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any Hockey fans?
- Thread starter drftnr14
- Start date
McLabia
Android Expert
gobluejd
GOBLUE!
By one game. You only won 1 this series.
Stuntman
Android Expert
Wow. I thought it was over when Kesler came up lame on the PK. He never seemed the same since that shift. He still toughed it out for the rest of the game and got the tying goal to send it into OT. I guess he didn't want to be upstaged by Thornton.
I gotta give kudos to Thornton for playing with a bad shoulder. He also played very well with one arm with every Canuck trying to lay a hit on him every chance he got. You can tell he's hurt since he stopped taking face-offs.
Update: Thornton had a separated shoulder.
I was on Luongo ever since the first round series. Tonight, he played his best game of the play-offs. He was the reason we weren't down early on that 5-on-3 PP. No chance on that goal that Ballard knocked in. (Ballard is good without the puck, but I get scared every time he touches it.) I can't fault him on that 2-on-0. Pavelski made a great pay to chip it to Setoguchi. Luongo just barely missed it. In spite of the two goals that got by him, he held the Canucks in all game long and kept it close in the third to give them a chance to tie it.
That OT goal was one of the weirdest I have seen. We got a lucky bounce and Bieksa just put it on net. No one knew what happened. The commentators thought it went into the netting.
As for the refereeing, this is the way I like to see games called. Let the players play. Great flow to the game. I hope this team of refs get to ref a few of the games in the Stanley Cup Final.
One last thing. Go Lighting!!! I want to see Game 7 in the east.
I gotta give kudos to Thornton for playing with a bad shoulder. He also played very well with one arm with every Canuck trying to lay a hit on him every chance he got. You can tell he's hurt since he stopped taking face-offs.
Update: Thornton had a separated shoulder.
I was on Luongo ever since the first round series. Tonight, he played his best game of the play-offs. He was the reason we weren't down early on that 5-on-3 PP. No chance on that goal that Ballard knocked in. (Ballard is good without the puck, but I get scared every time he touches it.) I can't fault him on that 2-on-0. Pavelski made a great pay to chip it to Setoguchi. Luongo just barely missed it. In spite of the two goals that got by him, he held the Canucks in all game long and kept it close in the third to give them a chance to tie it.
That OT goal was one of the weirdest I have seen. We got a lucky bounce and Bieksa just put it on net. No one knew what happened. The commentators thought it went into the netting.
As for the refereeing, this is the way I like to see games called. Let the players play. Great flow to the game. I hope this team of refs get to ref a few of the games in the Stanley Cup Final.
One last thing. Go Lighting!!! I want to see Game 7 in the east.
Seahawks
Newbie
I would call it choking considering they have made it to the playoffs for the last five years and couldn't even get to the finals. Oh and my team? Forgot to tell you, my teams are the red wings and the bruins. I know it must be hard to admit that they choke being a sharks fan, but they are the definition of choking. They have been to the playoffs 12 times yet no stanley cup.
Stuntman
Android Expert
Every year there are 16 teams that make it to the playoffs and only one win the Cup. On average, teams that make the playoffs win one cup every 16 times. I wouldn't say they choked. If they lost to Detroit in round 2, then I would say they choked.
Seahawks
Newbie
They have never won a cup and have been a team for twenty years and have made it to the playoffs 12 times. How is that not choking?
Stuntman
Android Expert
There are 30 teams in the league. On average you would win one cup every 30 years.
phantom phenom
Well-Known Member
I guarantee the lightning win tonight then to close the serues against boston game 7
Homan13PSU
Android Enthusiast
But San Jose DOES choke, year in and year out. Does it really matter if you knock off Detroit? No, it doesn't, because the ultimate goal is to raise Lord Stanley's Cup, something San Jose has never done. Again, I'm glad you're happy that you can knock Detroit out of the playoffs. If that's your ultimate end game then great, keep being happy knocking one of the most decorated NHL teams out of the playoffs, while continuing to have ZERO banners hanging from your rafters.
I have a sneaking suspicion that you are exactly like the Capitals fans who I'm surrounded by. They couldn't be the biggest of fans right now; but when Ovie's gone, and the team is back to sucking again that arena will be empty. Just like San Jose will be when they get into a rut.
Seahawks
Newbie
Sorry but stats like that you are giving to me really don't mean anything at all. They haven't even made it to the finals at all in their twenty years of existence and to say that they have only been around for twenty years and on average an NHL team wins a cup every thirty years so statistically they will win a cup in about ten years doesn't mean anything at all. They could get worse or they could get better players and be a better team. Your statistic is almost the same as the statistic that "On average a human has one breast and one testicle", it really doesn't mean anything.
McLabia
Android Expert
Seahawks
Newbie
Yes I know. I wish you would understand that because someone gives out a statistic that's trying to make the sharks seem like less of horrible team than they already are doesn't take away from the fact that they have never won a cup and have been in the playoffs twelve times,but never made it to the finals..... maybe some day you will understand.
McLabia
Android Expert
This coming from a wings/bruins fan with an Ovie icon right? LOL.
Seahawks
Newbie
What's wrong with liking the bruins, wings, and ovechkin? Is there a law against that? I've always been a fan of the bruins and wings and I like Mike Babcock and think he is a good coach. I also have liked ovechkin ever since he came into the league, but I don't like his team that much and my top three players are Ovechkin, Datsuk, and P.K. Subban (even though he sometimes dives worse than crosby). So where exactly is the problem? Tell me how liking the wings,bruins and ovechkin is a problem.
Stuntman
Android Expert
Ovechkin is definitely an exciting player to watch. Every time he has the puck, there's the anticipation that something magical will happen. This year he tried to change his game to help his team win. I admire guys who are pure offensive talents who try to play more of a well rounded game. Guys like Yzerman and Sakic are examples who have done that.
Datsyuk is currently my favourite player. The reason is that he is great at both ends of the ice. There is no situation where he isn't the number one guy you would want to put on the ice.
Datsyuk is currently my favourite player. The reason is that he is great at both ends of the ice. There is no situation where he isn't the number one guy you would want to put on the ice.
Seahawks
Newbie
Yeah, but I don't like what Brodreau has been doing with Ovechkin. First thing I noticed was that he has him play D on the penalty kills and second I'm convinced that Brodreau told Ovechkin to try to pass it even more and to set plays up because I noticed Ovechkin hasn't been trying to skate the puck up and deke everyone out as much. It looks like lately Ovechkin has been trying to get the puck in the zone and try to set plays up. This is his worst year for goals and I believe that it is partially Brodreau's fault and I hope they fire him. Ovechkin should be used for purely scoring goals, not setting plays up and playing defense.
Stuntman
Android Expert
I agree that Ovechkin wasn't used properly. I don't think that he should try to go end to end every single shift. He just needs to do it often enough to draw attention away from his teammates. He has to be that threat to score to draw maybe another guy to him which allows his teammates to get open.
Gretzky is the all time best playmaker. What makes him such a good playmaker is that he can score better than anyone else. I've seen plays where 4 guys were watching him while a teammate sneaks behind everyone and Gretzky just finds him wide open with a pass.
Ovechkin needs to find that proper balance in his game. When he was just trying to score every shift and every rush, he was too predictable and easy to shut down. Now that he is always looking for the pass, he basically gives the puck to a lesser goal scorer too often. Maybe rush a few times and then when everyone thinks he's going to do the same thing again, dish it off to someone wide open behind the play.
Overall, I think Ovechkin is trying to adjust his play to help his team win. I think he needs to tweak his game a little more.
As I recall, Washington had a number of key injuries as well. A lot of things have to go right for a team to be successful. A few bad breaks can derail things.
Seahawks
Newbie
Yeah and not to mention their goalie problem. I would love for the Capitals to get someone like Carey Price when his contract is up with Montreal if that is even possible. And if I can remember right I believe Carey Price had a chance of going to the capitals when Montreal was deciding between trading him and halak. But a difference with Gretzky (and Crosby) is that he is protected by the NHL and if you even touched him you would get a penalty. I think that Gretzky seems better than he actually was and the style the goalies played in his earlier seasons allowed for higher scoring games. And if you don't believe me look at gretzky's record, notice how in his later years he started doing bad. His shooting percentage went down and in his '99 season he played 70 games with only 9 goals. In my opinion bobby orr is the greatest of all time, just my opinion.
Stuntman
Android Expert
Many teams would love to get Price. Fewer wanted Halak even though he was the Canadian's play-off hero last year. I don't think the Canadians will give him up. He'll probably be signed to a long term contract when his current one is up. I don't see the Canadians giving him up considering there is no one else who can step up to the #1 spot in their organisation.
He wasn't protected by the NHL. He was protected by Dave Seminko. He'd beat the crap out of you if you touch Gretzky.
The game and athletes in general have changed over the years. Still at the time, no one was even close to Gretzky in ability and numbers. Hockey pools used to split his goals and assists. Otherwise, it's like picking 2-3 players.
It's unfair to compare Gretzky's final year where he was at the end of his career to him when he was at his prime in the 80's. So much has changed. He has aged, he definitely didn't have the same teammates as he did in the 80's, the goaltending has change and the style of play has changed. The 90's was considered the "Dead Puck Era" because of the style of play. Everyone was hooking and holding and nothing was called. That wasn't happening in the 80's. I think Orr would have had a similar lack of production at that age in that era of clutching and grabbing, oversized goalie pads and the predominant butterfly goaltending style.
Seahawks
Newbie
Gretzky was indeed protected by the NHL and the referees would be stricter towards anyone attempting to touch him. Even if someone gave him a clean hit the referees would sometimes give the person who checked him a penalty. That's why I say Gretzky is like Crosby in the way that they are the poster boy of the NHL and the NHL wants to make sure that nothing happens to them. Remember when Malkin, who was doing AMAZING with the penguins during the playoffs and regular season, was supposed to be suspended for the next game in the playoffs and he ended up not getting suspended? Do you actually think that Bettman didn't do that on purpose because he wanted the pens to get to the finals who had Crosby on the team? Ever since Buttman was commissioner he has really screwed everything up which is exactly why to this day you can hardly find any channels that broadcast hockey.