NHL Thread

FRED HALE SR. · 05-28-2013, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

Hadn't watched the last two games as well as shaved the playoff beard, so that changed the wheels of fate. I'm gonna test that theory tomorrow when I sit down to watch game 7.

I seriously thought they were dead in the water. Captain Serious finally showed up with his magic.

Thom Yorke · 05-28-2013, 01:28 PM

Anything can happen in a game 7 but the Wings look like they're in a ton of trouble. Chicago deserved to win game 6, but at the same time I couldn't believe how bad that officiating was; it looked incredibly one-sided in the Blackhawks favour. I'll say the Hawks win convincingly tomorrow though.

Tonight's a toss-up for me. I'd expect that the Kings would take it, but I could see those SJ forwards stepping up huge tonight. Gut feeling says the Sharks get it done in a nail-biter, probably OT.

In the playoff pool I'm in I really need Detroit to win, and it would be beneficial to me if the Sharks won (I have Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and the other people near the top have Blackhawks and Kings), but part of me wants to see the best Conference Finals the NHL has had in a really long time. You'd have the last 4 Cup champs, and pretty much the consensus top 4 teams in the league. You always see an underdog story make it to the Conference Finals, so it would be a nice change-up to see the best going up against the best.

Paul Smeenus · 05-28-2013, 01:58 PM

Back to back game 7's in the west, how cool is that

Plankton · 05-30-2013, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

Hadn't watched the last two games as well as shaved the playoff beard, so that changed the wheels of fate. I'm gonna test that theory tomorrow when I sit down to watch game 7.

Well, how 'bout that ****.

FRED HALE SR. · 05-30-2013, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

Well, how 'bout that ****.

What a nail biter. Just to keep with the theme, they have zero chance against the Kings. Zilch. Go Kings.

Cross mojo in progress.

Plankton · 05-30-2013, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRED HALE SR.

What a nail biter. Just to keep with the theme, they have zero chance against the Kings. Zilch. Go Kings.

Cross mojo in progress.

I'm gonna block that strategy. I'm out. Me too...

Stay Alive! Thee survival game!

Thom Yorke · 05-31-2013, 01:02 PM

The Bruins are in tough against the Penguins but I think they have what it takes to expose their flaws. The key is obviously to stay out of the penalty box, but I'm not sure if it's a realistic expectation to have against Pittsburgh because they always seem to get calls no matter what. They absolutely need to keep penalties to a minimum though, because I really think that will be the deciding factor in the series should the Penguins win. Wither way, when the Pens are on the PP. the Bruins PK has to be at its best. On paper it seems to be a good match-up, but the Bruins PK faltered to end the year and it's been less than stellar in the playoffs. Plus, I don't think the Bruins' aggressive PK style bodes well against the Penguins' PP who have so many guys that can handle the puck so well; they can easily capitalize on opportunities where the Bruins find themselves out of position.

All that said, I'd take the Bruins even-strength play over any team in the league. Despite the Penguins dominant offensive personnel, I like the Bergeron line and the Krejci line to carry time of possession over both the Crosby and Malkin line, and to limit their chances overall. Those two can strike at any time and don't need many opportunities to find the back of the net though.

I also like the Bruins bottom 6 over the Penguins. Kelly and Peverley have been terrible offensively all season (they've been fine defensively), and that has continued into the playoffs, but I still have faith that Seguin can bring the best out of them if he has a good series. He looked good to close out the Rangers and his speed stretches the opposition's D like no one else on Boston.

The Bruins fourth line is what I consider the best in the league, and it has been for the last three years. Still, they have to be wary of getting stuck out there against one of the Penguins top 2 lines, which will be tough in Pittsburgh. Julien usually doesn't care too much if they're stuck out there against other teams' top lines, but the Penguins top 6 are a different beast.

The key to the Bruins should they pull off a win will be Seidenberg. I'd never be confident in anyone's ability to completely shutdown or contain Crosby or Malkin (even Chara), but I would feel 100 times better if we had a fully healthy Seidenberg to go up against one of them. Thing is, I don't know if Seidenberg is fully healthy; he had a rough go when he came back in game 5 against the Rangers, but he will have had a full week of rest to get closer to 100%. If he is at 100%, he is who I consider the most underrated defenseman in the NHL. He's consistently a playoff beast and can basically handle playing half of a game without breaking a sweat. I can't underestimate the importance of him being healthy, because they need him at his best all series long. I also think it's very important to get Ference back; Bartkowski has handled himself very well in all facets of the game, but, yet again, the Penguins are a different beast.

From the Penguins standpoint I really think four players are going to be key for them, outside of the obvious Crosby and Malkin: Sutter, Jokinen, Orpik and Murray. Orpik and Murray because they are the physical options on a more soft and mobile D, and they could be key to dealing with the size/strength of Lucic and Horton.

Also, the Bruins constantly force teams to put a greater focus on faceoffs, and Sutter seemed to be the guy that they'd really rely on for important faceoffs on the right side as a right-handed shot. The Bruins are weaker on the left side with Kelly and Campbell (who would faceoff with Sutter most often), but Kelly is still a faceoff ace and Campbell can hold his own. Sutter is a guy that can hold his own and is a reliable player, so I could see him getting a lot of ice-time, just for the fact that he's a reliable faceoff guy. I think the Penguins might dress Vitale for more help on faceoffs as well.

I see Jokinen as really important in this way as well. I think the Penguins may be more hesitant to dress him because he's one of their softer players, but he's actually usually been a Bruins killer, and he presents a strong faceoff ability on the left side. Crosby is a good faceoff man in his own right, but he's going to be getting a heavy dose of Bergeron this series, who can make anyone into a liability on the draws. Malkin already is a liability on faceoffs regardless of who he's facing off with, so he could really get exposed. Jokinen could see himself out there in a lot of defensive situations because of his ability on the draws because of this.

People may look at faceoffs as a trivial part of the game, but it's little things like this can influence a lot just in terms of the personnel you put on the ice in key situations. We saw Bozak play a massive role in his series just because of faceoffs, and then we saw Boyle play a huge role with the Rangers because of this as well. I think these two are the next guys up.

Overall though, I think I'm going to take the Bruins in 7.

And the Kings in 6. Quick is just on some next level **** right now. Not as thorough as my analysis of the other series, I know...

FRED HALE SR. · 05-31-2013, 01:15 PM

I like the in depth analysis. I gotta roll with Pitt however I think their big guys will be able to make space and expose the Bruins a bit. Should be an excellent series and I agree on the 2-4 lines going the Bruins way for the most part. I liked Pitt from the beginning to come out of the east and win it all, not much has changed for me.

I think the Blackhawks will be able to get some valuable rushes against the kings that will generate offense other teams couldn't. The Kings are really missing Mitchell and they haven't looked as imposing to me as last year.

I like the Pens in 7 and the B-hawks in 7. Gonna be lots of great physical play and some amazing ability on display. I'm pretty excited to watch this year as there seems to be far more parity in the league then years previous. The back to backs for the Kings/Hawks series saturday and sunday is gonna tell the story quick. Quick has been amazing but hes gonna need a little more help up front against the Hawks.

Thom Yorke · 06-01-2013, 10:08 AM

^ Do you mean less parity? This is one of the best final fours I've ever seen on paper. I hate how there's no parity in the NBA, but I think it's a welcome change-up in the NHL.

I'm pretty nervous about today lol. I harbor so much hatred towards the Penguins and just want to see the Bruins beat them SO badly. From Ulf Samuelsson to Matt Cooke, to their arrogant bandwagon fans, to their hypocritical management/owners whining every time something doesn't go their way, to them tanking every time there's a generational talent or lucking out in lotteries, to those two clowns Steigerwald and Errey, I really hate everything about that team and organization. I'll never hate a team as much as I hate Montreal, but considering there's no real rivalry between Boston and Pittsburgh, it's surprising how much ill will I bear towards that team.

FRED HALE SR. · 06-07-2013, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thom Yorke

^ Do you mean less parity? This is one of the best final fours I've ever seen on paper. I hate how there's no parity in the NBA, but I think it's a welcome change-up in the NHL.

I'm pretty nervous about today lol. I harbor so much hatred towards the Penguins and just want to see the Bruins beat them SO badly. From Ulf Samuelsson to Matt Cooke, to their arrogant bandwagon fans, to their hypocritical management/owners whining every time something doesn't go their way, to them tanking every time there's a generational talent or lucking out in lotteries, to those two clowns Steigerwald and Errey, I really hate everything about that team and organization. I'll never hate a team as much as I hate Montreal, but considering there's no real rivalry between Boston and Pittsburgh, it's surprising how much ill will I bear towards that team.

The series has been pretty decent considering how one sided the 3-0 deficit is. I really thought Pitt looked like the better team in game 3 and came up empty. What a heartbreaker for them. Bostons first line has picked apart Pitt which is a big surprise to me. Should be an interesting game 4 as Pitt is gonna bring the heat, lets see what Boston has in store.

As for the Hawks series I think everything has gone as I thought it would. Their speed through the neutral zone has caused some problems for LA. Quick and the Kings might have spent a little too much in the past two series they look a little gassed at times. That was a sloppy goal Quick let in last night but overall I thought Chicago really brought the game to them in general. Where the hell did Bickel come from that dude has been a monster.

05-28-2013, 01:28 PM	#1412 (permalink)
Thom Yorke Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,848	Anything can happen in a game 7 but the Wings look like they're in a ton of trouble. Chicago deserved to win game 6, but at the same time I couldn't believe how bad that officiating was; it looked incredibly one-sided in the Blackhawks favour. I'll say the Hawks win convincingly tomorrow though. Tonight's a toss-up for me. I'd expect that the Kings would take it, but I could see those SJ forwards stepping up huge tonight. Gut feeling says the Sharks get it done in a nail-biter, probably OT. In the playoff pool I'm in I really need Detroit to win, and it would be beneficial to me if the Sharks won (I have Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and the other people near the top have Blackhawks and Kings), but part of me wants to see the best Conference Finals the NHL has had in a really long time. You'd have the last 4 Cup champs, and pretty much the consensus top 4 teams in the league. You always see an underdog story make it to the Conference Finals, so it would be a nice change-up to see the best going up against the best.

05-28-2013, 01:58 PM	#1413 (permalink)
Paul Smeenus David Hasselhoff Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Back in Portland, OR Posts: 3,680	Back to back game 7's in the west, how cool is that

05-31-2013, 01:02 PM	#1417 (permalink)
Thom Yorke Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,848	The Bruins are in tough against the Penguins but I think they have what it takes to expose their flaws. The key is obviously to stay out of the penalty box, but I'm not sure if it's a realistic expectation to have against Pittsburgh because they always seem to get calls no matter what. They absolutely need to keep penalties to a minimum though, because I really think that will be the deciding factor in the series should the Penguins win. Wither way, when the Pens are on the PP. the Bruins PK has to be at its best. On paper it seems to be a good match-up, but the Bruins PK faltered to end the year and it's been less than stellar in the playoffs. Plus, I don't think the Bruins' aggressive PK style bodes well against the Penguins' PP who have so many guys that can handle the puck so well; they can easily capitalize on opportunities where the Bruins find themselves out of position. All that said, I'd take the Bruins even-strength play over any team in the league. Despite the Penguins dominant offensive personnel, I like the Bergeron line and the Krejci line to carry time of possession over both the Crosby and Malkin line, and to limit their chances overall. Those two can strike at any time and don't need many opportunities to find the back of the net though. I also like the Bruins bottom 6 over the Penguins. Kelly and Peverley have been terrible offensively all season (they've been fine defensively), and that has continued into the playoffs, but I still have faith that Seguin can bring the best out of them if he has a good series. He looked good to close out the Rangers and his speed stretches the opposition's D like no one else on Boston. The Bruins fourth line is what I consider the best in the league, and it has been for the last three years. Still, they have to be wary of getting stuck out there against one of the Penguins top 2 lines, which will be tough in Pittsburgh. Julien usually doesn't care too much if they're stuck out there against other teams' top lines, but the Penguins top 6 are a different beast. The key to the Bruins should they pull off a win will be Seidenberg. I'd never be confident in anyone's ability to completely shutdown or contain Crosby or Malkin (even Chara), but I would feel 100 times better if we had a fully healthy Seidenberg to go up against one of them. Thing is, I don't know if Seidenberg is fully healthy; he had a rough go when he came back in game 5 against the Rangers, but he will have had a full week of rest to get closer to 100%. If he is at 100%, he is who I consider the most underrated defenseman in the NHL. He's consistently a playoff beast and can basically handle playing half of a game without breaking a sweat. I can't underestimate the importance of him being healthy, because they need him at his best all series long. I also think it's very important to get Ference back; Bartkowski has handled himself very well in all facets of the game, but, yet again, the Penguins are a different beast. From the Penguins standpoint I really think four players are going to be key for them, outside of the obvious Crosby and Malkin: Sutter, Jokinen, Orpik and Murray. Orpik and Murray because they are the physical options on a more soft and mobile D, and they could be key to dealing with the size/strength of Lucic and Horton. Also, the Bruins constantly force teams to put a greater focus on faceoffs, and Sutter seemed to be the guy that they'd really rely on for important faceoffs on the right side as a right-handed shot. The Bruins are weaker on the left side with Kelly and Campbell (who would faceoff with Sutter most often), but Kelly is still a faceoff ace and Campbell can hold his own. Sutter is a guy that can hold his own and is a reliable player, so I could see him getting a lot of ice-time, just for the fact that he's a reliable faceoff guy. I think the Penguins might dress Vitale for more help on faceoffs as well. I see Jokinen as really important in this way as well. I think the Penguins may be more hesitant to dress him because he's one of their softer players, but he's actually usually been a Bruins killer, and he presents a strong faceoff ability on the left side. Crosby is a good faceoff man in his own right, but he's going to be getting a heavy dose of Bergeron this series, who can make anyone into a liability on the draws. Malkin already is a liability on faceoffs regardless of who he's facing off with, so he could really get exposed. Jokinen could see himself out there in a lot of defensive situations because of his ability on the draws because of this. People may look at faceoffs as a trivial part of the game, but it's little things like this can influence a lot just in terms of the personnel you put on the ice in key situations. We saw Bozak play a massive role in his series just because of faceoffs, and then we saw Boyle play a huge role with the Rangers because of this as well. I think these two are the next guys up. Overall though, I think I'm going to take the Bruins in 7. And the Kings in 6. Quick is just on some next level **** right now. Not as thorough as my analysis of the other series, I know...

05-31-2013, 01:15 PM	#1418 (permalink)
FRED HALE SR. Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebie Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 3,752	I like the in depth analysis. I gotta roll with Pitt however I think their big guys will be able to make space and expose the Bruins a bit. Should be an excellent series and I agree on the 2-4 lines going the Bruins way for the most part. I liked Pitt from the beginning to come out of the east and win it all, not much has changed for me. I think the Blackhawks will be able to get some valuable rushes against the kings that will generate offense other teams couldn't. The Kings are really missing Mitchell and they haven't looked as imposing to me as last year. I like the Pens in 7 and the B-hawks in 7. Gonna be lots of great physical play and some amazing ability on display. I'm pretty excited to watch this year as there seems to be far more parity in the league then years previous. The back to backs for the Kings/Hawks series saturday and sunday is gonna tell the story quick. Quick has been amazing but hes gonna need a little more help up front against the Hawks.

06-01-2013, 10:08 AM	#1419 (permalink)
Thom Yorke Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,848	^ Do you mean less parity? This is one of the best final fours I've ever seen on paper. I hate how there's no parity in the NBA, but I think it's a welcome change-up in the NHL. I'm pretty nervous about today lol. I harbor so much hatred towards the Penguins and just want to see the Bruins beat them SO badly. From Ulf Samuelsson to Matt Cooke, to their arrogant bandwagon fans, to their hypocritical management/owners whining every time something doesn't go their way, to them tanking every time there's a generational talent or lucking out in lotteries, to those two clowns Steigerwald and Errey, I really hate everything about that team and organization. I'll never hate a team as much as I hate Montreal, but considering there's no real rivalry between Boston and Pittsburgh, it's surprising how much ill will I bear towards that team.