NHL playoffs

[cbrooks]

First round matchups are

http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=pla&intcmpid=nhln-button

[yakfisher]

Go Hawks! Only Sioux captain left and tons of WCHA talent on the roster. Even a gopher bleeh

Maybe someday the Wild will figure it out that there is fantastic talent in college hockey and local talent is a tremendous draw within the local economy.

[cbrooks]

I'm pulling for the Blackhawks(my logo is the old Sioux logo not the Chicago Blackhawk)same reason you are. I also like Buffalo.

[Shorelunch]

The Blackhawks need to send the Wild a fruit basket for their win vs. Dallas yesterday. They couldn't pull in the W themselves - and had to pin their playoff hopes on the Wild! How scary is that!

I'm glad they're in too.

Can someone set up an NHL playoff pick em?

[cbrooks]

That sounds good Shore. I'm gonna get one set up here. I found a site that we can link to. I'll start a new thread.

[OnAFly]

Yak - They've been forced to figure out that lesson. The Wild have pulled a few kids out of the College market lately due to a lack of draft picks and few good prospects.

Chi-VC will be a good series. I can't believe the Hawks can pull this one of though. The Canucks will not overlook them having been ousted by the Hawks twice in two years.

As much as I don't like the Canucks, I've got to pull for them in this one. They deserve it for the year they had.

[yakfisher]

I agree, the Canucks will be tough to beat.

[cbrooks]

I'm thinking Redwings and Bruins will be in the finals.

I'm not having any luck in finding a playoff pool site.

[OnAFly]

Ballsy picking the Wings for the finals with their play coming into the Playoffs. What's the latest on Zetterberg? That's a huge loss for them. Who knows what you'll get with Phoenix.

[cbrooks]

I haven't paid real cose attention to all the teams until now. Don't know alot about Henrick situation. Its tough to keep track of all the hockey with College and all.

Who are you thinking will be in the finals?

[OnAFly]

Boston's a good pick from the east. With Thomas' 2.00 GAA and Rask,who hasn't been as hot this year but has shown the ability to be that kind of goalie, they could be tough. Their 3rd lowest team GAA shows it.

West, I've got to go with the Canucks. They've been beaten down too many times to think they don't have to work for it. They played well right up to the end and they've got stellar goal tending right now. Plus, they've got 10 guys with 10 or more goals, 2 40+ goal scorers. Unless they run into a scorching hot goalie, they should be able to put up the points.

Now, if Nashville wins their series with Anaheim, and Vancouver downs Chicago, they will face Pekka Rinne who has 6 shut outs in 64 games this year.

[cbrooks]

The hot goaltender...most crucial part of playoff hockey.

[OnAFly]

Anyone see Kunitz' hit the other night. It was more of a flying elbow than anything else.

So, for a flying elbow to the head, a hit the NHL says they are working at eliminating from the game, Kunitz get a whopping ONE GAME SUSPENSION. Collin Campbell should have been fired years ago. This is ridiculous.

Kunitz literally flung hit elbow out at a passing player. This could have ended a guys career and he ends up missing ONE game.

[cbrooks]

Redwings swept the Coyotes

[OnAFly]

I should have known not to question that pick. The Wings always pick it up in the playoffs for some reason, regardless of how they are playing going in.

Oh, yeah. Can the Canucks team from the first three games please come back and win this thing already? They've been just awful the last two. It's almost like a different team.

[genegodawa]

The Blackhawks are the different team.

[cbrooks]

Go hawks!

There were some good games last night. Surprise that Nashville pulled it off. Shea Weber with a slapshot from the point with 30 seconds left in the game to send it to OT. I love it when Buffalo scored in OT and silence the crowd at Philly. Man those fans in philly pull "hackstals" like its going out of stlye.

Boston and Montreal tonight can't wait.

[Jarrod32]

Bruins/Canadiens with a second straight great game. Two Bruin OT wins...

[scsavre]

Gotta love playoff hockey. Its anyones game to win any night.

[cbrooks]

Capitals won the seies against the Rangers. Gobarik was nowhere to be found in any of those games. Too bad I thought Ranger goaltender Ludquist(sp) was pretty good in all those games.

How about the Kings. (Umass-Lowell alum)Jonathon Quick with 51 saves.

I predict the Blackhawks send there series to a game 6. Go Hawks

[spearchucker]

Major upset if the Hawks knock off the Nucks!

[jwmiller33]

Anyone know why Luongo was not on the bench/was hanging out in the locker room during the game last night? When Schneider got injured on the penalty shot, the announcers said Luongo was in the dressing room watching the game on the tv before he came out to replace him, and I guess I don't really see why he wouldnt be on the bench during the game? Was he sour about not getting the nod for game 6?

[solbes]

No doubt, and convincing wins in games 4 and 5. Go Hawks!

[OnAFly]

I don't know why he wouldn't be out there.

Apparently Schneider only had cramps when he got pulled. That's good news for the Nucks. Although, they definitely should not play him in game 7. That carp he pulled trying to play the puck led to a goal. Without that mistake, the Nucks would be onto the next round. That was a very avoidable goal.

[jwmiller33]

at least he was stopping the puck

[spearchucker]

I don't know why he wouldn't be out there.

Apparently Schneider only had cramps when he got pulled. That's good news for the Nucks. Although, they definitely should not play him in game 7. That carp he pulled trying to play the puck led to a goal. Without that mistake, the Nucks would be onto the next round. That was a very avoidable goal.

I thought he looked out of position on a couple goals. Let the d-man play the puck.

If he only had cramps, he sure looked like he was dying the way he was flopping around.

[OnAFly]

Yeah, I figured he tore his groin in half the way he was acting.

It was good to see Nashville get passed the Ducks. I wouldn't mind seeing them in the finals. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch I think, even though Rinne hasn't been playing as well as in the regular season. Maybe it was just jitters. I don't know.

Went form a .930 to a .876 save %. That's quite a drop.

[cbrooks]

If Chicago pulls off this win in game 7 they will be only the fourth team in history to come back to win after being down 0-3 in the series. Last team to do it was Flyers against Boston last year.

[cbrooks]

These playoffs games have been about as good as you could hope for. I really want Philly to lose to the Sabres. I hate Philly(especially pronger). Didn't Chris Pronger took the game winner puck and hide it last year after they lost the Stanely cup? I remember something like that. Go Buffalo!

[OnAFly]

He did it in the first two games of the cup. Yeah, he's a p-o-s. One of the dirtier players in the league.

My hopes are:

EAST

WA

Buff

TB

BOS

West:

VAN

SJ

DET

NASH

So far I'm happy with who's clinched. I'm still cheering for Vancouver.