Nor do I. But you guys were on something, because those are hallucigen-induced ravings! :lol:

I can't speak for shadows, but I'm on a hockey high. (and no, I'm not all pucked up).:lol:

Time to ROCK THE RED!!!!

Lets Go Caps!!

So am I. There have been some real nail-biting games so far and that was only the first round!:cool:

(I should mention that I have never tried pot either.;))

Seven games? Whoever ends up making it out of that series is going to be dead tired and may end up looking like what the cat dragged in.:eek:

It has to be the tightest series in the second round. I mean, come on! Sharks! Wings! #2 vs. #3. No one thinks the wings are #3 once the playoffs start.

Tonight's game was awesome. Another OT win for the Sharks. Sharks deserved the win, dominating for several stretches and leading the shot clock widely. Wings looked tired toward the end for some reason and took a couple late penalties, including a 4 minute high stick during OT. Pavel D. was the best wing, and probably the big Pavelski for the sharks.

Benn Ferriero got the OT winner in his first playoff game, on his 24th birthday! Nice!

Oh, and whoever emerges from this series may be tired, but they have the experience, the size, and the speed, and the talent, to shut down the Sedin's and get through Vancouver and whoever the East brings. Fear! :respect:

the wonderful world of hockey
 

this video reminds me why i love hockey and before everone goes at each other over the playoffs i think we should all chill and watch this video and hopefully it'll remind us all why we love hockey
I love the two goalies going at in and i love the shot of the sterotypical Flyers fan
:yes: Flyersfan Jen

http://youtu.be/pcq6V4-PFzQ

The one thing that I don't like about hockey is the fighting.

I think I'm with ila on this. I love to watch a great physical game, like we have going right now between the Bruins and the Flyers (Boston leads 2-1 at the end of the 1st period, by the way). But while I get "into" the fights when they're happening, when I think about why I love hockey the fights usually get in the way.

By the way, Pronger was called for slashing against the Bruins, and the announcer on NBC just attributed that action to Pronger wanting to wake up his team. Then he said something like "Pronger knows the the difference between pain and injury." Maybe, but the replay shows that this was purely about inflicting pain, which can lead to injury. There's no question it was willfull. (Not that the Bruins are saints, mind you.)

Viz. my point above about physical playing. What I don't like to see is Daniel Carcillo punch a guy in the head when he's down, away from the play. What decade is he playing in for the Flyers?

smc, it's too bad that you can't get the CBC. I've been flipping back and forth between NBC and CBC. The CBC, by far, has better coverage of the game.:)

(btw, as I write this the score is 6 -3 for Boston)

No matter what the CBC announcers actually said, the mere fact that none of them have the voice of Doc Emrick (which I associate with chalk scratching across a chalkboard) would make it better to watch. But since you posted that comment in response to mine about what an NBC announcer said, I'm curious: what did the CBC guys say that was different?

(btw, as I write this the game is over and the Bruins won 7-3)

Actually I was posting my comment about you having only NBC to watch the game whereas I think the CBC provides better hockey coverage as well as commentary.

I missed the play and the comments about Pronger. Although I was watching the game I do require the occasional bathroom break.

San Jose did deserve to win game #1 as they totally outplayed Detroit. You're right about the Red Wings looking old.

I don't think any of the teams really fear the Sharks, and I don't think the Sharks are afraid of any of the other teams. If they were afraid, then there would be no point of even playing in the post-season. I think that they respect each other, which they should. Taking a team lightly can end up costing you, like what almost happened to Vancouver in Round 1.

I guess it's safe to say the weak goaltending continued for Philly. If they keep this up it will be a short series indeed!:eek:

I heard a lot of comments at tsn.ca wondering why Paille(I think that was his name) got a penalty for being on the receiving end of Pronger's slash. To any of you that watched the game, was the penalty(tripping) warranted?

Vancouver was outplayed tonight and tried to sit back on their 1-0 lead. It almost worked, but they gave up the tying goal with less than two minutes left. Vancouver needs to play like they did in game #1, as sitting back(especially in the playoffs) is not a good idea. Vancouver lost 2-1 in 2OT.

I realize this may sound biased, but I don't think the reciprocal penalty was warranted. On the replay, I could see no evidence that anyone but Pronger did anything against the rules. That was backed up by the Flyers fan I spoke to last night who was at the Wells Fargo Center.

Just because you don't agree with a penalty call doesn't mean you're biased. After all, the refs sometimes make the most mind-boggling calls ever seen!;)

I think if Detroit wants to actually make a series of this, then they better play a full game rather than try and play catch-up in the third period. They looked like a haggard, old team for the second game in a row. They need to wake up otherwise it will be a quick series.

Tampa Bay is currently ahead of Washington 1-0 in the second period of play.

During the Bruins-Canadiens series, I mentioned the antics of the Habs players a couple of times. Kevin Paul Dupont, the excellent hockey writer for The Boston Globe, took up this issue in detail in yesterday's paper, showing great respect for the Canadiens in general but calling out this behavior. It's worth reading by any serious hockey fan.

A couple of bad actors bring Canadiens down

Hockey Notes
May 01, 2011|By Kevin Paul Dupont

Four days after the Canadiens packed their bags at the Garden, some troubling thoughts linger about Les Glorieux? inglorious behavior in Game 7.

The first regards defenseman P.K. Subban, who is already a special player at age 21. Elite skills. Tremendous wheels. A shot manufactured by Raytheon. The slapper he unloaded for the tying goal (3-3) off a Tomas Plekanec feed had that lightning-and-thunder quality to it, a page torn from the book of hockey mythology. Had the setting been the Bell Centre and not Causeway Street, I suspect the roof would have caved in and the game replayed elsewhere.

With that kind of talent, there is no need for Subban to include method acting in his bountiful tool kit. Make that shameless, disgraceful method acting.

Subban did more than his share of fakery throughout the seven games, but the worst of it came in Game 7 with just under three minutes remaining in the first period.

Tangled up with Boston?s Greg Campbell on the rear wall in Montreal?s end, Subban performed a histrionic flop to the ice as both players moved off the fence. No penalty whistled.

We won?t tie up column inches here over the failure of the refs to call unsportsmanlike conduct/diving throughout the series. Pointless. Bad refereeing is like bad ice. Shut up, deal, find the next opportunity, and hope the guys in stripes get it right.

What made it worse, and pushed Subban?s antics to the level of travesty and disrespect for the game, came moments later. The Garden?s in-house camera caught Subban, seated among his pals on the bench, watching the replay on the arena?s big board.

He was loving the show, so much so that he flashed a huge grin, as if to say ? well, who cares what he was thinking? The smile alone conveyed that he enjoyed his amateurish prank and was delighted to get off scot-free.

Hmm. Was it coincidence that his teammate, Andrei Kostitsyn, was whistled for high sticking only 41 seconds later? Let?s hope not. Let?s hope it was the officiating crew delivering a reminder that the NHL is supposed to be the stage where the world?s most talented pros perform.

WWE has its place on the sports menu, and if Subban wants to take his talents there, the bet here is that he?ll be a humongous talent in that arena, too. But now would be a fine time for the rookie to choose whether he wants sport or spoof.

Such stunts bring down everyone, including Subban?s teammates, his opponents, the officiating crew, the game itself. If he thinks it?s all a yuk, then why should anyone else, especially the paying customers, think differently?

True, far worse things have happened on the ice and around it. Compared with some of the concussions and other serious injuries we?ve witnessed in recent months and years, Subban?s antics are but petty tomfoolery, which is also to say they have no place in the game.

Someone who cares enough about the august Montreal franchise, or perhaps someone in NHL headquarters, should have a sitdown with Subban and explain the collateral costs of acting like the class clown. Act like Bozo long enough, people laugh at you, not with you. Ditto for the company you keep and the company that employs you.

Later in the night, at about 10:39 of the third period, fellow Hab Roman Hamrlik, age 37 and nearly a 20-year NHL vet, also tried to play the refs for fools with his pratfall along Boston?s right wall. He collided with Boston center Chris Kelly, dropped as if pole-axed, and remained down ? perhaps half-hoping that some Montreal viewer would dial 911? Again, no call.

The next few seconds really made it interesting and risible. Kelly headed down ice and promptly knocked in the go-ahead (3-2) goal at 10:44, the one that Subban?s sizzler would negate with 1:57 remaining in regulation. Hamrlik, by remaining on the ice and trying to tease out a call, left Kelly and his pals with what amounted to a power play (not that Boston?s 0-for-21 power play was of much concern).

?The way [the Montreal] power play was going, part of me says, ?Do you blame him?? ?? noted Boston defenseman Andrew Ference. ?I mean, if they are going to get that call ???

No doubt, considering how the Habs were clicking on the man-advantage, and how they often got the refs to buy into their, shall we say, methodology, why not? Subban?s blast at 18:03 came on the power play.

But what kind of player, what kind of team, is playing that angle in a Game 7, with less than 10 minutes to go, with the score 2-2? No doubt embarrassed, the faking Hamrlik bolted upright and raced into the zone after the goal to argue the non-call with the officiating crew. He sure didn?t look too hurt. Humility, some kind of elixir.

For all the Habs hate in this town, I suspect many would agree, perhaps begrudgingly, that there has always been something special, dignified, classy about the Montreal franchise. I?ve always felt that way, admired who they are, what they?ve done. Until now.

Even in the horribly diluted, sometimes gimmicky (see: shootout) Original 30, Les Canadiens remained the game?s crown jewel, a presence, a symbol of quality and success deserving of respect.

To this day, Jean Beliveau is a regular visitor to the Bell Centre, and there remains an undeniable aura around the 79-year-old Le Gros Bill, similar to that of Joe DiMaggio when he visited Yankee Stadium in his latter years.

It?s not just Beliveau, but about all the things he did while wearing that CH crest, how often his team won the Cup, how exceptional and talented and unique the Canadiens were in their time, their sport, their society.

Now, to see Subban and Hamrlik act like buffoons, it doesn?t take away from anything Beliveau did, or what the likes of Maurice Richard, Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, or scores of other great Habs accomplished. Sadly, though, it takes the greatest franchise in NHL history and makes it just another team, in just another city, and pulls another 29 teams and cities down with it.

There is a price to be paid for faking, a price that goes beyond L?s in the standings. If the Canadiens allow such nonsense to continue much longer, allow decades of equity and image to disappear, they will find out the true cost of those jokes that Messrs. Subban and Hamrlik tried to sell here last week.

Time for the Habs to decide, are they a class act or classless actors?

^ Not a single comment on the post above? Are all the Forum's hockey fans in such awe of the Bruins' Tim Thomas that they simply cannot think about anything else?!

DAMN!!! looks like the Flyers want to do it the hardway agian this year
:eek: Flyersfan Jen

Regardless of how misguided it may be, or regardless of whether I end up eating these words, that's the kind of eternal optimism that we could all use a little bit more of, all the time! :respect:

To be fair, it's not like Philly hasn't done this before. They came back last year against the Bruins and against the Sabres in Round 1. I'm not saying they will again(their goaltending is shaky at best), but they have proven they are able to come back.

Washington, on the other hand, is toast. They are down 3-0 after losing 4-3 to Tampa Bay tonight and I just don't seeing them coming back. Warranted or not, the naysayers are going to issue the "chokers" label on the Caps again if they end up losing.

Like i said they are doing it the hard way :)
Sadly the Flyers haven't had a steady or even a great goalie since Ron Hextal
I wish someone would give Bobie a good smack upside the head and tell him they need to get a young worldclass goalie either by draft [unlikely as we hardly ever get a top pick] or trade for one or sign one this treand of musical goaltenders has to end
Clarke of all people should remember that it was because of Bernie Parent they got there back to back Stanley cups in the 70s
:eek: Flyersfan Jen

Time to go watch hockey. If Jennifer is correct, the Flyers will lose to the Bruins tonight so that they can get to the brink before fighting back to win the series. :lol:

How desperate are the Flyers? As the game with the Bruins was ending, I heard some commotion outside on the street. I looked out the window and saw my 47-year-old neighbor lifting a large athletic equipment bag into the trunk of a taxicab.

I shouted out the window, "Hey, what's going on?"

Then I remembered that he had been the goalie on Peter LaViolette's Franklin High School hockey team back in the early 1980s.

"Peter just called," my neighbor shouted up to me. "He asked me to hurry down to the Garden for a late-night tryout."

I wonder who else the Flyers have called?

Bruins are now up 3-0, after a 5-1 win tonight.

While the Bruins have played well, I think the series will be remembered more for the shitty goaltending of Philadelphia than anything else. Giving up two goals in the first 1:03 of the game can break the backs of the entire team.

It looks like it will be a Boston/Tampa Eastern final, as I now think that Philly is toast.

Looking back over your posts, you seem bound and determined to dismiss the Bruins. Why? Tim Thomas gave a clinic on goaltending in Game 2. Zdeno Chara demonstrated what defense means in Game 3. Surely, someone just might remember a few things the Bruins did.

Nobody on the ice takes anyone lightly. Such parity in the league this year shows that anyone could win on a night. Red wings are a hell of a team every year and the Sharks definitely respect them, despite a great recent record and a 3-0 lead.

I still say that the Sharks have a mental toughness this year. The 0-4 comeback. The 5-0 OT record. It's true no one fears them and they fear none, but they haven't had much respect, but they are earning it.

It's looking like thomas and the B's will come out of the east. Gosh I hope it's not Tampa Bay! A hot goal tender is what you need. Brian Boucher was a fan favorite here, so I'm glad to see he's factoring in there in Philly. It sounds like a circus though.

K

Looks like the season is over and what looks like to be the final four teams there is none that excite me and i think the cup will have a record low ratings this year as it'll most likely be the Sharks vs Lighting
so iall i have to say is..... well i'll let Homer say it all for me so go to it Homer
:eek: moving on to baseball Jen

http://youtu.be/g6GuEswXOXo

How is saying the series will be remembered more for the Flyer's goaltending rather than the play of Boston being dismissive of them? Every sportscast that I've watched or listened to has talked about it. And that is what will be remembered about the series.

The revolving door is at least finally closed. Honestly, Philly didn't even deserve to make it past Buffalo because of the atrocious goaltending. Buffalo may have at least given Boston a challenge, at least one would think so.

I think the Boston/Tampa series will be a lot closer, but I have to give the edge to Boston especially since they exorcised any lingering doubts from last years collapse. What better way to do that than to sweep the team the following year.

I am predicting a Boston/Vancouver final. Since Vancouver is a Canadian team(and they were the team I've been rooting for since the playoffs started) I want them to win(plus, it would be their first Stanley Cup). Any other team(Detroit or San Jose) and I would like to see Boston win(an original six team not named Detroit).

I'm not going to lie to you. I don't really like the Sharks too much. I don't like the fact that Bettman created all these expansion teams at the cost of Canadian teams(and the fact that he will NOT let the Phoenix situation go adds to that).

I DO respect what they as a team are doing, as they ARE playing very well. I don't see them winning the Cup, but that is not due to the play of the Sharks in the past. I think if they lose this year, it will be a hard-fought battle no matter what and that their label of chokers should not be given out to this year's group.

I also do not like Heatley very much. Canadian or not, I don't respect him very much.

The Sharks were very close to getting the sweep tonight. They came back from being down 3-0 and ended up losing 4-3. Even though they didn't get the sweep, I don't see Detroit making it past them.

If it is a Vancouver/San Jose Western final, I am rooting for Vancouver. That being said, I think it will be an entertaining series(lots of scoring chances), far more entertaining than the Vancouver/Nashville series currently going on.

I, too, am hoping for a Vancouver/Boston final.

I also agree with your last statement.

Too much bad blood between Detroit and Toronto in the past for me to root for them. Of course, I would root for them if there weren't any better choices out there.:lol:

Ratings wise the Canucks vs Bruins would be the best match up as would REDWINGS vs Bruins after all when was the last time two of the six played for the cup? proably late 70s Candians vs Bruins

Preds vs Lighting would be the lowest ratings as would Sharks vs Lighting
i have a feeling i won't be watching the finals this year
:no: moving over to baseball Jen

Well perhaps there still could be a cup final after all as the REDWINGS has taken it to game 7 and how great would it be to see the REDWINGS vs BRUINS, now that series i'd watch

:yes: looking for an octopus Jen

Bruins - Red Wing, original 6 teams both ... now that's the Stanley Cup final I want to see.

Right now, no matter what happens with the Sharks, the goal by Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit in the third period that I just witnessed was one of the best backhands I've ever seen. Wow!!

The Sharks took the series, despite that there is absolutely no reason for a hockey team to exist in San Jose, California -- or anywhere in California, for that matter. The Red Wings were tough in the last 90 seconds, but just couldn't get a goal. Oh, well. Let's now hope for a Bruins - Vancouver final (after the Lighting, from another ridiculous place for a hockey team, are vanquished).

I do have to say that it looks like the Sharks are no longer the chokers of old. They held their own and did not fold. That being said, I want the Canucks to take the series. It won't be an easy series, but they should prevail.

I certainly hope it will be a Boston - Vancouver final.

Anything else would be a rateings graveyard and end any hopes of ESPN buying a NHL agreement to show games


:eek:time for baseball Jen

Flyersfan Jen is no more
 

ANNOUNCEMENT

I know i'll be hearing it from everyone here but i have made up my mind
I can't take the heartach of supporting a team who for the last decade has insistintly played musical goaltenders and looks to keep on playing this route
So no more i'm changing teams yes it's true i'm turning my back on the Flyers
So Flyersfan Jen is no more for the rest of this season and starting next season i'll be

:eek: Penguinsfan Jen :yes:

Jennifer!:eek:

While I respect your decision, I don't think that I would be able to do the same if I were in your shoes. Heck, my beloved Leafs have been putrid for quite some time now, but I will be a fan through thick and thin.:)

Why the Penguins, Jen? I'd be honored to welcome you and your hockey knowledge and commitment as a new fan of the Bruins! C'mon, join the Original Six club!! :)

Or better yet, become a Canadiens fan, the greatest of the original six teams. ;)

I don't think ESPN has much interest, if any, in hockey. Hockey is a hard sell for a national network in the US. Your networks would rather show football and basketball, two of the most boring sports in the world, which take forever to play because of all the timeouts and stoppages in play. Heck, your national networks would rather show car racing than hockey. And what can be more exciting than watching cars go around and around on an oval track.

That's a fair question so i'll answer it

Why did i pick the Penguins you ask well put simply that are a great fun team to watch [when everyone is healthy unlike in this years playoffs] and they are not that far away from me if i decide to go to a game and i love there logo
:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

With the pending NFL shutdown ESPN would have been desprite to find sports to fill the gap and the NHL was a strong possiabilty,

In away i'm glad ESPN is not carrying hockey as i felt they did a poor job the last time they had the rights
And as i have a sat dish with the NHL centerice package i pretty much can see any game that is televised and most teams have decent local coverage
The only plus to ESPN showing hockeygames would have been drawing in my fans, i'm sure i don't have to tell you take a person to a hockey game once and they will be a hockeyfan for life same is true for watching a good game on the tube
:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

You're right, Jen. There is nothing like a good live game to make hockey fan.

Yah, go that route, Jen -- if you want to be a TRAITOR TO AMERICA!! :lol:

Watching grass grow?

(Wait, you do realize that most people only watch car racing in hopes of seeing a crash and fire, right?)

Jen, switch to the Bruins I will personally guarantee to make up the difference in costs to get from where you are to Pittsburgh vs. where you are to Boston, plus the ticket price difference, AND to sweeten the pot I will cover the pre-game beers near the Garden! :yes:

How true, i was either six or seven when my dad took my brother and i to the old Spectrum too see the Flyers vs Islanders and i still rember Bobby Clarke flying down the ice and puting the puck past Billie Smith and i also remember Bill Barber getting a slight tap and he did a very well acted prop fall causeing a penalty then scoreing during the power play and i was hooked for life

:yes: Penguinfan Jen

All these people trying to convince Jennifer to switch to their team! Have you no shame? Don't you know that she should choose the Toronto Maple Leafs instead?;):p:lol:

In all seriousness, she should stick with Philly. If they can pick up a good goaltender this offseason they should be much better next year.

I am quite surprised that Boston got their butts handed to them tonight. It was pretty much over after the first period!:eek:

I don't expect Boston to play like this for two games in a row, but it would have been nice had they won the first game of the series.

I have now switched to cheering for Tampa Bay. Hopefully my full support will make them lose.

The late great Buddy Holly said it best
http://youtu.be/Rk6YDzmqZ0I
:eek: Penguinsfan Jen

The only thing I could cheer for with regards to the Lightning is Stevie Y.

I'm also going to cheer for San Jose in the hopes that it will cause them to lose their series with Vancouver.

I hope it doesn't end up doing the opposite of what you hope...a Tampa/San Jose final? Yikes!:eek:;):lol:

*cleans off dust from thread*

Vancouver won Game #1 3-2. San Jose continued their streak of having their play taper off in the third period. It was an entertaining game, much more than the Vancouver/Nashville series was(San Jose's defense isn't as "shut-down" as Nashville's was).

Game #2 tomorrow night should be another great one!

Tonight, Boston and Tampa Bay seem to be trading goals! Boston scored 5 goals in the second period. The score is currently 6-4 for Boston with 9:37 to play in the third period.

Seguin is making the most of his time due to the injury to Bergeron, scoring two goals and two assists! I don't think Julian can take him out of the lineup now(when Bergeron comes back).

Yikes! It's now a 6-5 game with 4:26 left in the third!!!:eek::eek::eek:

It is now a final. Boston won 6-5. I wonder if smc will be posting here ever again or if the game was too stressful for his heart?:eek:;)

There. I posted.

I enjoyed the game tonight, glad to see Boston win. Entertaining, but the Bruins better play better next game. They were very lucky that the Lightning didn't tie the game. TB seemed to win every battle along the boards and totally dominated the 3rd period. I even thought the earlier parts of the game were controlled more by TB, but the Bruins capitalized on their opportunities.

The Sharks-Canucks game Sunday was entertaining. I think the Sharks had the better of the play in the first two periods, but the Canucks dominated the last period. Think the Sharks ran out of gas. I think the Red Wing series took a lot out of them, and Vancouver was well rested. During the series with Red Wings, It looked like Detroit was going to break-out and score a bunch of goals. Niemi wouldn't let them. Even with the Canucks controlling the 3rd period, I didn't get the same sense. Vancouver was the better team last game and deserved to win. Will see what happens next game. I expect another good game.

I agree that the Bruins better play better, but the idea that Tampa Bay controlled "earlier parts of the game" is ridiculous. Most of the first period was spent in the Bruins' offensive zone! And Boston scored 5 goals in the second period! If that's "control" by Tampa Bay, what team would ever want to be "in control"?

Yeah, they scored 5 goals on 9 shots. TB had 16 shots on goal. They took advantage of their opportunities, but getting outshot by almost 2 to 1 doesn't sound like they were in control.

Step right up and join the anti-Bruins bandwagon of which my friend Shadows
seems to have become the driver.

I'm no bandwagon fan or jumper but i do hope Boston sends Tampa home until training camp opens for the 11/12 season
:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

Thank you, Jen. I'll go one step further. I'd like to see the Tampa team be "sent home" to somewhere where there ought to be a hockey team, which means nowhere in Florida. Halifax, Saskatoon, Portland (Maine), Fargo, Duluth, etc. ... now those would be nice places to relocate the Lightning. ;)

The Qubec Lightining has a nice ring to it
:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

As superb a hockey player as Marty St. Louis is, can anyone actually imagine that he isn't at least a little bit embarrassed to be playing for a team in Florida? :rolleyes:

Where the hell did this dig come from? My last posts were about the current score of the game. They had a 6-3 lead, then 6-4, then 6-5. I said that it was probably stressful to a Bruin's fan to watch, hence the comment on whether your heart could take it(which was a joke).

If you read earlier in the thread, I want Boston to win this series. The only other team I want to win more than Boston is Vancouver. How is that being on the anti-Bruins bandwagon?

First, I was joking. I should have used an emoticon to make that clear, but I never thought you'd think I was really "digging."

I do note, though, that despite who you want to win the series, you have posted some dismissive things about Boston -- such as in our little exchange about the Philadelphia series.

I said the Qubec Lightining because i believe they deserve and could support a hockey team and i believe but could be wrong but i think Vincent L is french Canadian and would be very popular in Qubec making the Lightining a big draw
:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

I don't even think you read the posts. I even said I wanted to see Boston win, I only stated that they need to play better.

Which they did tonight.

It is hard to tell the meaning behind people's posts sometimes, since they are just words after all.

Saying that people were concentrating on Philly's atrocious goaltending was by no means me dismissing Boston. They have a good team. In the regular season, I do not like them because they are a fellow Eastern team(but they were pretty much out of the reach of the Leafs this year, so I didn't hate them as much;)). That being said, in these playoffs the order of teams I wanted to win the Cup go: Vancouver, then Montreal(Canadian team), and then Boston. Being in the top three isn't too bad.;):)

Boston pretty much shut the door on the Lightning tonight. Thomas played really well, and there were a lot less penalties going on(well, with the suspect refereeing this post-season, a lot of penalties have been of the phantom call variety.

Seguin was a lot quieter tonight, but he was still a +1 on the night.

It is very apparent that friendly joking via sarcasm -- in this case, sarcasm about ANY criticism of the Bruins in the context of their wins -- is useless absent emoticons. In my own posts, I take full responsibility for the failure to have communicated successfully.

In addition to my note just above, in response to Captn Sacto, which explains this communication problem generally, I would note that there is a big difference between the analytic perspective one adopts and the support perspective one adopts. It is easy to write, for instance, "I am glad Team A won, because that's the team I support. Team A won because Team B gave away the game."

It seems to me that many of the posts about the Bruins have been of that sort -- concentrating on victories as results of the Boston opponents' shortcomings rather than the Bruins own achievements. That is the source of my joking sarcasm.

Anyhow, I'll wait for the post that says the Bruins won Game 3 because of the breakdown of the Lightning in various areas, as espoused by the TV commentators, before continuing this line of discussion any further.

Well, you won't get it from me.;) They won Game 3 because they were the hungrier team and outplayed Tampa Bay.

Vancouver needs to take needless penalties! Giving San Jose 10 PP opportunities is just asking for trouble. Vancouver did not deserve all of the penalties, but they definitely deserved some of them.

I thought that Vancouver had a chance to tie it up in the third, but they came up just short. They should at least take heart that they almost came back! That being said, San Jose totally outplayed them in the first period by a huge margin(the two penalties didn't help matters!). I think that Niemi helped San Jose in the third, but they had the Canucks on their heels for a lot of the game.

I wonder if Logan Couture is going to miss any time? He is a pretty important part of the Sharks. I may want the Canucks to win the series, but I don't wish an injury on a player of the opposing team!

A hungry team that also put on a hockey fundamentals clinic.

As of this morning, it appears only a formality that the Atlanta Thrashers will relocate to Winnipeg. I say: let the northern migration begin!

It's time for the league to move every team that has a longitudinal coordinate of 37? or less. That allows Washington and a few other teams that ought to be moved to have a bit more time. So, in addition to Atlanta, let's move the Tampa Bay Lightning (I'm with Jen that they become the Quebec Lightning), Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Phoenix Coyotes.

Let's give opportunities to a bunch of appropriate cities to get NHL teams: Saskatoon, Duluth, Portland (Maine), Halifax, Fargo, Grand Rapids, Hartford ...

You forgot the FL PANTHERS but then they are a very forgetable team and i can live with the Sharks and Kings out in CALI but the other for mentioned teams need to fold or move north where the should have been to start with


:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

You're right! In my excitement over one southern team being relocated, I did leave out the Panthers. I also left out the Carolina Hurricanes. Okay, so let me add both to the list, and to the list of cities to which teams can relocate I'll add Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) and Anchorage (Alaska).

Ugly, ugly, ugly! The Bruins go up 3-0 on mistakes by the Lightning. The Lightning tie the game on mistakes by the Bruins. And then it all falls apart for Boston. Ugly, ugly, ugly!

Didn't you learn anything from the Penguins? now listen up when you have the skateblade on their throat stamp down and finish them off
:eek: Penguinsfan Jen

Take off to the great white north
 

While not official it looks like the Thrashers are leaving hotLanta and going to Winnipeg
While it's very unlikely they'll be the Jets they maybe called THE MOOSE
:eek: Penguinsfan Jen

Sharks Lose Again to the Sharks
 

I can't believe it. :turnoff:

Sharks are losing 3-1 to the Sharks. They are not getting outplayed or "choking". I've seen enough to know the difference. This is just total self-destruction.

All this way and and they lose confidence, change their game, lose focus, try too hard, don't try enough, stupid penalties (lots of them).

Who stole the entire Sharks team and replaced them with knuckleheads? This is some Canadian trick! They're all playing like star-eyed rookies,

I know how Jen feels (actually I feel how Jen feels)... but a glimmer of hope remains. One game at a time. They are better than this, and are as good as Vancouver.

I wonder if a Bear has ever been struck by lightning...
 

I'd love to see Bruins vs. Sharks but both teams have a lil "work ta do". Yikes!

The Boston Globe's Hall of Fame hockey writer, Kevin Paul Dupont, had a very interesting column in yesterday's paper on the Thrashers move to Winnipeg. Put aside the too-clever Canada jokes, and he makes some excellent points -- although I stand by what I wrote earlier, and what I have always contended, about having NHL teams anywhere with weather that precludes kids from growing up playing pond hockey on a regular basis!

The Dennis Wideman - Norris Trophy comment is particularly funny.

It?s hard to see Winnipeg as a winning move
Hockey Notes
May 22, 2011 | By Kevin Paul Dupont

NHL headquarters has yet to confirm it?s a done deal, but rumors, wisdom, and prima facie evidence all point to the Atlanta Thrashers packing up perhaps as early as Tuesday and taking their talents to Winnipeg. (Note to NHL: Maybe consult with LeBron James next time on how to market these big shifts.)

Deep South swapped for Far North, Part 2. Atlanta hockey fans have seen this movie before, when their beloved Flames up and left in the summer of 1980 to do business as the Calgary Flames.

Once again, it looks as though Atlanta has played NHL franchise incubator, so ex-Bruins Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler, swapped to Atlanta at the March trade deadline, won?t be needing all those sandals and T-shirts after all. It?s not really a culture shock for those two strapping lads, because they grew up in Minnesota, which many Canadians consider the south end of Manitoba ? something that really cheeses off all eight citizens of neighboring North Dakota.

On the heels of the Thrashers-to-go rumors, there was added speculation by the end of the week that Teemu Selanne, who made his NHL debut with the Jets in 1992, will head back to Winnipeg for a welcome-back-to-the-future farewell twirl. What next, Michael J. Fox as general manager?

Let?s see now, the multimillionaire Finn, who has spent the last 14-plus seasons playing for Anaheim, San Jose, and Colorado, returns to one of the coldest places on earth to continue his career at age 41. As they say back in Finlandia, Teemu, did the heat get to you?

Some 20 years after Selanne?s arrival in Winnipeg, the city?s population has increased by about 10 percent and today is pushing 700,000. These are not just people who are banking on global warming. Contrary to the view of most Americans, and even a lot of Canadians, there are good things happening in southern Manitoba, and one is that it has a ready-for-the-NHL arena sitting there waiting to be designated an Original 30 rink.

Now, is a shift back in time to Winnipeg really where the NHL needs to go? That?s a very large, mixed bag of pucks.

Commissioner Gary Bettman, like Selanne, entered the league as a rookie in 1992-93 (February 1993, to be precise), and he?s the guy, more than anyone, who pushed for the broadening of the game?s ?broadcast envelope.?? It was a 24-team league when Bettman arrived, and three of those clubs were WHA orphans Winnipeg, Hartford, and Quebec.

Some 48 months after Bettman?s arrival, all three would be shipped elsewhere ? the Nordiques to Denver in 1995, the Jets to Phoenix in 1996, and the Whale to Raleigh, N.C., in 1997. It wasn?t so much grand design as it was fiscal reality. As Bettman noted recently on his weekly radio show, the Jets left Winnipeg and the Nordiques left Quebec because no one wanted to own an NHL team in those cities anymore.

That?s slightly different than saying no one in those cities wanted to own a team; they just didn?t want to own a team there. Ex-NHL draft pick Tom Glavine, proud son of Billerica and an Atlanta Braves icon, would like to own the Thrashers in Atlanta, but he has not been successful in persuading enough people to share that dream with him. Ergo, Winnipeg Ho!

It has taken nearly 20 years for Bettman?s grandiose broadcast plan to bear fruit, but to his credit, the recent landmark deal he signed with NBC/Versus has validated the idea of spreading the game throughout nontraditional US hockey markets. There remain troubling defects in that mosaic ? Phoenix and Sunrise, Fla., perhaps even Nashville and Raleigh ? but the NBC/Versus/Comcast deal has scored the league buckets of money and provided an uber-platform for what could be tremendous growth.

Yes, such things remain possible even without that satiny ESPN logo stitched into the mattress.

It is somewhat ironic at this self-confirming moment that Winnipeg pokes its red, frozen nose into the scrum. For every Canadian, there are about 10 Americans. For every Winnipeger, there are about 440 Americans. But before we get too carried away with that red-white-and-blue chest-beating, let?s note that the Winnipeg population is equal to that of the US city whose mayor is one Tom Menino. Body for body, Winnipeg is the Hub of Hockey?s sistah city. Boston just has a lot more folks, industries, and wealth surrounding the core 700,000. Winnipeg has a whole lot of snow and timber and polar bears (look it up: Churchill, Manitoba).

The key difference is the population surrounding Winnipeg, which amounts to roughly 500,000 spread across about 250,000 square miles (see: Texas) for a total of approximately 1.2 million. Here in the great state of Massachusetts, the Bruins, discounting a couple of whacked-out Rangers fans, can draw from 6.5 million Bay Staters packed into only 10,500 square miles.

All of which is to say that Manitoba has the kind of open space and passing lanes that could turn even Dennis Wideman into a Norris Trophy candidate. If the NHL is going to land there again, the initial pop will be enthralling, intoxicating. Returning an NHL team to that bit of Canadian soil would be like bringing Paragon Park back to Hull. Initially, everyone and his cousin would rush to the rink.

Until the L?s piled up.

Until Winnipegers realized the sticker shock of $120 lower-bowl seats and $250 suite seats (extra for the handwarmers).

Until American TV interests made it clear that they would prefer to air senior women?s bocce tournaments out of Biloxi to anything happening in Winnipeg. Shortsighted, perhaps, but there is a reason TV is referred to as the small screen.

For all Winnipeg has to offer, in terms of city size and sheer love for everything connected to the vulcanized rubber and carbon stick industry, it remains a real stretch for big-time hockey.

For who they are, and how they love the game, Winnipegers deserve the NHL. But we could say the same thing of many Canadian cities. No one doubts their passion, and compared with the way Atlantans embraced the sport, Winnipeg looks like the ultimate seductress.

But is there really a there there for the NHL? I don?t think so. It may be a better alternative than Atlanta or Phoenix or even Sunrise, but that doesn?t mean it?s the most prudent answer. It?s really nothing more than a safe harbor with very shallow waters, and Bettman, commander of the ship, would be wise now to blast his horn, offer a respectful salute, and steer the S.S. NHL to a richer, more promising port.

There is nothing polite that I can say in rebuttal to this article. Nor is there anything polite that I can say about the author so I shall just move on and pretend people like the author don't really exist.

I just want to point out that my introductory comment to the piece regarding the Canada jokes should have been stated more explicitly. I think that Dupont makes interesting general points about the market for NHL hockey -- whether one agrees is another issue -- but that the disparaging remarks about Manitoba, Minnesota, and North Dakota are completely unnecessary (although reflective of a certain snootiness about the rest of North America that does exist in New England more generally).

I did understand your comment that there are Canadian jokes in the article. However the 'jokes' did not come off as jokes. The rest of his comments showed that he has never been to Manitoba (and probably not even Canada). His whole article came off as snootiness.

I disagree with Dupont's characterizations of Manitoba. It is unfortunate that he makes his points in the way that he does. The differences between the financial viability of hockey teams in various places and the fan-base for hockey teams in those same places is a topic worthy of discussion.

I know for a fact that Dupont has been all over Canada, as he has been a hockey reporter for decades and his byline shows where he is writing from. It doesn't excuse his snootiness.

Again, though, I posted the piece because we had been discussing the move to Winnipeg in this thread, and Dupont brings a perspective (aside from the snootiness) that hadn't been represented.

Shades of Game #7 last year against Philly!:eek:

However, they didn't let it get to them for last night's game and they beat Tampa Bay 3-1(Smith got the start over Roloson). Thomas let in an early goal, but he was perfect the rest of the way. The save he made with his stick was phenominal!:respect:

San Jose's downfall this game wasn't the fact that they gave up the PP goals(or even the penalties they took to give Vancouver so many 5 on 3's), it was the fact that they were 0-5 on their own PP to start the game.

Even though I am rooting for Vancouver, I can't say too many bad things about the way the Sharks have played the series. They have played with a heart that they never used to be known for. Thornton has even changed his play. He used to be invisible in the playoffs, but he is playing very well this year.

I think he won't be very effective next game due to his injured shoulder, but I respect the fact that he is still going to try and play regardless of how hurting he is.

Whoever said on Versus that it would be on highlight reels for years to come was, I am sure, correct.

A great moment in hockey history for sure but i still think Bobby Orr's leap is better and more classic

:yes: Penguinsfan Jen

I agree, but why are we comparing the two? ;)