2007/2008 Hockey Thread

[The Sultan of Swank]

Rough game, we could have won it in the first if we had y'know not hit a crossbar and post and missed like 3 chances. I want Halak to start game 4 he was pretty solid. Oh well, tis one game, We can tie it up wednesday.

[Clawson]

- but Why would Philadelphia be in America? Then chanting USA would make SENSE!?!

I ACCUSE YOU OF TRICKERY GOOD SIR!

They were chanting U-S-A because a Canadian player on the Flyers got in a scuffle.

[Plubby]

Says you. Maybe they were just chanting for their team.

[Evil Chase K]

Says you. Maybe they were just chanting for their team.

But why would you chant "USA" for your team when that team has players from other countries.

It's just like last season when drunk assholes in Pittsburgh boo'd the Canadian anthem.

[Plubby]

Because they are Americans...in America...supporting an American team?

[Clawson]

Yet they were chanting U-S-A in support of a player born in Canada.

[Toe]

Who really gives a shit who they chanted for or why?

It's just plain old fun to yell "USA! USA! USA!" over and over!

The Flyers need to win game four. If they don't, I think that Montreal takes the series.

[Gabriel]

Carey Price needs to start game four. Sitting him will only hurt his confidence as a starting goaltender, and they don't need that. Give him the nod for game four, and if he looks shaky, make the switch.

In all fairness to Price though, the Canadiens' inability to put the back in the back of the net is equally (if not moreso) to blame than he is. Especially when 2 of those goals were well screened. In fact, the Habs have outchanced Philly the whole series, but Martin Biron has been huge.

So, start Price for every game in the playoffs... and Halak will be the failsafe option if things aren't looking so good heading into the second or third periods. Switching goalies in and out is what ruins guys who could have been potential franchise goalies. Of course, so does making them play all the games behind a horrible team (Pittsburgh, I'm looking at you). Price will develop excellently into a franchise goaltender, but he needs the constant support and knowledge that he IS the number one guy, no matter what. Halak will be a good safety net for him until he gets sick of being a backup and wants a trade somewhere.

[Enter Blue Guy]

Fuck, what an intense game yesterday. As a Canadian, I'm not offended by the "USA" or booing the national anthem. If anything it just adds to intensity, no matter how mind numbing the whole thing really is when the majority of Philly's best players have all repped Canada internationally.

Anything with the Habs and Flyers so far has been is the best drama on television and as I fan looking for the outside, that's all I need.

[The Sultan of Swank]

By all rights, it should be 2-1 Montreal in the series. Montreal should have lost game 1 and should have easily won games 2 and 3. However, Biron has been playing insanely well and has also benefitted from having a horseshoe the size of texas up his ass. Montreal has failed to convert on waaaaaaay to many chances and Price seems to have lost focus.

I think that if Montreal wins game 4 they'll take the series. If they lose it, then better luck next year.

[Evil Chase K]

Wow. The Pens jump out to an early lead, the Rangers (playing arguably their best game yet this series) fight back valiantly to tie it...but in the end the Penguins are just too good.

Jagr looked like he was in his early 20's out there, Shanahan was once again nowhere to be found, Sean Avery was his usual pussy/douche bag/prick self.

If I didn't think the Rangers' spirit was broken by tonight's game I'd say they have a good chance at winning game 4.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Evil Chase K

[Gabriel]

The CBC announcers said it best, when they said that the Penguins have bent, but not broken. I think they've shown tremendous will and intensity, being able to bounce back from tough breaks and other momentum changers.

8-0 is a very real possibility. The only thing worse than playing against the Rangers at MSG, is being the Rangers at MSG and having your back against the wall. I don't think they'll be able to beat Pittsburgh on Thursday night, so the Penguins should have a good and long break before they play Philly or Montreal.

[Evil Chase K]

And the thing is, they're playing without their two oldest players (Roberts and Sydor).

Ray Shero did an excellent job acquiring Hal Gill and Pascal Dupuis too. The Penguins had arguably the best GM in the NHL in Craig Patrick. They replaced him with a guy who could press Patrick for that title.

Wow is all I can say really. To think that this team was nearly dead to bankruptcy, then nearly moved to another city, and now to be able to experience all of this...it's truly amazing.

[Plubby]

I get it, the Pens are doing great. But arguably the best GM, you say? *argues* Edited April 30, 2008 by Plubby

[Gabriel]

I get it, the Pens are doing great. But arguably the best GM, you say? *argues*

Shero's done an incredible job with what he inherited. People always talk about Crosby, Malkin and Fleury, but Ray Shero has looked beyond that and has one of the most complete teams in the NHL. Up and down the roster, everyone has a role and they play it well. The lesser known guys to the outside fan are the guys that Penguins fans really take notice of.

Hal Gill, for example, was a great pickup. He looked a bit lost in Toronto, but seems to have found himself incredibly well in Pittsburgh, and is playing the best hockey I think I've ever seen him play. What about Adam Hall? The kid was on the ice with 2 minutes left and the Rangers pressuring.

Pittsburgh is just a really fucking good team, from top to bottom.

[Evil Chase K]

Exactly. Guys like Max Talbot and the USS Hal Gill are guys Penguins fans love that may not be known by anyone outside of Pittsburgh.

Then there's our Lord and Savior Gary Roberts who hasn't even played yet this series and didn't play much against Ottawa.

Shero's team without question resembles the early 90's Pens teams that won back-to-back cups (and would've gotten the threepeat if they didn't switch their logo).

And the future looks bright with a core nucleus of 5 guys who are all going to be stars in this league.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Evil Chase K

[Plubby]

*kicks more things around*

Jose isn't playing that badly...the defense is making him look as bad as he was last season....we're just playing like fucking crabs.

EDIT: Lol, Arnason was being interviewed during the first intermission and every question he just turned onto the refs.

"How did things look out there in the first?"

"The penalties are very lopsided in this series...We spent a lot of time on the PK"

"What do you need to do to get the tying goal?"

"We just need to get a call."

Edited April 30, 2008 by Plubby

[jase12881]

Whew. I thought for sure the Wings were gonna blow that and let the Avs tie the game up. A couple lucky breaks (and a potentially gamechanging non-call when Forsberg was tripped) and the Wings manage to hold em off. I think if it ends up being Dallas vs Detroit in the Western Conference finals though, Dallas will find a way to take it. They just seem to be almost unstoppable. The Wings can't afford to look past the Avs quite yet though. If any team can come back from an 0-3 deficit against Detroit, it's the Avs.

If Detroit doesn't win the cup (and recent history says they won't), I'd like to see the Penguins take it. Not because of their talent or anything else like that, but because I currently live in Pittsburgh (and thus I support their teams secondarily after Detroit/Michigan teams). GO REDWINGS! (and go pens.)

[Evil Chase K]

Damn, lots of bitching and moaning from the losing teams in the NHL.

Jase, where in Pittsburgh are you at if you don't mind me asking?

[Cactus Drags]

Fuck Detroit. And fuck the officials. And fuck Quenneville.

Start Boods.