Running Stanley Cup Playoff Thread

The division titles are nice, but they mean very little, especially considering they play in one off the weakest divisions in the NHL (flip a coin between the Southeast and Northwest).

Yes, the Caps will be competitive for a long time, but that just ups the stakes. They're almost guaranteed a top four spot in the Eastern Conference with their personnel. They need to take the next step, though, and they've yet to show they can do that under Boudreau.

 

If the San Jose Sharks lose in the first round again -- and, for the record, I do NOT predict that will happen this year --- then McLellan AND the key players (Thornton, Marleau, Heatley, etc.) have all got to go. The Sharks have been underachieving since Ovechkin and company were way back in juniors.

Since Boudreau took over, every series the Caps have been in has gone to Game 7 -- all at home. Washington is 1-3 (lost to Philly in 08, beat NYR and lost to Pittsburgh in 09, lost to Montreal in 10). Those sort of losses are among the hardest to stomach.

I honestly thought Julien would get canned after Boston blew a 3-0 lead and lost to Philadelphia last spring. The team did a nice job of putting that behind them and winning the division. Now, ironically, the experience of being on the other end of that may actually give them confidence in the current series.

Still waiting to see Milan Lucic knock the daylights out of PK Subban.

 

Good game today, good win for New York. I'm not too concerned yet. Still trying to figure out how Dubinsky scored that one, but fluke goals around the net happen all the time in the playoffs. He worked hard to get low and got rewarded.

 

Your goal when you go on the road for games 3 and 4 is to win one.

Obviously you try to win every game, but if you win one on the road, you're doing pretty good.

 

Thoroughly outclassed for the first 38 minutes and trailing 2-0, the Ducks - who only have 10 shots through two - score two goals 30 seconds apart to tie it. Third will be interesting, game is getting a little heated.

 

Well, that was a short power play. Blackhawks up 1-0 on a shot right off the draw.

 

Raffi Torres makes another cheap shot hit, this one on Brent Seabrook. At least Seabrook got up and Chicago scored on the ensuing power play.

 

Express seating available on Blackhawks bandwagon.

 

Canucks up 3-0 in the series. Luongo was the difference.

 

Blackhawks are getting back what they gave to San Jose last year. I honestly don't think Chicago is *that* far behind Vancouver in terms of quality of play, but Vancouver is making the little edge count in every game.