How's your team doing?

My Leafs have lost five of six, but before that we were on a tear, and before that we were in a slump. So they've had a crazy for 35 games or so.

Good news is, they're in a playoff spot right now, they can score goals and Jonathan Bernier had been lights-out in goal most nights. Bad news is: the Leafs are constantly getting outshot by the opposition and you can't live that way forever. Sooner or later it catches up with you.

Jackets dug themselves into a hole with an awful injury bug. Currently they find themselves in an upswing. Hopefully the upward trend continues.

The Blackhawks are really good. I don't even feel like they're peaking either. It's the same group too. No huge additions. They get so much out of their core. It makes it so much easier to plug and play other guys who aren't quite all stars. Goaltending has been solid, despite having to play 3 different guys. They have all been pretty solid. They are poised to make another deep run this year.

I am so glad this disastrous Browns season is over with, where I can shift some attention to the NHL. I will watch the NFL playoffs, but as I said, I really just don't care that much this year. It's the same old teams. It hurt a lot more because we actually had promise.

I love the NHL because I don't invest that much emotion into it. I love the game and the league though. I can stll enjoy the intensity of the playoffs, without feeling like every Cleveland fan where the clock is ticking on seeing a championship... I like the Blackhawks, but they're not in the same discussion as the 3 CLE teams. When they win I actually feel happy more for the great people that run that organization, and the true fans (lots of casuals and bandwagoners)

I'm happy for the CBJ team that they have improved a ton. I know it's not going great for them this year, but I feel like they'll make the playoffs. The haven't played closed to their best hockey yet.

It's also awesome to see the Islanders doing well. Awesome fan base. So unique. Sucks they are moving that team. I really think that's a crime.

Also learned on our Browns/Titans road trip that the people of Nashville love their Predators. Even more than the Titans. I got the sense down there that the Titans are an aftertgought, but when the NHL playoffs are in town, it's a zoo.

Red Wings are so frickin' streaky this year. I'm surprised they're only 3pts out of first place. Hopefully the youngsters will become more consistent as they gain experience. The talent is there, except for goaltending (the guy they brought in when Howard and Gustavson went down looked promising). They can't win a shootout to save their lives....they're 1-7 in shootouts this year. The Wings lead the league in shootout and OT losses... they've given away a lot of damn points.

ATLANTIC DIVISION
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) Ottawa Senators
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings

METROPOLITAN DIVISION
(1) New York Rangers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (3) New York Islanders

CENTRAL DIVISION
(1) St. Louis Blues vs. (4) Minnesota Wild
(2) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Chicago Blackhawks

PACIFIC DIVISION
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (4) Winnipeg Jets
(2) Vancouver Canucks vs. (3) Calgary Flames

My picks:
Canadiens in 5
-Price+Subban+Karlsson will be too much, even though Hammond has been very good.
Red Wings in 7
- I just have a feeling, they'll take this series. The Wings are better on the road and the first round is a crapshoot.
Rangers in 6
- Penguins just aren't as deep as the Rangers and I trust Lundqvist a lot more than Fleury.
Captitals in 6
- I REALLY want the Islanders here, but I think the Caps have the edge.

Blues in 6
- Dubnyk is great, but be just got pulled against this same team. The Blues are on a mission this year, I know they have come goalie concerns, but I think they're a lock for the WCF.
Predators in 5
- The Blackhawks look lost, even though they were kind of hot a week back. The loss of Kane will hurt too much in the playoffs (though I just found out he's practicing without a no-hit jersey, but he's still 2-3 weeks away). They can't score.
Ducks in 6
- Getzlaf is a man.
Flames in 7
- The Sedin's bother me. That's my only analysis on this series.

...and of course, the Blackhawks announce Kane might play on Wednesday. I'll stay with my prediction even though I should know better.

Kane could play in Game 1

I got to watch one of the most amazing comebacks in sports history.

The Bruins vs. Flyers semifinal play-offs in 2010.

The Bruins had a 3 - 0 game lead in the series after 3 games.

Philadelphia came back and won the next 3 games.

In the decisive game seven, Boston went-up 3-0 but Philadelphia scored 4 unanswered goals to win the series. UNBELIEVABLE!

I miss the old names. The Patrick, Adams, Norris, and Smythe divisions.

The Hurricanes suck. Thanks for asking.

Go Preds!

How's my team doing? A month ago, it looked like the Wings could beat anyone. Then the real Jimmy Howard came back. If Babcock can get over his "use veterans at all costs" philosophy and play Mrazek in goal, I think Detroit can go pretty deep into the playoffs. Howard just has too many brain farts that cost us games. They've got a nice group of healthy youngsters in Tatar, Helm, Nyquist and Abdelkader that have a couple years under their belt now, and they compliment the old guys very well. It's a shame that Eric Cole is out for the season...he was looking pretty damn good since coming to Detroit at the trade deadline. NHL playoffs baby.....nothing quite like it!

+1

I'm ready!

I'm actually not ready for the NBA playoffs. That's not a statement on each league, I'm just in hockey mode. Maybe that will change once the Cavs take the floor and everything really heats up.

I filled out my bracket today. Not sure if I will change it before Wednesday.

Rd. 1

Min>STL (6)
Chi>Nas (7)

Ana>Wpg (5)
Cal>Van (5)

Mtl>Ott (6)
TB>Det (6)

NYR>Pit (6)
Was>NYI (5)

Rd. 2

Min>Chi
Ana>Cal

Mtl>TB
NYR>Was

Rd. 3

Min>Ana
NYR>Mtl

Cup Final

New York Rangers over Minnesota Wild in 7 games.

Take it for what it is. The playoffs are a borderline crapshoot. So many variables. I look at teams that can grind, and have the ability to get scoring from different areas.

I know the Rangers are chalk, but I love how they came back strong after getting to the final last year. I think now that the Kings are out, and the Blackhawks are a bit of a lesser version of themselves, that this thing is truly up for grabs. New York has a world class goaltender. They lost him for a bit this year to injury and didn't miss a beat. They're well coached, and I feel like they can outlast any of these teams in the playoffs.

As far as the West goes, it's really up for grabs, because I don't trust Anaheim with their goaltending, ever. The Hawks just don't seem like they are truly ready for a brutal 6-7 game series. I think they can squeak by Nashville but even that is pushing it. They may get Kane back, but that is asking a lot for a guy that hasn't played in months to just turn it on. It's almost not fair. I would have shelfed him for the season. He's invaluable to their franchise and their future.

Every single thing I said in this post could be wrong too, that's the beauty of the nhl playoffs. Once it starts, common sense goes out the window.

Kane says he'll play in Game 1

That's great news, the league needs him in the playoffs. I just hope his shoulder is completely healed.

I'm really looking forward to some of the elite players get after it. The Lightning are legit this year, so people should keep an eye on Steven Stamkos. So much fun to watch. One of the best one-time shots in the league.

Carey Price could realistically carry the the Habs to the Cup. We haven't seen a goalie really do that much lately, but he's more than able. I've never seen a goalie make it look so easy at that level, ever. He's worth the price (no pun intended) of admission.

Pekka Rinne could do the same. He's 6'5" and lightning quick. He labors a lot more than Price playing goal, but he should have a lot to prove as he has not been very sharp in the playoffs since coming up.

This playoff season should be fun though. It's really up for grabs as I said before. The Rangers are the favorite, but playing Pittsburgh could easily end their playoff run in one round... The Pens are very sloppy on defense, but they have so much firepower that if it all comes together at the right time, they could go deep.

The Kings team from a few years ago proved that anyone can win this thing.

Big win for the Hawks!

I'm still puzzled how no penalty was called in OT on that Preds breakaway, but oh well.

Happy to see Calgary beats the Nucks too.

I find myself rooting for the Flames out west, and the Islanders in the east. My god the Leafs had a terrible year. Rock bottom.

The only thing I can think of is that the ref was just not in a good spot, and he's not going to call a penalty shot on a maybe...

It was definitely worthy of a penalty shot.

The Hawks are really testing Rinne's foowork. They're shooting wide a ton hoping for one of those crazy bounces that ends up on the other side of the net.

Pretty fun first round. My predictions have been pretty good so far, although Tampa is in trouble, and the Washington/Isles series can go either way.

A few of these series have been brutal. The Canadiens/Senators have been a blast to watch, as have the Isles/Caps. Of course I've been focused on the Wings, and I can't say enough about how well Mrazek's been in goal. 2 shutouts, including one on the road at Tampa. If it weren't for a defensive meltdown in the last 4 minutes of game 4, he'd have 3 and the Wings would be moving on. The trap has Tampa frustrated and they can't play the game that got them to this point. Stamkos can't seem to find any space to do anything. It is the NHL, and anything can happen though.

I can't see Tampa coming back to win this. Even if they force a game 7, I just don't see the grit or experience to pull it off. This isn't the old Red Wings that won all those cups, but there are enough guys who still remember those days.

Great to see the Blackhawks finish off a very tough and emotional series. Nashvlle is a good team, they just got a bad draw in Chicago.

The winner of the Hawks v Min/Stl series is coming out the west if you ask me.

If I can't see the Hawks get back, I would love to see the Flames get there. What a fun team. The atmosphere in the Saddledome is second to none in these playoffs.

That's one series I haven't been able to keep tabs on due to the late games, but it sounds like the Flames are clicking on all cylinders. Nothing like the atmosphere when 2 Canadian teams go at it.

Their top line did a lot of damage, I believe they are calling them the three amigos, lol.

I'm not big on their goaltending, but that team has a ton of heart. It probably won't be enough for Anaheim, but it's a good start.

It's crazy that the Western Conference was the dominant conference, yet all the elite goalies are out east. Is it because it's a slightly less grind, or just a coincidence?

I got 3 of 4 in the East and 2 of 4 in the West, I guess 5 of 8 isn't terrible. I'm glad I missed on the Hawks and I should know better than picking the Blues. Oh well.

On to round two.

East
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (2) Tampa Bay Lightning
(1) New York Rangers vs. (2) Washington Capitals

West
(3) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (4) Minnesota Wild
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (3) Calgary Flames

My picks:
Canadiens in 6
-The Wings took a lot out of the Ning, the Habs are rested, and they have home ice.
Rangers in 6
-The Caps got out of the first round, but they barely made it. The Isle should have won that series. I don't trust Holtby and this is usually where Ovie disappears from the stat sheet. I'm nervous about picking a second number 1 seed in the same conference, that almost never happens in the NHL, but this will be the year.

Wild in 6
- Dubnyk is stable, Crawford/Darling aren't. I don't feel comfortable about this round at all. Plus, the Wild pushed the Hawks deep last year. Parise is unstoppable. This is their time. I hope I'm wrong.
Ducks in 7
- I'm not as sold on the Ducks as I thought. Sure they swept the Jets, but I think the Flames aren't going to fold so quickly. I'd like Calgary to win, but there's too much overall talent on the Ducks.

I went 8/8 in the first round!

I'm concerned about Montreal scoring in this series with Tampa. They've got the best goalie in the world, but at times I think they're way too conservative with their attack. They're no offensive superpower anyway...

I don't feel great about the Hawks. I think it's going 7. It's really really hard to beat a team in a series 3 years in a row. Minnesota is as good as they have ever been. They're going to defend the Hawks quite well.

Feel fine with my picks of Anaheim and New York. I love Calgary but they just don't have the depth yet. The Capitals are just that team you never trust in the playoffs.

That's impressive.

Lightning win game 1! A game of great goaltending by both teams.

Tampa is winning the East.

Go Bolts.

Could we have a Caps/Ning ECFs?

Well, they totally dominated today winning 6-2. That arena was mostly empty for a large part of the third. Time to head to Tampa with them up 2-0.

Bah. Can't believe I missed this thread. I'm a die-hard Columbus Blue Jackets fan, very disappointed that injuries killed what could have been a very terrific season for them. 400+ man games lost to injury this year. Next year if they stay healthy they'll have potential to be one of the elites in the East.

With all that being said, my second favorite team is Vancouver and man was it frustrating watching them play Calgary. Calgary's forecheck and physical defense matched up very well against Vancouvers speed and transition approach. They just didn't have the physical presence or the depth to keep up. Watching them blow that 3-0 to lose 7-4 in the elimination game was beyond frustrating.

Anyway.

I picked Minnesota and Montreal to make it to the finals, and so far those picks don't look very good.

I like Dubynk and thought he could get hot enough to go on a big run for Minnesota.

Looks like Chicago will come out of the west with the way they're playing, and the east is still a toss up, no guess there.

Dubnyk has been fine, it's just that the Wild can't score on the Hawks. It's been that way the last 3 years in the playoffs. I really thought this would be the year for them, but it's just not. The Hawks are playing the best they have played all year. They simply did not look like a contender during the year, then Kane goes down. Kane is arguably a front runner for the Conn Smythe right now.

I think Chicago has to be the odds on favorite to win the cup as it stands. The Ducks finished better, but I really don't think they can outdo the Hawks in 7 games, home ice or not. Not with the way both teams look right now. Chicago at their best is better than Anaheim at their best.

The East is wide open, but if you're a Caps fan, you may be thinking to yourself, finally, this is it for us. They finally are playing playoff hockey, and their goaltender is feeling pretty damn good. I ilke Tampa too though, they showed a ton in that Detroit series. Could have easily mailed it in down 3-2 going to Detroit.

Wow. The Habs are done. Crushing goal to give up with 1 second left.

Habs dominated that game but we snuck in a goal 1 second before going into OT! "Beeeshup" kept them in it.

Second buzzer beater goal to win a game in this round. Crazy.

Tampa v Washington will be enjoyable though. As will Ducks/Hawks.

Joel Wards may have been a little more dramatic cause it was in game one, but last nights finish in Tampa Bay was pretty awesome, mainly cause I don't like Montreal (though I do like PK Subban).

You could also argue that Tampa's was more dramatic, seeing as how it basically ended the Habs' season. Series went from a possible 2-1 had Montreal pulled it off, to a dug out grave of 0-3.

I think the Hawks finish the Wild off tonight. I don't see how that team can get over for a game after being thoroughly dominated the last 2 years, and last 3 games. The Hawks are peaking at the right time. They've become one of the best run organizations in professional sports.

Johnny Gaudreau is good.

The Ducks are going to get smacked around. I don't think they have what it takes to keep up with the Blackhawks. They are always more hype than substance.

I went to Key West for the weekend and see that the Bolts haven't sealed the series yet. Hopefully they do so tomorrow as it will be the last game I get to watch before taking off for the summer.

I'm hoping it goes 7 for the sake of having a game 7.

Rangers/Caps Wednesday is going to be great. Love that they get the extra day of rest. Should be an amazing watch.

+1 in hoping the Lightening and Habs go to game #7

Man will that one be fun.

Caps/Rangers should be a great one. Don't have a dog in either fight just wanted to see a couple of physical and intense games.

Ducks/Blackhawks should be fun as well. A lot of star power between those teams between Toews, Kane, Sharp, Perry and Getzlaf.

Canadiens just didn't have enough scoring. Steven Stamkos is a difference-maker that Montreal does not have. I am looking forward to tonight's game 7 between Rangers/Caps.

Tampa is really good. Happy for that team. 10 years being rebuilt and they're looking like a finals type team.

I think tonight's game is going to be legendary

I'll predict a few early goals by the Rangers and then the game turns into a messy, dirty blowout. Rangers win 5-2 (Caps get a late PP goal on a 6-4).

I'm hoping for OT. Heck, triple OT would be insane!

The Caps have shown they will buckle under the pressure, especially in MSG.

You got overtime!

I feel bad for Ovie but thems the brakes.

I'm taking Ning in 6 & Ducks in 7.

Rick Nash makes me want to puke. He privately whines and cries. Now he gets rewarded with two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. Jeff Carter does the same, and he's rewarded the same exact way.

Meanwhile the Jackets miss the playoffs on a tiebreaker, get eliminated in seven games against the Pens, and got bit by the injury bug. The hockey gods must hate Ohio.

The Washington Capitals are now 6-5 all-time in series they take a 3-1 lead in (55%). The rest of the league is about 93%. That's very "Cleveland" of them.

It was actually six games against the Pens last year for the CBJ, but I certainly understand the frustration.

Blackhawks vs Lightening in the finals is my guess.

Should be a great final few weeks regardless.

Not that it had any huge effect on the game and series, but Ovechkin and Holtby shouldn't have guaranteed anything. Go in low. Outwork them. The Rangers owned the second half of that game. Now they both look dumb.

Only Mark Messier can guarantee a win before it happens, and that's because he backed it up in 1994 for the Rangers.

That is the ultimate balls call in sports. In New York, 50+ year drought. You are the leader of the team. That takes stones.

He was also a multi-time champion when he made that call. He had all those great years with Edmonton. He knows what it takes, and he just knew his guys were going bring it.

I love the Tampa/NYR matchup. Not as much as the Montreal matchup, but afer seeing the Canadiens offense, I don't know if they'd hang with the Rangers.

Rangers/Hawks would be a great series. They played two awesome games this year.

I think the Stanley Cup final will be good no matter who plays. Both conference finals are too close to call IMO, but if I HAD to pick 'em, I'd go with Chicago/New York.

One more Cup gives the Hawks the dynasty label.

Edit: you probably already knew this Sperg, but Messier scored three goals in that "Guaranteed Game".

I'm a little surprised that Anaheim won the first game.

I'm predicting Chicago wins in six games.

The east though is a little tougher to guess. Tampa thrashing New York last night was a little surprising. Should be a great series, probably going to seven games. Not sure either team is a clear cut favorite over the other. Slight edge to New York though cause of Lundquist.

Yeah if you're Chicago, you have to be encouraged even though the 4-1 score looks bad. They had their chances. They were snakebitten most of the game, but they had Anaheim scrambling quite a bit.. The Ducks have a size advatange, because the Hawks are just no a physical team. It doesn't seem to ever bother them. They're much too skilled.

Tampa just keeps impressing. The Rangers are so tough though. That series has 7 written all over it.

Henrik Lundqvist drives me nuts with his technique though. Don't get me wrong, he's a top ten netter, and he's very good, but at times he makes me want to pull my hair out.

Like when he gives up hat tricks to Tyler Johnson?

Man that kid has been incredible....

I'm tried.

Thanks Blackhawks and Ducks.

If u want a scale for how long that game last night really was...

Game started just after 7pm central time.

I watched roughly the first 15 game minutes, then took a nap.

I woke up sometime in the second period, packed up my bag, and headed to the rink.

It's about a 30 minute drive to this particular rink.

I always get to my games 30 minutes before warmups.

Roughly a one hour game.

Another 20-30 minutes in the locker room bs'ing and packing my bag.

30 minute drive home.

20 minute shower.

Still in bed 25 minutes before they scored the game winner.

How's my team doing. I hate new york and a new york team just lost.

Hahaha, I've tuned in the NHL playoffs twice, and the first time was the last 60 seconds of overtime in a game 7, and this time was the last 2 minutes of a game 7.
lucky me.

Tonight's finale for the Ducks and Hawks should be legendary. Great series.

Coaching in hockey is not nearly as big of a deal that it is in football, but Joel Quenville has done an amazing job with the Blackhawks. Yes, they're loaded with talent, and probably 3-4 guaranteed hall of famers, but often in hockey the coach's voice tends to fade as the years go. Players get uninspired, etc... He's so good at making adjustments. He can make them as the game is going.

Hawks got up early, Ducks were forced out of their comfort zone, Hawks offensive just kept putting pucks on net, and the game ended. Wow, great game and series. I would think Tampa isn't going to sleep well tonight.

The Ducks folded really early in that game. You can't get down to the Hawks. I know Anaheim made a ridiculous comeback in an earlier game, but when you have to leave your gameplan and start pinching and cheating, you're in deep doodoo.

I've got the Hawks pretty heavily favored over Tampa. I don't think it will be a sweep or anything, but I don't see the Bolts being able to match the depth. Should be a fun series though, both teams want to fly up and down the ice.

Duncan Keith had an amazing series. The guy is going to be an easy selection for the hall of fame.

The Hawks have 3 guys who are automatic ins: Toews, Kane, Keith. They also have a couple of fringe guys who could get in if they win this cup and continue this great run in the coming years in Seabrook and Hossa.

Then you have Brandon Saad, who is only 23, and has a ridiculous future ahead of him.

This has been a great week for hockey. 2 game 7's in the NHL and my local team (Toledo)was in a game 7 in the ECHL eastern conf. finals. Actually, it's been a great post season across the board and it's going to be sad to see it all end. I'm pulling for the Hawks, they are just a fun team to watch and will stake their claim to a dynasty.

Ducks in 7.

(Though I should be predicting Hawks in 6 because they've won two cups on the road in Game 6 in recent years)

Tampa and Chicago should be an extremely fun series to watch.

I have to go with Chicago though. They have more big game experience at this point, and they're clicking. Hard to bet against them given their recent history in the playoffs.

Not at all surprised that both conference finals went 7 games. Two series that were too close to call.
If I had to pick a winner in the Final, I'd say Chicago because of their experience... they've been there before. Would be a dynasty if they were to win their third Stanley Cup in five seasons.

For non-Leafs players, Toews and Stamkos are probably my favourite players in the NHL right now. Toews is class, a winner.

Toews and Kane are both VERY fun to watch.

Then again, so are Stamkos and Johnson right now though too.

The Hawks straight up ripped that W right out of Tampa's hands. They were literally helpless in the last 10 minutes of that game.

Tampa had a nice start to the game, but to play with that kind of offensive pressure, and that level of energy for 60 minutes is too much to ask.

The Hawks want to be one of those teams that represents a decade. They're in a race right now with the Kings for that. Reminds me a lot of the way the Oilers and Islanders dominated the 80's.

There are a ton of bandwagon fans here, and man do they rag on Corey Crawford. Not a whole lot to say today. Some people just don't understand goaltending.

It's something I can struggle with too. I know I've asked you a few questions on it from time to time. Ultimately, if you're in net, you're responsible but there are times when your defense is setting you up for failure.

Plus, goals like the one last night that Tampa scored, you have to just tip your cap and say, "good one". Although, Crawford could have been hugging the post a bit more than he was (see, it's too easy to criticize the goalie).

I've heard quite a few fans and media members doing a Paul Pierce today, calling the series over. I watched every game of the Canadians and Rangers series, it's way too early for that.

I don't think Tampa can keep up with the Hawks. You got about a B to B+ game from the Hawks last night. There is no coach that can make adjustments like Joel Quennville can. He can make them between shifts. He knows his team so well.

As far as goaltending goes, Tampa's lone goal last night was mostly luck. Goals just don't get scored like that. Crawford lost track of the puck once it go deflected. The networks slow the plays down so well that people think these guys can just readjust mid-shot. Doesn't work like that. Corey Crawford is not the freak athlete that Quick, Fleury, or Price is, but he is as mentally strong of a goaltender as I have ever seen. He also plays his angles as well as anyone in the league. He's very smart.

Crawford had a couple grade A saves last night. He's a money goaltender.

If they win this series, keep in mind he is one really bad unlucky bounce away from winning 3 straight cups. They would have smoked NYR last year.

One other thing, and people who don't really follow the game ask me this all the time. Maybe half of those people are trolling/joking. "Why don't they just get a sumo wrestler or a big fat guy to play net?"

A hockey goal is 4x6, people. It's bigger than you think.

Really really really impressed with Tampa thus far. Was dead wrong on them not being able to keep up. This is a well put together team. I think Stevie Y might be the only great player to also become a great GM or coach. Are there really any others who have done it? He's an unbelievable story. Wanted to get into management, but did not want the job handed to him. Took a lower level job with the Red Wings after retirement, and learned the trade.

I've had quite a few people ask me how I'm coping with watching the Hawks and Cavs. Look, I like the Hawks a lot. I moved to Chicago a fan of the Red Wings, and became a Hawks fan as soon as the '04 lockout ended. But watching the Hawks after what I've had to go through as a Cavs fan? It's like nothing. It's like a baseball game in the middle of May. I've seen the Hawks win 2 cups and become a dominant force in the league. What is going on in Cleveland is historic, and I will leave it at that.

But yes, Tampa ain't going away in this series, and they ain't going away in the coming years. If this win this cup, it will be one hell of a run.

Yeah, it's hard to believe the Wings were up 3 games to two on Tampa at one point. After they trashed Detroit at the Joe in game 6, you could feel the Lightning were just getting started. Can't help but be happy for Stevie Y, but I'm pulling for the Hawks. They are one fun team to watch.

I don't want to say the Hawks are done if they lose tonight, because we've seen them get lava-hot as soon as they're written off, 2011 they went down 0-3 with Vancouver and pushed it to a game 7 that they ended up losing in OT. 2013 They went down 3-1 to Detroit to storm back and win the series and the cup. Last year they went down 3-1 to LA and pushed it to 7 only to lose in OT.

Once Kane and Toews get going, the opposition is basically holding on for dear life. They have basically no-showed most of this series.

Blackhawks looked really good last night.

I'll be surprised to see Tampa win another game.

Last night felt like a HUGE momentum swing.

Man, as a CBJ fan, I cannot wait for the Summer to be over and for training camp to start in September.

That Richards to Kane play was just WOW.

Richards looked like Magic Johnson with a no-look pass to Worthy. It was sick. And oddly enough, Kane is "showtime".

Great series, great team, and they're probably not done. I know Bowman has a lot of work ahead of him in the offseason, but they are like the Cardinals in MLB, they just make the right decisions and keep winning.

I got my 2015 Hawks shirt on order. I'm sure I'll look like one of the newbie bandwagon fans, but I don't care. After a 3rd title, I finally broke down and bought a title T-shirt, something I've never done before.

I still can't believe my buddy and I had a ticket package to the Hawks the year after the 04-05 lockout. The UC was empty (think 1989 Indians empty), the team was terrible, and we couldn't give the tickets away for free. Nine years later and the city is a hockey town, they have three of the best players in all of hockey, and three freaking cups.

The only way this could be better, was if it was happening in Cleveland. Oh well, that time will come.

Yeah I moved out here in the summer of '04, so the Hawks were done, and then the whole season was lost. The next year we ended up going to a bunch of games. I think Toews and Kane's first year we went to 5+ games. We were there when Tazer scored his first NHL goal. Looking back, that's a cool thing to be able to say. He without question will end up as the greatest Blackhawk of all time. He might be right now.

I can't really go to games anymore, because I just don't feel like dropping $75+ on a nosebleed for a regular season game, but it's nice to have a team this good and this historic around.

As far as next year goes, they will figure it out. People freaked when several guys were sent packing after the first cup. They have their core. It would be nice to find a way to keep Saad, but that guy is going to want good coin, and rightfully so.

When you have the best two way player in the world, plus the best defenseman in the world, plus Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Crawford, and a slew of solid players (Shaw, Hammer, Oduya, Hossa, etc) you can plug different guys in.

My only problem with the NHL is that the regular season is awful. You can say the same for the NBA because it's an identical setup, but they do a better job presenting their games. When the Cavs played the Warriors earlier in the year, it was a Thursday night TNT game. The prime time matchups are better. I don't know how many times I turned on the Monday or Tuesday national game to see freaking BUFFALO playing? REALLY?? Look I have a lot of love for the Sabres, but we knew last summer they were going to be awful. Why would you push them as your product? The league and NBC do an awful job of presentation. They make up for it with the best postseason in sports.

The league and NBC do an awful job of presentation.

I hate turning on NBC game of the week to find it's either the Flyers, Redwings or Rangers.

I swear, one of those three teams were ALWAYS involved in the match up...

Until the playoffs I had NEVER gotten to see the Jets, Ducks, Canucks or Wild here on local television (except when they played the CBJ).

NBC could do a much better job pitting their primetime matchups together, I agree...

I'm an advent Canucks fan, they're my #2 team behind the CBJ.

Excluding three or four games I watched online near the end of the season, I only saw them play twice on TV here, both against the CBJ....

A lot of hardcore hockey fans get tired of the original six coverage. I myself don't really care. I just want good hockey. I like to watch the younger teams because they tend to play more inspired hockey during the season. There was a point this year around February-March where the Blackhawks looked like a first round out. When you get to the tournament, they're the best product in the league, but there were nights this year where the team looked terrible and uninterested.

I understand not really putting Canadian teams on your national games, because you're adding a market that doesn't exist in the ratings system. They're very select with it. I think every Boston/Montreal matchup should be a national game.

Boston/Montreal is a great matchup.

What I don't need to see ten times a season is the Flyers/Rangers, Flyers/Penguins or Flyers/Redwings, ect.

Ducks, Blackhawks, Blues and hell even the Lightening. Rarely shown on NBC in my area.

I've considered doing the NHL network, but it's pretty pricey.

The NHL network will give you 2-3 extra games a week, one of which is Hockey Night in Canada which is almost always Toronto vs someone or Montreal vs someone. Sometimes you get a western team like Calgary, Edmonton, or Vancouver as a nightcap. Their nightly highlight shows are awesome though. You get a pretty full breakdown of the night's games. It's not like ESPN where they spend 20 minutes breaking down the Yankees game, while they show a guy catching a fly ball in the Indians/Royals game right after. It's pretty equal.

If you can do away with 159$, I would go with Gamecenter. Assuming you have a good internet connection, you get all the games, plus archived games and all that stuff. Home/away announcers, and you can run it on game systems, blu ray players, smart tv's etc... Plus mobile. One of my hockey buddies is from NYC, and he buys it for the Rangers. Runs like a champ for him.

I actually have NHL Network and yes I do recall getting an extra game or two here and there. I'll have to remember to re-order it again at the start of the regular season. I only added it to my cable lineup a month before the playoffs started. I found a real high-quality website where you can watch games, but the real thing on TV is always better obviously.

I don't see one anywhere else, I actually think I'm going to start a separate Columbus Blue-Jackets thread with the draft coming up.

Great to see Chris Pronger make the NHL Hall of Fame.

I got to see him skate during his pre-MVP years when he first came up with the Hartford Whalers in 1993

Pretty awful news for the NHL and the Blackhawks with this Patrick Kane story...

If you haven't heard, Kane was back in his hometown earlier in the month. He lives there in the offseason, and is being accused of rape.

There's been a bunch of articles of misinformation, grandstanding, shaming, and other nonsense. I don't know what to make of the story, I just think it's sad. I feel like I can't even have an opinion, because there are people out there writing this girl off as a liar and money hound and on the other side, you have people shaming anyone who remotely brings up the possibility of Kane being innocent.

I just love the NHL, and this is a huge black eye for the league. He's one of the faces of this league. American-born, and unbelievable to watch.

All I know is that if the story is true that the Blackhawks do what other teams, schools, and organizations failed to do, which is the right thing.

Whether he did it or not, we all know he won't be convicted. I just hope that if the Blackhawks get enough information that they cut ties with him. It's asking a ton because he makes ridiculous money. He has the most lucrative deal in the league which the extenstion part kicks in this year starting at 10m for the 2015-2016 league. They are really going to have to go out on a limb.

The whole thing is really sad.

That about sums it up for me.

I don't know what to think. Initially, I thought he's either a terrible human being who's career is all but over or a guy that's wrongfully getting his name dragged through the mud by an attention starved young woman. More likely, he's some gray version somewhere in between.

I heard the girl was underage too, but she was in a bar drinking. Who knows if that's even true. So much to still find out.

I hope she making it up, not because it hurts my team or Kane, but just because I'd like to hope she wasn't raped at all, regardless of who the guy is. So sad.

This Kane story has gotten pretty bizarre over the course of the last 3 or 4 days.

I'm starting to believe that maybe Kane is innocent after all.

Her lawyer quits, there's some weird stuff about an evidence bag dropped at her mothers doorstep.... who know what happened?
I don't know what to believe, but that's a hellhva thing to be accused of.

On Wednesday the girl's lawyer held a pres conference and nobody had any idea what was coming. He kind of went after everyone else for rumors and other information. He then said that the victim's mother had this empty but ripped open evidence bag mysteriously dropped off to her house. It was just left at the door with no message. The lawyer had hinted that maybe this was a good samaritan dropping this off to show them that the evidence was tampered.

Right after this press conference the police department handling this case said all evidence and evidence bags had been accounted for. The next day the lawyer quits citing that he can no longer represent this girl because of the way this bag was brought to him. He went on to say that he doesn't think the girl is lying and that the girl's mom and the girl are two separate incidents, but if you believe the girl's story still, why would you not continue to defend her? That's a red flag.

After all that the DA came out and attacked this entire story, going after the girl's mom, and saying that the evidence bag was authentic, but it was likely a blank that was doctored to look like it pertained to the case. The lawyer had said during his press conference that this bag was what contained the rape kit. The DA went hard after that, saying rape kits are not stored in bags, but rather boxes. Basically the DA said whatever the mom had was fake. It was a real bag that is used by police, but that bag was never used for the Kane case.

The Chicago Sun Times was also reporting that they have heard from their sources that the accuser's friend is starting to doubt her story, and may be reluctant to testify in fear of being fuond guilty of perjury.

Incredibly weird story, but it's tough to sort through facts and stuff like the last sentence and what "sources" tell you. One theory floating is that there is rumor that DNA found in the girl's undergarments does not match that of Kane, but rather two other individuals. The girl's mom tries to make that evidence look tampered by coming up with this empty ripped bag. Sounds plausible, but why would you go and get a rape kit and accuse Kane of rape when you knew the evidence would say otherwise? Unless she was that messed up that night and truly didn't remember. There are rumors that she had taken molly the night of the alleged assault.

I really don't know what to think but for the first time during this whole thing I am having doubts that Kane did anything wrong. The said thing is if he is proven to be innocent, he will still be treated wrongly in the eyes of those who either still think he did it, or fault him for being put in that situation.

You can't fauilt him for being in that situation, if he's wrongly accused of rape or sexual assault, he's the victim. Hinsight is amazing thing, but he's a guy in his 20's who isn't married, is he not supposed to go out and have fun?

Know what I'm worried about? Not this rape, but that the Leafs are going to suck.

How do the hockey fans here view their teams? The season opens next week.

The Hawks are going to be good again. They do such a good job of improving, even after a cup year. They also manage the cap quite well considering they have a bunch of big contracts.

I think they are going to have a few young guys actually make the NHL roster. Teuvo Teravainen is going to really grow into that system. He was so good in the playoffs last year.

As always though, it's such a long year, that it's so hard to really project how teams are going to do. I really like the Kings this year, and not just because they switch off winning the cup with Chicago. I can't stand Milan Lucic but that's a scary addition considering how big they already are. They know the Blackhawks struggle with big rosters, and that move was probably made for a May series with Chicago.

They also didn't make the playoffs so the players got 2 months of rest. They've gone pretty deep the last few seasons. Quick played hurt a lot of the year, so I think they come firing out of the gate.

I'm excited to see if Connor McDavid can make Edmonton fun again. They have all that young talent but are such a mess. When they are right, they are really good. They've had a bunch of high scoring games versus the Blackhawks over the last few years.

I'm excited for Wednesday.. I enjoy watching Hockey. What I enjoy more is that I don't root for any team in general.

There's a couple teams I like and that's how I'm going to keep it..This way I can relax and just enjoy a game.

I know having a team to root for and be a big fan of is exciting and challenging .. It's also stressful.

I'm going to enjoy watching Hockey as a Hockey fan and not a fan of one specific team...

I'm not far off of doing the same with football.. Not having a specific team to be a fan off... just a fan of football..

I kinda laugh when people get all crazy about hockey. I love the NHL but I'm just not hardcore about any team like I am with the Browns, Cavs, or Indians.

I have a hard time keeping up with the regular season, because of that. I think it's too long, and kinda meaningless. You can say the same for the NBA, but their regular season is a bit more enjoyable I think.

I try to keep up with the Blue Jackets and the Pens, but there are just too many sports going on at the same time... Hockey gets lost in the background for quite a while...

BTW, how are the Blue Jackets supposed to be this year?

I expect the Wings to be a late playoff entry. Datsyuk probably out 4 months and a new coach. It will be interesting to see if one or some of these younger players can make the jump to elite status. Tatar is almost there. Nyquist I think has to turn it up a notch this year. Abdelkader and Helm, who I had high hopes for, are role players. There's a new kid, Teemu Pulkkinen, that's looked really good this preseason and he's only 23.
Same goaltending issues, I'd like to see Mrazec take over for Howard. I think the D will keep us competitive in most games...the addition of Mike Green solidified that unit and gives us 3 excellent pairings.

I think they'll be a little better. They traded for Brandon Saad from Chicago. That one hurts. Really good young player who already has been a part of 2 championships. He's fast, and powerful. Great in front of the net. He's an awesome dude too. The fans in Columbus are going to love him.

He's from Pittsburgh too, so it's nice to see another good young American star in the works. The Hawks really had no choice but to trade him, they just could not sign him with all the money they have invested in their team. It's a tough blow.

I kinda laugh to ...lol your teams suck lmao

I feel the same way, but when football's completely over and the playoff races heat up, I get fired up with the Wings as much as I do the Browns. The only time I watch early season hockey is when there's no football on. I check the injury and trade reports occasionally.

You can't match the intensity of playoff hockey. That's why the NFL and college football are my favorite to watch. Every week is so intense.

Playoff hockey is so amazing though. There's nothing like it.

Sadly, Leafs fans won't have to worry about the playoffs for at least two years. I like the FO's willingness to initiate a total rebuild. Finally, we're gonna do it right by hoarding draft picks and bringing the young talent along slowly. I've waited my whole life for a Stanley Cup, what's a couple more years?

I am excited about getting Babcock as our coach - and glad we get rid of Phatty Phil Kessel. Loads of talent, but too lazy to backcheck and a sullen whiny-arsed loser.
He'll probably get 50 in Pittsburgh though with Crosby and Malkin.

Sometimes when hockey teams get simplified, you end up getting better results. The Blue Jackets have been a better overall franchise after trading Nash. I really hope they stick to their guns with doing things the right way. Too often Toronto gets mixed up with trying to sign role guys from better teams. They've got a few nice young players already. I like Bernier too. I don't know if they are going to go with him or not..

I am thriled they brought in Mike Babcock. That tells me they are serious about not trying to cut any corners. He's a hell of a coach.

24 hours and 24 mins to go for the Hawks game...can't wait

Babcock will turn them around eventually. The front office seems willing to let young guys like Nylander, Connor Brown and Mitch Marner develop until they're ready.

Nylander has sick puck skills - he eventually will be good.
No one except Morgan Reilly is untouchable on our current NHL roster; we will be dealing for draft picks next spring because we sure as hell won't be in the playoff chase.

Bernier is getting the first two starts in net, he didn't have a good pre-season but he's getting a chance to seize the No. 1 role. Babs is on record as saying he wants a clear-cut no. 1 - none of this platooning BS.

3-on-3 OT is sexy stuff. So far, I like it a lot.

I play in a 3 on 3 league every spring and summer, it's run by one of Quennville's buddies from his Toronto days...

It's wild. For us they shorten the rink by about 1/3. We go minute shifts with a horn signaling the end of shift. We play 2 24-minute halves. The pace is incredible. I consider it great conditioning for regular hockey because it's probably 3 shots to every 1 shot you would face in a normal game.

Considering the speed of the NHL, them playing on a full rink and us havin it cut down is probably a similar scale.

It's no closer to deciding a game by "real hockey" as a shootout is, but I think it's a lot more fun. I wonder if they will just scrap the shootout and have it go until someone scores. It won't take long. You won't see many shootouts as it is. The NHL will love this because it will put the speed and skill on display. Guys just skate much faster when it's a race down the ice vs them being all alone on a penalty shot play...

A lot of people hate the shootout. I myself don't care because it's regular season and as long as they leave 5v5 playoff overtime alone I don't care what they do, but this will be a lot of fun to watch. There is so much speed in the game right now that every OT you see will be a barn burner..

Am I allowed to just pick a team to root for, even though when the Blue Jackets started I rooted for them, but lost interest because they were terrible?

I also don't really want another ohio team on my fandom list, its pretty ohio heavy, with MI sprinkled in..

I did root for the Ducks that one season JSG went all save crazy.. But them no longer being Mighty is a drawback..

I really dont want to root for the Red Wings, even though their hoodies are nice looking..

I need a young up and coming team I can grow with..and annoying my fiancee with by forcing her to watch..

Buffalo has a really good young and upcoming player in Jack Eichel (also American) but they are years away from contention...

Tampa has a nice young team as we saw last year. Edmonton has one of those teams where if they could just find a way to put it together. They remind me of the way the Buckeyes are playing right now. All kinds of talent but just not playing as a complete team. Downside to Edmonton is lots of 10 and 10:30 EST puck drops.

I recall always wanting to play as Nashville in NHL games, because their unis were slick.. love that logo..

And I'd win points because my lady (for some reason) has a love for the state of Tennessee.

They've got a nice team too. I really want to see a game down there. Blackhawk fans love that trip. It's about 8 hours from us. The arena is right on the main street where all the bars and fun is. It's seriously the perfect situation down there. We went last year for the Browns/Titans game and had a blast. People down there are awesome and they like the Predators a lot more than you would think.

Well then its official..

Nashville will never win anything now.

With this current playoff setup, it's pretty difficult for them as it is. They have to go through the Blackhawks who are insanely tough when April and May roll around.

I wish they'd go back to the standard 1 through 8 seeding. The NHL regular season is not that great to begin with, but with the current format you go through 6 and a half months, 2 games, only to know you are playing someone in your division in the playoffs, more than likely.

Why so much jargon when theres nothing wrong with 1-8?

Beyond over half your league being in the playoffs anyways..

I don't know the real reason, but my guess is they worry about the quality of the product with the lack of an extra day. The NHL formats their playoffs to pretty much have a series go every other day. The NBA works their playoff format so that a viewer can pretty much watch every game, there isn't a ton of overlapping, so NBA teams usually get an extra day thrown in quite a bit... When you're going every other day, and have that travel day in between, you may end up getting worn out players. You can lessen that by having inter division first round games...

Either that or they're really trying to strengthen rivalries. Either way, 1-8 was more fun.

Poor Jackets lost in the last two minutes last night. Saad scores a game winning goal, but then the rangers go up 4-2 in a matter of two minutes to seal the victory.

I wonder how Brandon Saad is feeling nowadays. The Blue Jackets are 0-8-0 to start the season and they just fired their coach. He hasn't experienced losing and dysfunction like this at the NHL level at all.

While with the Blackhawks last year, they didn't lose their 8th game until November 23rd.

It's not fair to question a guy that wanted to get paid, but do you think he'd trade a bit of that contract to still be a Blackhawks player?

I don't think so, but who knows. He's still really young. I don't know what's wrong with Columbus. I've only seen a few games and it was both against the Rangers, and I thought they actually did ok. I mean the Rangers are a title contender. It's just the big picture/consistency issue with the Blue Jackets. It's not just coaching. I think it's on the guys in the locker room more than anyone else. They're obviously better than their record, but The league is a grind. You have to go out and work every night while still pacing yourself as a team, and as an individual with your body.

The Hawks look really good right now. I still can't believe nobody drafted that Panarin kid. Like credit the Hawks for giving him a shot, but even they didn't use a pick. I don't get it. He's very skilled, has good speed, and isn't a liability in the defensive zone. How in the hell did he not get drafted?

I think Torts will hopefully turn the ship around. He seems much more subdued.

The team lost confidence. They need to gain it back.

You guys know of Auston Matthews, the American kid many expect to go first overall in the 2016 draft?

Well, as a Maple Leafs fan totally on board with the rebuild, (what choice do I have?), I want that guy and hope we lose enough to get him.

The Leafs have a 7.7 per cent success rate on the power play and score two goals per game.

We suck and I think it's great!!

Time to start pucking again...
...

Last spring, the Leafs cleaned house, took the scorched earth approach, went out and hired Mike Babcock to coach them in a contract worth $50 million over eight years, IIRC.

So he's got the job security and has them playing his way - it's his way or the highway - and after a horrible start this season, they've turned it around. They probably won't make the playoffs this year but they have a lot of young talent coming up and the future looks bright.

How's your hockey team doing?

It's good to see the Leafs playing well. I think there is still time for them this season, but they have to get really hot for a stretch or two. Babcock is such a good coach. I'm pretty confident he's going to have this thing turned around.

The Browns need that kind of coaching change. Problem is, coaches that good don't really hit the market like Babcock did. It's not quite Belichick, but he's so good, especially with young players.

The Hawks are right where they need to be. I think too many fans around here still don't understand the NHL regular season. People wrote them off in the middle of the year last season. That's not how it works. You tread water as much as you can. Stay healthy, and gear up right around mid-March so you can peak at the right time.

In the NBA, the seven game series is great because you truly find out the better team between the two. In the NHL, it's not so much about that, but more about survival. You have to be able to absorb bad breaks, bad bounces, and guys getting hurt.

I'm so impressed with Dallas too. It sucks for them that they aren't a major market or an original six, but they are playing a style of hockey that sells tickets and drives ratings. It's fun, fast, hockey. They have star power, good goaltending, and as a whole it seems like they're one unit. A Blackhawks/Stars series in late April or early May would be pretty fun.

And I still hate this playoff format. I really think the 1 through 8 is the better way. They should really look at how the league sets up the playoffs so that fans can literally watch every game without missing another in that first round.

When Dallas hired Lindy Ruff to coach I knew they'd be better. He's simply a good hockey coach.

I am surprised Florida is doing as well as they are, the Canadiens are a whole different team without Carey Price, and the 'Hawks are the 'Hawks : Keith, Kane and my favourite non-Leafs player: Jonathan Toews, a truly great player, captain and class act.
They are a team that other teams fear, especially in the playoffs. I have great respect for the Blackhawks.

They give me hope as a Browns fan. When I moved here in 2004, things were really bad. Horrible relationship between organization and fans. They are now the model not just for hockey franchises, but pro sports.

Totally agree about Lindy Ruff. I love his style of hockey. All about flying around the ice. Those teams in Buffalo with Vanek, Briere, Afiniengov, Campbell, etc.. were fun to watch.

Now he's got serious scoring power in Dallas, Benn, Seguin, Sharp.. 2 good goalies. They will be a tough out in the spring.

I hope the Leafs turn things around. It's good for hockey in general. Since no one wants to talk about the Wings....they've struggled the last few weeks, but they're holding their own in the East. The new coach has hit some bumps in the road, but the players are buying in....they ought to, he coached most of them in Grand Rapids, lol.

The Red Wings, despite being a team I've never been fond of, are another model NHL franchise and have had a foundation/system in place for years and years. They're like the Steelers, in a way.

They're definitely the best at developing talent via the minor leagues.

The minors for hockey is nothing like the minors for baseball. Baseball players get developed in the minors. For a lot of hockey players, they get developed in the NHL. Superstars go right up. Your roster is filled out by guys who spend time in the minors, but usually you don't see them blossom into superstars. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it's not like baseball where even the blue chippers have to go down. Sidney Crosby, and Patrick Kane, and Ovechkin, and guys like that were ready to play at 18. It's always going to be a game dominated by youth so it's easier to keep up in hockey.

Detroit is so good at finding guys to fit into their model. 2 way hockey. Defense. They don't have volume scorers. They spread the puck around. Harder to defend 2 or 3 lines with a bunch of solid scorers, then one stacked line with good players...

The Blackhawks have taken that model and use guys who could be volume scorers on other teams, and got them to buy into the same system. Hence the 3 cups in 6 seasons. It's remarkable. Patrick Kane plays good defense and I think a lot would have been surprised if you told them that when he was coming out in 2007. Was thought to be a 40 goal-tons of assists type player.

When Ilitch bought the Wings in the 80s, he threw money at scouting overseas and even college hockey and let his "hockey people" do their job. It helped he had Scotty bowman in the loop and those are big reasons Detroit has been a good franchise ever since.

Sounds like something the Browns should strive for.

Things slowly started to turn around with Torts, but then Boborovsky goes out and injured himself, again.

Columbus traded for Seth Jones, smart move long-term.

Man I stayed up late to watch the Leafs play in LA last night. The Kings are a big team, they wear you down. By the end the Leafs would get the puck and you could tell they were hearing footsteps.

The Panthers have been a great story. They aren't on TV much, but maybe that'll change soon. Jagr is simply amazing. I'm 42 years old and I remember being a senior in high school and a friend of mine would wear his Pens Jagr jersey once every week. That was soooooooo long ago. And it's also nice to see Bobby Lou back. What a postseason Hollywood script that would be if he wins one with Florida.

As for the Blackhawks, they're a model I wish the Browns can copy. It wasn't that long ago they were "the Browns". They couldn't do anything right, the fans were ticked off at the owner, and the rest of the league treated the team like an IHL team. Now they have 3 titles in 6 years and are poised for a 4th. The Breadman (Artemi Panarin) has been fun to watch. It helps he's been playing with Kane, anyone would benefit from Kane's vision, but the rookie is making plays on his own too. The Saad trade doesn't look too bad. Neither player is lighting it up, but playing solid. I'd still like to have Saad, but there was no money.

And again, 3-on-3 overtime is the sexiest thing in sports right now. Man, talk about 5 minutes of incredible action!!! I'm glad it'll never find it's way into the playoffs, but it fits perfectly in the regular season. I actually root for OT in most games I watch (well, not if the Hawks are leading in the 3rd).

A lot of Columbus fans are irate over the trade. I think many overvalued Johansen, and his lack of progress shows he's not as good as everyone thought he would be.

I saw something about torts and johansen, issues there maybe?

Torts made him a scratch for a game or two. Questioned whether Johansen started to lose his care for the game or not.

I like Torts. He's what the club needs.

I'm hoping I can sit down and actually watch a (my new favorite hockey team of choice) Predators game sometime soon.

My work schedule sucks for sports.

Its difficult to get emotionally attached to an ESPN Update.

The NHL All Star game is actually watchable. The 3-on-3 action is great (not as great as it is in the regular season though).

And it's awesome to see John Scott score the first goal for the Pacific. Great story. I'm glad he got to play.

..and Kane is "fighting" Scott. Hilarious.

The championship game was a joy to watch. There was true strategy going on, and world class goaltending. I hope they stick with this format in the future.

The NHL all star game is pro bowl level bad. Nobody hits, there is no forecheck, no clappers, no chirping. It's just a c-jerk of the league's best players. It's a waste.

3 on 3 hockey doesn't feature a lot of the stuff that is missing in 5v5 all star game hockey. There's still no real forecheck, no big hits, but the pace is incredible and skill gets put on display.

The cool thing is the real NHL season starts up as soon as this is done. The mad dash for teams to start claiming playoff spots is when this league gets interesting.

The Blackhawks look like they are giong to be another tough out this year, and I think the Caps are for real.

I didn't watch it, haven't watched any all-star game in any sport in probably 20 years.

Well, the Wings back into the playoffs....for the 25th straight year. It's looking like we get Tampa Bay in the first round. We split with them this year. Might squeak that one out, but after that i think it's over. My brother lives in St. Louis and is a Blues fan, so I'm pulling for them this year.

TB is really beaten up. Stamkos is out for weeks and a couple other key guys hurt.
I don't mind stamkos being out because he's gonna sign with the Leafs in free agency and I didn't wanna see him get a severe injury.

I'll be pulling for the Caps, I think. Ovie is a great player and they've never won it.
Btw if Leafs lose tonight - they're down 2-1 in jersey - we will sew up first overall pick.

Who you got and by how many games? (Seed and Season Point Total included for each team):

ATLANTIC DIVISION:
(1) Florida Panthers {103} vs. (WC1) New York Islanders {100}
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning {97} vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings {93}

METROPOLITAN DIVISION:
(1) Washington Capitals {120} vs. (WC2) Philadelphia Flyers {96}
(2) Pittsburgh Penguins {104} vs. (3) New York Rangers {101}

CENTRAL DIVISION:
(1) Dallas Stars {109} vs. (WC2) Minnesota Wild {87}
(2) St. Louis Blues {107} vs. (3) Chicago Blackhawks {103}

PACIFIC DIVISION:
(1) Anaheim Ducks {103} vs. (WC1) Nashville Predators {96}
(2) Los Angeles Kings {102} vs. (3) San Jose Sharks {98}

ATLANTIC DIVISION:
New York Islanders (7 games)
Detroit Red Wings (6 games)

METROPOLITAN DIVISION:
Washington Capitals (5 games)
New York Rangers (6 games)

CENTRAL DIVISION:
Dallas Stars (4 games)
St. Louis Blues (6 games)

PACIFIC DIVISION:
Anaheim Ducks (5 games)
Los Angeles Kings (6 games)

Islanders in 7
Detroit in 5
Caps in 5
Rangers in 6

Dallas in 6
St. Louis in 7
Anaheim in 6
San Jose in 6

Anyone wanna do a bracket challenge or anything? I'd throw in ten bucks...

Here's mine that I filled out on NHL.com

Rd.1
Capitals over Flyers in 5
Penguins over Rangers in 7

Panthers over Islanders in 6
Red Wings over Lightning in 6

Stars over Wild in 6
Blackhawks over Blues in 6

Predators over Ducks in 7
Kings over Sharks in 5

Rd.2

Capitals over Penguins
Panthers over Red Wings

Blackhawks over Stars
Kings over Predators

Rd.3

Capitals over Panthers

Kings over Blackhawks

Cup Final

Kings over Capitals (22 total goals scored)


First let me say this, the West is going to be an absolute grind this year. You know how we talk about the West playoffs in basketball? Well it's going to be like that. I think 5 of the 8 teams in the West could easily end up with the Cup this year.

The best first round matchup is going to be Florida and the Islanders. It won't get the coverage that Pittsburgh/NYR or Washington/Philly, but Florida is the dark horse in the this whole tournament. People automatically just think Jagr when they hear about Florida, but there is a young and exciting team down there that could be ready for the big stage this year..

I have a hard time seeing the Blackhawks coming out of the West again. Dallas/Chicago will be the matchup to watch in the second round, should it happen. That'll be fast exciting hockey. Chicago will try and slow down Dallas, but they themselves can play fast.

I really can't wait. This is my favorite time of the year for sports. NHL and NBA playoffs will be on every single day from this Wednesday until the middle of June. Yes please.

Doesn't the NHL reseed after each round? That makes a bracket challenge almost impossible.

And yes, it's the best time of the sports year. Masters, NHL/NBA playoffs, NFL draft, and the EPL is coming to a close. Too much to enjoy.

They stopped reseeding after they re-did the division layout.

Top seed in conference meets the lower wild card, the other division winner gets the higher wild card. The second and third place division teams play each other.

In the second round, the winner of the wild card game plays the winner of the divisonal games from the top seed's division (regardless if there is an upset or not)

It's basically set up to try and cut down on travel in the first round, as well as aim to pit the two best division winners in the conference final.

I really wish they would go back to regular 1-8 seeding and don't reseed. I think the NBA is fine with it although they tend to give more days off between games on average.

Instead of a bracket challenge - whatever that is and don't bother explaining cuz I don't care - how about a pool of some sort? Get 2, 4 or 8 of us DT hockey fans in on it, do a gentlemen draw for draft order, have a draft and each guy gets 8, 4 or 2 teams in a draft, and everyone puts in $20?

Or $10. Whatever....

I'd be down with that, but seriously, the bracket challenge is super easy. NHL.com has it, and you just click the team you think will win. You have to pick the how many games each series ends at in the first round, and total goals in the cup finals series as a tiebreaker.

Dunno if we could get anything together but I'd be down for 10-20 bucks.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Islanders make a run.

After adopting the Predators as my team, watching a total of one game all season due to work/life schedules and the fact that I had to stream them..

I will be able to watch one of their first round series games against the Ducks, next Tuesday, Game 3..

My hope is that they pull the upset, and I can continue to watch them..

It'd be totally fine with me if they made it all the way to the Cup, as long as they play the Red Wings, so I can go see them.. (live in Toledo)

Of all the sports, Hockey is tue only one my lady doesn't get super annoyed watching, she hates basketball and finds football boring.. We both hate baseball..

What a craptastic way to end a 0-0 overtime playoff game

Sometimes OT goals are garbage goals, but if it is your team you take it and skate away with it

Go Blues!

Not a fan of this replay challenge system. Hawks definitely benefited from it last night, and the refs made right calls, but it really doesn't seem right.

It took too long in both cases.

Same can be said with the NFL replay system. I'm cool with teams challenging plays, just speed up the decision.

I just don't like the system for nhl. It'd be like calling off a touchdown because of some holding call they missed 3 plays before. It's stupid.

And to make the on ice officials have to make the call on a freaking iPad? Soooo dumb.

The nhl needs to stop trying to be like the nfl with the tinkering of rules. The game is fine the way it is. Scoring is at a good pace. They're phasing out dangerous plays. They just can't let the game breathe at all.

Tough loss for the Hawks today. You just can't take the penalty that Kane took with about 8 minutes left in the third period of a tie game. And he drew blood to boot. Those are grave penalties when a series is as tight as it's been basically the whole way through. I still feel like the Hawks will come out of that series, but it's really trending toward going 7 games, and you just never know in those situations.

Also, Washington just looks like a different team. Holtby is in a really good place with his game right now. Barry Trotz is an amazing coach.

They should really finish off Philly with relative ease, and I think they'll get a decent push from the Penguins or the Rangers, but really I would be surprised to not see them in the finals.

The west is a little more cloudy. As my old coach in high school said, it's a damn meat grinder.

I'm really impressed with Washington so far, they're just flat out better than Philly, it's rather obvious I think.

Patrick Kane is good at hockey.

He destroyed every Blue on the ice.

Probably even worse that if he gets going the Blues are in deep trouble

Fifth career OT goal.... what you call a 'money player'.

So my title pick is the first team eliminated, lol

I have a feeling St. Louis is in serious trouble. I think the monster was woken up the other night. The Blues are relying too much defense and one line for production.. The Hawks are a tremendous game 7 type team. They absolutely dismantled the Ducks on their home ice last year in the conference final.

Philly has shown some life too. I would love to see that thing go 7 games. Could be a lot of fun. I pretty much root for everyone to go 7. Nothing beats a one game take all in the NHL.

Pens beat the NY Rangers today 6-3, to win the series 4-1 They move on to the next round to play either the Flyers or Caps

Stars, Caps move on....

Really looking forward to that game 7 tomorrow night. Hockey game 7's are the best events in professional sports, IMO.

Yayyyyyy GO PENS!!

and in local hockey news, The Monsters closed out their first tound sweep at the Q Saturday night in front of over 10,000 fans

Third period of the stars/wild game was exciting. Wild were probably a half inch from tying the game.

Bad news for St. Louis that the Hawks made a real nice adjustment. They were finally able to get through the neutral zone, which spells doom. Hawks under Quennville are 32-7 beyond game 5 in a series. Nobody adjusts like Q does. This could potentially get ugly tonight. Although like I said anything can happen in an nhl game 7.

St. Louis has a recent history of bowing out meekly as games get bigger in the playoffs, and we know Chicago's recent history....but as you say, anything can happen in a game 7.

Doh, the Islanders won. I was rooting for the Panthers so I could take my wife to her first hockey game before I left for the summer. Go Bolts!

I feel bad for Bobby Lou (not the Panthers or their non-sellout fans).

BIG GAME tonight! Go Hawks!

Tough for the Hawks tonight, but that was a great series.

It sure was. I didn't think there was any way the Blues would pull that out after it went 2-2. The Hawks seemed to be dominating at that point.

3 goals on 3 turnovers. Turning the puck over in your own zone is a mortal sin.

Heck of a game though.

Right, it felt like all the Blues goals came after a Hawks player mistake. Oh well. Great series. I think the Stars are going to thump the Blues.

Now that we officially know the cast for the 2nd round, here are the revised match-ups (feel free to quote for your own predictions):

ATLANTIC DIVISION:
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning {97} vs. (WC1) New York Islanders {100}

METROPOLITAN DIVISION:
(1) Washington Capitals {120} vs. (2) Pittsburgh Penguins {104}

CENTRAL DIVISION:
(1) Dallas Stars {109} vs. (2) St. Louis Blues {107}

PACIFIC DIVISION:
(3) San Jose Sharks {98} vs. (WC1) Nashville Predators {96}

My picks

ATLANTIC DIVISION:
Islanders in 6
(Yeah, a bit of a cheat with them already 1 game up in the series, but Tavares has been playing out of his mind! The 'Ning did come back last night after being down 4-1, but they ran out of gas.)

METROPOLITAN DIVISION:
Penguins in 5
(As much as I'd like to see the Caps advance at the expense of Pittsburgh, I think the Pens are super hot and will take the Caps as Ovie goes scoreless. Crosby is back too. Ugh, stupid Pittsburgh.).

CENTRAL DIVISION:
Dallas Stars in 5
(I don't know how far Dallas can go with such a heavy score-first mentality. Eventually, a defensive team with a hot goalie will stop them in their tracks, but I don't think the Blues are that team. Plus, the Blues first goal was to beat the Hawks, I think they're done after spending too much energy to do so.)

PACIFIC DIVISION:
Predators in 7
(The Sharks won their own Cali Cup by beating the Kings, FINALLY. I think they're emotionally spent, maybe similar to the Blues. Goal-tending will win this series. Rinne looked great recently).

As for my first round picks, ugh...4 and 4.

Isles look good. Still mad they moved that team out of LI. I don't know how much of a big deal that is over there, but it was such an awesome atmosphere at the old Coliseum.

I think Dallas and St. Louis is an interesting matchup because they are polar opposites. Dallas should be able to wear down St. Louis, because the Blues can't keep getting by on production from one line. I like Dallas but I could see a long series.

The Pens can absolutely beat the Caps, but this is the best series of the second round.

Sharks and Predators will be defensive low scoring hockey, but the winner of this series will be a tough out for the Dallas/St. Louis winner. Would love to see Smashville make a cup run.

Pretty cool that half the teams left have never won the cup. It's always special when a new team, or a team that hasn't won in a very long time wins it. It's also great for the league, because you're guaranteed to have good viewership for that city for a while.

Islanders in 6 (woulda picked em before Game 1)
Capitals in 6
Blues in 6
Sharks in 7

I went 5-3 in first round, punch. Thoroughly average.
The Sharks getting over the first-round hump might be big for them, I expect they'll be a tough out rest of the way.

How can this happen to the Caps, AGAIN? Ovie disappears and the team forgets how to play.

...and then he scores. Funny.

Pens up 2 to 1 after cruising to a victory tonight

but I think Letang will be getting at least one game for that hit

No doubt. Unnecessary, leaves his feet, & head contact. It wasn't late like the Orpik hit, which was a lot worse. Letang will be gone for at least 1 game, maybe 2.

Ultimately, I don't think it matters. There are only two more games in this series. Pens in 5 (like my prediction).

I think the Cap will come out guns blazing in the next game. If the Pens can weather that xtorm they should be ok

Letang received a one game suspension for "interference"

keep going Pens. Let's win this one and go up 3-1! Hmmm... time to stop posting, the Caps just got a goal, tie game.

This Capitals/Penguins series is awesome.

GOT UM!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!

I think someone forgot to tell the Islanders that this was an elimination game. I can't wait to get home on Tuesday and watch the game. GO BOLTS!!

LOL, My buddy is an Isanders fan and has talked so much crap about how his Islanders were going to kick the Pens butt in the next round. Hes been very quiet today LOL

Jon Cooper is a great coach. He's done an awesome job with this group.

I'm not looking forward to Blues/Sharks. I don't like either team, and the styles of the two teams will make for some pretty defensive hockey.

I don't mind a 2-1 game, but I don't like games where the chances are minimal and that's probably what you'll see if those two meet up.

TB keeps surprising me, even without stamkos they are getting it done. I thought they'd be out first round.
They got the bounces against the Islanders in OT. Hockey is like that.

The conference finals are shaping up to be good hockey. I like the way San Jose and St. Louis play, physical and fast, but I'll cheer for whomever comes out of the east.

So my first year of being a Predators fan I've watched 2 1/3 regular season games, and 2 periods of their playoff games..

Working nights sucks. He'll I've watched more Preds than I've been able to watch Cavs..

I love playing NHL on Xbox. I just don't understand Hockey enough yet to get real deep into it. Positions, line changes, etc..

If I had to order my favorite teams it'd be Browns, Michigan, Cavs, Preds, and in a very distant last place, Indians. I don't really like baseball.

that's still pretty cool man. If you ever have any questions on hockey, I'd be happy to help you out. As I tell people, it's a very simple game

GO PENS!!!!

We need to end it tonight!!

What a great series!

They scared me when the Caps came back and tied it . If they had won in OT I think we would have had some serious problems in game 7

That game was terrific hockey, was really hoping for the Caps to get over the hump as I like watching Ovie.

I have never seen three straight delay of game penalties for a defender shooting the puck over the glass in his D zone. That was crazy.

TB and Pitt are both very fast teams, so it should be a great series.

Matt Murray has been so reliable in net for the Pens, I don't think you can go back to MAF. The good thing is, you can roll with the young guy, and if things fall apart, you have an elite level goalie with championship experience off your bench. The Penguins are sitting in a pretty good spot right now. I'm not sure of the vegas odds, but I would have them as the overall favorite to win the cup, right now.

Good luck to my Blues tonight. Would love to see them get to the conference finals. Hasn't happened too often. Dallas is a very good team and it will be tough to beat them.

yikes Dallas, looks like they finally got punished for being a crappy defensive team with average goaltending.

St. Louis has that look. I was definitely wrong about them. Would not be surprised to see a St. Louis/Pittsburgh final.

Blues/San Jose series would be good to watch
I've disliked Dallas since they were the Minnesota North Stars (way-back Leafs rival) so good riddance Dallas.

I'll take it one game at a time but as a Blues fan it sure feels great to see them finally winning in the playoffs. Still a long way to go.

what does everyone think of the PITT/TB matchup? I think the Pens win in 6 in another very exciting series

In just two days, the Lake Erie Monsters will be trying to put away Grand Rapids in the AHL playoffs and advance to the second round for the first time, ever.

Calder cup and a Larry obrien for Cleveland this summer!

Go Preds!

Go Pens and Go Monsters!!!

Probably with NHL game 7's is that a lot of them end up clunkers. One team gets wound up too tight, lets in an early goal, and it just spirals downward from there. Happened last night with the Stars, and it looks like Nashville could be headed down that road. That's kind of their thing. You really don't know who is showing up when they play. Consistency has kept them away from ever getting to the conference final.

Got my tickets!!

Cant believe we blew a three goal lead the other night when we could have swept the series. I am a little scared about momentum

The spiral is out of control at this point. Back to back blowouts. Boring.

It happens. One team gets an early lead and the other team is chasing the game.
The conference finals - I like both matchups.

Hell Yeah!!

I guess I'll be rooting for the Sharks and Bolts. I kind of feel dirty rooting for them though, like the Bay area needs another title after the Giants and Warriors recent successes.

As a Hawks fan, I can't root for the Blues. And as a Cleveland fan, I can NEVER root for Pittsburgh.

Oh well. At least give me some good hockey to watch.

So i was in the mall Friday and stopped at Lids, they only had a couple Preds hats, didn't really love any of them, thanks Toledo..

Obviously had I purchased it they would have won..

It's all my fault.

Not really rooting for anyone from here, just rooting for good games.

Both series should be pretty good and I wouldn't be surprised if both went the distance.

Penguins/Bolts has a chance to be one of those fast-paced series, with lots of odd man rushes, scoring chances, goals, etc..

I'm rooting for St. Louis. They've never won it and they've been around almost 50 years. Never cared much for the other three teams, don't like Pittsburgh or TB at all, and would rather not see another California team win the Cup.

'St. Louis Blues' has a nice ring to it I've always thought.

c'mon Pens, let' get a goal here!

I wonder if the Ning will have enough players to finish the game.

Good hockey night for me

The Lake Erie Monsters come back and win it in OT to win that series over Grand Rapids and advance to the conference finals.

And the Kid scored on in OT to even that series up

That's Werenski's second game winner of the playoffs I believe.

He'll get a good look this camp but needs a solid D partner at the NHL level should he break camp on the Jackets squad. Murray and Jones probably still setting at 1 and 2. We need a front office miracle for a solid number 3 or even a better 2 then pair Zach with Jones or Murray.

Go Pens and Go Monsters!!! Not feeling very confident about the Pens right now

The lightning just seem faster

I was proved wrong! Pens win 4-2. Outshot the Lightning 48-28!

WOW, that is not how I expected them to beat The Lightning .

St. Louis is done. Having one line that can create scoring chances ain't gonna cut it. Surprised it took this long to catch up with them.

Definitely sounds like SJ/PIT final. Should be a fun series. Hopefully San Jose can actually fill up their building. They've had empty seats throughout the playoffs. That's pretty sad. Early start times are no excuse.

TB has to win game 4 or they're in all likelihood done. It's too early to count them - or for that matter, St. Louis - out, but I had a feeling that once the Sharks got over their playoff failings of the past, they'd be a tough team to handle.

You're right about TB's lack of scoring depth, which is a much lesser problem for Pitt.

I sure hope you are right. I think this will continue to be a very close, competitive series.

Yikes - not a very competitive game tonight, that's for sure. At least it won't be a shutout

I have a funny feeling that the Pitt/TB game will go to overtime tonight and with OT in hockey, it's all about getting the bounce and capitalizing. In OT, it's often better to be lucky than good.

Just read an interesting fact: when a series is tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven, the Game 5 winner is 290-81 in series wins in NHL history, about 78 per cent.

Big win for The Momsters last night to take home ice away from Ontario(Cali) up 1 to 0 in conference finals

Pens up by 1! Keep going Pens!

and of course go Monsters!!!

2-0 Pens!!

now 2-2 yikes!

3-2 now, still scary, Go Pens!

Will you pick my lotto numbers tonight? Talk about a a lucky bounce!

haha, yeah I saw that OT goal...

wrong team won though... Unfortunately I think this series is about over now.

Stayin' alive! Pens won last night. And so did the Monsters. Great hockey night!

Pitt was all over TB in the second period, lightning are lucky to be only down one goal.
Crosby is stepping up, as he often does in big moments.

how true lampdogg. One more period to go...

Pens are going to the Stanley Cup!!!! They win 2-1 and the Monsters are going to the Calder Cup!!!!

congrats, sk8ter, would like to see Sid add another Cup to his resume plus I don't like San Jose. TB didn't generate a lot of push in the last few minutes, couldn't win a faceoff when they needed one, either.

thanks lampdogg - that was a heckuva series. When the Pens went down 3-2, I didn't think they had a chance. I don't know much about San Jose. What is it you don't like about them?

Hell yeah!!

Double OT win for The Monsters

A clean sweep of the defending AHL Champs

It's mostly because I'm a bitter Leafs fan and old school, but California hockey teams bother me.
The Sharks do have a good fan base.

A finals bound hockey team!

I saw the Crusaders exit the first round in 74-75 after finishing in second.
There's a drought...

NHL caught a really really bad break with Golden State winning the other night. This final is already going to be a low ratings final, but today could be historically low with Game 1 going against Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in the NBA.

Not to mention that the NHL can't even bank on the bay area having a strong showing for the Sharks tonight.

good point ... of all the years for the Sharks to make the final

Well, just for tonight. Bay area will be fine since the Stanley Cup and NBA finals alternate nights. Tonight is just unlucky for the Sharks. I bet the NBA is probably a bit upset too because they will probably lose a fraction of viewers who favor the Sharks.

The NHL should have started the finals last night. You had no other sports. I get that Game of Thrones is a thing, but it's not the same as going against the NBA, especially when one of your finals markets also has a team playing in the biggest game of the year on Monday.

I'd bet ticket prices for the Sharks aren't as high as they could be either ... sports fans won't buy tickets for top dollar with both Warriors and Sharks playing 4 times in a week

Oh well. Not a biggie.
The rabid Shark fan will watch on tv or be there, same with warriors. They'll lose a little bit on both sides but the main thing is winning a title. That' generates revenue big time for a host of reasons, plus creates a championship memory for fans and the organization.
I'm hoping for a good Cup final.

Pens take game 1 3-2. Keep going Pens (and Pens rookies Rust and Sheary)

Looks like Bryan Rust may be able to play tonight. He absorbed a hard hit in Monday's game in the 3rd period of Monday's game. He has been quite the goal scorer in the playoffs so far.

Looks like the Monsters won the 1st game 4-1 tonight

Pens up 1-0 after 2 periods, but I believe the Sharks have a power play to start the 3rd period. Missed some of the game driving back from Planet Fitness with my son.

Ugh - Sharks tied it up 1-1 with about 3 minutes to go in the 3rd period.

OT tied at 1-1 - GO PENS!!!

Pens win in OT 2-1!!!!

Monsters steal home ice from Hershey!!

AHL goes 2-3-2 format so we have a good shot at winning the cup at home

Glad it went to OT, it won the lampster some cash money

I'm glad you made money, but it was a nail-biter for me!

Pretty damn awesome. I hope they finish it off.

Looks like the Monsters are up 2-0 in game 2, second period.

And win it 5-3... up 2-0 in the series and looking to have a strong shot and winning the cup at Home!

Next three games are at home!!

Almost time for game 3 in San Jose... This is going to be a desperate Sharks team. I'm not expecting much, but it would be just amazing if the Pens won tonight. GO PENS (and GO MONSTERS!)

Pens up 2-1 at the end of the 2nd period. Keep going Pens!!!

darn -I guess it eventually had to happen. Pens lose 3-2 in OT. Hopefully they win the next one Monday.

Hopefully some better results tonight...

GO PENS !!! (up 2-1) game is in San Jose.
GO MONSTERS!!! (up 2-0) game is at the Q

Is the monsters game on national tv?

this website has a live feed, from the main AHL website:

link

never mind, it's trying to make me pay for a package

Congrats to the Pens and the Monsters!!!

Pens win 3-1 and go up 3-1 in the series. Game 5 in Pittsburgh Thursday night.

Monsters win 3-2 in OT and go up 3-0 in the series. Game 4 I believe is Saturday at the Q

Yep, next two are at The Q. Saturday and SUnday

Let's Go PENS!!!! Win the Stanley Cup tonight!

Sharks stayed alive. Interesting turn of events, game 6 should be a good one

If San Jose wins game 6......

http://www.cbc.ca/m/sports/topstories/gordie-howe-1.3628425

Another legend dies. Gordie Howe passed away.

While I'm a Blackhawks fan, I'm going to perform my own version of a Gordie Howe hat-trick to honor him. Let me think, drink a beer, eat a burger, and have sex? I'll go ask the wife if she'll let me do all three in the same day.

RIP

rip howe

RIP Gordie. The most famous and adored of all the great Red Wings.

Got to see him numerous times including with sons Mark and Marty at the Coliseum.

RIP Mr Hockey...thanks for the memories!

RIP Gordie Howe. Thanks for the memories. He was amazing.

Looks like the Monsters and Bears are in a 0-0 tie in OT! Great game!

A lot of idiots will try to poo poo this.
It's a pretty big deal!

Congrats boys! Congrats to the city!

Congrats to the Calder Champion Lake Erie Monsters! Winning 1-0 in OT! I hope the Pens can win later today.

Here we go!!! LET'S GO PENS!!!

up 1-0 keep going PENS!!!

It's kind of funny, I'm a Cleveland sports fan of baseball, football, basketball, but for hockey I am Penguins fan. I was born in Pittsburgh and I usually always pick them when I play any hockey video game. I've never been to one of their games though, maybe someday, would be cool.

Congratulations! Champs!

Pens win!!! Pens win!!! Pens win!!! Pens win!!! Pens win!!! Pens win!!! Pens win!!! Pens win!!!

What a great hockey weekend for me.

Not only did the Monsters and Pens win it all , the assistant equip manager for The Monsters is a guy who I was his first hockey coach, and his father was my best man at my first wedding, and he was my ring bearer. Well he saw me by the tunnel after the game and brought me down to the locker room at the Q and I got to hold the Calder Cup and get some pictures with it .

What an incredible night

Congrats to the Pens and all of their fans.

I'm a Pittsburgh hater in all regards and root against them in each sport ... and it is mostly out of jealousy because none of my teams ever win and their teams are successful.

Cleveland is the butt of all jokes. Hell, we still can't even win with Lebron James.

But Pittsburgh is a city of champions and you can't take that away from the organizations and fan base. Kudos on another one Pittsburgh.

kingodawg - what a great story! I hope you post some of the pictures of you with the Calder Cup!

Dawgs4Life - it will happen for Cleveland too, and will be fantastic when it happens. The Monsters DID win the Calder Cup, so that's a championship too!

Sidney CryBaby doesn't deserve any of these cups.

Whos being a cry baby now?

Congrats to the Penguins, well done.

Of course Crosby deserves those Cups, as does anyone on that team, and he was obviously a big part of both.

Did anyone see the full page ad that Kessler put in the Toronto newspaper??

Wow - I'm not even sure how to react to it. I think it's interesting about the 50k gift to his favorite hot dog vendor too.

It's a sports satire website - story probably fake.

Was gonna bump up rocky's thread, but the title was aging.

How's your team doing?
The Maple Leafs are young and have loads of potential. I'm hoping they make a run at a playoff spot but it's more about next year and then a few after that.
Mitch Marner is crazy-skilled, Auston Matthews had that four-goal game in his NHL debut, went into a scoring slump but lately rebounded with four goals in past three.

We may have found a franchise goalie in Frederic Andersen.

Columbus an early surprise - Iove their coach - Connor McDavid is a special player, Hawks good again.

I love the Jackets. I'm glad they've turned it around.

I've got tickets to the game on the 22nd against the Pens. It's going to be a phenomenal game.

The Hurricanes have finally started the long climb out of the basement.

Can we get this hockey thread bumping again?

How bout the Blue Jackets!!!??

13-5-4 right now and on a tear! Just passed Washington last night in the standings with 30 points. Sitting in 3rd place of the division.

This team has been a real blast to watch so far. Some of that young talent is finally starting to produce. Josh Anderson, Zach Werenski and Alex Wenneberg. Bobrovsky is healthy and playing very well.

Any other big CBJ fans!?

I think Tortorella is a great coach. I love his passion. Before the World Cup of hockey in September, he said that if any of his players refused to stand during the Star-Spangled Banner before the game, they'd be sitting on the bench the entire game.
He doesn't screw around and doesn't take crap from the media either. Totally old school.

Headed down for the first time with my wife on January 7th. Great matchup against the Rangers. Booked the hotel room today as well. Can't wait!

Great to see the Blue Jackets doing well. The Pens are off to a pretty good start too

Hawks are currently the best team, going by total points. It's good to see Hossa scoring again. Last year he seemed a little banged up and old. I'm actually surprised we're playing this well with Toews out for 5 games. Kane is Kane, dude is nasty. I'm really liking Anisimov and Panarin, a lot.

Hope to see the Jackets in the Cup Finals with us. Chicago versus Ohio again. I suppose I'd want the "bad guys" to win this time around.

The Wings are injury plagued. They looked like they were breaking out of their slump, but now we've got 6 players out, including Abdelkader for 2-4 weeks.

....Blue Jackets are on fire. 6 straight wins. Sedlak with his first NHL goal and first goal at Nationwide Arena in back-to-back games.

Columbus in the top 6 for points in the entire NHL.

Leafs/Penguins game tonight was a good one. Toronto won 2-1 or I wouldn't have posted about it lol, but good hockey game.

I get to go to two games this week! Kings vs Jackets tomorrow, and then Peguins vs Jackets on Thursday. I'm excited!

Blue Jackets are on fire! 11 in a row! Smashed the Pens 7-1.

First overall in the NHL, too!

12 now, beat the Canadiens tonight. Great run for them.

One thing about being a Leafs fan in Canada: you can find lots of things under the Christmas tree. I got a cigarette lighter, 2017 calendar, a light sweatshirt, a throw blanket, a book. All Leafs.
You can't find Browns stuff around here.
I'm feeling ok about the leafs as we head into 2017. Not expecting the playoffs, but hope we improve and maybe stay close enough to make a run at the post season.

COUNT IT. THIRTEEN STRAIGHT.

JACKETS WWWWWWWWWWWWWIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not many teams, I think maybe five, have won 13 straight in the history of the NHL. Very impressive.

Edit: actually it is nine teams. Only five got to 14 or more though.

14!

NHL ‏
14-game win streak vs. 12-game win streak.
@BlueJacketsNHL vs. @mnwild.
New Year’s Eve.
6 ET / 5 CT.


CBJ now tied for the fourth longest win streak in @NHL history.

Hockey winning streaks>rooting for some college football team that you never attended for university.

Go Jackets! They're averaging 4 goals a game in the month of December.

4-1 after 2

Got Dubnyks number at the moment.

15!

This is one hell of a run by the Jackets. I think they finally got over that whole starting off the year bad issue.. lol

Seriously can't wait for April, the playoffs should once again be great TV..

Well, Lamp....we got the game we were hoping for!

That was a terrific game, jfanent, although I had a sinking feeling late in the game. When Detroit got it to 4-3 I just KNEW the Wings were gonna tie it, lucky for the Leafs we got out with a W.
Auston Mathews is a special player, and btw how cool were the jackets the coaches wore?

Yep, I want one of those jackets! That game was just what the doctor ordered after that carnival of errors on the football field today. They got things right when they went to 3on3 in OT.

3 on 3 in overtime during the regular season sure is fun to watch.

j/c...

16 in a row! Cannot wait to to head down for the game on Saturday.

What an amazing run they are on.

I haven't watched one game since they started the streak for two reasons. 1.) Directv doesn't consider Columbus my market. 2.) They would lose the next game...

I was talking with a buddy of mine today - he's a longtime oilers fan- and we couldn't name four players on that team. Epic win streak, I wish the Leafs were playing them soon, just to end it.

If you're a DTV customer just install FSO or something similar to your area maybe and stream it. The Cavs preempt the Jackets here so I stream the games. You may not have a sports channel in WV that carries the Jackets though...

Bound to end, 2 big games this weekend vs NYR and Philly

That was one hell of a finish in the NYR/CBJ game last night. Michael Grabner is fun to watch. Crazy speed.

I've seen a lot of CBJ fans for whatever reason defending their team on twitter. I really don't get that. The NHL season is such a long haul, that losing is a normal part of the game. You drop 2 in a row after winning 16 or whatever, there is no need to defend. Anyone who ripped them after finally losing doesn't understand hockey or how the NHL works.

CBJ played pretty well last night. The Rangers succeeded in getting them to chase for the third period rather than attack.
That never turns out well. The goaltender missed a few that he should have saved. It happens.

The season will now level out

Cannot blow leads like that at home, need this one today vs Philly

j/c...

Was down at the game last night against NYR for the first time with my wife. What a great arena! It was too bad they lost, but the Blue Jackets provide an incredible fan experience. I could argue it's better than the Cavs. Can't wait to take the kids down next time.


It would've been nice to get the shutout tonight against the Flyers, but it was good to get back in the win column.

Best part of all star weekend. That evil grin on Prongers face is priceless.

Haha. Shoulda hit him harder.
I watched a few minutes of the all-star game on replay this morning. Totally lame, awful to watch.
When I was a kid all-star games meant more to the players. Now they barely try.

I give them credit for trying new things, the 3 on 3 tournament style is better than the 5 on 5 game that plays more like an A-level beer league game, but it's still boring. People are playing not to get hurt, and hurt others.

I totally understand, but it's still not watchable. I still love the skills competition. It's a cool way to show off just how talented these guys are. I do think skill level of the guys in the NHL has always been taken for granted by the mainstream sports media and casual fans. I think most people don't realize how fast things are moving, because they don't get a chance to see it up close and personal.

Hockey live, in person, is totally different from TV, especially at ice-level when you're watching a good calibre of play. The NHL pace is noticeably faster than even 10 years ago, they have to make quicker and smarter decisions.

It really is crazy to watch it up close. Being able to do what they do, at that pace, is so much fun to watch.

And I've said it a bunch of times in these topics, but the NHL is in such a good place right now with all the young talent they have spread out all over the place.

Even with the Cavs being defending champs, I'm looking forward to the NHL playoffs more. Every round seems so unpredictable and tense, something the NBA doesn't really have until the 2nd round starts.

I don't trust the Hawks right now. Feels like they're slipping, like the Cavs a bit (can't play against good teams and seem to blow leads against bad ones).

NY Islanders to move to Hartford?

Sure, when pigs fly.

"Governor Dannel Malloy and Mayor Luke Bronin — sent a joint letter addressed to New York Islanders ownership Friday inviting the NHL club to play at Hartford's XL Center."

Why do they need to tease Connecticut hockey fans like this?

Cruelty to animals.

I'd rather see the Islanders go home, BUT...I'd love to see a Whalers return closey followed by a Nordiques return.

Loved the Whale!

Glad to see the Leafs win in Boston tonight. Quite the finish!

The Hawks are still really good, but I don't see the drive from them like we have the last few years. I think they could use an addition on the blue line. I think the West is going to be a lot tougher this year versus last. Minnesota is as good as their record, they aren't a fluke, and that is a team that seems like they are ready to break through. San Jose is still going to be a threat, Nashville and Anaheim will be the tough outs they have been the last few years, and nobody really knows what Edmonton will look like in a playoff series, but it will be nice that casual fans can finally get a good look at Connor McDavid... Not to mention I could see the Kings getting Quick back next month, and taking a few weeks to get red hot.

The East is shaping up to be a lot of fun too. The months of April and May for me are probably my favorite time of the sports year, especially with the Cavs gearing up for a long run, and the Tribe about to start a pretty highly anticipated season.

I agree about the first round of the NBA playoffs, it's pretty meh, outside of maybe one series. After that, it's pretty awesome though.

Just finished watching the Leafs beat Carolina. There were a LOT of empty seats in the Hurricanes' rink.

The way the playoffs are set up, the best division winner plays one of the wild card teams, best vs worst.

but! 2nd and 3rd place teams in each "division" play each other.
not inter-divisionaly.

So that, even though the Metro's playoff teams have more points, those extra points won't help the #2, and #3 teams get an easier first round opponent.

So, if the playoff's were today, any time in the last 4 weeks, or probably for the next week, Pittsburgh and Columbus would meet in the 1st round.

With Washington winning the Divison, and the Rangers, the better wildcard, will get the Atlantic division winner.


Columbus has only made the playoffs twice, 0-4 in the first, 2-4 in the second, they have not won a playoff series.

I don't like their chances against Pittsburgh, or the Rangers, in the first round.
I think they'd stand a better chance, if they got one playoff series win under their belt and faced off in the 2nd round.

If the Jackets were smart, they'd go on a little losing streak, because I think they'd be a lot better off if they switched places with the Rangers who are 6 points behind them.

But they won't, it'll be the Jackets and Penguins, and an early exit for the Blue Jackets.

Both teams actually have a losing record against the CBJ this year. I like the CBJs chances.

Jackets match up well with the Pens and they've shown the ability to get under their skin easily.

An observation while watching the Jacket/Islanders game. Get this team out of the craphole Barclay Center! Nobody goes there. Corners seats are a car advertisement. Get them back to the Isle please!

Maybe the Jackets will just get the 1 seed. If the Capitals and Jackets finish in a tie who gets the 1 seed? Not a big hockey fan, but this season watching the Jackets has been a blast.

Columbus plays at Washington 1 time in the last 14 games.

Pretty Boy Sid hates Dubinsky with a passion; I love watching the two of them match up.

I understand the logistics of the whole thing, but yeah, it's kinda dumb now.

They did a 30:30 on the Nassau Colisseum that was really good.

CBJ would have a good shot against the Rangers, but the Penguins are a little different. You can't over-estimate the value of championship experience in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The NHL playoffs are going to be incredible this year. The Western Conference looks absolutely brutal.

I think CBJ has a shot in the east. So do 5 or 6 other teams.. Kinda up for grabs.