Official NHL thread?

[r'aggro]

The officiating is the only thing worse for the league than Bettman himself. I don't even know how many times over the course of the season I've seen a guy get called for something, but later in the game some other player does the exact same thing...but no call. The inconsistency is such BS.

Even the basis for suspending players is a crock, as we've seen in just the last few weeks. Player (or team!) reputation is no basis for deciding penalties.

[dyne]

I can't take much more of this post season. My Hawks just tied it up 1-1 with 5 minutes left and won in OT. EVERY win of ours has been from behind. It's nerve racking!

[Recon]

I'll be sitting 4 rows up from the glass come game 5 on wed =)

[Spank_Me_Hard]

I'll be sitting 4 rows up from the glass come game 5 on wed =)

Wow! Congrats! A playoff game would be a whole new level of fun! Tho I do hope that you leave the game disappointed...

Am now hopin for the Hawks in the West... after having cheered for them the past two rounds. My gut tells me tho that they can't beat Detroit. The Hawks blowing a 3 goal lead last game kinda validated that for me. The Hawks can only be the "comeback kids" for so long... eventually the law of averages will catchup with them.

Am lovin the playoffs... all the teams that I have been cheering for seem to lose every round... but WOW is it some great hockey!

So intense and hard hitting... the Chicago-Calgary series was immensely entertaining to me. Havlat got knocked into next Tuesday by Kronwall. Had a look on his face like he has his memory erased.

Pitt-Washington series was amazing. Clash of the titans in Ovechkin and Crosby. Was surprised that after such a good series that ther Caps folded so easily in game 7.

And Carolina has been surprising every team that they've faced. So I was wondering if they were going to be the Cinderella team this year. Then they face Pitt... who seem to be playing vs. a highschool team now.

It's amazing how easy some teams seem to handle others, and then in other series how easily one team disposes of another. After the Canes took their opponents to game 7s... they are folding like a glass jawed boxer vs. the Pens. I wonder seomtimes if it's just matching up badly vs. another team, or the talent level just ain't there, or if pure luck has just run out. So unpredictable and seemingly random sometimes.

For example... Malkin seemed invisible for most of these playoffs. But against the Canes he is an unstoppable force. Why?!? It's not like he's an unknown entity... teams are going to try to put their best players against him to try to neutralize him. And for the previous two rounds it seemed to work. But against the Canes he looks unstoppable!

The Pens got spanked last year by Detroit... but this looks like a different Pens team to me this year. They look possessed. Detroit represents to me almost a perfectly run organization (frustratingly enough for me... can't stand 'em)... but I am left wondering this year if the Pens are playing like a team of destiny. They just seem hungrier to me this year...

Sometimes I think that a team has to lose before they learn how to win.

(thinking of of the Detroit offensive juggernaught running into the Devils in the 90's, or my Oilers getting spanked by the Islanders before their dynasty)

[r'aggro]

Wings and Pens again...ehhhh. Pretty sick of Detroit, they win it all about 30% of the time. I'll still root for them (or anyone else) against the pens though. I do think it will be a good matchup.

Funny thing about Malkin (other than his appearance) is that even when it looks like he's been shut down for an entire game he still manages to get on the score sheet. Philly threw the Richards line at him and he "looked" invisible and stymied, yet he still quietly got his numbers. It was weird.

Carolina was overachieving and their luck just ran out, IMO. Boston and Jersey were both better teams and certainly more talented than the Canes; they just fought like rabid dogs and got amazing performances from Cam Ward. Hot goalies make all the difference in the playoffs; just ask MA Fleury.

[Snakespy]

I have been out of hockey for the last season, but the playoffs have sucked me back in like none other. I absolutely can't believe the difference between nhl hockey and nhl playoff hockey. It's like the old days when every game was exciting, huge matchups in every game and everyone just wants blood. I LOVE IT! Out of the teams that are left..I'm gonna have to say GO PENS!

[dyne]

Wings and Pens again...ehhhh. Pretty sick of Detroit, they win it all about 30% of the time. I'll still root for them (or anyone else) against the pens though. I do think it will be a good matchup.

My Hawks aren't out yet.

Then again,
Havlat is out.
Khabibulin is out.
They ejected Byfuglien because he skated past a ref and complained about his officiating.
They then fined Quenville for basically saying the same thing.

[r'aggro]

I am definitely pulling for Chicago in this series, and who knows...

[Spank_Me_Hard]

My Hawks aren't out yet.

Then again,
Havlat is out.
Khabibulin is out.
They ejected Byfuglien because he skated past a ref and complained about his officiating.
They then fined Quenville for basically saying the same thing.

Havlat hurts. He's a really good player. But I think that Chicago has enough firepower to win without him. Detroit may be missing Lidstrom and Datsyuk as well. Chicago though needs to play mistake free, and desperate hockey. They have to play like their backs are against the wall... and it is.

I think that Detroit has great depth. They have some really good players. But I think that their goaltending is weak. Osgood will never be mistaken for a good goalie. He is just simply good enough for them. Just like him and Vernon were in the 90's when they would only have to face 12 shots a game. If Chicago can get traffic in front of the net... and put a lot of rubber on net... I think that they can be beaten. You just have to fight through great depth at forward and defense and a sound system to expose Osgood.

Huet is a quality goalie. He had a bad last game, but who didn't for Chicago? I don't see that there is that drastic of a dropoff between 'Bulin and Huet.

Chicago also has to hit Detroit. Byfuglien should be a key to this. He should get under Detroit's skin the same that he was able to do in Vancouver and Calgary.

I still think that Chicago has an outside shot... but they have to start playing like they want to be there.

[r'aggro]

Well, the Hawks fought for their lives and played a good game. Huet really kept it close for them, too. Let's see a good SCF and get on with free agency.

[dyne]

We got yet another misconduct penalty for mouthing off to a ref. I have never seen anybody penalized for that before until this series. We got 3.

[Spank_Me_Hard]

Well, the Hawks fought for their lives and played a good game. Huet really kept it close for them, too. Let's see a good SCF and get on with free agency.

That's the way that the Hawks needed to play for the entire series to have a chance.

Hawks have been one of the most frugal teams the past 15 years. Let's see if their committed to keeping their core players over the next few years. Going out and getting Campbell was a good sign though I think.

Was overjoyed to see that the Oilers got Pat Quinn. Whom I think is a pretty good coach. Oilers WAY underachieved last year I think. Will be interesting to see how they do when properly motivated.

Actually thought that MacTavish is a good coach too. But for whatever reason, no matter who the coach is... it seems like the players stop responding to the coach enough at some point. MacT will probably do well somewhere else.

[r'aggro]

We got yet another misconduct penalty for mouthing off to a ref. I have never seen anybody penalized for that before until this series. We got 3.

Haven't watched many Flyers games, have you?

[JDC]

SCF repeat, yawn.

[Recon]

I was there...4 rows away when we crushed your little hawks hearts......