12/22/24
April 21, 2004
Official NHL Playoffs Round 2 picks topic (with round one results and gloating... or complaining).
posted by mkn to navel gazing at 03:18 PM - 43 comments
totally random. SJ vs COL SJ in 7 DET vs CAL DET in 7 TB vs MON TB in 7 PHI vs TOR PHI in 7
posted by corpse at 03:35 PM on April 21, 2004
Again, including the leading goal scorers for each team just for funsies. Eastern Conference Lightning in 6 - TB: St. Louis, M: Kovalev Flyers in 7 - P: Zhamnov, T: Nieuwendyk Western Conference Sharks in 6 - C: Hejduk, SJ: Marleau Wings in 5 - D: Shanahan, C: Iginla
posted by NoMich at 03:40 PM on April 21, 2004
Damn Devils...damn Bruins...damn Stars...anyway, on to the picks... Wings vs Flames - sure, the Wings went 3-1 in the regular season against Calgary, but the Flames have a tendency to play like world-beaters against the Wings...sorta like a certain Tennessee team - Wings in 7 Avs vs Sharks - OK, I admit it already. I was wrong about Aebischer...have been all season long. Can we get on with our lives now? Colorado in 6 'Ning vs Habs - I couldn't make a pick in this one, since both teams look good to me, and it will ultimately come down to which goalie plays better, so I just flipped a coin, with Tampa as heads and Montreal as tails...the results? Tampa Bay in 6 Flyers vs Leafs - It's never a question of *if* the Flyers will implode, it's when. And as much as it hurts to say, Belfour hasn't looked this good since 99. Thank God the Detroit area gets CBC...Leafs in 7
posted by MeatSaber at 03:41 PM on April 21, 2004
EC Ning vs Habs - Watched pretty much every play of the Bruins/Habs series, but I have to admit I didn't catch one game of Tampa's first round series, except for one channel change with Kubina playing with balls of titanium deep in the offensive zone. Impressive. But what's that adage about defense and winning? Habs in 7 Leafs vs Pamphlets - This match-up scares the living feces (don't worry, i'm having that looked at by a team of specialists) out of me, especially with the likelihood of Sundin not playing at all in the 2nd round. But then again, the Senators were a much scarier opponent than the Flyers, Belfour is healthy, Leetch is out there for more than half the game, and they're from Philly. Leafs in 6 WC Fire vs Spoked Wheels - They beat a Bert-less Canuck team without home-ice. Don Cherry has a hard on for 'em because of the way they are playing. And Kipper is keeping the show rolling in the post season. On the other side, Detroit had trouble with the Predators, they have Cujo who can take them there but can't close the deal, and I don't want them to win. Flames in 7 Inanimate Object vs Animate Object -Ok, so I thought the Avs were seeing stars after closing out the season on the shaky side. The Sharks demonstrated that the Blues had no depth. Should be the best series of the round if Forsberg can be slowed down. Congrats the Sharks, but I wouldn't put money on them beating Blake, Foote, Sakic, Forsberg, Hedjuk & co....tho the Avs are a little banged up at the moment. Avs in 7
posted by garfield at 04:29 PM on April 21, 2004
I thought I'd done worse than that last time. Well, yay all of us. What the hell, we're not playing for real estate here. Lightning-Habs: This is going to be a fun series, with a lot of sloppy back-and-forth action. Theodore is going to steal one game all by himself, but they can't be fresh after the Boston series. Lightning in 5. Flyers-Leafs: Alright, Robert Esche. Prove to me that you're a viable playoff goaltender. Prove to me that you can handle the net-rushing and out-thinking you'll have thrown at you from the wise and level-headed Leafs. Prove me wrong, Esche baby. I dare you, you wobbly-kneed fraidy cat. One easy center-ice goal and this is a sweep. Leafs in 5. Sharks-Avs: The Avs are hurt, and Man, did Nabokov look good last week, even if it was only against the Blues. Sharks in 5. Wings-Flames: The Flames have a huge amount of heart, and I like every single damn guy on that team, and I so want them to do well and lay a groundwork for future seasons. Wings in 7.
posted by chicobangs at 05:52 PM on April 21, 2004
SJ vs COL: SJ in 5 DET vs CAL: DET in 6 TB vs MON: TB in 7 PHI vs TOR: TOR in 6
posted by jasonspaceman at 08:39 PM on April 21, 2004
OK here goes... TB-MON: Tampa in 5. Yes, they're for real. And the Habs didn't win their last series...Boston lost it. PHI-TOR: Philly in 6. This is a tough call 'cause I'm a huge leafs fan. I'll change my guess if Sundin and/or Nolan are healthy. SJ-COL: Sharks in 7. That's all I have to say on this one. DET-CAL: Wings in 6. Flames have had their moment in the sun. Back to reality. And where does a guy have to go to gloat about leading the SpoFi playoff pool???
posted by rocket88 at 08:53 PM on April 21, 2004
Tampa vs Montreal: both teams have a hot (but occasionally streaky) goalie, young fast forwards, average (non-hitting) defence, and something to prove. We could easily see 6-5 games the whole series, or 2-1 games, depending on just which goalie shows up for the games. In the end, I'm going to go with my gut and choose Montreal in 7. No wait, Tampa in 7. No, I'm going to stick with my gut and say Montreal in 7. Philadelphia vs Toronto: Big bad Flyers SHOULD run rampant on the Leafs IF Esche/Burke (who I think we'll see at some point in the series) play as good as they can. The size problem that Chara gave the Leafs last series is multiplied by the Flyers. That said, let me do a quick matchup:
- Goalies: Belfour is far more experienced and is in an unreal groove right not. Advantage - Toronto.
- Defence: Top two defencemen? That's Toronto's advantage since Desjardin is out and Johnsson is playing injured. But after that, the Leaf defence falls behind the Flyers (unless someone else steps up this round). But since the top two guys are going to play 35minutes a game, I still say: Advantage - Toronto.
- Forwards: If Sundin is out for the entire series, and Mogilny continues to look lost without him, this is an advantage for the Flyers. I also suspect that Nieuwendyk and Tucker are still playing hurt, so they'll be less effective than last series. Advantage - Philadelphia.
posted by grum@work at 12:14 AM on April 22, 2004
TB v MTL - Habs in 6. Let's see how French Canadians Martin St Louis and Vincent Lecavalier handle the rabid Montreal press coverage. Or something. Philly v Toronto - Leafs in 6. I can't see the Leafs clinching a series by winning in Philly but I still want to pick them. SJ v Col - Col in 7. If last season never happened and this was following on from the SJ team of a couple of years ago that lost in 7 to the Avs then I'd go sharks. But last season happened. Det v Calgary - Det in 5. Calgary is a bruised team and heart can only take you so far even if you are going up against CuJo
posted by gspm at 01:34 AM on April 22, 2004
TB - MTL: TB in 6 PHI - TOR: PHI in 5 SJ - COL: COL in 6* DET - CGY: CGY in 7 *If Salo plays even one minute, make that SJ in 7.
posted by alex_reno at 02:19 AM on April 22, 2004
Sharks vs. 'Lanche: Colorado in 5. Wings vs. Flamers: Detroit in 5. 'Ning vs. Habs: Montreal in 7. Flyers vs. Leafs: Toronto in 6.
posted by 86 at 07:21 AM on April 22, 2004
rocket88, way to go on that pool. 44th overall is rather impressive.
posted by garfield at 08:15 AM on April 22, 2004
44? That's nothing, I'm at 12520. A higher number is better, right? :P
posted by NoMich at 09:47 AM on April 22, 2004
Random picks: Leaves win in 7 MontReal wins in 6 Wings in 6 Avs in 5
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:33 PM on April 22, 2004
Leafs in 6 TB in 5 Avs in 6 Wings in 7
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:39 PM on April 22, 2004
mkn: Thanks for compiling all of those results. Cheers! Lightning in 6: I don't think the lightning would do well against a heavy hitting team, but Montreal doesn't fit that bill. Goes 6 because of Theodore. Philly in 6: Only because Eshe is playing well and Toronto is hurting. Otherwise this is a toss-up. Wings in 6: I really want to say Flames in 7, but the Flames (esp. in their condition) simply should not beat a team as deep as Detroit. The Flames only hope is for the Joseph & Legace to have a bad series. Sharks in 7: This is a tough call. In the end I'm giving the edge to SJ because they are coached better (and they have cool technology on their bench).
posted by camcanuck at 02:09 PM on April 22, 2004
Habs in 7 Philly in 6 Wings in 6 Sharks in 6
posted by holden at 03:05 PM on April 22, 2004
TB in 5 Toronto in 7 Calgary in 6 Sharks in 7
posted by kokaku at 03:10 PM on April 22, 2004
Habs ib 7 (gonna be a grueling series but will fly under the radar in comparison to leafs/phili) Leafs in 7 (predicting this as the most exciting and bruising series of the entire playoffs) Sharks in 5 (Tha avs just haven't shown it to me this year mainly because I didn't expect much from the Stars) Wings in 6 (Only cause I love my wings but Flames will win if CuJo isn't superb) Hm, I just noticed that nobody picked a sweep
posted by jmd82 at 03:32 PM on April 22, 2004
Wings in 6 Avs in 7 Flyers in 7 Lightning in 5
posted by dzot at 03:48 PM on April 22, 2004
i choked on picking MTL in round one in this pool, but did so at the office, and am thanking myself. Everyone's talking about Ottawa's big choke, but how about those Bruins? Some heads are going to roll, I think. Okay, Round 2: Lightning in 5. Kovalev has paid back his due, so his line will die. The young kids (Ribeiro, Ryder, Dagenais) are not producing, and Langdon and Bégin have got huge hearts, but poor hands. Theodore is wildly overrated. Flyers in 6. If they beat the Devils, they're going to destroy the Leafs, who can only beat the Senators anyway. Sharks in 7. I'll need a Forsberg injury, I fear. Go Ricci go! Flames in 6. Iginla is the man. Kipper is the other man.
posted by qbert72 at 10:05 PM on April 22, 2004
Wings in 6, maybe 7. Sharks in 5. Lightning in 5. my heart is with the Habs, but Flyers in 6.
posted by tj at 01:23 AM on April 23, 2004
see what happens when you cut and paste all willy-nilly?
posted by tj at 01:27 AM on April 23, 2004
Crap, can I make predictions now that the serieses have started? I will anyway. Flyers in 5 Lightning in 6 Wings in 7 Avs in 7
posted by Succa at 02:14 PM on April 23, 2004
Succa, even after the 5-2 pasting you still picked the Avs?
posted by billsaysthis at 04:02 PM on April 23, 2004
It's just one game! I go with what's worked in the past.
posted by Succa at 04:40 PM on April 23, 2004
Flyers in 5? Now you're just bitter....
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:33 AM on April 24, 2004
You're right, should have taken Flyers in 4. ;-)
posted by Succa at 10:23 AM on April 26, 2004
It ain't over Rock! Leafs won't roll over, unlike some other teams that will not be mentioned. But here's a hint: The team starts with an 'O' and rhymes with "Ttowa Senators". (Yeah, weak, but i'm scared that a team with Sami freaking Kappanen as its no. 1 defender can beat the Leafs. What the shit is that?)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:45 AM on April 27, 2004
I know! And note the lack of points on Recchi and Leclair. Leaf fans now know what it feels like to go up against a hot 'tender.
posted by Succa at 10:58 AM on April 27, 2004
We've been accustomed to that for a while. A certain Dominik fellow did it more often than I'd care to remember. Kinda like the Knicks getting knocked out by MJ's Bulls every year.
posted by garfield at 11:06 AM on April 27, 2004
Hey, where's the love for Los Tiburones? Up 3-0 with a sparkling Game 3 win at Colorado! Nabakov--can he take them all the way this year?
posted by billsaysthis at 11:27 AM on April 27, 2004
and esche - are philly fans optimistic with their goaltending not seeming to be the weak link this year? /jinx
posted by gspm at 12:05 PM on April 27, 2004
The Sharks remind me of an exciting verison of the New Jersey Devils: no real superstars, lots of talent spread across all the lines (with the necessary grinders), some solid D and a hot goalie. Right now, I have to say that them and Philly are the teams that I'd put money on to win this thing. That said, GO LEAFS GO! (please?) P.S. I am KICKING myself for taking Ekman instead of Dimitrakos in my other hockey pool. D'oh!
posted by grum@work at 12:18 PM on April 27, 2004
grum, you need to be putting more energy into your blog, it is most entertaining--no excuses!
posted by billsaysthis at 05:42 PM on April 27, 2004
! Someone other than me reads my blog?! Gak! /cleans up clutter, straightens up the books, starts dusting the table
posted by grum@work at 10:25 PM on April 27, 2004
Dude, check your referrer logs!
posted by billsaysthis at 11:17 PM on April 27, 2004
When will the league break down and admit that the 2-referee system doesn't work? I'm so sick of watching games where obvious penalties occur, and either they don't see it, or they just "let the guys play." Not to take anything away from the Flames...they made the Wings look like a junior team last night...but that was one of the worst-officiated games I've seen in a long time. And it seems the refs are getting worse as the playoffs progress. I'm sick of the non-calls either way...I'm sick on the blatant inconsistency from period to period...I'm sick of refs who seemingly call penalties just because they're mad at a player for something he said. Just do your friggin job, and quit trying to be a factor in the outcome...
posted by MeatSaber at 08:12 AM on April 28, 2004
My refereeing pet peeve through these playoffs has been the calling of the retaliation shot but not the initial infraction that prompted it. They're both penalties. Call 'em. Or don't. But retaliation isn't worse than slashing, or high-sticking, or whatever, and shouldn't be penalized as such.
posted by Succa at 03:56 PM on April 28, 2004
The game tonight in Toronto was easily the best refereed game I've seen in a long time. No complaints here.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:20 AM on April 29, 2004
how 'bout those flames! they did not disappoint. though I am referring specifically to their game five 1-0 victory in detroit. that was an afternoon game so i was able to listen along on the internet. the leafs, on the other hand, had an afternoon game the following day and i turned it off after they were down 5-1 early in the 2nd. now that was disappointing. the one leafs playoff game i can listen to and they stink up the place. and wow, the wings stoned by a hot goalie again. you won't win many playoff series if you can't score.
posted by gspm at 01:01 AM on May 04, 2004
hmmm, round 2 picks. None correct. Habs in 6 - Nope, TB in 4 Leafs in 6 - nope Flyers in 6 Wings in 5, nope Flames in 6 Col in 7, nope SJ in 6. i guess that is why the nhl playoffs are so interesting. the upsets or at least the reasonable expectation of an upset.
posted by gspm at 09:53 AM on May 05, 2004
Round One Round one results for the curious. No one managed better than 6 out of 8, but *almost* everyone scored at least a passing grade (except Samsonov!). Ordered based by number of correct series predictions. The brackets [] show the number of correct series AND games played predictions: gspm: 6 [2] (all East correct) rocket88: 6 [2] NoMich: 6 [2] camcanuck: 5 [3] garfield: 5 [3] qbert72: 5 [1] (all West correct) grum: 5 [1] MeatSabre: 5 [0] succa: 4 [2] mkn: 4 [2] 86: 4 [0] jasonspaceman: 4 [0] chicobangs: 4 [0] corpse: 4 Ufez: 4 samsonov14: 3 [1] ---------------------------- Monday killed my picks. While I like it that Montreal and Calgary advanced, I had picked both of their opponents. Too bad Brodeur never showed up for his series. Anyway, round two... SJ vs COL: San Jose is a real good team and they'll fight well, but I don't think they'll manage it. The weaker defense core will hurt them. Colorado in 7. DET vs CAL: Oh man, Calgary is going to give Detroit the fits... just like they did with Vancouver. But, as much as I'd like to see them advance, I'm anticipating a Wings/Avs conference final. Detroit in 6 TB vs MON: Boston couldn't score, and their goalie couldn't last the series. It won't happen with TB. TB in 6 PHI vs TOR: Philadelphia is really going to give it to the Leafs, but I wouldn't be much of a Leaf lunatic if I didn't say: Leafs in 7!!