OK Here we Go...The NHL's 1st-round playoff matchups for the 2012 Stanley Cup!!!

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

OK hockey fans...enclosed below is the NHL's 1st-round playoff matchups for the 2012 Stanley Cup...(Hockey...The Coolest Game on Earth!!! ).

The NHL Playoff 1st Round Schedule
It may be a little too early to tell (and I'm not getting out my crystal ball just yet), but being from East Lansing, MI....I should be rooting for the but I also like the Caps too (you kind of gotta support the team that's nearest to your city/location).

What are your thoughts and/or predictions for this year?



"Rock the Red"

"To Guard and Protect…for only God saves more thanGoaltenders". CBJ

[Zoro]

Go Pens!

[raysofcolorado]

Pens are taking the Cup this year!

[orchestrion]

What a great Pens/Flyers game! As a Rangers fan, I don't care who takes the Penguins out as long as someone does.

My whole family is from St. Louis and I'm also kind of rooting for the Blues since I live only a few hours away. I followed them for a few seasons before I really "got into" hockey. I'm happy to see them doing so well this season. I love playoff hockey!

[dakotaev]

I think Vancouver will finish what they started last year. Hopefully no riot this time :P

[dklaiman]

What a great Pens/Flyers game! As a Rangers fan, I don't care who takes the Penguins out as long as someone does.

I agree, but the Flyers? I just can't root for them. Even if that comeback last night was amazing.

[arghblech]

Pekka Rinne was insanely good last night.

[Walter Sobchak]

Pekka IS insanely good. I wonder about him getting burned out...he starts a LOT of games every year.


Some pretty great games so far this round!

[Doc4]

Is there still hockey? I thought this was the time of year when all the teams focused on hiring new coaches and GMs.

[Walter Sobchak]

Is there still hockey? I thought this was the time of year when all the teams focused on hiring new coaches and GMs.

I'll admit it. I hate to see the the playoffs come without Montreal on board.

[craig87c]

Go Wings! Glad this game is turning out better for us. Especially since there hasn't been much "heads rammed into the glass" action going on tonight.

[dklaiman]

Flyers-Penguins. Can either team play defense? Or a full 60 minutes?

[Walter Sobchak]

Flyers-Penguins. Can either team play defense? Or a full 60 minutes?

It was like a shooting gallery...a baseball score.

[ChrisS86]

The Caps better take Brayden Holtby out to dinner later. Kid played out of his mind today against the B's (and last game too). We'll see if he can keep it up under the high pressure of the NHL playoffs, though I'm confident the B's can take this series in 6

[slugg77]

Yeah, I was DEEP in the cups and saw PHI 8 PIT 5 across the ESPN ticker. I said to my wife "I did not know the Phillies were in Pittsburgh already". Ok, I am an established Wings fan, but the lack of discipline for the Zetty head smash is insane. That is not me being a homer, but I can not believe that there was no further action from a league that claims to be concerned with player safety. I am satisfied that the Wings did not go "eye for an eye" though. Also, glad the Wings tied it up, hope they continue to skate hard the rest of the series.

Tough 2OT game for the B's tonight, same for the Rangers OT game. Man, next to the week before the Browns play their first game and I realize they are not nearly as good on the field as in my head, this is my favorite time of year.

Cheers for a great playoff!

[seizure]

If you didn't see the Blackhawks game 2 victory, you missed out on an awesome heart attack.

[saf]

What a great Blackhawks win

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Hey...are you watching Game 3 between the and the ?



Hockey...The Coolest Game on Earth!!!

[orchestrion]

Way too much goonery on the ice. Mostly from the Penguins, but both teams were guilty. It made for exciting hockey, but some of that stuff was inexcusable. Arron Asham needs a big suspension for that ridiculous crosscheck. This postseason has been particularly nasty!

[Walter Sobchak]

Way too much goonery on the ice. Mostly from the Penguins, but both teams were guilty. It made for exciting hockey, but some of that stuff was inexcusable. Arron Asham needs a big suspension for that ridiculous crosscheck. This postseason has been particularly nasty!

Wow, another crazy game there.

I could take or leave Keith Jones on the commentary on most nights, but today he said something I agree with and thought was unusually insightful for him. He essentially said that goons tend to go crazy when a game gets to the point where the skill guys are all fighting. Asham was a true case in point for that statement.

It wasn't particularly fun seen Letang pound the snot out of Kimmo Timonen, either. It wasn't a dirty fight or anything, but Kimmo is old and tame and usually pretty classy. He's not a fighter and has never been. Letang is young and large and strong...go after Scotty Hartnell instead of grabbing the old man who doesn't want to fight anyway! I thought that was pretty lame.

I enjoy watching highly skilled players going out there with a chip on their shoulders and getting a little nasty or possibly dropping the gloves (as long as there's no criminal intent). The Pens tried it, but that's clearly not their game and it seemed to backfire on them.

Hate those dang Flyers, too...even with Bryzy, whom I used to like. I'd like to see them go down to the Pens.