Jersey in trouble...

[matter2003]

Philly just went up 4-1 on a Briere 5 on 3 goal...Jersey is gonna be on the brink...hopefully the Sabres don't join them after tomorrow night...

[Pville29]

i'm not following this series but how come phily is about to eliminate nj?? do the devil have the same problem that buffalo has which is size and power cause flyers look like a team that hit a lot like boston

[repster]

So is Ottawa, maybe San Jose and Vancouver too. All pretty good teams. Playoffs are a whole different animal.

[bunomatic]

I've been watching some of this series and one thing the flyers are doing is wearing their opponents down.Philly has a lot of bruisers and quite a bit of scoring talent.This has been a mean series from what I've seen.The n.h.l. seems to be going back to big,bruising players with hockey skills.Too bad Darcy invested so heavily in small skilled forwards with speed because over a seven game series I'd rather have the braun to wear the little weakerthans down.You've got to have the right mix but if you have to much of one or the other you're toast.We have too much cutesy play guys.

[Buffalo Wings]

i'm not following this series but how come phily is about to eliminate nj?? do the devil have the same problem that buffalo has which is size and power cause flyers look like a team that hit a lot like boston

Exactly what bunomatic said...Philly's bruisers are wearing down the guys like Parise, Zajac, & Elias. They're playing very physical and the Devils don't have an answer. Combined with an occasional defensive breakdown and spotty play by Brodeur (who isn't himself anymore, imo), the Phlyers are taking control. Plus, Brian Boucher is stuffing any good chance the Devils have.

 

Kovalchuck & Zubrus are probably the best Devils on the ice, but it's not nearly enough.

[LabattBlue]

I am shocked that NJ has only scored 9 goals in 4 games(including 5 in Game 2). Since I have seen little of this series(HNiC and Vs. both have to air CrosbyTV all the time), I don't know if it is Boucher, good team defense or both).

[SwampD]

Exactly what bunomatic said...Philly's bruisers are wearing down the guys like Parise, Zajac, & Elias. They're playing very physical and the Devils don't have an answer. Combined with an occasional defensive breakdown and spotty play by Brodeur (who isn't himself anymore, imo), the Phlyers are taking control. Plus, Brian Boucher is stuffing any good chance the Devils have.

 

Kovalchuck & Zubrus are probably the best Devils on the ice, but it's not nearly enough.

I kinda disagree. People are saying the say thing about the Sabres' series as well and I disagree with that as well. Philly is just plain outworking them. They look faster, get to pucks quicker, and most importantly, their goal scorers are scoring. The same could be said for Boston. When is the last time anyone saw Gray Cloud hustle? Yes, he's got amazing skill and on the PP he is one of the few that can actually hold play in the offensive zone, but when is the last time anyone can remember him digging down deep and busting his a$$ to make a play. You have to do that in the playoffs and he doesn't. Maybe that's why he's gone 20 playoff games without a goal.

[Chief Enabler]

i'm not following this series but how come phily is about to eliminate nj?? do the devil have the same problem that buffalo has which is size and power cause flyers look like a team that hit a lot like boston

Carcillo & Hartnell have been impressive on the forecheck from my POV. NJ does have some big softies like us.

[Dave Dryden]

I am shocked that NJ has only scored 9 goals in 4 games(including 5 in Game 2). Since I have seen little of this series(HNiC and Vs. both have to air CrosbyTV all the time), I don't know if it is Boucher, good team defense or both).

And what is interesting is that lots of folks were citing NJ as an example of how Darcy should run the team--wheeling and dealing and getting Kovy. I guess this just shows there are lots of ways to lose, and it is very hard to win.

 

Wash my mouth out--I just sounded like Dick Jauron.

[deluca67]

And what is interesting is that lots of folks were citing NJ as an example of how Darcy should run the team--wheeling and dealing and getting Kovy. I guess this just shows there are lots of ways to lose, and it is very hard to win.

 

Wash my mouth out--I just sounded like Dick Jauron.

Isn't NJ losing to a team that "wheels and deals?" Briere, Pronger and Hartnell where all big time acquisitions. Kovi also has 6 points in four games including a PP goal which is one more than the Sabres have as a team. If this series has done anything it has exposed the Sabres offense as inept. A 50 goal scorer could only help the offense and power play. More so than say Stafford, Butler, a prospect and a couple of draft picks.

[nfreeman]

I am shocked that NJ has only scored 9 goals in 4 games(including 5 in Game 2). Since I have seen little of this series(HNiC and Vs. both have to air CrosbyTV all the time), I don't know if it is Boucher, good team defense or both).

I am shocked that you haven't locked up this thread as redundant with the pinned one.

 

It's this kind of sloppy attention to detail that has us down 2-1 to the effing bruins.

[LabattBlue]

I am shocked that you haven't locked up this thread as redundant with the pinned one.

I get tired of playing hall monitor 24x7. :D

[Dave Dryden]

Isn't NJ losing to a team that "wheels and deals?" Briere, Pronger and Hartnell where all big time acquisitions. Kovi also has 6 points in four games including a PP goal which is one more than the Sabres have as a team. If this series has done anything it has exposed the Sabres offense as inept. A 50 goal scorer could only help the offense and power play. More so than say Stafford, Butler, a prospect and a couple of draft picks.

Wow, you have a thin skin.

[nfreeman]

Isn't NJ losing to a team that "wheels and deals?" Briere, Pronger and Hartnell where all big time acquisitions. Kovi also has 6 points in four games including a PP goal which is one more than the Sabres have as a team. If this series has done anything it has exposed the Sabres offense as inept. A 50 goal scorer could only help the offense and power play. More so than say Stafford, Butler, a prospect and a couple of draft picks.

You are right that Philly is a wheel-and-deal team. (It's interesting that you are citing Briere, who also has 6 points in 4 playoff games, for this after criticizing him repeatedly and claiming nonsensically that Roy is a better player, but that's another discussion). The Pronger trade was a great move. He's averaging over 29 minutes per game, is tied for 8th in the NHL in playoff scoring and is muscling an immature team into better playoff performance. Along with Ryan Smyth, Pronger is the kind of guy who, when he became available on the trade market, DR should've been in the mix for.

 

Kovy isn't one of those guys. You are also right that the Sabres' offense has been exposed as inept. The whole point about Kovy, which you haven't addressed (most likely because the facts present an insurmountable obstacle), is that he hasn't helped NJ. He has an ENG, one PPG and 4 assists, and NJ is about to get bounced in the first round. He's played decently, but hasn't made a difference in their playoff success -- which is what they brought him in to do. In their game 3 loss, he didn't have a shot on goal. Kovy's career as a Devil will be over in the next 72 hours, and NJ will no longer have a top-4 defenseman, its top prospect or its top draft pick.

[gilbert11]

So is Ottawa, maybe San Jose and Vancouver too. All pretty good teams. Playoffs are a whole different animal.

 

 

Watching the Sharks has been nerve-wrecking. Greg Anderson is playing so well for Colorado. 1 vs 8 and 3 of 4 games went to OT. Luckily Sharks pulled it out yesterday.

[LabattBlue]

Watching the Sharks has been nerve-wrecking. Greg Anderson is playing so well for Colorado. 1 vs 8 and 3 of 4 games went to OT. Luckily Sharks pulled it out yesterday.

Craig. ;)

[matter2003]

You are right that Philly is a wheel-and-deal team. (It's interesting that you are citing Briere, who also has 6 points in 4 playoff games, for this after criticizing him repeatedly and claiming nonsensically that Roy is a better player, but that's another discussion).

 

Briere comes to play in the postseason...he has averaged about a point a game throughout his playoff career...

[VansTheMans]

Philly won the series in 5.

 

Boucher shut out...AT NEW JERSEY :o

 

 

Marty let in 3 goals on 19 shots.

[Taro T]

Philly won the series in 5.

 

Boucher shut out...AT NEW JERSEY :o

 

 

Marty let in 3 goals on 19 shots.

Well, that all world leader of men Kovalchuk had infinitely more playoff wins this year than he had in the past. (1/0 = inf. ;) ) Unfortunately for him, he was unable to carry the slackers that Lamiorello saddled him with to any fewer playoff losses than he had with the Threshers. :(

 

:D

[Stoner]

Well, that all world leader of men Kovalchuk had infinitely more playoff wins this year than he had in the past. (1/0 = inf. ;) ) Unfortunately for him, he was unable to carry the slackers that Lamiorello saddled him with to any fewer playoff losses than he had with the Threshers. :(

 

:D

 

Recrimina-she-own I.

[carpandean]

(1/0 = inf. ;) )

Actually, 1/0 is undefined. However, lim x->0+ (1/x) = inf.

 

:nana:

[Eleven]

Jersey and Buffalo both would have had better matchups had the Sabres won that last game. Why Jersey started Brodeur, I'll never know.

[Chief Enabler]

Post game from Lemaire & Kovy was okay. NHL commentator mentioned about NJ with no heart, etc. Sound familiar?

 

Anyhow, he went to say that when a team plays without the heart and commitment it usually stems from within the locker room.

[Buffalo Wings]

Philly won the series in 5.

 

Boucher shut out...AT NEW JERSEY :o

 

 

Marty let in 3 goals on 19 shots.

Don't know about any of you, but Marty hasn't looked the same in the past few months. He wasn't good during the Olympics and when the Devils needed him to save their season, he didn't exactly look like Marty Brodeur.

[Taro T]

Actually, 1/0 is undefined. However, lim x->0+ (1/x) = inf.

 

:nana:

True. But I figured the 6th grade version was close enough for gubmint work. ;)