The 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs thread

[bob_barron 0]

So moving to Ottawa causes brain damage? :-)

 

Eddie Belfour was just sensational tonight. I'm glad this is the last Game 7 for me for a while since I can't take much more of them. I was having a heart attack the whole game

[CanadianChris 0]

*hits Chris with a steel chair*

*swings barbed-wire baseball bat at Max Power, misses and hits bob barron*

 

Hey, some things never change.

 

Nice Lalame pic, BTW...sums up my feelings exactly.

[the max 0]

*hits barron with steel chair and an autographed picture of Jeff Friesen*

[CanadianChris 0]

So moving to Ottawa causes brain damage? :-)

 

Eddie Belfour was just sensational tonight. I'm glad this is the last Game 7 for me for a while since I can't take much more of them. I was having a heart attack the whole game

Um, the Leafs were up 3-0 before the first period was over...what could possibly have made you nervous?

[starvenger 0]

*hits barron with steel chair and an autographed picture of Jeff Friesen*

NO!! Not a pic of Friesen!!

[bob_barron 0]

So moving to Ottawa causes brain damage? :-)

 

Eddie Belfour was just sensational tonight. I'm glad this is the last Game 7 for me for a while since I can't take much more of them. I was having a heart attack the whole game

Um, the Leafs were up 3-0 before the first period was over...what could possibly have made you nervous?

I don't know but I was really nervous the whole game. Just because its Game 7 and all it takes is a couple of bad plays to change momentum.

 

I didn't even start celebrating or admitting they had won till there was one minute left. Hockey just makes me very very nervous.

 

Plus I remember Saturday and Vancouver's 4-0 lead and I knew not to get too cocky.

[bob_barron 0]

*hits barron with steel chair and an autographed picture of Jeff Friesen*

::Ties max up and forces him to watch video replays of the 2nd and 3rd goal of the game::

[the max 0]

*hits barron with steel chair and an autographed picture of Jeff Friesen*

::Ties max up and forces him to watch video replays of the 2nd and 3rd goal of the game::

*kills Patrick Lalime*

[bob_barron 0]

As much as I hate the Senators and enjoy seeing them choke year after year after year- okay I'll get to my point now-

 

I did feel bad for them since they got a raw deal this series. Games 2 and 3 they outplayed the Leafs but ran into Eddie Belfour who was insane in those two games. And any chance of momentum in Game 7 was killed right out of the gate by Lalime and his Dan Cloutier like goaltending.

[CanadianChris 0]

*hits barron with steel chair and an autographed picture of Jeff Friesen*

::Ties max up and forces him to watch video replays of the 2nd and 3rd goal of the game::

*kills Patrick Lalime*

*kicks Lalame's corpse*

 

*runs*

[the max 0]

I still don't think TO has any chance of making it anywhere in the rest of the playoffs.

 

Belfour will break down. THEN TO is fucked.

 

The only hole for Ottawa this year was goaltending. They improved defensively, offensively, had the best PP, two of the best PK. And it all means nothing because Lalime can't stop two bad angle shots.

[CanadianChris 0]

Yeah, but it's always something with the Senators. They always seem to shrink from the spotlight in the biggest games. Look at this year -- three gigantic games in the last two weeks, one at the end of the season to win the division, and Games 5 and 7 of the playoffs. And in each and evry one of those games, they come out and lay a huge fucking egg.

 

There need to be some major changes in Ottawa, and pronto.

[the max 0]

I'm for firing Martin, as long as he's replaced by someone who has a history of success. I don't want to have to wait another 3-4 years for the coach to get his bearings, then have Alfredsson and Hossa be past their primes.

 

Bonk needs to fucking go. I thought Thornton was bad under pressure, Bonk shrinks down even lower than that.

[bob_barron 0]

I still don't get what happened in Game 5 with the Senators. That was the most boring game I've seen. (I missed Game 6)

 

They need someone who can light a fire under their asses and just do something with them. I just don't get how in a Game 7 situation you can let those two goals in. I'm not rubbing it in- I do feel bad for Ottawa and its fans because I know I would be livid right now.

 

You think this is what gets Martin the axe?

[CanadianChris 0]

You think this is what gets Martin the axe?

No doubt. Whoever lost this series was getting fired. Martin is the longest-tenured coach in hockey right now...it's time for a change.

[treble 0]

The only thing that tops the Leafs winning is watching my dad's reaction to the Sens losing.

 

But man, I feel sorry for Sens fans. Outplay the Leafs for 6 games, run into a hot goalie, and then, any chance they have to win game 7 is snuffed out by some of the worst game 7 goaltending ever. I guess that's what Red Sox fans feel like when they play the Yankees.

 

Hopefully Esche's first round was a fluke and the Flyers forgot how they destroyed the Leafs earlier this year.

[bob_barron 0]

I always thought the Sens would fire him after they got swept 4-0 by the Leafs in 2001.

 

Nolan is coming back in a week and a half which should help the Leafs against the Flyers. I'm cautiously optimistic about the series. Hopefully Esche won't stand on his head again

[bob_barron 0]

I guess that's what Red Sox fans feel like when they play the Yankees.

Well at least Martin took Lalime out.

 

I still can't get over Game 3. I remember the Sens pretty much beat the shit out of the Leafs for 10 minutes straight, had tons of scoring chances AND STILL DIDN'T SCORE.

 

I just feel really bad for you guys. Had a great year, had all these high expectations and nothing.

 

I have to applaud the Leaf fans for being able to boo Alfredsson everytime he touched the puck no matter how long he had it for.

[CanadianChris 0]

OK, so...round 2 predictions:

 

Red Wings over Flames in 6

Avalanche over Sharks in 6

Maple Leafs over Flyers in 6

Canadiens over Lightning in 7

 

Conference finals:

WEST: (1) Detroit vs. (4) Colorado

EAST: (4) Toronto vs. (7) Montreal (Hey, a guy can dream...)

[bob_barron 0]

But I want to talk more about how the Sens choked!!

 

Red Wings over Flames in 7

Avalanche over Sharks in 6

Leafs over Flyers in 6

Lightning over Habs in 6

[the max 0]

Wings d. Flames in 5

Sharks d. Avs in 7

 

Flyers d. Leafs in 6

Bolts d. Habs in 6

 

Sharks v. Wings

Flyers v. Bolts

[CanadianChris 0]

Sharks v. Wings

Flyers v. Bolts

Wow, I would so not care about this set of conference finals.

[the max 0]

I already don't care about the playoffs and it's only the Conference Semis.

[bob_barron 0]

I already don't care about the playoffs and it's only the Conference Semis.

That's because your team has an incompetent goalie.

[CanadianChris 0]

I say we get Muckler to pull the Jedi mind trick on Rick Dudley, and trade Bonk and Redden for Roberto Luongo.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Wow...if Martin gets fired (and by everything I've heard he woul be if they lost today)...

 

that makes Sabres coach Lindy Ruff the longest tenured coach in the league...

 

and his team has missed the last 3 playoffs (a first in team history!).

[the max 0]

I already don't care about the playoffs and it's only the Conference Semis.

That's because your team has an incompetent goalie.

And to think that I was nice to you after the Leafs' wheels fell off last year.

 

How are your Canucks doing, bob? Or are the Leafs your favorite team this week?

[CanadianChris 0]

I already don't care about the playoffs and it's only the Conference Semis.

That's because your team has an incompetent goalie.

And to think that I was nice to you after the Leafs' wheels fell off last year.

 

How are your Canucks doing, bob? Or are the Leafs your favorite team this week?

Don't forget the Devils.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

Not my predictions, but my ideal playoff scenario from here:

 

Detroit d. Calgary

Colorado d. San Jose

 

Montreal d. Tampa

Toronto d. Philly

 

Detroit d. Colorado

Toronto d. Montreal

 

Detroit v. Toronto final

 

Those conference finals rule. And, just to remind you, the goaltending matchup in the final: Eddie v. Cujo.

 

Alternatively, I wouldn't mind the much less likely scenario of the 86/89 cup rematch with the Habs and Flames.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Olympic Slam's "take it to the money holding place" Predictions -

 

Detroit d. Calgary in 5.

They'll all be pretty close games but the Flames will die searching for someone to score other than Jarome "Hoss" Iginla. Kipper is doomed to get blitzed in one or two of these games. ..... and it could be his fault.

 

San Jose d. Colorado in 7.

If the Canucks got past the Flames then we Shark fans could have started thinking up a possible Stanley Cup parade route. Instead we're gonna have to go through an Avs team that raped Dallas AND a possible showdown with the Wings. The key for the Sharks will be scoring on the PP. Unlike the Blues, the Avs WILL score when they get their good chances. The Sharkies can't afford to botch golden oppurtunities. I'm thinking Nabokov out duels Aebisher and the Sharks escape with their lives. Here's hoping Aebisher is Swiss Cheese afterall. HAHAHAHAHAHAH! I'm so witty, I'm so smart, hey hey hey, let's go Sharks!

 

Tampa Bay d. Montreal in 7.

The magic for Montreal will wear off in Games 6 or 7. Having to go 7 against the outmatched Bruins is gonna cost the Habs late in the series against a fresh Lightning squad. This one could just as easily be a shutout or a goalie duel.

 

Philadelphia d Toronto in 5.

The Leafs looked too old, too slow and too banged up against the unmotivated Sens. This series comes down to Belfour. If Esche falters and Eddie stays hot then this one could go the other way. I just think Toronto is already too banged up and weakened after just round 1. Look for a fresh and pumped Flyers team to sweep at home and split in Hog town before finishing the Maple Gramps in Philly for Game 5. Should be boring, slow, tight, grinding and a total grab fest. Par for the course in the east.

 

And that is that.

 

EDIT: Heh, I guess this is the end of Lalime in Ottawa? Time to pick from the scrap heap. Turek, Brian Boucher, Tommy Salo, Sean Burke? What's your poisio? Not ENTIRELY Lalime's fault. Maybe Martin should have used cattle prods to motivate his players a little more. Isn't the blame game fun?