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The Everything NHL Thread
- Thread starter Jackal
- Start date
It's pretty hard to be a great goalie when you have a bunch of red wizards taking open shots on you on breakaways.
With that said, I'm glad Detroit lost. As a Bruins fan I think that was the only team left that could beat the B's in a 7 game series. I don't want to speak too soon though.
With that said, I'm glad Detroit lost. As a Bruins fan I think that was the only team left that could beat the B's in a 7 game series. I don't want to speak too soon though.
I'm not sure where this shaky niemi stuff is coming from...he had .931 save percentage in the wings' series...He was a sieve in the kings' series sure with his amazing .863 save percentage but he DEFINITELY stepped up to the plate against the wings.
The only reason the "completely unable to maintain basic positional defense" sharks were able to compete with the wings in the last two games was Niemi stopping 42 shots in game 6 and 38 shots in game 7.
The only reason the "completely unable to maintain basic positional defense" sharks were able to compete with the wings in the last two games was Niemi stopping 42 shots in game 6 and 38 shots in game 7.
I don't think Niemi is a good goalie but I will be the first to admit that he, Joe Thornton, and Jiri Hudler were the three stars for San Jose in the series. Niemi was as good as he needed to be when the moments called for it and that's all you can ask of a goalie in the playoffs: key saves. You don't have to save them all as long as you keep your team in the game with a chance to win.
The shaky Niemi stuff comes from the juicy rebounds he still gives up every game. I don't know if it's his pads or what but it's hard for me to think of moments when he just absorbed a puck on an initial stop.. unless it was a glove save... or deflected it safely into a corner instead of back out into the slot. Again, he was great against Detroit, but his save numbers are a little inflated because the Wings just shot pucks on net at all opportunities just looking for these second chance opportunities off rebounds. It didn't cost San Jose too often because the Sharks forwards did an overall good job of making sure they back checked hard. I can think of quite a few times just in game 7 where Wings forwards had a good look but a hard back check by a Shark prevented the shot.
I'm disappointed by the outcome but not the effort. It was a great, hard fought series by two skilled hockey teams. Hell of a series.
The shaky Niemi stuff comes from the juicy rebounds he still gives up every game. I don't know if it's his pads or what but it's hard for me to think of moments when he just absorbed a puck on an initial stop.. unless it was a glove save... or deflected it safely into a corner instead of back out into the slot. Again, he was great against Detroit, but his save numbers are a little inflated because the Wings just shot pucks on net at all opportunities just looking for these second chance opportunities off rebounds. It didn't cost San Jose too often because the Sharks forwards did an overall good job of making sure they back checked hard. I can think of quite a few times just in game 7 where Wings forwards had a good look but a hard back check by a Shark prevented the shot.
I'm disappointed by the outcome but not the effort. It was a great, hard fought series by two skilled hockey teams. Hell of a series.
Antti Niemi: the first goaltender to ever win two stanley cups before being considered good
I think Niemi is kind of getting a raw look from some of the people in this thread. He is maybe the best first save goalie in the league, and other than apparently having a weakness to weird backhand snipes from outer space, he is at least among the best in the league at making the initial stop. Rebound control, obviously, is the part of his game that's often shaky, but San Jose is a big, physical team that is typically very good at making it difficult for their opponent to actually get to those loose pucks Niemi allows, making him an awfully effective goalie for the team he's playing on. The San Jose defense is protecting some of his mistakes in the same way Chicago's defense did last year, but hockey is a team sport and Niemi is proving for the second year in a row that he plays a role that can work for a winning team. If San Jose manages to "want it" as much as Chicago did last year and fights for those loose picks, Niemi is plenty to win the cup again. Outside of some bizarre releases beating him, it's pretty rare for Niemi to allow goals that he really should have had when he's on top of his game, and I think that's more key than anything in the playoffs with how much of a momentum changer allowing bad goals typically is.
I still think the Boston/Tampa Bay winner wins the cup, but Niemi and the Sharks deserve more credit than people want to give them. Detroit was the better team in Game 3 and lost, San Jose was the better team in Game 5 and lost, and 3-3 going into Game 7 was exactly what the series should have been regardless of any "choking," with the home team being better in the first six games and Game 3 and 5 cancelling out. I think the Wings probably win Game 7 without that terrible Zetterberg turnover at the end of the first(and possibly without the bizarre Cleary and Bertuzzi injuries forcing terrible ass Hudler to get way too much ice time), but that's how Game 7s tend to work -- the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. Marleau and Heatley are kind of MIA but awfully great play fromSidney Sedin Joe Thornton, Ryan Clowe, Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguichi, and especially Logan Couture, who could have about twice as many goals as he does with better bounces.
End up with two good series(which I think we might not have gotten from Detroit with now 5 of the top 6 injured, as much as Datsyuk wasn't playing like it) here. Not gonna wall of text this time but expecting Bruins over Lightning in 7 and Sharks over Canucks in 6. Former case I think the Bruins have a much better roster for playing the grinding game than either of the Southeastern playoff teams did and Tim Thomas is just as ridiculous as Rolly in the playoffs. I like the Sharks' depth at forward at lot more than the Canucks' and I think they have more people who can put the puck in the net reliably, though the defensive nod definitely goes to Vancouver in spite of Dan Boyle being the best defenseman in the series. Both series could easily go either way(and that's how it should be), it'll be fun.
I still think the Boston/Tampa Bay winner wins the cup, but Niemi and the Sharks deserve more credit than people want to give them. Detroit was the better team in Game 3 and lost, San Jose was the better team in Game 5 and lost, and 3-3 going into Game 7 was exactly what the series should have been regardless of any "choking," with the home team being better in the first six games and Game 3 and 5 cancelling out. I think the Wings probably win Game 7 without that terrible Zetterberg turnover at the end of the first(and possibly without the bizarre Cleary and Bertuzzi injuries forcing terrible ass Hudler to get way too much ice time), but that's how Game 7s tend to work -- the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. Marleau and Heatley are kind of MIA but awfully great play from
End up with two good series(which I think we might not have gotten from Detroit with now 5 of the top 6 injured, as much as Datsyuk wasn't playing like it) here. Not gonna wall of text this time but expecting Bruins over Lightning in 7 and Sharks over Canucks in 6. Former case I think the Bruins have a much better roster for playing the grinding game than either of the Southeastern playoff teams did and Tim Thomas is just as ridiculous as Rolly in the playoffs. I like the Sharks' depth at forward at lot more than the Canucks' and I think they have more people who can put the puck in the net reliably, though the defensive nod definitely goes to Vancouver in spite of Dan Boyle being the best defenseman in the series. Both series could easily go either way(and that's how it should be), it'll be fun.
See: Osgood, Chris.
Not going to make another big post but going with Bruins in 6 and Sharks in 7
CONFERENCE FINALS MATCHUPS:
Western Conference
#1 Cansucks vs. #2 Storks
Prediction: Cansucks suck it so hard and lose. Lolongo let's in 7 goals a game. Sedins no-show again, while Thornton drops a hat trick every night and also gets 37 assists in the series. Marleau proves he has heart/guts by ripping out Kesler's in a fatality after facing him in Mortal Kombat. Niemi lights out for the whole series. Despite all this, Storks find a way to choke enough to make the series go seven games.
Sharks in 7
Eastern Conference
#3 Ruins vs. #5 Dolts
Prediction: Tim Thomas - too big, too fast, too strong, TOO GOOD. Roloson gettin too old for this shit. Bruins shut down the Bolts' power play, leaving Stamkos with no goals throughout the series. Chara makes menacing gestures while pointing towards the Stanchion in every pre-game warmup, leaving the Bolts too terrified to actually play. Also, Colin Campbell suspends every Bolts player for at least a couple games.
Bruins in 6
ALTERNATE PREDICTION
#1 Cansucks vs. #2 Storks
Prediction:
OIL in 3
Western Conference
#1 Cansucks vs. #2 Storks
Prediction: Cansucks suck it so hard and lose. Lolongo let's in 7 goals a game. Sedins no-show again, while Thornton drops a hat trick every night and also gets 37 assists in the series. Marleau proves he has heart/guts by ripping out Kesler's in a fatality after facing him in Mortal Kombat. Niemi lights out for the whole series. Despite all this, Storks find a way to choke enough to make the series go seven games.
Sharks in 7
Eastern Conference
#3 Ruins vs. #5 Dolts
Prediction: Tim Thomas - too big, too fast, too strong, TOO GOOD. Roloson gettin too old for this shit. Bruins shut down the Bolts' power play, leaving Stamkos with no goals throughout the series. Chara makes menacing gestures while pointing towards the Stanchion in every pre-game warmup, leaving the Bolts too terrified to actually play. Also, Colin Campbell suspends every Bolts player for at least a couple games.
Bruins in 6
ALTERNATE PREDICTION
#1 Cansucks vs. #2 Storks
Prediction:
OIL in 3
RIP Boogieman
I should change my sig out of respect.
I should change my sig out of respect.
Go Steve Yzerman, i guess...
The best team in the WC is gone, and i don't believe either surviving team in the west deserves to win the cup. If Van hadn't choked so hard against the Hawks, i'd definitely be rooting for them. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Did anyone see this yet? I'd feel great if i was a Wild fan...
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hdpid=49&id=114221
WHAT IS UP WITH THIS LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN THE NHL AND RANGERS/FLYERS RIVALRY?! Now they're doing it for the winter classic....
The best team in the WC is gone, and i don't believe either surviving team in the west deserves to win the cup. If Van hadn't choked so hard against the Hawks, i'd definitely be rooting for them. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Did anyone see this yet? I'd feel great if i was a Wild fan...
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hdpid=49&id=114221
WHAT IS UP WITH THIS LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN THE NHL AND RANGERS/FLYERS RIVALRY?! Now they're doing it for the winter classic....
Joe Thornton is on a mission tonight. Hell of a player right now.
And Niemi is on fire. Save on Hansen (I think), was robbery, and made some great stops in the 2nd. Canucks need to take advantage of his tendency to give up rebounds, although San Jose does a great job of sweeping away any chance.
Edit: Classic San Jose choke. Gives up 2 goals in the 3rd, and then 5 giveaways in the defensive zone during their break outs. Canucks smother their defense, Thornton, Heatley, and Marleau disappear in the crucial moments.
ITS ALIVE
And Niemi is on fire. Save on Hansen (I think), was robbery, and made some great stops in the 2nd. Canucks need to take advantage of his tendency to give up rebounds, although San Jose does a great job of sweeping away any chance.
Edit: Classic San Jose choke. Gives up 2 goals in the 3rd, and then 5 giveaways in the defensive zone during their break outs. Canucks smother their defense, Thornton, Heatley, and Marleau disappear in the crucial moments.
ITS ALIVE
That was awful another blown lead. Not saying the Sharks deserved to win but how did Vancouver get 4 PPs and San Jose only got 1?. The elbowing penalty on Heatley was weak as hell and he should have had a breakaway in the 2nd but it got called offsides when the puck went entered the zone off the Canuck player.
Yeah that elbowing looked like elbowing to me. Torres` head was on the glass, and Heatley turn around and hit him with the elbow. Not saying it was intentional, but it didn't look that weak.
That blown offside call was definitely weak though. Wasn't a break away though, but regardless.
And Stallion, I didn't see the Sharks controlling the play for 40 minutes. First 10 minutes was Shark sided, and the last ten minutes of the first was even. First half of the second was Sharks, and the last half was Canucks, with Niemi coming up huge with great saves all around. Third period was just Sharks playing the disappearing act, and Canucks jumping in to cash in on it.
And Thornton looked beastly out there, except for that last 10 minutes of play. Gave our D alot of trouble, especially with his huge ass reach. He was good along the boards, and made the small plays that mattered.