Eleven Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 So--I guess you're now considering a lengthy playoff run, eh? There we go. Baby steps.
Taro T Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I'm in the yard right now with my bottle trying to catch lightning. A playoff run is always a possibility (not likely but still possible) and worth discussing. During the playoffs, the discussion needs to be how can the Sabres get from point A to point C as in Cup. To stay on topic, the road to point C is much harder with Carolina in the mix. Not necessarily. If the standings end up Washington, Filly, Boston, Pitt, TB, Buffalo, Moe-ray-all, Canes; then I could see Washington and Boston being upset. If TB would be nice enough to upset the Pens, then 2nd round would be Filly-Canes & TB-Sabres. Which would give Sabres Filly in the ECF's. I don't see the Strangers beating the Caps, so Buffalo would have to play them if they make it to the 2nd round. I expect the Phlyers would win a hard fought series against the Canes if they matched up and I like the way the Sabres match up w/ Filly, especially if Pronger is still MIA. The odds of all that happening are slim, but the road to the Finals MIGHT be easier w/ the Canes in the mix. Or if it falls Washington, Filly, Boston, Pitt, TB, Moe-ray-all, Sabres, Canes; I could see the Canes keeping the Sabres from having to play the Caps in round 2, but they'd have to if they get there should the Strangers get in. NY had problems scoring when Callahan was active. Now that he's gone, I don't see Dubinsky and Stepan being able to carry the load. Again, the Sabres road COULD be easier w/ Carolina in the mix.
FogBat Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 One win and we'll end no worse than 7th place and likely not have to deal with the caps in Round 1. Whoever gets the Caps in the first round should take them out. That way I don't have to hear about how "great" the Caps are from my MIL. (She only got into them because of her other son in law <_< .)
X. Benedict Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Not necessarily. I agree. I don't see the Rangers going deep in any series if they make it. Carolina might push teams to a long series. They'll be a tough out. In the war of attrition, I want to see the top seed play a long series.
Cereal Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Not necessarily. If the standings end up Washington, Filly, Boston, Pitt, TB, Buffalo, Moe-ray-all, Canes; then I could see Washington and Boston being upset. If TB would be nice enough to upset the Pens, then 2nd round would be Filly-Canes & TB-Sabres. Which would give Sabres Filly in the ECF's. I don't see the Strangers beating the Caps, so Buffalo would have to play them if they make it to the 2nd round. I expect the Phlyers would win a hard fought series against the Canes if they matched up and I like the way the Sabres match up w/ Filly, especially if Pronger is still MIA. The odds of all that happening are slim, but the road to the Finals MIGHT be easier w/ the Canes in the mix. Or if it falls Washington, Filly, Boston, Pitt, TB, Moe-ray-all, Sabres, Canes; I could see the Canes keeping the Sabres from having to play the Caps in round 2, but they'd have to if they get there should the Strangers get in. NY had problems scoring when Callahan was active. Now that he's gone, I don't see Dubinsky and Stepan being able to carry the load. Again, the Sabres road COULD be easier w/ Carolina in the mix. Haha. There are so many scenarios still possible that I'm not sure it's worth worrying about. Just sit back and enjoy the ride! :beer: I definitely do understand and appreciate why it's so interesting to consider, though.
Derrico Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Whoever gets the Caps in the first round should take them out. That way I don't have to hear about how "great" the Caps are from my MIL. (She only got into them because of her other son in law <_< .) I don't sense any jelousy do I?
FogBat Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I don't sense any jelousy do I? There's a lot of bad blood and dirty laundry to go around. If only you knew...
JJFIVEOH Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Anderson just made a great save......50 seconds left, timeout montreal.......faceoff in Ottawa's end. If he gets back to form from 2006-2010 Ottawa will have made a great accusation. Good move on their part by giving him an extension. Him and Vokoun were arguably the best goaltending duo in the league for 2 years.
Buffalo Wings Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Whoever gets the Caps in the first round should take them out. That way I don't have to hear about how "great" the Caps are from my MIL. (She only got into them because of her other son in law <_< .) I get the feeling this could be the year the Caps make the run that all the experts expected them to for the past few years. Not that I'm basing that on anything solid (I'm still not a fan of their goaltending)...just a hunch.
shrader Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I don't recall the On the Fly crew calling out for suspensions for Chara and Bertuzzi. The On the Fly broadcast that night was all over suspending Torres. I wonder if those guys had already gotten an inclination from the league office that the suspension was coming. Again, watching the hit on replay, I didn't think it should be a suspension. Watching it at full speed for the 1st time, I thought it looked bad and understood why the ref called it the way he did. I didn't think that the league would throw the book at him after they could see the hit from multiple angles, etc. I didn't think that hit, nor Bertuzzi's hit, should have garnered a suspension though I understood why both got the in game penalties that they received - the hits 'looked bad' in real time. I didn't think that either deserved a suspension, but if I had to suspend for one of those hits, it probably would have been Bertuzzi. What do you think? The 4 games takes it to another level of confusion for me.
LabattBlue Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 If Dallas didn't ###### the bed the 2nd half of February(1-5-3), they would be sitting pretty today. Instead, they have to hope that Chicago or Anaheim go cold this weekend AND they need to win their games.
Eleven Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 If Dallas didn't ###### the bed the 2nd half of February(1-5-3), they would be sitting pretty today. Instead, they have to hope that Chicago or Anaheim go cold this weekend AND they need to win their games. Yeah, that is interesting. I wonder, if they knew then what they know now, whether Brad Richards still would be on their roster.
LabattBlue Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Yeah, that is interesting. I wonder, if they knew then what they know now, whether Brad Richards still would be on their roster. I meant the 2nd half of March, not February. :oops:
Eleven Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I meant the 2nd half of March, not February. :oops: Yeah, I kinda knew what you meant. Still. They could have had a sweet draft pick, and they will walk away with nothin'. And I think they were leading their division just prior to the trade deadline, too.
Taro T Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I didn't think that either deserved a suspension, but if I had to suspend for one of those hits, it probably would have been Bertuzzi. What do you think? The 4 games takes it to another level of confusion for me. All I can figure is that they ONLY look at the hits at real speed to determine whether they should be suspendable or not. (That hit did look bad the very 1st time I saw it real speed.) On the Fly was saying they thought Torres' comments post hit (stuff to the effect of it was a clean hit and he doesn't think the NHL should take that hit out of the game - nothing too sinister IMHO) might have contributed to the length of the suspension. So apparently, the league would like to see player comments become even more vanilla than they currently are. Something more is going on w/ this hit than meets the eye. I don't know what that is.
X. Benedict Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Things have obviously changed since the pommer hit. The league wants to address headshots now (mostly to protect their a$$es from lawsuits and placate their advertisers but thats besides the point). Whats wrong with the league finally taking headshots seriously and drawing a line in the ice? All I can add to this is players like Kaleta better watch out. They could very well become endangered. I don't think it is a guy like Kaleta that becomes endagered at all. It is guys that patrol the middle.....like Scott Stevens.
Taro T Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I don't think it is a guy like Kaleta that becomes endagered at all. It is guys that patrol the middle.....like Scott Stevens. Based on the suspension of Torres, it would appear that those do seem to be the shots that the league is trying to get rid of: shoulder to head. Maybe the league wants the big guys to play more like Charo, who seems to lead w/ his elbow an awful lot IMHO. It looks like they'll give those guys leeway w/ the elbow to the chest/ribs as long as they don't drive their shoulder through somebody's melon. I don't think leading w/ his elbow would have made any difference in Torres' case. If anything, it would have made the hit much more devastating as Eberle's head was lowered as he stretched for the puck.
X. Benedict Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Based on the suspension of Torres, it would appear that those do seem to be the shots that the league is trying to get rid of: shoulder to head. Maybe the league wants the big guys to play more like Charo, who seems to lead w/ his elbow an awful lot IMHO. It looks like they'll give those guys leeway w/ the elbow to the chest/ribs as long as they don't drive their shoulder through somebody's melon. I don't think leading w/ his elbow would have made any difference in Torres' case. If anything, it would have made the hit much more devastating as Eberle's head was lowered as he stretched for the puck. I don't know why I'm bothered by it all. I am just amazed the way some of the younger players skate with their heads low. These kids are playing so fast that they can get away with it until the day when they are a split-second slow. Eberle - Skinner - Logan Couture all dangle with their heads down multiple times a game. It is fun to watch, but you never know how many times players pass on a clean legal hit because they know someone put themselves in a dangerous position. When the playoffs start those free passes stop.
Taro T Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I don't know why I'm bothered by it all. I am just amazed the way some of the younger players skate with their heads low. These kids are playing so fast that they can get away with it until the day when they are a split-second slow. Eberle - Skinner - Logan Couture all dangle with their heads down multiple times a game. It is fun to watch, but you never know how many times players pass on a clean legal hit because they know someone put themselves in a dangerous position. When the playoffs start those free passes stop. I can't speak for why you're bothered by it, my reason for being bothered by it is it will either result in a lot of hitting being taken out of the game as the league continues to try to reduce head shots or it will result in a lot of thuggery coming back into the game. Neither of which would be a good thing IMHO. The great thing about this game is the combination of grace, speed, skill, and violence. I honestly think they're at a pretty good point overall as even a Devils - Rangers game, which would have been unwatchable for me prior to the lockout (the combination of trap & obstruction (NJ) along w/ no ability to skate (NY)) can be entertaining. The game is faster than it has been, except for when Detroit or NJ plays (and sometimes Pittsburgh) I don't see a lot of blatent interference go uncalled, and there are still some monster hits. There are a handful of really dull games, but nowhere close to where it was prior to the lockout. But some of the proposed remedies to the 'dangerous' hits that we've seen lately (Chara hit being prime example) would bring interference back into the game. (I still think a lot of the proponents of that sort of remedy are the Milbury's of this world that know they'd've never played a day in the current NHL with its emphasis on speed.) Some of the proposed remedies to the Torres hit are to 'do away w/ the instigator rule.' Which all that really would do is reserve 1 spot (or more) on every roster for an Andrew Peters. I'd really rather have a McCormick taking that 12th spot (a guy that can play hockey and hold his own in a fight), rather than a Peters (a guy that can hold his own in a fight but can't play hockey). The Red Wings games are a lot more entertaining than the Thrashers are. And now that my incoherent rambling is done, back to work so I can get to the game tonight. B-)
shrader Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 I don't know why I'm bothered by it all. I am just amazed the way some of the younger players skate with their heads low. These kids are playing so fast that they can get away with it until the day when they are a split-second slow. Eberle - Skinner - Logan Couture all dangle with their heads down multiple times a game. It is fun to watch, but you never know how many times players pass on a clean legal hit because they know someone put themselves in a dangerous position. When the playoffs start those free passes stop. I'm all for policing the contact to the head and I've made that pretty obvious over the last couple years, but I have no clue what Torres was supposed to do on this one. Even Gerbe would have landed a shot to the head on this specific play.
X. Benedict Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Crosby not looking like a go for opening playoffs. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=558753
wjag Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Crosby not looking like a go for opening playoffs. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=558753 Aw shoot.
cdexchange Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 Crosby not looking like a go for opening playoffs. http://www.nhl.com/i...s.htm?id=558753 What a shame.
JJFIVEOH Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 If Pittsburgh and Philly both have 104 points now, how can the Pens be listed as #2 seed when Philly has 5 more Reg/OT wins?
OverPowerYou Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 Who do we want in round 1, Prongerless Philly or Crosbyless Pittsburgh?
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