NHL Playoff Pool (Make Finals Picks)

[claver2010]

Couple of thoughts from last night:

A) Nice to see NBC finally talk about fatso flopping like a fish out of water
ii: Love watching Parise but when you're behind the net, enough with the passes to the point when your dmen have a habit of shooting straight into shinpads
3. Rough night for the hundred million dollar man
d- I know the glass & ice at MSG sucks but last night it was brutal
v Great job by the ref noticing Parise throwing the puck in the net during the scrum right off the bat. They get a ton of shit (much of it deserved) but good job there

[Dick Rosenthal]

Good call on Brodeur. The goalie interference call was a disgrace as was the tripping call in the 2nd period. It was nice that the refs put away the whistle after that call--I have to believe someone from the league office realized that it has become embarrassing and told the on ice guys to cut the shit. Also, while Kopitar is a stud, I have not seen a goalie play a breakaway as bad as Fatso did last night--he retreated into the mouth of the net without forcing Kopitar to make a move or slow down. The Devils' d-men brain farted completely on the play, but you'd like your goalie to be aggressive in that situation to make the guy think and hopefully give you a chance to get back in the play.

The Devils got the benefit of the doubt on everything that wasn't blatant (i.e. Parise's pathetic attempt to put the puck in the net) and they still lost at home. Good times.

[flyingelvii]

That move Kopitar pulled was deadly, about as deadly as the brainfart pulled by the NJ dmen to set it up. Pretty much the same one he did when he undressed Elliott in the second round. I was a little disappointed by the pace of the game, as most of the play seemed to be in the neutral zone, but things definitely picked up in the 3rd and OT so hopefully it was just a case of them feeling each other out before settling into the rhythm of the game. It's incredible that LA hasn't lost a road game yet.

And I have to imagine Kovy's back is acting up on him again. He's been able to contribute a ton in other ways outside of the scoresheet but he really looked like he was laboring doing even the most basic of skating tasks last night. Just no burst and no explosion.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Great article on Scuderi aka The Piece on the front page of ESPN. Consummate pro, makes everyone around him better and plays steady when everything is on the line. Always thought he was better than Orpik and this playoff proves it.

[Dick Rosenthal]

It's nice to see egregious officiating fail to deliver a victory to the Devils. The Kings steamrolled the Devils for the first 30 minutes but still managed to be called for 3 penalties (2 absolutely ticky-tack cross checks) to the Devils none. It took Zubras basically dragging a defensemen to the ground and mashing him with the stick to get Bettman's zebras to blow the shistle and they quickly erased that call with another ticky-tack call on Doughty.

I was trying to figure out that angle on the NHL's stance. I mean, a Kings Stanley Cup victory would be a vindication of the Bettman Sunbelt strategy and nobody gives a shit about the Devils and nobody would notice if they were contracted out of existence or moved to Hamilton or Quebec City. But then it occured to me, it will probably not be too difficult to sell the Kings. Big market team, decent cable deal, good young talent on the roster an actual fanbase that shows up even when they suck. In contrast, the Devils play in a city that is synonymous for urban decay, get zero media exposure despite playing on the periphery of the media capital of the world, have a horrendous cable deal (basically they get covered by the Rangers house network and play most of their games on MSG2), are likely to lose their Captain (who also happens to be the only marketable player on their roster) and have a territory that is thoroughly saturated and divided by two extremely popular big market teams--The Rangers and Flyers. On top of that, the Devils very existence as a third wheel damages the Islander brand by diluting the anti-Ranger fan base in a manner that leaves both the Islanders and Devils with anemic fanbases.

Bettman is a lot of things, but I have come to understand he is not an imbecile. My guess is the NHL's wish list would include a Devil's Stanley Cup followed by a a top-of-the-market sale to a group (maybe a Gretzky-lead group--I love the irony of Gretzky buying the "Mickey Mouse franchise") and then moving them a year or two from now to Hamilton. As the Devils are extinguished, the Islanders move to Brooklyn. A win-win for the league.

[DuchesneEast]

No one else noticed the Devils, clearly outplaying the big, bad Kings. I really think all the hype got into the Devils heads and they are trying to be too fine. Quick isnt much better then Lundqvist and teh Devils should be able to put up 3 goals.

[flyingelvii]

It's nice to see egregious officiating fail to deliver a victory to the Devils. The Kings steamrolled the Devils for the first 30 minutes but still managed to be called for 3 penalties (2 absolutely ticky-tack cross checks) to the Devils none. It took Zubras basically dragging a defensemen to the ground and mashing him with the stick to get Bettman's zebras to blow the shistle and they quickly erased that call with another ticky-tack call on Doughty.

I was trying to figure out that angle on the NHL's stance. I mean, a Kings Stanley Cup victory would be a vindication of the Bettman Sunbelt strategy and nobody gives a shit about the Devils and nobody would notice if they were contracted out of existence or moved to Hamilton or Quebec City. But then it occured to me, it will probably not be too difficult to sell the Kings. Big market team, decent cable deal, good young talent on the roster an actual fanbase that shows up even when they suck. In contrast, the Devils play in a city that is synonymous for urban decay, get zero media exposure despite playing on the periphery of the media capital of the world, have a horrendous cable deal (basically they get covered by the Rangers house network and play most of their games on MSG2), are likely to lose their Captain (who also happens to be the only marketable player on their roster) and have a territory that is thoroughly saturated and divided by two extremely popular big market teams--The Rangers and Flyers. On top of that, the Devils very existence as a third wheel damages the Islander brand by diluting the anti-Ranger fan base in a manner that leaves both the Islanders and Devils with anemic fanbases.

Bettman is a lot of things, but I have come to understand he is not an imbecile. My guess is the NHL's wish list would include a Devil's Stanley Cup followed by a a top-of-the-market sale to a group (maybe a Gretzky-lead group--I love the irony of Gretzky buying the "Mickey Mouse franchise") and then moving them a year or two from now to Hamilton. As the Devils are extinguished, the Islanders move to Brooklyn. A win-win for the league.

Yeah I think the Sunbelt was validated when the Ducks and Hurricanes won a few years back.

And I have no idea what game you were watching but the Devils pretty much controlled it from the beginning outside of Brad Doty's rush. In terms of the refs, I haven't really seen anything egregious on either end so far.

Edit: The Kings aren't even a Sunbelt team or a nontraditional one, for that matter. They've been around for like 35 years (with those nice yellow and purple unis with a queen's crown) but have sucked for most outside of the few Gretzky years.

[palatine]

It's nice to see egregious officiating fail to deliver a victory to the Devils. The Kings steamrolled the Devils for the first 30 minutes but still managed to be called for 3 penalties (2 absolutely ticky-tack cross checks) to the Devils none. It took Zubras basically dragging a defensemen to the ground and mashing him with the stick to get Bettman's zebras to blow the shistle and they quickly erased that call with another ticky-tack call on Doughty.

I was trying to figure out that angle on the NHL's stance. I mean, a Kings Stanley Cup victory would be a vindication of the Bettman Sunbelt strategy and nobody gives a shit about the Devils and nobody would notice if they were contracted out of existence or moved to Hamilton or Quebec City. But then it occured to me, it will probably not be too difficult to sell the Kings. Big market team, decent cable deal, good young talent on the roster an actual fanbase that shows up even when they suck. In contrast, the Devils play in a city that is synonymous for urban decay, get zero media exposure despite playing on the periphery of the media capital of the world, have a horrendous cable deal (basically they get covered by the Rangers house network and play most of their games on MSG2), are likely to lose their Captain (who also happens to be the only marketable player on their roster) and have a territory that is thoroughly saturated and divided by two extremely popular big market teams--The Rangers and Flyers. On top of that, the Devils very existence as a third wheel damages the Islander brand by diluting the anti-Ranger fan base in a manner that leaves both the Islanders and Devils with anemic fanbases.

Bettman is a lot of things, but I have come to understand he is not an imbecile. My guess is the NHL's wish list would include a Devil's Stanley Cup followed by a a top-of-the-market sale to a group (maybe a Gretzky-lead group--I love the irony of Gretzky buying the "Mickey Mouse franchise") and then moving them a year or two from now to Hamilton. As the Devils are extinguished, the Islanders move to Brooklyn. A win-win for the league.

Yeah I think the Sunbelt was validated when the Ducks and Hurricanes won a few years back.

And I have no idea what game you were watching but the Devils pretty much controlled it from the beginning outside of Brad Doty's rush. In terms of the refs, I haven't really seen anything egregious on either end so far.

Edit: The Kings aren't even a Sunbelt team or a nontraditional one, for that matter. They've been around for like 35 years (with those nice yellow and purple unis with a queen's crown) but have sucked for most outside of the few Gretzky years.

illogical.

[claver2010]

Puckdaddy had a piece on the ratings being down this year: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/why-aren-t-fans-watching-2012-stanley-cup-144324282.html

Had several thoughts/issues with the piece:

1) I think it's more lack of marquee franchises over lack of stars. Boston didn't have Crosby, Ovechkin, etc. These two teams are rarely on national tv all year. (When I'm bored I'll look at it but I would doubt if these teams combined for more than 1 Sunday afternoon game and the Devils games would be the ones relegated to CNBC during the playoff run)

B. "But despite the New York and Los Angeles markets, this Cup Final has started slowly". Sorry Duchie but no one in NY cares about the Devils. Look at the Post & News headlines the day after game 2, both Johan 48 hours after no hitter. No one is talking about it on the FAN, etc.

iii- xenophobia. Sorry that's bullshit. Look at the top couple of players on either side, here you have 2 American captains, a HOF goalie from Canada that's been around forever & a young American goalie. Last year outside of Thomas there were few impactful Americans.

[DuchesneEast]

Puckdaddy had a piece on the ratings being down this year: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/why-aren-t-fans-watching-2012-stanley-cup-144324282.html

Had several thoughts/issues with the piece:

1) I think it's more lack of marquee franchises over lack of stars. Boston didn't have Crosby, Ovechkin, etc. These two teams are rarely on national tv all year. (When I'm bored I'll look at it but I would doubt if these teams combined for more than 1 Sunday afternoon game and the Devils games would be the ones relegated to CNBC during the playoff run)

B. "But despite the New York and Los Angeles markets, this Cup Final has started slowly". Sorry Duchie but no one in NY cares about the Devils. Look at the Post & News headlines the day after game 2, both Johan 48 hours after no hitter. No one is talking about it on the FAN, etc.

iii- xenophobia. Sorry that's bullshit. Look at the top couple of players on either side, here you have 2 American captains, a HOF goalie from Canada that's been around forever & a young American goalie. Last year outside of Thomas there were few impactful Americans.

I agree no one in NY cares about the Devils, and I dont give a shit. I dont care when the Rangers play either. BUT I kind of agree with iii, I like hockey but with so may long slavic names, sometimes its offputting. Its not awful, but I cant relate to a Ponikarovsky or Anže Kopitar. I like my favorite players capped at 2 syllables.

[flyingelvii]

Not a big Gionta fan I see.

And missing out on Anze Kopitar for any reason is just a great tragedy by any measure.

[DuchesneEast]

Not a big Gionta fan I see.

And missing out on Anze Kopitar for any reason is just a great tragedy by any measure.

Italians are exceptions for personal reasons, but thinking about it, I should have just said franco or amero names.

I was just thinking of Stevens and Lemieux, all time Devil favorites to this day.

[DuchesneEast]

Devils win tonight.

[flyingelvii]

It's nice to see egregious officiating fail to deliver a victory to the Devils. The Kings steamrolled the Devils for the first 30 minutes but still managed to be called for 3 penalties (2 absolutely ticky-tack cross checks) to the Devils none. It took Zubras basically dragging a defensemen to the ground and mashing him with the stick to get Bettman's zebras to blow the shistle and they quickly erased that call with another ticky-tack call on Doughty.

I was trying to figure out that angle on the NHL's stance. I mean, a Kings Stanley Cup victory would be a vindication of the Bettman Sunbelt strategy and nobody gives a shit about the Devils and nobody would notice if they were contracted out of existence or moved to Hamilton or Quebec City. But then it occured to me, it will probably not be too difficult to sell the Kings. Big market team, decent cable deal, good young talent on the roster an actual fanbase that shows up even when they suck. In contrast, the Devils play in a city that is synonymous for urban decay, get zero media exposure despite playing on the periphery of the media capital of the world, have a horrendous cable deal (basically they get covered by the Rangers house network and play most of their games on MSG2), are likely to lose their Captain (who also happens to be the only marketable player on their roster) and have a territory that is thoroughly saturated and divided by two extremely popular big market teams--The Rangers and Flyers. On top of that, the Devils very existence as a third wheel damages the Islander brand by diluting the anti-Ranger fan base in a manner that leaves both the Islanders and Devils with anemic fanbases.

Bettman is a lot of things, but I have come to understand he is not an imbecile. My guess is the NHL's wish list would include a Devil's Stanley Cup followed by a a top-of-the-market sale to a group (maybe a Gretzky-lead group--I love the irony of Gretzky buying the "Mickey Mouse franchise") and then moving them a year or two from now to Hamilton. As the Devils are extinguished, the Islanders move to Brooklyn. A win-win for the league.

Yeah I think the Sunbelt was validated when the Ducks and Hurricanes won a few years back.

And I have no idea what game you were watching but the Devils pretty much controlled it from the beginning outside of Brad Doty's rush. In terms of the refs, I haven't really seen anything egregious on either end so far.

Edit: The Kings aren't even a Sunbelt team or a nontraditional one, for that matter. They've been around for like 35 years (with those nice yellow and purple unis with a queen's crown) but have sucked for most outside of the few Gretzky years.

illogical.

You're actually correct. It was 45 years not 35. How many trimesters is that?

In terms of CONTENT, Gagne back in Tge lineup for LA. Should see time on the PP and limited time 5 on 5.

[claver2010]

Noticed it on the Devils 5 on 3 and it's something that's annoyed me w BC's forever -so stagnant. 5 people standing in the exact same spot, easier to defend.

[claver2010]

That was some rack on Alyssa Milano

And some pass from Brown

[Dick Rosenthal]

Jeff Carter is treating the Devils like they are Scott Hartnell's marriage. What a joy to watch.

[claver2010]

[claver2010]

Both eagles get HFB on same play, 1 called

[Dick Rosenthal]

Nice to see Deboer keeping it classy...or not...I think he and Oates have to be dating.

[claver2010]

all 3 americans who have won the conn smythe were from hockey east

leetch, thomas, quick

[claver2010]

[nerd]

Both eagles get HFB on same play, 1 called

Was Scuderi really hit from behind? He saw the hit coming and turned his back.

[claver2010]

Both eagles get HFB on same play, 1 called

Was Scuderi really hit from behind? He saw the hit coming and turned his back.

Can't see the video again now but it's a fair point on the whole when it comes to HFB. Players should be able to wrap up going into the boards if they see an opponent's numbers and then the refs should work harder to get the grabbing out of the other areas.

[claver2010]

congrats flying elvis faxxot


Elvis 28
CAG 24
Claver 21
BigNick 13
Ryfarls 10
9903 9
AC 7
LGM 6
Pedro 4

[flyingelvii]

That's fat elvis faxxot to you, good sir.

[claver2010]

Oates hired by 's team

[DuchesneEast]

Oates hired by 's team

[claver2010]

Schneider agrees to a 3 year $12 MM w Vancouver

[bignick33]

Schneider agrees to a 3 year $12 MM w Vancouver

Now that that's out of the way, they can trade Luongo to Toronto or whomever.