Another great game 7, as Dallas moves on to face Colorado in what should be a great series. Good first round, but the second round should be even better. Canes/NYR Bruins/Panthers Avs/Stars Oilers/Canucks Those are four terrific series, where I think either team can win. I think our series and the Avs/Stars are the two best, but the other two are still very good and exciting. Should be an awesome two weeks of playoff hockey.
The NHL definitely got premier matchups for the 2nd round. The only team that may have been more interesting would've been Toronto instead of Boston. Glad to see the cap gymnastics did not pay off for Vegas this year. Now, who do they put on LTIR at the start of next season?
Nice win for the Knicks tonight and Boston up 3-1 in the 3rd against FLA. We're obviously a very long way from it but could be looking at dueling NY vs Bos ECF in the NBA and NHL...
Couple things about the Bruins/Panthers series (where everyone picked the Panthers to win): 1. The Bruins are now 5-0 against the Panthers this season. Do they have their number? 2. I don't trust Bob in goal. He has high highs, but he also has low lows. He is a little up and down for my liking, and with Swayman playing like he has been in these playoffs, I think the Bruins have a nice edge in goal. Series is far from over obviously, but I think that series will be closer than everyone thinks. BTW - after the Rangers, the team I am rooting for the most is the Canucks. You would think this is the 80's Oilers the way people are talking about them; it is way over the top IMO. I get they have McDavid, but it is too much. I hope the Canucks can beat them, but I have my doubts if Demko is out for more than 1 or 2 games of the series.
I feel pretty confident the Knicks/Celtics will happen, the Celts are going to roll the Cavs, and the Knicks should beat the Pacers in a hard-fought series. I do think that is the Knicks ceiling though as I cannot see them beating the Celts. They get to the ECF, and it was a very good season for them. As for the NHL Boston/NY series, I am not even going to start thinking about that one, the Panthers and Canes will have a whole heck of lot to say before we could get there.
Down 3-0 in the first period the Avs have come back to tie it up in the 3rd. There is no safe lead against them. They are going to be a tough out.
The Avs and Stars also go to overtime. Very low shot totals for both teams. The Stars with only 16 shots in regulation.
Curious to see how the Bruins/Panthers game goes tonight after the Bruins comfortable win in game 1. You have to think the Panthers will play very well tonight considering the stakes. Can they somewhat solve Swayman is a huge question, he has an amazing .955 SV% through 7 playoff games, wow (Igor is at .929 through 6 playoff games).
I expect a SUPER chippy game with quite a few cheap shots by both teams. If refs don’t call stuff early it could get ugly. Same thing with our game tomorrow. Canes are going to come out throwing all sorts of hits and I fully expect refs to let a lot go unless Rempe steps in and crushes someone, legally or not he will get penalized.
Absolutely. Also, I find it bizarre that Brindamour did not play his 4th line at all in either OT except for Kotkaniemi for the occassional faceoff. Not that those guys are difference makers by any stretch but more so to spell the others.
Florida did what I guess you would have expected them to do tonight, not necessarily win 6-1 but have a big effort in a very important game for them to win. They are the better team, but this is the NHL playoffs and lesser teams win all the time, especially when the two teams are reasonably close overall like the Panthers and Bruins are. Now it's the Bruins turn to step up back at home. We'll see if they do.
Loved Tkachuk punching Pastrnak in the face. That cheapshot fucker. What the Rangers should have done for Lindgren.
That loss by the Oilers, blowing a 4-1 lead against a team with a 3rd string goalie who had allowed some very soft goals, is why hockey fans who follow the sport and know, question the Oilers ability to win a Cup despite McDavid. There is no excuse for blowing that lead and the game. They still may win that series if Demko remains out, but that is a game they never should have lost. I do not trust the Oilers, unless they are playing the lowly Kings, and never have. What I found funny, and to the point I made in an earlier post, going into the games last night the Oilers and Rangers were the co-betting favs to win the Cup. So, the up 2-0 in the 2nd round Rangers were tied with the 0-0 in the 2nd round Oilers, that is ridiculous, and shows how much the Oilers are overrated. It is crazy with them, it's like people forget D and goaltending because they have 5 or 6 high end forwards.
No surprise, as mentioned Keefe was fired by the Leafs today. It won't matter at all until they make some real changes on that team, guys like Marner and Matthews I question if they are playoff guys, and Tavares has not been a good signing for them, given the money and years he got, he is a UFA next summer as is Marner if they don't extend him this summer.
The Stars almost blew it again, but held on this time, series tied 1-1. We'll see if the Oilers can even up their series tonight, although they may be without Draisaitl and Henrique. And the all-important game 3 between Florida and Boston, each team has a blowout win, what happens tonight. Another great night of playoff action.
It’s amazing that the Bruins had so many points in a regular season because that team just does not have that much talent and it’s obvious as you watch them play Florida.