The Official NHL Playoffs Thread

[JordanIB]

Congrats to the Sabres. Thanks for a solid year, Isles. Definitely outperformed expectation, and made the playoff Series exciting.

At least I have family and a sports broadcasting cousin in Buffalo that I can be happy for and root for.

[MacGuyV]

Yeah unreal, I'm not sure how to feel right now. Miller is like the closer that loads the bases w/ 0 outs before tossing 3 straight K's - not that he had much help in the 3rd. Oddly the pessimistic Buffalo fan in me always felt we'd hang on though; Ruff just has a calming influence on me. Do you guys care if we get the Rangers or Lightning next round?
GG Isles - good clean series.

[stealthcow]

gg Isles. All Sabres fans knew you were getting a good coach w/nolan, but i dont think anyone expected you guys to make the playoffs/ play so well against the sabres

I think/hope Smyth will resign with the Islanders. He and Ted Nolan, just seem to fit together. Your crop of forwards look good. If you could lose Yashin, sign Smyth and get another good defencemen, you really could've put buffalo to the test.


As for Lightning or Rangers- i'd prefer facing Tampa instead of the Rangers.

[DonkeyKongSr]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also, is there anyone that gives more every night than Mike Grier?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. Sean Avery.

[/ QUOTE ]

As a Ranger's fan, Avery has turned into a prick. He's stopped signing autographs for the people that chant his name every game.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL. Avery has always been one of the biggest pricks in the league. And he's banging Elisha Cuthbart. So he's also a lucky piece of [censored].

[bluef0x]

[ QUOTE ]
the sharks diving has been pretty hot tonight. Thornton just collapses.

The Preds have been very mediocre since the injuries started 1.5 half ago. The lines never have a chance to gel before someone else misses games and they are shuffled again. I wish Mason had played this series. Vokoun has not looked good since returning. Mason has improved greatly since last years series. Frankly, I am surprised the games are as close as they are. I think this bodes poorly for the Sharks and I see them losing the next series, but we shall see.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're hilarious.

Vokoun has been the only Pred to show up. JT diving? He was slashed and crosschecked. Also, you're not allowed to complain about diving when you have Floppa on your team. I'm glad we won't have to face him and can only hope he retires or returns to Philly. I'm so nervous when he's on the ice... and it's not because of his scoring ability. He's dirty. Tonight he tried to break Rivet's neck and sucker-punched Vlasic after dropping his stick and crying to the refs. When his team needed him the most during this series, he was in the box. I feel bad for the Nashville franchise for giving up so much for so little.

[Quebecker]

Go Canucks Go !!! Luongo is gonna bring the cup in Vancouver this year !!!

[samsonh]

VOkoun showing up?? SO many easy goals.He hasn't been the same since the blood clots. The entire SJ team went down easy the entire series. For such a big team they fall quickly. The penalty discrepancy this series was absurd. But so it goes.

Tried to break Rivet's neck??? lololol. Did you see what Vlasic had done just prior? Forsberg is a beast. Absolutely controlling the puck in the offensive zone at times. Too bad Radulov was the only other guy to show up this series. Joe was slashed and cross checked? LOLOLOLOL again. Now I am starting to realize why everyone has you on ignore.

[g-bebe]

Vokoun kept the Preds in these games, for the most part. So would have Mason. But the Preds were slightly injured, and San Jose was just a bit stronger. I like the Sharks, but I don't see them beating any of ANA/DET/VAN, provided Vancouver and Detroit both win their series'.

[cognito20]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah unreal, I'm not sure how to feel right now. Miller is like the closer that loads the bases w/ 0 outs before tossing 3 straight K's - not that he had much help in the 3rd. Oddly the pessimistic Buffalo fan in me always felt we'd hang on though; Ruff just has a calming influence on me. Do you guys care if we get the Rangers or Lightning next round?
GG Isles - good clean series.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd rather get Tampa Bay, by a long shot. They're too dependent on 3 star players (Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards), have no defensive depth and not much of a goaltender, and most importantly they will attempt to play approximately the same style the Sabres play...and if they do that they're going to get run out of the building every night. The Rangers are hot right now, and they have a decent defense and good goalie, not to mention the playoff-tested Jagr and Shanahan. We had no trouble with them in the regular season, mind you, but we didn't play them after the 25th game of the season either, and this Rangers team is much different now. Against Tampa Bay, Buffalo in 4 or 5. Against the Rangers, Buffalo in 6, but there is a chance the Rangers could win if the Sabres don't learn to step on teams' necks when they have them down for the count.

--Scott

[AngusThermopyle]

[ QUOTE ]
The penalty discrepancy this series was absurd. But so it goes.



[/ QUOTE ]

Excluding the two 15 minutes for Hartnell and Nichol and the mass penalties for the big fight, SJ - Nash penalty minutes were:

Game 1: 12-16
Game 2: 20-20
Game 3: 6-14
Game 4: 6-10
Game 5: 14-14