NHL Discussion

[forgeagain]

Chicago/Calgary already off to a good start.

I love this series, go Blackhawks.

I'd like this series more if was 3-1 Hawks going into Saturday's game. Looks like this one might go all 7. I was really looking forward to saving $120 on game 5 and 7 too. Oh well. Looks like I know what I'm doing at least on Saturday night and maybe Wednesday. As long as the home team wins every game I'm fine with it.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Sykora out, Satan in. wonder what the line combo's will be tonight

Kunitz / Crosby / Guerin

Satan / Malkin / Tank

Cooke / Staal / Kennedy

Adams / Talbot / Dupuis

Think they just do an even swap on the line? Wonder if they'll dress god tonight, even though Adams was so solid at the end of game 4

Letang out, Boucher in. now i'm kind of expecting them to dress goddard, haha

[zak138]

Letang's out due to injury. I'm glad to see Sykora swapped out for Satan. Satan never got a chance to play under Bylsma and the new style of play which suits his game perfectly. I don't expect to see Sykora again.

[drabley]

VC Bracket Standings (04/23/09)

1. murakami - 8 points

1. swankymodes - 8 points

1. kirbypuckett - 8 points

4. drabley - 7 points

4. vitty vlog - 7 points

4. matty - 7 points

7. brad - 6 points

7. antoine - 6 points

7. thrillho - 6 points

10. mike - 4 points

With the exception of the Red Wings and Sharks, there are a lot of differences between our picks for the rest of the round. There are plenty of points to be won or lost, so don't get "The Blues" if you're bringing up the rear currently (sorry mike -- that was a cheap shot).

[drabley]

Because you've all missed it so much...

drabley's draft day diamonds (vol 4)

Daniel Alfredsson

Position: Right Wing

Draft year: 1994

Round: 6

Overall: 133

Team: Ottawa Senators

Adrian Aucoin

Position: Defense

Draft year: 1992

Round: 5

Overall: 117

Team: Vancouver Canucks

Dave Taylor

Position: Right Wing

Draft year: 1975

Round: 15

Overall: 210

Team: Los Angeles Kings

Dave Taylor career stats = 1111gp 431g 638a 1069p in 17 NHL seasons, all with Los Angeles. 12 time 20+ goal scorer (3 of these were 30+, 3 were 40+). From a fifteenth rounder. Nice work.

[kirbypuckett]

Letang's out due to injury. I'm glad to see Sykora swapped out for Satan. Satan never got a chance to play under Bylsma and the new style of play which suits his game perfectly. I don't expect to see Sykora again.

Satan played a few games and actually did pretty well.

Check this out:

would be nice for the pens to get an early lead and see if things collapse for the flyers. for whatever reason this decade, when the flyers get eliminated, they get *eliminated* in some dramatic fashion.

2008, game 5: penguins 6, flyers 0

2006, game 6: sabres 7, flyers 1

2003, game 6: senators 5, flyers 1

2001, game 6: sabres 8, flyers 0

and the two playoff years missing were OT losses to the senators in '02 and the lightning in '04. no in-betweens here.

[murakami]

i am kinda surprised more teams dont get crushed in elimination games when the series is 3-1. in my head, it makes sense that a team would put all their effort into making the series 2-2 in the 5th game that come game 6, they just run out of gas and maybe even lose a little hope.

[brad]

there is a huge difference between this years playoff series and last years...

regardless, i think the nhl writers are going to give the flyers a win tonight so nbc can have game 6 since game 3's ratings were so high

[sgoodcore]

I think the Pens finish off the Flyers tonight

[zak138]

there is a huge difference between this years playoff series and last years...

Yeah, last years excuse was injuries, what's this years excuse, the refs?

[brad]

no.....try to keep up. last year the flyers had no chance. and lol at saying injuries was just an excuse. you saw what happened to your team without your number 1 dman this year.

this year the flyers have been playing better than the pens except for game 1.

[brad]

The NHL writers? lol

lol, WWE up in this bitch!

[sgoodcore]

no.....try to keep up. last year the flyers had no chance. and lol at saying injuries was just an excuse. you saw what happened to your team without your number 1 dman this year.

this year the flyers have been playing better than the pens except for game 1.

Fleury is part of the Pens and he's been great so I think on the whole the Pens have played better than the Flyers when and where it counted.

[brad]

yeah, i meant to say "take away the goalies"

fleury has been phenomenal. stole two games

[sgoodcore]

yeah, i meant to say "take away the goalies"

fleury has been phenomenal. stole two games

He's becoming the player he was drafted to be, for sure.

[brad]

my hope is that game four was a career game that he won't be able to repeat and the flyers can get back in the series

[sgoodcore]

my hope is that game four was a career game that he won't be able to repeat and the flyers can get back in the series

Maybe but you have to account for the Pens being at home and probably playing better as a team.

[murakami]

te flyer took something like 79 shots last game. 46 on net, 20 blocked and 13 missed the net. if they can manage to pepper the net like that again, the pens might need 4 or 5 to win.

that being said, i think their D tightens up a bit and they take less penalties

5-2 pens, with an empty netter

[drabley]

yeah, i meant to say "take away the goalies"

fleury has been phenomenal. stole two games

He's becoming the player he was drafted to be, for sure.

Pittsburgh should consider themselves extremely fortunate with Fleury. In doing my draft diamond stuff, I noticed trends in late round goalies excelling and early rounders flopping.

In the preceeding 10 drafts to 2003 when Fleury was selected 1 overall, there were 25 goalies selected in the first round. Of these 25, there are 10 names that I actually recognize -- Lehtonen, Ward, Leclaire, Blackburn, DiPietro, Luongo, Giguere, Biron, Boucher, and Denis. With the exception of maybe Cam Ward and obviously Roberto Luongo, none of these 10 are anything to write home about. Giguere lost his job to an undrafted backup from Switzerland, and Denis is just plain awful.

First round goaltender picks are risky business. But Pittsburgh found a gem in Fleury.

Pittsburgh wins the game tonight.

[brad]

no way pitt wins tonight. this thing is going 7 games.

neg me if i'm wrong but hook me up with a shower of +1 when i'm right.

also...the 2003 draft was an incredible draft. lol at the rangers drafting hugh jessiman

[swankymodes]

The Rib Crib Effect:

I moved to the city of Philadelphia last year. In my neighborhood is a fine dining establishment named the Rib Crib. Best barbecue in Philadelphia, hands down. Since the beginning of the '08 playoffs, every time that I eat Rib Crib on the night of a Flyer's playoff game, the Flyers win. Now this might sound simple, I eat 16 Rib Crib sandwiches and the Flyers win the cup! Not so easy. The Rib Crib is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. So I ate Rib Crib last Saturday for lunch and the Flyers won. The streak continued. The puck is dropping soon and I'm off to the Crib now. Go Flyers!!!

[sgoodcore]

He's becoming the player he was drafted to be, for sure.

Pittsburgh should consider themselves extremely fortunate with Fleury. In doing my draft diamond stuff, I noticed trends in late round goalies excelling and early rounders flopping.

In the preceeding 10 drafts to 2003 when Fleury was selected 1 overall, there were 25 goalies selected in the first round. Of these 25, there are 10 names that I actually recognize -- Lehtonen, Ward, Leclaire, Blackburn, DiPietro, Luongo, Giguere, Biron, Boucher, and Denis. With the exception of maybe Cam Ward and obviously Roberto Luongo, none of these 10 are anything to write home about. Giguere lost his job to an undrafted backup from Switzerland, and Denis is just plain awful.

First round goaltender picks are risky business. But Pittsburgh found a gem in Fleury.

Pittsburgh wins the game tonight.

I think you're being a bit rough of Giggy. He lost his father unexpectedly and has never recovered. However, he's got his Stanley Cup ring AND his Conn Smythe in a losing effort to fall back. Further, Hiller is an awesome goaltender who took advantage of Giggy not being around mentally.

You can add Jamie Storr to the list, the Kings took him, I believe 7th then ruined him by playing him too soon. Another thing the Pens "got away with" when it comes to Fleury.

In any regard though, I fully expect the world from one Jon Bernier.

[drabley]

I think you're being a bit rough of Giggy. He lost his father unexpectedly and has never recovered. However, he's got his Stanley Cup ring AND his Conn Smythe in a losing effort to fall back. Further, Hiller is an awesome goaltender who took advantage of Giggy not being around mentally.

You can add Jamie Storr to the list, the Kings took him, I believe 7th then ruined him by playing him too soon. Another thing the Pens "got away with" when it comes to Fleury.

In any regard though, I fully expect the world from one Jon Bernier.

Perhaps you're right of Giguere. And I included Storr in the 25 1st rounders, just not in the 10 that I immediately recognized.

And I'm somewhat disappointed you didn't comment on my Dave Taylor reference. I've been actively seeking Los Angeles gems lest I feel your scorn again.

On another note, Pittsburgh dominated that first period after the first 2 minutes. Good thing Biron is awake...

[crime]

looks like regular season osgood showed up tonight.

[sgoodcore]

I think you're being a bit rough of Giggy. He lost his father unexpectedly and has never recovered. However, he's got his Stanley Cup ring AND his Conn Smythe in a losing effort to fall back. Further, Hiller is an awesome goaltender who took advantage of Giggy not being around mentally.

You can add Jamie Storr to the list, the Kings took him, I believe 7th then ruined him by playing him too soon. Another thing the Pens "got away with" when it comes to Fleury.

In any regard though, I fully expect the world from one Jon Bernier.

Perhaps you're right of Giguere. And I included Storr in the 25 1st rounders, just not in the 10 that I immediately recognized.

And I'm somewhat disappointed you didn't comment on my Dave Taylor reference. I've been actively seeking Los Angeles gems lest I feel your scorn again.

On another note, Pittsburgh dominated that first period after the first 2 minutes. Good thing Biron is awake...

I was about to say:

"Wow, looks like we either forgot how to draft or just pulled one out of our ass."

Funny we got the two best players in Kings' history that started their career as Kings in the 6th and the 15th round of wherever Taylor went. Not sure where Bernie Nichols came in, I think we drafted him too. He would be third on the list.