2011 NHL Playoffs

Round 1 is practically over and no playoffs thread? For real?

Anywho, the West has wrapped their first round up. Tonight the East will wrap up with the Lightning taking on the Penguins and the Canadiens taking on the Bruins. Both in game 7.

Really wish I could watch both of these teams. Obviously my least favorite team is the Penguins followed closely by the Canadiens. I don't really hate the Canadiens for the debacle of last year with our beloved Caps, but moreso becuase of their overall shitty style of playing hockey. Every single time this season we stepped on the ice with them it was like their defense was to act like giant deflated balloons on our fowards and any one else on the ice. They would just do "Trust Falls" on all of our players. It was lame, and damn boring.

That being said, I feel I'd most like to play against them in the 2nd round. I hate Boston, but for no good reason outside of their fans are obnoxious as all hell. Lightning we played like… 6 times or something… I believe… and they're boring as well, they have a pretty good offense and they gave us a run for our money, but I wouldn't want to watch us play them another, at least, 4 times. The Penguins I'd like to see in any round but not really. I want to beat that fucking team with all of their players in and healthy. Playing at the top of their game and THEN we beat them. Not to take any credit away from the Pens, they've had a damn good season considering the injuries. Right now people are saying "Wow, look at how good they STILL are", but if we beat them it would be because Cindy Crysby and Malkin were out, but whatever.

Anywho, I've liked the playoffs so far and as good as it is for our team to be resting, I miss them :(

Oh, go Caps!

That goal by Toews to tie it last night was sick sick sick….

This thread needs to die.

chaz wrote:
That goal by Toews to tie it last night was sick sick sick….

And this.  Holy crap.

we need some of that sweet rapper swagger in here.  that should kill it.

vansmack wrote:
This thread needs to die.

cosign

I heard the best way to make a thread die is to keep posting in it so that it stays on the front page.



Can't believe the Canadiens AND the Penguins were eliminated last night. It's awesome, but I would have liked to meet one of them. 4-1-1 all season vs the Lightning. Should be a fun series!

On the bright side…we won't choke at the hands of the Pens for a change!!!!

Is this our year?? God I hope so. The Caps have broken my heart so many times.

I don't really see us having a problem with any team except the Bruins. They are a very physical and gritty team. But for once I have confidence in the Caps. Not hope, but confidence. It's not that I think we could handle any other team easily in the conference, I just think that we can simply…..beat them. The 1 team no one wanted us to face throughout the year was the Rangers. And we beat them in 5. Yes, it was ugly, yes it was close, but we won. And I hope for ONCE that WE are the team with the read hot goalie. But, we're not on the outside looking in.

I loved in 24/7 when the Pens coach called Neuvy shakey and then we swept them this year. I think Neuvy got 2 of those wins. 1 being in the Winter Classic.

Well said, DFA. Tampa is an excellent team with solid goaltending. I hope Stamkos doesn't get hot. I hope someone castrates Steve Downie.

I think the new defensive mindset and scheme will smother any offense they have. Not to take anything away from them, we kept the Rangers incredibly limited and looking at game 5 when we ramped it up, it was just a joke! They couldn't get it out of their own fucking zone for a good chunk of the game. Now, the Lightning are leagues ahead of the Rangers in the offensive column, but I don't feel their as well rounded. We've played this team 6 times this season and I'm sure they've kept an eye on the Lightning during the Pens series. I think we can wrap this in at most 6 games. I said 5 for the Rangers! so, let's see if i go 2 for 2!

Bruins and Flyers should be a fucking hell of a series too.

I think you're giving the Rangers too much credit offensively and Tampa not enough. The Rangers were nothing but a pop gun offense with a ghost for its best offensive player (Gaborik). The Caps will not be able to fall asleep this series because the Lightning are too good offensively.

Yes, the Caps' commitment to defense will be their biggest asset. But give the Lightning a little more credit, they aren't a bunch of limpdicks like the Blueshits.

I think the hardest part about the last series was seeing how far superior of a team the Caps were compared to the Rangers (see Games 1, 2, last two periods of 4, 5) but when they came out LAZY and content in Game 4, they got their asses handed to them. The Rangers' only offensive game plan was physical play and antagonizing. That and Queen Lundqvist, they had nothing.

Agreed.  No one wanted to face the Rangers with Ryan Callahan, not without.

Ack, didn't meant to give them MORE credit. I understand they were down and effing backed into the playoffs. I think the Caps handled them soundly and I agree there were flashes in game 4 of the pure laziness that I've come to resent in so many DC teams and I started to panic… a little. I like they showed that kind of….relentlessness that people have come to expect, but still having that responsible restraint. I'm not selling the Lightning short by any means, and I'm sure they want to give us everything they've got because we've kicked their shit up their ass for the past couple of years in the division and even this year they were looking like a lock for the Southeast but we found a fire and took it from them. I feel like we're their big brother that they want to show us what they can do. By no means do I think it will be an easy series, but I don't think we'll get into shootouts with them or have any lopsided losses like they headed the the Pens. And especially not at the 'Phone Booth'.

Still say we get them in 6.

the season from hell will end with the either caps or flyers lifting the cup. and they will beat the wings in the finals. i am sure of this

DeathFromAbove1979 wrote:I loved in 24/7 when the Pens coach called Neuvy shakey and then we swept them this year. I think Neuvy got 2 of those wins. 1 being in the Winter Classic.

there was no sweep this year

if i'm a caps fan i'd have been rooting hard for the pens last night. tampa are a good team, the pens are a good team except they have no one that can shoot

funny to see people try to make the rangers out to be the toughest team the caps will play in the east. tb and philly both have the forwards to get to neuvy

I was feeling fairly agnostic about the Caps opponent in round 2.  Each potential opponent presented it's own set of potential demons or pitfalls.  From a ratings or intrigue standpoint the bolts were the worst potential outcome, but I think it is prob the matchup that will produce the most entertaining hockey.  I don't really care what path the caps take on a cup run.  Naysayers will always naysay…if we faced the Pens and won the line would be we didn't face a team at full strength, if we don't people will say we didn't have to go through them…..i don't really care.  In my mind there is no way to delegitimize any stanly cup champ after the grind that is the playoffs.

I didn't see the entire game last night, but wow, that 3rd period and overtime between habs/bruins was good good stuff.

On to round two.

PS - Tampa's offensive firepower scares me

godsshoeshine wrote:
if i'm a caps fan i'd have been rooting hard for the pens last night. tampa are a good team, the pens are a good team except they have no one that can shoot

funny to see people try to make the rangers out to be the toughest team the caps will play in the east. tb and philly both have the forwards to get to neuvy

Naw, I'm just stating what I heard and saw. I wasn't afraid of the Rangers, it was more the talking heads throughout the year that said they stifled us all year. I'm not selling Tampa short either, they have an insane amount of offense there is no doubt about that. But they're still a very young team. Should be a fun series without a doubt.

I think if we make it to the conference championship, that would be our toughest match. Bruins or Flyers, both very good teams. Very gritty, very physical teams. But, that talk is for later. I'm excited to get this series underway! And very excited to see the Flyers and Bruins duke it out. 4 solid teams in the East remain. The west… something.

Have the Flyers found a goaltender? Or are they still playing spin the bottle?

yeah same as last year

Didn't Boucher play their last 2 games with Bobrovsky as back up? Either way, I guess Boucher's reached his limit for consecutive games started.