The playoffs?! Don't talk about the playoffs! NHL Hockey Playoffs '10

[hinode]

"Hey, Caps-Habs game 7 should be on right now, and I believe Versus was on the sheet of channels I'm getting via satellite, might as well check it out..."

[This subscription channel is available for immediate upgrade without a call. Press "OK" to find out more.]

ARGH. 200+ channels and I still can't watch the NHL playoffs even if I want to! Can't we find some Canadian diplomat willing to sacrifice for the greater good and take Gary Bettman out, then claim diplomatic immunity when the cops arrive?

[Feuer]

I wish I was a diplomat

On another note, currently 1-0... woo!

[Dark Holy Elf]

lol Bettman, as always.

So guess it's:

Sharks vs Wings
Hawks vs Canucks
Penguins vs Habs
Bruins vs Flyers

Any bold predictions here?

I find the west pretty hard to call. Detroit was all over the place in the first round and will face a better team this round, which makes me want to pick San Jose, but there's just something about picking San Jose in the playoffs which doesn't sit right to me. Especially over Detroit who are kind of the opposite in that regard. Guess I'm picking the Wings, though I'll admit this is half wishful thinking as I really like the Canucks in a series with the Wings, but god do we hate the Sharks. Of course, this bias of mine may be pointless! Hawks/Canucks I think should be closer than last year, a lot of Canucks have just improbably improved, but if you forced me to bet I'd probably think the Hawks should still have an edge, because I just see Keith and Seabrook giving the Canucks offence too much of a headache, whereas bereft of Willie Mitchell the Canucks don't really have the ability to do the same in return, plus the special teams differential. Hoping I'm wrong!

East I feel more confidently about. Pittsburgh is probably blinking and wondering what the hell just happened, since the other best teams in the east choked and now they're a massive favourite to get back to the finals. Halak could steal another series of course, but I'm not going to bet that way. Penguins have played in 9 series in the last 25 months, I have to think they have the discipline to deal with a hot goalie and they have a vastly superior team otherwise. Boston I think has a notable edge over Philadelphia because Tuuka Rask has been just that good (Boucher had a good first round series numerically, but I blame much of that on the Devils just looking awful), and if Marc Savard can play at any reasonable level it shores up the Bruins' big weakness this season, offence.

[Kilgamayan]

Any bold predictions here?

Canadiens over Penguins.

You heard it here first.

No real statistical backup for this upset prediction, just a gut feeling from being a Bruins fan and knowing how utterly obnoxious and resilient Montreal can be when they want to be.

[Luther Lansfeld]

Does "Vancouver over Chicago because dammit that's what I want to happen" count?

If Halak stands on his head for another few games, Kilga's prediction could be correct~

[Luther Lansfeld]

Also, HANK FOR HART! My Hart Trophy winner didn't even make the final three... anti-goalie bias! Henrik just plain had a better season than Crosby and really stepped his game up when his brother was out, which was great. Ovie is basically not even on the table for me due to his own fuck-ups causing him to miss games (his injury being a direct result of his own stupidity). I don't care how good your points per game is if you actively harm your team by doing stupid shit.

[Dark Holy Elf]

The fact that the Caps played really damn well without Ovechkin also kinda highlights why he shouldn't be MVP to me this season; take him off that team and they are still really damn good offensively because Backstrom and Semin rule and nobody notices because they're on a team with someone even better. On the other hand, Crosby looks good to me this year because Malkin had a bit of an off year and I do think that if you took him out of the Penguins lineup they wouldn't make the playoffs.

I'd unabashedly like Henrik to win for obvious reasons (*hides Canucks #33 jersey*) and he does certainly have a case though I tend to feel the Canucks could survive without either one twin, but would be pretty dead without both. Granted, Daniel missed 20 games, so if Henrik had missed those too this could easily have cost the Canucks their playoff spot.

[BaconForTheSoul]

Sharks, Canucks, Penguins,and Flyers.  Fate wills it to be so.

[Kilgamayan]

Man, everyone on this forum hates Boston sports.

[superaielman]

Everyone everywhere hates Boston sports, Kilga.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Everyone everywhere hates Boston sports, Kilga.

The more ESPN tries to make us like them, the more we hate them.

[NotMiki]

Man, everyone on this forum hates Boston sports.

That just makes it more fun when we advance. 

[Luther Lansfeld]

I don't mind the Bruins or uh the basketball team. Celtics! That's it!

[Hunter Sopko]

Yeah. I don't care about the Bruins or Celtics either.

[Luther Lansfeld]

LUUUUU! LUUUUU!

[Kilgamayan]

Man, Marc Savard is awesome. <3

Another pleasant surprise: coming home and learning that the Habs tied the series up. Never thought the Habs winning would be a pleasant surprise, but hey, rather them than the Penguins in the ECF.

[Kilgamayan]

Jeez, Detroit, where was this in the first three games?

[Dark Holy Elf]

They just needed the Sharks to remember to be the Sharks in the playoffs.

I somehow doubt they'll repeat it three games in a row, though if they do the mockery will be endless.

[Shale]

At least the Flyers remembered to suck

[Luther Lansfeld]

Stavin' off elimination~ Nucks need to play this way the entire rest of the series~ Especially Lu.

[Hunter Sopko]

Hawks were pretty strong in the first two periods (Hell, they dominated the first outside the goals). They just let those goals get by them. It was their game to lose and they lost it, really. Didn't watch the 3rd.

[Hunter Sopko]

Halak for Godlike.

[Dark Holy Elf]

Halak for Godlike.

[Kilgamayan]

Fuck.

[Dark Holy Elf]

This round sucked ass.