Just curious which team everyone is rooting for. I thought about this into their game 1 today, and I think I am rooting for Chicago for 5 reasons: 1. The goalie. Obviously as a SC winning goalie Crawford is very good, and underrated, but he is not Quick. 2. The travel. Going from NY to Chicago and back is much better than going all the way out to LA. 3. The size and depth. Obviously both of these teams are loaded, last 2 SC winners, but I think the Kings are deeper, and I know they are bigger, which isn't great for us. 4. We were 2-0 against the Hawks this season. Means very little in the SCF, but it is something. 5. The Hawks won the cup last season, so maybe if they get to the Finals again they take the East champ a little lightly, where the Kings will be even hungrier after not winning last season. For those 5 reasons I am rooting for the Hawks. Either way the West champ will be a big fav over us or the Habs and have home ice, so it won't be an easy final.
as a former cubbie, and still havin some friends there who go to the games, and what a great fan base it is, i go chi- town, but a got a spot saved for gabby
u got to lol at those who think the refs don't deserve criticism, chi up 1, scores 2nd, after it was called a good goal, then reviewed , called interference, goal taken away then a minute later LA scores to tie and the whole complexity of game changes, but its not the refs fault !
I was just listening to XM radio and someone there said that he is not happy that East is being represented by two teams who have no shot of winning the cup. That two best teams in the EAST did not make the finals which is upsetting. I don't understand. We beat "2nd best team in the EAST" and Habs beat "the best team in the east". All was fair. Why don't these two teams deserve to be in the ECF? This is beyond stupid.
Boston to me is the best team in the East. They lost to a team that is not as good as them, but a HUGE rival who poured everything they had into beating their biggest rival. Worst matchup possible in the East for Boston, and the one team I thought could beat Boston in the East. When you have that sort of rivalry, all bets are off. And Montreal was good enough to win when they are up a level due to the passion the Bruins bring out in them. Pitt is NOT the 2nd best team in the East. That is the farce there. Pitt was way overrated this season. We had no business being down 3-1 to them...none. And once we got our sh*t together we rolled on. Pitt was not a big time team this season, and people never could accept that because they see Crosby and Malkin and just say oh yeah great team...no. So I agree on Boston. I do not agree on Pitt. And I will say this about the SCF, yes the Hawks/Kings will be a clear fav over NYR/Habs, but you never know what can happen when they drop the puck. So we'll sit back and see who wins the cup after the games are played.
Good win by the Hawks today. Important for them IMO. If the Kings won today off of no rest and flying in from LA after a game 7 less than 48 hours ago, that would have been bad for the Hawks. Good start to what should be a great series. Right team won today if we want a long physical WCF.
Chuck, that is assinign!!! Boston got beat in a Game 7 at home. They are NOT the best team in the East. Best team in the East in the regular season. I think we will all agree on that. But Best teams in their conference don't lose at home in Game 7s in the playoffs. This is why I have tried to tell you that you can build a great regular season team and get all the glory for 6 months and not be a great playoff team. Now, that said, Boston is a very good playoff team too. They have prove it over the last several years. But they are NOT the best. You don't lose Game 6 on the road and Game 7 at home and still be called the Best team in the conference.
We agree to disagree papa. I happen to think Boston was the best team in the East this season. They lost, so it is what it is. The best team doesn't always win papa. If they did then they might as well not even play the games. They lost to a team that knows how to play them better than any other team. A team that is a huge rival and gets up to play them. Good for the Habs for winning the series. For my money Boston was the best team in the East. They got beat, so now we move on. And to be honest, who cares right? Doesnt matter if the Bruins were the best, or the 4th best, or the 2nd best. Doesn't matter if Pitt was the best, or the 2nd best, or the 4th best. The Rangers and Canadiens are the two teams left. That is all that matters when you get right down to it.
Prust is Prust and is just doing what he does, but Therrien is comical. Yesterday he says good hockey play. I don't think there was any intent there. Today he is basically crying saying he didn't try to avoid him. Someone get in your ear Michel? Funny stuff. Playing to his fans, players, and the crazy hockey media in Montreal no doubt.
Chuck, I can't even argue with you. All I can say is I'm glad you're not the GM of any team I root for.
'boston was the favorite to win it all, don't know how anyone can make that statement when the hawks were the team to beat, and still are !
NHL playoffs are no different then other sports: it's about overall talent but also about matchups. Just because a team wins doesn't mean they are better it might mean they matchup better. Regarding Kings/Hawks I think it will go 7. Both teams are very good and also have players that know how to win tough playoff hockey games. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
all fair points but crawford point, right now he is playing better then quick ATM but that could change, the flight thing i dont agree, BOTH teams have to fly. LA to NY too so can say the same, i believe the hawks are deeper and better. got better players. i root for LA but either way its not going to be easy and we will not be the favorite (if we get there )
You are glad I am not the GM of any team you root for because I think Boston is/was the best team in the East. Okay papa...LOL. Dis nailed it 100%. Matchups matter. The way it is. I guess there are no upsets since the team that wins is always the better team, no upsets exist. That is what makes sports great. Sometimes the better team does not win. Why we watch the games. And why would we argue. You have your opinion and I have mine. Agree to disagree. No issues. All good.
Well, I still think Quick concerns me more than Crawford and would consider Quick a better goalie. Look at what Quick has done when his team is facing elmination. As for the travel, the teams in the West are used to a lot of travel. That is the norm for them. They are flying to Chicago now for this series. We haven't been further than Western PA in a LONG LONG time. I would give LA a little edge there if we both win. But I agree it isn't some huge edge. Go look at those lineups. The Kings are real big, and I think deeper IMO. That is a big deep team. BUT at the end of the day they are both great teams. Both know how to win playoff games (last 2 SC champs). Both big deep teams overall. So either way pick your poison if you are the Habs or Rangers. No easier team there really. I just believe if you have to play one of those teams, and you make me pick, I would "rather" play the Hawks, but either way good luck against those teams...LOL. There is a reason they have won the last 2 cups, and are both in the WCF again despite how deep and talented the West is.
You want to know our best shot to win the cup IMO: 1. Beat the Habs in less than 7 games. I know we are deeper and don't play the same style as 12, but going 7, 7, 7 into the SCF is not a great recipe for a SC win, especially against a team like the Hawks or Kings (and I think this is big anyway because winning a game 7 in Montreal on a Saturday night would be a VERY big task). BTW...no team has made the SCF going 7 in the first 2 rounds since they went to this format. So we are already up against it. 2. Hope the Hawks/Kings series goes 7 games. This way both of those teams are extended, and we do not have to play 7 games. That's the best path for us to win the cup IMO.
Chuck, this has nothing to do with Boston. It has to do with understanding how to build a team that can WIN IT ALL. You can't get it thru your thick skull that being the best in the regular season means absolutely nothing when the playoffs start. A GM can build a team for the regular season and a GM can build a team that gets into the playoffs and is built to win in the playoffs. There is a Huge difference. Take Pitt for example. The last 5 years they have been 1 or 2 in the regular season and lost to a team with a lower seed in the playoffs. Perfect example. LA in 2012. Barely limped into the playoffs and won the Cup. Perfect example. The Hawks are built for both. When we won the Cup in 94, we were the 1 seed in the East and I believe the Canucks were the 8 seed in the West. We were built for both and the Canucks were built for the playoffs. It is very difficult to build a team for both the regular season and the playoffs. So I would rather have a GM that builds a team to get in but was made for playoff hockey. You, on the other hand, want to live in the past and call teams the best because of what they did in the regular season. That's where we disagree!
It's all good bro. I know Boston has not been a great playoff team even though they have a cup and a SCF the past 4 or 5 seasons, can't make it every season man. And I agree 100% on the Pens and have been saying it for years now. They are overrated and have been for a while. So we agree there for sure, and I said they were NOT 1 of the best 2 teams in the East, so that one confuses me. You see what you want to see man, no issues. We just agree to disagree. All good.
Chuck, just answer this. Did Boston have the same 20 players on the ice this year as they did 5 years ago or 3 years ago or even last year?
Nope, not the same exact players. But pretty darn close to last season papa. Like 95% the same, and all the experts picked them for a reason. The Habs have their # though, and play them very well. Deserved to win for sure. Again all good man. We don't agree on Boston. No issues. Agree to disagree. All good.
