eastern finals dont even start until monday. lots of off days too, pretty crazy
Stanley Cup Picks
venerable, can you check up on smackie? i'm worried about our boy.
Julian, wrote:
Pfft… Hendricks for the first two periods. Bombay up until thewe game tyer and then aristocrat or whawtever the hell we serve ourt friends from then to the end. Because at that point, even my fineally tuned palette couldn;t tell what I was drinking!
Aristocrat? Julian, you dissapoint me…..
Hawks - 6
Pens -7
Go Hawks!
Pens -7
Go Hawks!
chaz wrote:I was drunk. It wasn't Aristocrat, it was regular Bombay. And it's our "invited company" gin.Julian, wrote:
Pfft… Hendricks for the first two periods. Bombay up until thewe game tyer and then aristocrat or whawtever the hell we serve ourt friends from then to the end. Because at that point, even my fineally tuned palette couldn;t tell what I was drinking!
Aristocrat? Julian, you dissapoint me…..
And yes, for the love of God, someone please check on Smackie.
I'm alright now. Finally had a good night sleep.
Can't complain one bit about the boys effort last night. I would have preferred to go down in a little better fashion than Cleary's stick hitting Hiller's pad, but it is what it is. I really wanted OT, but I suspected the entire time that Detroit would get a late third period goal and Anaheim's only hope was to get to OT where anything could happen.
I feel badly for Carlyle. He effectively worked the lines to neuter Detroit's big guns, but he just didn't have the depth to go deep with the Red Wings, and their depth made all the difference. Our squad is a combination of really young and really old, so as we balance that out and become a group of late 20 somethings, we're going to be damn good. The balancing starts with dealing Jiggy this off-season. Sad, but it's time.
Congrats Julian. You have much to proud of with that squad. Classy, talented group of hockey players.
Can't complain one bit about the boys effort last night. I would have preferred to go down in a little better fashion than Cleary's stick hitting Hiller's pad, but it is what it is. I really wanted OT, but I suspected the entire time that Detroit would get a late third period goal and Anaheim's only hope was to get to OT where anything could happen.
I feel badly for Carlyle. He effectively worked the lines to neuter Detroit's big guns, but he just didn't have the depth to go deep with the Red Wings, and their depth made all the difference. Our squad is a combination of really young and really old, so as we balance that out and become a group of late 20 somethings, we're going to be damn good. The balancing starts with dealing Jiggy this off-season. Sad, but it's time.
Congrats Julian. You have much to proud of with that squad. Classy, talented group of hockey players.
Oh wow, he showed up the next day and was classy and congratulatory and didn't tell anyone to fuck themself. Oh how different the 930 boarding experience could have been for all of you had that game went the other way.
And Smacks, your team had a hell of a season, or at least playoffs. Your analysis is correct, Detroit won because of 3rd and 4th lines; Anaheim's top 2 can play their game effectively against Detroit's top 2. If you can jettison Giguere (big cap hit especially with a possibly lowering cap number looming) and use that space to get experience on the 3rd line, you'll be right back next season. I only question how long the Niedermayer/Pronger/Selanne talent window stays open before a complete overhaul is needed. Regardless, this is becoming the best rivalry in the current NHL.
Julian, wrote:
Oh wow, he showed up the next day and was classy and congratulatory and didn't tell anyone to fuck themself. Oh how different the 930 boarding experience could have been for all of you had that game went the other way.
I think a younger Smackie may not have been so conciliatory, nor if I hadn't taken the time to reflect last night.
A minute by minute report by me probably would have taken Franzen apart for the embellishment of Getzlaf's slash, but this is the NHL and I know well enough that the officials do a good job in the playoffs of evening things up. The two power play goals were both the wrong call, but this is the NHL and those evened themselves out.
The big failure was really of our own doing - twice failing to score with a two-man advantage. If we score on either one of those, we don't lose on something like the last goal.
Julian, wrote:I only question how long the Niedermayer/Pronger/Selanne talent window stays open before a complete overhaul is needed.
Well, it's pretty obvious we're going to need a right winger. Selanne at 38 and R Niedermayer at 34 are an ongoing problem with their decline.
I'm less concerned about the Defense. Sure Pronger and S Niedermayer are sure bet hall of famers and impossible to replace, but that's why they went after Whitney and Wiesnewski. Whit is signed for 4 years and Wies for 3 and if they can spend one or two more seasons with teachers like Scotty and Prong, they will be more than serviceable.
The number one line is so young (and underrated in my eyes with all this Sidney-Ovie talk) that it's ridiculous, and the rest of league should be scared. Getzlaf is 24, Perry is 23 (and fearless at that age!), and Ryan (22)/Carter (25).
What we don't have is the reputation of a Detroit franchise where a player like Hossa will take less to play with Detroit. He's the right winger we were missing last night…if he were willing to take a similar salary this offseason, we should have plenty of cap space with Jiggy gone and reductions in the Niedermayer load.
Julian, wrote:Thousand wrote:No, I'm sorry, we were looking for "playing some defense, for once." "Playing some defense, for once." Too bad, but tell him what his consolation prize is, Johnny!
#1 thing the Caps need to improve upon for next season is getting physically (and especially mentally) tougher.
Can't play defense unless you play physically. Last time I checked, this isn't women's hockey.
thanks. i love the article :)
sweetcell wrote:
from xNWx: Bloodstained Gary Bettman: 'I Have Taken The Necessary Measures To Ensure A Crosby-Ovechkin Final'
Detroit in 6 (I was tempted to say 5, but I think they've got a few extra bruises)
Pens in 6.
Pens in 6.
vansmack wrote:Yeah, I'm expecting Chicago to take game 1, if for no other reason than Chicago didn't just play Anaheim and Detroit did. I don't think the Wings are out of gas, but I anticipate a hiccup.
Detroit in 6 (I was tempted to say 5, but I think they've got a few extra bruises)
Detroit in 11.
No clue who in the East to be honest. The Canes are playing some great playoff hockey and Ward is back in old form (and apparently has never lost a playoff series) but the Penguins have more offensive firepower, obviously. It could go either way.
i think brother-in-law, father-in-law and me are going to try to make game 4 in chicago next sunday. . .
The Winnepeg Jets to return… if Bettman gets his way?? http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=278929
I'd love to see this, then Bassillie getting an expansion team in Hamilton or Kitchner in future years. Wow.
I'd love to see this, then Bassillie getting an expansion team in Hamilton or Kitchner in future years. Wow.
hockey
just got offered a ticket to game 2 and i dont think i can go :(
In a poll of 292 players, Alex Ovechkin became the first back-to-back winner [of Sporting News' player of the year award] since Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr (1999-2000). The top three:
1. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals 147
2. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins 65
3. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings 23
Note to RatBastard: Why would a player with "no class" and "no respect for the game" be voted by his colleagues as the best in the business (by a landslide) two years running? The respect of your peers is by far the best measure of class and respect, so put that in your bubble pipe and blow on it.
1. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals 147
2. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins 65
3. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings 23
Note to RatBastard: Why would a player with "no class" and "no respect for the game" be voted by his colleagues as the best in the business (by a landslide) two years running? The respect of your peers is by far the best measure of class and respect, so put that in your bubble pipe and blow on it.