NHL Playoff Pool (Make Finals Picks)

[flyingelvii]

Looked more like he was off balance and not expecting a push. He's certainly nowhere near the precedent set by Mike Smith throughout these playoffs.

[DuchesneEast]

I do you one favor in Hoboken and I have to hear about it 15 years later? After I gave you the kind of assist that Adam Oates, Craig Janney or dare I say The Great One might have dished only to watch you slam it into the post (in the form of Fortunato calling you out). It goes to show that being swarthy and relatively obscure isn't enough--you have to stay in character. Not as bad as the William Patterson grad after his car accident, but not helpful. My brilliance is wasted.

And for the record, I have hated the Devils ever since they benched Terreri. I have always despised Fatso Uncle Daddy, along with The Head Hunter and the Falling Down Drunk, The Cheap Shot Artist, The Czech Money Stealer, Driver the Double Agent and all of the other loathsome characters that have filled the roster over the years. Guerin, Mottau and Talented Gionta were the only guys for whom I did not wish death.

And as for whiny, there is no whinier koont in all of hockey than the doughy-faced fajjet who pollutes the Devils bench these days. I think Deboer is Afrikaaner for "Coaches diving".

Not for nothing, but I doubt Adam Oates ever dished out any assists that involved picking up women. Just sayin'.

Incorrect again:

Actually, there was clearly no scoring there, so no assist.

To stay topical, seeing Adam Oates behind the Devils bench gave me a chuckle last night.

[bignick33]

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/05/23/s ... -to-kings/

[bchockey04]

So that Gionta kid...definitely a minor leaguer right Dick?

Devils up by 1 with 1:30 left and forechecking with 3 forwards. This is not your early 2000's Devils teams.

[DuchesneEast]

So that Gionta kid...definitely a minor leaguer right Dick?

Devils up by 1 with 1:30 left and forechecking with 3 forwards. This is not your early 2000's Devils teams.

Gionta a free agent too, making himself some $$$ here.


I think that was the Rangers best game and they lost. I couldnt watch parts on the 2nd period I was cringing too much (It was also Lundy's worst 5 minutes too.)

[DavidGordonsFoot]

Duchie must be pumped. Sorry claver.

[DuchesneEast]

Duchie must be pumped. Sorry claver.

Relieved was more like it. Hockey playoffs are so stressful esp OT, I think I was more elated it was over quick. I get kind of nasty to everyone around me I will savor this all weekend and until game 2 if the Cup Finals.

Very unlike BC where I am constantly happy as I expect to win.

[claver2010]

Duchie must be pumped. Sorry claver.

Yeah I'm used to punches to the junk from my teams (sans BC hockey) from Ewing's finger roll rattling out to Yadi fucking Molina to Doug Brien in Pittsburgh

The reality is the core of this team is very young Callahan (just turned 27), Stepan (21), Dubinski (just turned 26) and the top 4 D is 25 and under (sans Girardi who just turned 28). After decades of buying players for absurd contracts on the downside of their careers they're finally building towards something. It sucks cause you never know when you're going to get back though (as you know with the 06 Mets).

Congrats Duchie, there's nothing like playoff hockey

[bignick33]

Kings won in 5; Devils won in six. Those who submitted their predictions late will be docked two points (changing the rules after the fact!). I will post the scoring for the final later.

[claver2010]

CAG 16
Elvis 16
BigNick 13
Ryfarls 10
9903 9
Claver 9
AC 7
LGM 6
Pedro 4

[commavegarage]

Kings in 4

[DuchesneEast]

Duchie must be pumped. Sorry claver.

Yeah I'm used to punches to the junk from my teams (sans BC hockey) from Ewing's finger roll rattling out to Yadi fucking Molina to Doug Brien in Pittsburgh

The reality is the core of this team is very young Callahan (just turned 27), Stepan (21), Dubinski (just turned 26) and the top 4 D is 25 and under (sans Girardi who just turned 28). After decades of buying players for absurd contracts on the downside of their careers they're finally building towards something. It sucks cause you never know when you're going to get back though (as you know with the 06 Mets).

Congrats Duchie, there's nothing like playoff hockey

Thanks Claver, its just so nerve racking.

I had stopped hating the Rangers as much before this series and now I am back to wanting to punch them in the face. Hockey brings out the best in people.

[DuchesneEast]

Kings in 4

Dick.

I wish I had been in on this from day I would have just kept picking the Devils in 5 in every series and probably would have done well.

[bignick33]

Devils in 7

[DuchesneEast]

Devils in 7

If I was the Kings I would have been on the East Coast yesterday. Jet lag coming east is usually awful.

[flyingelvii]

LA in 6.

[DuchesneEast]

Despite being unstoppable in the playoffs withe a hot goalie, does anyone remember that LA was the 8 seed. People are making them out to be the '76 Canadians.

[flyingelvii]

They're also a team that has underperformed all year save for the playoffs and the final two weeks of the regular season. They're basically playing like we expected them to all year. And in hockey it's generally the hot team with the hotter goalie that takes it. Not to mention they've played 6 fewer games than NJD.

[claver2010]

Sorry Duchie, Kings in 6

[DuchesneEast]

I just got back from a bbq, everyone is picking the kinds in 4 or 5, then again they are all rangers fans. I didn't think they would beat the flyers so this is all gravy. I think it all comes down to Marty, they just beat a great goalie.
I was at least able to score tix at a decent prices.

[commavegarage]

The Kings are outstanding. And their entire team is hot.

[flyingelvii]

The Kings are outstanding. And their entire team is hot.

Enough about Jeff Carter's frosted tips. What do you think of their actual hockey ability?

[claver2010]

I just got back from a bbq, everyone is picking the kinds in 4 or 5, then again they are all rangers fans. I didn't think they would beat the flyers so this is all gravy. I think it all comes down to Marty, they just beat a great goalie.
I was at least able to score tix at a decent prices.

Definitely part of it is bitterness, Quick is on another level right now though.

The Kings are outstanding. And their entire team is hot.

Enough about Jeff Carter's frosted tips. What do you think of their actual hockey ability?

Two (2) things:

A)


B. Not ACC caliber

[flyingelvii]

Is not being ACC caliber a good or bad thing these days? This whole conference realignment thing is really confusing me and this site's memes.

[ryfarls]

Devils in 6

[bignick33]

In the Finals, scoring will be 8 points for picking the winner correctly. A bonus of 4 points will be awarded if the winner AND the number of games are both predicted correctly.

[ryfarls]

I should've made second round picks.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Kings in 5--should be 4, but they will take their foot off the gas for a night like they did with the Yotes (who are a much better team then the Devils). It is a shame that the Devils got to play a team that was utterly exhausted from playing two superior teams in the previous two rounds. The simple truth, as so eloquently stated on Hockey Night in Canada, is the Devils got incredibly lucky with their draw. They played a pudding-soft Panthers team and a Flyers team that had a goalie that couldn't stop a beachball. They then struggled with a Rangers team that was running on fumes and simply didn't have the legs to play the positional hockey they need to play to be successful. In the end, the Rangers were done in by the injury to Michael Sauer and Torts inability to trust Tim Erickson. It was an utter and complete waste to suit up Eminger or Bickel and only play them 2 to 3 minutes a night. You can do it in the regular season, in the playoffs not so much.

The takeaway from this playoffs as we head to the coronation of the LA Kings is that the division winners should not get an automatic top three seed and the NHL has to get serious about calling the flop/dive. Aso, Shanahan needs to be sacked (although I suspect when the PR campaign gets rolling on his past indescretions he will quietly step aside). The NHL will also need a PR strategy for when Deboer is inevitably found murdered in a gay Nazi bath house with a gag ball in his mouth.

In an ideal world, the Kings would win games 1 and 2 and the Devils plane would pull a Marshall/Buddy Holly on its way out to the west coast.

[commavegarage]

Kings in 5 actually. Devils will win tonight, kings will win next 4

[claver2010]

With 10 minutes to go in the Cs-Heat game the Cup finals regulation buzzer went off. A full intermission & 8+ minutes of game time later, there's still 2 minutes left in the NBA game -unreal.