2012 NHL Playoffs Bitches!!!

[Hellbat]

That Bure hit was horrifying...the elbow is up, it is a head-hunter hit entirely. He should have been thrown out & suspended.

Looking back on it now it is horrifying, but it was a different game back then. If you'll notice all the related videos are some form of Churla douchery. That was I think around 5 games into the series and Churla had been slashing Bure every time the (one) Ref's back was turned. Back then your stars were expected to either have an enforcer to protect them or expected to defend themselves. The refs weren't calling all the behind the play stuff so Bure ended it. Funny enough after that playoffs nobody went for harrassment style penalties against Bure, they all tried to end him with a shot to the knees or the head. Thankfully he protected his head pretty good, but the knees paid a dear price.

[atomic charvel guy]

what a bust. as i said , the rangers are 2 years ahead of schedule and it's being exposed right now.

[Shawn Lutz]

typically requires more than a netminder. You need depth and the ability to roll 4 lines. Having said that Kin Henrik can single handedly steal a games and a series

[goodwood]

Looking back on it now it is horrifying, but it was a different game back then. If you'll notice all the related videos are some form of Churla douchery. That was I think around 5 games into the series and Churla had been slashing Bure every time the (one) Ref's back was turned. Back then your stars were expected to either have an enforcer to protect them or expected to defend themselves. The refs weren't calling all the behind the play stuff so Bure ended it. Funny enough after that playoffs nobody went for harrassment style penalties against Bure, they all tried to end him with a shot to the knees or the head. Thankfully he protected his head pretty good, but the knees paid a dear price.

Yeah, you are right. It is sometimes tough to remember (for me) what players like Churla may have been like then. The hack-n-whack was part of the game. Pronger used to just continuously cross-check someone who was near the net...it was like lacrosse or something with 5 or 6 in a row and none called.

There have definitely been some changes in the game.

BTW...I am just loving this Pittsburgh vs. Philly game.

[Sephiroth]

Awesome game is awesome

The flyers already won and didn't have to score that 5th goal, but they did it anyway as a "fuck you"


Still, in credit to the pens they did hand down the nastiest beatdown in the playoffs so far with that 10-3 shit

[goodwood]

Still, in credit to the pens they did hand down the nastiest beatdown in the playoffs so far with that 10-3 shit

...and they didn't go the 'cheap shot them if you can't beat them' route. Professional and honorable defeat. I have a lot of respect for that team even though I dislike much of it.

I hope the second round lives up to the first round.

[Sephiroth]

Now the Canucks are gone and the Bruins and Rangers are in danger of elimination. It'll be strange if all the top teams get eliminated in round 1

[Rupe]

Congrats to Philly...they stood tough in the face of adversity and sealed the deal. The teams seemed to play with respect for each other after game 3...kudos to both sides.

I've really had it with Fleury...you never know who's gonna show up when he plays. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again...the kid has severe concentration issues. When he's focused, he's damn near unbeatable...when he's not you could fire beach balls past him.

Caps/Bs was a good game yesterday...thought Ovi sealed it with that late clutch goal to tie. Glad the Bs hung tough...gotta love game 7s!

[chuckbat]

It's that time of year again...who do you like? I know I'm a homer for the Pens but I see their first round series with the Flyers as the best first round match-up. The winner of that series is gonna be so beat up that the second round could be a let down.

East
Pens in 6
B's in 7
Devils in 6
Sens in 7

West
Canucks in 7
Blues in 5
Blackhawks in 5
Wings in 6

Close..Flyers in 6 !!!

[atomic charvel guy]

HAGELIN IS BACK TONIGHT AFTER THAT 3 GAME BULLSHIT SUSPENSION. dO OR dIE, NOTHING LESS.

[Sephiroth]

I've really had it with Fleury...you never know who's gonna show up when he plays. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again...the kid has severe concentration issues. When he's focused, he's damn near unbeatable...when he's not you could fire beach balls past him.

He sounds like a Flyers goalie.


I love the Flyers but their goalie problems are ONCE AGAIN gonna get the team killed in round 2.

[Rupe]

Close..Flyers in 6 !!!

I'm done with predictions. I think I've said that before

[Hellbat]

Congrats to Philly...they stood tough in the face of adversity and sealed the deal. The teams seemed to play with respect for each other after game 3...kudos to both sides.

I've really had it with Fleury...you never know who's gonna show up when he plays. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again...the kid has severe concentration issues. When he's focused, he's damn near unbeatable...when he's not you could fire beach balls past him.

Caps/Bs was a good game yesterday...thought Ovi sealed it with that late clutch goal to tie. Glad the Bs hung tough...gotta love game 7s!

Fluery and Luongo are very similar. They can make saves all day long that shouldn't be possible and then they let in a floater from the blueline that leaves you scratching your head. Should be an interesting summer here in Van with Schnieder's deal being up (RFA) and Loungo sitting on the bench for the last 3 playoff games.

[Shawn Lutz]

[Hellbat]

That's a tradition in Vancouver going all the way back to Dan Cloutier, Shawn. The obligatory beach ball behind them photoshop.

They did a pretty good job on that one though as far as the lighting on the ball.

Vancouver's problems going in to the off season are going to be trying to figure out what to do with the roster. This season was the first season where a bunch of guys that got better every year in the organization actually took a step back production wise. Burrows and Kesler being good examples. The Sedins had sub par years, but were still in top 20 in league scoring I believe, just not top 5 like the previous 3 years and the rest of the team sucking made it easier to key in on them.

The trade of Hodgson to Buffalo for Grangiani and Kassian turned out to be a bad move. (This year at least.) The powerplay was #1 in the league and it suffered as soon as Hodgson was traded and continued to be busted the remainder of the season. Kassian is super green and looked like a deer in the headlights out there for the 5 minutes a game or so ice time we could afford to give him, and the d-man was so poor that he sat in the press box, even though playing him would have meant keeping him as a restricted free agent. Hodgson's numbers in Buffalo were bad, but I think that was more of being dropped into a different culture and role and needing to feel things out. Kassian is a big kid and this organization can usually develop players pretty decently so he may yet pan out, but this season alone the GM looks bad there.

The goalie situation they are in puts them in an interesting place. If Lou waives his NTC I could see him go to a team like Tbay (close to his Florida home) for a proven scorer. If he doesn't, then Schnieder will probably get a highish offer sheet and while the Canucks can match, they will be stuck likely having to dump salary. Anyways, I've had the luxury of not seeing a team teardown/rebuild for a bunch of summers now so this summer could be really interesting...