Semifinals Thread

[qwksndmonster]

The Rangers won't take advantage of the back up like they should. Their scoring will dry up like it always does. Montreal will make it a series, Price going down may have tipped the scales in the Rangers' favor, but they're going to have to do it in 7.

Edited May 19, 2014 by qwksndmonster

[TrueBlueGED]

I know there's a funereal pall over the rest of the Habs/Rangers series which is made worse considering the final score of game 1, and I certainly feel the hopeless doom and gloom myself, but I wonder if we're not all counting chickens before they've hatched?

 

The Habs are fantastic at rallying around an underdog cry this season- is this the pummeling of adversity that leads to a Disney movie magic ending?

 

I'd read rumours that Subban was injured- as far as I've seen those are false. Say the young goalie (Tokarski's his name?) manages to play the series of his life, and Subban and co really turn it up? Someone has to stop NY's fast breakouts, though.

 

Lundqvist is a hell of a goalie when he's on, but he's sputtered on and off this season. I think he turned "on" halfway through the last series. Maybe the off switch is busted and he'll carry NY to their first cup in 20 years. I'd felt pretty blah about the Rangers all season, I'm still surprised they're doing as well as they are.

 

Just playing devil's advocate here. :mellow: I personally am with the rest of the apocalypse prophets.

 

It's not insane to think this way. Rangers PP could go cold like in round 1, Tokarski may set the world on fire for a short run, Therrien could actually play Vanek on a scoring line. There's been enough upsets to know it's not over, but yea, it's hard to like the Habs' chances without Price.

 

That said, I'll channel my inner Drane here...apparently money is *flying* in on the Rangers, so maybe the Habs aren't a horrible bet.

[Jsixspd]

Awesome.

 

Hossa is a great, great player.

 

 

In the post-season, since Buffalo rarely ever participates, I tend to be a Blackhawks fan. That is just a quality, QUALITY organization. If Buffalo had to pick a model to use for their rebuild, they could choose a helluva lot worse. Team is always competitive.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Jsixspd

[IKnowPhysics]

In the post-season, since Buffalo rarely ever participates, I tend to be a Blackhawks fan. That is just a quality, QUALITY organization. If Buffalo had to pick a model to use for their rebuild, they could choose a helluva lot worse. Team is always competitive.

 

Chicago Blackhawks Three-Step Rebuild Model for Great Stanley Cup Success

Step 1: Bury the owner.

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Profit!

[Eleven]

In the post-season, since Buffalo rarely ever participates, I tend to be a Blackhawks fan. That is just a quality, QUALITY organization. If Buffalo had to pick a model to use for their rebuild, they could choose a helluva lot worse. Team is always competitive.

 

"Always" doesn't go back too far, does it?

[X. Benedict]

I'm reluctant to make this point for obvious reasons/associations ....but Vingneult system is highly similar to Ruff's system 5x5.

Active D, puck possession, pass out of the zone, etc.

Edited May 19, 2014 by X. Benedict

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Yeah the Price injury honestly disappoints me a lot. I hadn't seen game 1, so I don't know what everyone's referring to with this Kreider incident, but anything that took away the goalie match-up of Lundqvist and Price just sucks.

 

I know I've asked before, still I forgot, but I believe it's Dudacek and Ghost that have a Rangers/Finals bet, no?

 

TrueBlue

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/21703-official-sabrespace-charity-wager-thread/

[TrueBlueGED]

TrueBlue

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/21703-official-sabrespace-charity-wager-thread/

 

Oh trust me, I'm aware. Do you know how painful it is to not only think the Rangers could win, but to have actually picked them throughout this year's playoffs? Brutal!

 

My defense of myself is I made that bet when Torts was the coach, and he was part of the reason I didn't think they'd win. Vigneault >>>>> Torts. That said, I do think they get beat in 6 or less regardless of who comes out of the West.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Oh trust me, I'm aware. Do you know how painful it is to not only think the Rangers could win, but to have actually picked them throughout this year's playoffs? Brutal!

 

My defense of myself is I made that bet when Torts was the coach, and he was part of the reason I didn't think they'd win. Vigneault >>>>> Torts. That said, I do think they get beat in 6 or less regardless of who comes out of the West.

 

Torts is part of the reason I made the bet.

 

If you told me 1 year later that he and Callahan weren't there, I wouldn't have done it.

[WildCard]

TrueBlue

 

http://forums.sabres...y-wager-thread/

Thanks :thumbsup:

 

This bet is just depressing, mostly because how true it is :bag:

nfreeman has a credit of $30 with me, and we have a double or nothing going on with him winning if the Sabres win a playoff series first or me winning if the Bills win a playoff game or get a bye first. This may not be settled for a decade

 

[Jsixspd]

"Always" doesn't go back too far, does it?

 

Well, since the rebuild started; and in those 7 years, they've been in the playoffs 6 of 7 years (only didn't qualify first year). Drilling down further for granularity, they have

 

2 Stanley Cup wins

 

2 Finals appearances

 

2 Quarterfinals appearances.

 

What's NOT to like here? :)

[TrueBlueGED]

Torts is part of the reason I made the bet.

 

If you told me 1 year later that he and Callahan weren't there, I wouldn't have done it.

 

It never ceases to amaze me how diametrically opposed we are on Torts. If you told me the Rangers would trade Torts and Callahan for Vigneault and St. Louis, I wouldn't have made the deal either :lol:

 

Didn't you say this was sort of a referendum season on Torts since it was a coach for coach swap with minimal roster differences? Well Torts missed the playoffs and got fired, meanwhile, Vigneault might be coaching in the Cup Finals.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

It never ceases to amaze me how diametrically opposed we are on Torts. If you told me the Rangers would trade Torts and Callahan for Vigneault and St. Louis, I wouldn't have made the deal either :lol:

 

Didn't you say this was sort of a referendum season on Torts since it was a coach for coach swap with minimal roster differences? Well Torts missed the playoffs and got fired, meanwhile, Vigneault might be coaching in the Cup Finals.

 

I liked NY because of their roster and the way they played. I think they had the most balanced defense in the league and a bunch of gritty forwards. I figured between Lundqvist and Torts' style....they would grind one out. He still won 3 series the past 2 years for them. He has a short shelf life because of his personality.

 

I still took them to be right there at the beginning of this year. Vancouver just doesn't have the attitude. The goalie situation didn't help.

 

 

 

 

I think they will be good. Torts hates fools, and Kassian can be a big fool at times....but torts also loves guys who have a fun streak to them if they are willing to go out and punish people and play hard, which Kassian also has the ability to do. I think Torts will get a kick out of Kassian. He will be frustrated by him at times and have to maybe send a message, but he likes a give-and-take with players he respects. Bellicheck is a lot like that. If you are a pure fool, he doesn't want you. If you are "fun", he can work with you as long as you are dedicated and know your role. The difference between Torts and Lindy in their "gruffness" is I feel Torts tries to leverage that personality into a stronger player. Lindy has the same ability for give and take, but it is usually only with older guys...he usually tries to drive his system and command home to the younger guys, and for far too long Buffalo tried to develop their core of younger guys....so it went stale.

 

I would look for both NY and Vancouver to do at least as well as last year.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Well, since the rebuild started; and in those 7 years, they've been in the playoffs 6 of 7 years (only didn't qualify first year). Drilling down further for granularity, they have

 

2 Stanley Cup wins

 

2 Finals appearances

 

2 Quarterfinals appearances.

 

What's NOT to like here? :)

 

Something like 40, or 50, years (1962, I think) between the most recent cup and their cup in 2010.

[X. Benedict]

I liked NY because of their roster and the way they played. I think they had the most balanced defense in the league and a bunch of gritty forwards. I figured between Lundqvist and Torts' style....they would grind one out. He still won 3 series the past 2 years for them. He has a short shelf life because of his personality.

 

I still took them to be right there at the beginning of this year. Vancouver just doesn't have the attitude. The goalie situation didn't help.

 

It'll be interesting to see what Vancouver does this off-season. I wonder if they hire Shero. I wonder if they purge the roster.

I think Tortorella turns up again sooner than later though. I wonder if Trevor Linden would consider bringing back Marc Crawford. He's

overdue to be in the NHL again.

[Trettioåtta]

Oh trust me, I'm aware. Do you know how painful it is to not only think the Rangers could win, but to have actually picked them throughout this year's playoffs? Brutal!

 

My defense of myself is I made that bet when Torts was the coach, and he was part of the reason I didn't think they'd win. Vigneault >>>>> Torts. That said, I do think they get beat in 6 or less regardless of who comes out of the West.

 

I would be shocked with the East coast winning this year. I think the Rags are on a cinderella tour. I wouldn't worry about the bet. But I agree about Torts. 6 guys playing goalie can only be productive for so long.

 

I rooting for Chicago. Toews with a third cup at like 25 would be something special

[Hoss]

The Rangers went 3-1 again the Western Conference Finals teams this year with a +7 goal differential. 2-0 again the Blackhawks.

[dudacek]

Everyone out here was convinced Benning would be the new Canuck GM shortly after the Bruins got eliminated.

You would think Shero should at least give them pause.

[SwampD]

Even the Ranger interviews are boring.

[TrueBlueGED]

The Rangers went 3-1 again the Western Conference Finals teams this year with a +7 goal differential. 2-0 again the Blackhawks.

 

I'm sure we could have all kinds of fun comparing regular season and postseason matchup results (Colorado, for example, unless I can't count, was 4-1 against Minnesota). I know in the 1st round there actually is a pretty high regular season and post season record correlation, but a lot of that is just getting 1v8s where the 1 is flat out the better team (and it was also in the old playoff format, so who knows if it will change now). I'd be pretty surprised if the regular season head-to-heads meant a whole lot outside of round 1.

[Hoss]

 

 

I'm sure we could have all kinds of fun comparing regular season and postseason matchup results (Colorado, for example, unless I can't count, was 4-1 against Minnesota). I know in the 1st round there actually is a pretty high regular season and post season record correlation, but a lot of that is just getting 1v8s where the 1 is flat out the better team (and it was also in the old playoff format, so who knows if it will change now). I'd be pretty surprised if the regular season head-to-heads meant a whole lot outside of round 1.

 

Don't worry, I wasn't saying it's much of an important statistic. Just noting it.

[MILFHUNTER#518]

wow, Montreal is freakin pissed! I LOOOVVEE IT!! :)

 

WHAT A F***IN SHIFT!!!!!!! WHOOO!!!!! :)

[SwampD]

Suban looks hurt.

 

EDIT: Nevermind. It must have been the end of his shift.

Edited May 20, 2014 by SwampD

[MILFHUNTER#518]

Listening to Dick Emrick call a goal is like getting a blowj0b from a chick with braces!!!!

[SwampD]

Listening to Dick Emrick call a goal is like getting a blowj0b from a chick with braces!!!!

Perfect.