The Hockey Thread

[TGWL]

I sure did. That's pretty interesting.

[Plubby]

RANGERS! RANGERS! RANGERS! RANGERS!

[The Sultan of Swank]

As much as I hate that it's come down to having to beat Toronto tonight to get in... I love it.

I wish I were home this weekend. There's no place in hockey that comes close to the passion you see in Montreal. The whole city has stopped for tonight's game. I remember that feeling when the Habs went to 7 against Boston a few years back, it's this near tangeable sense of excitement and fear that a team that you should beat, has nothing to lose and suddenly a very good chance of winning.

My brother nabbed tickets for the game. 150 a piece to sit the front row of the upper bowl... which to be honest, are excellent seats.... hate him.

Instead I'm stuck in Niagara with a ton of "wait till next year" Leafers and not a decent sports bar around. Nevertheless, at 7 or so tonight I'm putting on my Markov jersey and going out and hoping for one of 2 things.

1) A Montreal blowout. I mean a real fucking blowout. Like 8-2 or something. Something to give the fans a sense that Montreal isn't totally limping into the playoffs again....

2) A fierce game. 5-4 OT win or something. One of those games where your team goes down 3-1 or 4-1 and then suddenly they bag one, and the momentum turns like a tidal wave and before you know it it's in OT. Then, win. Jubilation, pole-axed by Washington or New Jersey haha.

Fuck, I'm homesick.

[Guest Mr. Murray Head]

Oh fuck. I'm going out tonight for my friend's birthday...I knew we'd have a bit of a UFC crowd to deal with, but it didn't even occur to me that Leafs/Habs would be going on too.

As much shit as Leaf fans get--and it's all deserved--there's nothing worse than Montreal fans when they're outside of Quebec.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I will 100% support that.

The few Habs fans Ive met out here. They go all out. But really, the few Leafs fans I know in Montreal do the same thing. When you're the only ones, you gotta represent the fact that you're the only fans of your hometown team for miles and miles haha. It's good fun.

[Clawson]

Boston just scored 3 goals on the same penalty kill today. Holy fuck.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Jesus...

These other teams REALLY don't want the Habs to make it haha.

[Toe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQDDi5xI2sY

You have to love moments like those. If Modano does decide to call it a career, I think he is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible. He has the goals, points and the Cup win, plus he is one of the best American players to ever play the game.

[The Sultan of Swank]

For me I'm hard pressed to find a better American player. He was awesome.\

EDIT: Not even started the actual broadcast and CBC is already claiming this as destiny for JS Giguere and the Leafs... Wow CBC...

Fuck I miss RDS.

Grabovski own goals then Halak misplays a puck... I hope it's not this kind of game.

EDIT:

HAH! JS Giguere's sister, with minimal capabilities to communicate in english, corrects the CBC.

Edited April 10, 2010 by The Sultan of Swank

[The Sultan of Swank]

Leafs get a few good chances and lucky bounces that they convert on but Montreal dominated at least 70% of the game. It's in OT now, but Habs clinch. CBC can't get their facts straight, and they make themselves look dumb as shit.

To be fair, Toronto could still win, which would be upsetting, but in the last 6 season finale's between these teams Toronto only won one... granted it was a really big one but only one so far haha. Boourns make it two haha.

ARGH CAMMY!!!!! snakebit isn't the word. Victimizes the entire D and Giguere and posts it. Ouf!

Swear to god it should have ended about 11-3 Montreal the amount of times they've beaten Giguere and hit the post haha.

Edited April 11, 2010 by The Sultan of Swank

[Toe]

Leafs get a few good chances and lucky bounces that they convert on but Montreal dominated at least 70% of the game. It's in OT now, but Habs clinch. CBC can't get their facts straight, and they make themselves look dumb as shit.

To be fair, Toronto could still win, which would be upsetting, but in the last 6 season finale's between these teams Toronto only won one... granted it was a really big one but only one so far haha. Boourns make it two haha.

ARGH CAMMY!!!!! snakebit isn't the word. Victimizes the entire D and Giguere and posts it. Ouf!

Swear to god it should have ended about 11-3 Montreal the amount of times they've beaten Giguere and hit the post haha.

LEAFS WIN IT IN OVERTIME!!!!

I actually came in here to post that Steven Stamkos scored his 50th goal. He is the third youngest to ever score 50 and I think he has really quickly become one of the best snipers in the game today. He is entertaining to watch and I hope he can have the same level of success next year.

[Clawson]

I hate that I don't have a PVR because I swear the first Habs goal was a result of a hand pass behind the net. Tough to tell from the quick replays CBC showed though. At least we beat them, but it was 2 minutes too late.

Now we just have to see who they get swept by.

[Clawson]

WAS def MTL 4-0

NJ def PHI 4-2

BUF def BOS 4-1

PIT def OTT 4-2

SJ def COL 4-3

CHI def NAS 4-1

VAN def LA 4-3

DET def PHX 4-2

First round predicitions!

[Guest Mr. Murray Head]

NBC and Versus must be pissed that Crosby and Ovechkin are against Canadian teams. No ratings in that!

Washington 4-0 Montreal

New Jersey 4-3 Philly

Buffalo 4-2 Boston

Pittsburgh 4-2 Ottawa

Colorado 4-3 San Jose

Chicago 4-0 Nashville

Vancouver 4-2 Los Angeles

Detroit 4-1 Phoenix

For good measure, and so we can all laugh later, Washington over Buffalo and Chicago over Detroit, leading to Chicago over Washington in the final.

[Guest Mr. Murray Head]

A quick round-up of EWB's pre-season predictions:

Both Budaj and Anderson have been quite good in preseason. This should be an interesting year in Colorado's net again. Hoepfully it won't be so interesting and someone stands on their head

Gabriel got 7 out of 8 in the east, but his Washington/Calgary final seems unlikely.

And, um, that's it.

[Clawson]

Washington over New Jersey in the East

San Jose over Detroit in the West

Washington over San Jose in the Finals

[Ruki]

Random note: Stamkos is the youngest 50-goal scorer since Jimmy Carson did it in 87-88.

[caucasianheat]

Washington 4-0 Montreal

New Jersey 4-3 Philly

Buffalo 4-2 Boston

Pittsburgh 4-2 Ottawa

Colorado 4-3 San Jose

Chicago 4-0 Nashville

Vancouver 4-2 Los Angeles

Detroit 4-1 Phoenix

For good measure, and so we can all laugh later, Washington over Buffalo and Chicago over Detroit, leading to Chicago over Washington in the final.

Don't that first West pick, it's perfectly cromulent given San Jose's track record. Our picks look mostly the same, though I give Phoenix one more game and Philly one less.

Chicago over Detroit, NJ over Pittsburgh. Chicago defensive/goaltending collapse in the finals.

[Toe]

I think it's pretty awesome that Crosby scored 51. I had already had him pegged as a Joe Thornton style set up man, so to see him break out and score 51 is awesome. I hate Crosby, but only because he plays for a team other then the Leafs.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Washington d. Montreal 4-0 (Montreal suck. Washington are powered by Soviet efficiency)

New Jersey d. Philadelphia 4-2 (But I think it's going to be very hard going for the Devils)

Boston d. Buffalo 4-3 (Miller's been excellent all year, but there's something saying that he's due to collapse and the rest of the Sabres aren't good enough to make up for it)

Pittsburgh d. Ottawa 4-1 (Fuck Ottawa.)

San Jose d. Colorado 4-3 (I thought about this going the other way as well, but whatever wave the Avs have been riding isn't enough to keep them going past the Sharks)

Chicago d. Nashville 4-0 (Methinks Huet/Niemi/whoever the fuck Chicago digs up to put in goal will bide his time and wait until the next round to collapse)

LA d. Vancouver 4-3 (I just happen to like LA, alright?)

Phoenix d. Detroit 4-2 (Where's the respect for Phoenix, dammit?)