Running Stanley Cup Playoff Thread

I'll simplify. I hate the fucking Red Wings and am glad - no, ecstatic - they're out of the playoffs.

 

Next year's Winter Classic, Rangers at Flyers:

http://m.nypost.com/p/blogs/nhlblog/rangers_to_play_flyers_in_winter_gK5MZzv1q7OXErmPsYe6TO

 

Over/under on number of iceballs thrown at Rangers players?

 

Over/under on number of foreign objects and snow and ice Flyers will bring in with them in addition to whatever may be laying around the facility ...

 

Apparently Ian White (of the Sharks)'s wife went into labor during Game 7. She told the PR staff not to tell Ian until after the game.

One of the CBC iDesk guys said "White was a plus-1 in Game 7, and his wife made it a plus-2."

Groan.

 

Knock me over with a feather. This matchup is incredibly uninteresting. What exactly do the Rangers have that would merit all of the national TV attention they have, other than the fact that they're in Manhattan? Missed the playoffs two years in a row, and are one of the dullest teams in the NHL to watch.

Now in Year 5 of the Winter Classic, NBC has now exhausted the five teams it realizes are in the NHL, so it's time to start recycling them. Second year that a team has been recycled in a row.

 

Bruins power play is an embarrassment.

 

Bruins power play is an embarrassment.

 

Damn you, banner ad, ya ruined my whole clever juxtaposition effect.

 

The Bruins need to just decline any opposition penalties.

OTOH, they need Bergeron back *badly*. They got killed on faceoffs tonight, and having to shuffle Kelly to the second line created a third line that is more than a little bit weak defensively.

 

Are you me? This is all stuff that I've been thinking the whole game. The faceoffs were an issue that I didn't hear the TV guys mentioning much. The Bergeron factor is gigantic.

 

Bergeron is one of those guys whose value doesn't show up in the stats. He was *by far* the best Bruin in the playoffs, but just like Krejci last year, his loss creates a ripple effect that weakens not just one, but two or three lines. Faceoffs are *huge*. So many goals are scored off of draws, and Bergeron is one of the best there is on the draw.

Seguin had two points tonight, but he was also on the ice for two of Tampa's first three goals. I'd like to see him get some more minutes instead of Paille when Bergeron comes back.

I expected this to be a long series beforehand, and still expect it to be a long series, so one turd of a game isn't huge. If Tampa wins Tuesday, it'll be time to panic.