AdmirableSnackbar: It must have been terrible for Recchi to have gone 5 whole years without winning the Cup.

i know i know

but he was all old and retiring and stuff... it was nice.

ontariolightning: killershark: ontariolightning: I've never been so happy to see anyone get to lift the cup than I have when I saw Bourque hoist it

It was good. It was really good. But as a Detroiter, I have to say there was something special about watching Steve Yzerman hoist it for the first time -- and in Detroit no less. I know Bourque had to leave Boston to get his Cup and I don't blame him one bit, but there was something so amazing about the Wings breaking their Cup drought with Stevie at the helm.

Sakic, Yzerman, Bourque, Brind' Amour, Selanne all brought tears to me eyes

Even Hossa did .. it's all he wanted and tried desperately to get it jumping team to team!

Very true! Although you have to give him credit. After a year in Pittsburgh -- losing the Cup -- and a year in Detroit -- also losing the Cup -- he went to Chicago on a multi-year deal and put his faith in a young core on a team that hadn't won a Cup in decades.

Sakic I give a "meh" but like I said, I'm from Detroit so that's just a reflex.

Smiths: AdmirableSnackbar: It must have been terrible for Recchi to have gone 5 whole years without winning the Cup.

i know i know

but he was all old and retiring and stuff... it was nice.

I understand, I'm just a little bitter that he didn't do it in Philly during one of his, what, 12 stints with the Flyers?

AdmirableSnackbar: Smiths: AdmirableSnackbar: It must have been terrible for Recchi to have gone 5 whole years without winning the Cup.

i know i know

but he was all old and retiring and stuff... it was nice.

I understand, I'm just a little bitter that he didn't do it in Philly during one of his, what, 12 stints with the Flyers?

i concur with that thought

SultanofSchwing: Your search - "leafs playoff beards" - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

- Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
- Try different keywords.
- Try more general keywords.
- Give up already, it's been 45 years.

I'm so stealing this....Lol

Remarkable_Anus: SultanofSchwing: Your search - "leafs playoff beards" - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

- Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
- Try different keywords.
- Try more general keywords.
- Give up already, it's been 45 years.

I'm so stealing this....Lol

Loomy: dletter: Just a question from someone who only tangentially follows hockey.....

It seems like these upsets, especially even 8 over 1 series upsets, happen much more in hockey than in like baskeball, or other sports. I am just wondering if there is anything about how the game is played that does that... I mean, obviously, not to the extent of soccer maybe, but, certainly more than other sports, every "score" is important, since there are so few of them. It is much easier for a "lesser" team to get a few lucky games where they can get more goals and pull off an upset? Are there just a lot of bad player matchups for the #1 seeds against the 8's lately? Are #8 seeds in hockey not as "worse" than a #1 vs. other sports?


In my mind, there are 3 components, and you touched on them all:

- goal importance: as you said, since there are only 5 +/- 4 goals per game, skewing lower in the playoffs (Pens-Flyers notwithstanding), each one is very important, so a team that wouldn't necessarily be 'better' than another over a season, can manage to take 4 of 5 or 6 by buckling down and hoping for breaks.

- bad matchups: the Kings were waaay better than the 8 seed to close the season, but they scored so poorly through January that they were stuck in that 3/7/8 hole no matter what they did. This was a situation where the Canucks came up against a team with more momentum than they had, and much more ability than a typical 8 seed. The Penguins did a similar thing a few years ago when they fired Therrien and hired Bylsma after sucking for months, and went on to almost win the division (finishing 4th), and made the Finals.

- parity: especially in the went, the divide between the top 4, 6, or 8 teams (depending on the year) is very slim. The Kings could've been the #3 seed were it not for Clowe's cheeky play from the bench, and Sharks, were it not for their inherent Sharkiness, could've easily upset the Blues. Compared to the NBA, the playoff parity in the NHL is so great as to render s ...

Those are basically the reasons why I stated that the Canucks - Kings series was not going to be an easy win for Canucks BEFORE the playoffs started. Yet on this board as well as on reddit, fans of VAN and other fans were citing the winning streak that VAN took into playoffs and the lack of scoring on the Kings' side as reasons for a quick and easy series for the Canucks. Some of those fans even broke down the games of winning streak for VAN and argued that they were played against teams fighting for a playoffs spot even if they didn't manage to get there like Avs and Stars and Flames.

My analysis might have been considred bias since I am a Kings fan but I've been watching hockey for 20+ years with very few winning seasons by my favorite team. I can analyze the Kings without bias and I can be pretty spot on about my predictions when it comes to the Kings. The Carter trade was a game changer for the Kings and even if Carter's name is not usually on the scoring list after a game, with him in the lineup top checking lines and top defensive lines no longer can be automatically be matched up with Kopi's line. And guess what? Just like in the games since the trading deadline, the top line as well as the 3rd and 4th lines have produced in this playoffs series on the score sheet while Richards/Carter line has had very little impact if all you do is read the box score. However, this series would not have been won without the work both those guys put in every single night and I am very happy to have them both on the team. (If Gagne would be back on the line with those two then I'd say the Kings are a serious cup contender).

TJWitz: ISO15693: TJWitz: ISO15693: These playoffs are the new bizarro NHL

Detroit, San jose, Vancouver, Pittsburgh - probably the best 4 teams in the NHL - are the first 4 teams out?

Uh...., no.

/SJ isn't even top 10

Lets agree to disagree.

You honestly think SJ is top 4 but Nashville isn't? Are you going for a homer merit badge or something?

Shhh....just wait until he loses his mind when the Blues win the cup.

Alfie is playing tonight and Hagelin is back from suspension
No Boyle

And the game is in Ottawa.. this could be the biggest upset of the playoffs
other than Caps possibly eliminating the Bruins in

ontariolightning: And the game is in Ottawa.. this could be the biggest upset of the playoffs
other than Caps possibly eliminating the Bruins in

The elimination of Vancouver (President's Trophy) and Pittsburgh (consensus Cup-favorite at start of playoffs) are already bigger upsets than the Rangers losing would be.

I don't know about you, but going into the playoffs it seemed that everyone was pegging the Rags as a high seed ripe for upset. I personally didn't think that Ottawa would do it, but I would be shocked. The Rangers are a very beatable team.

SultanofSchwing: meddleRPI: IMDWalrus: Five Tails of Fury: Since the media around here has already packed his bags and has the car started for him, Luongo's probably going to be encouraged to waive his no-trade clause if the Canucks can find a home for him to go to. Which is awful, since he wasn't the reason we had this bad end of the season. He's somewhat inconsistent but still one of the top five or ten goaltenders in the league; any goaltender can look awful when he gives up two goals and his team can only score one. Or none. In that case, we get Schneider, who the media likes. (Well, I haven't checked if they still like him after losing last night; they might be running him out of town already too.)

Why blame the media?

Schneider is a good goalie - potentially very good - and he's a hell of a lot cheaper than Luongo. The team can't afford to keep both, so doesn't it make more sense to dump the older, more expensive guy?

Dumping Luongo is gonna be crazy tough. His contract lasts through 2022.

There's enough stupid GM's out there and teams desperate enough for goaltending who would do it...

Montreal, Columbus and Toronto come to mind.

The leading consideration is that if he goes on the market, Tampa Bay is likely to snap him up. He and Yzerman are close, and Roloson is at that point where he's juuuuust a little bit past his best-before date. Plus, Lu's wife's family is in Florida, and rumblings are that they're making it difficult domestically because they want to see the grandkids more. There's an escape clause in his contract in a few years, so the price could conceivably be reduced for anyone who takes him.

And I blame the media because even after the first game Schneider had where he looked good, they were already on the "Goalie of the future! Get rid of Luongo!" bandwagon along with a lot of the more stupid fans. One game. It's ludicrous, how we treat goaltenders here... I mean, it's hard to win games when your forwards have forgotten which end of the stick to hold. I still think we'll wind up with a 3-3-0 structure eventually as no goaltenders will want to play for us.

SultanofSchwing: Five Tails of Fury: blah blah

[i.imgur.com image 640x475]

Thanks for the intelligent and well thought out rebuttal. Did your kid sister come up with that for you?

Doc Daneeka: ontariolightning: And the game is in Ottawa.. this could be the biggest upset of the playoffs
other than Caps possibly eliminating the Bruins in

The elimination of Vancouver (President's Trophy) and Pittsburgh (consensus Cup-favorite at start of playoffs) are already bigger upsets than the Rangers losing would be.

I don't know about you, but going into the playoffs it seemed that everyone was pegging the Rags as a high seed ripe for upset. I personally didn't think that Ottawa would do it, but I would be shocked. The Rangers are a very beatable team.

I don't agree. I'm not shocked by either of those teams losing.

4NSpy: How can you be a Canucks fan if you didn't even watch the games?

Luongo wasn't the problem.

No, general team apathy, and mis-matched lines due to:

A. Daniel being injured
B. Inability to get the trade deadlinees to gel, or in the case of Kassian, DO ANYTHING

....were the bigger part of the problem. It would have taken exceptional goaltending from Luongo, and that didn't happen.

Daniel came back, and Schneider played better than Luongo, and the Canucks looked better, but the hole was already too deep.

Luongo disappeared in the playoffs last year too, and Schneider would come in and save his ass.

/Hope I passed your "fan test"
//Arsehole

Five Tails of Fury: Thanks for the intelligent and well thought out rebuttal. Did your kid sister come up with that for you?

It seemed like the appropriate response for a whinging Canucks fan who likes to talk too much.

Lt. Col. Angus: B. Inability to get the trade deadlinees to gel, or in the case of Kassian, DO ANYTHING

We tried to warn ya...

/Sabres fan
//NHL Kassian was not the same player as Canadian junior Kassian, which is why he became expendable in Buffalo

TJWitz: ISO15693: TJWitz: ISO15693: These playoffs are the new bizarro NHL

Detroit, San jose, Vancouver, Pittsburgh - probably the best 4 teams in the NHL - are the first 4 teams out?

Uh...., no.

/SJ isn't even top 10

Lets agree to disagree.

You honestly think SJ is top 4 but Nashville isn't? Are you going for a homer merit badge or something?

With Havlat healthy, Yes, I'd have ranked SJ higher than Nashville.

SJ was easily running away with the pacific, headed towards another presidents trophy-like showing, until his injury. With him out, they were only about as as good as the LA Kings.

The sharks ran into a freak goal-tending wall this year. But they were certainly not your typical #7 seed.

But yes, when healthy, they ranked higher than the predators, IMHO.

Well one good thing about having no team left to cheer for is I can abandon any shreds of hope, and focus on bitterness and burning hatred of the Bruins, Blues and 'Hawks.

For hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee!

SultanofSchwing: meddleRPI: IMDWalrus: Five Tails of Fury: Since the media around here has already packed his bags and has the car started for him, Luongo's probably going to be encouraged to waive his no-trade clause if the Canucks can find a home for him to go to. Which is awful, since he wasn't the reason we had this bad end of the season. He's somewhat inconsistent but still one of the top five or ten goaltenders in the league; any goaltender can look awful when he gives up two goals and his team can only score one. Or none. In that case, we get Schneider, who the media likes. (Well, I haven't checked if they still like him after losing last night; they might be running him out of town already too.)

Why blame the media?

Schneider is a good goalie - potentially very good - and he's a hell of a lot cheaper than Luongo. The team can't afford to keep both, so doesn't it make more sense to dump the older, more expensive guy?

Dumping Luongo is gonna be crazy tough. His contract lasts through 2022.

There's enough stupid GM's out there and teams desperate enough for goaltending who would do it...

Montreal, Columbus and Toronto come to mind.

Can you imagine ontariolighting's reaction to the Leafs taking Luongo? I wonder if he would still be bashing the Sedins if the Leafs had been successful in their attempts to poach them away.

Also, stop being a worthless tool. If you're going to troll do it well, like mikaloyd

ISO15693: SJ was easily running away with the pacific, headed towards another presidents trophy-like showing,

wth less than 5 minutes on nhl.com checking the standings on the first and 15th of every month shows you this isn't true. No team in the pacific got any major lead on the other teams, they just traded it back and forth all season.

change1211: Can you imagine ontariolighting's reaction to the Leafs taking Luongo? I wonder if he would still be bashing the Sedins if the Leafs had been successful in their attempts to poach them away.

Also, stop being a worthless tool. If you're going to troll do it well, like mikaloyd

So angry. Who's trolling?

Esquilax1138: Well one good thing about having no team left to cheer for is I can abandon any shreds of hope, and focus on bitterness and burning hatred of the Bruins, Blues and 'Hawks.

For hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee!

That is what I've been doing for 7 playoffs lol

Except my burning hatred is for Canadiens, Canucks, Bruins, Penguins

Being a Leafer I'm supposed to hate Ottawa but I just can't!

ontariolightning: Esquilax1138: Well one good thing about having no team left to cheer for is I can abandon any shreds of hope, and focus on bitterness and burning hatred of the Bruins, Blues and 'Hawks.

For hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee!

That is what I've been doing for 7 playoffs lol

Except my burning hatred is for Canadiens, Canucks, Bruins, Penguins

Being a Leafer I'm supposed to hate Ottawa but I just can't!

I honestly don't know anyone who hates Ottawa, I'm surprised you don't though, usually teams in the same region don't like each other.

/just 'cos it's got Dave
//yeah, they're golfing until they can sort out their goalie deficiencies

Slaves2Darkness: TJWitz: ISO15693: TJWitz: ISO15693: These playoffs are the new bizarro NHL

Detroit, San jose, Vancouver, Pittsburgh - probably the best 4 teams in the NHL - are the first 4 teams out?

Uh...., no.

/SJ isn't even top 10

Lets agree to disagree.

You honestly think SJ is top 4 but Nashville isn't? Are you going for a homer merit badge or something?

Shhh....just wait until he loses his mind when the Blues win the cup.

What? The Blues beat the Sharks. I expect them to be favorites for the cup now. I think they are the best team remaining. The blues were always going to be the Sharks toughest opponent in the playoffs, because of their style. Had the Sharks made it past them, I believe they would have made the finals.

change1211: I honestly don't know anyone who hates Ottawa, I'm surprised you don't though, usually teams in the same region don't like each other.

I still hate Ottawa. More than any other team in the division (Boston comes close though).

Mostly from the '06 and '07 playoff series, the Neil on Drury hit, and the line brawl.

In Ottawa for game 6 tonight!
Hoping I'm close enough to mock Torts:D

Need green playoff thread already!

Caeldan: In Ottawa for game 6 tonight!
Hoping I'm close enough to mock Torts:D

Need green playoff thread already!

I've been told 5:45 so we're almost there!

SultanofSchwing:
Dumping Luongo is gonna be crazy tough. His contract lasts through 2022.

There's enough stupid GM's out there and teams desperate enough for goaltending who would do it...

Montreal, Columbus and Toronto come to mind.

You can cross Toronto off. Even if they cleared the cap space Burke hates giant contracts like Luongos. He'll never take it on.

change1211: SultanofSchwing: meddleRPI: IMDWalrus: Five Tails of Fury: Since the media around here has already packed his bags and has the car started for him, Luongo's probably going to be encouraged to waive his no-trade clause if the Canucks can find a home for him to go to. Which is awful, since he wasn't the reason we had this bad end of the season. He's somewhat inconsistent but still one of the top five or ten goaltenders in the league; any goaltender can look awful when he gives up two goals and his team can only score one. Or none. In that case, we get Schneider, who the media likes. (Well, I haven't checked if they still like him after losing last night; they might be running him out of town already too.)

Why blame the media?

Schneider is a good goalie - potentially very good - and he's a hell of a lot cheaper than Luongo. The team can't afford to keep both, so doesn't it make more sense to dump the older, more expensive guy?

Dumping Luongo is gonna be crazy tough. His contract lasts through 2022.

There's enough stupid GM's out there and teams desperate enough for goaltending who would do it...

Montreal, Columbus and Toronto come to mind.

Can you imagine ontariolighting's reaction to the Leafs taking Luongo? I wonder if he would still be bashing the Sedins if the Leafs had been successful in their attempts to poach them away.

Also, stop being a worthless tool. If you're going to troll do it well, like mikaloyd

Sedins or Luongo on Toronto would never happen.. the Sedins are canucks forever
Luongo has too many years on a massive contract

if you're gonna troll me at least make the troll believable

Lt. Col. Angus: 4NSpy: A hot goalie can carry a team in the playoffs. No one player in any other sport has that much impact on a series.

Quick was fantastic in this series. I mean, he was good all year, but he was lights out (Game 4 notwithstanding) all series.

Luongoal, on the other hand, was shartastic.

/Canucks fan
//Hates Luongo

Yeah, that's why AV said he was the only reason that the Canucks didn't get blown out in either Games 1 or 2, but he was awful, right?

Spare me the bullshiat, Pvt. Ground Chuck.

Lt. Col. Angus: 4NSpy: How can you be a Canucks fan if you didn't even watch the games?

Luongo wasn't the problem.

No, general team apathy, and mis-matched lines due to:

A. Daniel being injured
B. Inability to get the trade deadlinees to gel, or in the case of Kassian, DO ANYTHING

....were the bigger part of the problem. It would have taken exceptional goaltending from Luongo, and that didn't happen.

Daniel came back, and Schneider played better than Luongo, and the Canucks looked better, but the hole was already too deep.

Luongo disappeared in the playoffs last year too, and Schneider would come in and save his ass.

/Hope I passed your "fan test"
//Arsehole

Luongo disappared in the playoffs last year, eh?

15 wins, numerous ones of the shutout variety, and one win away from the Cup, but he disappeared.

Demoted again, Latrine Manager Pinkslime.

mjohnson71: The Cardinals' Lance Berkman had a good playoff beard last year. IIRC he wasn't happy about all of the gray and had it shaved off a day or two after winning.

[larrybrownsports.com image 439x344]

Yeah, he actually knocked that thing out before the victory parade.

I may still be drunk from that by the way.

ontariolightning: change1211: SultanofSchwing: meddleRPI: IMDWalrus: Five Tails of Fury: Since the media around here has already packed his bags and has the car started for him, Luongo's probably going to be encouraged to waive his no-trade clause if the Canucks can find a home for him to go to. Which is awful, since he wasn't the reason we had this bad end of the season. He's somewhat inconsistent but still one of the top five or ten goaltenders in the league; any goaltender can look awful when he gives up two goals and his team can only score one. Or none. In that case, we get Schneider, who the media likes. (Well, I haven't checked if they still like him after losing last night; they might be running him out of town already too.)

Why blame the media?

Schneider is a good goalie - potentially very good - and he's a hell of a lot cheaper than Luongo. The team can't afford to keep both, so doesn't it make more sense to dump the older, more expensive guy?

Dumping Luongo is gonna be crazy tough. His contract lasts through 2022.

There's enough stupid GM's out there and teams desperate enough for goaltending who would do it...

Montreal, Columbus and Toronto come to mind.

Can you imagine ontariolighting's reaction to the Leafs taking Luongo? I wonder if he would still be bashing the Sedins if the Leafs had been successful in their attempts to poach them away.

Also, stop being a worthless tool. If you're going to troll do it well, like mikaloyd

Sedins or Luongo on Toronto would never happen.. the Sedins are canucks forever
Luongo has too many years on a massive contract

if you're gonna troll me at least make the troll believable

Heh, the Luongo to Toronto was just a joke but unless my memory is failing me I remember there being a minor controversy when the twins were renewing their contract over the GM of the Leafs flying to Sweden to talk to them about joining the Leafs.

change1211: ontariolightning: change1211: SultanofSchwing: meddleRPI: IMDWalrus: Five Tails of Fury: Since the media around here has already packed his bags and has the car started for him, Luongo's probably going to be encouraged to waive his no-trade clause if the Canucks can find a home for him to go to. Which is awful, since he wasn't the reason we had this bad end of the season. He's somewhat inconsistent but still one of the top five or ten goaltenders in the league; any goaltender can look awful when he gives up two goals and his team can only score one. Or none. In that case, we get Schneider, who the media likes. (Well, I haven't checked if they still like him after losing last night; they might be running him out of town already too.)

Why blame the media?

Schneider is a good goalie - potentially very good - and he's a hell of a lot cheaper than Luongo. The team can't afford to keep both, so doesn't it make more sense to dump the older, more expensive guy?

Dumping Luongo is gonna be crazy tough. His contract lasts through 2022.

There's enough stupid GM's out there and teams desperate enough for goaltending who would do it...

Montreal, Columbus and Toronto come to mind.

Can you imagine ontariolighting's reaction to the Leafs taking Luongo? I wonder if he would still be bashing the Sedins if the Leafs had been successful in their attempts to poach them away.

Also, stop being a worthless tool. If you're going to troll do it well, like mikaloyd

Sedins or Luongo on Toronto would never happen.. the Sedins are canucks forever
Luongo has too many years on a massive contract

if you're gonna troll me at least make the troll believable

Heh, the Luongo to Toronto was just a joke but unless my memory is failing me I remember there being a minor controversy when the twins were renewing their contract over the GM of the Leafs flying to Sweden to talk to them about joining the Leafs.

don't expect burke to last the summer as leafs gm
hes finished

From the WIkipedia article someone linked earlier in the thread:

"Many Houston Astros now grow post-season playoff beards."

That is really funny...I wonder if they grow them until they are eliminated from the playoffs. In that case it must really suck to not be able to shave until June.

edgesrealm: Luongo disappared in the playoffs last year, eh?

15 wins, numerous ones of the shutout variety, and one win away from the Cup, but he disappeared.

Shat the bed twice against the Blackhawks. He and Torres tried to give that series away.

Gave up three goals in a period against both the Sharks and (more or less... 1 minute left in the 2nd, and two within the first five of the 3rd) the Preds.

And then he gave up a hardly noticeable TWENTY goals in the Finals.

Thanks for reminding me of how AWESOME and DOMINANT he was last year.

/Welcome to being blocked for the name calling, as well

LOLongo let by as many goals in one game as Boston did in the entire series.

That's telling.

Lt. Col. Angus: edgesrealm: Luongo disappared in the playoffs last year, eh?

15 wins, numerous ones of the shutout variety, and one win away from the Cup, but he disappeared.

Shat the bed twice against the Blackhawks. He and Torres tried to give that series away.

Gave up three goals in a period against both the Sharks and (more or less... 1 minute left in the 2nd, and two within the first five of the 3rd) the Preds.

And then he gave up a hardly noticeable TWENTY goals in the Finals.

Thanks for reminding me of how AWESOME and DOMINANT he was last year.

/Welcome to being blocked for the name calling, as well

Yeah, who won the Chicago series, and the Nashville series, and the San Jose series? Oh, right, Vancouver did.

And who was in goal for them? Right, Luongo was.

No one cares about the numbers when you get the W, bud.

As for the Boston series, the Canucks weren't going to win the Cup when they scored 8 goals - total - in that last series.

Alas, demoted again, actually, dishonorably dis-charged.

/ Block that chump.

the series are coin tosses and who gets suspended the least advances.