NHL PLayoffs 13' - 14'

[solbes]

I do think we need a high end goalie. We're going to have games where we struggle to score offensively, even if we stack up on stud forwards. Probably 4 or 5 of those games in the 3 series leading to the Cup series. Winning 2 or 3 of those games with a G that can steal a victory is the difference between winning in 7 or losing in 7.

I also don't buy that Bryz played similarly to Crawford. The schemes are totally different with ours protecting Bryz. I fully admit Crawford was mediocre at best in games 3 and 4, but he rolled us good in the games they won. He picked up steam in every win he got (.938, .947, .964, .971). When we exerted offensive pressure and needed the goal, we couldn't buy one against him (period 1 of game 5, most of game 6). Probably a lot of you would disagree, but I don't see Vanek scoring then either. I'll take a G, and he needs to play every d&*# playoff game.

[CaptainMusky]

To me if we had a pure scorer and capitalized on one or two of these chances we had we win that series. It wasn't goal tending that cost us. The lack of having someone with an innate ability to score. Like Kane did for the hawks. Haula was about the closest thing we had IMO. Its going to be tough to deal with this goalie situation but I don't think we need a $7M per yr guy in net to win.

Our #1 goal should be getting home ice for at least one round in the playoffs. That's going to be tough considering how strong the west has been. But a top 4 in the west should be goal #1. Now figure out how to get there. Need at least one pure scorer that kills on the PP would be a huge step.

[Guest]

Penguins firing GM and Coach, when you have the talent and can't produce the changes have to be made.

[Guest]

Half right, GM gone...my source was wrong!

[PierBridge]

LoL...oops.

Yeah the gm has made quite the mess out of the Pens and should be canned.

Nothing to do with coach everything to do with the players as is almost always the case in hockey

[PierBridge]

Speaking of coaches.

Cut and past.

After winning a playoff round for the first time in 11 years, the Minnesota Wild will reportedly bring back the coach that led them there.

Mike Yeo is expected to agree to a contract extension soon, according to sources of the Pioneer Press. Those same sources claim that both Minnesota and Yeo have “expressed interest in getting a deal done,” a key point that illustrates 1) the Wild want to keep Yeo, despite letting him coach this entire season in the last of a three-year deal with no guarantee of anything beyond; 2) Yeo won’t be hitting the open market for any of the current available gigs (Vancouver, Carolina, Florida, Washington) or ones that might come up (Pittsburgh, specifically.)

Yesterday, we asked if Yeo did enough this year to stick in Minnesota — and answered it pretty quickly.

The NHL’s youngest head coach at age 40, Yeo led the Wild to 43 wins this year, third-most in franchise history, and 98 points in the ultra-competitive Central Division, which featured the NHL’s third (Colorado), fourth (St. Louis) and seventh (Chicago) place teams.

The Wild also won a playoff round for the first time in since 2003— dispatching of the Avs in seven games — and showed great resilience against Chicago in Round 2, rebounding from an 0-2 deficit to make the series quite competitive.

Yeo did all this despite tremendous uncertainty in goal all season long, using four different starters while losing the services Josh Harding after he played at a Vezina-calibre level to start the year. Yeo also kept the team afloat as injuries sidelined Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund for a combined 51 games.

The Pioneer Press report did not sa7y anything about the future of Yeo’s staff, however. Assistants Rick Wilson, Darryl Sydor and Darby Hendrickson have been with Yeo throughout his three-year tenure and, following Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, Parise spoke highly of the entire staff.

“I think [all the coaches] did a good job,’’ Parise said, per the Star-Tribune. “We were prepared. We made adjustments when we needed to make adjustments, and we switched lines when we needed to.”

[Guest]

LoL...oops.

Yeah the gm has made quite the mess out of the Pens and should be canned.

Nothing to do with coach everything to do with the players as is almost always the case in hockey

I tend to agree.....but Pens have more talent than any team in the league, other than a crappy goalie (remind you of any team?); the new GM could still can Bylsma.....I would...can't replace the players in one fell swoop so the players will be the same for the most part. Crosby was pretty quiet in the Playoffs kind of like our reg season leading goal scorer, Pom.

[Guest]

Speaking of coaches.

Cut and past.

After winning a playoff round for the first time in 11 years, the Minnesota Wild will reportedly bring back the coach that led them there.

Mike Yeo is expected to agree to a contract extension soon, according to sources of the Pioneer Press. Those same sources claim that both Minnesota and Yeo have “expressed interest in getting a deal done,” a key point that illustrates 1) the Wild want to keep Yeo, despite letting him coach this entire season in the last of a three-year deal with no guarantee of anything beyond; 2) Yeo won’t be hitting the open market for any of the current available gigs (Vancouver, Carolina, Florida, Washington) or ones that might come up (Pittsburgh, specifically.)

Yesterday, we asked if Yeo did enough this year to stick in Minnesota — and answered it pretty quickly.

The NHL’s youngest head coach at age 40, Yeo led the Wild to 43 wins this year, third-most in franchise history, and 98 points in the ultra-competitive Central Division, which featured the NHL’s third (Colorado), fourth (St. Louis) and seventh (Chicago) place teams.

The Wild also won a playoff round for the first time in since 2003— dispatching of the Avs in seven games — and showed great resilience against Chicago in Round 2, rebounding from an 0-2 deficit to make the series quite competitive.

Yeo did all this despite tremendous uncertainty in goal all season long, using four different starters while losing the services Josh Harding after he played at a Vezina-calibre level to start the year. Yeo also kept the team afloat as injuries sidelined Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund for a combined 51 games.

The Pioneer Press report did not sa7y anything about the future of Yeo’s staff, however. Assistants Rick Wilson, Darryl Sydor and Darby Hendrickson have been with Yeo throughout his three-year tenure and, following Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, Parise spoke highly of the entire staff.

“I think [all the coaches] did a good job,’’ Parise said, per the Star-Tribune. “We were prepared. We made adjustments when we needed to make adjustments, and we switched lines when we needed to.”

No surprise there. I have always liked Yeo, hope it is a lifetime extension ...with all those positives from the article; he should actually give half his salary to Fletch, he's the one that made the vast improvements.

[PierBridge]

What crazy game hockey is.

Pittsburgh 1-20 on the power play in the Ranger series.

Sid the Kid 1 goal in the entire series.

The Pens were destroyed in the physicality department in the playoffs. One big reason coach B keeps his job for now imo.

Agree on Yeo pretty fortunate situation to end up in.

You guys do know we were going to win game 7 in Chi town right?...

[CaptainMusky]

Watching the ducks and kings now. Major bummer to be done watching wild.

Been doing some research on salary cap situation for next year and the blackhawks are screwed. Only $4M under and players to sign? Wild have like $22M. Looking forward to see some moves!

Ducks are getting rocked! 4-0 now ouch

[OnAFly]

Lousy LA. I was hoping the Ducks cold close that out.

Well, it's GO HAWKS for me next round. All in all, I'd want Montreal to win it...or anyone but LA.

[CaptainMusky]

Montreal got disemboweled on their home ice. Wow! Rangers have always had the goal tending now they found a way to score.

[RK]

Cary Price out for the series for Montreal. Good heavens... Tough task for the Habs.

[PierBridge]

I still like the Kings in 6 inspite of the loss in game 1.

I cant really stand either but dislike LA a bit less.

[CaptainMusky]

What an epic failure by Chicago in the 3rd period last night! Games like that are ones that can doom a team. It will be interesting to see how they react in game 3. They are a veteran team with lots of experience, but that is pretty demoralizing especially on home ice!

[MYSTERY_POLE]

Rangers need to take game 4 seriously unlike game 3, turnovers, sloppy play w/the puck and a gift to get to overtime and 3 shifts in give up a soft goal.

[CaptainMusky]

Hawks are up against the wall now and so is Montreal. These games are not too much fun to watch. Hoping for a speedy end then the free agency can begin.

[archerystud]

Kings vs Rangers

I give the Rangers the edge only because Quick hasn't seemed like he is playing very well, however the rest of the Kings look outstanding.

If Quick finds his game quickly then LA will win.

[OnAFly]

Like usual, it comes down to two teams who I didn't want to win it. I can't stand Dustin Brown. New York is well...New York.

[wormdunker]

Look at it this way. Ryan McDonagh is arguably one of the best Dmen in the NHL. Not arguable to me I would take him over every other Dman out there. He is from Shoreview, played youth here, high school at Cretin. Stayed his senior season instead of leaving his buddies to go play for NTDP. The gophers screwed up and did not recruit him, he went to Bucky ville and did us Gopher fans a favor by leaving there early.

His uncles were the Walsh boys, Miami U and Florida State QB's. Ryan is the Hockey version of a SUCCESSFUL Joe Mauer. Ever hear him getting local press? NOPE. He deserves more than any other MN NHLer out there.

Rangers also have Derek Stepan, Hastings kid.

Not a single Minnesotan on LA. ( I am happy they took out Chicago)

My support goes to the Rangers!!

[Guest]

Two teams that are pretty well stacked with talent up and down their rosters but I give the Kings the edge.....LA has more firepower IMO....that Doughty plays with more confidence at both ends of the ice than any player in the NHL right now....man is he fun to watch.

[OnAFly]

Yeah, those are all good points. I suppose I can cheer for the team even if I dislike the city. LA on the other hand...

Well, here it is, GO RANGERS!

[PierBridge]

Not sure if I have Ryan McDonagh in the top 10 defensmen category but he is solid both ways.

If it helps Willie Mitchell of the Kings is married to a Minnesotan!

[archerystud]

Did it hurt anyone else here to have Chicago lose on a bad bounce in OT?

Nah, I didn't think so.

I agree LA has more firepower but Quick seemed to let a lot of softies go by and I think Lundquist is much better than Crawford. But if Quick plays better in the Finals I think it's LA's for the taking.

[Bear55]

Two teams that are pretty well stacked with talent up and down their rosters but I give the Kings the edge.....

Kings are pretty battle tested, Rangers are like us with a world class goalie, if we were coming out of the East or had a Lundqvist we'd probably be in the finals too.

[Stick in Mud]

Any thoughts on the finals thus far? I honestly didn't much care who won, but I went with the Rangers because Stepan is from Hastings. Obviously, my pick isn't working out....down 3-0 after a Game 3 suckfest.

I was just hoping for a good series and an intense Game 7. It's still possible, but it's looking unlikely at this point.

[CaptainMusky]

McDonough is from Cretin as well. It would be cool to see the MN boys win, but they are no match at this point. I thought they had the edge in net coming in, but the Kings have too much firepower. Quick was amazing last night not that there were a ton of chances.

I still watch, but it isnt as exciting as I hoped it would be. The Kings/BlackHawks was a much better series.

I think this game is over tomorrow night. Game 5 at worst.

[Guest]

It is pretty evident what "goal scorers" can produce instead of just putting pucks on the net and hoping something goes in (like the Wild). Guys that can score get the bounces, look at Carter's goal...ticks off the end of that guys skate. re-directs ever so slightly and past Lundqvist with no time left...pretty much was game over right then and I like the way the Kings work the puck high instead of cycle so deep all the time. Confidence and Momentum make Cup winners. I LOVE LA!!!

[CaptainMusky]

Well the Rangers pushed it to 5, but I dont see this series going longer than that. The Kings certainly could have won last night with all the chances, but a lot of effort by the Rangers including a key play by Stepan to keep the puck out (I dont think he closed his hand on the puck) and a big whiff on a bouncing puck that would have certainly been a goal.

Lundqvist could certainly steal a game or two, but I do not see it happening.

Here's to free agency beginning SOON!

[Guest]

Kings outshot them like 45-20...Lunqvist can steal a game or two on his own with stellar tending like that but I expect it to end in LA as well.