posted
Well this is certainly a way to up a rivalry....the Penguins/Flyers games this year have been intense. Looking forward to more the same this sieries with the Flyers winning in 6.
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm going with Pens in 6 as well, but hoping for them to win in 5. I think Philly is a little better than Ottawa, but not quite as good as the Rangers.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well the Stars finally broke the Wings' win streak.
Really I should say the REFS broke their win streak, but whatever. If they hadn't robbed us of two goals and given them one that shouldn't have been, it would've been over.
But whatever, I have no problem finishing this at home. Wings in 5 is still my guess.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Really I should say the REFS broke their win streak, but whatever. If they hadn't robbed us of two goals and given them one that shouldn't have been, it would've been over.
LOL, unless the refs names are Brendan Morrow and Marty Turco, then the refs didn't steal that game from the Wings. And I would be careful about counting out the Stars just yet, this might be that moment, like Ortiz's home-run in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, that gives the Stars just enough confidence and momentum to make a series out of this. In that sense, I don't think this series goes 5...
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Really? Disallowing a goal that was clearly fair while allowing a Stars goal that clearly wasn't? We lost 3-1, could have easily been 2-2 going into OT. They waved off another goal with a whistle blow that I thought was too fast too.
But you think THIS Stars team against THIS Red Wings team will be the first team in 30 some odd years to come back from a 3-0 deficit? Doubtful. Without the refs helping them out, the game either would've ended with a different winner or would have been a LOT closer.
The Wings won nine straight before last night. They're still a team on fire. I don't think they lose four straight.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Really? Disallowing a goal that was clearly fair while allowing a Stars goal that clearly wasn't? We lost 3-1, could have easily been 2-2 going into OT. They waved off another goal with a whistle blow that I thought was too fast too.
I wouldn't say that goal was clearly fair, I thought it was goalie interference, and it's a call I think should have been called on Detroit on at least 2 other goals in this series as well. Call those as well and maybe this series is actually 2-2 instead of 3-1.
With that being said, THIS Stars team is clearly different than other Stars teams. I thought for sure that they would lose to Anaheim, I thought for sure they would lose to San Jose, and I thought they would be the team that would give up a 3-0 lead. But none of that happened. I have seen this team have a 2-1 lead in the third only to give up the tying goal and lose in OT so many times that I have come to expect that. But it's not happening here, they beat San Jose on OT goals that I never expected given what they normally do, and there is something about the Dallas Stars and Brendan Morrow and Marty Turco and Brad Richards and Mikey Mo that has really made these playoffs, unlike the past four, really, really fun. Brendan Morrow is the best Captain in the league, and this team plays like they love the guys around them. Just ask the Patriots, there is nothing like that in sports...
I am not saying the Stars will win, but I don't think it will go 5 either. I think they will make the Red Wings earn it in either 6 or 7.
Also, the last time a team came back from 3-0 was 1975 and before that 1942, which leaves 33 years between times it happened. 1975+33 is 2008. The Stars seem like a team of destiny, and that would just be perfect wouldn't it. Go Stars!
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
The numbers aren't on your side. Before Wednesday, Turco had only beat the Wings I think three times total, and never at the Joe.
If Franzen is out for the rest of the series and the Stars keep playing with the energy they played with in the last two games, they could make a series of it. But the Wings are hungry this year, and look a heck of a lot more like the team of Destiny than the Stars have.
I think we'll win at home on Saturday.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote: The numbers aren't on your side. Before Wednesday, Turco had only beat the Wings I think three times total, and never at the Joe.
I believe The Patriots were at least 10 point favorites in The Super Bowl this year and The Stars had lost four straight opening round series before making it past both the Ducks and the Sharks. For the most part, numbers don't mean much when it comes to teams and winning. The numbers said that The Patriots should have destroyed the Giants but we all saw what happened there.
Marty Turco seems to like this challenge, this Stars team seems to be different than previous ones, so maybe this one will be different. I surely hope so.
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Which Stars team? The one that lost the first three games handily, or the one that barely pulled it out in Game 4 with the help of the refs?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
If the Superbowl was a series the Giants wouldn't have had a chance.
Poor example...the reason series exist is to take away the one game wonder type of play, and make it more likely the most talented team wins.
In pool the longer the race is the more likely the better play is to win. Anyone can win one game, even if they don't play as well overall, but their chances of doing 4 out of 7 times is far slimmer if the opponant is a better player.
I use pool/billiards as an example because it is something I am very familiar with, but the same applies for anything, really.
My bet is the WIngs go all the way to the Cup....and not just because I am a Red Wings fan.
posted
Great game from Osgood, and decent defense in general, but we didn't take it to them the way I'd have liked to. The crowd had some great energy too.
I'm still not worried though. We can win in Dallas, and they aren't going to sweep us.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ouch, another year of waiting I guess. I still consider the Flyers season to be a success. Still losing like this is a tough pill to swallow.
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
This was the way I'd hoped they'd come out and play. They pretty much put it out of reach after the first period. Not out of reach perhaps, as a three goal deficit isn't crushing, but it takes a serious effort to get the lead back from three unanswered goals, and when the fourth came, I think that sapped Dallas' energy until nearly the end of the third, but by then it was too late.
So now we go to the Stanley Cup Finals. Starts this Saturday at 8pm in Detroit.
Detroit in six. I'd like to say five, but that's too optimistic against a team that has been just as crushing on the Eastern side of things that Detroit has been on the Western. Besides, I have no idea how the Malkin/Crosby line will match up with Zetterberg/Datsyuk.
Should be a great matchup.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Fusiachi, I can't believe that all the whiners and criers from www.hfboards.com have their own representative on Hatrack. I'd be curious to know how many of the games the Flyers "deserved" to win, by the way.
I think this series will be a blast. Most everybody on the hockey boards I frequent predicts an easy win from Detroit. Don't get me wrong, I think Detroit is a great team, but I think underestimating the Penguins would be a big mistake. Most predictors of a Red Wings easy victory site the Pens' "horrible defense", going off past reputation instead of current reality (Pens lead the playoffs in GAA).
I say that it will come down to whether the Pens can win one of the first two games in Detroit. If they lose them both, I say Red Wings in 6. If they win one of them, I say Pens in 7.
Edit: If they manage to win them both, I'd say Pens in 5. However, I consider this rather unlikely.
posted
Wings come out strong blanking the Pens in a 4-0 victory!
I'd love it by the way if the refs could stop stealing goals from us, that'd be nice. We didn't end up needing it, but it's the principle of the thing.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:I'd love it by the way if the refs could stop stealing goals from us, that'd be nice.
While it was a borderline call I felt, the dude's stick was in between MAF's legs. If they want to stop getting goals called off, they should tell that dude to stop interfering with the goalie.
Anyway, the Pens got outplayed, but the biggest cause for concern is that the first two goals came from being outworked. Blanking the Pens' high flying offense is very impressive. The game started out exciting and then got very boring for a Pens fan.
I'm thinking they're going to be a bit more fired up for the second game, and get at least a couple into the net. I still like their chances if they can win one in Detroit. They haven't lost at home since February.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
And they haven't won in Detroit in eight years A minor fact given the few number of times they've even played at the Joe in that time, but it SOUNDS nice.
quote:While it was a borderline call I felt, the dude's stick was in between MAF's legs. If they want to stop getting goals called off, they should tell that dude to stop interfering with the goalie.
I never saw his stick touch Fleury. His stick is allowed to be there. There's no rule against it. I've seen goals where players crash full on into the goalie and the goal still counts, but our goals get waved off when Holmstom's backside is over the line? Or when his stick isn't actually touching the goalie but is NEAR him? He's not interfering, and the goals shouldn't be called off.
If Fleury can't stop a goal under those circumstances, he has no business being a goalie. It's ridiculous. There was no way he was going to stop that goal either way; Holmstrom's stick had zero bearing on the goal.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
They've got to focus on that rule in the off-season, there have been WAY too many games affected by that, either calling it too tight or not at all.
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
They need to take a serious look at the rule in general. If that Lidstrom goal that was disallowed is how the rule will be called from now on, then a LOT of goals are going to be called off in the NHL. Holmstrom was outside the crease and got his stick in there a little bit, but I've seen dozens of goals that were jammed in through a goalie's pads or jammed in in the middle of a scuffle or in some other way shape or form dealt with contact with the goalie.
The crease isn't a magic force field, and even if it was, Fleury likes to come out of the crease to make a play. If you can't have traffic around the goal, get ready for the goal totals to significantly drop around the NHL.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
I think the Pens showed their frustration a lot in the game, and not just with the cheap late hit on Zetterberg or the cheap head shots to Franzen. And the post game interviews were a whine fest with them all complaining about how bad the Wings are. To be fair, I think there were a few calls that should have been made against the Wings. Kronwall leaves his feet when making a lot of his hits, and that should be a penalty. But I saw a lot of things that should've been called on the Pens too. Val Fillpula was being interfered with when he scored the third goal on Fleury (which was a SWEET goal) but whatever. And for all the bitching there is about Holmstrom interfering, twice they clipped Osgood and then complained about the call. At least the calls in that regard were consistent.
So really, I don't have any complaints about that game, except perhaps the cheap intent to injure hits on Franzen (who himself had zero complaints about it). If the Pens don't want to give us any credit and want to cry their way to losing the Finals, then fine. Or they could give us some credit, suck it up, and try to actually score a goal.
I think the momentum will really be with them when this thing goes to Pittsburg on Wednesday. They'll get some major energy from the crowd and maybe they'll even put one between the pipes, but I'm really looking forward to a renewed competition between the two on Wednesday.
posted
I have been away for ages, and this thread made me sad about that. I would've LOVED to be around to discuss the San Jose/Dallas series. I'm a new Sharks fan, but I watched all of the Sharks' playoff games, and I went to Game 7 against Calgary. (I've never screamed so loudly in my life, and I had bronchitis. Terrible combination.)
After losing to Dallas like that, I was really rooting for Dallas against Detroit. Oh well.
Does anyone have a take on the Sharks firing Ron Wilson? I haven't been following hockey long enough to discuss the implications of such a decision.
Sorry in advance for any possible derailing that might stem from this post.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Given their failure to make it past the Conference semis for the last couple years, especially given their talent pool (they were widely favored to beat the Stars this year, and I think they were favored to beat the Wings last year too), I guess I'm really not surprised. Management thinks a fresh face and new ideas might finally get them past their bugaboos.
The Sharks are still a great team so I don't see this hurting them too badly. But I haven't seen who they are replacing him with. There aren't a ton of experienced NHL coaches floating around right now. It seems the name of the game is either promoting from within or poaching from another team.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Better game from the Penguins, much better. They really, REALLY improved their defensive effort. They made a lot of problems from the Wings, and didn't allow them to fly out of their own zone in control of the puck, and they crashed the net a lot. The Wings I think bobbled it a bit. That first goal was off a mishandling from Stuart, and there were a couple other blunders, but they didn't lose because they played poorly, they played very, very well. The Penguins picked up their game enormously. They were more aggressive, more calm, crashed the net, played great defensive hockey, limited our shots on goal while increasing their own and fired on more cylinders.
All in all this was the game that everyone wanted to see. It easily could've gone either way. Stuart doesn't make that slip and there's no goal for the Penguins, Osgood doesn't get his glove on it in time and it's an extra goal for them, the net doesn't get knocked off its moorings and it's a tie game. Bad or lucky bounces and happenings made that game what it was, but I don't think any of it was because anyone played poorly. Good on Pittsburgh, and great game.
I was glad to see multiple calls on cross checking against Holmstrom. I think they easily could've made two or three more calls for cross checking against the Pens. Also, and I'll say this first, I think it was a fair goal, but I think it was the second goal when a Penguin was in the crease encroaching on Osgood's breathing space, which was all it took to get two of our goals disallowed in previous games and yet it was fine. I think all of them should be goals. The Penguin player wasn't out of line, but if we're going to call it, call it for everyone, or call it for no one.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I might add that Lidstrom is the FIRST European captain to lift the Cup. And the 2008 Red Wings are the very FIRST NHL team to win a Cup with more than 50% European players. The taboo is broken people!
I don't think this will lead to a swarm of scouts at Timra vs. Frolunda games, and I don't even think a lot of teams will really start to take on more European players in leaps and bounds, but I think it shows a lot about the quality of the Euro leagues.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
So we're on Day 2 of free agency? How is everyone faring?
The Wings signed Marian Hossa for a one year, 7.45 million dollar deal, making him the second highest paid player on the team. I'm not super happy about the price, but we still got him for a big deal since the Oilers were willing to pay 9 million plus for him and he's a fantastic top 6 forward. He's a great pickup.
Other than that we resigned Brad Stuart, which was another big deal for us. We've got our top four defensemen locked in and they're all awesome.
All we have left is to resign Valtteri Filppula and we're set for next year. I hate being the favorites to repeat, because the pressure and expectations suck, but man, picking up Hossa and keeping everyone else means we're going to be even better next year. I'm feeling really, really good Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
The first round is yielding some interesting surprises and some all too expected results for others.
The Canucks have swept the Blues, and the Wings are one game away from sweeping the Jackets, as well the Bruins are a game away from sweeping the Canadiens.
Surprises? The Ducks taking two in San Jose. I thought it would be a crazy series, and that this was the worst possible match up for the Sharks, but dropping two at home? I didn't see that coming. It's a damned good thing for them that the eked out a win in Anaheim.
Other surprises, the Caps drop two at home as well. Carolina scores a freak goal in the last two TENTHS of a second of last night's game to even up the series 2-2.
It looks like the first round is serving up a lot of surprises and also a lot of great hockey. The Pens and Flyers are playing a great physical series.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yeah, I fully expected to drop a game in Calgary. We're tied at 1-1 at the first intermission. I think we'll take it in 5 but I'll take 6. I just don't want it to go all 7.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Goody Scrivener: Yeah, I fully expected to drop a game in Calgary. We're tied at 1-1 at the first intermission. I think we'll take it in 5 but I'll take 6. I just don't want it to go all 7.
That was a wacky second period. Six goals scored? Time to tighten up that defense. Getting three passed Kipper is impressive for a single period though.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
And the Wings add a sweep of the Jackets to their resume. That was a close game. The Columbus offense finally turned on, and what looked like a hurt Osgood gave them a helping hand. I won't take credit away from them though, they played a hard damn game that came down to the last minute.
The Ducks won tonight, which makes it look an awful lot like Wings vs. Ducks and either Calgary/Chicago vs. Vancouver.
At least we get some rest.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
