NHL Playoffs '10

[sioux rube]

You're friends with Gary Bettman?

And NBC.

[petey23]

Epic series comeback! Epic game 7 comeback! Flyers and Blackhawks would be my dream final!!

[redwing77]

Epic series comeback! Epic game 7 comeback! Flyers and Blackhawks would be my dream final!!

Wow.

Epic fail by the Bruins.

As for the Flyers/Habs series: Neither team was slated to get past the first round. Ain't the non-dynasty system grand?

My vote?

Habs vs. Hawks.

Why?

I have no legit reasons, only ludicrous ones.

Here's an example:

Carcillo doesn't deserve to ever have his name on the Stanley Cup. Matt Cooke does and that, in itself, is a tragedy. I'm sure other goons and cheap hacks have their names on the Cup as well, but I lump it in with the "new" NHL: Fast, skilled, higher offensive totals, tighter overall game, and CLEANLY PLAYED (with regards to player integrity).

I told you it was ludicrous, but I stand by it.

[Goon]

Carcillo doesn't deserve to ever have his name on the Stanley Cup. Matt Cooke does and that, in itself, is a tragedy. I'm sure other goons and cheap hacks have their names on the Cup as well, but I lump it in with the "new" NHL: Fast, skilled, higher offensive totals, tighter overall game, and CLEANLY PLAYED (with regards to player integrity).

I told you it was ludicrous, but I stand by it.

I think both Carcillo and Cooke are major league hacks, but Cooke is a bigger !@#$%! than Carcillo.

I would put Cooke in the same low life category as Ulfie the dirty Swede and Claude the Fraude Lepeu.

[Ray77]

I'm stunned right now. Seriously, I can't believe it. Last year the Bruins were the #1 seed and lost in the 2nd round to Carolina after Aaron Ward got sucker punched by Scott Walker - and then Walker scores the series winning goal after not being suspended for an offense that carries a mandatory suspension. This year they were the 6 seed and up 3 games to 0 against the Flyers. Before game 7, they knew the 8th seeded hated Montreal Canadiens were awaiting them. Only twice has an NHL team ever come back from down 0-3, and I believe only 3 times has this happened in any sport.

If there was any year for the B's to make the Finals, it was this year. Trounce the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals and on to play the winner of Chicago/San Jose. Man...I can't believe it.

My only hope now is that whoever wins the West can win the Cup...and more specifically, the Chicago Blackhawks.

And no, unlike DaveK I take no solace in the Bruins outlasting the Capitals, Sabres, Devils, Senators, Avalanche, Predators, Kings, and Coyotes. They still lost.

[redwing77]

Cooke is a grinder, as was Samuelsson. The low life category should be reserved for the likes of Derek Boogard, Tie Domi, and their kind.

Sorry, I disagree with this wholeheartedly.

Derek Boogaard is a worthless fighter. He can't do anything but fight. He's in a category all of his own among the list you named.

The rest have a reputation for cheap, classless, acts on the ice.

I don't know much about Samuelsson as I didn't watch the Pens and still don't all that much.

Tie Domi was ruthless around the net, but he reminds me more of Danny Carcillo than anyone else.

Matt Cooke termed his hit on Savard as "letting him know I was on the ice" or something like making his presence known.

WHAT?

He has REPEATEDLY gone out onto the ice and used his elbow or forearm to seriously injure players... AND THAT IS JUST THIS SEASON.

A grinder is someone like Cal Clutterbuck or Chris Kunitz etc.

Matt Cooke and Danny Carcillo are the cheapest hacks in the post season. Fortunately for the hockey world, Cooke is out.

Unfortunately, the Bruins choked and Carcillo is not out.

You can be gritty, physical, and make your presence known without going for the head. You don't have to use your forearm or elbow to make a big hit or make the hit count.

You don't make your presence known by concussing people.

Matt Cooke is a lowlife at least ON the ice.

take your Pens glasses off, Dave. Start looking at the whole picture including your beloved Pens. Only a fool wouldn't be able to call out a player on their own pro team for being cheap. I do it with Holmstrom. I wasn't the biggest fan of Ciccarelli. Heck, listening to my father describe Gordie Howe's days with the Wings, I believe that Howe had his own cheap streak as well.

[Goon]

I'm stunned right now. Seriously, I can't believe it. Last year the Bruins were the #1 seed and lost in the 2nd round to Carolina after Aaron Ward got sucker punched by Scott Walker - and then Walker scores the series winning goal after not being suspended for an offense that carries a mandatory suspension. This year they were the 6 seed and up 3 games to 0 against the Flyers. Before game 7, they knew the 8th seeded hated Montreal Canadiens were awaiting them. Only twice has an NHL team ever come back from down 0-3, and I believe only 3 times has this happened in any sport.

If there was any year for the B's to make the Finals, it was this year. Trounce the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals and on to play the winner of Chicago/San Jose. Man...I can't believe it.

My only hope now is that whoever wins the West can win the Cup...and more specifically, the Chicago Blackhawks.

And no, unlike DaveK I take no solace in the Bruins outlasting the Capitals, Sabres, Devils, Senators, Avalanche, Predators, Kings, and Coyotes. They still lost.

I thought about jumping off the Point Bridge last night but I realized the sun would come up today. I am on board for next season (I have been a fan since 1988) but I am not happy about what transipired this season. I have a bitter taste in my mouth. There is some solace that I don't have to watch a bunch of Euros in red or the Cindy Crosby led Pens in the Finals so I am alright with that. In the West I can't lose either Toews and the Blackhawks or Joe Thornton and Joe Paveliski the Sharks. In the East I can't cheer for either team.

[Goon]

Cooke is a grinder, as was Samuelsson. The low life category should be reserved for the likes of Derek Boogard, Tie Domi, and their kind.

Cooke is a gutless puke and a hack, GRINDER label doesn't fit him at all and just for the record if I could buy Evander Kane a drink I would because he did the NHL a favor.

[Goon]

I'm not saying Cooke isn't cheap because he plays for the Penguins, I'm saying he isn't cheap because he isn't cheap. Too many people that follow hockey have this illusion that tough physical players are cheap.

Cooke isn't tough he is a cheap hack he goes around taking liberties with smaller players and when he is challenged he turtles. The only reason he fought Thornton is that he knew that he was going to get his if fought or not. I am not sure how you can say that Cooke is a tough player. I suppose you like Alex Burroughs as well? Let me guess you think Carcillo are Hartnell are great clean players as well.

[Goon]

Considering the source, I'll dismiss that opinion as pure nonsense and spin from a hater.

I would be willing to bet that there isn't 10 people on this site that condone Cooke's actions...

[sagard]

I would be willing to bet that there isn't 10 people on this site that condone Cooke's actions...

I condone his fighting with Evander Kane.

[jimdahl]

Trust me, it's a lot easier to be okay with it when your team won it all as recently as last year. If the Penguins had a drought of 30-some years without winning a Stanley Cup I'd be probably be taking this a lot harder than I am. And I'm not saying that to be a smarta$$, it's the truth. Two years ago when they got to the finals and lost to the Red Wings I was devastated because they had not won it all since 1992. Now the memory of last year is so fresh that it takes away a lot of the sting of not winning this year. Yes, back-to-back would have been great, but this team is young and will have many more opportunities. The future looks very bright, so I'm not going to get all down in the dumps over losing to Montreal. Now if they had lost to Washington, Boston, or Philly.... that would be something to get depressed about.

That's pretty close to why I'm ok with the Caps' early exit. While the rest of the world was shocked, simply shocked, to see the Caps fall to the Habs, those of us paying attention to more than one year of NHL hockey know that the Caps have been a team that made the playoffs every single year (early 00's excluded) but done nothing once there.

However, being the #1 team in the regular season is one of those banner-worthy events that I've never seen as a Caps fan, so still thrilled. Sure, it seemed like a good Stanley Cup-run worthy team, but even with a first round exit this still joins the Stanley Cup playoff year ('98?) as one of the two most memorable ever for Caps fans. As I hinted at early in this thread, based on the regular season I was never comfortable with the Montreal matchup, but hey -- at least it wasn't Philly!

[Shawn-O]

The link provided shows that Kane is in fact the cheap hack that you think Cooke is. You condone putting a fist through somebody's skull, but not making a crushing body check within the game of hockey? Uhhhh, okay. If you say so. Your logic is so backwards it isn't even funny. The really sad and pathetic part of it all is the fact that you actually believe all of the garbage that you spew.

Good hard-nosed hockey by Duncan Keith here, yes?

[sprig]

LMAO @ your use of the word "turtles".

What you refer to as "turtling" is what I call being smart enough to not take the bait. Only somebody who condones cheap hockey (aka fighting) accuses players of "turtling". When a player declines an invitation to fight, fans who appreciate good sportsmanship will agree that he was the better man for not lowering himself to that level. We want to watch hockey, not boxing. I enjoy hard hits, but within the context of the game and not fist to face. You're bloodthirsty and crave gratuitous violence, I get it. So do a lot of other hockey fans, I get that too. Unfortunately, that roller derby type mentality is what prevents hockey from being taken seriously as a legitimate sport by most Americans.

Absolutely no one gets this or you, DK

[Goon]

Good hard-nosed hockey by Duncan Keith here, yes?

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[Shawn-O]

If I was a NHL Hockey player I would take/accept a 2-3 game suspension to hit a disgusting piece of crap like Cooke like Duncan Keith did, if you watch the game he is responding to a questionable hit that Cooke had laid on him earlier. Also, notice how Cooke's teammates aren't rushing to his defense...

I'm with you. Was just wondering what Dave thought about it.

[Shawn-O]

I really don't have a big problem with it. He got his two minutes in the penalty box, at which point it should be case closed. You won't see me whining about it and demanding vigilante justice, I'll leave that to the think-skinned crybaby fans. Now if he had removed his gloves and put his fist through Cooke's skull... then and only then would I feel that vigilante justice would be warranted.

I don't agree with you, but at least you're consistent in your opinion.

[Ray77]

I thought about jumping off the Point Bridge last night but I realized the sun would come up today. I am on board for next season (I have been a fan since 1988) but I am not happy about what transipired this season. I have a bitter taste in my mouth. There is some solace that I don't have to watch a bunch of Euros in red or the Cindy Crosby led Pens in the Finals so I am alright with that. In the West I can't lose either Toews and the Blackhawks or Joe Thornton and Joe Paveliski the Sharks. In the East I can't cheer for either team.

Yeah, I hear ya Goon. I will say one thing...I'm really glad the B's have Rask - next year he'll be even better with this year's experience under his belt. He's going to be (and already is) a stud between the pipes.

As for the remainder of this year's playoffs, I really hope Toews can bring the Cup to Chicago. If not, it's SJ's year. If Philly or Montreal wins it I'll be sick.

[NDFlyer]

I have been an extremely hard core Flyers fan forever.

LMAO at this entire thread. It's almost as if you people know nothing about hockey.

Keep those idiotic predictions coming.

[Goon]

Yeah, I hear ya Goon. I will say one thing...I'm really glad the B's have Rask - next year he'll be even better with this year's experience under his belt. He's going to be (and already is) a stud between the pipes.

As for the remainder of this year's playoffs, I really hope Toews can bring the Cup to Chicago. If not, it's SJ's year. If Philly or Montreal wins it I'll be sick.

I think Rask will be ok, I wish they Bruins would have played Timmy one game just to see if it would have sparked the Bruins. Here is a blast from the past I don't know if you remember this one or not. [click to view]

[petey23]

I have been an extremely hard core Flyers fan forever.

LMAO at this entire thread. It's almost as if you people know nothing about hockey.

Keep those idiotic predictions coming.

Ditto!

[sprig]

Two cheap hacks going after one another, great.

Lots of work dragging a turtle around

By your standard, Claude's stick to Nealy's face was a good hit in the context of the game, and his attempting to pull his head inside his shoulder pads to avoid getting punched, a smart play to draw a penalty.

[Goon]

Lots of work dragging a turtle around

By your standard, Claude's stick to Nealy's face was a good hit in the context of the game, and his attempting to pull his head inside his shoulder pads to avoid getting punched, a smart play to draw a penalty.

I never thought it that way.

[farce poobah]

No talk about the Blackhawks nail-biting game 1 win? OK, I'll start.

First, if Niemi plays like that for a whole series, it's going to be a short series. The combination of good plus some serious luck would be tough to beat.

Just like vs Vancouver, the Hawks forward depth paid off tonight. Third line (Sharp-Hossa-Brouwer) with the first goal.

Before the game, I was thinking to myself "make Heatley play defense", and darned if it wasn't his missed coverage that led to the winning goal. He's a wizard with the puck, a virtuoso in the offensive zone, but has never gotten to be more than just average, if that, in his own zone.

Duncan Keith was awesome, yet again.

That said, I'm hunkering down for a longer series. San Jose could've made it 3-0 or 4-0 early but didn't; game 2 might play out very differently.

[GF_siouxfan]

I'd love to see the Blackhawks win it all now that the Penguins have been eliminated. I would think there's a good chance Toews brings the cup to the Ralph if that happens.

Dave if this happens you have to contact the Red Cross. This will qualify me for Emergency Leave.