Conference Finals thread

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Fri May 11, 2007 11:38 am

I don't think we should be shocked that yesterday's Game 1 featured 7 goals. The best goalies left in the playoffs are going to faceoff tonight in the WCF. Miller and Emery are both very solid goalies but I would take Hasek and Giguere over both of them every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I think the Eastern series will be a feast for the eyes because the Sabres can just as easily turn around and drop 6 goals on Emery on Saturday night. Offenses should reign supreme in that matchup and it'll come down to which team's star players produce more. Ottawa's top line racked up 5 points last night including two PP goals. I had the Sabres in 7 in this one...their entitled to lay an egg from time to time.

With tonight's game, I can honestly say I haven't watch a lot of the Ducks in this postseason because of the time of night they've been on for most of their games. Much like the San Jose series...the Wings will need to keep the Ducks' power play at bay. Beauchemin and McDonald have three tallies on the PP each and 12 players have picked up at least a point while up a man. Pronger killed the Wings as an Oiler last year with his big shot from the point but the Wings are doing a much better job against shots from the point in the playoffs. In the 12 games they've played, the Wings have yielded just 4 goals and 10 points from blueliners. The Wings weakness has been coverage down low so they'll need to contain guys like Getzlaf, McDonald, Selanne, Perry and Penner.

The thing I worry most about the Ducks is that they don't have a single line that does it all...they can come after you with multiple lines and the biggest knock against the Sharks was the fact they got no production from their second line in the series. The Wings will need to get consistent play out of their top line...just at home. Also, Bertuzzi needs to be more of a presence. The Ducks will have one top flight pair of defensemen on Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom and then they'd probably use their #2 pair to lock down whatever line Bertuzzi has been on. The Wings also need to continue getting contributions out of their checking line of Cleary-Draper-Maltby. On most nights, they've been their most consistent line as far as effort is concerned. The battle of the checking lines should be fun to watch. The Wings line against Rismiller-Brown-Grier was pretty much a draw...they'll have to face another strong unit of Moen-Pahlsson-Niedermayer.

I have faith in Dom...he's still not lost a series as a Red Wing and I've been cynical of these guys in the first two series. This is the first series this year that I'm considering the Wings the favorite...even without Schneider and Kronwall. When it's a goalie duel...I can have confidence in Hasek way more than I had confidence in Cujo and Legace in the past. This is a guy that can win a tight game in the playoffs and the Ducks will need to get to him early in the game because he gets better as the night rolls on.

GO WINGS!

Smoked Meat · Post by **Smoked Meat** » Fri May 11, 2007 1:02 pm

The two teams that have surprised me the most so far in the playoffs are the Sens and the Wings. I didn't think they were playoffs material but I was wrong. BranfordBudfan's prediction might come true afterall.

I thought we would finally see the real Sabres last night but they don't look like they want to play up to their full potential yet. I favoured them to win the Cup but what I've seen from them so far did not impress me at all: Emotionless against the Islanders, struggled against the Rangers! Ottawa is in there for real.

Anyway, the real surprise about the four remaining team is...there is no surprise. No underdog team, all dominant regular season teams left. Too bad I won't be able to watch the finals again this year.

Canadian · Post by **Canadian** » Fri May 11, 2007 11:37 pm

Buffalo vs The Ducks in the Stanley Cup final.

Ottawa will choke as usual I think.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Sun May 13, 2007 3:42 am

Before I say anything random....

So I'm a Wings homer, but I have to wonder. What were these idiots watching in the first round? The Wings were so-so against the Ducks in game 1 and came away with a win. Nothing against the Ducks but, they'll be lucky to win a game.

It's funny for me. When I watch Brian Murray I still can't help but think of his reputation as a loser(like when he coached the dead things). The guy wins as regular season coach, but his teams seem to disappear in the second season. On the other hand, people said the same shit about Yzerman. I can't see the Sens losing to the Sabres this year.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Sun May 13, 2007 3:47 am

Ottawa just scored in OT.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun May 13, 2007 11:41 pm

Thoughts going into Game 2 tonight...

Hasek is on top of his game right now. He is the best goalie going right now. 9 straight games giving up just 2 goals or less. Just those first two games in Calgary were games where they yielded three goals. It might not be pretty sometimes but after the buzzer sounds and the Wings are on top...you can't really question how it got that way even if it wasn't textbook.

The Wings are facing another physical foe in the Ducks but they didn't back down on Friday night. I do see another nasty game tonight...Dom will see a lot of action in his crease because Anaheim will test the toughness of the Wings defense.

The Wings caught two lucky bounces on Friday and it made the difference. They can't expect to score two strange goals again like that against Giguere. I expect a better game tonight from him. The Wings will need to put more pressure on the Ducks tonight...just 19 shots on Giguere on Friday night.

Chris Chelios is a badass...I really don't think there needs to be any further discussion on the matter.

Mikael Samuelsson has really been an unsung hero. He's becoming an impactful player the same way Cleary has been up to this point. When your stars aren't scoring, it's great to get that lift from your secondary and tertiary guys.

GO WINGS!

SoCalTrjn · Post by **SoCalTrjn** » Mon May 14, 2007 3:03 am

Blitzkrieg wrote:Before I say anything random....

So I'm a Wings homer, but I have to wonder. What were these idiots watching in the first round? The Wings were so-so against the Ducks in game 1 and came away with a win. Nothing against the Ducks but, they'll be lucky to win a game.

Good call, Anaheim got the split they needed in Detoilet, the Wings will now have to win a game away from home and the most rabid fans in the NHL

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon May 14, 2007 6:46 am

^^^ nice try, dipshit. anaheim might be putrid all time in detroit, but that doesn't mean the wings have the most rabid fans in the league. i'll defer that to my northern bretheren.

entertaining game tonight, though. pro detroit sports teams going 0-for-3 in a single day...i'll rack that anytime.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon May 14, 2007 12:13 pm

Why ya gotta hate D-Town sports, Screw? :wink:

Yeah...it wasn't the best day. The more ironic part was during the Bulls-Pistons game, they showed a graphic where the three active Detroit teams had only one loss in the month of May. That one loss being from the Tigers.

I'm not that upset about how yesterday came down. The Wings loss is probably the most disappointing since the Pistons are still in excellent shape and the Tigers open this week with a 1-1/2 lead in the Central and a very intriguing four-game set at Fenway starting tonight. How often does a team win when a minor leaguer makes a spot start for the ace of a staff? The Twins were due after dropping the first two games.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:19 am

With the Eastern series, I don't know if it's a matter of the Senators being this good or are the Sabres overrated or have they ran into the wrong team in the wrong time? It's yet to be seen if Emery is a championship goalie but the team around him is proving to be a tough contender. I don't expect this series to go back to Buffalo...Ottawa will finish them off on Wednesday.

Miller played his best game of the series but it was his inability to control that carrom off the boards that lead to the only goal of the game. In the playoffs, you can play your best hockey but one single mistake could cost you the game. Emery had to face just 15 shots so he didn't exactly have to sweat it out for a shutout last night. The Sabres are a mess right now...BuffaloFan has to wonder if they'll ever win a championship. This was a great opportunity for them and they've got a healthy lineup now with Connolly and Gaustad back. Hard to tell who'll be the fallguy if they don't pull off the miracle comeback.

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:25 pm

I know I underestimated the Sens. Everyone has been talking about the Sabres winning the President's Cup, how Drury and Briere are so clutch, how Miller is the most underrated goalie in the league, yada, yada, yada. Meanwhile, the Sens have been quietly winning games. Everyone knows that Heatley, Alfredsson and Spezza are having a great year, but nobody seems to have the answer to them. I think that Buffalo just doesn't have the blueline presence to contain that line, and Ottawa simply gets it done with that one line. Throw in the solid goaltending from Emery and the quiet but steady defense, and it's no wonder things are going the way they are. The fat lady might not be singing yet for the Sabres, but she's sure warming up. I was sure they'd make it to the finals, but I guess I'll have my crow wings with buffalo sauce.

It will be interesting to see how the Cup finals go for Ottawa, assuming they don't completely choke, since whether they play the Ducks or the Wings, they'll be dealing with a defensive presence that they haven't had to deal with yet. Both those teams have HOFers at the blueline. If anyone can contain the Sens' top line, it will be the likes of Niedermayer, Pronger, Lidstrom, et al.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 16, 2007 12:21 pm

Just when the Ducks had a brilliant chance to take control of the series, they absolutely shit the bed. That wasn't as much of the Wings beating them as them beating themselves. That second period was a perfect example of how losing one's composure and focus can snowball into an absolute CF. That was one of the worst team efforts I've seen in the playoffs. I flipped the game off after the second and figured it was done deal...no way does Hasek meltdown and blow that lead.

As for the hit on Holmstrom, I'm not going to lose my mind over it. Niedermayer and Pronger were both guilty of hitting him in the head and either guy could've gotten a penalty. The dangerous part of it was that he didn't see either guy coming. He was looking down low and could see them coming from the side and him turning his head got him into trouble and the impact of hitting the glass caused as much damage as the hit. I'd expect Niedermayer to miss Game 4 because he got the match penalty. The Ducks lucked out that it wasn't Pronger getting the penalty because he'd probably be facing suspension.

The Ducks would lose another key forward with Kunitz already out of the lineup. Carlyle was trying different wingers to play on that top line with Selanne and McDonald...had May and Penner play off and on. Now, he's got to re-shuffle that checking line that was so affective in Game 2.

Bold move by Babcock to take out Calder and to insert Kopecky in the lineup instead of re-inserting Hudler. He's a much bigger body than Hudler and was a nice physical presence but ended up in the box twice in the first period and played just 7 minutes total. It was great to see Bert get a cheap goal to boost his confidence some. It wasn't a great goal in form but it was a playoff-style goal and he's not scored since the Calgary series.

Looking forward, I hope Holmstrom can return for Game 4...I think he should be able to. The Wings already have accomplished their objective...taking at least one game in Anaheim to regain home ice advantage and to guarantee that in Game 5, they'll return to the Joe with either a tie or the lead in the series and the possibility of putting it away without having to make another long trip back out to the West coast. I say go for the throat like they did against the Sharks...take Game 4 and don't look back.

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » Wed May 16, 2007 5:49 pm

Just. Fucking. Awful. Can't believe the Ducks played that way.

I think the winner of this series can beat Ottawa, and I'd like to be the first (or the millionth) person to say that if I have to see Bertuzzi lift the most hallowed trophy in all of sports, I will probably be physically ill.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 16, 2007 8:32 pm

Pronger is suspended for Game 4...

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=207911&hubname=

I think they would've rather had Niedermayer take the fall but the tape doesn't lie.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Thu May 17, 2007 1:21 am

Good decision on that suspension.

Cicatrix · Post by **Cicatrix** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:54 am

All I know is that a Pronger VS Comrie for the Cup would suck Uber-Ass.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:31 am

Shoalzie wrote:With the Eastern series, I don't know if it's a matter of the Senators being this good or are the Sabres overrated or have they ran into the wrong team in the wrong time?

The Sens are the older, and more experienced playoff team. End of story. The Sabres will have their day in court, just not this year.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:40 am

Shoalzie wrote:Pronger is suspended for Game 4...

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=207911&hubname=

I think they would've rather had Niedermayer take the fall but the tape doesn't lie.

3 things:

1) Why wasn't Neidermeyer(the one that sucks) supended too?

2) I love that Holmstrom is such a big target of the Ducks ire.

3) Neidermayer and Pronger have to know better. Those two have been in the league a long time. It's a guess, but I would say the Carlyle put them up to it.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:19 pm

Blitzkrieg wrote:
Shoalzie wrote:With the Eastern series, I don't know if it's a matter of the Senators being this good or are the Sabres overrated or have they ran into the wrong team in the wrong time?
The Sens are the older, and more experienced playoff team. End of story. The Sabres will have their day in court, just not this year.

My feelings exactly. It's not like the Sabres had a winning record against the Sens in the regular season either. I'm a Sabres fan, especially of the former Rochester players who have filled that roster so nicely. But the hard reality is that Ottawa is a better hockey team when it comes to skating, stamina, stickhandling and penalty killing. Were it not for Miller, this series wouldn't even be this close.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Thu May 17, 2007 1:58 pm

This could be the closest Buffalo gets for a while since it will be tough for them to keep both Drury and Briere (they should do everything to keep Drury). They certainly could keep both, but then they would be sacrificing a nice young nucleus of players for the future. The same gamble has seemingly backfired on the Lightning.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:17 pm

MuchoBulls wrote:This could be the closest Buffalo gets for a while since it will be tough for them to keep both Drury and Briere (they should do everything to keep Drury). They certainly could keep both, but then they would be sacrificing a nice young nucleus of players for the future. The same gamble has seemingly backfired on the Lightning.

I couldn't agree more. The Sabres have plenty of young players in Rochester to fill the void. They had Novotny, Afinogenov, Kotalik, Gaustad, and Spacek go down during the regular season and hardly missed a beat thanks to the callups they had available. I'd love to see them keep both Drury and Briere, but not at the expense of their younger players. Fortunately, I think the Sabres management agrees with us.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Sat May 19, 2007 9:17 pm

Rack Alfie. The man is definitely bringing it this playoff season. Props to Ottawa.

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Sun May 20, 2007 3:44 am

Congrats to Ottawa, 15 years and they make their first Cup Final of their modern era.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:34 pm

The Sens are playing their best hockey at the right time of year. The Ducks or Wings are going to have their hands full in the Cup Finals. With the Sens getting in, that means that the 5 other active Canadian teams have gone to the Finals since the Leafs have been back in.

As for the Wings, luck goes both ways in the playoffs. Horrible break with that tying goal hitting Lidstrom's stick and going over Dom's shoulder. And then Lilja, who had the only goal for the Wings and has been able to avoid the big mistake all playoff long makes a fatal mistake in OT and now they face elimination for the first time this playoff year.

I definitely don't count them out...they've got the right goalie when facing elimination. I remember him in '01-02 going into Denver in Game 6 after a tough OT loss in Game 5 at the Joe and he drops back-to-back shutouts on the Avs to win the West. I'm keeping the faith. This one isn't over until they line up to shake hands.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:50 pm

Bad turnover no doubt, but that was a beauty of a goal by Selanne.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:40 pm

MuchoBulls wrote:Bad turnover no doubt, but that was a beauty of a goal by Selanne.

It was very similar to the way Forsberg won Game 5 in '01-02 against the Wings. It was a 2-1 final and Dom made a similar flop to his left to take away the lower part of the net. I think the only difference was where Forsberg beat him rather than where Selanne put his shot. Both were backhands but Selanne had less room to put the puck and I don't think you could place a shot like that any better.

As I said, I wouldn't put it past the Wings to still win this series. Hasek still hasn't lost a series with the Wings and he's 2-0 with a 0.00 GAA in elimination games...Game 6 and 7 against Colorado. Giguere rebounded nicely from that horrible effort in Game 3 and he's helped steal each of these last two for the Ducks. The Wings have play plenty good enough to win both games but they could be kicking themselves going into the summer if they fall short when they had golden opportunities to put this series in chokehold with Pronger out in Game 4. I really hope the luck and good fortune isn't running out for this team.

al? · Post by **al?** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:58 pm

Worst give-away ever.

When he started out in front of the net, I didn't even finish saying 'what are you doing?!?!?' before the puck was in the back of the net. Franzen has to get that puck out, too (tying goal)

2 huge mistakes that could very well ruin an entire season.

The silver lining, Detroit's come back from 3-2 down with game 6 on the road to win a series more than once.....and did it once (twice I think) en route to a Stanley Cup.

I feel for Lilja and Franzen, though. No player wants to make the mistake that costs their team a game, let alone a series and let alone a shot at a championship.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:02 pm

during the sharks series, there were numerous events that seemed to have "wings are destined to win the cup" written all over them: the diving save by lidstrom, just to name one. but then during the anaheim series, the wings just completely shit the bed. losing game 4 without pronger on the ice while completely outplaying the ducks was unacceptable, and then, if it can get any worse, detroit pulls a BC and completely gives the game away in overtime. like a cold-blooded killer like TEEMU wouldn't capitalize on that.

wings aren't out of this by a longshot. in fact, i bet they'll win game 6 because i have a feeling anaheim will play lazily and detroit won't want to give the season up in such a shitty fashion. but the sheen of seeming destined to win the cup has long passed the wings, and now, it's just going to come down to game 7.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:41 am

I think you can now stick one of these in the Wings...

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:45 am

A red X? :?

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 23, 2007 2:47 am

Yeah, you can probably put one of those on the Wings as well.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:07 am

3-1....

AQ's not singing yet.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:13 am

They giveth, they taketh away...4-1.

Queue the classic Chick Hearn line...

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:16 am

"I've fallen and I can't get up."?

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:18 am

Blitzkrieg wrote:"I've fallen and I can't get up."?

No more like this...

This series is in the refrigerator: the door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the Jell-O's jigglin'!

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:20 am

4-2...get it to within a goal before I think about taking off the toe tag.

Qbert · Post by **Qbert** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:30 am

not good....father TIME is gonna put the FORK in

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:33 am

You've got to be shitting me...

Another PP for the Wings coming up. Wow!

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:34 am

4-3 Ducks.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:34 am

Ducks penalty.