NHL '11-'12 BS thread

[mike570]

Crap!
Way to win AGAIN Sharks!
Well Dorian, it looks like Canucks vs Kings in the 1st round.

Here, to help get everyone in the mood. I love these stories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditi...he_Stanley_Cup

[jim777]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VUug...layer_embedded

[doriangrey]

Originally Posted by jim777

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VUug...layer_embedded

she was cute - I'd join in whatever song she's singing! Dude was right - they need some coffee ;o)

Here we go Mike - Canucks vs Kings...may the best team win!

anybody willing to make some predictions? I'm gonna go with Charv's Sharks pulling off an upset against the Blues...not sure I'd even call that an upset...the Blues have about 2 players with any playoff experience.

I hope the Senators can pull off an upset in the east - still dreaming of an all Canadian Stanley Cup final ;o)

The 2 series that I think are really hard to predict a winner, and should be very interesting to watch, are Pens vs Flyers and Wings vs Preds... game on!

[charv712]

I hope youre right Dorian. Im scared of St. Louis's goal tenders, other than that I think it would be a cake walk. I could see the Penguins winning the whole thing this year. Although I hope it's the Sharks

[jim777]

LAK - VAN : Van in 5
SJS - STL : Blues in 5, maybe 6
CHI - PHX : CHI in 6, could be Phoenix in 6 too though. i don't know these teams super well
DET - NSH: Preds in 6
OTT - NYR: Ott in 7, Surprise! The Rags can only win by playing flawless hockey, they don't have the talent to overcome loits of little mistakes. they've made them all year versus Ottawa. This is the 1st round surprise/upset
WSH - BOS: Bos in 4
NJD - FLA: Devs in 5
PHI - PIT : tough call this one, but Flyers in 7

[Takin' a Ride]

If anyone is interested, I participate in a playoff pool every year with the following rules. You pick 30 guys from all the participating teams and the pool is cumulative goals and assists. Pretty simple. You pick a guy and his team gets eliminated, he stops accumulating points for you.

It's $20 to join and the winner gets 50% of the money, 2nd place gets 20%, 3rd gets 15%, 4th gets 10% and 5th gets 5%. You have to just not be a deadbeat and mail a $20 check to the guy who runs it.

I took 2nd my first year but have been just outside the top 5 a couple times. I think the winner got around $500 last year. It's a lot of fun. If anyone is interested, PM me with your email address and I'll forward you the info. You have to fill out the ballot and have it in by 6pm central time on Thursday. Yes, he's letting people watch the first games and then turn in ballots this year for some reason.

[mike570]

Here's my picks for the first round. Of course I don't want it necessarily to turn out this way but I'll try to maintain some objective honesty.

LAK - VAN : Van in 5. Yeah, the Kings can get hot but they're missing too many pieces to defeat a better Canucks team. Pray for Luongo to get cold. LOL!
SJS - STL : Blues in 5, maybe 6. I can agree with this though I'd like to see the Sharks take it.
CHI - PHX : CHI in 5. They've slumped a bit but they looked really good in recent games that I've seen. Better at least than the Dogs.
DET - NSH: Detroit in 6.
OTT - NYR: Rangers in 5. They need to click though. When they're on they're a behemoth and Tortorella will crack the whip.
WSH - BOS: Bos in 4. Completely agree.
NJD - FLA: Devs in 5. Maybe 4. The Cats have only won 2 of the last 10. 'nuff said!
PHI - PIT : Pit in 5 or 6. They look damn good.

[doriangrey]

Mike and Jim both picking the Blues to beat Charv's Sharks!? I'm with you Charv - your sharks will pull off the 'upset'

I'll join in with my first round picks:

Van over the kings in 5 (but I'll take a win in any case ;o)
Hawks over the dogs in 4 (only sweep I'm picking - dogs are not that good and I think they overachieved)
Wings over the Preds in 6
Sharks over the Blues in 7
Bruins over the caps in 5 (hate the bruins but I'm trying to be objective here)
Devils over the Cats in 5
Sens over the Rangers in 6 (clinging to my hope for an all Cabadian final ;o)
Pens over the Flyers in 6 - this is a very intriguing series but the Pens have so much more talent they should be able to beat the Flyers if they don't let the Flyers drag the games down into the gutter.

Game on boys!

[mike570]

LOL! No love for the Rangers here I suppose. I guess time will tell.

[jim777]

Originally Posted by doriangrey

Mike and Jim both picking the Blues to beat Charv's Sharks!? I'm with you Charv - your sharks will pull off the 'upset'

I'll join in with my first round picks:

Pens over the Flyers in 6 - this is a very intriguing series but the Pens have so much more talent they should be able to beat the Flyers if they don't let the Flyers drag the games down into the gutter.

Game on boys!

The Flyers play a physical game, but the Pens are flat out dirty. they usually lead the league in fighting majors and game misconducts. Should be a great series

Also...

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...hare_email_bot

By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN
As hockey's playoffs begin Wednesday, the NHL believes the stage is set. The time is now. Finally, the league is poised to get what it has never had: a lot of people talking about hockey in April. At least some of whom don't end every sentence with the word "eh."

All of the most important U.S. markets still have teams alive. New York and Boston, Detroit and Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles—they're all here.

The game's biggest stars made it, despite significant turbulence. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals squeezed into the playoffs as the East's seventh seed. The Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, after battling concussion-related ailments this season, is in as well.

The 10-year, $2 billion deal the NHL signed with Comcast Corp.'s NBC Universal unit last year gave the league both much-needed capital and a partner with both the will and the ability to take the NHL as seriously as it takes itself. For the first time in the NHL's 95-year history, every playoff game will be televised nationally, with most of the games appearing on networks that are available in at least 80% of homes with cable TV. And the league may be ripe for growth. NHL telecasts on NBC's channels reached 14.9 million viewers this year, up 14% from last season.

[mike570]

Wait a minute! South Florida is a major market!!!
Maybe not for hockey, but.....

[charv712]

Thanks for the kind words about my Sharks Dorian

[charv712]

Oh, and Sharks in 6.....

[doriangrey]

Originally Posted by jim777

All of the most important U.S. markets still have teams alive. New York and Boston, Detroit and Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles—they're all here.

The game's biggest stars made it, despite significant turbulence. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals squeezed into the playoffs as the East's seventh seed. The Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, after battling concussion-related ailments this season, is in as well.

The 10-year, $2 billion deal the NHL signed with Comcast Corp.'s NBC Universal unit last year gave the league both much-needed capital and a partner with both the will and the ability to take the NHL as seriously as it takes itself. For the first time in the NHL's 95-year history, every playoff game will be televised nationally, with most of the games appearing on networks that are available in at least 80% of homes with cable TV. And the league may be ripe for growth. NHL telecasts on NBC's channels reached 14.9 million viewers this year, up 14% from last season.

Yes, I think that my dream of an all Canadian Stanley Cup Final is the league's (and NBC's) worst nightmare...probably bring record ratings on CBC HNC though...

[jim777]

Can't believe that Weber move on Zetterburg, seriously, WTF? He's going to be suspended for that, and the game was OVER! Moron, the Wings would have paid money for that.
Nice come back by the Flyers, I'm thinking it may not take them 7 to put the Pens away after all.