OK Here we Go...The NHL's 1st-round playoff matchups for the 2011 Stanley Cup!!!

[slugg77]

Gary Bettman is ruining mine. Quit messing with tradition!

Yeah. Don't get me started. If you can't throw Octopi, then you can't throw hats either. Boo Hiss Gary. If gunk was that big a deal, then it would effect the Wings too. Except for that Sweedish anti-gunk coating on the skates.

Free the Octopi (only using as a proper noun because of the grass-roots campaign attached to its name).

 

[DolimiteB]

I for one am a little surprised in Pittsburgh's performance tonight. 5-1?

I mostly watched the Caps and Rangers and remembered why I dislike Sean Avery so much. That Prust kid (not Proust the author) is a little Sean Avery clone too.

And lastly, for those counting down, San Jose is just 15 wins away from hoisting the Cup. Regrettably, of our Joes, Pavelski might be better than Thornton in these playoffs.

 

[TstebinsB]

Tonight was another sad performance for the Rangers' offense. Before the series, I predicted that the Rangers would lose in five games due to a lack of scoring. Gaborik et al. are committed to proving me right.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I for one am a little surprised in Pittsburgh's performance tonight. 5-1?

I mostly watched the Caps and Rangers and remembered why I dislike Sean Avery so much. That Prust kid (not Proust the author) is a little Sean Avery clone too.

And lastly, for those counting down, San Jose is just 15 wins away from hoisting the Cup. Regrettably, of our Joes, Pavelski might be better than Thornton in these playoffs.

+1 on Avery.

Little Joe was a MONSTER last year in the playoffs. I like Pavs a lot. He plays hard and fast every game. Gotta love that.

 

[slugg77]

Now wait a moment, the kid is not a clone. When he begins to discuss, um, shall we say, "shared acquaintances" on national media or has goalie interference rules named after him, he can be a member of the 'lil Avery scouts.

I wonder if getting his bell rung woke up Stamkos in the second game? I did not read the box score, but he did get pushed around quite a bit in game one.

As for Thornton, I will say that Pavel Datsyuk reminded me of him for his first few playoffs. not producing like you would expect. Pavel turned it around, I hope Joe eventually does. As sick I was to have a modicum of happiness for an Av, Ray Borque hoisting the cup was one of my favorite moments to watch. I don't know if Thornton is in the same class, but I have been watching him for a long time and would like to see him get a championship. Maybe he can take Modano's spot next year......go Wings.

Oh, and on top of the Octopi issue, why on earth do the Wings play on Saturday? I have to work on Saturday until 6pm EST. Maybe I can organize a battalion of fans to surround the Joe with sea creatures and get faceoff delayed.

Happy hockey watching everyone

 

[slugg77]

I for one am a little surprised in Pittsburgh's performance tonight. 5-1?

I mostly watched the Caps and Rangers and remembered why I dislike Sean Avery so much. That Prust kid (not Proust the author) is a little Sean Avery clone too.

And lastly, for those counting down, San Jose is just 15 wins away from hoisting the Cup. Regrettably, of our Joes, Pavelski might be better than Thornton in these playoffs.

Best of luck to your team. Don't worry, I say that before every Browns, Indians, and Cavs game, so you know it works

In seriousness, San Jose is tough. After round one, the West should have nothing but quality games through the rest of the playoffs.

 

[DolimiteB]

I think the Sharks have developed a sort of mental block when it comes to going deep in the playoffs.

I would be very interested in a study to determine whether a team over/under achieves based on the fervor of its fan base and surrounding community. My personal theory is that if your town lives for a sport and has a degree of its personal identity wrapped up in the outcome of a game, then that compels the team to be that much sharper on the ice. When I look at San Jose I don't see a great sense of urgency. They want to win, but if they don't win then that's ok too. There's no sense of desperation. Contrast SJ with a town like Pittsburgh or Vancouver ya know? Sure, there have been some sunbelt teams that have won Cups of late, but those are towns that really embraced everything about the sport. San Jose, and the west coast in general, is home to many people that move there (i.e. they didn't grow up there) so there is less fervent allegiance to individual teams. The games sell out because there are 35 million people in the state, not because a significant portion of the population cares.

Does this make any sense to anyone? What are your sports theories?

FYI, I've finally accepted that the home team wears solids as opposed to their white jerseys at home.

 

[craig87c]

FYI, I've finally accepted that the home team wears solids as opposed to their white jerseys at home.

The only reason I was able to deal with it was by playing video games. When you have to pick the sweaters out, it makes you remember which is home/away. It's still another stupid decisison by Gary Bettman though.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I think the Sharks have developed a sort of mental block when it comes to going deep in the playoffs.

I would be very interested in a study to determine whether a team over/under achieves based on the fervor of its fan base and surrounding community. My personal theory is that if your town lives for a sport and has a degree of its personal identity wrapped up in the outcome of a game, then that compels the team to be that much sharper on the ice. When I look at San Jose I don't see a great sense of urgency. They want to win, but if they don't win then that's ok too. There's no sense of desperation. Contrast SJ with a town like Pittsburgh or Vancouver ya know? Sure, there have been some sunbelt teams that have won Cups of late, but those are towns that really embraced everything about the sport. San Jose, and the west coast in general, is home to many people that move there (i.e. they didn't grow up there) so there is less fervent allegiance to individual teams. The games sell out because there are 35 million people in the state, not because a significant portion of the population cares.

Does this make any sense to anyone? What are your sports theories?

FYI, I've finally accepted that the home team wears solids as opposed to their white jerseys at home.

It's an interesting take, and I think to some extent it's true. By and large, though, aren't the players are hardcore no matter where they play? You don't get to play in the NHL by being a dilettante.

I can understand how some players may get a little lift from the city they play in. It might be a little easier on the conscience to lose in Dallas than it is to lose in Toronto, but nobody's going out there with a casual attitude and effort. The fans might be casual, but hockey guys want to win. They want to win for their team, their coaches, themselves, their families, the owners, and somewhere in that mix the fans.

Yes, I agree about the sweaters. I don't understand it and I don't like it.

The only reason I was able to deal with it was by playing video games. When you have to pick the sweaters out, it makes you remember which is home/away. It's still another stupid decisison by Gary Bettman though.

Bettman He's just plain awful.

 

[craig87c]

The Wings are DOMINATING right now. Love watching Dats play at this level.

 

[ouch]

Tonight was another sad performance for the Rangers' offense. Before the series, I predicted that the Rangers would lose in five games due to a lack of scoring. Gaborik et al. are committed to proving me right.

Sadly, I think our current drought may eventually eclipse the span from 1940-1994.

 

[Gaz]

Damn the Wings made things interesting today. That last period, from what I saw of it, was awful.

Franzen looked like he pissed off an Italian women with those scars on the face. If that had happened to a baseball player, they'd be out a month.

 

[djmike523]

Ohhh ahh

 

[shefler29]

Damn the Wings made things interesting today. That last period, from what I saw of it, was awful.

Franzen looked like he pissed off an Italian women with those scars on the face. If that had happened to a baseball player, they'd be out a month.

Babcock had the look of "what are you doing on the bench, shouldn't you be in the locker room" look when he came back. It looked like they arguing about putting on a shield too. Franzen just said "No way".

 

[DolimiteB]

Tough performance last night from the Sharks and Danny Coldly. You might know him by his alter ego, Danny Heatley, which he goes by from October - March.

On the other hand, I was really impressed by Drew Doughty on the backline for the Kings and Jonathan Quick had a good night in net. Perhaps that's a positive development for USA Hockey, although it appears that Ryan Miller has a lock on goaltending duties for the national team for the next 3-5 years.

 

[the fnger genius]

Warpath. Gonna try and get tickets to Friday night's game.

 

[gollum83]

Okay not completely playoff related, but I just came back from a Rush concert in Detroit and I saw someone wearing Crosby jersey.

 

[ChrisS86]

Huge win for the B's last night.

Kunitz and Downie banned 1 game after their infractions from last nights dirty, chippy game. Downie should be thankful it's only one game, given his history. I'm also surprised Kunitz only got one game as well, given that Pavel Kubina got 3 games for his elbowing penalty last month. With Downie out, it'll be interesting to see if Tampa can hang in the next game with Pittsburgh's checkers like Rupp, Adams, et. al.

Also, looks like we might see the first sweep of the playoffs tonight, unless Toews and company pull off a miracle.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Huge win for the B's last night.
Kunitz and Downie banned 1 game after their infractions from last nights dirty, chippy game. Downie should be thankful it's only one game, given his history. I'm also surprised Kunitz only got one game as well, given that Pavel Kubina got 3 games for his elbowing penalty last month. With Downie out, it'll be interesting to see if Tampa can hang in the next game with Pittsburgh's checkers like Rupp, Adams, et. al.

Also, looks like we might see the first sweep of the playoffs tonight, unless Toews and company pull off a miracle.

I would have thrown up if they Bs lost that one. It looked like they might for a while there.

I'm thinking that CHI is out tonight.

 

[the fnger genius]

I've got a ticket to Friday's Philly / Buffalo game in Philly. Am I completely crazy (or just stupid) to consider wearing a Sabres jersey to the game? Especially if sitting by myself?