NHL conference finals, and beyond.

Sheesh, that was a terrible game. Come on Habs!

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, whose son spoke out about the challenges of being a gay athlete before dying in a car crash earlier this year, says he looks forward to the day when sexual orientation becomes a non-issue.

"I hate bullies," Burke said Monday.

"We need to get to a point where bullying is eradicated, not punished, not a situation where tools are put in to deal with it - but to where it doesn't happen," he said in Toronto at an event held on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2010/05/17/burke-bullying-schools564.html#ixzz0oDKzT2PO

Last night I remembered about hearing some hockey pundit say last winter that the Washington Capitals' tactic of full-bore offence with no thought of defence works fine during the regular season, but they'd be creamed in the playoffs if they kept that up.  I can't remember the guy who said this, though, but I think it might have been Doug MacLean.  Anyway, the guy was right.

Pittsburgh's problem was that their whole team is basically Sidney Crosby, with Jordan Staal as support and Malkin providing window-dressing.  Their D was lousy in the Montréal series.  One thing they didn't do - it was making me crazy - was go to the net.  Ask my kids; I kept yelling at the TV for the Penguin forwards to go to the net.  They didn't listen, but stayed on the outside...and look at them now. 

It seems I spend my winters yelling "Go to the net" anyway.  I say it at the rink all the time when my kid's team is playing.  His coach once heard me and said to the kid I was yelling at when he got to the bench, "Nice job of not going to the net."  No lie.  It was a penalty kill, though, but still, they had a chance for a two-on-one but blew it and just gave the puck back to the other team for nothing.

I used to tell my PeeWee team that all throughout the previous season when I was coaching.  The guys (we were like the Bad News Bears of hockey) didn't seem to hear me.  There was a time later on in the year when we scored a goal once because of someone hustling to the net.  When we got back to the dressing room I started to talk about that goal and how it happened, and half the room yelled, "We went to the net!"  A couple of guys even sounded surprised and said, "It really works!"

I liked what Grapes said about "The Toronto Way" in the last broadcast.  I don't know about Toronto, but on my Midget team, which went undefeated in the Sask. Provincial championships two years in a row, we never cheered after a goal.  We called ourselves "The Russians" because we showed no emotion after scoring.  Besides, we'd win games 16-2 quite often, so cheering would have become old.

I chewed out my players for "styling" after goals.  In our case, we scored so few goals that excessive celebration was somewhat silly.  Nevertheless, I still wanted the guys to remain as subdued as possible after scoring, hoping that doing so would show the opposition that scoring was so routine that it was no big deal for us.

Oh yeah, Washington and Pittsburgh.  Philly doesn't have supertars to shadow.  They come at you like ants, and they go hard to the net.  Because they're a lunchbucket group, they play responsible defensively as well.  It will be interesting to see how Kirk Muller adjusts for the next game.

Well the any team but Habs (ATBHF) fans should be happy with that game. There should be three minute minor for Superman dives.

I hate Pete Laviolette. He knocked us out with cup-winning Carolina after we stole the first two in Raleigh. How? BY BLINDING SAKU KOIVU IN OVERTIME.

And I would like to reiterate my hatred of both Chris Pronger and Bob Cole. Apparently this series is bringing out a lot of hate in me. I have to say, when it comes to everything except hockey and football, I'm quite the amiable chap.

Which network (if only 1 in Canada) gets to broadcast the Finals? Cole won't be heard if CTV/TSN has the contract, right?

"Joe Thornton has a helicopter line, with no wings."  Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch, two minutes ago.

Does anyone know why Chicago signed Hossa to such a ludicrous contract?  He may be the one factor that prevents the Hawks from winning the Cup this year.

When was the last time the Leafs won it? 1967?

I think that the new system of league parity and salary caps is going to work in the Leafs and Canucks favour a lot sooner than if things remained the way they were before the lockout season. The Habs and Flyers are demonstrating that any team can be beaten in the playoffs. There is no more dynastic rule by the Habs, Oilers, or Islanders. I think that's a good thing. And we can thank Swedish ice hockey and Italian footie for this neutral zone trap style of playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Maybe European size ice surfaces would speed things up.

Fidel, I think 4 Cups in 11 years still qualifies as pretty dominant even though it was not money that earned the RedWings their prize, but draft picks and teambuilding

but Montreal was more entertaining than New Jersey, despite its defensive prowess, in the 1st 2 rounds this year

Can we agree on this; tomorrow's game decides who goes on to the Cup final?

After what we've observed of the NHL this spring, I think it's more possible now than before 2004-2005 that a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs could squeek into the playoffs at the end of a long season, and then make it all the way to the conference final and who knows after that. You have to believe.

Quote:

Can we agree on this; tomorrow's game decides who goes on to the Cup final?

I wouldn't agree with that. Philly came back from being down 3-0 against Boston, why would anyone count them out if they are tied 2-2 in a series against Montreal. Likewise, Montreal has shown it can come back against the best teams in the League, they shouldn't be considered dead until they actually are.

Well, they've got just under 20 minutes from here to get their act together, and get at least two goals.   One shot on goal in the second period.   Yeesh.

I think you are a bit optimistic on the Leafs, Fidel.  True, the loss of Toskola will add some points, as will having Kessel and Phaneuf all season long, and Khadri will be an effective addition right off the bat next year.   And, you take half those one goal losses, and make them OT losses, and half those OT losses and make them OT wins, and you have a team in the rest of the pack hunting for those two last playoff spots at the end of the year, particularly when you consider at least one of those teams is bound to be get worse next year.

But, the reason people are all abuzz about the seventh and eighth seed in the eastern final is because it's so rare.  Don't expect to see that again in your lifetime.

Uh oh. Less than ten minutes to get their act together and score at least two goals.......

melovesproles wrote:

Quote:

Can we agree on this; tomorrow's game decides who goes on to the Cup final?

 I wouldn't agree with that. Philly came back from being down 3-0 against Boston, why would anyone count them out if they are tied 2-2 in a series against Montreal. Likewise, Montreal has shown it can come back against the best teams in the League, they shouldn't be considered dead until they actually are.

well, I think that is it: Chicago vs Philly for the Cup

Awful game. Too much clutching and grabbing. First PP of the game went to the Flyers again and another after their first goal. Not saying the Habs played well, just that they couldn't catch a break.

Philly has hugely outplayed and outscored  the Habs in 3 of 4 games;

draw your own conclusions as to who deserves to advance -- the scoreboard does, anyway

I think the game times have something to do with an NBC Scheduling conflict:  Bob and Jeff, their U.S. viewers,  go bowling on saturday night.

Halak!

Fidel wrote:

melovesproles wrote:

DaveW, I'm not saying you're wrong, that's obviously the most likely result by a mile but you've been saying the Habs haven't had a hope for three rounds now so...

They say that a stopped watch and DaveW are correct at least once every spring, or something like that.

I think you are confusing a cheering interest with playing the odds, Fidel.

When an 8th-seed team goes up against a Stanley Cup champion, the odds heavily favour the latter. Esp. when the latter builds up a 3-2 lead in the series and has home ice advantage. Yes, I thought Crosby would push them over the top.

On the other hand, over here in Europe I was cheering Habs (quietly, people sleeping) non-stop till 4am in game 7, fearing all those comebacks by the Pens in the late second and early 3rd periods. --Thrilling that they won: 1971 all over again!?!?!

 But as Duhatshek of the Globe noted in a column on Cinderella teams, the dream run rarely plays out completely; a Cinderella team, like the 8th-seed 2006 Oilers, usually loses at the Conference or Cup finals. The odds came back to haunt them, like the Habs today.

 As for my record handicapping the postseason, it's average: OK, I missed the Habs run, but I repeatedly posted "Sharks in 6" in the first round, even when they stumbled badly, again betting on the more talented team against an 8th-seed upstart.

In the end, you gotta play the games, but the odds matter, too. Habs are finished this season. Nice run.

So, Fidel, if you want to wager against a Philly-Chicago Cup final, go ahead. I will take note.

That is my bet.

But you sidestepped my question to you, so I take it you have wagered against Philly going to the Cup final. OK, you're on.

This was posted at the Globe site, and is a fairly good parallel:

... for those who keep saying these Habs have been channelling the 1971, 1986 and/or 1993 editions, gimme a break. I'm 50, and grew up following the Canadiens, have seen some great teams. ... . This team is more the 1983-84 Canadiens of 35-40-5 won-lost-tied (remember ties?) glory that won two rounds and then, due to yet another ridiculous NHL playoff system, had a 2-0 lead on the defending champion-and-going-for-5 Islanders before Steve Penney (remember him?) was finally exposed. ...

Last time Chicago won the Stanley Cup was 1961.

It's too bad Montreal has blown it as a Chicao-Montreal Stanley Cup final would have been great!

Isn't all this worship of hockey players grand!

Ex-NHL Star Accused of Sex Crime Against Daughter

http://www.tmz.com/2010/05/21/nhl-coach-mark-hardy-los-angeles-kings-hoc...

Is anyone considering a jump onto the Edmonton Oilers' bandwagon soon?  With the addition of Jordan Eberle and (likely) Taylor Hall next year, they just might be the team of the future.

Philly, which made the playoffs in the shootout of the last game of the season, came on like gangbusters. Mike Richards a gold-medal winner and potential Conn Smyther, too.

Still, Chicago and Toews, the new Messier, will not be denied. Blackhawks in 6.

All further posts in the new Cup thread.