Series doesn't really start until someone loses at home...

Very true, but it's got to be worrying that Luongo basically hasn't stopped anything in Boston yet

The last two times a road team has won in the SCF, the Cup was awarded that night.

4-0 Bruins, and Luongo is pulled for the second straight game

Luongo wasn't pulled in the last game Foz (unless I missed something).

Corey Schneider sighting!! REPRESENT BOSTON COLLEGE!!! WOOOO!!! (Along with Andrew Alberts too of course)

I thought he was pulled in the third. Eh.

Oh well, I hope Roberto Luongo has fond memories of his trip to Boston, so far, we have fond memories of him :)

Hey - all that matters is the final score. I will say this though - in the games that the Bruins have won they have looked far more dominant and have imposed their will to a greater extent than the Canucks did in the games that they won.

(assuming they win this game)

Not cool by Marchand.

or Thomas for that matter. Not sure what set him off into slashing at Burrow's legs, the announcers claim there was something, but I dunno what.

Aaah...there we go...Burrows chopped Thomas' stick out of his hand.

This shit is degenerating. Refs better get this under control.

Definitely getting chippy.. Burrows slashes or tries to knock the stick out of Thomas's hands, so Thomas gives him a receipt to the back of the legs a few seconds later.

2-2. Best of three. I feel more confident that we can win one or two in Vancouver than they can win the one in Boston.. but we need one or two in Vancouver. They don't need the one in Boston.

I came into this series impartial, but I've seen enough guff from Boston. Go Nucks.

Enough guff FROM BOSTON?????

Obviously you have blinkers on.. we haven't bitten anyone nor put anyone in the hospital.

If Mark Savard was playing in this series, you couldn't have made this statement.

I'm assuming only infractions that occur in this series count. Otherwise Chara put someone in the hospital.

Rumor has it that the Rangers will buy out Drury to go after Brad Richards.

Wolski bought out too.

That is a little shocking. Is he in Tortorella's doghouse?

I don't think his cap hit was that high ($3m range). I'd think there'd be a market for a guy that young.

He was due $4MM, and he could be bought out for $667k next year and another $400+k in 12-13. The number was just too high for his inconsistent play.

Not official yet, I think they'll try and swap him for a draft pick, but if that fails that will be the method chosen.

These are like the 15 millionth posts on this concept in this thread. But still, not one poster has claimed that a Bruin has never committed a penalty or a cheap shot at some point.

Still, I'm sure we can surely all aspire to be as perfectly consistent as you two, with no team or player preferences of any kind, commenting on all NHL teams and players equally at all times. :rolleyes:

(P.S. - the next time someone references a Canuck cheap play I'll PM both of you so you can run in here and scream about how the Bruins have committed penalties/cheap shots also, I wouldn't want you to miss one)

What'd he put your mother in the hospital? God you're harping on this to no end. I presume from now on you'll be pointing out that Rome put someone in the hospital everytime someone mentions his name?

What about Matt Cooke? Or the guy who hit Savard in February (no I don't recall who it was)? Or Randy Jones? Or Seidenberg? I presume that everytime someone mentions them or their teams that you're bringing those hits up, right?

:rolleyes:

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I will feel sad for the Rangers when they have Brad Richards and his fat contract out of the line-up for a long time because of concussion issues and Marian Gaborik and his fat contract out of the line-up for a long time because of his Marian Gaborik issues.

Still, getting out of the Drury contract is the right move. He was never worth that kind of money and he certainly isn't worth it now.

Keith Ballard really struggled (again) out there last night. That contract is going to be an albratross around Vancouver's neck for a while. It will likely mean that they wont be able to sign either Erhoff or Bieksa. You can't be paying your 6th/7th defensemen $4.2 million a year.

While the Bruins have dominated the last two games, it will be interesting to see what happens on Friday. Vancouver got dominated in back-to-back games against Chicago and rallied pretty well. So, they have it in them. But it is hard to overcome injuries/suspensions along the blue line. Much more so than at forward.

Tim Thomas has looked outstanding.

As for which team is the bigger cheap shot artist, has given the most "gruff", it's a toss up. Neither team is a saint. They have both exhibited "dirty" behavior in this series and prior series. I think it's been fairly even, though the Burrows bite and Rome hit on Horton have been a little more impactful and dramatic.

Seeing the Rangers go after Richards makes me even happier that I have the Winnipeg No-Names to cheer for now. Also, I can resume hating Sean Avery. Everything is coming up Millhouse!

This was my first thought... getting rid of Drury and Wolski for such a big saving is obviously good but when you are inevitably going to give Brad Richards 7 million a year is there any point in optimism? The Rangers just don't learn ... you have to build a team not buy a team

Speaking of the No-Names, apparently a press conference has been called for 11:30 to announce the re-signing of Andrew Ladd.

Good start, but I can't help feeling that he's going to get overpaid because of the Stanley Cup followed by a career contract year. If they can keep it reasonable obviously it's a great signing, he's the heart and soul of the franchise

The team is basically built, but is missing the key cog of a #1 center. Those don't grow on trees; the search has been on for 5 years. There are lot of very good young players in the organization but without someone like Richards to support Gaborik, they'll miss Lundqvist's window.

Boston is +24 5x5 in the postseason
Vancouver is -2

So, Vancouver needs to figure out their power play again or they're going to be depressed, because they're getting plenty of chances (20 in 4 games) for a Stanley Cup final.

Sure it is. An injury prone, one hit away from end of career center with a reputation for going missing in pressure situations is exactly what is needed to turn this team into a dynasty. Good luck with that.

Also, wasn't Drury supposed to be that #1 center?

Richards for the kind of money being thrown around will be an all-time terrible signing. I have no problem standing behind that, whether it's the Rangers or somebody else who gives him the money. I'm just sure it will be the Rangers and all those fans rejoicing over getting rid of Drury will be saying the same thing in 3 years.

It is interesting how often teams are looking for that key cog of a 31 center to play with some talented winger. I remember Anaheim searching, but never finding, someone better than Steve Rucchin to play between Selanne and Kariya. Columbus has always been looking for someone to play with Nash. Calgary has on and off again searches looking for that great center to play with Iginla.

Gaborik does need some help or something. I didn't watch all that many Rangers games last year, but those that I did watch I often forgot Gaborik was even on the team. I would sit there trying to think about who is a threat to score for the Rangers and sometime in the 3rd period or something Gaborik's name would be mentioned and I would say, "Oh, that's right. They have Gaborik. Where the hell has he been all game?"

Is that really the knock on Richards? Just looking at his stats he has 63 points in 62 career playoff games. When Tampa won the Cup in 2005, he had 12 goals, 14 assists (26 points) in 24 games. That's pretty decent.

The concussion problem is a concern.

No, Gomez was.


In no way do I want them spending the max they could on Richards, for more than say 5 years. I would be happy with 4 years at 6 per.

I'm very interested to see the types of contracts that the No-Names hand out this summer. The ownership and management are very cautious, long-term thinking, steady-hand type guys, so I don't foresee lots of bloated contracts. On the other hand, they have a tonne of cap room, a desire to make a good first impression in the market, and the 'Winnipeg Stigma' to overcome when it comes to attracting and retaining players.

Early season shoulder injury that never healed. Getting centered by Eric Christensen didn't help much. He was 42-44-86 in his first year after signing the contract, no reason he can't get back to that level with a reasonable playmaker.

I think that would be somewhat reasonable - but I think he's gonna get at least 7 per for 5

I'm sure he'll be offered that by a couple teams and wouldn't be surprised if it got higher. I said "happy" with 4 but would be fine with 5, buyout rules sure help those types of situations. There are a couple reasons he may be interested in taking a bit less to play in NY, but I wouldn't blame him for getting all he can in his last deal.

Yeah I know this is a playoff thread, but can someone give a summary on the Thrashers/Jets/Falcons/etc? I'm guessing they don't have a great roster right now. Evander Kane and Byfuglien being two of the better guys? And an OK goalie? Are the prospects decent?

TSN's Off-Season Game Plan does a decent job of summarizing the team.

It feels very strange knowing almost nothing about the players on my favorite team. I can't think of many teams I knew less about than the Thrashers prior to a month ago. Now my whole summer is dedicated to getting up to speed :D

I've been told for years that since my Flyers team is dirty, I can't get mad at any cheap hits against them. So excuse me if I point out the hypocricy in your team and your fans now that you guys have now employed a bunch of border line sketchy players.

And I don't mean to sound too critical of you or a few of the other Boston guys, but I've been critical of the certain cheap shot artists on my team (Carcillo) and SR has been very critical of Matt Cooke. So if you think we are just picking on your team...maybe you should grow a thicker skin.

When you root for a team that employs or has those sort of jackasses on your team, expect things like this to get pointed out.

A bunch of borderline sketchy players?? That's probably overstating it just a bit. All teams have a few of these types of guys. And all teams play like this come playoff time too.

There have been a ton of rumors circulating a Jeff Carter trade...one to Toronto and another now to Columbus. Personally, I think it would be a huge mistake to trade him...35+ a year goal scorers don't grow on trees.

I think a better option would be to trade Versteeg and not resign Leino. No matter what, I think Leino is as good as gone. I would also support trading Matt Carle, but with Pronger's status still being up in the air...depth on defense is a little thin.

Too bad Hartnell has a NTC...why I don't know, but he does.

I strongly disagree with your last sentence. Can't remember a SCF like this, but the more knowledgeable guys can clue me in.

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

But again, nobody has claimed that the Bruins have never committed a penalty/ cheap shot. Arr you saying nobody is allowed to reference such things unless their team has never committed a penalty?

I would expect a little more sympathy from a philly fan on this stuff, I certainly defend you guys when this kind of stuff comes up

And i really don't see anyone getting super mad about anything anyway. Seems like normal hockey discussion, really.

Thank you very much! Yeah, I haven't been very closely following the NHL but have no clue who anyone on the Thrashers were except Antropov and Byfuglien... I like the description of Kane, but it's safe to say we shouldn't expect a lot in the next year or two.

I've watched pretty much every SCF final since 1989. While I can't recall every single game or what went on, based on recent memory I can't remember this level of antics going on. Typically, you see this kind of thing in the first or second round of the playoffs. But the time the SCF rolls around, most of the kind of non-sense we're seeing is put to rest. There are flare-ups, but nothing quite as consistent as we've seen in the last two games.

That said, I am not complaining. I tend to find it entertaining and like to see the passion and tomfoolery.

There are times that I wished the Wings had players like this, but they really don't. People may scream "Todd Bertuzzi!" He may have been like that at one point of his career, but since the whole Moore thing, Bertuzzi has played, more or less, like a broken man. If anything, I wish he'd play with more of an edge to him, but I think he's afraid to.

He did start to come around a bit at the end of the season and playoffs. Hopefully, that trend will continue. I don't want him to be dirty, but he's a big, strong man and the Wings don't really have anyone with much of a physical edge. They could use a more agressive Bertuzzi.

Ducks - Sens in 07?

Looking over the recaps of those games and the penalties awarded and based of my foggy memory of that series, it doesn't look like it was all that bad or chippy. That Ducks team, by its very nature, with all the thugs and scallywags they had, was very physical, but it doesn't look like things got too out of hand in the SCF.

I'm a Bruins fan and I've largely stayed out of the "which teams has committed more cheap shots in the playoffs" debate. I'll say this, though: Milan Lucic disgusted me with his sucker punch in the Tampa series and Brad Marchand crosses the line of being dirty somewhat often, his going low on Sedin last night being a prime example. That being said, I agree with whomever said that the Burrows bite and Rome hit have impacted the Stanley Cup Final more than anything else and that's the primary reason why we're still talking about those incidents.

Pronger's elbow on McAmmond was about the most atrocious thing I've seen, and the big oaf got 1 game for it.

Please Brian Burke don't trade for Carters 11 year contract.....please.....

Please Brian Burke don't sign Richards either...the kids are ok....slow and steady goes the ship.

Please people stop bitching about cheap shots etc etc...its fucking hockey...if you aren't prepared to lose a few teeth GTFO!

QFT!

Gretzky drafted.......by the cubs???

Gretzky, Garvey: Making names for themselves

You just made Pumpy wet

Toby Enstrom is severely underrated. I don't know that he's quite a true #1, but he's close. Byfuglien gets a lot of ink for putting up numbers, but Enstrom plays the tough minutes.

Wet with rage, perhaps.

My quick take as your future division rival (for a year anyway): the ex-Thrashers would hang around and hang around, but they ultimately couldn't finish the deal and get into the playoffs (part of the reason they're now the ex-Thrashers). The Blackhawk transfers from last year did improve the team quite a bit, though (and boy do I wish I had Ladd on the Hurricanes, but Ruutu has done very well as the return in the trade that sent him to Chicago). At one point last year, they actually did have the lead in the Southeast Division before crumbling during the period around the All-Star break. They managed to right the ship just enough down the stretch to at least stay in contention until the final few weeks, but they could never recapture the form they had before the break.

I think the new environment with a rabid fanbase will again give them a strong start, but the sucktacular travel requirements of being in the Southeast and in the Eastern Conference in general is going to probably balance that over the year and they'll probably be about where they were last year, on the playoff bubble. Once you guys are in a division that more properly suits you, I think you'll be a hard team to handle.

The sweet sounds of "ref you suck" am I watching the 2010 finals by accident?

You hadn't missed much ;)

It's a good AHL team, about like a 2nd or 3rd year expansion team, overall there's just not many NHL-caliber pieces there (unless you're counting filler). There's Ladd, Buff, probably Enstrom, maybe Pavelec, and then the rest of the roster with not only flaws but one or more fatal flaws. I'd have to think a new GM will turn at least half the roster over if possible. There ain't much help coming from the farm either, getting away from the Chicago situation will almost certainly help with that.

The biggest advantage you've got in rebuilding is that you won't be doing it with the specter of Don Waddell & his years of mistakes looming over everything. FWIW I thought Dudley did the best he could to improve the roster considering there was no willingness to spend much money doing so.

This is like the battle of the incredibly shitty powerplays. Canucks seem to be playing more to stop the Bruins getting any shorthanded chances than actually scoring themselves.

Considering the Bruins have more shorthanded goals in the series than the Canucks do PP goals that's not actually a bad strategy for them...

Ugh. Get a fucking goal Bruins...c'mon!!

It's a little funny how both teams in the SCF were 1 game away each from a round 1 exit.

Ugh. Fucking Bruins. Score a damn goal.

Ugh - that was frustrating. Damn Bruins. Score a fucking goal in Vancouver, hmm?

Win or lose this series...my vote goes to Tim Thomas for the MVP.

Is Luongo the most inconsistent goalie ever or what? A shutout after giving up 12 goals in the previous two games.....*shurg*

6 goals in 5 games and the Canucks lead 3-2...

“My son told me a man was making fun of me and Uncle Danny on TV. I said that can’t be true because that’s what usually happens in kindergarten. That’s what happened. Sometimes grown-ups have low self-esteem and get on guys and say stupid stuff.
“I think he has to be happy with his career. He did a great job on Long Island. I’m sure he is happy with that.”

-Henrik Sedin on Mike Milbury who recently referred to the twins as Thelma & Louise

I love that quote.

I'm not a big fan of the Sedins but that's fucking awesome. How Milbury has a job that is anything to do with hockey is completely beyond me.

Seriously. Just goes to show that this Bruins team has serious offensive issues (as if that was in doubt).

Gold


I usually hate people who are armchair QBs/coaches/GMs, and always feel they could do so much better than the current guy in that position.

However, this is one time I am pretty confident I could be a better coach/GM/analyst than Milbury. Simply by doing the exact opposite of him in all situations, I give myself a 75% chance of success.

I don't think it would be unfair to compare Mike Milbury's managerial skills to those of Matt Millen.

There was an article in Hockey News last year that went over his blunders and mainly the whole DiPietro fiasco.

Well, home games haven't been an issue for you lately. Just get Julien to ping your forwards that Thomas is playing like a superhero and that they ought to earn their keep, too.

...I've laughed on a couple occasions imagining what this series would have been like if Thomas was in Vancouver and Luongo was in Boston. Not pretty...

Luongo should've just stayed home.

I guess this means Vancouver has goalie issues too?

Fixed that for you.

If only Vancouver had a 3rd guy to put in like Philly.

Why can't we play Game 7 in Boston.

Fuck man. This series should be over already in Boston's favor. They better find a way to win a game in Vancouver. Jeezus.

As bad as Leighton was last year in the SCF games in Chicago...I still think he was better than Luongo was this year in Boston.

Was leaning more towards this year. Last year Philly only use 2, right?

But agree...Leighton was merely bad, not 7oungo bad.

Schneider is definitely not embarrassing himself - how soon till he gets a starting job in this league (Go BC grads!!)

I was making a random comment.

But the Flyers only used 2 in the playoffs last year but when Leighton was hurt at the end of the regular season, JS Aubin was the back up.

He isn't going to start in Vancouver with 10+ years left on Bobby Lou's contract. Trade him to Philly!

So he can sit behind Bryzgalov for the next five or so years?

I have a feeling that the Flyers aren't going to sign Bryz.

This series has been crazy. Every Vancouver win has been by one goal, every Boston win has been 4+ or a blowout. Can Boston win in Vancouver? I guess we'll see on Wednesday night.

When the other option is jettisoning Carter (and probably getting very little for him in return because of his contract) I'd agree with this. I wouldn't pay Bryzgalov anything close to what he wants with his age and his recent playoff history. Maybe if he goes unsigned for a little while the Flyers can get him signed with less of a painful purge, but I doubt it.

They give the cup to the team with the better total goal differential over the 7 games, right?

I wish. But I feel good about a Game 7. THe Bruins have played in two of them, and the games in Vancouver have been a hell of a lot closer than the ones in Boston. Luongo bounced back from a double shellacking in game 5.. can he do it again in Game 7?

This isn't soccer. :)

:lol:

This series is just chock-full of punk ass bitches and dirty plays. I keep going back and forth on who I would like to win this series. Both teams are pretty dispicable and have shown a complete lack of character and respect throughout the six games.

I guess I still go with Boston because of Tim Thomas. Hard not to like Tim Thomas. Good Michigan guy.

I can't believe Sedin just stood there and took those punches. What a puss. I can understand wanting to avoid the nonsense after the whistle, but you have to at least have some respect for yourself. Push back, try to block it, something, ANYTHING! I would have trouble playing with a guy like that. Sure, you want to stand up for your star guys and shelter them, but you can't do everything for them. If Sedin isn't willing to even remotely stand up for himself, why should his linemates do it for him?

Between stuff like that and all the faking of injuries and other douchiness, I have just one thing to say before game 7:

Go Boston.

+1, I feel exactly the same.

:eek:

Yikes. i thought "all of Canada was united behind Vancouver" or some BS like that.

Then Sedin comes out and says "We'll win game 7."

Boy, you can't even guarantee not getting your teeth knocked out by a 170 pound rookie.