[Sunny Under]

New York vs. Washington - New York leads 2-1
Philadelphia vs. New Jersey - Series tied 1-1

St. Louis vs. Los Angeles - Los Angeles leads 2-0
Pheonix vs. Nashville - Pheonix leads 2-1



http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1366214-nhl-playoffs/ reached it's limit so let's continue here.

[joseluis perez]

Have to repost if someone's willing to discuss this.

I think all the "professionals" put waaay more weight to long-term successes. Say, the place in the standings after the regular season, or goalie's save percentage. What really decides hockey games is short-term: which tactic works well against which, and who's hot RIGHT NOW. That's what Sel?nne always says, 'A player is only as good as he was in his latest game'. Nothing else matters really. It's about chemistries and how well you do in that particular game. Say a team won 60 games in the regular season but lost the last three, and their goalie (93,5%) svcked in last five games. I would never count that team a favorite in their series at that moment, despite having a fantastic season overall!

That's why the Pens-Flyers "anolyses" have pretty much failed. They see the roster on paper but don't put as much weight to Flyers being the better team in their matches, Fleury cold-streaking, Crosby not being a leading captain, etc.!

[Daniel Brown]

Have to repost if someone's willing to discuss this.

I think all the "professionals" put waaay more weight to long-term successes. Say, the place in the standings after the regular season, or goalie's save percentage. What really decides hockey games is short-term: which tactic works well against which, and who's hot RIGHT NOW. That's what Sel?nne always says, 'A player is only as good as he was in his latest game'. Nothing else matters really. It's about chemistries and how well you do in that particular game. Say a team won 60 games in the regular season but lost the last three, and their goalie (93,5%) svcked in last five games. I would never count that team a favorite in their series at that moment, despite having a fantastic season overall!

That's why the Pens-Flyers "anolyses" have pretty much failed. They see the roster on paper but don't put as much weight to Flyers being the better team in their matches, Fleury cold-streaking, Crosby not being a leading captain, etc.!

Same thing has happened thus far with the Kings/Canucks series. I browsed the Canucks forum just for kicks and they were incensed there could possibly be anyone suggesting the Kings might win the series.. they were the almighty President's Trophy winners. Seeing the Wings win ~ half a dozen of those trophies it should be elementary that a team isn't going to lie down and lose. In 2002 the Wings went down 0-2 to the Canucks in the playoffs because they thought the Canucks were going to lie down for them.

[Khamaji Taylor]

Have to repost if someone's willing to discuss this.

I think all the "professionals" put waaay more weight to long-term successes. Say, the place in the standings after the regular season, or goalie's save percentage. What really decides hockey games is short-term: which tactic works well against which, and who's hot RIGHT NOW. That's what Sel?nne always says, 'A player is only as good as he was in his latest game'. Nothing else matters really. It's about chemistries and how well you do in that particular game. Say a team won 60 games in the regular season but lost the last three, and their goalie (93,5%) svcked in last five games. I would never count that team a favorite in their series at that moment, despite having a fantastic season overall!

That's why the Pens-Flyers "anolyses" have pretty much failed. They see the roster Crosby and Malkin on paper and proceed to cream their pants but don't put as much weight to Flyers being the better team in their matches, Fleury cold-streaking, Crosby not being a leading captain, etc.!

I fixed that last little part for you. I agree with what you had to say. The Stanly have humongous man-crushes on Crosby and Malkin but forgot that the Flyers man-handled them all season long and where one of the hottest team going into the playoffs. Liek you said it's all about the now, not only for hockey but sports in general. Any MLB fan knows that a hot team going into the playoffs will have no problem getting by teams like the Phillies or Yankees despite what they look like on paper.I knew going into this series the Flyers had the advantage but anolyst refused to recognize the tremendous amount of talent on the team.

In other news while Admas has already received his 1 game suspension Byslma got fined $10,000. Now I'm just waiting if the NHL does the right thing and suspends both Neal and Asham. Both of them have hearings today

[Jose ordaz]

I fixed that last little part for you. I agree with what you had to say. The Stanly have humongous man-crushes on Crosby and Malkin but forgot that the Flyers man-handled them all season long and where one of the hottest team going into the playoffs. Liek you said it's all about the now, not only for hockey but sports in general. Any MLB fan knows that a hot team going into the playoffs will have no problem getting by teams like the Phillies or Yankees despite what they look like on paper.I knew going into this series the Flyers had the advantage but anolyst refused to recognize the tremendous amount of talent on the team.

In other news while Admas has already received his 1 game suspension Byslma got fined $10,000. Now I'm just waiting if the NHL does the right thing and suspends both Neal and Asham. Both of them have hearings today

Don't forget Letang, Staal, and Fleury (minus this series). Not to mention Neal isn't too shabby either and Kunitz/Dupuis had pretty good years. Pens have more than just Crosby and Malkin

[Ridhwan Hemsome]

Don't forget Letang, Staal, and Fleury (minus this series). Not to mention Neal isn't too shabby either and Kunitz/Dupuis had pretty good years. Pens have more than just Crosby and Malkin

I know but my point was people see Crosby and Malkin and instantly forget about everything else. The Flyers are easily the deeper and more well-rounded of the two teams and it's showing. Plus Bylsma has been out coached.

[x a million...]

Bs win. I love to see it.

[M!KkI]

Kinda hoping for Washington to win this series

Don't want Marchand winning another Cup...

[Andrew]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl--nhl-discipline-czar-brendan-shanahan-needs-to-send-stronger-message-with-stiffer-suspensions.html;_ylt=AlYGvmIcXUMcn4lFfYgjBct7vLYF

I don't know if he can say that anymore. At least, I don't know if he can say that about the first five days of the playoffs. The NHL has gone over the edge at the most emotional, competitive time of year and descended into madness – head shots, cheap shots, fighting, hair-pulling, the kind of crap that gives everybody a black eye.
Even Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who sat out so long with a concussion, who brought awareness to brain injuries, has gotten in the middle of it. Not only has he fought himself, he has instigated and antagonized. He has done it on the ice and in the media.

There are a lot of kettles, and they're all black.

And so the NHL has to regain control. The officials have to break up these scrums to stop this stuff before it starts, and Shanahan has to be more assertive in supplemental discipline – starting today, when he sorts through the aftermath of Sunday's Penguins-Flyers Game 3 gong show.

Shanahan is in a no-win situation here. If he stays the course, critics will call him soft. If he goes hard, critics will call him inconsistent because he didn't go harder before. So he should forget the critics who will wail about whatever he does.

This is what's so funny about the media, vicariously through a sports writer that should be more understanding of this:

They recognize that these battles are furious, and high emotion and high physicality will result in fights, brawls, and the type of stuff seen.

But why are they talking as if the NHL has spiralled out of control? This is what intense rivalries bring! Remember the Flyers/Senators brawl? Wings/Avalanche brawls? This is NHL hockey.. what kind of [censored] sense does it make to talk about sending messages to players getting involved?! What messages? TSN has it's highest ratings in just about ever during this playoff round thanks to this series.

And yes Crosby, kettle, black, I get it, and the Penguins organization is awful quiet suddenly despite being amazingly vocal about concussions and [censored]. Crosby wants to get involved in this stuff, he knows the end result of it, what's the problem? He's an advlt, he's playing a physical sport that has potential dangers. You can't turn such a physical game into a style of flag football on ice. Fights will happen, sticks to the face will happen, injuries will result.. as long as the extreme stuff is being penalized and more justifiably related to the severity of penalty, as well as injury if any resulted, what's the big god forsaken deal? These hockey writers criticizing things enjoyed the hell out of the games, and want to Monday Morning Quarterback the [censored] out of this PC crap to score points with the bigger safety hysteria media that doesn't generally care about the sport of hockey.

Edit: Remember how Boogaard was one of the many PC poster boys for concussions and how bad they are? Poor Boogaard ran a hockey fighting camp teaching people how to fight, and yes, even how to be safe when fighting. The NHL and media don't really point this out though.

[Curveballs On Phoenix]

The media has been so irresponsible in its coverage. They don't know what to do with Crosby not being a nice poster-boy, and Pit not being the chosen team, that they're freaking out. Good riddance.

Kinda hoping for Washington to win this series

Don't want Marchand winning another Cup...

Well, all I want to see is Marchand winning another cup, but beating Washington is not winning another cup. Although I think the only team in the East that could beat Boston in a 7 game series is the Rangers.

[Vicki Gunn]

Backstrom for the Caps is automatically suspended for Game 4 of the Caps/Bruins series, he got a match penalty for crosschecking the Bruins' Peverley to the face during an altercation with a a couple seconds left in the game last night, pending review, which I can't see the league rescinding.

Bone-headed play.

Must also note this was a guy who both wears a visor, mixing it up, and had just come back a few weeks ago from being out about 3 months with a concussion of his own... crosschecking someone to the face.

Edit: In a few hours the fate of a few Penguins players will be decided. I think Asham gets 5-7 games, Adams gets 1-2 games, Neal gets 1-3 games for his combined antics against Couturier and Giroux..

There's talk of Shaw of the Blackhawks being suspended over hitting Coyotes goalie Mike Smith in the head but it didn't seem like a purposeful head shot, in fact it looks like Shaw's head inadvertently hits Smith's head. Shaw got a 5 minute major for charging and a misconduct which should be enough.

[gary lee]

The Shanabans are being laid down:

- Shaw of the Blackhawks got 3 games for the hit on Smith.

- Backstrom has a hearing at 3:30pm ET.

- No word yet of the Penguins players. (Adams does not have a hearing)

[Jessica Colville]

Marchand's diving in the 3rd period was disappointing.

[Breanna Van Dijk]

The Shanabans are being laid down:
- No word yet of the Penguins players. (Adams does not have a hearing)

I'd be shocked if either of them don't get a suspension.

[Javier Borjas]

Yeah definitely those certain Pens should get some Shanaban. Cross-check to Adam's apple with zero self-control? No suspension? Yeah, right.

So, I'm up at night. I've done university work all day and night. Now I got a glimpse of the Panthers-Devils game and just saw Garrison tying the game going to the first break: 2-3! Such many goals. Not so surprisingly Preds-Wings is even at 0.

But now I'm off to prepare for an exam, even though it's 3 A.M.! G'night!

[(G-yen)]

They both will there's no doubt about that, Neal won't get more than a couple games, my guess is closer to one game, two at most. It's Asham that's going to get made an example of.. depending on how much an example they want to make of course. 5 games if they are doing typical non-example NHL stuff, 10-15 games if they really want to get it across to Asham. My guess is still 5-7.

I'm trying to figure out why Shanahan is still having a hearing with Backstrom.. are they going on a lengthy date to Disneyland?

[Life long Observer]

Marian Hossa just got absolutely PUMMELLED in the 1st period of the Hawks/Coyotes game that just started. He was hit by Raffi Torres and just fell to the ice in a heap and stayed there for a good 10+ minutes where he was taken off on a stretcher. Torres seemed like he slightly left his feet but from the hit itself and a couple highlights I've seen only 5 years ago this hit gets praise for one of the hits of the playoffs. It's unfortunate that the league will find a reason to suspend Torres.

[MR.BIGG]

Am I the only one who respected Florida?

[Rudy Paint fingers]

New York vs. Ottawa - Rangers lead 2-1
Boston vs. Washington - Boston leads 2-1
Florida vs. New Jersey - Florida leads 2-1
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia - Philadelphia leads 3-0

Vancouver vs. Los Angeles - Los Angeles leads 3-0
St. Louis vs. San Jose - St. Louis leads 2-1
Phoenix vs. Chicago - Series tied 1-1
Nashville vs. Detroit - Nashville leads 3-1

[Jennifer May]

Asham gets only 4 games
Neal gets 1 game

There's more coming I'm pretty sure..

The Wings lose to the Preds and I don't see this series lasting more than another game unless the Wings can figure out how to get the puck past Rinne. Their defence has also been rather awful. I think it's about time for the Wings to start a rebuilding process because they are gradually slipping below the Blues and Preds, will be below the Hawks soon too, and will be losing Lidstrom in the near future which will be an enormous hit to the team.

Panthers are playing well beyond expectations.

[Tasha Clifford]

Panthers are playing well beyond expectations.

Not my expectations. That team is good. (I had 4 of their players on my fantasy team this year, and I dominated, so maybe that's influencing my love for them). But they are good.

[Rebekah Rebekah Nicole]

Am I also the only one who believed in Pheonix?

[Blackdrak]

New York vs. Ottawa - New York (5)
Boston vs. Washington - Boston (6)
Florida vs. New Jersey - Florida (7)
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia - Philadelphia (7)

Vancouver vs. Los Angeles - Vancouver (6)
St. Louis vs. San Jose - St. Louis (5)
Phoenix vs. Chicago - Phoenix (6)
Nashville vs. Detroit - Detroit (7)

Just a refresher.

[Talitha Kukk]

Am I also the only one who believed in Pheonix?

Nope, I had the Coyotes in 6

[Julia Schwalbe]

As far as Phoenix and Florida go.. the formula for me was simple which went for the rest of my predictions, I don't rate highly teams who don't have any recent history of performing well in the postseason. I'm a pretty hard person to win over, probably a bad thing for fantasy which is why I don't play. It's kinda making me look bad as far as those teams and LA are concerned, but it's also the first round.