'08-'09 NHL Playoffs

[Shawn Lutz]

I dunno man, they are trading punches a bit. They needed Avery's energy and grit tonight. You can always reduce minutes if he's beeing an asshat. Torts should have known that a team on the brink of elimination is will come out flying and playing desperate hockey...you have to match that intensity and the Rangers didnt up it at all. The Rangers are better with Avery in the lineup....as much as I dont like the guy, they probably wouldnt have made the playoffs w/o him and then to get in a dick swinging contest in an important game isnt a good coaching decision imho...but what do I know...I'm just a dumb player and he coached a team to the Stanley cup before

[atomic charvel guy]

shawn, they've been outplayed in every game of the series, you can't ask Henrik to be Vlad Trettiak every night, it's not gonna happen. They didn't even take the ice tonite. That's why I'm miffed.

[Shawn Lutz]

another NBC game today...Nuttin But Crosby! Some good games today...I'm having some playoff jonesin with only one game last night

[Rupe]

Done! Bring on the Caps...Tommy's shower decided that series!

[atomic charvel guy]

what a comeback by the Penguins. i fear the same shit from the caps tomorrow.

[bombtek]

Whats it matter Bruins are gonna win the Cup!

Born in Boston and played hockey since I was 7 years old. Bruins were always my favorite team out of all of them from any sport in Boston. And that was even back when the Celtics (who are doing great again) and Larry Bird ruled the roost for a few years in Beantown.

(The undeniable Kings of the Boston sports scene are and always will be the Red Sox. No matter how any other team is doing.)

This is JUST like when I was a 16 year old kid at Fenway park for a Red Sox game. Celtics had a Finals game in the garden, the Bruins were in a heated playoff series against the Hartford Whalers and the Red Sox were riding a 9 game win streak and beating up on the Orioles that night.

It was funny because the crowd was getting info about the other crucial games going on and cheers would EXPLODE for no apparent reason. The Orioles would be doing their pre-inning warm-ups and a huge cheer would erupt. Or the pitcher would be rearing back to throw a pitch, and all of Fenway park erupts in cheers completely throwing the pitcher off. It was awesome! funnest game I've ever been to.

[Shawn Lutz]

the Bruins won one round dude, no one has won anything yet

[bombtek]

the Bruins won one round dude, no one has won anything yet

Yup, a mere stepping stone on the way to the Cup.

Heh I used two words that rhyme at the beginning and the end of a sentence.

Isn't that some form of retarded Haiku???

[CharvelRocker]

Done! Bring on the Caps...Tommy's shower decided that series!

Send a Christmas card to Marty Biron this year... wow. As for the rest of the team, I'm withhold judgment, but I can say right now I wouldn't care if Lupul got traded this offseason, and letting Ossi Vaanen go on waivers was a HUGE mistake.

[Rupe]

Isn't that some form of retarded Haiku???

Retarded is right, not sure about the Haiku part :ROTF:

[Spivonious]

Dammit, I though 3-0 would be a safe lead.

The Flyers have my respect. They never gave up, and that's something to respect.

I hope the Pens get crushed by whomever they play next round.

The Flyers definitely need to pick up some good puck-handling defensemen in the offseason...someone like Eric Desjardins. I hope they can resign Biron, but if not I think we'll be okay with Nitty.

Oh, and DUMP CARCILLO. Acquiring him makes me think that Bob Clarke is still involved in decisions.

I agree with you CR. Lupul would not be missed by me, although he did have a nice goal today.

[CharvelRocker]

Dammit, I though 3-0 would be a safe lead.

The Flyers have my respect. They never gave up, and that's something to respect.

I hope the Pens get crushed by whomever they play next round.

The Flyers definitely need to pick up some good puck-handling defensemen in the offseason...someone like Eric Desjardins. I hope they can resign Biron, but if not I think we'll be okay with Nitty.

Oh, and DUMP CARCILLO. Acquiring him makes me think that Bob Clarke is still involved in decisions.

I agree with you CR. Lupul would not be missed by me, although he did have a nice goal today.

Eh, I actually hope they get beat abotu as much as I hope they win; as said, the team as a whole can't be judged. Pittsburgh could go on to win the cup and the Flyers just got unlucky they wound up playing them.

I don't want Biron back. Great guy, but he's proved he is just a back up. Nitty on the other hand could be the real deal... he is entering his prime, and his performance at the Olympics a few years ago was unreal. Carcillo is also tolerable. He made no major mistakes this game, he is only being paid $650,000, and has potential. I think it's going to be love/hate with him for awhile, but he has all the tools to be good. For now, I'll tolerate him, but he'll need to do more than he has once Riley Cote returns from next year and fills the role as the team's fighter.

Lupul's issue is I've read too many stories this year of him showing up at and crashing parties... he found his way onto some party that was on MTV and looked drunk. His work ethic is why Anaheim booted him out. And he is trade bait as well, given his contract is very inexpensive compared to his on paper stats.

I would also say Andrew Alberts is gone, as much as I think he has improved. His spot will be taken by Sbisa. That leaves Jones or Carle the odd man out to bring in someone like, say, Jay Bouwmeester, which after dumping Knuble (Giroux can more than replace him), not having to worry about Hatcher's salary in the off season (effectively announced his retirement the other night), probably saving a million or two on goal tender salarly, plus Lupul's money being off the book (Lupul will likely not be replaced of someone of equal talent but he is expendable in my mind) you will likely have enough money for a big move on D. I would say Jones is likely to be gone, or at least sent down to the Phantoms in the off season; I don't know who's daughter he is dating but the front office's love affair with this clown needs to end. Carle, while not doing what they need him to offensively, is solid. Parent is the heir apparent to Kimmo's spot (who still has 4 years left IIRC), and Coburn is on the rise.

Also don't forget the Euro import goalie the Flyers signed late this year, likely to be their backup in the NHL (I believe he is a Fin) to Niittymaki.

All and all though, it depends in part on how the Penguins fair before one can further reflect on if this team met expectations or not. Offhand, I would say they did if you consider their performance last year came from nowhere and their overall performance this year (up/down) being consistent with a young team.

[atomic charvel guy]

Tortorella is suspended for tomorrow.

[Shawn Lutz]

Torts lost it, how can he keep avery in check if he can't control himself? I like Jim Schonfild better anyway so I don't see this as having any affect on todays game.

The Flyers orginization have to be the dumbest orginization in hockey since they won the cup back in the 70's. I dont even know why they play as it wont matter how good they are, they'll always end up with a goalie made of swiss cheese and knuckledragging idiots who dont know when and where to drop the mitts (shooting themselves in the foot). I usually dont agree with a lot of NBC's opinions but this is 100% dead nuts on..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDsK5HH-K3c&feature=player_embedded

Here you just go up 3-0 at home 5 minutes into the 2nd, crowd is super charged up, momentum in you favor and then Carcillo thinks its a good time to fight...that my friends is called a momentum changer right there....

[atomic charvel guy]

I've been watching this team all season, and the way i'm looking at it now is that it's for the better of the playoffs that the Rangers didn't win. who wants to watch them stink up the 2nd round anyway, rather see the best teams going at it, meaning the caps, Boston, and the devils, and the headache peskuins. They are so outgunned against the caps that they overachieved by winning 3 games at all. nothing short of divine intervention. i feel sick.