2008 Stanley Cup playoffs - round deux

[Fartsauce 0]

As much as i'm rooting for the Habs as a team, I totally cannot stand the people of Montreal. First they start a riot, then boo a national anthem, now throw beer on Mike Richards in the penalty box seconds before the Habs tied it up. My friends wonder why I want nothing to do with the province of Quebec.

[Red Baron 0]

15 years without a Stanley Cup is a long wait in Montreal when at times it was an annual parade. They are anxious that they think Montreal has a good

shot making it number 25.

 

Richards penelty was a penelty. He got beat and he stuck out the knee. 2 Minutes, end of story. Phili is lucky that it wasn't a worse score because Biron and the post made some cructial saves. I wont be surprised if Timmonen is almost pushing 40 minutes a game if need be.

[the max 0]

http://stats.theahl.com/stats/game-summary...game_id=1004697

 

Look at Michael Leighton's stats from the night.

 

That's NOT a typo.

[Red Baron 0]

.970 Save percentage, and I believe a its a 1.something GAA

 

 

 

Johan Franzen is quickly becoming one of my favourite players in the NHL.

[Red Baron 0]

Anyone see the new Team Canada jerseys they released.

 

 

[the pinjockey 0]

Richards penelty was a penelty. He got beat and he stuck out the knee. 2 Minutes, end of story.

 

Except for the fact that from the view showing Richards from the front he clearly puts his shoulder into Kovalev. Like I said, from the view behind Richards it clearly looked like a trip, so I can't fault the call. But there was no doubt he hit him with the shoulder from the other angle.

 

And to piggy back corpse's point, this is two straight games where someone has thrown something at a Flyer. I eagerly await when one Philly fan does something stupid and everyone plays it off as the idiotic Philly fans as opposed to a retaliation for two other dickhead fanbases (to be fair at least Montreal is a real fanbase).

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Here's

. There does look to be some knee/knee contact, but it certainly appears incidental, as Richards is stopping his momentum while Kovalev is shifting in the opposite direction. I definitely don't think Richards deliberately stuck out his knee.

[Red Baron 0]

Kovalev beat Richards, Richards stuck out his knee/stick. Penalty. Richards did not play the puck, that is why it is a penalty.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Here's

. There does look to be some knee/knee contact, but it certainly appears incidental, as Richards is stopping his momentum while Kovalev is shifting in the opposite direction. I definitely don't think Richards deliberately stuck out his knee.

 

I agree with this, but also with Baron's statement below.

 

He certainly didn't intentionally knee-on-knee him. If it had turned out to be a hip check, play continues. A knee, incidental or not, is a penalty.

[Red Baron 0]

Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Madden were nominated for the Selke.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

I was pretty sure Zetterberg was going to get a nomination but to see Datsyuk get one as well is awesome. Either one is deserving but I'd give the edge to Zetterberg.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Well...the Rangers/Penguins game certainly did a 180

[Nightwing 0]

4 Games, two comebacks, two OTs, all hard-fought, and all settled by a single goal. A very nice start to the second round.

[Annabelle 0]

datsyuk will win the selke. he's the ultimate 2 way player in the league. zetterberg gets burned more often than datsyuk.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

I know there's still plenty of series left (and I really shouldn't talk this way with so much time left), but people in the media that were picking Colorado (i.e. Mike Milbury and Darren Pang) are looking like fucking idiots. The Avs would be insane to start Theodore in game three.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Agreed about Theodore, and not just because of his poor play the last two games. Budaj has looked solid.

 

The officiating in this game is pretty ridiculous. Five straight penalties, including two minutes of 5-on-3? Pretty soft penalties called against a team that's down by four.

[garfieldsnose 0]

After 4 games in the Caps/Flyers series, everyone in the media was looking like fucking idiots. Can't count out the Avs yet.

[Red Baron 0]

I know there's still plenty of series left (and I really shouldn't talk this way with so much time left), but people in the media that were picking Colorado (i.e. Mike Milbury and Darren Pang) are looking like fucking idiots. The Avs would be insane to start Theodore in game three.

 

I thought Colorado's offense would show up, but injuries is killing them.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

After 4 games in the Caps/Flyers series, everyone in the media was looking like fucking idiots. Can't count out the Avs yet.

You're absolutely right. I have a bad habit of doing that (counting teams out). It just seems though that the media this year are going out of their way to say Detroit is vulnerable to an upset and I haven't seen why yet. Nashville might have won only one game (or maybe none) had Osgood been in the entire time and Colorado so far is not fairing much better. If the Wings can get a split it's pretty much done.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Ah, sweet serenity. Biron steals the show and Flyers show periods of dominance that they can't hold onto for 60 minutes, but it was enough tonight. I definitely think this ends with the Flyers advancing.

 

EDIT: John Stevens just called out Kostopolous for a blindside hit on Timonen near the end, if not at the end of the game. Called it cowardly. I missed it, what happened?

[Fartsauce 0]

Biron was absolutely outstanding. Habs would have won had he not been. Philly wins game 3, then the Habs storm back and win the next 3.

[Red Baron 0]

Biron was absolutely outstanding. Habs would have won had he not been. Philly wins game 3, then the Habs storm back and win the next 3.

 

Price shuts out Phili in the next game, and wins the next three single handily. I can't see Biron having a repeat performance like that again if the Flyers D plays that poorly.

[garfieldsnose 0]

And I can't see Price being dominant like you predict. Flyers had to face Huet who was dominant down the stretch and now Price. They're gonna win the series, but it won't be easy.

[Red Baron 0]

I don't think you've actually seen Carey Price enough. You might want to revert back to the Boston series and most of his career to see how good this kid really is.

 

 

And besides, I'm expecting the usual Phili goaltending collapse sometime soon.

[the max 0]

I don't think you've actually seen Carey Price enough. You might want to revert back to the Boston series and most of his career to see how good this kid really is.

 

 

And besides, I'm expecting the usual Phili goaltending collapse sometime soon.

 

Price played well in two games of that series. Boston scored at will on him in games 5 and 6.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Just because I don't think Price will be dominant means I haven't seen him enough? Hey, I can have my opinion. He's nothing special so far in this series. Yeah, it's only two games, but I still think Philly is good enough to take him off his game. People don't give Philly enough credit, and if it wasn't for the 10-game losing streak in mid-season, the Flyers would be close to, if not the top seed in the conference.

[Nightwing 0]

I know there's still plenty of series left (and I really shouldn't talk this way with so much time left), but people in the media that were picking Colorado (i.e. Mike Milbury and Darren Pang) are looking like fucking idiots. The Avs would be insane to start Theodore in game three.

 

I thought Colorado's offense would show up, but injuries is killing them.

 

Wolski I can accept as a bad break. But no offense should hinge of Forsberg at this point in his career; you have to accept he's going to get injured at some point or another, and a good series against perennial jobbers shouldn't change your mind. Sakic hasn't been injured, but he isn't enough to penetrate a Detroit defense that is (arguably) the best and deepest in the playoffs right now. Along with a Chris Osgood that is playing solid, and this result shouldn't be too surprising. I'm not even convinced adding Hannan to their defense would be stopping the scoring of the Wings much, either. They are just playing too damn good right now.

 

Theodore is bad, but I feel like Budaj isn't going to be that much better: the Red Wings definitely weren't pressing him nearly as much as Theodore, and I'm not convinced that he is going to hold up any better if he takes the ice first.

[LaParkaMarka 0]

The Rangers were just robbed of a goal. The puck was trickling in, but the ref blew the whistle before it crossed the goal line. Nice call, refs.

[garfieldsnose 0]

I'm tired of the refs deciding outcomes of games. Let the fucking players play. Sure, it is by the rules, and all the Pens fans love that it was the right call, but as a hockey fan, just seems like refs are magnified in so many of these playoff games.

[Red Baron 0]

Just because I don't think Price will be dominant means I haven't seen him enough? Hey, I can have my opinion. He's nothing special so far in this series. Yeah, it's only two games, but I still think Philly is good enough to take him off his game. People don't give Philly enough credit, and if it wasn't for the 10-game losing streak in mid-season, the Flyers would be close to, if not the top seed in the conference.

 

 

If Biron plays as well as he did in game two, then yes, Phili can take the series. Unfortunatly this is Biron, not say Brodeur, Lundqvist or even Osgood and Fleury. You are going to get a good game or two out of him, but riding him with the defence that the Flyers have and the speed of Montreal can easily make this a blowout each and every game.

 

I'm pretty sure other than game five, Price played very well in the Boston series (I blame Montreal defence in game six more than Price alone.)

 

 

As for Nightwing.

 

I really underestimated the Wings defence here. They are looking scary with Ozzy in net. I'd put them third behind Dallas and Pittsburgh to win the cup right now.