum games in round 2. He's definitely not seeing game 7 of this series if it goes that far.

[Demographic Shift]

Oh, I think they're going to lose Kadri for more than a game or two. I'd guess 9: rest of the Boston series and minimum games in round 2. He's definitely not seeing game 7 of this series if it goes that far.

2 games .. possibly 3...The NHL prorates suspensions for the playoffs...

Lots of culpability to go around on this...
Brad Meier didn't adjust his let em play style as it got progressively nastier... Bad judgment on his part not to clamp down before this spattered all over him and the league.

Khadri felt he got kneed by Debrusk..... Thats a no no in the NHL... yet .. nothing done to defuse it.. Meirer should have called 2 for something. but he doesn"t and the adrenaline goes up even more..

Then another shot by Debrusk on Marleau.. drills him into the stanchon at the bench where the glass starts up.. Marleau who at 38 isn't going to drop the mittens...He never has.. He isn't starting now.
Debrusk is feeling pretty good about himself and is chriping anyone within earshot... Again up goes the temprature.
So Khadri seeing that nothing coming from the stripes and is tired of Debrusk running his mouth and preening like a Jackal in front of Lions used the old frontier justice routine and force fed Debrusk some Hespler....

Does he tossed for that childish reaction.. Yes.he does
Does he get suspended for that.. Yes.he does

Is he buying dinner ever again when out with his teammates... No..

[slaw]

We'll see, I think he's gone for this series at a minimum. The fact the tracked him and went right to the head.... I don't know. This isn't 1970.

Pittsburgh is done. Going to try and catch part of the Tampa game later once I get out of the office. Should be a good one.

[Demographic Shift]

We'll see, I think he's gone for this series at a minimum. The fact the tracked him and went right to the head.... I don't know. This isn't 1970.

Pittsburgh is done. Going to try and catch part of the Tampa game later once I get out of the office. Should be a good one.

Good call on your part..the NHL DPS put this on a sliding scale... Perhaps they felt a tinge of shared culpability for letting their officials let this blow up and spatter everyone. ...Minimum 3 and Maximum 5 games.

While its not over yet.. Tampa has a lot of work in front of them..One game at a time. Its not without precedent to come back for 3 down. But its few and far between

[slaw]

Good call on your part..the NHL DPS put this on a sliding scale... Perhaps they felt a tinge of shared culpability for letting their officials let this blow up and spatter everyone. ...Minimum 3 and Maximum 5 games.

While its not over yet.. Tampa has a lot of work in front of them..One game at a time. Its not without precedent to come back for 3 down. But its few and far between

I think it largely had to do with they didn't want him out there in a Game 6 or something and you've got a blowout one way or the other and all hell breaks loose cause Kadri goes nuts or Boston looks for revenge. NHL doesn't need that crap. Too much of it going on already with all the hits to the head and almost all of them being vicious, looking to injure opponents. The best way to stop it would be the guy is done for the playoffs but they won't go there cause it might impact a star at some point.

[Superjudge]

All that said, Ennis brought more speed into the lineup once Kadri left. 4th line was effective, thats gonna save this team.

[Demographic Shift]

62 wins and they are out....Tampa bay ..no one anywhere outside of the Columbus room and maybe not even there too saw the lightning going out 4 straight....

that the islanders beat pittsburgh is a milder type upset..but again 4 straight ...wow...

[slaw]

62 wins and they are out....Tampa bay ..no one anywhere outside of the Columbus room and maybe not even there too saw the lightning going out 4 straight....

that the islanders beat pittsburgh is a milder type upset..but again 4 straight ...wow...

Tampa was done after game 3. I made some money last night off of someone thinking they were going to come back. You could see it in the post-game of the coaches after game 3, Cooper had given up and Torts was supremely calm. He knew then. Interesting to see if they fire Cooper now after a big extension.

It was funny when the one Columbus goal got called back and Cooper was all fired up and Torts had a shit eating grin on his face. He still knew.

[Demographic Shift]

Tampa was done after game 3. I made some money last night off of someone thinking they were going to come back. You could see it in the post-game of the coaches after game 3, Cooper had given up and Torts was supremely calm. He knew then. Interesting to see if they fire Cooper now after a big extension.

It was funny when the one Columbus goal got called back and Cooper was all fired up and Torts had a shit eating grin on his face. He still knew.

I think Cooper stays.... Tampa has another year or two left of their window. This year was a soul crusher thought.
I think Stammer has a couple of years left.. .Kutcherov is good for that as well and Hedman as well. Vasilevsky isnt going anywhere..
If Tampa doesn't win next year... and I mean the Cup... then they whack Cooper.

[Demographic Shift]

Bad luck for the Flames last night. This is a hell of a series... I know they are down 3 to 1.. but its not over.

The Leafs let a chance to put a strangle hold on the series against Boston last night.. Boston gets two professional goals last night in the first 5 minutes. The leafs come back to tie it.. then give up another two quick ones. Not Andersons best game but the only one that was an eye roller was Charas "laser" from the point. Bad goal.. Quque the comeback but it falls short. I think we see yet another game 7 in this one.

The Lazurus Jets can take control in game 5 in the MTS centre ... Normally the Jets are not something you wish for at home.. yet they dropped the first two there.. Paul Maurice is one of the best coach interviews in hockey as he doesn't speak in cliches. Hope he gets to do one with a smile on his face rather than one where it looks like he downed a pint of lemon juice.

Have to love the NHL. No glaring mismatches even in a sweep.
nybody.. and I mean anybody can win.. See Dallas hanging a beatdown on Nashville last night.

[Superjudge]

Leafs in tough tonight depending upon which team shows up.