The NHL Playoffs Thread!

[cursona pirate]

With the NHL playoffs starting soon I decided to make a official Baltimore Ravens NHL Playoff thread.
You may discuss your thoughts and opinions here!

I am cheering obviously for the sharks. But in the eastern confrence i guess i will cheer for the caps. that would be a cool match up in the stanley cup (if both teams make it that far )

well the last game between the flyers and rangers for a playoff spot.

[MsMarvel73]

The Flyers aren't in...yet *crossing fingers*

Win against the Rangers tonight and they're in. Win against the Rangers tonight and I can rub it in my best friend's Ranger-loving face.

[PuRock]

This is like asking me if the Ravens will win the Superbowl this year.

[sliceanddic3]

Capitals are my new favorite team right now, because of those god awful blues...

[George70]

I believe we will have a Blackhawks- Capitals Stanley Cup Final this time around. It may just go the full seven games.

At least that's what I believe.

[JEEPercreepermd]

[quote name='sliceanddic3' date='09 April 2010 - 11:36 PM' timestamp='1270870561' post='389157']
Capitals are my new favorite team right now, because of those god awful blues...
[/quote]
stick with your team! I always liked St. Louis, becuause for a while back in the 90's and early 2000's they were the only team in that division that could rival Detriot..

[JEEPercreepermd]

[quote name='PARavensgirl' date='09 April 2010 - 05:58 PM' timestamp='1270850317' post='389067']
The Flyers aren't in...yet *crossing fingers*

Win against the Rangers tonight and they're in. Win against the Rangers tonight and I can rub it in my best friend's Ranger-loving face.
[/quote]
Well it's winner take all on sunday! For some reason I was actually hoping the Flyers could squeeze in at #8 so we can send those Caps home early (again)

[Pääjärvi]

From a Caps point of view I would rather face Philadelphia and their god-awful goaltending than face Lundqvist who stole 3 games last season. Thank God for that awful offensive group but this year is another story,they've got Gaborik who is such an underrated player and Dubinsky is coming into his own,Prospal and Jokinen can put up some decent numers.
Sens will no doubt play Devils/Pens who are tied and fight for the division. I hope we get Pens and beat up Crosby pretty good ,we don't have that much talent but we certainly like to play gritty and hit whoever enters the zone with the puck on his stick.

[XxSizzleXx]

Wow if you think the Capitals "don't have that much talent" I have no idea what hockey team you are watching. You are the most talented team for a whole group of forwards. but they will only go as far as there goaltending and defense can take them. Gotta go with my Pens, I'm hoping we get another tango with Philly as there probably isn't a more intense playoff series.

[Pääjärvi]

Wow, start paying more attention to what I post. I was talking about Ottawa Senators

[sliceanddic3]

[quote name='JEEPercreepermd' date='10 April 2010 - 01:47 PM' timestamp='1270921677' post='389259']
stick with your team! I always liked St. Louis, becuause for a while back in the 90's and early 2000's they were the only team in that division that could rival Detriot..
[/quote]
Their still my fav team, just rootin for the caps in the playoffs!

[XxSizzleXx]

Sorry it's kind of hard to understand especially when you say right off the bat " From a Caps point of view...." and then you go to Philadelhpia, to New York then to the Sens then the Devils and Pens so sorry if it's confusing.

Then you say " I hope we get Philadelphia" to " I hope we get Pens ", so you must be talking about more than one team because Philly and Pittsburgh don't have the chance to play the same teams as Pitty is in 4th and Philly in 8th.

It will be better if your a Sens fan, it will feel that much sweeter when we sweep you guys two years in a row.

[cursona pirate]

last games today!
i wonder who the sharks will play?
plz detroit win!

[FlaccoFlicker]

[quote name='cursona pirate' date='11 April 2010 - 01:29 PM' timestamp='1271006985' post='389507']
last games today!
i wonder who the sharks will play?
plz detroit win!
[/quote]
lol ty ill take wing support today lol

[marek0393]

I'm excited for my sens to play the penguins again and maybe redeem themselves. Oh and put crysby in his place, face first into the glass. All in all tho I am very much so looking forward to This years nhl playoffs

[JEEPercreepermd]

[quote name='Pääjärvi' date='10 April 2010 - 04:02 PM' timestamp='1270929757' post='389291']
From a Caps point of view I would rather face Philadelphia and their god-awful goaltending than face Lundqvist who stole 3 games last season. Thank God for that awful offensive group but this year is another story,they've got Gaborik who is such an underrated player and Dubinsky is coming into his own,Prospal and Jokinen can put up some decent numers.
Sens will no doubt play Devils/Pens who are tied and fight for the division. I hope we get Pens and beat up Crosby pretty good ,we don't have that much talent but we certainly like to play gritty and hit whoever enters the zone with the puck on his stick.
[/quote]
I wouldn't say Philly's goaltending is "god awful" I'll admit that Brian Boucher isn't ideal for being our starting goaltender, but he's competent. He has actually played pretty well, the problem has been that the Flyers just havent played as good infront of him as they did with Leighton and Emory starting.

The beautiful thing about the Playoffs this year is that every team has a chance. It should be another good one!

The fan in my says Lets go Flyers, I just don't think it's their year.

Anyway, if i'm not mistaken the Caps wouldn't even play the flyers in the first round. If they Flyers win today they will be #7 since they will be tied with montreal but will have more wins.

Here's my prediction for round 1

1.Washington vs 8 Montreal-Caps in 5
2. New Jersey vs 7 Philly- Flyers in 7
3.Buffalo vs 6 Boston- Buffalo in 6
4. 4 Pittsburgh vs 5 Ottawa- Pens in 7

[ravens__]

I realize the Caps is the most popular NHL team here but I've been rooting all along for the Canucks.

Both teams can go all the way as far as I'm concerned and if Varlamov steps up for the Caps during the playoffs, they are the clear favourites.

[Pääjärvi]

[quote name='JEEPercreepermd' date='11 April 2010 - 01:18 PM' timestamp='1271009892' post='389521']
I wouldn't say Philly's goaltending is "god awful" I'll admit that Brian Boucher isn't ideal for being our starting goaltender, but he's competent. He has actually played pretty well, the problem has been that the Flyers just havent played as good infront of him as they did with Leighton and Emory starting.

The beautiful thing about the Playoffs this year is that every team has a chance. It should be another good one!

The fan in my says Lets go Flyers, I just don't think it's their year.

Anyway, if i'm not mistaken the Caps wouldn't even play the flyers in the first round. If they Flyers win today they will be #7 since they will be tied with montreal but will have more wins.

Here's my prediction for round 1

1.Washington vs 8 Montreal-Caps in 5
2. New Jersey vs 7 Philly- Flyers in 7
3.Buffalo vs 6 Boston- Buffalo in 6
4. 4 Pittsburgh vs 5 Ottawa- Pens in 7
[/quote]

Boucher was a pretty good back-up goaltender in San Jose . He can make the saves he is supposed to but he can't steal games and that's what you want in your goalie if your team wants to go all the way,everybody knows you go as far as your goaltender can take you in the playoffs. Emery played a key role in Ottawa's cup run 3 years ago , he locked up the net in the Buffalo series and he played absolutely superb in the first two games of the Stanley cup Finals but the team couldn't step up to the challenge. Let's see if Boucher has what it takes to lead a team in the playoffs and win the goaltending battle with Lundqvist tonight. If so,I'm a believer

[XxSizzleXx]

I'm glad Phlly gets paired up with NJ, the Pens always have a lot more trouble with the defensive persistent teams like NJ.

Caps in 6
Philly in 7
Boston in 6
Pitty in 5

[FlaccoFlicker]

yeah wings win their last game in ot!SO i pull Phoenix in round 1

[sliceanddic3]

The Flyers are in!!! That was a hockey game for you right there

[MsMarvel73]

Ha ha ha ha I just got to post the most snarkiest comment to my Rangers-lovin' friend's FB.

The Devils huh.....I'm happy, nervous, and exhilarated all at the same time.

[XxSizzleXx]

Looks like Stamkos and Crosby will be sharing the Rocket Richard trophy, Henrik Sedin is the first ever Vancouver Canuck to bring home the Art Ross Trophy(most points).

[cursona pirate]

The match-ups for the eight Conference Quarter-Final series of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been determined. The match-ups are:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers
#3 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 Boston Bruins
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Colorado Avalanche
#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #7 Nashville Predators
#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 Los Angeles Kings
#4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

[cursona pirate]

dang it buffalo!
now evgeni nabokov is 2nd in wins. poor nabby!
oh well..

bye the way this is my 666th post!!

[XxSizzleXx]

My predictions for this round...

EAST

#1 WSH vs #8 MTL (WASHINGTON IN 6)- This will be a fast skating series, the back ends look fairly equal while Washington has a big advantage of skill and size up front. If the Capitals goal tending holds up they should be moving on.

#2 NJ vs #7 PHI (FLYERS IN 6)- New Jersey got a really bad draw for winning the division and taking the 2nd seed, Philadelphia has recently had their number, I give Philly the edge up front and on D, Brodeur won't be enough as Philly moves on in six.

#3 BUF vs #6 BOS (BOSTON IN 7) - Like NJ I think Buffalo got a bad draw for winning their division, the goal tending looks equal, Boston has the better D, while Buffalo has the faster and edge in forwards, look for Chara to basically shut down the Sabres top line.

#4 PIT vs #5 OTT (PENGUINS IN 5) - Rematch from last year's opening round for these guys, the Penguins have better forwards, better and more mobile D and I have confidence in MAF. If Ottawa's goal tending doesn't hold up this will be another short series.

WEST

#1 SJ vs #8 COL (SAN JOSE IN 5) - While goal tending looks even San Jose clearly has the better and more experienced team, Colorado won't be ready for what they will be throwing at them, early exit for the young Avalanche

#2 CHI vs #7 NSH (CHICAGO IN 6) - Chicago dresses the better forwards and defense but the goalies are complete wildcards for this series I think. This could go either way but I like Chicago moving on.

#3 VAN vs #6 LA (LOS ANGELES IN 7) - This one is a little shocker because Vancouver dresses a very talented team, well so do the Kings. I like the Kings because I have a gut feeling that they will shut down the Sedins n co, while Vancouver obviously has one of the best goalies in the world.

#4 PHO vs #5 DET (DETROIT IN 5) - Well Phoenix finally pulls in a good season and they have to be down getting Detroit in the 1st, The Wings experience will take over this series quick and fast.

[JEEPercreepermd]

[quote name='XxSizzleXx' date='11 April 2010 - 09:07 PM' timestamp='1271034424' post='389634']
My predictions for this round...

EAST

#1 WSH vs #8 MTL (WASHINGTON IN 6)- This will be a fast skating series, the back ends look fairly equal while Washington has a big advantage of skill and size up front. If the Capitals goal tending holds up they should be moving on.

#2 NJ vs #7 PHI (FLYERS IN 6)- New Jersey got a really bad draw for winning the division and taking the 2nd seed, Philadelphia has recently had their number, I give Philly the edge up front and on D, Brodeur won't be enough as Philly moves on in six.

#3 BUF vs #6 BOS (BOSTON IN 7) - Like NJ I think Buffalo got a bad draw for winning their division, the goal tending looks equal, Boston has the better D, while Buffalo has the faster and edge in forwards, look for Chara to basically shut down the Sabres top line.

#4 PIT vs #5 OTT (PENGUINS IN 5) - Rematch from last year's opening round for these guys, the Penguins have better forwards, better and more mobile D and I have confidence in MAF. If Ottawa's goal tending doesn't hold up this will be another short series.


[/quote]
Pretty much agreeable on all fronts. I do think that the Buffalo-Boston series could go either way though, the goaltending will be extremely entertaining to watch in that one.

Pittsburgh-Ottawa I think will be a short series. I think I said 5 games too,but the sweep wouldn't suprise me at all. I saw my Flyers play one hell of a series against Pittsburgh last year but got sent home on account of Marc Andre Fluery's brilliance in net in that series. It seems like he just turns his game on in the playoffs, so needless to say it's an uphill battle for Ottawa from the start.

New Jersey-Philly I can agree to as well. I think the Flyers really have been under-achievers this season. They have a boat load of talent both at forward and on D, but just have had some problems putting it all toghether this year. Probably the best draw the Flyers could have gotten given their situation in net, since NJ isn't an Offensive powerhouse. If the Flyers can continue to play sound defensively infront of Boucher, I can see them taking this series in 6 or 7.

Not much to say about Montreal-Washington. I think Washington will take care of business, Montreal is a great skating team but I just don't think they are good enough to expose the Caps defense. I changed my pick to Caps in 5.

[JEEPercreepermd]

[quote name='Pääjärvi' date='11 April 2010 - 02:56 PM' timestamp='1271012193' post='389533']
Boucher was a pretty good back-up goaltender in San Jose . He can make the saves he is supposed to but he can't steal games and that's what you want in your goalie if your team wants to go all the way,everybody knows you go as far as your goaltender can take you in the playoffs. Emery played a key role in Ottawa's cup run 3 years ago , he locked up the net in the Buffalo series and he played absolutely superb in the first two games of the Stanley cup Finals but the team couldn't step up to the challenge. Let's see if Boucher has what it takes to lead a team in the playoffs and win the goaltending battle with Lundqvist tonight. If so,I'm a believer
[/quote]
Well are you a beliver?

[ravens__]

My predictions for the first round: (yes, I followed JEEPercreepermd's scheme )

#1 WSH vs #8 MTL (WASHINGTON IN 4): That might sound like an exaggeration to most but MTL is just the opponent the Caps would want in the first round. Even if the Habs made it in, they're just not good this year and I predict a blow out granted by WSH.

#2 NJ vs #7 PHI (DEVILS IN 7): As much as I liked the Flyers recently, I can't see how the Devils can be eliminated. Sure, NJD didn't play at its best the last few games but Brodeur has been solid all year long. Whether Boucher can step up during the playoffs is a big question mark for me. That's where the difference will lie it seems and where the series will be decided.

#3 BUF vs #6 BOS (SABRES IN 6): Sabres have surprised me this season more than any team. Miller has been arguably the best goalie this year for me and I'm not sure if Thomas will start for the B's or if they'll give Rask a chance. This can go either way, but the Sabres have the slight edge.

#4 PIT vs #5 OTT (PITTSBURGH IN 6): I could have preyed for any other match-up but this.. For the third consecutive year, Pens vs Sens during the first round. The Senators have been rolling as of lately and hold a 7-2-1 record over the last ten games of the regular season. Although, I do believe Pittsburgh have enough firepower to knock them out.

WEST

#1 SJ vs #8 COL (SHARKS IN 5): Is it the time for the Sharks? The time their playoff curse cools off? It might be, yes. Sharks have a solid squad at all fronts this year. They are facing a very young Avalanche team that I have watched many times this season, being a Canucks fan. Even though they ooze with talent, they've showed they need experience during those last games before the post-season. I'll be surprised if they can achieve anything more than one or two wins.

#2 CHI vs #7 NSH (BLACKHAWKS IN 5): The Blackhawks are the most talented team of the league as far as I'm concerned. They got all the keys needed for a Stanley Cup place. My only doubt concerning them is their goalie, Antti Niemi. He is a solid goalie with outstanding instincts but I'm not too sure he can attribute with the pressure of the post-season. On the other hand, the Preds are a team I enjoy watching but are the definite dark horse in this series. The Finnish battle between Niemi and Rinne might as well be decisive.

#3 VAN vs #6 LA (CANUCKS IN 6): The Canucks have been arguably playing their best hockey this season with the Sedin line being on fire. Even if they manage to stop the twins, the likes of Kesler, Burrows or even Samuelsson can deliver when needed. As far as the defense is concerned, there sure is improvement to be made. Ehrhoff is a dynamic D-man offensively but he must improve his game defensively. At the moment, the Canucks are hit with injuries at the back, all minor thankfully, but they might affect the team's performance against the Kings. As for Luongo, he has been rather inconsistent lately with some good saves but also some poor goals against. The Nucks will face a very dangerous Kings team with Kopitar, Doughty and Brown leading the way. I would sure prefer the Predators over the Kings for my Canucks but it will be difficult for them to knock out the Northwest division's triumphant winners.

#4 PHO vs #5 DET (REDWINGS IN 7): The Coyotes is the most pleasant surprise so far this year. From the speculated breakdown and the much rumored move elsewhere to major division contenders, that's something few teams have accomplished. From Doan and Lombardi to Jovanovski and Vrbata, they've been one of the most consistent teams this year. Not to forget the most improved goalie compared to last year, Ilya Bryzgalov. As much as I sympathize for the Coyotes, they received a huge blow by playing against the Wings in the first round. Sure, the Wings have played from average to bad this year with few exceptions of top class hockey like we were used to seeing, but come play-off time, their experience plays for them. It will be a tough series, no doubt, but I see Detroit coming away with the final W.

[PuRock]

[quote name='XxSizzleXx' date='11 April 2010 - 07:48 PM' timestamp='1271029705' post='389619']
Looks like Stamkos and Crosby will be sharing the Rocket Richard trophy, Henrik Sedin is the first ever Vancouver Canuck to bring home the Art Ross Trophy(most points).
[/quote]

Why are the Islanders like a punching bag for Crosby and the Pens?

Ovie had magnificent chances yesterday and was getting robbed by Thomas all day long. While Crosby was having fun with his punching bag.

Congrats to Stevie Stamkos for not letting Ovie be the sole winner. And Sedin for having a monster season. I think Sedin should be league MVP this year.