2008 Stanley Cup playoffs - first round

[the pinjockey 0]

At this rate, the Flyers should have just stayed in Philly and rested up for game 6. They're just getting run out of the building and are lucky to be down just 2-0.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I can't decide which I miss more: Any announcer but Bob Cole, or HD. It's tough to watch the Habs game with neither of those.

 

It's also pretty tough to watch the Habs whatsoever - they're playing like they're lost right now (though not as badly as Thursday) - this is Boston's series to win at this point. At least Carey Price doesn't look too rattled.

[Red Baron 0]

Fuck yes!

 

Higgins!

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

And as Baron and I discuss the improved play of the Habs today, Phil Kessel undresses every player on Montreal, including the bench, to score a beauty. Tie game.

[the max 0]

I want to spit on both Kostitsyn brothers. They are the absolute worst divers. Even Axelsson got pissed off and he very, very rarely shows that kind of emotion during the game. Basically, matching minors for "interference" by Axelsson, which was really him tapping Andrei Kostitsyn on the arm and watching him go down like a sniper picked him off from the rafters. How is there a call when the refs are admitting that there was embellishment? How is Axelsson guilty of a penalty when all he did was touch a player and watch him fall down? Fucking ridiculous.

[Cartman 0]

Holy shit...4-3 Bruins!!!!! This has been a phenomenal game from beginning to end. Nothing would make me happier than to see a sick game 7 between these two teams at war right now.

 

...and as I type this the Habs score again!!!! I can;t take this.....wow. Awesome hocked being played in this series.

[Red Baron 0]

What an amazing game.

 

Unfortunately, Boston got away with some calls today, and Montreal for the sixth straight game plays dump and chase.

 

You win 8-0 in the Regular season not playing Dump and Chase, but now, you play dump and chase.

[Angle-plex 0]

My god what a third period.

[treble 0]

The only thing sweeter than the Habs choking this away will be if the Caps can come back and beat the Flyers. Then all of the writers who were all over Gainey's knob after the Huet trade are going to backtrack completely.

[Red Baron 0]

The only thing sweeter than the Habs choking this away will be if the Caps can come back and beat the Flyers. Then all of the writers who were all over Gainey's knob after the Huet trade are going to backtrack completely.

 

 

This is not all Price's fault.

 

The defence has been no-showing throughout the series, and he's been working 200% out there.

[KingPK 0]

Guy I work with got tickets to the game tonight. I'm so fucking jealous. That third period was unreal.

[treble 0]

The only thing sweeter than the Habs choking this away will be if the Caps can come back and beat the Flyers. Then all of the writers who were all over Gainey's knob after the Huet trade are going to backtrack completely.

 

 

This is not all Price's fault.

 

The defence has been no-showing throughout the series, and he's been working 200% out there.

Doesn't matter, they'd pull a 180 so fast, and I'd love every minute of it.

[Nightwing 0]

Well, Wings get out of the first round in an impressive game. After watching such a dominating performance from every aspect of Detroit, I'm feeling good about the second round.

[treble 0]

Think Nicole Kidman had any idea what was going on?

[Zetterberg is God 0]

Really happy (obviously) to see Detroit go through. Drawing Colorado in the second round would be the ideal match up but I have this sick feeling that the Sharks will choke and the Wings will get Calgary.

[TheSSNintendo 0]

I went to my first ever playoff game Saturday in DC. All I can say is that it was an amazing atmosphere.

[Darthtiki 0]

And the Ducks are done... They put up a hell of a fight, but now it's time to address a ton of questions here in OC (Perry, Burke, Niedermayer, Selanne). Congrats to the Stars.

[Nightwing 0]

Wow, no talking after a huge night?

 

Dallas defeats Anaheim, which was only really surprising because Dallas managed to turn it on. Hockey News needs to be slapped for ranking Burke as the #1 GM this year: He overpaid for Bertuzzi, did well with Schneider, but he definitely didn't push Niedermeyer or Selanne hard enough to get a definitive answer on their status. I feel they would have been a helluva lot better team early on if they had known one way or the other on both of these guys, though I don't think they would have gotten much further than the first or second round. The whole thing was a mess that the team should not have had to deal with in January. Not only that, but at the very least he should have traded Bryzgalov for picks and prospects instead of releasing him. I have no clue how that worked.

 

I'm interested in seeing what happens in Anaheim in the offseason, as I'm not sure Selanne and Niedermeyer are all on board to come back. Bertuzzi is signed on for another year and he won't be able to be traded any time soon unless Burke is really going to sweeten the deal (Which he could with those Edmonton Draft Picks). They need to keep some space for Perry, which also limits their chances on the Free Agent market. I really don't think Burke is going to leave any time soon, despite the Canadian media constantly talking about him. This team could really change in the offseason.

 

I'm torn on who to root for in the Calgary/San Jose series. If San Jose wins, they could be tougher is they actually decide to wake up and play hard, which seems to be a nightly decision. But that'd give the Wings Colorado, which they've been damn solid against all year. If Calgary wins, they'll probably be a tougher Second-Round series, though I still think the Wings would win it in the end. But if the Wings managed to get past them (Which, again, is risky, as they are a team that can turn it on like Nashville, but with more talent), they'd face Dallas or Colorado in the Conference Finals. I already talked about Colorado, and we've had Dallas' number for a while.

 

Montreal/Boston: You shouldn't have jinxed them, redbaron. After you taunted us, Boston started opening up on you. I think Montreal can pull it out (And I really hope they do), but man does it look grim there. Cheers to Boston, which looks like it could be a real threat next year when probably won't be as injury-laden.

 

Washington/Flyers: I don't really care much for the Flyers, but I'd really like to see a Caps/Pens Semi or Conference Finals matchup. I think the rest of the world would, too.

[Guest]

Good goddamn riddance. I was afraid Turco was going to choke the series away.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Good to see the Ducks taking the Patriot route of a Dynasty, with a year off. Now, in five years, after they've gone 94-0-0 (maybe 82-0-11, shootouts are tought), or however many games there are in the season, they can get swept in the Finals by the Hartford Thrashers, closing the chapter in dramatic fashion.

 

Now, again, only one half of Cheechoo-Teemu remains. This will be hard.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I want to spit on both Kostitsyn brothers. They are the absolute worst divers.

I always thought that Carboneau was an "old school" kind of player, the kind of guy that didn't let bush-league shenanigans like diving happen. Yet he seems perfectly content to send out his Olympic Diving Team to make even incidental contact look like attemped murder. It's an embarrassment to the league, and is something that really needs to be examined. Imagine if a Cup game is won or lost because of a fucking dive?

 

Unfortunately, Boston got away with some calls today, and Montreal for the sixth straight game plays dump and chase.

While no disrespect is meant to you as an indidivual, it's difficult to hear a Habs fan lament another team getting away with calls. The officiating has been horrid in almost every game I've seen (and not just in the MTL/BOS series) but two of the Habs wins were on a borderline call against Reich to set up an OT PP goal and a pretty questionable call on Ference that led to the only goal in MTL's game 4 win. I really don't think the refs have been unfair to the Canadiens in the slightest.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

Lundqvist, Brodeur and Nabokov named Vezina finalists

[Nightwing 0]

Go go Lundqvist!

[CanadianChris 0]

Why just the Vezina finalists? Don't they announce all of the trophy finalists at the same time?

[Nightwing 0]

Dunno. They are announcing a different trophy each day this week, and the Adams trophy will be announced when they feel like it. I guess they want to build up the EXCITEMENT~!

[the max 0]

It's too bad that the awards have already been voted on. Julien has handed Carbonneau his ass in this series by:

 

1- Benching Kessel and then unleashing him in two must-win games.

2- Backing Chara off almost a minute a game, and spreading the minutes more evenly rather than rely on his top four like Carbonneau is.

3- Reworking the PK completely to force Montreal to the outside with no shooting lanes.

4- Giving Kovalev different forwards against him instead of the usual Axelsson-Metropolit-Nokelainen, sometimes matching the top line with Kovalev, sometimes sending Lucic out there. The only constant has been Z.

5- Twice with their backs against the wall, entering what could be their last 20 minutes of the season, the Bruins have come out firing and have scored 9 goals in the last two third periods. Carbonneau has let the defense wither and die in front of Price, not taken timeouts when it would be a great time to do so (after the Bouillion goal in game 6, after the Bruins took the lead for good with about 2 minutes left in game 6).

[Nightwing 0]

You know, this playoff season is going to have a lot of great match-ups in good markets. Colorado, Detroit, and Dallas already in the West, and New York and Pittsburgh in the East. Along with that, put in Montreal, San Jose, Boston, Philadelphia, and two lesser ones in Calgary and Washington. Not only that, but just about all the teams here are entertaining to watch (The Rangers are probably the dullest of those currently in the second round). The NHL has to be really happy how everything is turning out.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Dunno. They are announcing a different trophy each day this week, and the Adams trophy will be announced when they feel like it. I guess they want to build up the EXCITEMENT~!

 

 

This must sound at least mildly ridiculous.....that could be the best award race of the year. There's a legitimate six or seven contenders for it.

[Nightwing 0]

Is anyone here getting the Philly/Caps game? I'm watching the Habs/Bruins game and while I know the score, can someone tell me if it's really close, or if one team really has the momentum.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

It was 2-0 Philly but Washington claws back to tie it going into the third.