NHL Season 08-09

[Flarega]

Carolina = Shitty market. Trap/defensive style. Yawn.

Detroit = Shitty market, poverty city. Yesyesyeshockeytownblahblahblah. You rock the place in the playoffs, but you had empty seats all through the regular season. In December $9 regular season tickets were offered for some of the Dec/Jan games, including even DET-SJ a week before Xmas. What a joke. Detroit = old as fuck too. Is Chelios going to have a stroke soon? How is Lidstrom's retirement villa coming along? Osgood has been playing since like Mario Lemeiux was born.

Neither team is flashy the way Washington/Chicago/Philly/Pittsburgh is. You ever think thats why last years finals rated well? Cause it was the new, exciting Pens, not the old as fuck, cant drive a limo, nose hair trimming Wings? Psssh...

Your homer is showing.

[Dense]

I hope Datsyuk explodes, he's really due for it.

I really hope he gets on the scoreboard alot, as he's taking some heat for it. However, especially in the Ducks series, he was a massive defensive presence - especially on the PK (how about that 5-3 last night by which he even managed a short-handed scoring chance).

Hossa is also taking some heat, but in my opinion, that's teh great thing about that Red Wings team, they can allow those high-profile scoring options to play defence, to have slumps, and still manage to win a series against a team that I would have rated as one of the best left in the playoffs, including all last-round teams. While America was watching the NHL marketing campaign of Crosby vs Ovechkin, the Ducks/Wings series was at least of the same quality, and perhaps even better...

[Arnwulf]

LOLOL at Detroit being a shitty market, wow Sepukku, you've definitely taken the cake there. Detroit has one of the biggest fan bases in the NHL, in fact, just last week the local Fox Sports affiliate broke the all time record for viewers for ANY TV network's NHL game. And don't forget that the "old guys" in Detroit are the same ones that beat your "new, exciting" Pens last year for the Stanley Cup, so convincingly that Marian Hossa decided to take less money to play there instead of staying with the Pens because he felt Detroit was clearly the better team and franchise.

And Carolina being boring? Have you watched their playoff games? They've been AVERAGING about 35 shots a game, all while out hitting the other team.

Maybe you should actually pay attention to teams other than the Pittsburgh Penguins before you make such asinine comments.

[Ratatapa]

Personally i want detroit to loose just because i want some change in the finals. Pens/Hawks or even Canes/hawks would be good.

And hawks been a really young reliable team (exept the goalerS ) They have been surprising alot since everyone says Playoff = experience mathers. but anyway i hope hawks goes far

[Brill Weave]

Some good matchups in each series. I'm hoping Khabibulin is able to play like he did when he was with Tampa Bay in their cup run. That's really the only way I see the Blackhawks winning the series. He has to play lights out hockey. The soft ticky tacky goals he was letting in against Vancouver will bury the Hawks if the does it against Detroit.

Now the Pittsburgh/Carolina series is going to be a blast to watch. I personally don't care for Carolina's system, but you're putting two teams together who have a bunch of guys up there in playoff hits. I'm expecting this series to be physically brutal. Ward will need to be the guy for the Canes since the last few games the Pens offense has come alive.

Staal vs Staal is going to be interesting and I'm willing to be that Bylsma will not have Jordan shadowing Eric. Too much familiarity on both sides. Should be two great matchups with a lot of entertaining hockey for us to see.

[Palin]

The Carolina games have been the most exciting I've watched this playoff. IDK what you guys are on when calling them boring.

[Arnwulf]

If the Pitt/Carolina series comes down to goaltending, Carolina is going to win, hands down, I know Fleury is talented, but he's not consistent, Ward is a rock.

[Absolutely Virtue]

Grats Wings/Canes fans. OT last night was just gnarly. Condolences to any Bruins fans. I think I still stand by what I said yesterday- better to get blown out in game 7 than lose in a gutwrencher.

Put me in the camp of people who don't want the Wings and Pens to make it to the finals. But it's got nothing to do with the future of the NHL. I'm just tired of seeing the same teams and storylines. Go Hawks. Although watching the Pens get dickpunched by the Wings in the finals again would make me happy, lol.

The Versus coverage is dogshit. They didn't replay Walker's goal until AFTER the handshakes.

EDIT- Sorry for the necro, but we can't trade Theodore because of his shitty salary. Will probably just end up cutting him and taking the hit. Oh well, not my money, lol.

[Bregor]

Carolina in seven.
Chicago in seven.
Ward vs. the 'Bulin Wall in the finals, delicious.

[Brill Weave]

I am now thoroughly amused. I was reading comments on Yahoosports a few minutes ago, which is always amusing. There's a guy over there attempting to claim that Semin is a better player than Crosby. Even those of you who can't stand Crosby would have to admit that Crosby is flat out a better player. Even the retards on Yahoo are laughing at him. Now that's bad. I mean like a firetruck on fire bad.

[Abraxas]

great. now i have to cheer for the penguins in the eastern conference.

fuck you Brill, Sepu and Ivaden and your goddamn playoff push


go blackhawks!

[Abraxas]

NHL playoffs are by far the best playoffs in sports. I've heard from several places that ESPN is now regretting lowballing the NHL on the TV rights bidding, but can't find any concrete source on that. I would not be surprised, the NHL has higher attendance records this year when compared to the NBA. It would be fantastic to have more games on TV, flipping to ESPN and seeing them playing all kinds of random crap while NHL games are going on is painful.

Hopefully everyone makes good decisions after the '11 season when the VS contract is up.

if ESPN is even thinking about getting back into Hockey NHL coverage, two things must be done.

1- track down Gary Thorne

2- get the fuck rid of Matthew Barnaby

[Arnwulf]

The NHL has said over and over again that they're happy with VS., but I think they'd happily jump ship if ESPN tabled a decent offer. That being said, ESPN will never do hockey justice, even when they had the broadcasting rights, they treated it like shit. At least VS. treats hockey like a premium product.

[Bregor]

I am now thoroughly amused. I was reading comments on Yahoosports a few minutes ago, which is always amusing. There's a guy over there attempting to claim that Semin is a better player than Crosby. Even those of you who can't stand Crosby would have to admit that Crosby is flat out a better player. Even the retards on Yahoo are laughing at him. Now that's bad. I mean like a firetruck on fire bad.

There's a new breed of stupid on Yahoo comments, I almost posted there about a dozen times but I realized that it would do no good. As a Caps fan, I can genuinely say that the Caps homers over there are imbeciles. I don't like Crosby any more than they do, but when you're beat by a better team with better players, just stfu. And "Caps fans" should probably read "Ovechkin fans," they probably don't know who Rod Langway, Dale Hunter and Don Beaupre are.

[Vedder]

CANES in 6

Haven't seen a whole lot of the Hawks, but I'm going to guess Red Wings in 5-6.

I think with all the teams left the 2 that make it to the Finals will prove to be an interesting matchup.

[Sepukku]

--Detroit is a shitty market. Joe Louis gets filled up come playoffs and its loud, but regular season, again, it was empty as shit. It doesn't make it "all the more impressive" that you DO sell out the playoffs despite the economy, it just means you have shitty fans who only pony up for the playoffs. I'm a college student who makes maybe $3000 a year, tops, and while I don't have the bill load of a full fledged adult, money is still extremely damn tight and I've managed to find the money to go make the 100-mile roundtrip journey, including a handful of toll fees, gas, and parking down to the arena where I attended 4 games I payed for as well as 4 games already at the big outdoor screen for the playoffs. Plus, I'm pretty sure merchandise and television-wise, the poorer communities (filled with minorities I'd imagine, as they usually do have a higher density in those areas) in Detroit don't give a flying fuck about hockey. Thats just how it is, hockey is not a poor man's sport. I know the more down-trodden areas of my city are cold spots for Penguins support as well. Thats just how it goes.

--I'm sorry, Detroit is not entertaining to watch. I mean, if you like constant back-checking harassment by sissy European players (and trust me, there's a difference between Russian and European players) who don't wanna play tough, ruining any back-and-forth up-and-down odd-man break exciting hockey, then sure they may be fun, but thats not me.

--Detroit has what? 4, 5 cups in the past 10-12 years? Pretty sure no one would mind the Ducks winning a whopping 2nd. Ducks are a quality team with lovable players like Scott Neidermayer and Teemu Selanne, both of whom don't have much time left in this league.

--See Ratapata's comment as proof there are people out there not looking to see Detroit win (again).

--Benedict Hossa. enough said.

[Brill Weave]

Wow you actually busted out Don Beaupre. I haven't heard that name in years. Fucking hated Dale Hunter. Fantastic player, just hated him to death. I miss Al Iafrate.

[Abraxas]

I'm sorry, Detroit is not entertaining to watch. I mean, if you like constant back-checking harassment by sissy European players (and trust me, there's a difference between Russian and European players) who don't wanna play tough, ruining any back-and-forth up-and-down odd-man break exciting hockey, then sure they may be fun, but thats not me.

im not really a detroit fan, but you're bashing them because they like to control the puck and dictate the tempo of the game. however, it makes them win.

if the pens did the same thing, you wouldn't be thinking "this sucks". no, you'd be glad they are winning

[hockeyfight]

Goddamnit Bruins.

Seriously though, last night's games were some of the best hockey I've seen in a while. Shame they both ended the way they did. I'd have liked to see Boston advance, but what can you do. Well played, Canes. As for the next round, I'm gonna pick with my heart rather than my head and hope that Carolina and Chicago play for the cup. I'm sick of seeing Detroit in the finals, and I don't want to hear the entire sporting press riding Crosby's dick for another 3 weeks.

[Sepukku]

im not really a detroit fan, but you're bashing them because they like to control the puck and dictate the tempo of the game. however, it makes them win.

if the pens did the same thing, you wouldn't be thinking "this sucks". no, you'd be glad they are winning

But I'm not a Detroit fan, and neither is 95% of the league. That stuff is only entertaining if you enjoy watching that specific team win. I'm sure Chicago won't enjoy watching that. I'm sure if Carolina wins and advances to meet Detroit, they won't enjoy watching that either. And if I'm randomly just watching a game on TV that is non-Pens, I don't want it to be Detroit. They're not fun to watch. Caps-Pens would be fun as hell to watch, even if I wasn't a Pens fan. Open, fast-paced hockey is the best it gets and is the deservedly rightful direction for the NHL to be heading after the lockout.

So many people here are Up in Arms for a mother fuckin Kraken Club over my Detroit comments, yet everyone says Chicago-Pens would be the best series cause it would be most entertaining. I'm being attacked by Hostile Herbivores like I'm going for a 1.2mil Erase in 2004-2005 over my Detroit is lame comments by people who WANT to see Detroit lose because they WOULDN'T be as entertaining in the Finals as Chicago.