2014 NHL Playoff Thread

[Devise 4,475]

I fear for the Sharks now. They need to win one on the road but they had the advantage of a sleeping Kings team in Games 1 and 2 and I felt they made the mistake of embarrassing the Kings to wake up. Not to imply that the Sharks are playing great last few games, but IMO it doesn't make a difference. I see the Kings as a better playoff team than the Sharks, and the last thing I felt they wanted to do was motivate the Kings to show up. They did, survived Game 3 in OT despite it being all Kings and since then it's been pretty much all Kings. We could easily see a 3-0 series comeback here from the Kings.

 

Also Stamkos, Fluery is a capable NHL starter. That is it. He isn't "good". He isn't "bad" either. He's an NHL caliber starting goalie who can steal you games in the regular season and the occasional one in the playoffs. But he will never get ridden to a championship. If your team is struggling he likely won't bail you out. It's why the Pens look so bad sometimes in the playoffs. If people have been watching even this series Columbus has been playing as physical as it gets. Exploiting the Pens with a super heavy forecheck, wearing out key players, shutting down key players. Fluery hasn't played amazing this series but the expectation can't be that he will. He isn't an amazing player, far from it. The Pens always have to overplay their opposition with a goalie like that in net. The Jackets for example don't have that disadvantage. Bobrovosky can steal a series if he's on. We'll see if Columbus can force a Game 7 but I feel they can. They don't strike me this playoffs as the type to go lying down. Their hitting game and defense in stretches this series has been unreal. If they can get it together for a couple games in a row and get a stellar Bob it's goodnight Pitt imo. 

[Mike 708]

I am a Penguins fan and love Fleury its actually the only jersey I have right now.  I take him for what he is though and Devise said "not good or bad" I consider him a good goalie who is inconsistent and if you want to classify that like Devise did than so be it.  Game 4 when they lost it was clearly his fault those last 2 goals were so bad.  HOWEVER the only reason they didn't lose sooner was b/c he played so well before that.  Sure they had a 3-0/3-1 lead or whatever but literally after they had that lead the other 45-50 minutes was all Columbus dominating shots and possession and everything else.  Start of game 5 was the same way.  So sure Fleury lost game 4 but another goalie who likely wouldn't have made his mistakes would have probably let in other goals that he did prevent.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Mike

[Sandro 251]

CHI/STL tied at 1. Going to LOL so hard if STL loses 2-1 again.

[Sandro 251]

Well it's 3-1, so that's not happening.

[Devise 4,475]

I really hope the Blues come back. Not that the hockey isn't good but constantly seeing similar teams go deep gets a bit dry.

[frescoelmo 1,276]

I really hope the Blues come back. Not that the hockey isn't good but constantly seeing similar teams go deep gets a bit dry.

 

I really don't think they will! 

[eaglesfan036 4,599]

I am a Penguins fan and love Fleury its actually the only jersey I have right now.  I take him for what he is though and Devise said "not good or bad" I consider him a good goalie who is inconsistent and if you want to classify that like Devise did than so be it.  Game 4 when they lost it was clearly his fault those last 2 goals were so bad.  HOWEVER the only reason they didn't lose sooner was b/c he played so well before that.  Sure they had a 3-0/3-1 lead or whatever but literally after they had that lead the other 45-50 minutes was all Columbus dominating shots and possession and everything else.  Start of game 5 was the same way.  So sure Fleury lost game 4 but another goalie who likely wouldn't have made his mistakes would have probably let in other goals that he did prevent.

You're a Penguins fan?

 

I demand a trade

[Sandro 251]

Is it really all that surprising that the Hawks destroyed the Blues? This is the Blues team that couldn't win a games against the fucking VANCOUVER CANUCKS this season.

[Devise 4,475]

Is it really all that surprising that the Hawks destroyed the Blues? This is the Blues team that couldn't win a games against the fucking VANCOUVER CANUCKS this season.

 

Regular season doesn't matter. Just ask the Ducks who are struggling with the Dallas Stars of all teams. The fact is the Blues are a good team built for the playoffs. The Hawks are simply just better. Such is the status quo of the league right now. I so badly want the Habs to beat the Bruins but the Bruins are a great playoff team. So are the Kings. So are the Hawks. The chances of us not seeing a "fresh" Cup Champion or a fresh final four other than the same teams we have been seeing for the most part the last several years is low. 

 

The teams that continue to struggle in the playoffs or just get close still can't seem to get the job done it seems. We'll see, it's only still the first round yet of course. But I still have a lurking sense that we could even just see a repeat of Boston/Chicago again in the Finals. Which again, the hockey is still entertaining...but it'd be nice to see a new city, a new story, and new groups of players get their chance to win the Cup. 

[Victor 10,940]

But that's what we have the VHL for! #6seasons1year

[Sandro 251]

Regular season doesn't matter. Just ask the Ducks who are struggling with the Dallas Stars of all teams. The fact is the Blues are a good team built for the playoffs. The Hawks are simply just better. Such is the status quo of the league right now. I so badly want the Habs to beat the Bruins but the Bruins are a great playoff team. So are the Kings. So are the Hawks. The chances of us not seeing a "fresh" Cup Champion or a fresh final four other than the same teams we have been seeing for the most part the last several years is low. 

 

I wouldn't say the Ducks have struggled with the Stars. The Stars are a solid team, they won on home ice. They're getting beat pretty bad in Anaheim though. The Blues are a good team, yeah, but an overrated one. That was my point.

[Guest]

I hope the Whalers win the cup this year, they got good players doing the things with the puck and sticks.

[Kyle 667]

Dallas

[Sandro 251]

Obviously we know how Game 6 turned out now, but still super creepy.

 

 

And another similarity:

 

 

2013: Slava Voynov scores the game-winning goal in Games 3 and 5.

2014: Jonathan Toews scores the game-winning goal in Games 3 and 5.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Sandro

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Obviously we know how Game 6 turned out now, but still super creepy.

 

 

And another similarity:

Also in 2012, they went up 2-0 and lost in 6. 

[8Ovechkin8 262]

Also in 2012, they went up 2-0 and lost in 6.

Did you pull that "fact" out of a magic hat, because they lost in the 2nd round 4-0 lol.

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Did you pull that "fact" out of a magic hat, because they lost in the 2nd round 4-0 lol.

was it really? i cant remember lol. but i know it was to the kings, it was a sweep? 

[Sandro 251]

was it really? i cant remember lol. but i know it was to the kings, it was a sweep? 

 

Them going up 2-0 on the Kings was last season... Though the Kings did sweep them in 2012.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Sandro

[Devise 4,475]

Columbus won't die. This is epic and just another reason why the Pens aren't as elite in the playoffs as they are perceived to be.

[Guest]

Yeah I love it! #FuckNeal

[Sandro 251]

NOOOOOOOOOO CBJ. FUCK YOU PENGUINS.

[Devise 4,475]

I thought we may see that comeback but not to be. Pens going to have a lot to work on to get deeper though. Giving up odd man rushes while you are on the PP and up 4-0 isn't going to cut it forever.

[Kesler 1,514]

Penguins did not deserve to win that game or series. Columbus put up a good fight though

[Kyle 667]

Think SJ wins this game, 3-1 w/ empty netter.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Wow did SJ get screwed there.