The WCF is loaded with superior talent. Chicago is all over LA players. LA is having tough time possessing the puck. Chicago is big and fast and they are accelerating through the zones, and forcing LA into penalties. Game 2....after 1 period, CHI 1 LA 0 Chuck, lets beat Montreal before rooting for a WC winner. This Chicago team is not the one the Rangers beat twice. Besides, anything that happens in the regular season means NOTHING come playoff time.
WTF..........turned off and lo and behold The Kings strike 5 goals in the 3rd period.......first playoff loss at home for the Hawks this year. WCF tied 1 - 1 after two games. Now, this is game that the Blackhawks looked invincible for two periods. Then they take two penalties and the game turns......advantage Kings. That's what I mean that a game has twists and turns... These two teams look like they are going the distance. If the Rangers come through, it looks to be a magic year.
Why do we have to beat Montreal before we worry about which team wins the West? Pretty sure no matter which team wins the East the Hawks or Kings will still win the West, so we can talk about the West, and root for a team, regardless of what happens with us in the East. Those teams are both so good man. Not sure there is an advantage for us or the Habs either way when it comes to the Kings or Hawks winning the WCF. I think the thing us and Hab fans should root for most is 7 games. That is really the only thing that matters to the East teams. Let the West teams play a long physical 7 game series. That would give us/Montreal our best shot in the SCF. So along those lines, it is good LA won last night. At 1-1 I think that series has a good shot at going 7. And if it goes 7 I would then root for LA in the 7th game. That would be their 3rd 7th game this playoff season. From our POV, our best bet to win a cup is the West goes 7, and we find a way to win in 4 or 5. That's our best bet to beat the Hawks/Kings. In game 1 I was rooting for the Hawks. After watching them closely I changed my tune to just go 7 games and we'll go from there. Not sure it matters which team we would play if we won because both are so good. I am now simply rooting for 7 games, and however they get there, so be it.
Regardless of who wins between CHI/LA, i think the Cup stays in the West. Those 2 teams are just loaded.
No doubt the West team will be a huge fav over the East team. That is why from our POV our best bet by far is beat Montreal in 4 or 5 AND hope the West series goes 7 games, an extra little bonus would be maybe the Kings win that 7th game and would have played 21 games into the SCF...no team has ever done that in history. That is what we need to hope for. With as good as those two teams are, may be our only real hope. But that's why they play the games.
the wonderful thing about life....nothing is written ahead of time..right now the Rangers are riding a huge wave, another win tonight and perhaps those teams start thinking what are we in for....
imagine we lose tonight. This board will go from "sweep!" to "we're going to collapse, what a joke this team is"
Yeah, but we love it. It is what we do. All you can do is smile. I happen to think tonight is a coin flip since this is game 7 for Montreal in reality. But I do think we win game 4 almost for sure either way, unless something crazy happens tonight. Montreal will check out if they lose tonight I think, even if it is just mentally a little. And I just cannot see us losing both home games again, especially to a rookie goalie making his first ever road playoff starts. We'll see.
You guys need to see a ranger tsunami when its right in front of your eyes. This ranger group is not losing a game to these montreal dickheads and their third string goalies. PERIOD.
how can you say that since the first time we won 5 in a row this season in the playoffs and if we sweep it would be 7 in a row, WE HAVENT DONE THAT THIS SEASON.
The more I see from the Kings the more I want the Hawks to win. I think we all have agreed there is no "easy" matchup out of the WCF, but the Kings have so much size and depth, and with Quick in goal they are so tough. Plus they are dominating the Hawks on faceoffs as well. Kopitar, Carter, Stoll, Richards at C...wow. That is C depth. Either way though I think we all clearly will be rooting for the Hawks tonight even if someone prefers the Kings. Our best hope if we make the SCF is win in 5 or worst case 6 over Montreal, and have the WCF go 7 games either way. That is what we want. And to get that we may need a Hawks win tonight. So go Hawks in game 4. BTW...how funny is it that no team has gone to the SCF after going 7 games both rounds 1 & 2 under the current format, and now us AND the Kings can both do it in the same season. Crazy stuff.
haven't really been watching the WCF too much, Whose playing better? is crawford still playing well? Not sure if i would want to play the hawks or kings
The Kings are playing better no doubt. And Quick is playing better than Crawford thus far. As we discussed earlier Sleeps, and I agree with you on, there is no "easy" or even "easier" team to play between these two great teams. I still lean towards "rather" play the Hawks, but pick your poison. Both are big, deep, talented teams. BUT no matter which team one might "rather" play, I think we want 7 games out there first and foremost. And for that we want/need a Hawks win tonight. So go Hawks.
