NHL Playoffs about to start

[Arlos]

Predictions and thoughts?

I'll predict more later, for now, I'm saying Sharks over Avs in 5.

-Arlos

[Tikker]

If luongo gets hot Canucks will be tough to beat. I dunno I am not really sure who's going to go deep

[ClakarEQ]

Not very likely I know, but I'd like the wings to take it all the way :p

[Tikker]

They're hot at the right time. I'm sure no one wants them in the first round

[Durothil Skyreaver]

Not very likely I know, but I'd like the wings to take it all the way :p

I'd like to see them crash and burn. Nothing would please me more.

I like to see the Pens repeat, but its not going to happen. As long as someone other than Detroit wins it'll be all good. Capitals maybe.

[Tuggan]

Not very likely I know, but I'd like the wings to take it all the way :p

CONSPIRACY TIME!! It bugs the fuck outta me that Phx is contending for a cup on the NHL's dime, while they're trying desperately to keep the bullshit team in Phoenix. If there's a buncha fishy bullshit calls in the series I'm going to rape Gary Bettman.

I'll post first round predictions:

Sharks over Avs in 5
Hawks over Nashville in 5
Kings over Canucks in 6
Wings over Coyotes in 6

Caps over Canadiens in 5
Philly over NJ in 6
Buffalo over Boston in 6
Penguins over Senators in 5

I'm thinking Detroit and Buffalo in the final.
Although the possibility of round 3 between Detroit and Pittsburgh is high. I kind of get the feeling Pittsburgh has been taking it easy waiting for the playoffs.
My two "dark horses" to go deep are Philly and LA.
Sharks are out in the 2nd round Probably die laughing if they lose to the Avalanche.

[Tikker]

good god the games have been great

[Arlos]

They have been really good. Starting today, every single series that had HAD 2 games so far was 1-1. I've been pretty surprised by how well Phoenix is handling the Wings so far, actually. Saw their Game 3 today, and Phoenix won pretty handily. Really wasn't that close.

Nashville crushing Chicago in the 1 game they had so far was also a surprise. We'll see how things go in their G2 tonight.

Now, if the Sharks can only get their shit together.....

-Arlos

[Tikker]

they'll have to do that in the offseason by picking up a playoff goalie and an emotional leader for the team

[Tikker]

lol@sharks

[Phlegm]

The Sharks are cursed!!!

[Tikker]

I can't get over the number of "too many men on the ice" penalties so far this year

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw 3 in a playoff year, let alone multiple times per night like this year

it's just unreal

some of the them have been a bit picky, but there's been some really blatant ones too

[Arlos]

Now there, FINALLY, was a good game from the Sharks. Nabokov was great. Of course, our first line still hasn't been up to snuff. (Though, to be fair, it looks like Heatley is playing on 1 leg, and Marleau DID finally score). On the plus side, however, the Setoguchi/Pavelski/Clowe line has been truly awesome. Pavelski has really taken it to a new level this year (cliched as that expression is), what with his rock-solid Olympic performance and now him being completely Mr. Clutch in the playoffs. Game tying goal in the last 30 seconds, overtime winner... Oh yeah, he is going to be due a BIG raise in a year or two for sure. Sharks will close it out on Saturday, I think. Denver put up a good fight, to be sure, but they're worn down and injured at this point. They'll be scary next year for sure, though. Closing it out tomorrow would give the Sharks a couple days to get some rest, and hopefully let Heatley get closer to 100%, which is for sure gonna be necessary in Round 2.

I'm actually surprisingly confident with the Sharks in Round 2, oddly enough. I mean, none of the teams they'd face in round 2 have a goalie who is at all likely to be the equal of how Anderson has played in this series. I mean, he is pretty much the sole reason this thing isn't long over. The sharks have nearly a 2-1 shot advantage, it's just Anderson has been playing utterly out of his head. Also, consider the 2 games the Sharks DID lose. 1 of them came on a fluky deflection off Blake's skate. The other was Boyle's own goal. Just by the laws of chance, there's unlikely to be as many flukes in the next round, which certainly would be a good thing...


In other news, I'm pretty damn surprised that Philly took out NJ so easily. Guess I'm not that surprised they won the series, since as I recall, Philly had a winning record against NJ this season, yes? But to win it in 5 games? oof.

Congrats too to Ottawa for extending their series in that 3OT marathon.

Oh, and did anyone, ANYWHERE expect Phoenix/Detroit to be at 2-2 after 4 games? Or hell, Chicago/Nashville to be the same way? I'm pretty damn shocked at both, actually. Kings/Canucks, that I kinda expected, but the other two series?

Lastly, it's interesting how the series worked out. All 8 were 1-1 after 2 games. After 4 games, every single East coast series was 3-1, and every single West coast series was 2-2.

Anyone else have thoughts/comments?

-Arlos

[Phlegm]

Pavelski is going to be a restricted agent this year so he doesn't have to wait that long for a raise.

[Tikker]

I think you're reading the 2nd round matchups wrong arlos

imagine if colorado (not denver for shame) could manage the same number of shots on sieve nabby?

sharks would be out in 4 games


in all reality I don't really care who wins this season, so I'm just sitting back and enjoying the best game each night, and rooting for indivual players that I like, or used to play with

[Arlos]

I don't know that you can really call Nabby a sieve this playoffs. Sure, game 2, but I dunno what was up that game, cause Anderson gave up 6 that game.

Nabby's stats so far these playoffs:

Save %: 0.931
Goals Against Average: 1.72


Compare those to other bigger name goalies these playoffs. Hell, look at Ryan Miller, he's at 2.26 GAA and .927 save %. Hell, Anderson, who has been playing insanely well by any standard, and his numbers are 2.54 and 0.937. Sure, Nabby has faced a lot fewer shots than Anderson, but he's saving the ones that come in on him at almost exactly the same rate that Anderson is. Just 0.006 difference. Hardly sievelike.

Was Nabby bad in the Olympics? Oh sure, yes. That game vs Canada he had an awful game. But if you look at the stats, he's actually doing really well in these playoffs.

As for goalies in the 2nd round, who has a stellar goalie among the other teams? I might give you Luongo, but there is no scenario in which the Sharks could face Vancouver in round 2, no matter who wins any of the series.

In any case, given how well the Pavelski line is playing, if the Marleau/Thornton line gets its shit together in round 2 onward, the Sharks have a real chance to go a long way.

-Arlos

[Tikker]

The sharks have 3 of the top 5 all time greatest playoff chokers. Just give up now before your hopes are crushed again

[brinstar]

used to play with

??

[Arlos]

Well, Sharks closed it out pretty convincingly. Pavelski was insane this series. He's got to be in the early Conn Smyth conversation for sure.

But man, those were 2 nut-punch games in other series, weren't they? First, the Nashville/Chicago game... To have Erat fuck up and not sit on the puck, letting Chicago take it down-ice and score the tying goal with 15 seconds left, and then win in OT... Man, talk about a complete reversal of fortune... And then there was the Ottawa/Pens game, where Ottawa managed to choke away a 3-goal lead and lose in OT. At least there, it wasn't a last second thing when it was tied, but still...

Watching Detroit/Phoenix right now, and man, Phoenix is CRUSHING Detroit. 5-1. I don't think I'll surprise anyone when I say I'd much rather the Sharks face Phoenix in round 2 than Detroit... So, for now anyway, GO PHOENIX! rofl. For that matter, Go Kings and Go Predators! (I am 95% sure the preds are done in 6 though, I would be pretty shocked if they even forced a game 7, much less won the series. If they'd won that nut punch game, I liked their chances. But now? No.)

-Arlos

[Tikker]

you realize phoenix won 50 games this season, yes?

they're for real

[Tikker]

Canucks close out the kings tonight. Kings showed their age in the last couple games

[Arlos]

Oh sure. I also know that they went 2-4 against the Sharks this season, and I think we match up better against them, especially considering their lack of playoff experience when compared to Detroit's than we do against Detroit.

I agree with you about the Kings though. I thought they had a shot at the upset before the series started, but they got worn down much like the Avs did against the Sharks.

I'm still hoping the Preds can at least force Chicago to a 7th game, but after that big a nut punch game, I am not holding my breath.

-Arlos

[Tuggan]

I think I could hear the "oh shit" all the way from San Jose here in Detroit.

[ClakarEQ]

It was great to see the wings just stomp on phoenix last night. The wings broke a record going back to 1964, this was the first time since then that they won an away game 7 .

[Durothil Skyreaver]

Haha wow, what a comeback for Montreal.