NHL playoffs looming

[quote name='Kendal']When do the playoffs start? I don't have cable and have only watched a handful of games this year. CBC is my savior.[/QUOTE]
the final regular season games are scheduled for april 18. the playoffs should start a couple days after that. that's a tuesday, so not having seen a playoff schedule, i'm gonna assume they probably will start that friday night, to maximize ratings over the weekend.
 
looks like the sabres don't want the canadiens to clinch a spot tonite. doesn't affect much, i think they need just one win in their last 3 games to seal it.
 
tight game in progress between san jose and vancouver. tied at 3 a piece heading into the third. vancouver needs the win if they want to make the playoffs, but the sharks have been hot since the olympic break.
 
three important games tonite...

1 - capitals at thrashers - if the thrashers win they move to within 2 points of the last playoff spot. both tampa and atlanta will have 3 games left, but atlanta has the easier schedule and could quite possibly bump the lightning out.

2 - ducks at oilers - an edmonton win would mean the canucks must win their last 2 games to make it to the playoffs.

3 - canucks at sharks - see above. it's do or die time for vancouver.
 
[quote name='darkmere']three important games tonite...

1 - capitals at thrashers - if the thrashers win they move to within 2 points of the last playoff spot. both tampa and atlanta will have 3 games left, but atlanta has the easier schedule and could quite possibly bump the lightning out.

2 - ducks at oilers - an edmonton win would mean the canucks must win their last 2 games to make it to the playoffs.

3 - canucks at sharks - see above. it's do or die time for vancouver.[/quote]

If Edmonton wins their last 2, they could potentially bump out Colorado, too. I never thought that Colorado would miss the playoffs...
 
colorado only needs one point in their last 3 to clinch a spot. they'll make it. vancouver would have to win their last 2 and it would then go to the tie-breaking procedures. i don't know what their season series is, but the avalanche have a better goal differential.
 
[quote name='darkmere']colorado only needs one point in their last 3 to clinch a spot. they'll make it. vancouver would have to win their last 2 and it would then go to the tie-breaking procedures. i don't know what their season series is, but the avalanche have a better goal differential.[/quote]

So teams only need 95 points to clinch? I see that San Jose and New Jersey just clinched, and they both have 95.

I thought that NHL.com used to have the series standings listed when 2 teams play. I can't seem to find it...
 
[quote name='shieryda']So teams only need 95 points to clinch? I see that San Jose and New Jersey just clinched, and they both have 95.

I thought that NHL.com used to have the series standings listed when 2 teams play. I can't seem to find it...[/QUOTE]
no, you need enough points to not be able to be mathematically eliminated based on how many games you have left to play. for example, atlanta's win the other night meant that even though montreal won their game they still had not clinched a spot, as tampa and atlanta could still mathematically eliminate them if they won all their remaining games and montreal lost all their remaining games.
 
atlanta won again! in it for another day. maybe they might make the playoffs after all. cinderella team of '06?

vancouver's out...western playoff teams set.

thornton tied jagr for points lead. the art ross and the rocket richard trophies are up for grabs. i'm starting to think thornton for ross and cheechoo for richard.
 
[quote name='darkmere']atlanta won again! in it for another day. maybe they might make the playoffs after all. cinderella team of '06?

vancouver's out...western playoff teams set.

thornton tied jagr for points lead. the art ross and the rocket richard trophies are up for grabs. i'm starting to think thornton for ross and cheechoo for richard.[/quote]

Cheechoo is on FIRE, boy!!!
 
I'd love to see Atlanta make it and Tampa Bay miss.

Hard to believe what happened in Vancouver seeing as how they were supposed to be one of the top teams in the league. Too many distractions there probably.

I can't wait for the playoffs to start in a week.
 
here's to hoping carolina kicks tampa's ass tonite to give the thrashers a good shot in the final 3 games of the season.

i think atlanta will make it...they have lil' jon on their side.

i see big changes next season up here in vancouver, probably starting with bertuzzi, cloutier, and possibly crawford. if they don't start auld in net next year after this season's performance then they're just plain stupid. i blame the missed playoffs on clinging to the naslund-bertuzzi-morrison line without shuffling it to spark some life. without the sedin twins and carter this team wouldn't have been in it this long. rebuild the team offense around them using the cap space provided by unloading the dead weight of bertuzzi and selling cloutier to another team (auld and noronen are more than sufficient gaoltending to make it to the playoffs.) get good skaters, some grinders, and a coach that emphasizes playing as a TEAM and not individuals as well as team defense and this team will once again be a cup threat. look to teams like dallas, nashville, jersey, and calgary to see how it's done.

but then again i thought they were dumb for not unloading bertuzzi at the trade deadline (don't even get me started on his inclusion on team canada...i lost all respect for gretzky on that choice given that guys like savard, spezza, crosby, and staal were overlooked.)
 
what a couple of weeks, the sharks are hot baby, were hot! 8 wins a row, clinched the 5th spot... not bad considering we were out of the hunt 8 games ago. now its time to make nashville cry.

heres to hoping cheechoo gets the goals and thorton gets the scoring titles
 
the thrashers are putting on a hell of a show. chances are slim, but they're still alive.

speaking of hot teams, what about the devils? 10 in a row! makes the atlantic division lead interesting...one point separates the rangers, devils, and flyers for third place with one game left each. ny has the point advantage, nj has the win advantage, and philly has the schedule advantage (playing the islanders). who will win the atlantic? who will be 5th and 6th? it will also make for interesting match ups for 3rd vs 6th and buffalo vs 5th in the first round.
 
Shit, man. Cheechoo had 3 more goals this weekend. That kid is possessed.

2 more games for Atlanta to win and make the playoffs.

Detroit vs. Dallas tonight, and then vs. Nashville on Tuesday. Here's hoping that nobody gets injured before the playoffs start...
 
[quote name='shieryda']Shit, man. Cheechoo had 3 more goals this weekend. That kid is possessed.

2 more games for Atlanta to win and make the playoffs.

Detroit vs. Dallas tonight, and then vs. Nashville on Tuesday. Here's hoping that nobody gets injured before the playoffs start...[/QUOTE]

i just hope we can resign him, we got a nice young team, i dont want to be the clippers of the nhl
 
[quote name='iheartmetal']i just hope we can resign him, we got a nice young team, i dont want to be the clippers of the nhl[/QUOTE]
that would be boston, the team you got thornton from. have no fears, the sharks have improved pretty much every year for the past 5 or so years. their record may not be as good as it was last year, but they are waaay more of a threat.

i'm hoping for a thrashers win tonite to really put the pressure on both montreal and tampa. it's still theoretically possible the thrashers could bump the habs if they lose and atlanta wins their last 2, but i'd rather see tampa miss it.

worst defending cup champs i can remember. sell lecavalier, pawn off st. loius, and rebuild around richards. he's the only one who still plays like he's worth his salary (and they're damn lucky to have him after the jagrian contract they threw at lecavalier.) it makes me wish teams would offer smaller salaries and more bonus options so guys like jagr wouldn't have been able to make $11million per year while barely making it into the top 20 scorers.
 
[quote name='darkmere']that would be boston, the team you got thornton from. have no fears, the sharks have improved pretty much every year for the past 5 or so years. their record may not be as good as it was last year, but they are waaay more of a threat.

i'm hoping for a thrashers win tonite to really put the pressure on both montreal and tampa. it's still theoretically possible the thrashers could bump the habs if they lose and atlanta wins their last 2, but i'd rather see tampa miss it.

worst defending cup champs i can remember. sell lecavalier, pawn off st. loius, and rebuild around richards. he's the only one who still plays like he's worth his salary (and they're damn lucky to have him after the jagrian contract they threw at lecavalier.) it makes me wish teams would offer smaller salaries and more bonus options so guys like jagr wouldn't have been able to make $11million per year while barely making it into the top 20 scorers.[/quote]

Boston will be better in a couple years. They've got some young talent who will lead the team down the road.

It's so crazy when a championship defending team misses the playoffs after they win the Cup. How many other teams in history can make that claim?
 
The rest of the regular season:

Apr 17, 2006
Thrashers
Capitals

7:00 PM EDT
-
Apr 17, 2006
Stars
Red Wings

7:00 PM EDT
OLN,TSN
Apr 17, 2006
Islanders
Penguins

7:30 PM EDT
-
Apr 17, 2006
Avalanche
Oilers

9:00 PM EDT
-
Apr 17, 2006
Flames
Mighty Ducks

10:30 PM EDT
-
Apr 17, 2006
Kings
Sharks

10:30 PM EDT
OLN
Apr 18, 2006
Flyers
Islanders

7:00 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Senators
Rangers

7:00 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Sabres
Hurricanes

7:00 PM EDT
OLN,TSN
​
Apr 18, 2006
Thrashers
Panthers

7:00 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Stars
Blue Jackets

7:00 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Penguins
Maple Leafs

7:30 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Devils
Canadiens

7:30 PM EDT
RDS
​
Apr 18, 2006
Capitals
Lightning

7:30 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Red Wings
Predators

8:00 PM EDT
-
​
Apr 18, 2006
Blues
Blackhawks

8:30 PM EDT

​
 
[quote name='shieryda']Boston will be better in a couple years. They've got some young talent who will lead the team down the road.[/QUOTE]
they had thornton and failed to build a consistently good team around him. this team will flounder until they make coaching, gm, and other front office changes. same thing goes for chicago and pittsburgh, possibly st. louis. the only reason boston's name has been spared from being sold to another city is they're part of the original six. same thing goes for chicago. good news for pittsburgh:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2411393
looks like craig patrick is finally on his way out the door. either that or he's preparing to ride the front office to the ground dr. strangelove style. either way his days are numbered.
 
[quote name='darkmere']they had thornton and failed to build a consistently good team around him. this team will flounder until they make coaching, gm, and other front office changes. same thing goes for chicago and pittsburgh, possibly st. louis. the only reason boston's name has been spared from being sold to another city is they're part of the original six. same thing goes for chicago. good news for pittsburgh:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2411393
looks like craig patrick is finally on his way out the door. either that or he's preparing to ride the front office to the ground dr. strangelove style. either way his days are numbered.[/quote]

It's not to say they don't (or didn't) have the talent, though. Having all the puzzle pieces, but not being able to make a puzzle with them are 2 separate issues. Chicago is just fucked all the way around. They need to rebuild from the front office on down.
 
atlanta's out. this sucks. why didn't they trade dunham and a draft pick or two for a real backup at the deadline? get rid of dunham and stefan already...they're dead weight. maybe a change of venue would spark their careers, or just allow them to fade away into hockey trivia (who was the most worthless first pick in a draft of the last 10 years?) a couple of upgrades in defense would be nice too. i just hope they keep hartley as coach...i like him.

on a better note, crosby hit the 100 mark. one last game to prove that he's more deserving of the calder (doesn't carrying the weight of a dying franchise factor into it?) tough year for the voters, as crosby, ovechkin, phaneuf, and lundqvist would all be calder winners any other year.
 
damn...i'm lookin at the official score sheet for the calgary vs. anaheim game and it looks like it's turned into a rough game with some brawls. several third period fights with a score of 3-4. i smell playoff hockey, and it smells good. i'll have to pick my first round favorites tomorrow nite after the standings and matchups are determined. i already know i'm pulling for the the other team in the east to kick tampa's ass badly in the first round.
 
Red Wings look sick. They were down 2-0 to Dallas with just under 7 minutes to go. They scored three goals to win before the end of regulation.
 
[quote name='darkmere']they had thornton and failed to build a consistently good team around him. this team will flounder until they make coaching, gm, and other front office changes. same thing goes for chicago and pittsburgh, possibly st. louis. the only reason boston's name has been spared from being sold to another city is they're part of the original six. same thing goes for chicago. good news for pittsburgh:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2411393
looks like craig patrick is finally on his way out the door. either that or he's preparing to ride the front office to the ground dr. strangelove style. either way his days are numbered.[/QUOTE]
The Thornton trade was one of the worst trades I've ever seen in my life, it set back the organization 5 years. Same old Bruins. I love the Bruins, I care more about the Bruins than I do the Red Sox or Patriots. But thats how they operate, and they always will. Its about as bad as Chicago, except that all of our games are on TV.
 
[quote name='darkmere']damn...i'm lookin at the official score sheet for the calgary vs. anaheim game and it looks like it's turned into a rough game with some brawls. several third period fights with a score of 3-4. i smell playoff hockey, and it smells good. i'll have to pick my first round favorites tomorrow nite after the standings and matchups are determined. i already know i'm pulling for the the other team in the east to kick tampa's ass badly in the first round.[/QUOTE]

Listening to the Calgary vs. Anaheim game last night it was definitely starting to get a playoff atmosphere once Edmonton beat Colorado and they knew they were going to play each other (1st intermission). It should be an exciting series.
 
[quote name='darkmere']on a better note, crosby hit the 100 mark. one last game to prove that he's more deserving of the calder (doesn't carrying the weight of a dying franchise factor into it?) tough year for the voters, as crosby, ovechkin, phaneuf, and lundqvist would all be calder winners any other year.[/quote]

Yeah, congrats to Sid the Kid for getting his 100th point. I wasn't sure he'd be able to get 3 points in the last 2 games.
 
i didn't realize while looking at the scoresheet for calgary vs. anaheim that they are a first round match up...that explains a lot about the playoff vibe going on.
 
[quote name='savestheday888']Red Wings look sick. They were down 2-0 to Dallas with just under 7 minutes to go. They scored three goals to win before the end of regulation.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the Wings are looking good....hey hey HockeyTown.

They just keep winning, even without Datsyuk in the lineup...and Yzerman sat the past couple of games. Good time to be in Detroit, Pistons, Red Wings....Tigers, umm, well...Chris Shelton of the Tigers :)

The Lions.... hehe
 
[quote name='savestheday888']Red Wings look sick. They were down 2-0 to Dallas with just under 7 minutes to go. They scored three goals to win before the end of regulation.[/QUOTE]


The best was a couple of weeks ago when the BlueJackets went into the third period down 3-0 against Detroit (which is game over in most cases) and ended up winning the game in a shootout. The fans in Detroit were all, "what just happened."

I have nothing but respect for the Wings, but it's a beautiful thing when your team rises to the occasion to take down a superior opponent.

on topic: I hope Detroit does well this post season. Just in case it's Yzerman's last year - he deserves to go out in style.
 
glad to see jersey put the rangers back in place. martin brodeur proving he's the man...

sad to see the thrashers season end. next year they better be back with a vengance...

nice to see thornton and cheechoo with the ross and richard.
 
[quote name='darkmere']glad to see jersey put the rangers back in place. martin brodeur proving he's the man...

sad to see the thrashers season end. next year they better be back with a vengance...

nice to see thornton and cheechoo with the ross and richard.[/quote]

I posted a Cheechoo rookie card on eBay at just the right time...
 
Bummed that the Jackets season is over but looking forward to playoffs starting.

Very cool to see them win their last game last night though, and especially cool to see Sergei Fedorov get the game-winner in overtime. He was so amazing during Detroit's '97 cup run. Good to see him still conjur up some magic these days.

It sucks that the Blues missed this year (I was born in St Louis). Man did they suck this year. They should spend the money and get Martin St. Louis, it would just seem fitting (similarly, the Devils should try to get Miroslav Satan).

Two more days - playoffs, baby!!!!
 
ok...time for my first round predictions. i just dropped in to say what's up before i head to the dentist. gettin my wisdom teeth ripped out, so i may be out of it for a few days. not looking forward to the surgery, though i'll be sedated, and really not looking forward to the recovery, but can't wait to have the damn things gone. anyway, on to the hockey.

i'll start with the east:

1 - ottawa vs 8 - tampa

i wish ottawa would sweep tampa to prove they're the worst defending champs, but with their recent slide and the health of hasek and emery they won't. ottawa will still take the series.

ottawa in 6.

2 - carolina vs 7 - montreal

carolina wants the cup. they have the talent. montreal has overrated players that don't always show up (kovalev.) bertuzzi would have fit in nicely on a team that on some nites shows brilliance and then quickly goes into hibernation. it's up to huet if montreal wants it.

carolina in 5.

3 - new jersey vs 6 - new york rangers

the rangers made a great turn around. i still don't believe they made it to the playoffs. i still see them being a 2 man team (jagr and lundqvist) despite the trade deadline deals. without the amazing seasons of those 2 new york would be watching the playoffs at home. shut them down and they will be watching from home next round. the devils are hot, going 11-0 their last 11 games. martin brodeur is perhaps the best goaltender ever. this is the devils' series, and they'll show why they took the atlantic division from new york.

new jersey in 5.

4 - buffalo vs 5 - philadelphia

this series could go either way. that's why the 4th vs 5th matchups are always fun to watch. philadelphia can be a physical and offensive powerhouse when they want. i really like buffalo though. they don't really have many stars, just a whole team of guys that are grinders and play with a lot of heart. they seem very interchangable and remind me of calgary in their run a couple years back.

buffalo in 6.

now for the west:

1 - detroit vs 8 - edmonton

i'm gonna take flak for this one, but i'm picking edmonton as the cinderella team this year. detroit is good, but they played in perhaps the easiest division. 24 of their games (over 1/4 of the season) were against columbus, chicago, and st. louis. the central division, aside from detroit and nashville, is a joke. the northwest division was tough, with 5 teams that were in it till the last week. edmonton is younger, healthier, and is one of the best skating teams. it's going to be a tough series.

edmonton in 7.
*side note, yzerman will retire after the playoffs are over. detroit would be wise to offer him some kind of job such as assistant coach where his leadership, his best asset, will continue to help the team. there are 29 other nhl teams that could benefit from his leadership and he'll get offers, but he's a career redwing.

2 - dallas vs 7 - colorado

dallas is a great skating team that also plays with a lot of heart. turco had a bumpy transition into the new nhl, but proved he's still one of the best in the game today. colorado is on the verge of rebuilding. they lost some great stars and sakic isn't far behind, likely retiring in a couple of years.

dallas sweeps in 4.

3 - calgary vs 6 - anaheim

this series is gonna be as much fun to watch as a 4th vs 5th. the teams are very similar. great skating, good team defense, low scoring but occasionally explosive offense, and incredible goaltending. this series will get physical fast, as they proved in last week's match up. i'd love to see niedermayer win a cup without brodeur and the devils, but it won't be this year.

calgary in 6.

4 - nashville vs 5 - san jose

this is my pick for round 1 series to watch. they're both great skating teams with a couple of key star players. i love sullivan and wish atlanta had made a better offer than nashville. thornton is hands down the deal of the season, possibly the decade. bad news for nashville that vokoun is out, but mason does well in net with the great team defense in front of him. this series will be tough, physical, and have some tight, high scoring nites. i give san jose the edge with more firepower and a healthy starting goaltender.

san jose in 7.

so there's my round 1 predictions. sorry for the super long post, but i'm excited about the first playoffs in 2 years. a lot of great matches that should be a blast to watch, whatever teams you're pulling for. i'm off to get ready. see you in a few days.
 
Good lord, Buffalo is on fire in the first round! An 8-2 rout of Philly in Game 2. Carolina, New York and Dallas all need to pick up the pace, or they may find themselves swept out of the first round.
 
yeah...don't underestimate buffalo because they don't have any top name players. they're a team of roleplayers that play well together and don't have big egos which makes them dangerous.

i'm disappointed in carolina so far, we'll see if they can turn things around in game 3.

i said before that the rangers are a two man team, jagr and lundqvist. they lost jagr to an injury, and jersey's been on fire. they need a miracle to avoid the sweep. rangers fans enjoy it while it lasts.

and dallas just baffles me. they keep blowing the lead late in the third. it's like they're waiting to win in the shootout. has anyone told this team there are no shootouts in the playoffs?

lots of important game 3's tonite, as all the series are tied at 1 a piece. can edmonton gain momentum against detroit? has ottawa given up already? how many fights will break out between calgary and anaheim? is it nashville's turn for a high scoring nite? sure to be some good games.
 
canucks fired crawford today. good move, maybe they'll hire a coach that doesn't always stick to the same underproducing top line.
 
i finally broke down and invested in a set of rabbit ears for the tv so i can watch cbc (pretty fuzzy, but i can watch hockey night in canada)...wow, what a night to watch. what a brawlfest ottawa and tampa turned out to be. game 4 will be good. senators win 8-4...yet another high scoring playoff blowout.

up next: detroit at edmonton...go oilers!
 
I figured Ottawa would get a blowout win, but I didn't think they'd do it on the road.

I am really enjoying the fact that I get CBC, but it's not a surprise Canada's coverage has been better than OLN, and Don Cherry is crazy.
 
halfway into the game intro cbc switched from the detroit edmonton game to calgary anaheim. good game so far, tight scoring with some rough play. this is gonna be a close series that's likely to go 6 or 7 games (i originally predicted calgary in 6)
 
[quote name='Maynard']no offense or anything, but they are #1 in the league so people tend to think sorta HIGHLY of them. lol :D[/QUOTE]
:applause:

The crazy bastards are a better road team anyway, so they can turn things around in the tundra.
 
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