Stanley Cup Playoffs Random Thoughts

[EmpireWF]

Blackhawks force a Game 6 Friday night after double OT

 

[ryne candy]

Pretty sure the neighbors heard me cussing at the television. Live to see Game 6.

 

[1ke]

Playoff hockey = not good for my health.

 

[dave]

As a Habs' fan, of course I want my team in the final ... but I gotta admit, I'd love to see Chicago as our opponent. No offence to Chicago, but I just think it's a better matchup for the Habs than Los Angeles.

So, I guess I'm saying - Go Habs!, Go Hawks!

 

[Price]

I'm confident the Kings can finish this friday, but again it's Chicago. :tiger:

 

[dave]

I'm confident the Kings can finish this friday, but again it's Chicago. :tiger:

This reminds me of the beginning of Montreal-Rangers. Everyone says to me - "Your team is going to the Stanley Cup Finals!"

I said "Shut the fuck up. The Rangers are here for a reason ... and I thought that way after we beat Washington and got Philly in the conference finals."

Nothing is guaranteed. The NHL playoffs are insane. Nothing is guaranteed.

I hope like hell my Habs win Game 6 in New York and force Game 7 ... but even forcing Game 7 really means nothing.

Same as Los Angeles holding a 3-1 series lead ... it really means nothing. In both series, you gotta finish it.

 

[Senser81]

Good job by the Blackhawks, but they still looked terrible for long stretches of time. Game 6 in LA will be the defining moment of the season for both teams, I think. Don't see LA winning Game 7 in Chicago, but I also don't really see Chicago winning Game 6 in LA.

 

[leaffan]

Good job by the Blackhawks, but they still looked terrible for long stretches of time. Game 6 in LA will be the defining moment of the season for both teams, I think. Don't see LA winning Game 7 in Chicago, but I also don't really see Chicago winning Game 6 in LA.

I think the problem is the hawks are just getting hammered in the corners by the Kings forwards. Dustin Brown is playing like a mad man now and even Gaborik has picked up on the same play. Seabrook and Keith are always getting pinned in by the top 2 lines and they are making really odd for them mistakes.

The kings PP setup is just way to much for the hawks to handle. The kings are literally just sticking two guys in front of the net while doughty QBs the entire thing. He makes such smart plays as well to just get the puck to the net when the hawks go on the PK I'm sure fans are just dreading it the entire time.

 

[nwfisch]

The kings PP setup is just way to much for the hawks to handle.

So hard to handle that the Kings PP last night went 0-3 on the PP.

 

[Senser81]

I think the problem is the hawks are just getting hammered in the corners by the Kings forwards. Dustin Brown is playing like a mad man now and even Gaborik has picked up on the same play. Seabrook and Keith are always getting pinned in by the top 2 lines and they are making really odd for them mistakes.

Seabrook has been particularly awful this series.

 

[leaffan]

So hard to handle that the Kings PP last night went 0-3 on the PP.

It is pretty hard when for the series the Kings have been on the PP for just over 23mins and have scored 5 goals and have 25 shots on net (51 total shots). The hawks on the other hand are sitting at just over 28mins on the PP have 3 goals and 21 shots on net and 43 shots taken.

They're also sitting at a 33% success rate on the PP right now which is pretty dam good for the playoffs. I'd say the hawks are a bit worried.

 

[nwfisch]

That said 20-65-88 is a matchup for that 70s line.

 

[kmanharris]

mg4:

 

[Price]

Tokarski was unreal.

 

[leaffan]

Lol terrible showing from Montreal again. I'll probably be labeled a hater again because my team didn't make the playoffs blah blah blah. When the numbers from this game get uploaded later on tonight I'll be interested to see just how dominated Montreal was that series. Complete opposite from what we seen with them vs boston but their weaknesses I brought up before were exposed heavily.

 

[wr50l]

No denying the Rangers were the better team from start to finish with game 5 being the only exception. Habs were completely done in for the final period tonight and it wouldn't have been a 1 goal game more often than not. But the Rangers don't have the firepower to make it easy on themselves. Playing the West is going to be clearly the toughest challenge and I'm a bit worried it will turn into a Jersey style curb stomping to be honest.

 

[dave]

Lol terrible showing from Montreal again. I'll probably be labeled a hater again because my team didn't make the playoffs blah blah blah. When the numbers from this game get uploaded later on tonight I'll be interested to see just how dominated Montreal was that series. Complete opposite from what we seen with them vs boston but their weaknesses I brought up before were exposed heavily.

You are a hater.

This team got to the conference final, never quit and made it an interesting series with an AHL goalie. I give the Rangers full credit for the series win - they earned it, no question. Their ability to constantly roll out four lines simply was too much for Montreal. It didn't help that every friggin one of our scorers suddenly couldn't score.
Losing Emelin hurt because we simply didn't have enough depth on D and had to way overplay Subban and Markov. Honestly, I thought Therrien should have limited their minutes early in games, so he could push them later in the game, but he's the one paid to coach.

Overall, I am happy with how our season played out. Clearly, there is work to be done in the off-season ... and so long, Thomas Vanek, we hardly knew ya. What a colossal bust in the playoffs. I get that his heart is in Minnesota, but if you're the Wild do you pay this guy $6-7M a year after these playoffs?
Habs need to find a way to roll out four lines and six D next year. Gionta the next midget to go, hopefully Habs find someone bigger and worth that $5M cap hit. Not questioning Gionta's effort or character, but he was never worth $25M over five years and was the main reason Montreal traded Ryan McDonagh and others to the Rangers for Scott Freakin' Gomez!!!

 

[jeffx]

wr501 - I hope you Rangers fans realise how fortunate you are. If Dolan handled the hockey team like he does the basketball team, you'd be as frustrated as us Knick fans. Hope the Rangers can get it done.

 

[dave]

wr501 - I hope you Rangers fans realise how fortunate you are. If Dolan handled the hockey team like he does the basketball team, you'd be as frustrated as us Knick fans. Hope the Rangers can get it done.

I don't think Dolan does anything to the hockey team. He just lets Glen Sather make all the decisions. Frankly, I wonder if Dolan even watches Rangers' games.

 

[wr50l]

wr501 - I hope you Rangers fans realise how fortunate you are. If Dolan handled the hockey team like he does the basketball team, you'd be as frustrated as us Knick fans. Hope the Rangers can get it done.

No way man. This team frustrates every year. Trades potential for former stars, every year the power play is garbage, hands out the worst player contracts in sports for that long-term feeling of fan haplessness. For all the money spent on the team the product has been garbage; it's twenty years since our last Cup Final appearance. Hopefully we win it all this year because it will probably back to shit again in October.