The Official NHL Playoffs Thread

[Zurvan]

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Been watching this team from day 1. 14 years to be able to say this...
STANLEY CUP CHAMPION ANAHEIM DUCKS


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How could you possibly have lived with a 14 year wait between cups... [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

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Ducks were the best team in the playoffs, and probably the best in the league this year. They should be damn good next year, too.

I guess I was rooting for them, because it's kinda fun that the Sens never win the Cup [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Yads]

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Someone explain how Gigure didn't win MVP this time? I mean he lost 4 games to the Devils and he won it and he only lost one game this time and he doesn't win it?[/bitterness]

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Because they didn't need him to win the cup. He played ok, but when the defense just dominates the other team you don't need a spectacular goalie to win. Neidermayer deserved that trophy. On a sidenote, other than the Ducks/Sens fans did anyone else think these playoffs were some of the worst in a long time? One game 7 the whole tournament, Only 6 out of 15 series that went over 5 games.

[Triumph36]

Yep Yads. Only worse playoffs I can remember in my time of watching hockey was 1995 - and that's when my team won the Cup.

[pokerspite]

Giguere was robbed, I mean absolutely [censored] robbed of the Conn Smythe. I love Rob Niedemeyer, but he had an absolutely medocre playoffs, and at times he was downright awful, to the point that many were questioning if he was hiding an injury during the Detroit series.

Alfredsson should turn in his C. I dont care how many goals he scored, his commitment to backchecking and playing defense is atrocious and shameful for someone who is supposed to be the team leader. I wouldnt want him on my team.

Congrats, Duck fans. Your team clearly was commited to the task.

Anyone who doesnt think that the Ducks were the far better team just beacause they didnt blowout the Sens every game doesnt understand the Ducks style of play or just how talented they really are. There's not one player on the Sens that I would straight up trade for Ryan Getzlaf.

There were three teams that were clearly better than the rest, the Ducks, Detroit, and San Jose. With a few lucky bounces the Wings or Sharks could have just as easily won this thing.

As for it being absurd that the Western Conference is far superior than the Eastern Conference, well sorry its true. The person who said only NJ, Buffalo and the Sens would have made the playoffs in the west was spot on. Let me put it another way. If you composed a hypothetical league made up of the eight teams from each conference that made the playoffs,and they played say at least 50 game season so as to reduce luck or variance, and all the matchups were east versus west only, the west would absolutely crush the east. They would win at least 65% of the games.

I dont post much on 2+2, but the hockey threads are some of the few I do enjoy, which is somewhat ironic seeing that the sporting events forum seems to have an exceptionally high ratio of dikheads in it. All the hockey posters seem very knowledgable, respectful of each other, and seem to have a real passion for the game, which we all know is the greatest game on earth. [censored] a bunch of crappy NBC ratings . Who gives a [censored] about that, anyway?

Enjoy the offseason everyone.

[Wes Mantooth]

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Giguere was robbed, I mean absolutely [censored] robbed of the Conn Smythe. I love Rob Niedemeyer , but he had an absolutely medocre playoffs, and at times he was downright awful, to the point that many were questioning if he was hiding an injury during the Detroit series.


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Giguere was not robbed of the Conn Smythe, Scott Niedemeyer dominated the playoffs, at times he was all over the rink, without him the Ducks would not have even made it to the finals. Not sure whats up with the Rob Niedemeyer hate.

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There's not one player on the Sens that I would straight up trade for Ryan Getzlaf.


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based on what? one playoff series?? good think you are not a NHL GM.

[Wes Mantooth]

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Home ice plays a much more important role in the NHL than other sports.

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I completely disagree.

[Triumph36]

pokerspite,

I think you make some good points and that's a very good post. However, there are some absurd claims as well:

Any NHL GM is trading Heatley for Getzlaf if money were not a concern. Let's be serious. Both Heatley and Redden have been hiding injuries, apparently - and Jason Spezza just has no heart. How you can kill Alfredsson for his non-backchecking (which honestly I didn't notice - but he scored a ton of goals this post-season) and not these three guys, I'm not sure. Jason Spezza has no heart - I felt that in 2003 and I definitely feel that way now.

The West has serious balance of power issues - the East lacks some of the awful, awful teams that the West does, so it makes the West seem better than it is. I think 65% is far too high a percentage - while teams like Dallas, Minnesota, and Calgary are better than the Rangers, Tampa, and the Islanders, I don't think they're that much better. The East does lack a truly dominant defensive team though - the Devils don't count 'cause they don't have an offense. I'd put it closer to 60%, and even then I'm not sure.

I think the Senators would've had a far better matchup against the Wings or Sharks. Anaheim's checking line and top defenseman is just too much for a one-line team to overcome.

[MacGuyV]

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Home ice plays a much more important role in the NHL than other sports.

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I completely disagree.

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[theblackkeys]

Going to see the cup tonight. Will take pictures. Let me know if you want to see them.

[g-bebe]

On another note... I've got 58 pages of 25 posts per of this thread. That in itself is a signal that the playoffs are way, way too long.