Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

With a dramatic win, the Devils clinch the Atlantic Division title and the playoff matchups are set:

EAST:
(1) Ottawa vs. (8) Tampa Bay
(2) Carolina vs. (7) Montreal
(3) New Jersey vs. (6) New York Rangers
(4) Buffalo vs. (5) Philadelphia

WEST:

(1) Detroit vs. (8) Edmonton
(2) Dallas vs. (7) Colorado
(3) Calgary vs. (6) Anaheim
(4) Nashville vs. (5) San Jose

Discuss!

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Ahh you beat me to it. I'm sorry. But I got a poll!

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

It's ok, I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] hockey threads

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
With a dramatic win, the Devils clinch the Atlantic Division title

[/ QUOTE ]

un-f^cking-believable game......

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
un-f^cking-believable game......

[/ QUOTE ]

Seriously. Great comeback.

Begin Bitch:

Also what an un-f^ckinging-believable collapse by my beloved Rangers. With Lundqvist and half their defense sidelined by injuries the past two weeks maybe this isn't so much of a surprise. But, good GOD! At least beat the Islanders and Penguins. It's like the Rangers subconciously decided that by making the playoffs they accomplished their season goal.

Maybe it's the olympics finally taking its toll on all those guys who played in Turin? I dunno. [censored].

: End Bitch

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

What's the status on Lundqvist? Is he going to be ready for the playoffs?

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
What's the status on Lundqvist? Is he going to be ready for the playoffs?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, in fact he played last night. Kasparaitis will be back (played last night), Rucchin will definitely be back and Rucinsky should be back by game 3 of the 1st round.

Edit:

Zurvan,
Congrats on winning the Fantasy Hockey League, btw.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]

Zurvan,
Congrats on winning the Fantasy Hockey League, btw.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info.

And thanks for pointing this out. I didn't want to be immodest & mention it myself. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

btw, first time ever a city has the #1 record in BBall and Hockey entering playoffs.

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETROIT BASKETBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (and hockey)

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
btw, first time ever a city has the #1 record in BBall and Hockey entering playoffs.

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETROIT BASKETBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (and hockey)

[/ QUOTE ]

hmmm, much love for hockey in "HOCKEY TOWN" ?

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

dunno haven't been back in MI since Christmas. And kinda sucks for me, since I have NBA League Pass and watch every Piston game, but I didn't buy NHL Center Ice, or whatever the hell its called.

On top of that, I realized what channel OLN is about one month ago, and I haven't seen a Wings game all year...

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

First of all that was possibly the best regular season game I've ever seen by New Jersey - it was amazing how they went from playing the Flyers to at least clinching a shot with Buffalo to playing the Rangers in one period. During the end of the second I had such little faith I was watching the Flyers/Islanders game because I felt that had more relevance at that point.

Second, I watched part of the Rangers-Senators and while the Rangers came to play they just looked like a team that knew they had to win the game but had no idea how to do it. I'm still not sold on guys like Roszival, Malik, Poti, and Strudwick being part of an effective defense - the Devils will exploit these players. Still, Colin White may be out for the first few games, meaning Jagr will have an easier time of it. For some reason the Devils have only seen Lundqvist three times - right now their offense is clicking, but Lundqvist could change that.

It'll only take one game to reverse the fortunes of both teams. I say Devils in 6, but who knows - it depends on how dominant Lundqvist and Jagr are. They have the kind of skill that can take over a series - but so does Martin Brodeur.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

http://www.bobandtom.com/gen3/8cover..._warburton.jpg
"yeah thats right"
"the deviiillllllllllllssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!"""

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.bobandtom.com/gen3/8cover..._warburton.jpg
"yeah thats right"
"the deviiillllllllllllssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!"""

[/ QUOTE ]

LoL. El Diablo! El Diablo!

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Go Ducks! Quack Quack Baby!

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

I'm so happy the Devils made that comeback. As a Flyers fan, I will admit I was scared s***less that we were going to get the Devils in the first round.

I'll take the fifth seed and Buffalo over home ice advantage and the Devils at this point, thank you very much.

(Although, I think if that game ended as a tie we would have won the division and gotten the Rangers which would clearly have been best)

Ottawa in five.
Carolina in six.
Devils in five.
Flyers in six.
Detroit in five.
Dallas in five.
Anaheim in seven.
San Jose in six.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Sorry Fink, Flyers are going nowhere against Buffalo. New Jersey is red hot but Buffalo is still hot.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Mark,

Flyers are healthy. Remember they are 10-10 this year without Forsberg in the lineup, and one of the league's best teams with him. And he is healthy. We also have a healthy defence with Pitkanen and Rico, finally.

I think it will be a great series that could go either way, but as a Flyers fan I'm obviously going to pick them (as you will pick the Sabres).

By the way, Sabres AGAIN? LOL. Every year it's either you, Ottawa, Toronto or The Devils. Those are the only teams we every play.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
First of all that was possibly the best regular season game I've ever seen by New Jersey

[/ QUOTE ]

agreed.....

[ QUOTE ]
it was amazing how they went from playing the Flyers to at least clinching a shot with Buffalo to playing the Rangers in one period. During the end of the second I had such little faith I was watching the Flyers/Islanders game because I felt that had more relevance at that point.


[/ QUOTE ]

as soon as the Devils got down 3-0 I switched to the Ranger game - hoping they'd win so we could play them in the first round......no hope.....boy that's gotta be defeating that they not only lost, but Lundqvist came back and they still lost, Jagr lost both scoring titles, and they slipped down to the 6 seed......what's up with them scratching Ozolinsh?.....so anyway, then I switched to the Flyers game hoping the Isles would tie it and beat them in OT/SO (which I believe would've made for a Devils/Rangers 1st round) - no luck......so I switched back to the Devils right as the 3rd period was starting.....like I said - just unf^ckingbelievable......

I agree that momentums can change quickly in the playoffs.....however, I just have a really hard time envisioning the Devils losing 4 games out of 7 to one team at all right now.....they lost 9 games in regulation in their last 42!.....oddly, (well maybe not so oddly), Ottawa is the one team that sort of scares me.....

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

not first round, but possible later round match up....

Zdeno Chara 6'9" 265ibs
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL...a_zdeno250.jpg http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sport..._zdeno0315.jpg

v.

Brian Gionta
5'7" 165ibs

http://images.sportsline.com/u/photo...img6848048.jpg http://images.usatoday.com/sports/ho...-gionta-in.jpg

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
not first round, but possible later round match up....

Zdeno Chara 6'9" 265ibs
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL...a_zdeno250.jpg http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sport..._zdeno0315.jpg

v.

Brian Gionta
5'7" 165ibs

http://images.sportsline.com/u/photo...img6848048.jpg http://images.usatoday.com/sports/ho...-gionta-in.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

hahaha, NH [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

LETS GO DEVILS

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

It is hard to see the Devils getting beat but there are a lot of teams that are better, IMO - if someone figures out how to shut down Gomez and Gionta in a series the Devils are finished, whereas Ottawa is absolutely loaded with scorers from top to bottom. Now, no one's figured out how to shut them down quite yet, but if anyone's going to do it it's Ottawa. I can't see the Rangers shutting them down unless Lundqvist gets hot - he's had quite a season so far but his second half wasn't outstanding and he may be faltering due to fatigue.

BTW, Mantooth, I doubt you see much of the Devils but Chara and Gionta have had some serious battles - they've gotten coincedental roughing minors more than once this season and they really really hate one another. It might have something to do with the body checks/elbows Chara throws.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

LETS GO SABRES...DUHDUHDUH DUH DUH!!!

Flyers have been whooped on by Buffalo all year, they hit a rough patch, but are hot again and Miller is back to form (and Biron shut out Carolina who need to win to clinch best record in season finale) they send multiple lines and you never know where the action is coming from....


LETS GO SABRES...DUHDUHDUH DUH DUH!!!

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Since this is the Official Thread for the First Round I figured I'd give it a bump for the Friday night games:

8 Tampa Bay at 1 Ottawa - 7 PM, CBC
8 Edmonton at 1 Detroit - 7 PM, OLN
6 Anaheim at 3 Calgary - 10 PM, OLN, CBC
5 San Jose at 4 Nashville - 8 PM, TSN

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Anyone know if TWC in NYC has CBC?

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

no, CBC is Canadian Brodcasting Corp.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

CBC [censored] rocks. Much better than anything the states has to offer in terms of hockey coverage.

Plus they have Don Cherry.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

If anyone else is betting proline tonight, I've got Ottawa by one, the over, Detroit by 2, SJ by 2, and Calgary by 1. $5 pays 126.30

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Holy [censored] the Oilers are getting KILLED. The score should really be like 10-1.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Time to bump this thread, now that two games have been completed by every team:

Ottawa vs. Tampa Bay: tied 1-1
Carolina vs. Montreal: MTL leads 2-0
New Jersey vs. NYR: NJ leads 2-0
Buffalo vs. Philadelphia: Buffalo leads 2-0

Detroit vs. Edmonton: tied 1-1
Dallas vs. Colorado: Colorado leads 2-0
Calgary vs. Anaheim: tied 1-1
Nashville vs. San Jose: tied 1-1

Game 3 is tonight for Ottawa v. TB, Detroit v. Edmonton, Calgary v. Anaheim, and Nashville v. San Jose. Interesting that all the games being played tonight are in 1-1 series and last night, every team took a 2-0 lead.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

http://www.devilsrule.com/pics/2004/...184-madden.jpg
Hat trick last night, thanks for the help Ozilinsh!!

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]

Hat trick last night, thanks for the help Ozilinsh!!

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Ozo deserved an assist on both Madden short handed goals last night. I know the Rangers are pressing to score but what went through his head when he decided to pinch 15 feet into the zone when the Devils already had the puck and had 2 open players on the blue line?

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

He's always sucked defensively.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
Holy [censored] the Oilers are getting KILLED. The score should really be like 10-1.

[/ QUOTE ]

Suck it [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

I get the feeling Osgood is going to play before this series is over.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

who is this Dwayne Roloson? what happened to the real Roloson that Minnosota Wild traded away?

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

A Great wise man here said watch out for the Oilers if they get goaltending. Whats with that hit on Pecca and no penalty. Makes you want to scream

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

Even wiser man say don't count your chickens before they hatch.

Re: Official First Round of the NHL Playoffs Thread
 

the missed boarding call when Chelios hit Hemsky? pretty horrible reffing.