No, it's more like the rematch the following year, flip-flopped. The Sharks are the better team (like the Blues were then), the Blues have key players injured (like the Sharks did that year), and the Blues had to put together one hell of a run (10-4-3?) at the end of this season to even make the playoffs (like the Sharks that year). That's why I say Sharks in six this time, just like STL the last time. If you really see this is a flip-flop of 2000 (a series the Blues should have won), you're hoping for a couple serious fluke plays to get you past SJ. I doubt any Sharks defensemen will throw the puck in the net like Bergevin did, and I doubt any Blues winger will score on a blast from center ice, like Nolan in game 7 of that series. Oh, and Nabokov this year is dimensions better than Turek that year. FWiW, the Blues are the wounded animal of these playoffs, and will be really dangerous. Just like Dallas, they're better than their playoff seed indicates. Hmmm. Okay. The part about the Red Wings I understand, but I also read that as "I'd rather play the Sharks than the Canucks," and that's downright nuts. FWiW, I don't see too many fans on this board being "objective" about their first round picks; seems everyone's picking their team. And I didn't pick SJ to make the Cup finals. But I do pick them to make the conference finals, which they've never been to before...it would be the perfect, logical climax to their best season ever.
The reason I see this like the flip-flopped 2000 series is that you have a team full of veterans going up against a fairly young team that has many talented players but no real big name player. I'm not saying that it will end up with the same result, but I do think that like 2000, the lower seeded team has a good matchup considering their low seed, and that this will be a close series. Did the Sharks really make an incredible run just to make the playoffs in 2001? Blues/Sharks was a 4 vs. 5 matchup that year. Finally, I think the Blues realized that they were either playing Detroit or San Jose, and that they played their way into a position to play San Jose. Personally, I didn't think that Vancouver would get the 2nd seed anyway. EDIT: I should also add that Sturm's injury is also similar to Demitra's injury in 2000.
I am rightly p.o.'ed about the Devils slide to the sixth seed... and meeting Philly in Round 1 was just about the worst-case scenario in my mind. But I gotta remind myself, my fellow Devils fans and Flyers fans that the Devils won those playoff series against Philly in '95 and 2000, both times without home-ice advantage in the series. Can the Devils get their act in gear in time??
If the Devils win their first series, expect to see them in the Finals. History seems to dictate that.
With only a day left to fret, much of the talk in Ontario revolves around Tie Domi’s hit on Peter Bondra (which was hard, but legal) Saturday and the Sens tendency to, well, disappear during playoff series with Toronto (which is well established). It’s a shame that one of these two teams has to be eliminated after the first round (but you can say that about any of the match-ups this year). This is likely the best Toronto team in 37 years and Ottawa was (with all due respect to the Ducks) likely a game away from winning the Cup last year. Here is a sampling of articles relating to the series. Warning to American readers, there are some Canadian references in some that will make yo scratch your head. The Sandu guy is an exceptionally (even for a figure skater) effeminate figure skater who falls a lot at World Championships. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...912&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064 http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...918&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064 http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...106&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam040404/col_simmons-sun.html http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam040406/col_strachan-sun.html Ott http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...118&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064 http://www.slam.ca/Slam040406/nhl_otttor1-sun.html
FINAL: Montreal: 0 Boston: 3 Boston leads series 1-0 Nashville: 1 Detroit: 3 Detroit leads series 1-0
Tougher game than (I) expected for Detroit. Hatcher made a difference by being a big mean ******** out there, something the Wings haven't had in a while. Sweet goal by Lang.
4/7/04 FINAL: Dallas: 1 Colorado : 3 Colorado leads series 1-0 Calgary: 3 Vancouver: 5 Vancouver leads series 1-0
Maybe you won't let the lead slip on the last weekend next time! I can't wait for the series to start but am bummed by the fact that it will not be on tv tonight in my area. Oh well, I expect the series to go to 6 or 7 games so I'll still get plenty of chances to watch the Flyers beat up on the Devils.
If I didn't already have tickets to a Kings game (i.e. the Kings who aren't yet playing golf at La Quinta), I would've been watching the Devils and Sharks games this evening. Down 0-1 is not the end of the world for the Devils, but it does raise a few concerns... how well the Devils can crank it up for the playoffs sans Stevens. The Sharks are gonna put St. Loo down in 5 or 6. San Jose's youngsters are set to banish that playoff hex the Blues had on past Sharks teams.
Actually, the Sharks and Blues have only played two playoff series, with each team winning one (Sharks 2000, Blues 2001). It's Dallas who the Sharks just can't seem to solve in the playoffs (pimp-slapped in both '98 and '00), and they didn't do that well against the Stars this season, either, especially in Dallas. Good game last night, both goalies really stepped up. Good to see Niko pop home the winner in his first playoff game.
well here we go with the bull**********... we're not even halfway through game 2 and san jose is on their 10th powerplay, including a 4 minute and a 2 man advantage
And my boy Marleau with the hat-trick... The refs were calling quite a few pens against the Blues, but that's what happens when one team is mucking it up and the other feels compelled to retaliate. Let's see if the Blues get some of the refs' calls go their way back at the Savvis Center.
yeah and i love how pronger comes out the box after the 4 minute kill, gets hit in the face with a stick... and gets sent right back in for unsportsmanlike conduct
Good win for the Islanders, if the Bulin Wall wasn't playing so well, they should be up 2-0, but I'll take a split in Tampa.
What I loved was Pronger taking a run at McLaren after McLaren's CLEAN hip check on Cajanek, who had the puck. When McLaren stepped out of the way and Pronger smashed into the glass, we were laughing our asses off. Like DevilDave said, the Blues got frustrated and took loads of dumbshit penalties, like Pronger's mouthing off, and that punk Tkachuk tapping McLaren in the face with his stick after a whistle (right after McLaren hipchecked that guy and Pronger biffed going after him). Oh, and Marleau torching Pronger for the shortie (his third goal) was priceless. I hope the Sharks are more grounded than the local media, who seem to be getting a little ahead of themselves right now.
even the national media stories all mention that the officiating was one sided saturday and they RARELY do that - but hey if you think you deserved 10 power plays in the first 28 minutes... you won the freakin' game, what's it gonna hurt to admit that you got the calls?
What's it gonna hurt to admit that STL deserved some of their penalties? There were definitely some questionable calls, and a couple later against the Sharks I perceived as makeups for bad calls on the Blues. A good chunk of STL's penalties were of the brain-dead variety (Tkachuk's that I mentioned earlier, Sillinger punching Hannan after the whistle, Pronger bitching at the ref.) Obviously, the Blues were trying to get under the Sharks' skin, but they got frustrated after the early whistles against them, and then proceeded to play stupid hockey. And got what they deserved. But the way they're crying about it is pathetic. Not only are the Sharks in the Blues' heads at this point, so are the refs. Nice. Pronger was quoted after the game saying something like, "We're not going to let our anger at the refs carry over to game 3." Somehow, I doubt that's bloody likely. The Blues aren't only frustrated about the refs; in case you haven't been watching, they're pretty much getting circles skated around them by SJ, retaliating with rough, grindy play, and getting called for it. (Just like the Sharks did in '01 when they got frustrated by the more talented Blues. Like I told that other guy from MO, this is a redo of the '01 series, not the '00 series.) I doubt this series will be a sweep, especially with back-to-back games today and tomorrow.
Announcers Question Here's a random question... What has Neil Smith been up to before these playoff series? He's calling games with JP Dellacamera (I saw JP on a Thrashers broadcast). This makes it hard to concentrate on the Flyers when the voice of the NY/NJ Metrostars and the GM of the hated Rangers are talking. Is Smith thinking about getting back into the game (if not already)? One part of me thinks he'd be great for the Flyers, but then again, he has those tattoos... Thx, Jay! (now back to your regularly scheduled Hockey Chat)
Bit of a change for me today as the Devils win and the Sharks lose... Good for the Devils to grind out a win and at least make it a series. Defense is a bit suspect still, but that's the Devils offense we know and love. Tough luck for the Sharks who ran into a hard-working Blues defense that gave them few chances. They're up 2-1, but they'll need a better effort tomorrow if they want a chance to end this series early. The apropos cliche for both series... "the pivotal Game 4."
Well played by STL last night. The final shot totals didn't accurately reflect the domination, as the Sharks outshot the Blues 12-4 in the 3rd period to pull the shot stats closer. It was 25-8 in favor of STL going into the 3rd. Ouch. Good to see Osgood's not hurt, either. Creative cheers, too: "Ricci's ug-leee, Ricci's ug-leee." He is, but I've been in Missouri, and all over the midwest in general. For at least 2/3 of the fans there, this was obviously a case of "Pot, kettle. Kettle, pot." I don't believe the Sharks have lost back-to-back games all season, but I'll have to look that up. Sharks are definitely missing Alyn McCauley; hopefully his "mystery injury" will heal, but tonight it looks like rookie Marcel Goc is getting his NHL debut (according to SJ Merc).