NHL Playoffs -- Conference Finals

[BlueMeanie]

No upsets.

TB over Philly in 6
Sharks over Calgary in 7

If TB and SJ keep playing like they do when they're "on," they've got the best chances. Although I wouldn't mind an SJ/Philly final, one for the Primeau v. Primeau angle, two for the fact Philly has been the Sharks' bitch in recent years.

SJ - Calgary will be interesting, at least in San Jose, because Daryl Sutter is of course the ex-coach here (fired last year and replaced by current coach Ron Wilson), Miikka Kiprusoff used to be Nabokov's caddie, and Sean Donovan and Dave Lowry were both popular role players here. Sutter, who's still massively popular here, will be much better at matching up lines vs. the Sharks than Granato and the Avs were. FWiW, season series was 2-2, Calgary winning the first two, and San Jose taking the last two.

[BlueMeanie]

Bump. TB-Philly game 1 in less than an hour.

Hilariously, the local newspaper out here talked about how Philly's a "favorite" in this series (just like the Sharks-Divealanche series, when Colorado was considered a "favorite" even though they were the lower seeded team).

FWiW, Tampa Bay beat Philly all four times they played in the regular season, outscoring them 18-8. Like the Sharks, TB proves that the best defense is possessing the puck for most of the game. Should be a good series if Philly can somehow avoid going home down 2-0.

[Quakes11]

Game 1 of the East was very tight checking and for the most part dominated by Tampa.

Game 1 of the West was open fast and very physical (one of the best games ive seen this year). Sharks controlled more of the play but sharks defense tends to be out of position just one or two too many times a game.

in both games some of the big stars were silent; iginla, marleau, damphousse, st louis, lecavier, recci.... that will prolly change

Game 2 the sharks will turn it around with me sitting in 226!

[BlueMeanie]

Game 1 of the West was open fast and very physical (one of the best games ive seen this year). Sharks controlled more of the play but sharks defense tends to be out of position just one or two too many times a game.
That was a beautiful playoff game yesterday. But the Sharks must finish on more of the chances they create. The "shots on goal" and "scoring chances" stats, even though tilted towards SJ, didn't describe how much more the Sharks had the puck than Calgary. And they should keep doing whatever it was they did yesterday to render Iginla pretty much a non-factor (until the very last play, and that goal Iggy assisted on was due more to a blown line change than anything else).

[ZeekLTK]

Ugly game 2 in the east. Flyers won (or at least were up when I stopped watching with 6 minutes left in the game) 6-1. Several fights broke out, lots of players got ejected... midway through the 3rd period both teams had combined for over 90 penalty minutes! Just ugly... even for hockey. :p

[DCU9ted]

After watching Game 2, I have determined that Brashear is nothing but a goon. After rejecting a purposed fight by Dingman, he goes around the ice clotheslining Tampa Bay players and still refused to fight after his cheap tactics leaving Tampa Bay shorthanded. I dont like Tampa Bay either so my view is unbiased. If he keeps these cheap strategies going someone is gonna use their stick to knock him out again...

[DoyleG]

A little humour for the playoffs.

http://calgary.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ca_bet20040511

[BlueMeanie]

After watching Game 2, I have determined that Brashear is nothing but a goon.
I determined that seven or eight years ago.

Boy, are the Sharks ******* up. TOTALLY outplayed last night. Instead of realizing Calgary's first goal was a completely lucky fluke, they got down in the dumps about it and never recovered. And what's the deal with Shean Donovan? When he was on the Sharks, he got tons of breakaways, and almost always shot the puck right off the goalie's chest or blockers. Last night, he looked like Gretzky. Prick.

[BlueMeanie]

TB pulls away from PHI 4-1. It was 2-0 Bolts going into the 3rd, but Keith Primeau scored really early in the period to pull Philly back into it. However, Vincent Lecavalier scored immediately after it, off a beautiful breakaway pass from Martin St. Louis (looked like a two-line pass to me, but the refs didn't call it). After that, the Flyers were demoralized. Series 2-1 TB.

And, speaking of demoralized, Calgary looked really frustrated during and after tonight's 3-0 Sharks win (Korolyuk 2g, Damphousse 1g). Like Game 1, Sharks totally outplayed Calgary, who looked confused most of the game. Unlike Game 1, Sharks won. Series 2-1 Flamers.

[SweetOwnGoal]

And, speaking of demoralized, Calgary looked really frustrated during and after tonight's 3-0 Sharks win (Korolyuk 2g, Damphousse 1g). Like Game 1, Sharks totally outplayed Calgary, who looked confused most of the game. Unlike Game 1, Sharks won. Series 2-1 Flamers.

?

Perspective is a funny thing. Calgary out shot San Jose 35-23! Nabokov was incredible.

That isn't to say that the Sharks didn't do some good things. They were standing up on the blue line all game; I'd love to see how many times the Flames went offside. They played a good, safe, road game and took advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves.

Oh, and they had the goaltending.

Calgary has been funny at home this playoff. They have struggled to score and have not looked as strong as they have on the road.

The PP has been horrible for both teams so far (I think they are a combined 0-16 or something). If one of the teams gets that going, it could be the difference).

[BlueMeanie]

?

Perspective is a funny thing. Calgary out shot San Jose 35-23! Nabokov was incredible.
Shot total does not equal dominance. The Sharks had the puck more often and had most of the serious offensive threats.

The PP has been horrible for both teams so far (I think they are a combined 0-16 or something). If one of the teams gets that going, it could be the difference).
The Sharks usually have a good PP; that's why the SJ fans were booing them off the ice at the end of the second period in game 2, after back-to-back PPs with zero shots. The Flames were 0-17 on the PP against Detroit, and are still anemic on the PP now (knocks on wood...).

[Glenwood Lane United]

However, Vincent Lecavalier scored immediately after it, off a beautiful breakaway pass from Martin St. Louis (looked like a two-line pass to me, but the refs didn't call it).

I thought his skate was down on his side of the red line when he took the pass.

I also thought that Tampa's 4th goal was the prettiest I've seen in the playoffs.

[Glenwood Lane United]

Shot total does not always equal dominance. The Sharks had the puck more often and had most of the serious offensive threats. )[/i].

Adjusted you post a bit, but I do agree, especially when a team has the lead. A team behind a goal will pretty much throw anything at the net, while the team ahead can play defense first and attempt to counter.

A save on a breakaway counts the same as a save from center ice.

I chart shots for a junior team; sometimes the shots on goal is indiciative of which team controls the game, sometimes not.

[DevilDave]

I only caught snippets of the first two periods this afternoon as I was flipping between the Sharks and the Sacramento Kings' win this afternoon. But it was obvious that San Jose was rather workmanlike in pouncing on Calgary's mistakes and fed on the negative energy from the "Sea of Red."

With the teams arriving the Bay Area this evening and going again tomorrow night, I'm curious to know who the back-to-back, two-city hop affects more. It'll be quite a game at the Shark Tank tomorrow night with the series now 2-2.

[BlueMeanie]

Was in downtown SJ at lunchtime today, and Shean Donovan, Jarome Iginla, Andrew Ference and some other Flame (presumably) walked by us going east on Santa Clara Street. Then, at the Britannia Arms (the joint Owen Nolan owns), Don Cherry and Ron MacLean came in for lunch just as we were leaving.

Home ice win would be nice tonight.

[USAsoccer]

I just wanted to pay a quick visit here. I am glad to see that there are other hockey fans around here.

I have had Lightning season tickets for two seasons. I really beleive that the winner of tomorrow night's game will win the Cup. Tampa has to find a way to control Philadelphia's tempo, and impose their will on the Flyers. That means that Tampa has to be willing to lay the body on the Philly forwards and get their forecheck game going...

Any thoughts?

[SweetOwnGoal]

I. I really beleive that the winner of tomorrow night's game will win the Cup. ....snip...

Any thoughts?


Yes...

Ignore Calgary at your own peril.

It's hard to get a real good feel for the Tampa/Philly series. Just when it appears that one team is going to pull away, the other fights back. I see seven games. With apologies to you, I also see Philly coming out ahead.

The Flyers can't win the Cup can they? I mean, it's Philly!?!

[Ian McCracken]

What a freaky series this Calgary-San Jose one has turned out to be. Neither team can win at home. Calgary looks like they're going to take game 5, with 12 minutes left they are up 3-0. I'm betting the road win streaks end in game 6 and Calgary closes out San Jose.

[Foots]

I'm sure Tampa Bay will find out a way to finish off the Flyers. You will not win the Cup by banging your way through it, you'll need to play really good hockey to win.

That is just my opinion of course.

[BlueMeanie]

What a freaky series this Calgary-San Jose one has turned out to be. Neither team can win at home. Calgary looks like they're going to take game 5, with 12 minutes left they are up 3-0. I'm betting the road win streaks end in game 6 and Calgary closes out San Jose.
Looks like it. Sharks have gotten in 2-0 first period holes in each of three home games. Not looking good, and they were totally outplayed tonight.