JWG Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Is it feasible to be reliving the same October cinderella story on ice in May? Twins host Angels (by knocking out heavily favored NY and Oakland) Wild host Ducks (by knocking out heavily favored Detroit, Dallas, and Denver) This is absolute craziness and I'm excited for both of these teams. Its finally nice to see a change in the playoffs, new teams, and success for small markets (But I'm sure ESPN isn't quite as happy). Here's hoping Detroit and Dallas but some cracks in the damn and we can push the flood waters through. Western Cup FINALS!! and WE HOST!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airmail Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 While the networks can't use the "big market" names to their advantage, they can play the "no superstar, team of 3rd & 4th liners, lowest salary" card. It just might get people interested if they market it correctly. Hell... I'd even watch the NBA playoffs if something like that happened! (well..... maybe not......) Go Wild! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagies Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Now I have a chance to get familiar with another NHL team. The Wild is on a dream ride. Enjoy it as long as it lasts. This first playoff run is special like no other subsequent ones will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 The networks will probably play the "cinderella story" angle, the funny thing is that both of the teams are like that. Last nights game showed some real guts by the Wild. I was thinking that they might crumble under the 2 goal hole they were in but they really rose to the occasion. They really showed some guys last night, plus the fact that you know a number of players were playing hurt, Roli was hurting, Willie Mitchell, and Dupuis were all hurt and played through it. Props for the Wild Bring on the Ducks-- This should be a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 Bring on the Ducks-- This should be a good one. I heard Lou Nanne on the radio today, talking about how this will be the best skating series of the playoffs. I have to agree. The best part about htis series is there are no Sakic or Naslund type superstar on the either team. There is, however, Gaborik, Walz, Karyia, Giuguere, Park, Rucchin, Oates, Hendrickson, Brunette, Carney, Roloson, Fernandez, Sykora, Mitchell, and a bunch other players that will make this series very very interesting. Note that there have been 10 total goals in the 4 games that the Wild and Ducks have played this year with both teams going 2-2-0. I remember them as being 2-1, 1-0 games. That is the formula for a great playoff series and a probable 7 games, IMO. Old Time Hockey!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 Holy crap... Giggy has save the ducks ass like 4 times and the post did it twice. Some give this guy a drug test... Im thinkin roids are involved here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggler Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 That save he made on Gaborik in the 2nd, holy christmas! Right up there with the save he made on Modano. Amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 This guy is inhuman. 3 straight shut outs. WTF!!! Even my mild mannered girlfriend has been secretly plotting doing something horrible and temporarily debilitating to Giggy. Her plans have ranged from Mace to Firearms and even electric shock. Even a Toyna Harding-esqe attack would be in order. Giggy is playing insanely well, A goal...A goal... my kingdom for a goal... JUST ONE FREGGIN GOAL!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 Even my mild mannered girlfriend has been secretly plotting doing something horrible and temporarily debilitating to Giggy. Her plans have ranged from Mace to Firearms and even electric shock. I was there...it's true. I can't believe what I am seeing. The Wild are playing the best series of the playoffs, but Giggy isn't letting the puck in the net. Bad French-Canadian, bad. All I can hope for right now is that the Wild knew they would win in an elimination game, so they thought they would get to that point quicker. However, seeing how frustrated they were at the end of tonight's game...I doubt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MavsFan Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 I'm afraid that Giguere is officially "in their heads" now. They are trying for the perfect shot rather than playing their game. It's been a great run for a third year team, but I think it's coming to an end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BisonMav Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 Something interesting reading on a team coming back from 3-0 deficit: WhoWins.com The most difficult comeback to achieve in a best-of-7 series is rebounding from a three-game deficit. In the 797 best-of-7 MLB, NBA, and NHL series that have been played from 1905 through 1999, 211 times has a team taken a 3-0 series lead. In theory, if the competing teams have equal chances of winning each game, then the probability of the trailing team winning four straight games is 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/16 or 6.25%. But in practice, only twice in these 211 series (0.95% -- well under 6.25%) has the trailing team rebounded to win four straight. Both rebounds occurred in the NHL: In WhoWins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 So basically the Wild are in deep doo-doo. As for Giggy being in a the Wild's head... I don't know if any team would be able to play through Giggys unhuman play. It happened to Detroit, and Dallas except the fact that Dallas seemed to put a few "chinks in the armor". I honestly thought that Giggy was going to collapse after Dallas lit him up in Game 4 but he got a good nights sleep and hasnt been beaten since. Crap he has faced 96(?) shots against the Wild and has seen a damn puck go behind him. Nuts Last night I was just hoping for one damn goal, but I guess that was a little too much to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skateshattrick Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 The Wild are done. As great as Giguere has played, he is not the only reason that the Ducks are beating the Wild. They have outplayed the Wild the last 2 games and these teams are pretty evenly matched. Giguere is unbelievable, but Minnesota certainly has less to complain about than Detroit and even Dallas. I watched every game of Anaheim v. Detroit, and Detroit outplayed the Ducks badly 3 of the 4 games, and outshot them badly in all 4 games. Giguere had 63 saves in the 1st game, and Anaheim seldom had the puck in the Detroit zone. Anaheim played more competitively against Dallas, but were also outplayed and outshot most of the series. Anaheim reminds me of Carolina last year, Buffalo a few years ago when Hasek stood on his head, and even Washington when Kolzig was playing extremely well. The Ducks are playing well defensively, getting unbelievable goaltending, and are getting all of the bounces. I have a feeling that they will crash and burn when they play New Jersey or Ottawa in the finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 I sure hope so. And It would give me great pleasure to watch the Devils beat down the Quacks. And break down Giggy any make him cry. But and I say but... Anaheim and Giggy keep this shut out thing going any team will have problems beating them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted May 16, 2003 Share Posted May 16, 2003 I don't think that the Ducks have necessarily outplayed the Wild the last 2 games. To me it looked rather even. But, I do agree that Giguere, while still the best goaltender in the playoffs IMO, has been getting a lot of help from his team. The Ducks have been to a tremendous job of clearing away rebounds and Wild players after Giguere has stopped the initial shot. I can't count how many times I saw a rebound bounce into the open ice and the Ducks had either a man there to clear it, or had all of the Wild players tied up, preventing them from banging home the rebound. Also, though it's no longer an official stat kept by the NHL, Anaheim is doing a great job of blocking shots. Half of the Wild's shots aren't even making it through to Giguere. The Wild need to crash the net hard, and just throw pucks at the net, and it will go in the net. There looking for those perfect shots, which the Anaheim defenders won't give them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFarce Posted May 16, 2003 Share Posted May 16, 2003 The Dirty Frenchman Games 1 even. Game 2 the Ducks all the way. Game 3 even until half way through the second. Don't take on the North Dakota dream squashing attitude. Anything can happen. A win tonight brings it back home. A win back home could get into the Ducks heads. If we lose what's the worst that could happen. We watched hockey in Minnesota until May and we return the youngest(most experienced squad) to the NHL next year with even more to prove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 Well it was a great season for the Wild. Western Conference Finals...not bad for a third year expansion team. I believe they exceeded everyone's expectations this season by just winning the first round over Colorado. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and they ran into the hottest team in the NHL. Not to mention Jean-Sebastien Giguere played out of his f*cking mind. I am definately looking forward to next season. With any luck, we will be calling the Wild Stanley Cup Champions, as well as the Sioux 8-time National Champipons Hey...at least we finally scored!!!!!!!!! So now I say...Go Devils!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leifolson Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 Since I live only 2 minutes from the Duck Pond, I have to say that it will be extremely exciting to see the Cup Finals in my back yard. But, as an Avs fan (watching my team lose to the Wild) and growing up in Grand Forks right next to Minnesota, I was rooting for the Wild since the first round. It would have been really exciting to see the Wild in the finals. As it is, I'll be cheering for the Ducks. My roommate is an enormous Devils fan and I will be damned if I cheer for those bastards. I guess it would be cool to see Ottatwat in the finals though...you need a Canadian team every few years. At any rate....Go Ducks..........hopefully your fans are better than the a$$hole Raider fans I (as Broncos fan) run into at the bar every weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 Do not fret Wild fans. Just remember the fact that the Wild were not supposed to be there in the first place. The Avs were supposed to beat them and the Canucks were going to finish them off after a tough series. As a 3rd years team no one expected the Wild to get as far as they did, even the Wild fans. If they had lost to the Avs in 5 in the first round it would have been expected. Unfortunately the Wild playoff run ran into the ROBO-Goalie with puck-seeking over sized plans!! And Robo-goalie had taken down Detroit and Dallas before the Wild ever got there, sorry the deck was stacked against the Wild on this one. Great season Wild, the is really going to solidify the team in St. Paul, the fans now have playoff memories and some rivalries that will last a long time. I know there was no love lost between Vancouver and Minnesota, but now fans will be treated to some great games in the future. As far as Im concernced, the Wild playoff run has done so much for the franchise long term that it assures future success for this team. But now I must say..... LETS GO DEVILS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 I sure hope so. And It would give me great pleasure to watch the Devils beat down the Quacks. And break down Giggy any make him cry. But and I say but... Anaheim and Giggy keep this shut out thing going any team will have problems beating them. I think the Devils are going Duck hunting and they are going to get their limit and then some. I can see Scott Stevens pasting little Paul Karyia right now. Good bye Oates its going to hard skating with a forward in your breezers with you... The Ducks are riding a high but NJ is mean and nasty. This is actually the way I would like to see UND play, sure its not always pretty but we have the guys to do it. It starts with Goal tending and works it way out... Keep the shots to the outside and play defense. Some one skates in front of your net your know their block off. Counter attack but smartly... The Wild used this against Vancover and Colorado but ran into a hot goaltender and failed against the Ducks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MavsFan Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 I'm not convinced that it's going to be the Devils. The Sens are playing their hearts out now, and have home ice for game seven (although home ice hasn't meant a lot this year.) I don't see either of them beating the Ducks, with their D and Giguere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 I can see Scott Stevens pasting little Paul Karyia right now. Did anyone else see that? Stevens had him in his sights and BAM!!! Flattened him. Kariya said he wasn't knocked unconscious, but what was with that little shudder when he "woke up." How Kariya came back form that and rifled that laser past Brodeur (sorry flatspin, but Marty got flat out beat) I'll never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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