Take out the Devils in 4 or 5. We need TB to make a deep run and improve our draft stock. Plus its always nice to see the Devils lose. When they lose in 5 we prob won't see Cup here anymore. Plus, I will always root for McDonough. I didn't want to overpay him like we would have had to overpay on an extension so no problem trading him but he played hard here and was always a max effort guy and I'd like to see him win a cup. Obviously Girardi is a shell of his former self but he's another guy, despite the decline, who gave his heart for this team. I hope TB wins it all. The rest of the playoffs are interesting. Cindy with a hat trick in G1. Barf. I have a feeling Philly will respond tonight but Pitt is deep and obviously their top players always bring it in the playoffs. I'd love to see TB vs Pitt in the ECF. Craps are the Craps. Not sure how you lose that game last night. But thats what Washington does in the playoffs. Boston looks legit. Will be interesting to see how Nash plays in the playoffs coming off another concussion. I hope he does well but Im skeptical. In the West I am rooting for the Jets and Preds. 2 deep teams who are fun to watch. Despite losing G1 I actually think the Kings are going to beat the Knights in 6/7. Much like when we played the Kings in finals, thats just not a team that you want to play in postseason. They play physical and have a great playoff goalie.
Devs lose round 1...improves our 2nd rounder from them. Bruins lose to TB in round 2...maximizes our 1st rounder from them. TB wins the SC...means we get their 1st next year as well. Everyone wins....
The Jets are kind of the feel good story in the West. A lot of people want to see them do well, and I am one of them. I hope they make a run. That building is awesome, and it is fun to watch them play at home. If the Jets and Preds played it could be the two best home crowds going at it (or at least both top 5). There would be a lot of energy in that series.
Love the way Winnipeg is playing. Tenacious, tough and scoring goals. Playing in front of those loud fans, Winnipeg’s game is very infectious. There is nothing like it anywhere in this league. The Jets are a big, very fast team. Smaller Wild team had tough time getting shots on goal. Good to see Philly evening their series against loaded Pens. To pull your goalie with a little less than 4 minutes remaining, Philly could not score an empty netter until there was less than two minutes remaining...... Golden Knights, a novice team making a sham of many NHL team organizations in building a winner from scratch, beat an older Kings’ team in double overtime 2-1. Vegas takes a two game lead in this series. Vegas played tough to the usual Kings’ physicality and never backed down once.
Today’s 3rd period the Devils are dominating the Bolts. In fact, the Bolts look more like the inept Ranger team of this past season. They are making no attempt to attack the Devils. Coleman & Wood of Devils are relentless in forcing the action in Lightening territory. Bolts’ D look gassed. Ex-Rangers’ D Strahlman, McDonagh and Girardi look weak. Bolts win but New Jersey pushes Bolts to the limit. Too little, too late. Vasilevsky made 41 saves with majority in the torrid desperate 3rd period for both teams.
As annoying as Pitt has become over the past decade i hate the Flyers more than any team so i have to lean with Pitt. I'm pulling for Winnipeg or Vegas, maybe Toronto in the East.
Tampa dominated the Devils in that game then let their foot off the gas in the third. I'm laughing my ass off at Toronto fans. Their arrogant tool fans were saying on boards that there was nobody on the Rangers roster they wanted. You know, the countless amounts of players that have won countless amounts of playoff series and games when the players on their roster haven't won jack shit. LOL.
Toronto needs major help on D, and I am not sold on their goalie either. They may need to move some of that elite talent upfront to address those issues. Series not over, but Boston looks darn good and could win that in 5. The Boston/TB series in round 2 is going to be a good one. A true toss-up I think. In the Met it is wide open. Don't love the Flyers, but it really could go to any of the 4 teams. Right now I'll say CBJ/Pens battle in round 2, but it is open. Out west everyone would love to see the Jets make a run. It would be an awesome story. Go Jets Go. Preds and Sharks look real good though.
Tampa looks like they're taking the Devils for granted which is a good way to find yourself down in the series. I almost wouldn't mind having another top 20 pick and a 2nd rounder rather than two #31 picks. Not that im pulling for NJ or anything but if it turned out that way.
Pretty straightforward stuff. 5 teams went home down 2-0...4 won game 3 (only the Kings lost at home in game 3 down 2-0). The team going home knows their season is on the line (down 3-0 is season over). All 4 of those series will be determined in game 4. Wild, Devs, Avs, Leafs win game 4, and then you have series that have juice. Jets, TB, Preds, Bruins win game 4, and then you most likely have short series. Game 3 is the game with emotion that the team going home down 2-0 usually plays well in. Game 4 is the true litmus test of what kind of series you have. We'll see how many can back up their game 3 wins with game 4 wins. Gun to my head I think the Wild play well. Maybe the Leafs play well (toss-up game IMO...I give little lean Boston). I think the Preds win for sure. And I expect TB to win. But in the NHL playoffs pre-thoughts don't mean much.
Hate to say it....don’tthink Bolts are winning the Stanley Cup this year! Sure would have loved to get another #1 in next years’ draft. Their D looked like Rangers of this past year. Wait a minute! Bolts are the Rangers of the South. lOL
Friday, April 20th: Minnesota at Winnipeg. Jets are showing how to keep their “skates” on the throttle and not giving the Wild any chance of getting back into this game. Jets are swarming, powerful, and in total control. They are playing the way I wish the Rangers could play........maybe, some day in the future. BTW......Jets up 4-0 in the 1st period.
Pred’s goal in 3rd period directed into the goal by Nick Bonino’slanted skate is reason why this game, this league needs concrete changes. No goal should be allowed by a player’s skate. Off the body or the hockey stick should a goal be allowed. The skate issue makes this league as amateurish as any ridiculous rule. It’s a joke as to whether a player directed the puck toward the net with his skate. Stop the bullshit already!
I thought that was a good goal. He didn't kick at but more just tried to block it to shoot it and his momentum knocked it in.
The Rangers of the South eliminate the younger Devils, 4-1 and move on to play, with all probability, the Boston Bruins.
Random story but i was in Clearwater last week for vacation and was happily surprised to see how much public support the Lightning get. Just driving through the area there were a lot of signs on front / side of buildings saying "Go Bolts" or the like. Interestingly enough, nothing about the Rays.
