NHL Playoffs about to start

[ClakarEQ]

Lets see if the wings can break that record from 74.

[Arlos]

ps citing other clueless people as proof isn't really helping you out

Yeah, because reporters who work at major Detroit metro area newspapers who cover the Red Wings full-time for the paper are clueless, amirite? Cause guess what, sparky, they said the call was BS too.

As for the game last night, I think (hope) it was an aberration. Sharks got complacent, had the inevitable bad night on the same night Detroit really played desperate, finally. Hopefully we can close it out back at home here tomorrow.

-Arlos

[ClakarEQ]

As I've mentioned before, I'm not saying the sharks won't win the series but the wings actually played like they normally do yesterday. I didn't really see any desperation. Yes they had to win, but the way they played last night was more typically than the first three games, but you'd have to watch them all season to see that. The sharks however I agree, they just didn't play as good as the first 3.

More than anything, even with the large margin, they didn't lax up like they had in the first 3 games, the wings stayed pretty consistent through all 3 periods.

Also, if your local broadcasters didn't mention it, they spanked the sharks more off some strategic line-up changes, and ice placement, not desperation. However the sharks coach I'm confident caught this and will make respective changes in game 5 in hopes to offset the strategy.

[Arlos]

I actually didn't watch much of last night's game at all. I turned it on when it was 4-0, watched like 5 minutes, saw the sharks had been infected by the zombie apocalypse plague, and were lurching about with no brains or coordination, turned it off, and actually went out for the evening.

Do remember, though, that the Wings playing "badly" in the first 3 games isn't just because they were somehow zapped with a de-skill-izer or something. A lot of what makes a team look bad is the other team playing well and just being a good team. Over the first 3 games, I saw the Sharks playing just enough better than the Wings to win. Both teams have amazing talent, so that's something of a wash, the sharks were just that one small notch better necessary to eke out the wins. I think the Sharks will indeed win this series. After game 2, I was just hopeful that the sharks could get a split in Detroit, and they did just that. Now they just need to take care of business at home again, and they're golden. They used the last embarrassing loss (Boyle's own goal) as the spur to reel off 6 wins in a row, hopefully they can use last night's embarrassing loss to get at least 1 win.

-Arlos

[brinstar]

are we on the actual finals yet

[Arlos]

And the sharks win the series! And win the final game on the backs of Thornton, Marleau and Nabokov, no less.

Great series, Wings. Just wasn't your year this year.

Hope you guys get Lidstrom back, much as it pains me to say it cause he's a beast to play against. It would be a loss for all of hockey if that guy retires.

Now, we just have to wait and see if Vancouver can pull off the miracle, or if it'll be Sharks/Hawks in round 3.

-Arlos

[Tuggan]

No animosity towards the Sharks. Hockey style, it's kind of like the little brother that grew up to beat the big brother at his game.

Still feel terrible officiating played way too much of a role in the series, but really doesn't matter now.

[Phlegm]

Montreal did it again. They took out the Penguins.

[Tikker]

And they kicked the shit out of them. I can't believe philly won too

[Arlos]

Philly won too, to take their series to 7 games. Can you imagine how much pressure Boston is going to be under on friday? If they lose, that's only the 4th time ever someone coughed up a 3-0 lead. Gonna be an entertaining game, for sure...

-Arlos

[Arlos]

Wow, talk about a nut punch result for Boston.... Massive pressure on them, and then they go up 3-0 in the first period, everything's looking good. Then they let it slip away, Philly comes back to go ahead 4-3 in the 3rd, and ultimately close out. Only the 3rd team in the ENTIRE history of the NHL to come back from being down 3-0. Man, fans in Boston have got to be just SICK.

So now we have what, the 7 and 8 seeds in the east? And the 1-2 seeds in the west? Insanity....

-Arlos

[Phlegm]

The too many men on the ice penalty strikes once again.

[Tikker]

it's been unbelievable

I'm not sure how the rest is going to play out, but there have been almost no stinkers for games, and it's been fantastic hockey

[Arlos]

I'd call game 4 of the Wings/Sharks game a stinker, even if you like the wings. heh. Sharks just were NOT in that game, so if you were looking for competitive hockey, that was not a game to be watching.

I think the Hawks/Sharks series is likely to be crazy. Both teams are blindingly fast, both can score goals in bunches, both have really good D-men, both have slightly suspect goaltending situations....

Honestly, I think one of the biggest difference makers will be the Sharks' ability to win draws. As could be seen in the Detroit series, even fast and skilled teams get tired out from running around, and have trouble getting as much quality offensive pressure if they're constantly having to chase the puck around, instead of winning the draw and going straight on the attack.

I give it about 90% odds that this series is going at LEAST 6 games. Also, though, I think the potential exists that one team will find a gear the other just can't match, and it will be over in 4, maybe 5. Not a huge chance of this, but it exists.

I'm calling it Sharks in 7.

And in the SCFs, they will end up playing.... Montreal.

-Arlos

[Tuggan]

Fucking Sharks. Every time I put a little bit of faith in them they choke on my dick. Swept by the Hawks, that's embarrassing.

Unless the Habs can pull off yet another insane comeback, at least I got one pick right this year with the Flyers.

[brinstar]

Sharks in 7

i only caught the 3rd period (had to finish the cubs game!) and while san jose had some great penalty kills, chicago just wore them down in the end. plus, not much you can do about an empty-net goal ;\

[Arlos]

Well, as I said, it was either gonna go for 4 games or 7. This was, despite being a sweep, a really close series.

Game 1, the sharks really carried the play all game, but the Hawks goalie stole the game, basically.

Game 2, the sharks stunk.

Game 3, it went to OT. Sharks easily could have won that game

Game 4, Sharks had a 2-0 lead, and were dominating the play for the first 2 periods, but coughed up the lead.


Couple breaks go the other way, and the sharks are up 3-1, or are tied 2-2.


Gonna be an interesting offseason. I think we keep Marleau, he finally woke up this round, but at a reasonable cap number. Pavelski & Seto are due big raises. I think Nabby leaves.

-Arlos

[Atalya]

Sharks choke every year unfortunately. Other then Blake no one on the team has a winning attitude. You could tell they were going to mail it in from the tone Joe had after the last game .Talking about they are happy to be in the conference finals is defeatist talk. And from a guy that had 1 career playoff goal until round 2 of this year? Until they get rid of nabokov (who always collapses when the games on the line) and get some fire into the team with a marquee player that plays with some heart and emotion rather then the silent giant and the mercenary (heatly) they'll never win a cup.