2012 Playoffs Thread

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:26 pm

Who ya got?

Rangers over Blues in the Finals in 6...King Henrik wins the Conn Smythe

I have the Wings going out in 7 against Nashville. The Wings are too different of a team on the road and the Preds have a great power play. Rinne vs. Howard is a virtual wash but the Preds look hungry and the Wings go in dinged up and limping. This also might be their chance to surprise everyone because Helm should be back for Game 2...could have their full lineup then. I really wonder which Wings team will show up. They've got some of the best playoff performers but a guy like Franzen can also be the invisible man and do absolutely nothing. The Wings have the experience but the Preds appear primed to finally pop the Wings for the first time in the postseason.

Penguins-Flyers is the tastiest first round matchup...great feud building from the end of their recent meeting where little Joe Vitale damn near wiped a quarter of the Flyers lineup and then Bylsma and Laviolette shout over the glass at each other...a la Crawford v. Bowman in the glory days of the Wings-Avs rivalry. I've got the Pens in 7...Neal should be ready for Game 1 and Crosby has to stay up right. Malkin vs. Giroux...a dynamite matchup at center. Fleury vs. Bryzgalov...big advantage for the Pens because Bryz has shown the last two years to pee down his leg in the opening round.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:18 pm

If the regular season series means anything to this matchup, the Flyers have the upper hand.
But the NHL Playoffs are a different animal and the intensity is top-notch.
Hoping the Flyers take this in 6 and the more importantly, the refs let them play.

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 · Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:58 pm

I am rooting for Philly in this series. For no other reason than to see Lemieux cry like the pussy he is. And to see that faker Letang get a 5 minute major for douching. Oh yeah, and because the NHL will call bullshit penalties on Philly to improve the Face Of The NHL's chances of moving on to Rd 2. Fuck Cindy Crosby. Bitch.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:43 am

Nice one Jim.

Hoping the Rangers can make another run. They'll go as far as Lundqvist can take them. Having Richards there will help as well.

I like Nashville out of the West.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:23 pm

Great start to the series so far...major hostility building up in several of the series and a lot of games going OT. This is when parity is great...very competitive games and series. Only two series went 2-0 and those went by way of the road team winning both and Jersey can make it three today.

Big one today in Motown at noon...Wings could've won both games in Nashville, didn't get the bounces their way on Wednesday. 0-for-12 for the Preds #1 PP...that's been the difference in the series. If the Wings PK continues to thrive, they'll win this series.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:09 pm

This Flyers-Pens series is wild...most entertaining sweep ever.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:11 pm

Shoalzie wrote:This Flyers-Pens series is wild...most entertaining sweep ever.

You know you have a great series when guys celebrate goals by fighting.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:44 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote:
Shoalzie wrote:This Flyers-Pens series is wild...most entertaining sweep ever.
You know you have a great series when guys celebrate goals by fighting.

Crosby is proving without a doubt what a bitch he is and it's a shame that NHL is still trying to protect him.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:00 am

Please explain.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:32 am

Screw_Michigan wrote:Please explain.

Explain how Crosby is a bitch or that the NHL is protecting him?

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 · Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:48 pm

I can't wait to watch the latest Mario Lemieux "I am quitting the NHL" presser after his team of bitches gets swept.

Yet another scumbag player (Neal) took a blatant cheapshot on an opposing team's player yesterday. How many careers have to end before this team of thugs gets recognized for what they are? Shittsburgh is the dirtiest team of douches in the history of the league.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:04 pm

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 wrote:I can't wait to watch the latest Mario Lemieux "I am quitting the NHL" presser after his team of bitches gets swept.

Yet another scumbag player (Neal) took a blatant cheapshot on an opposing team's player yesterday. How many careers have to end before this team of thugs gets recognized for what they are? Shittsburgh is the dirtiest team of douches in the history of the league.

Actually, Neal took 2 cheap/headshots and deserves to be suspended for his actions but given the way Shanahan handled Weber's case, I doubt Neal gets more than a max fine.
(go to 3:15 for the second hit)

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:16 pm

jiminphilly wrote:
Screw_Michigan wrote:Please explain.
Explain how Crosby is a bitch or that the NHL is protecting him?

How the NHL is protecting him. I know they are, I'm asking how.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 9:43 pm

The league isn't protecting him...he's just acting like a wanker.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:41 pm

Fucking Rangers....try and win an overtime game guys......Kings-Vancouver series isn't over either. all the pressure is now on the kings and hopefully they don't choke it away.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:05 pm

The Wings are the first team to bite the dust. Three straight years of not getting past the second round...they need some tweaking. They've milked it enough with this group and they looked very slow against the Preds. Not having Eaves and Helm on the third and fourth line doesn't help. I'm expecting Holmstrom to retire and Stuart to sign with a West coast team to be closer to his family. Lidstrom's future is up in the air...sounds like he will play but he's not said otherwise. I don't want Hudler back. The dream targets in the offseason are Suter and Parise.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:46 pm

Even though, I'm not fond of the Blues through the years but the Sharks have been a nemesis of the Wings so I'm not sad to see them get bounced.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:42 am

KC Scott wrote:Blues win a series for first time in 10 years - fucking aye!

FIRE LEEEEERY!

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:12 pm

RACK that reset...don't forget about BRING BACK THE ORGAN!

Where ya at, 314?

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:17 pm

Shoalzie wrote:Even though, I'm not fond of the Blues through the years but ~~the Sharks~~ all playoff opponents have been a nemesis of the Wings so I'm not sad to see them get bounced.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:12 am

Laxplayer wrote:Fucking Rangers....try and win an overtime game guys.

They blew both of those games in regulation.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:31 pm

Weird call on the kicked-in goal (and there's no other way to describe it than that). At least it doesn't cost the Rangers the game in the end. There's been all the talk about the length of suspensions which is subjective but to me that goal call was black and white and yet, they still screwed it up with replay.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:36 pm

Shoalzie wrote:Weird call on the kicked-in goal (and there's no other way to describe it than that). At least it doesn't cost the Rangers the game in the end. There's been all the talk about the length of suspensions which is subjective but to me that goal call was black and white and yet, they still screwed it up with replay.

I don't think so. The last angle they showed (briefly), the skate didn't touch the puck, it passed over it. The goalie knocked the puck in with his stick. Replay absolutely got it right.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:23 pm

This angle makes it look like he whiffed when kicking at the puck...

This one implies he kicked it but what does make it questionable that his skate was off the ice.

Either way, the goal didn't decide the game so it's a mild contraversy at best.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 5:25 pm

The part that kills me is the intentional interference Neal had with his stick preventing Lundquist from moving.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:56 am

Laxplayer wrote:The part that kills me is the intentional interference Neal had with his stick preventing Lundquist from moving.

This ^^^^

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:31 pm

A great way to cap an exciting first round with twin Game 7s. It was a dull game last night with an exciting OT...props to the Caps on dethroning the champs.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Thu May 03, 2012 8:42 pm

Can the Kings put a dagger in the Blues by winning tonight and can the Rangers keep the momentum going after 3 OT's?

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Fri May 04, 2012 6:36 pm

What's actually a worse punishment...having to sit out a game for breaking team rules or being left out of the because your team feels they can win without you? If the Preds tie the series...do they even bother bringing either guy back into the lineup? Crazy that a team can play better without two of their top 4 playoffs scorers out.

The Kings look like that classic example of a team playing their best hockey at the right time. They have to be the favorite to get out of the West at this point.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Tue May 08, 2012 2:42 am

Kings are absolutely playing the best hockey out of anyone right now. Rangers dodged a big one tonight by scoring with 6.6 seconds left they winning in OT. Looks like it may be a rematch of 1994 Rangers-Devils....Matteau, matteau, matteau........Granted the Rangers need one more and the Caps won't roll over.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue May 08, 2012 12:01 pm

Coyotes-Kings...raise of hands, who had that one before the playoffs? Thought so...

Smith vs. Quick is going to be great.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Tue May 08, 2012 2:32 pm

Shoalzie, once the Kings took the first two in vancouver I had a feeling they could win that series and as you know once a team in the playoffs gets on a roll the sky's the limit. Hot goalie, timely scoring, great penalty kill and you have a formula for success. That's what the Kings have now.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Tue May 08, 2012 2:43 pm

Laxplayer wrote:Granted the Rangers need one more and the Caps won't roll over.

I don't know. I think Game 6 is gonna have a bad crowd. Lots of tight assholes and people waiting for bad shit to happen as they expect it will. Caps fall behind, the fans will stick a fucking fork in them.

I don't think I've ever seen a worse meltdown than what I saw last night. Just a kick in the fucking nuts.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Tue May 08, 2012 3:01 pm

Melrose made a good point that they bounced back from the 3OT game, however I think this one stings a bit more because they had the game won. Bad penalty, lucky goal by richards and all the momentum swung towards the Rangers. I think ovechkin has one of those dominant games in game in #6 and it goes back to MSG for game #7.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:23 am

Caps got off to a good start after a brutal penalty call by the ref.

Not too surprised by the result. The Rangers could learn a few things from the Caps about how to move guys around on the PP to get open shots.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Thu May 10, 2012 2:27 am

MuchoBulls wrote:The Rangers could learn a few things from the Caps about how to move guys around on the PP to get open shots.

I'm just as surprised as you are, first time all playoffs we've seen that (and of course the two-goal lead). Two of six games they've come out with great urgency, this time they dominate the whole game.

Crap shoot Saturday night, still.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Fri May 11, 2012 4:54 pm

flip a coin over this one. If the Rangers can get folks in front of the net then good, but if they're just going to fire away from long range with no screen then it's going to be tough.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Sat May 12, 2012 2:44 am

Laxplayer wrote:flip a coin over this one. If the Rangers can get folks in front of the net then good, but if they're just going to fire away from long range with no screen then it's going to be tough.

You may be asking too much to get someone in front of the net.

Gaborik has been the usual invisible man in both rounds (Richards did all the work on the Game 3 OT goal). I don't know how he can look down the bench and see a guy like Kreider, who has played about a dozen game in the league, out working him every game and not be ashamed of himself.

Laxplayer · Post by **Laxplayer** » Sat May 12, 2012 4:04 am

Kreider is a kid who wants to make a name for himself, therefore tons of hustle and work. Upset with a guy like Gaborik.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Sun May 13, 2012 2:50 am

Gaborik actually showed up in Game 7. Good things happen when you get to the net.

Looking forward to playing the Devils.