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Whew....Nice Flyers win in double overtime. The Flyers now have a 3-1 lead going back to Washington
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Debbies knocked out by the Rangers. PIT-NYR in the 2nd round, unless Boston surprised MTL. PIT has got to be the favorite, but the Rangers have played well against PIT. The Pens won 3 and lost 5 against NYR.
Great Flyers win last night. They've done a great job so far, killing the Caps momentum. With MTL stuttering a little against BOS, they have the potential to make a decent playoff run. I know it's premature, but I'd really like to see a PIT-PHI ECF. Barring that, anything the eliminates the Pens from the playoffs is fine by me. Can't stand them.
Posts: 433 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Osgood played 59 minutes and change of shut out hockey. They tied it up with seconds to go and then secured it in OT.
I don't see how you could look at Hasek's play in the first three and a half games, and Osgood's play in the last game and a half and say that Hasek is the #1 guy. Babcock has always said that you play the hot goalie, and right now, Osgood is on his game, and Hasek isn't. If Babcock starts Hasek on Sunday, I think it'll be a pretty big blunder.
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DET played a solid game today (including a shorthander from Lidstrom) to move onto the 2nd round. The picture will become clearer tonight, but the most likely opponent by my reckoning is COL.
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Well the Ducks were just knocked off by the Stars so, if Calgary wins game 7 in San Jose, we play Calgary, 1 Detroit vs. 7 Calgary, and 5 Stars vs. 6 Avs.
If SJ wins, it'd be 1 Detroit vs. 6 Avs and 2 SJ vs 5 Stars.
Tuesday night at the latest we'll find out who plays who, in both conferences, in the second round.
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The Flyers came out flatfooted and played terrible, terrible hockey. If they don't make a dramatic turnaround, it'll be curtains for them tomorrow night.
Playing this way, they'd be cooked in the 2nd round, anyway.
Edit: Post #666 in the thread is about the Flyers. Given their rep, only NJD would've been more appropriate.
While not clinched...I think the next round it pretty well set now.
Conference Semi-Finals
West
1. Red Wings vs. 6. Avalanche 0-0 2. Sharks vs. 5. Stars 0-0
East
1. Habs vs. 6. Flyers 0-0 2. Penguins vs. 5. Rangers 0-0
I'm guessing the teams will get tomorrow off and we'll start on Thursday, or maybe Friday if they get two days off.
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For a city that's won 2 dozen cups, you'd think they'd know how to handle a 1st round victory....
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The schedule has been released for the second round. Detroit and Colorado square off on Thursday along with the Flyers and Habs. The other four teams play on Friday, and then they'll alternate days as usual.
Predictions for the second round?
West
Wings/Avs - The NHL's biggest rivalry renewed? Maybe. The last time they faced off was 2002, when the Wings leapfrogged them from a 3-2 deficit to make it to the finals and win the cup. The Avs have some young, quick players, but that's tempered by the fact that they have a lot of old guys in Foote and Sakic. The Wings have a lot of young talent with the same old guy issues, but the devil is in the details. I think the Wings are a deeper team throughout, and I think Osgood will continue his stellar play. A big question is what Theodore will do. Stellar or bomb? Hard to say, but either way the Wings win this series. The Avs knocked off the Wild, who were favored to win, but the Wings are rolling on two straight wins and a lot of fire, I think they win it. Wings in 6
Sharks/Stars - The Stars wiped the floor with a defensive heavyweight Ducks, and the Sharks struggled all the way to game 7 against a Calgary Flames that shouldn't have really had a chance this year. Momentum vs skin of your teeth? That doesn't replace the fact that the Sharks are a very good team. I think this one will go seven, and the Sharks won't be steamrolling anyone. It's a tossup, but I lean towards the Sharks. But I wouldn't rule out a Stars upset. Sharks in 7.
East
Habs/Flyers - I know they stumbled a bit against the Bruins, but the Flyers just barely eked out their own win. The Habs will steamroll them. Habs in 6.
Pens/Rangers - The Pens have the momentum and talent to get to the conference finals this year. They dismantled the Senators pretty handily and had plenty of rest going into this series. But the Rangers aren't pushovers. I thin they'll stretch it out to seven games, and the Pens win. Pens in 7.
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In the 1st round I picked with my head, now it's time to go with the heart.
COL over DET. I have no love for the Wings. (Reality: DET wins. Lidstrom is a machine.)
SAN over DAL. I'm rooting for Roenick in this one. (Reality: It's a toss-up.)
PHI over MTL. The Habs are better, but I'm a homer. (Reality: MTL finally gets rolling on the PP and scored about 25 PP goals.)
NYR over PIT. As a Flyers fan, I hate hate hate both teams. But Cindy Crysbsy pushes me over the top. (Reality: PIT probably wins, but I hope they get bludgeoned in the process.)
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COL/DET: Theodore has been flippin' amazing, but Osgood's no pushover, and his defense is slightly stronger. I think the wings will get more and better shots on net. Wings in 6.
SAN/DAL: This one's gonna be tight as hell. I'll put my faith in the Stars, but it's really just a toss-up. Stars in 7?
MTL/PHI: Boston was a much stronger playoff team in the first round then Philly was, and the Habs pulled through all the same. And with Koivu back in action, I don't think they'll be stopped. Habs in 5.
NYR/PIT: Another toss-up. I kinda want the Pens to lose, so I'll predict it and hope it comes true. Rangers in 7.
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1. Red Wings vs. 6. Avalanche 2-0 2. Sharks vs. 5. Stars 0-2
East
1. Habs vs. 6. Flyers 1-1 2. Penguins vs. 5. Rangers 2-0
I thought for sure the Rangers and Sharks would put up a much better fight than that. The Stars stole two on the road and play the next two at home? San Jose is done. Even if they split the two games in Dallas, I don't see them winning three straight after that. This is two rather crushing victories in a row for the Stars. They're headed to the Western Conference finals.
And seriously, I thought the Rangers would put up a better fight than that. They'll head home for two games now and we'll see if they can break the Pens' flawless playoff record.
Wings and Avs are going much like I expected, with the Wings soundly thumping those Rocky Mountain airheads. Maybe Theodore really does have the flu, but either way he's being picked apart, and I don't think Budaj is a playoff goalie that can carry them in this series. Their goaltending is falling apart, and the offense is having no luck against Detroit's D.
Montreal and Philly is probably the scrappiest series. I can easily see this one going back and forth a couple times.
I think it'll be over by this weekend.
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quote:And seriously, I thought the Rangers would put up a better fight than that.
The Pens won both games by the skin of their teeth. The first was by an amazing 0-3 to 5-4 comeback, aided by no less than 2 goals that went in off a defenseman's foot. Even so, the Rangers hit the post with 14 seconds left, another inch to the right and it would have gone to overtime. The second game was a 1-0 nail-biter, with a late Ranger goal waved off by an early whistle. They then had two power plays in the last 5 minutes to tie, and failed.
For the most part, the Penguins have outplayed the Rangers, but Lundquist has been keeping the games ridiculously close.
The Pens have lost all four games in MSG, I'm just hoping for a split there and go back to Pittsburgh 3-1.
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The Rangers absolutely deserved at least a split out of those two games. They shut down PITs offense in game 2, only to have the tying goal called off. In game 1, the ticky tacky penalty on at the end sealed the deal.
Likewise, the Flyers deserve to be up 2-0.
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quote:The Rangers absolutely deserved at least a split out of those two games. They shut down PITs offense in game 2, only to have the tying goal called off.
Pittsburgh outshot them 32-26 in game 2, and had the better scoring chances as well.
In game 1 New York gave up 4 straight even strength goals, blowing a 3 goal lead.
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Presumably you missed Crosby's Greg Louganis impression in game one? NY melted down, for sure. Inconsistent officiating didn't help. The refs let a lot of nonsense go that game, only to call a marginal penalty right when the Pens needed it.
In game 2, the trap worked pretty well. Outshooting a defensive-minded team by 6 shots isn't saying a lot. The Pens are going to put up a lot of shots on goal, especially with 5 PPs (And yes, I know the Rangers had 6. But, as I said, they're defense first.) 'Better scoring chances' is subjective. NY scored a goal that was called back. That game should have been 1-1 at the buzzer.
PIT has played only slightly better than NY so far.
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I admit I only caught bits and pieces of both games, I watched while I was at work. The first game all I remember is the Pens evening up whenever the Rangers scored, and the second game, didn't the Pens win 2-0?
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: I admit I only caught bits and pieces of both games, I watched while I was at work. The first game all I remember is the Pens evening up whenever the Rangers scored, and the second game, didn't the Pens win 2-0?
Second goal was on an empty net.
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The guy is supposed to be as strong of a skater as anyone in the league. He falls to the ice when it's convenient. Call it gamesmanship, call it whatever. Up to this point in his career, Crosby has not played the sort of hockey that I admire.
When Straka and Shanahan call you out for diving, maybe they're onto something. Those guys have been around the league for a while.
Anyway, as I said before, the Rangers should've had a shot at OT in game 2. In game one, they really took it to PIT early. The Pens do not impress me at all.
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Flyers pull out a 3-2 win to take the series lead two games to one. Sitting on a 3-0 lead, Hatcher took a five minute major penalty (w/a game misconduct to boot). MTL scores two goals during the 5 minute PP. It should have been 3 minutes, due to a trip non-call, but that's besides the point.
Flyers PIM - 29 MTL PIM - 8.
The Flyers had 6 minutes of PP time on the night, and 2 of those PPs were due to technical calls--too many many, delay of game...the sort of thing refs kind of have to call.
Oh well. Good teams play through this sort of stuff.
Flyers, in 6, in Philly.
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1. Red Wings vs. 6. Avalanche 4-0 WINGS SWEEP 2. Sharks vs. 5. Stars 1-3 (Next game Friday)
East
1. Habs vs. 6. Flyers 1-4 Flyers Win 2. Penguins vs. 5. Rangers 3-1
Flyers won tonight to push them up to a two game lead. The Stars are currently playing the Sharks, and have a one goal lead going into the second period. The Sharks are on the verge of being swept. Tomorrow night we'll see if the Avs and Rangers suffer the same fate.
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The Flyers have put themselves in a position to eliminate the Habs, and the Rangers have managed to take one away from the Pens for the first time.
The Wings are currently up 3-1 going into the second period. Looks like a sweep...
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(Now 4-1 off a goal from Hank) (Now 5-1 off another goal from Hank) (Now 6-1 off another goal from Franzen)
SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP
(Now 7-1 off another goal from Franzen, Franzen gets his second hat trick of the playoffs, and breaks the Red Wings team record with 11 goals so far in the playoffs)
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