NHL PLayoffs 2nd Round (R)

[Daniel from Montréal]

Predictions and discussion.

Flyers-Leafs
Lightning-Canadiens
Wings-Flames
Sharks-Avalanche

[JMU Soccer!]

Leafs over Flyers in 6
Lightning over the Habs in 6
Flames over the Wings in 6
Sharks over the Avalanche in 6

Simple predictions yes, but hot goalies beat good scoring.

[Ian McCracken]

Philadelphia over Toronto in 6
Tampa Bay over Montreal in 7
Detroit over Calgary in 7
Colorado over San Jose in 6

[BlueMeanie]

TO over Philthy in 7
TB over Habs in 5

Sharks over Avs in 6
Wings over Flameouts in 5

This is the year the Sharks finally get past the Avalanche in a playoff series...(Avs won in '02, 4-3, and in '00, 4-2).

The Sharks were by far the NHL's highest scoring first period team, and the Avs weren't so hot at the comebacks, so if SJ can take the game to Colorado early, they should do alright. However, the Sharks also have a lot of youngsters who sometimes play against the Avs like they want Sakic's autograph, so we'll have to see what happens.

[the_baron]

Predictions and discussion.

Flyers-Leafs
Lightning-Canadiens
Wings-Flames
Sharks-Avalanche

Leafs in 7.
Lightning in 6.
Wings in 5.
Avalanche in 6.

My predictions. I'm going by the formbook as I'm relatively new to Hockey.

[hangthadj]

Flyers in 6
Canadiens in 7

Wings in 7
Sharks in 6

[DevilDave]

The quick run-down from the night's action:

Flames beat Wings in OT in Game 1 at the Joe - Holy Cow(town)!

Flyers drub TO... Rest was the factor for Philly?

Sharks rout the Avs... Rough stuff at the end - but a definite message sent. :D

[BlueMeanie]

The quick run-down from the night's action:

Flames beat Wings in OT in Game 1 at the Joe - Holy Cow(town)!

Flyers drub TO... Rest was the factor for Philly?
Missed that game. Is Nolan back for Toronto yet? How 'bout Sundin?
Sharks rout the Avs... Rough stuff at the end - but a definite message sent. :D
Yep, the message being: Matt Barnaby's a ****** punk. First helping Boughner double-team Brad Stuart, then jumping on Mark Smith's back. Great to see Smitty tag him a few times. I really doubt the Avs intimidated the Sharks with that display.

Another message: Aebischer ain't Roy.

Oh, and great to see the floater Selanne continue his nothing season. Considering he's the prime reason SJ didn't get past the Avs a couple years ago (missing an empty-netter in a 1-0 game 7 loss), I hope he continues that tradition for Colorado.

[DevilDave]

Missed that game. Is Nolan back for Toronto yet? How 'bout Sundin?

Nope neither played last night. Yeah, I guess that was probably one of the key factors also... :o


Oh, and great to see the floater Selanne continue his nothing season. Considering he's the prime reason SJ didn't get past the Avs a couple years ago (missing an empty-netter in a 1-0 game 7 loss), I hope he continues that tradition for Colorado.

Absolutely. I'd love to see the Finnish Flash-in-the-pan never get his name on the Cup.

[SweetOwnGoal]

Missed that game. Is Nolan back for Toronto yet? How 'bout Sundin?

Word on the street is that Sundin will be back for game three, Nolan near the end of the round.

[Cannon]

Word on the street is that Sundin will be back for game three, Nolan near the end of the round.

Not that it will matter much since they'll be done by game 5.

The only way I see them having a chance is if Ed gets crazy hot and we lose another couple of def. players.

[SweetOwnGoal]

Not that it will matter much since they'll be done by game 5.

The only way I see them having a chance is if Ed gets crazy hot and we lose another couple of def. players.


I don't disagree. Especially now that the T.O papers are saying that Sundin is out for the series.

All these injuries at the worst time of the season...It's just like 2001 all over again.

I can't say that I couldn't see it coming though...What is the Buds average age? 55? 60?

That said...If Eddie steals game two....

[DevilDave]

The star-studded Colorado Avalanche down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks? Yeah right. And monkeys might fly out of my butt.

:eek: AGHHHH!!! What the hell was that?!!!!

:D

[SweetOwnGoal]

The star-studded Colorado Avalanche down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks? Yeah right. And monkeys might fly out of my butt.

:eek: AGHHHH!!! What the hell was that?!!!!

:D


RE: Colorado

Too many changes, too late in the season.

Oh, and that Roy guy is gone now too. That probably is a factor in the team's poor play as compared to past years.

So far, the second round is a bust. Toronto/Philly game two and Calgary/Detroit game one have been the only decent games.

If T.O can win game three that series could get real good. If not...

Montreal looks lost. I can't see the Habs coming back.

Colorado....well when was the last time a team can back from 0-3? Exactly (although, with the parity that exists right now, I think it will happen again sooner rather than later).

I think Calgary stole their game already.

On the up note, if all these series end quickly, it should make for a he!! of a third round.

[Papa Bouba Diop]

Montreal looks lost. I can't see the Habs coming back.



Tampa might be stronger, faster and more talented than Montreal, but can they swear in French? Non tabarnac.

[Jeff]

Dear Avs:

Just lose tomorrow and get it overwith. Thank you.

[Daniel from Montréal]

Well, the Habs are at another make-or-break point in the cauldron that is the Bell Centre.

Here's to 25 Cups!

[BlueMeanie]

RE: Colorado

Too many changes, too late in the season.

Oh, and that Roy guy is gone now too. That probably is a factor in the team's poor play as compared to past years.
Aebischer's no Roy, and never will be, but he's still a pretty good NHL goalie. The Avs are just getting older, plain and simple. Everyone was handing them the freaking cup "on paper" before the season started, and who could've expected they'd not really get anything from Kariya and Selanne? Forsberg's also a shadow of his former self, at least in this series. And he's acting like Tkachuk did last series, letting his little meltdowns get to his head.
Colorado....well when was the last time a team can back from 0-3? Exactly (although, with the parity that exists right now, I think it will happen again sooner rather than later).
It's happened twice, most recently in 1975 when the Islanders came back against the Penguins. The only other time was 1942, when the Leafs came back on the Wings. (source: today's SJ Mercury News)

Another interesting tidbit (this from yesterday's Merc) is that SJ-COL is only the third playoff series in NHL history that matches up two American coaches. The others were 1991 (Bob Johnson's Pittsburgh v. Mike Milbury's Boston) and 1999 (Robbie Ftorek's Devils v. Kevin Constantine's Penguins). This year's finals could potentially be the fourth series, if SJ and TB wind up making it all the way.
Dear Avs:

Just lose tomorrow and get it over with. Thank you.
I really hope that's what happens, for two reasons. First, the Sharks are really banged up and need the rest (hopefully, Detroit-Calgary will go seven). SJ went into the playoffs knowing Sturm was out for the year, but Thornton, Ricci, Ekman and McCauley have all been injured to various degrees in the playoffs. Second, the Quakes have a 1 PM game on national TV Saturday live from Spartan, and they will likely get more of a walkup crowd for the match if people don't have to debate whether to stay home and watch the Sharks (game 5 would be Sat. at noon also in SJ).

[SweetOwnGoal]

God love the Calgary Flames!

At the start of the round, I doubt that anyone would have predicted that the Canadian teams would only have two wins in eight games; and that the Flames would have both!!

He!!, maybe they can pull it off....

Imagine a Tampa, Philly, Calgary, San Jose final four. You probably could have gotten some good odds on that at the start of the season.

That said, Detroit ain't dead yet methinks. I'd like to think that the Leafs aren't either, but I'm reserving judgement on that until tomorrow night.

[DevilDave]

Well the Avs live to fight another day... but not for lack of effort on San Jose's part.

Still if the Sharks can't close out this thing Saturday, it might be time to sweat a bit in Sanazay...

And I was hoping to follow up that big USA-Mexico match with a Sharks win... :(