Friday, April 20, 2007
Playoff rivalries alive and well
Oh doctor!! Wow. We’re two thirds of the way through the first round, a little further for some other teams and whammo – have we got it going on. By my count so far in this years post season there have been ten game misconducts, twelve misconducts, eighteen fighting majors, two suspensions already and one match penalty for attempt to injure. No question those media pundits know what they’re talking about every year when they say there’s no fighting in the playoffs. You think these guys came to play this year? Well other than Atlanta. Although they did play much better in game four with two leads that’s still got to be a bitter pill to swallow losing four straight. Other observations so far;
Ottawa-Pittsburgh. Called it in six but the Sens went one better. Game four was the best game of the series. Sydney Crosby was outstanding in my view conversely the shut down duo of Phillips and Volchenkov have been equally impressive. The Pens don’t have the same depth as Ottawa nor are they as tight defensively and those two things have hurt them the most in this series. Gary Roberts did as expected other than emerge victorious against Ottawa. And yes, I’d have to agree that he got away with a few late hits, no doubt about it. In another era that type of play would have been…….ah forget it. I’ll save that for my next appearance on OTR. (Friday April 27)
Daniel Alfredsson was outstanding and I think was Ottawa’s MVP in this series. Now he needs to bring it again in the second round. Ottawa has yet again dispatched a first round opponent rather easily that didn’t reside in the same province as they do. The tone for their second round loss to Buffalo last year was set in game one in Ottawa when they lost 7-6 in overtime blowing a very late lead and subsequently giving the OT marker up early. Personally I don’t think they ever recovered from that loss despite two other defeats coming in the extra frame. Buffalo is out of the picture until the third round at least. That’s good news.
Calgary-Detroit. I was taking it on the chin after two games but once again the Flames have rallied at home. Two huge wins have tied the series. Truthfully I should have looked at that Flame roster from ’04 before my prediction. Look at the guys who are not here from ’04. Martin Gelinas, Shean Donovan, Chris Clark, Chris Simon, Andrew Ference, the Doors – Mike Montadore and Steve Commodore. All gritty, hard nosed guys who really filled a role in ’04. I probably should have given this series more thought other than assuming Jarome Iginla would be able to carry the mail and set the table for the boys. Can you imagine if the Flames went into Detroit tomorrow night and stole one? After what everybody said about them at the conclusion of game two. I did call them to upset, I have to stick with it even though winning one in Detroit seems impossibility, we’ll see. That’s why they play the games.
Vancouver-Dallas. Not sure how many of you stayed up for game one but I did. It ended at 3:31am EST. I would not define it as a classic but certainly any game that goes that length of time and now sits as sixth longest all time creates its own history. The fact that Vancouver survived a 5 on 3 in the second OT was amazing even if it was only for thirty-nine seconds. They still killed the rest of the power play anyway. Very impressive as was Luongo through out the overtime. I know a lot of fans and media have put it on Turco to get the job done for Dallas this time around. He’s had a tough go of it and frankly the Canucks right now remind me a lot of Calgary in 2004 especially because of the goaltending. The only problem is what lies ahead of them in the West. That was a huge win for Dallas last night. By my count that was the 42nd time in NHL history a playoff game went into OT 0-0. No mid-morning ending this time but for the record, that’s three out of five games ending in OT in this series. I still think the Canucks emerge as winners.
Anaheim-Minnesota. At least the Wild did not go down with out a fight. Literally. One of the more comical things, Derek Boogaard and Teemu Selanne getting into it verbally at the end of game four and then the Boogaard-Parros mini-scrum prior to game five, ah, the memories. Twenty years ago the Habs and the Flyers engaged in a pre game brawl for the ages. In fact Eddie “Boxcar” Hospodar was suspended for the remainder of the playoffs for his role in the fracas. Great stuff though. I called it to go the distance but the Wild just couldn’t deliver. When’s hunting season? Those ducks look strong.
NY Rangers-Atlanta. Bob Hartley is one of the few current coaches with a Cup ring but he hardly showed that expertise. I don’t think it’s the fact that Tom Renney out coached Hartley but it appears as if Hartley reacted poorly to certain situations, case in point the Thrashers goaltending dilemma and secondly, you absolutely have to figure out a way to get your big guns going. The latter point is certainly more problematic given that two of them, Tkachuk and Hossa are notorious non-performers come playoff time. Do you know that there are still Ottawa fans bemoaning the Hossa-Heatley deal and who claim Martin Havlat and Chara are two holes Ottawa will never fill? That’s another story for another time. Atlanta made their first foray in to the playoffs. GM Don Waddell has taken extreme heat for the deals to bring in players such as Tkachuk. His neck might be on the line after his team’s quick dismissal on the ice.
San Jose-Nashville. This is the series that I think many people had the hardest time picking a winner. For the second year in a row the Sharks enjoy a 3-1 lead in games with game five poised to go later tonight as I write this. Nashville are a game bunch but Paul Kariya has not looked real sharp. Forsberg has had flashes but you have to deliver. San Jose is getting scoring from a number of different players and obviously so far has used the cheap shots to Jonathan Cheechoo and Steve Bernier as inspiration although their quick returns no doubt helped that. I have called the Sharks to win this series; they appear poised to do so.
Buffalo-Islanders. See ya; it’s over now with the suspension to Sean Hill that’s for sure. What in God’s name was he thinking? I guess in this case as in many others in sports, you don’t think, you look for that edge and unless there’s word of an appeal of some sort it appears as if this suspension will join the ranks of the longest in NHL history sitting at twenty games for failing the NHL’s substance abuse policy. Meanwhile the Sabres just go about their business. I thought the Islanders played one heck of a game the last time out. In fact it was similar to the effort the Pens put out in game four but when the opposition is just that much better it’s tough to get it done. So far so good with my call on this series.
Tampa Bay-New Jersey. Hold on to your hats for game five in this one tonight. The Devils dodged a huge bullet in game four winning in OT. Brodeur has been ordinary at best, with twelve goals allowed in four games. Unheard of. Maybe Patrick Roy’s records are untouchable. These are all playoff markers. Most games by a goalie 247 (Brodeur 157 and counting, in fact Roy’s mark in the overall NHL record not just for goalies)
Most minutes-15209 (Brodeur 9781)
Most shutouts career-23 (Brodeur 21)
Most wins-151 (Brodeur-91 and counting)
Going to be tough to touch some of those. We’ll see, we have not seen the best of Brodeur yet but does he have the best still to bring is the question? If New Jersey loses this series Lou Lamoriello should be chagrined for making yet another late coaching change. More on that later, let’s see how the series goes. Enjoy the action.
Liam Maguire
Ottawa-Pittsburgh. Called it in six but the Sens went one better. Game four was the best game of the series. Sydney Crosby was outstanding in my view conversely the shut down duo of Phillips and Volchenkov have been equally impressive. The Pens don’t have the same depth as Ottawa nor are they as tight defensively and those two things have hurt them the most in this series. Gary Roberts did as expected other than emerge victorious against Ottawa. And yes, I’d have to agree that he got away with a few late hits, no doubt about it. In another era that type of play would have been…….ah forget it. I’ll save that for my next appearance on OTR. (Friday April 27)
Daniel Alfredsson was outstanding and I think was Ottawa’s MVP in this series. Now he needs to bring it again in the second round. Ottawa has yet again dispatched a first round opponent rather easily that didn’t reside in the same province as they do. The tone for their second round loss to Buffalo last year was set in game one in Ottawa when they lost 7-6 in overtime blowing a very late lead and subsequently giving the OT marker up early. Personally I don’t think they ever recovered from that loss despite two other defeats coming in the extra frame. Buffalo is out of the picture until the third round at least. That’s good news.
Calgary-Detroit. I was taking it on the chin after two games but once again the Flames have rallied at home. Two huge wins have tied the series. Truthfully I should have looked at that Flame roster from ’04 before my prediction. Look at the guys who are not here from ’04. Martin Gelinas, Shean Donovan, Chris Clark, Chris Simon, Andrew Ference, the Doors – Mike Montadore and Steve Commodore. All gritty, hard nosed guys who really filled a role in ’04. I probably should have given this series more thought other than assuming Jarome Iginla would be able to carry the mail and set the table for the boys. Can you imagine if the Flames went into Detroit tomorrow night and stole one? After what everybody said about them at the conclusion of game two. I did call them to upset, I have to stick with it even though winning one in Detroit seems impossibility, we’ll see. That’s why they play the games.
Vancouver-Dallas. Not sure how many of you stayed up for game one but I did. It ended at 3:31am EST. I would not define it as a classic but certainly any game that goes that length of time and now sits as sixth longest all time creates its own history. The fact that Vancouver survived a 5 on 3 in the second OT was amazing even if it was only for thirty-nine seconds. They still killed the rest of the power play anyway. Very impressive as was Luongo through out the overtime. I know a lot of fans and media have put it on Turco to get the job done for Dallas this time around. He’s had a tough go of it and frankly the Canucks right now remind me a lot of Calgary in 2004 especially because of the goaltending. The only problem is what lies ahead of them in the West. That was a huge win for Dallas last night. By my count that was the 42nd time in NHL history a playoff game went into OT 0-0. No mid-morning ending this time but for the record, that’s three out of five games ending in OT in this series. I still think the Canucks emerge as winners.
Anaheim-Minnesota. At least the Wild did not go down with out a fight. Literally. One of the more comical things, Derek Boogaard and Teemu Selanne getting into it verbally at the end of game four and then the Boogaard-Parros mini-scrum prior to game five, ah, the memories. Twenty years ago the Habs and the Flyers engaged in a pre game brawl for the ages. In fact Eddie “Boxcar” Hospodar was suspended for the remainder of the playoffs for his role in the fracas. Great stuff though. I called it to go the distance but the Wild just couldn’t deliver. When’s hunting season? Those ducks look strong.
NY Rangers-Atlanta. Bob Hartley is one of the few current coaches with a Cup ring but he hardly showed that expertise. I don’t think it’s the fact that Tom Renney out coached Hartley but it appears as if Hartley reacted poorly to certain situations, case in point the Thrashers goaltending dilemma and secondly, you absolutely have to figure out a way to get your big guns going. The latter point is certainly more problematic given that two of them, Tkachuk and Hossa are notorious non-performers come playoff time. Do you know that there are still Ottawa fans bemoaning the Hossa-Heatley deal and who claim Martin Havlat and Chara are two holes Ottawa will never fill? That’s another story for another time. Atlanta made their first foray in to the playoffs. GM Don Waddell has taken extreme heat for the deals to bring in players such as Tkachuk. His neck might be on the line after his team’s quick dismissal on the ice.
San Jose-Nashville. This is the series that I think many people had the hardest time picking a winner. For the second year in a row the Sharks enjoy a 3-1 lead in games with game five poised to go later tonight as I write this. Nashville are a game bunch but Paul Kariya has not looked real sharp. Forsberg has had flashes but you have to deliver. San Jose is getting scoring from a number of different players and obviously so far has used the cheap shots to Jonathan Cheechoo and Steve Bernier as inspiration although their quick returns no doubt helped that. I have called the Sharks to win this series; they appear poised to do so.
Buffalo-Islanders. See ya; it’s over now with the suspension to Sean Hill that’s for sure. What in God’s name was he thinking? I guess in this case as in many others in sports, you don’t think, you look for that edge and unless there’s word of an appeal of some sort it appears as if this suspension will join the ranks of the longest in NHL history sitting at twenty games for failing the NHL’s substance abuse policy. Meanwhile the Sabres just go about their business. I thought the Islanders played one heck of a game the last time out. In fact it was similar to the effort the Pens put out in game four but when the opposition is just that much better it’s tough to get it done. So far so good with my call on this series.
Tampa Bay-New Jersey. Hold on to your hats for game five in this one tonight. The Devils dodged a huge bullet in game four winning in OT. Brodeur has been ordinary at best, with twelve goals allowed in four games. Unheard of. Maybe Patrick Roy’s records are untouchable. These are all playoff markers. Most games by a goalie 247 (Brodeur 157 and counting, in fact Roy’s mark in the overall NHL record not just for goalies)
Most minutes-15209 (Brodeur 9781)
Most shutouts career-23 (Brodeur 21)
Most wins-151 (Brodeur-91 and counting)
Going to be tough to touch some of those. We’ll see, we have not seen the best of Brodeur yet but does he have the best still to bring is the question? If New Jersey loses this series Lou Lamoriello should be chagrined for making yet another late coaching change. More on that later, let’s see how the series goes. Enjoy the action.
Liam Maguire
# posted by Liam Maguire @ 2:32 PM 
