DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum NHL Playoff Run

I crashed out last night around the 5 minute mark in the 3rd period. I was pulling for the Wings to have that dream matchup before they move off to the East next year. The Hawks won all meetings against the Sharks and Wings in the regular season, so it's hard to tell who they matchup better against. It seems like San Jose was a little more dominant in their first round series, so maybe it's better.

I'm excited for the 2 game 7s tonight. I'm pulling for Toronto because they remind me of the Browns in some ways, though the Bruins should win in a blowout. As for the Rangers/Caps series, I don't know who I want to win or will win. I guess I wouldn't mind the Caps winning to give their fanbase a win, but I think the NHL is better off with the Rangers advancing.

Fun stuff. I just hope the dirty blindside hits we tend to see in the first round are over. Those ruin the fun of the NHL playoffs.

Go Hawks!

I'm proud of my Wings for hanging with the Ducks and taking them down. It is hard for me to envision a scenario where they can actually win a series against the Hawks, but I suppose anything is possible.

The one thing we have going is that Howard is playing extremely well in goal right now. His positioning has been much better and his anticipation has been really good. If you have a hot goaltender, you can win any game.

The experience gained in the Ducks series will help our young defense, but they are still really green. If they continue to turn the puck over in the defensive zone like they did in the Ducks series, I expect the Hawks to sweep because they excel in transition and will not make the same mistakes the Ducks made in the offensive zone. Defense remains my biggest worry and, despite improved play vs the Ducks, I think it is what will sink us in the end.

We saw glimpses of the kind of offensive pressure the Wings are capable of generating. The offense really needs to help out it's young defense and focus on puck possession in the neutral and offensive zones. Again, don't turn the puck over so easily and keep the puck deep in the offensive zone. We actually have the players to accomplish this, but they have to be more consistent.

Regardless of the outcome, I think the Wings proved they belonged in the playoffs and I'm excited to see how they do against a superior team with the experience and momentum gained in the Duck series.

I'm also excited to not be up until the wee hours of the morning to watch them play.

Finally, kudos to the NBC sports network for their coverage of the first round. It has, IMO, been excellent! I hope their ratings have been good enough to do this again next season.

I think the one thing going against the Wings, and the Ducks for that matter too, was having to play 7 games to get out of the first round. I can't speak for hockey players, but when I played soccer I needed the rest to keep going. Last years Kings kept chopping down higher seeds but they did it in short series because they straight up dominated everyone. If you're a low seed, you need every advantage or break you can get, starting a series against a superior team is bad enough, but to start it tired too, that can't be good.

I'd like to see numbers on teams coming off a 7 game series playing a team that's been resting up. I bet it's quite one-sided.

But hey, maybe you throw all that out the window when it's the Hawks and Wings.

Let's do this!

I was really impressed and also dead wrong with the Islanders. They really gave Pittsburgh everything they could handle. I think an upgrade with a blue liner and a goaltender and that team is a bigger threat next year. Kind of funny that in the 70's the Islanders and the Oilers were the two best teams, now they have two of the brightest young teams in the league.

As far as Detroit and Chicago goes. The Hawks will be heavy favorites to win the series. They swept the season series, however 3 of the 4 games went into overtime. The other was a massacre on Easter. I expect this series to go 6 or 7.

I was doing some looking ahead and it seems like the Stanley Cup final will be during my vacation in North Carolina. Wonder if they will let me roll the TV out onto the deck so I can have the ocean as a backdrop? lol

I think LA/SJ will be a fantastic series too. The Sharks have played good hockey the last month and a half. Excellent goaltending matchup too, both have won a cup before (Niemi with Chicago, Quick last year)

I think that defensive zone miscues are going to tilt this series in your favor more so then the rest.

Yeah... the seven game series PLUS the coast-to-coast travel definitely won't help at all. The Hawks have been sitting for a bit, however. Sometimes a team coming in hot can surprise a rested team and steal one early. We'll see. I'd love to see another 6-7 game series (win or lose).

Not only did it go seven games, four of them went to OT. Hopefully the short season and youth allow them to stay fresh. What amazed me was that a third of the Wings active players last night were playoff rookies, and that we outgooned the ducks. I'm just afraid we don't have the speed on defense to keep up with the Hawks...then again I thought we'd lose this one in a short series.

So they reward the Wings with an extra day of rest because they needed 7 games in their first round series. Lame.

Oh well, Wednesday it is.

Want some cheese with that whine?

Hawks will still have a decided advantage (in both fresh legs and talent). I don't think it will impact the results terribly.

I had an awesome glove save in our playoff game last night. Guy blasted a rocket through traffic from the mid-slot. I had 2 guys in front of me low, and another high. Didn't see the puck one bit, but it found my glove, almost knocked my glove out of my hand.

I had us winning in seven games, but who could have predicted all the extra hockey? Like I said before, I'm proud to be a Wings fan after that Round 1 win (no matter what happens with the Hawks).

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I'm just afraid we don't have the speed on defense to keep up with the Hawks...then again I thought we'd lose this one in a short series.

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I agree. We have some speed in the young guys, but I'm afraid the combo of the Hawks speed up front and inexperience on our part will be an issue. They're still thinking too much out there and the Hawks will blow by them the second they're a tad slow in diagnosing the play around them. If they can maintain the discipline they showed in Game 7 vs the Ducks, this will be a really good series.

There were times where the Wings really gave the Hawks no space at all on offense. If they can somehow recreate that, it'll be interesting. I do think they have the edge in goaltending. Neither guy has really done a lot in the playoffs, but I have a bit more confidence in Howard. Crawford has been good but I just need to see a little more. I have been his biggest backer though.

The Hawks are just too damn deep, and if they get the Rat back, that even adds more, he's on of their best defending forwards. I call him Dave Trolland (Bolland) for obvious purporses.

No doubt the Hawks have the edge on defense. They have maybe the best double pairing in the NHL.

I agree with pretty much all of what you said with the exception of Howard. Jimmy was really good vs the Ducks. The Wings lose in 5 without the play they got out of Howard. I'm not saying he's the best goalie out there, but he's playing WAY better than he has in the past and it started in the two weeks leading into the playoffs. I would go as far as saying that the Wings would not have made the playoffs without Howard really stepping up his game late in the season.

Gotcha... no argument there.

Wow. Boston getting "blowed up" in their own house. The fans should be heading to the parking lots soon.

I predicted the opposite but I'm glad to be wrong.

Unreal. The Leafs ARE the Browns of the NHL. How else do you explain that?

You have to give Boston credit for not giving up, but what an absolute choke job by Toronto. Unbelievable.

They took their foot off the gas pedal and allowed them to forecheck, which nobody forechecks better than the Bruins, and wow.

I know they're the Leafs, but that one is going to sting for a while.

I really hate that Boston always wins in everything, I'm sick of it. I have nothing against the team itself, because I think they're tremendous in how they play, but Boston is the rich spoiled kid who gets whatever he wants.

Had it been any other set of teams, it would still be amazing and awful to watch at the same time, but because it happened to the Leafs frustrated fanbase, it makes it so much more painful. And yes, with Boston coming out on top is like watching the rich kid get a 3rd Porsche for his birthday.

I don't know where they go from here. It's not like they were in the ECF or SCF, it was just the first round. Do they rebuild, restock, stay the same...ugh, has to be painful to think about long offseason.

Oh well...on to the 2nd round.

East:
Senators (7) vs. Penguins (1)
Rangers (6) vs. Bruins (4)

West:
Red Wings (7) vs. Blackhawks (1)
Sharks (6) vs. Kings (5)

- I think the Penguins advance again in 6 games.
- I'm calling for a Bruins in a sweep, maybe 5 games.
- I called the Hawks in 6 above and I'm sticking to it. I think all the games will be close.
- The Kings crazy run stops as the Sharks beat them in 7 games.

Hmm... Here are my picks for Round 2:

Penguins over the Sens in 6 (I'd love Pittsburgh to go down, but I don't see it happening in this round).

I think Boston will stumble a bit again, but they'll move on in 6 games.

Extreme Homer pick: Wings over Blackhawks in 7.
Yeah... it's probably a pipe dream, but I gotta back my team.

I think goaltending will be the difference in the Kings/Sharks series. I too think it will go seven, but with the Kings advancing. I'd love to watch these games, but being in the east, I doubt I'll see more than the first period of these games unless they play in the afternoon once or twice.

Is Vokoun starting for Pittsburgh?

I know that he seemed to have calmed the team down leading them to 2 wins, but I don't think they can win the cup with him. They need Fleury and they need him to be at his best. Tough gamble.

Something is wrong with Fleury's game. It's almost like he has a goaltending form of the yips.

The defense did step up in his absence though. Vokoun is nowhere near the athlete that Fleury is, so I think they all amped up their game. Fleury is one of the most athletic goalies in the history of the position, and Vokoun cannot do a lot of the things he can do.

If you like bodies flying around and low scores, Rangers/Bruins is all yours. That's going to be fun. Wonder if Nash will finally show up?

I think vokoun will spell fluery until the team things fluery has calmed himself down... statistically though fluery hasn't been where we need him to be for a while

Way, way, way too many turnovers for the Wings. This is going to be a really short series if they don't get Howard some help.

The talent difference between Anaheim and Chicago is remarkable. This score should be 10-1. I don't know what the shot difference was but at one point it was 35-16. We can't play 80% of the game in our own zone and expect to have a chance against these guys. Chicago's forecheck is something to behold, and Crawford doesn't serve up rebounds like Hiller did.

For as good as they are offensively with all the firepower, they're equally as good on defense. They can throw 3 pairs at you, and their forwards do a good job.

It's amazing what they have turned into, the Blackhawks are by far the top ticket in town. There is not a close second. Bigger than the Bears, Bulls, and either baseball team. It's awesome.

Although I can't even go to games now, the tickets are ridiculous. 3rd biggest sports market in the country, however, the other 2 have multiple teams (NY has the Rangers, Islanders, and you might as well count NJ, LA has the Kings and Ducks)

Beer is cheaper at home though, haha.

Holy Toledo! The Kings were looking at a game 2 loss and then 2 PP goals with about a minute left give them the win. Man, that's gotta hurt if you are a Sharks fan.

They are really starting to look like the Kings from last year. That can't be good for anyone.

Wow. The Sharks have had about as much playoff heartbreak as any team over the last 20 years. They're the Browns of the NHL.

Not gonna put the cart before the horse, but man, Kings/Blackhawks would be a lot of fun.

Except for the timezone issues.

Don't know where that Wings defense has been hiding all playoffs. Chicago's forecheck disappeared today, and Detroit didn't serve up nearly as many gimme's in their defensive zone. Well, that was cool but my grass isn't going to mow itself. Back to Detroit on Monday.

Now that's some Wings hockey. Take care of the puck (particularly in your own end), get the puck deep in the offensive zone, keep the pressure on Crawford and keep Howard's crease clear. Very nice job today. Hopefully, we'll see a repeat performance on Monday!

Well that stunk. Oh well.

I actually crashed out after the Wins scored their first goal. I woke up late in the 3rd when it was already over.

On to Detroit.