As a habs fan, I must say we were lucky on that call.
As you said on your previous post, losing this game would have put the habs in a hell of a tough spot.

I was angry about it when it happened. But then the reality set in that there is fuck all that can be done about it. But clearly they should look at the rules for dealing with such a case.

There was also a case being made by some that Gallagher's goal shouldn't have been allowed because it looked like a high stick on his first contact with the puck.

The Sens had 43 shots on net and 4 power plays and failed to generate anything outside of that blown call. After the 5-1 blowout the game before Price was on his game and the Sens weren't doing whatever it was they did before to get the pucks past him.

I just had the feeling that they weren't going to get it done that particular night no matter what happened. It was just one of those nights where the bounces weren't going their way.

I'm just happy that they even made the playoffs (going on that incredible and entertaining run to do so) and that there is tons of promise for next season.


.

I'm pretty much on the thinking of EonBlue.

Nothing can be done about it. The ref Fucked up, end of story. He was in a bad position and will hopefully learn from that to move it tight on plays like that for a closer look like most refs usually do. If it happened half way through the 3rd this would be a different convo but it didn't and the Sens had plenty of time to catch up. They didn't play well, 43 shots are very deceiving as many were from the outside without traffic in front of Price and the few good chances they had Price made the saves.

Good series and good for them even making the playoffs at all. Here's to next year! :thumbsup

Having no hockey last night was just... wrong. :(

But tonight is game seven heaven. Detroit Red Wings visit the Tampa Bay Lightning. The winner plays Montreal Canadiens in the 2nd round.

In other news the Wings will be without defenceman Niklas Kronwall. The NHL has suspended Kronwall for a hit on Nikita Kucherov in Game 6.

The second round begins tomorrow night with two games?
Calgary visits Anaheim while the Rangers host Washington.

Chicago-Minnesota starts Friday.


Any predictions?

I think Tampa is going to take it at home but right now could be either team and come down to that one odd bounce or unfortunate rebound that comes back in the chaos of a garbage goal melee.

I am about to start lighting the pyres and sacrificing the goats to get the Rangers out in the next round. I think I may even go with a bit of voodoo hoodoo this year. Just have to make a couple dolls, St Louis, Nash, etc. to stick up with needles, and geek a few chicken heads off.

The suspension of Niklas Kronwall was bullshit :321GFY

Kronwall is not a dirty player but i do think that was a pretty dirty hit. In play offs maybe less likely to be called, but that is no guarantee that it won't be called, especially from the refs pov on the ice at the time and at speed, forget the slo mo replays. If it had been Matt Cooke or someone else with a bad rep, then it would have been multiple games out. That isn't looking at the bright side, but it is putting it in perspective.

It wasn't about "heads up" hockey either. Kucherov has his head up and is looking for a line to get by the hit he knows is coming. Was Kronwall intentionally going for his head like that? Knowing Kronwall, ( wasn't he a Lady Byng candidate a few years ago?), he might not have been targeting him but just like high sticks, intent isn't the issue, just result. In this case, imho, and I wanted the Wings, he had to accept the consequences. And unfortunately the Wings have to accept being out.

It wasn't that they didn't play great still without Kronwall, which they did. Bishop just had that sort of day where everything comes in with a phone call first to make sure it is ok to stop by.

Kronwall hit --- It was because he had his arm up, and he slightly left his feet during the hit. His arm caught Kucherov in the head, and that in conjunction with the lifting of his skates off the ice apparently warranted a 1 game suspention. I don't think it was an intentional 'dirty hit' whatsoever. In hockey you get hit, and you give hits out. Sometimes during a hit things happen that are out of one's control. Like taking a little hop or getting your arm up a little too high, stick up too high, your helmet accidentally hits his, etc.

Not a dirty hit. Borderline call that could have gone either way. The league is very strict these days on anything like this where the guy's head was impacted in a blatant way. (they also overlook a lot of 'headshot' hits too though. It's hit or miss.... pun intended) :D

Round 1 done and done
 

And then there were eight.

Lightning are the final team to make the second round of the NHL playoffs. Bishop gets a nice 31-save 2-0 shut out in Game 7 of their series with the Wings. It's Tampa vs the Montreal Canadiens starting Friday. Tampa won all 5 of their meetings in the regular season.

Round two starts tonight:

Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 6:30 p.m. --- I really have no dog in this fight but I'll go against the grain and predict Caps take the series in 7.

Calgary at Anaheim, 9 p.m. --- Ducks in 6. Possibly less. I'll say 6. I wouldn't mind seeing Calgary win, if only because the Ducks ousted my Jets and I'd like someone to hand them their butts, but whatever. I just want to see some good hockey.


Friday:

Tampa -- Montreal --- Coin flip says Habs in 7. If Stamkos decides to get hot though this one could get very interesting.


Minnesota -- Chicago --- Tough one for me. I like both of these teams (to a degree). Hawks have a couple of very notable Winnipeggers on their roster, but the Wild are playing very well and are just the kind of upstart squad that can put a crimp in a Stanley Cup team's plans. I'll say Chicago in 7.



Tweet of the Day: “Life should be more like Hockey. If somebody pisses you off, you beat the shit out of them, then sit in a penalty box for 5 minutes.” ~@ZacGalifianakis

I don't think he even really left his feet but it was close and I do think he had his arm up and obviously the head became the target. Game wasn't lost in his absence though. It was lost on a great night in the net by Bishop. Can't blame Babcock for that either imo.:2 cents:

They showed the replay from several angles last night again on TSN, he actually does leave his feet. As I said it was very slightly done though, and definitely unintentional. It wasn't like he took a leap like some guys have done in the past.

He totally ran the guy, but tons of guys do it, including Mark Stewart on the Jets who is known for levelling guys at the blueline. To me it's a hockey hit. If not for that arm coming up it would have been deemed a clean hit I'm sure.

Is Babcock staying in Detroit?

In the past of "old time hockey" it would not even be a penalty much less a suspension and it would be "well if he is going to drop his head like that then he should expect to be hit".:winkwink:

Holtby vs Price today... Holdbee the line vs you can't afford my Price...

I played a lot of hockey during those old time (70's) years. All of my minor hockey in fact was during that era, and you are 100% absolutely correct. It was on YOU to keep your damn head up and avoid the hits.

Today kids aren't even allowed to hit until they're a certain age, something I don't agree with at all. But NHL players aren't kids, and should know better about crossing a blueline with their fucking heads down.

The term "You're gunna get Kronwalled" is becoming a thing now, though. Something I do like. :D

My son started playing in the last year of allowing bantams to check. Since he started late compared to the majority of kids the league basically tried to discourage him from playing at all because of the hitting, and I know what you are saying - you have to learn early on to keep the head up.

Players also learn from an early age to "play to the whistle" and apparently the Rangers seem to have forgotten that one... with ONE SECOND left to play!!!

Go Caps. Rangers need to be beaten down like red headed step children caught stealing cookies on Sunday.

Some of the rules they have for kids these days are just outright retarded. This no keeping score thing they do... ug.


Calgary got a taste last night of what real playoff hockey looks like, from a real playoff team. They got schooled about as hard as anyone could be schooled, and it really illustrates just how good of a team the Jets are. Every game with Winnipeg was close, the Jets led nearly every one going into the 3rd period, and the Jets hit the Ducks HARD, something Calgary is going to have to figure out a way to do too if they don't want to get their doors blown off.

A 6-1 loss is no way to start a series. Will be interesting to see how they respond/bounce back in game 2.


That last second game-winning goal by the Caps was great. The hit on Boyle was just a basic hockey hit to me. You can't go into the corner and expect NOT to be hit, that's just stupid. It is however really looking like this one is going to be a great series. Maybe a long one too.


Now get ready for Tampa @ Montreal tonight, and Wild @ Chicago after that.

Though bad it doesn't mean anything, 9 times out of 10, it's just 1 game. Sens beat Montreal IN Montreal 5-1 to force a game 6 in Ottawa then came out with a semi-dud. Everyone predicted Ottawa would come out flying and dominate and they didn't, shots were 13-13 after the first and they were down 1-0. Sure they outshot Montreal in the game at the end 43-20 but it was all outside and the intensity was SHIT, hits were lowest or 2nd lowest of the 6 games.

Go Flames! (though I think Anaheim byt finally have a cup contending team)

The goaltending duel last night was the best netminder battle I have ever seen. The saves those guys were making simply defied description. We aren't talking shots from the point with a clear lane of vision either. They were getting hammered with shots from traffic in front and rebounds coming right back at them again and again from some of the best snipers in the league. It was incredible.

Montreal / Tampa is going to be a series that will end in mutual annihilation imo... I can't imagine whomever wins that one will have an ounce of fight left to face the next round.

Two games in and both the Flames and Wild seem very overmatched so far. That kid line that kicked ass all season for Calgary looks like exactly that... a bunch of kids playing against men. Ducks meanwhile continue to look like a cup-bound playoff team. All I can say is I hope things get interesting now that the underdogs are back on home ice for the next two.


Montreal - Tampa ---- it'll be nice to have a couple of games in Tampa, where I'm hoping to hear less whining from the crowd than there was in Montreal, but I won't hold my breath on that. Habs will be lucky if they make it back home for a game 5 though.

Rangers - Caps --- Best series so far in my opinion. Tough to say who wants it more.

Agree and disagree...

Agree that Caps / Rangers is the turning out to be a great series. It will be even more epic if the Caps send the Rangers to the links sooner than later.

Montreal / Tampa has been mostly great but wtf happened to Montreal in the last game? One word... Therrien. He is a douchebag and is trying to get the wins sending players in to play the douchebag game. Running the goalie for the wins? Fuck that. I don't think for a second that Prust and Subban do anything out of being "undisciplined" players. On the contrary, they were following marching orders like troops running over the trenches into hails of gunfire. Senseless sacrifice in a brutal conflict.

Chicago / Minnesota looked a lot closer than the scores reflect and I think the Wild are going to step up for the home fans. They are not going out that easy. Chicago got goals on a couple great breakaways but they won't get those every night. Hockey Gods just aren't that generous.

Ducks / Calgary - agree, the Ducks just look amazing, speed and toughness, they look unstoppable.

Excuse my typo/word errors in the last post... I usually catch those before the 15 minute deadline to edit...

CDSmith - you play/played the game so I know you know what I am talking about here:

The game of hockey is so split second and those fraction of a second decisions can make or break the game. Sometimes you see the ice so well everything seems like it is in slo-mo and you almost feel like you know what is going to happen before it happens. Other times it is the exact opposite and you feel like everything just happened and you are like seven seconds behind everyone getting smoked. At the pro level it is even more insane because those guys move so crazy fast.

The Chicago goal last night where Hossa jumped that puck through Suter was one of those moments. 99 times out of 100 Suter is going to clear that and even if the puck got past him Suter would make the check or at least have enough gap control to make a play. But that one millisecond decision gave Hossa that opportunity and room to spare as he looked for Toews trailing in for the shot.

Holtby stole that game last night. How much did the Rangers out shoot the Caps? Bet there was some frustration in that Rangers locker room last night.

muaahhaahaahaa!!!

Dammit! These low-scoring and no-scoring Rangers games are killing me. I have four Rangers players in my playoff pool. :disgust


.

The part where you say you disagree with me, we actually agree. I was about to add in that of the two western matchups the Wild look to be doing the best so far, whereas the Flames are simply getting their doors blown off. Yes, with some puck luck that all could change, and again of the two series I'd have to give the most likelihood of that to MInnesota.

I guess we'll see tonight.

As for your Therien theory, I can't really argue, as you could actually be right for all I know. What I do know is that whether it is the coach or it's simply that a number of their guys are a-holes, whatever they're trying to do in this series isn't working. Perhaps they need to try a little less scumbaggery and a little more, oh I don't know, clean hockey offense? Maybe step up their D so they're not relying entirely on Price? And Prust needs to close his blowhole when talking to the media, because now every ref in the NHL knows about his comments about that one ref. No player wants to get himself and his team labeled like this, unless of course he's an idiot.

As for my "whiners" comments I forgot to add in that I've noticed over the year that the Tampa fan base can be a whiney bunch as well.

I don't know the SOG for the Caps but Holtby stopped 30 shots last night to get the shutout.

And a lot of those 30 were really good scoring chances.

David and Goliath epic finish for Calgary. They may not win the series but they certainly won respect for not losing their cool, not losing the game, and not losing confidence the way Montreal did the other night..

Great news!

Rangers just got Capitalized!

Too bad they are not an IPO... :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Games over the last few days have been quite epic.

Wild -- swept. 4 straight, but the last 3-4 mins of the 3rd period last night was insane. Anyone who didn't see it really blew it.

Montreal-Tampa -- hey what can I say? Habs brought their A game, Lightning showed up cocky and thinking it would be a cakewalk. Result; they're going to a game 5, in Montreal. Therien vows "they will not beat us again in our own building".... we shall see.


Looking forward to tonight, and seeing weather or not the Flames can tie the series. They better, because they do not want to be heading back to Anaheim down 3-1. That would be bad.


Who would have thought the Caps would have the President's Trophy winning Rangers right where they want them?

Flames are outmatched for sure, but I'd love to see them somehow tie the series. I hope the Caps knock out the Rangers tonight.

Interesting weekend.

Flames OUT. As expected the Ducks were just too much. Now looking forward to round 3 and the Blackhawks-Ducks series.

Rangers and Caps going to a luscious game 7. (as I predicted) :D

Montreal keeps hanging in there. If they manage to get the win in Tampa in game 6 I really do believe they will end up taking this series back in Montreal. If that happens I recommend no one park their car on St. Catherine's street that night. God help the shop owners. :(

I can't believe the Caps and the Lightning couldn't close it out. Now obviously momentum favors the Rangers and the Habs. My one consolation though is that if they both make it out of this round then at least one of them will go before the final Cup series is played.

I just want to hit myself in the head with a hundred and ten flex Bauer Supreme One stick until it breaks.

No hockey last night. I'm in withdrawals here this morning. Either that or not enough coffee. Or both.

:(

You might only have to hit yourself once then. Those new-fangled $200+ dollar composite sticks they use are shattering like side window glass in the wake of a car thief. :1orglaugh

I don't recall the old wooden sticks breaking at anything near this rate. Oh, but guys get "more flex", and harder shots is it? Right. There were several guys over the 'wood' years who had 130+ km/hr slapshots. Al MacKinnis, anyone? Dennis Hull, hello? Maybe a stick or two would break per game back in those years.

These days it's more like three per period that snap, shatter, blow up on a crucial point shot, etc. Are they affecting the outcomes of games? You bet at times they are.


I never paid more than $20 for a goddammed hockey stick when I was playing. Now it's $60, $100, $225, etc. Along with the equipment and enrollment fees a parent needs to cough up about $1000 to get their kid into hockey. They've priced the game out of reach of a lot of kids who will now either take up soccer or will wind up stealing your car.

/rant. Time for more coffee...

lol, yeah, you got the joke. I would only want to smack myself once or twice - no need to beat myself up - it is just a game after all, even if it is the Greatest Game...

Those wood sticks weren't likely to break in the cross checks either... :winkwink:

Thus the term "layed the lumber on 'im" was born. :D

You used to be able to stick-check a guy, forcibly lift a guy's stick to steal the puck, or thwack yours across his to prevent him from controlling a pass or take a shot, etc, back in the wooden stick days, without getting a penalty.

But in today's game

if his pussy $200 stick breaks
if your stick touches his sissy hands with those short sissy gloves they wear
if he tucks your stick under his arm and fakes a hook
if he accidentally-on-purpose drops his stick when you thwack him

you end up in the box doing time.

Seriously, when I played the coaches all used to say "keep a solid grip on your stick for chrissakes!"... because if a guy knocked the stick out of your hands it was YOUR fault, not his. (as is the way it should be). Nowadays a guy can just float around the ice gingerly holding onto his stick (like a wimp) and basically inviting someone to tap his shaft.

Don't get me started on the diving.:mad:

Personally I think it's a blight on any sport but has no place in the sacred sanctity that is hockey.

I agree 100%.

Well... almost... I feel a stick in my ribs and I am going to clamp down with my arm. Maybe I get the call... maybe I get the stick pulled out of that ginger grip... :winkwink:

Ok... time for a prayer...


Dear Lord Stanley,

I am sorry I hate the Rangers
a team of talent bestowed with luck
and if my comments angers
then i accept I'm fucked

Please don't let them move on
to win the next round
for their fans will prattle long
a burden to hang around

BURN!

And then there were four...


Caps GONE.
Habs GONE

Round 3 predictions, anyone?


I'll say this;

Rangers-Lightning --- The masses will say NY in 5, or 6, something like that. But Tampa is playing well right now, so I'm going against the grain and say the Bolts win this series in 7.

Blackhawks-Ducks --- Ah what the hell, I'm probably wrong but Chicago in 7. Couple of Winnipeg boys on the Hawks' roster, and I hear they're pretty good :D so I can't go against them. As much as the Ducks seem invincible if anyone can beat them it's Chicago.


Far-L, sorry your nightmare came true. :(

Just heard a guy on the radio say this...


What do you call a White Russian with no cup?




a. Ovechkin

Even the Pitt series was close game by game score-wise for the Rangers, and you know the Caps took a piece out of them in very close games. At a certain point, all the saves King Henrik makes won't be enough because Tampa is a team that likes to pound pucks like a relentless scoring machine. I see Tampa taking it in 5 or 6.

Ducks vs Chicago is going to be good. They both had enough triage and sojourn to be ready for anything. Regardless who wins in the west I believe the Cup will set in the west at the end of the day. Rangers you can see are starting to get pretty banged up. If they make it to the finals it will be on crutches and sled skates.

I think Ducks have it this year.

Sound enough reasoning. I don't know about Tampa taking it in 5 or 6, but anything is possible. What I do know is that this series is going to show everyone exactly how much of a true Stanley Cup Playoff team the Rangers are. Being the President's trophy winner means expectations are high.
All I know is if my pool picks have any hope at all I need St. Loo-ey to get about 5 points per game, but still have Tampa win (because Bishop is my one remaining Goalie pick). :D

That's the popular concensus. But if there's one thing I've learned about the NHL in the last 10 years it is to never, and I mean ever, underestimate Toews and Kane.