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The Everything NHL Thread

So Montreal just beat Washington. Vin, stay out of downtown lol.

What I've noticed is, hockey players never response directly to their questions during post game interviews lol. All they do is ramble on about their series and how "it was a great experience." Although, playing 60 minutes of hockey will make you physically and mentally tired, so I can't blame em. It irritates me slightly though.
 
...Wow. I have no words for how the best powerplay in the league transforms into the second-to-worst as soon as we get in the playoffs.

Congrats though, Vin - your goalie is playing amazing and hopefully he'll keep that up.
 
wtfani.gif
 
Vin - Is she reacting to that ridiculous waived goal?




Anyway as much as I'd like to be bitter and spiteful considering the other 3 teams left in the east... Go Habs!
 
Synre said:
Vin - Is she reacting to that ridiculous waived goal?




Anyway as much as I'd like to be bitter and spiteful considering the other 3 teams left in the east... Go Habs!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, it's gonna be another Penguins trip to the finals, provided they play as well as they are.

The only other team I see making it out are the Habs =/ and with their offense, it's not going to happen.
 
Well, sad to see the Coyotes finally lose in Game 7 (big letdown), at least they MADE the playoffs for the first time in god knows how long; now next year's goal will be to take the division and hopefully conference title game :D
 
I'm not a big hockey fan, but based on the makeup of the two teams, I actually should not have been that shocked.

The fact is, Washington, for all its talent, is an undisciplined, unstructured offense uber alles team with no real defensive identity. They're basically the (early) Dallas Mavericks or Phoenix Suns of the NHL - all offense which makes for lots of points and wins in the regular season, until the playoffs come around and you find that what REALLY wins in the playoffs is grit, toughness, DEFENSE, and clutch play. Add to the fact they don't really have an offensive system and just rely on talent and team speed (I was always wondering why hockey looked so damn unstructured - actually, it was just the Caps) and you have a team that will not, as currently constructed, have any real playoff success.

I'm no expert by any means, but as a sports fan for a VERY long time, I know what the playoffs are, I know what generally wins in the playoffs, and I knew DAMN well that the Capitals weren't playing it, and they haven't been playing it since that team was assembled.

Basically, the following things need to happen in order to avoid consistent playoff failure, though any and all moves outside trading Ovie should be on the table.

Trade Green (he's a bad defender who gets a pass because he can score)
Trade Semin (most overrated player in the game, incredibly unclutch and generally an idiot)
Fire Boudreau (terrible coach but happens to have a team that a chimp could coach to a #1 seed in the playoffs because they have SO MUCH offensive talent
Rehire Boudreau and fire him again This guy has three, yes three Game 7 home losses in the last 3 years.

In two of those series his team had a 2 game lead in the series.

He is the worst playoff coach I have ever seen on any sport on any level, period.)
 
Halak played well, but we didn't really do much to, you know, make them work to stop our shots?

no really, we were basically throwing shit at the wall and hoping it would stick, and while he was playing VERY well, we didn't do anything other than have our forwards go 1 on 4 against their team defense and pray that a shot got through.

(if i'm wrong about stuff, forgive me, i'm like trying to understand hockey in a week so yeah)
 
Living in the Netherlands I wasn't able to watch the game. So I'm just in a cheering mood and not in any way able to see the quality of these shots. Still surprised that an all-out offensive team scored so little the last games.

Predictions without pretty images and comment since I'm at work

(4) Penguins - (8) Canadiens
Penguins in 6

(6) Bruins vs (7) Flyers
Philly in 6

(1) Sharks vs (5) Red Wings
Sharks in 7

(2) Blackhawks vs (3) Canucks
Chicago in 6
 
5 for 8 last round

Pitt > Mtl
Bruins > Philly

Red Wings > Sharks
Blackhawks > Canucks
 
Definitely seconding fire Boudreau - he didn't backcheck as a player, why would he teach his players to do so? It's probably not a coincidence the one time someone on the top two lines actually got to the net they scored(even though it was waived). It's either players not listening to him to go to the right places or bad coaching, but either way he needs to go.

I'd be fine with moving Green and possibly Semin for a decent return too, though I think the trouble is getting a decent return. Carlson was dramatically better than Green in the playoffs - I think it's definitely time for him and Alzner to take over that blue line, especially since they now have a whole year to break in before games start mattering again. Wasting valuable years of Knuble who should be declining any moment now with early exits like this, though - Caps just don't have enough net presence guys. Outside of Ovie and Backstrom they really need to juxtapose the top two lines some... ironically considering the perception of that team, the bottom two are not only fine, but great.



As far as predicts (maybe I'll add more content later)

Wings in 7
Hawks in 6
Pens in 5
Flyers in 6
 
Hey, has anyone noticed that the remaining 8 teams actually possess the seeds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8? Pretty cool! Anyway predictions will come when I'm less tired!
 
I think Washington needs the fatter coach in Hitchcock. Everything I see wrong with Washington's game is what Hitchcock specializes in (i.e. dump/chase, winning puck battles)
 
The reason washington lost is because of the powerplay. The way the habs treated it, apparently, was to stick a man on ovie and play as if it was a 4 on 3. Seemed to work.
 
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