NHL Playoffs

[The Dowager Mod]

Capitals in 6
Penguins in 7
Panthers in 6
Red wings in 7 (upset special)
Stars in 5
Blackhawks in 7
Ducks in 6
Kings in 7

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I hope it's not as long of a first round as TG thinks it will be, but I fear she's right.

Bold prediction - Flyers end up on the Conference Championship game.  You heard it here first (and probably last).

[Illiniwek]

Capitals in 7
Rangers in 6
Panthers in 5
Red Wings in 7
Stars in 5
Blackhawks in 7
Ducks in 4
Kings in 7

Rangers in 7
Red Wings in 6
Blackhawks in 6
Ducks in 5

Rangers in 6
Blackhawks in 7

Blackhawks in 5



It's going to be a tough road ahead for the Blackhawks to repeat; a lot of guys will need to step it up on defense. But the clutch leadership of Toews and unstoppable play from Kane and Panarin will inspire this team to defy the odds and win this Cup once again.

[The Dowager Mod]

If the Stars get Seguin back for game 1 it could be a sweep.

[Hatman 🍁]

Wake me up when its the Finals  :/

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Wake me up when its the Finals  :/

I don't disagree.  Best of 5 until the finals are plenty.  Too long of a post-season.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Fleury will be in the net tonight.  That evens the odds a bit against Sir Henrik and his Rangers.

(By the way, the Rangers aren't really the Rangers without Torts as their coach.  God he hated the Penguins franchise.     )

[Illiniwek]

Wake me up when its the Finals  :/

I don't disagree.  Best of 5 until the finals are plenty.  Too long of a post-season.

No way, NHL has the best playoffs. This is going to be a fun couple of months.

[dead0man]

Wake me up when its the Finals  :/

I don't disagree.  Best of 5 until the finals are plenty.  Too long of a post-season.

No way, NHL has the best playoffs. This is going to be a fun couple of months.

truth

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Wake me up when its the Finals  :/

I don't disagree.  Best of 5 until the finals are plenty.  Too long of a post-season.

No way, NHL has the best playoffs. This is going to be a fun couple of months.

Yep. With rivalries out of the gate guaranteed, even my interest piques out of the gate

[Illiniwek]

Hah if henrik is out now for the Rangers, I now concede they will not make it out of the first round.

[dead0man]

It's going to be a tough road ahead for the Blackhawks to repeat; a lot of guys will need to step it up on defense. But the clutch leadership of Toews and unstoppable play from Kane and Panarin will inspire this team to defy the odds and win this Cup once again.

Even with the refs in your pocket you still managed to lose both (and hopefully only) 2 home games.  Great job!

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Go Wings!!!

[dead0man]

How do you guys like playing in the East?  Do you miss your rivalries with the old Norris Division?

[Illiniwek]

It's going to be a tough road ahead for the Blackhawks to repeat; a lot of guys will need to step it up on defense. But the clutch leadership of Toews and unstoppable play from Kane and Panarin will inspire this team to defy the odds and win this Cup once again.

Even with the refs in your pocket you still managed to lose both (and hopefully only) 2 home games.  Great job!

1. Refs not in pocket. Its been a fair series.
2. The Hawks have been uncharacteristically unhinged and reckless. They are getting bogged down and are playing down at the Blues' level (not inferiority, but less polished play).
3. If you take away Kane's inadvertent high stick, Hawks should have won game 3. And then Shaw's penalty was just monumental idiocy. I don't even care about the slur, there is nothing stupider than taking that cheap shot. He is making it quite a bit easier to watch him probably leave this summer.

[dead0man]

1.you're probably right, the end of that second game just hurt real bad....two calls that really could have gone either way both went the wrong way.
2.probably, idk
3.Shaw has always been a bit of hot head.  Yeah, it's good to have a "get under the skin of the other team" kind of guy on your hockey team, but not when he's taking stupid penalties and diving.

[Illiniwek]

Go Wings!!!

How do you guys like playing in the East?  Do you miss your rivalries with the old Norris Division?

I really miss having the Wings in the division. It was the best rivalry in the NHL, and think there is no doubt that the rivalry is just dead now. It just couldn't be sustained by playing only twice a year. If the Hawks and Wings ever play in the Stanley Cup Final, that would be an incredibly intense and fun 4-7 games of hockey. But the statistical unlikelihood of that happening, meaning no Hawks-Wings playoff series, just kills the rivalry. With my Michigan roots and chances of moving there, I may even come to root for the Wings as a secondary team. Best of luck to the Wings, lets both complete huge comebacks and play each other in June!

[dead0man]

Gross   I hate the Wings more than the Blackhawks.

[Illiniwek]

Shaw has always been a bit of hot head.  Yeah, it's good to have a "get under the skin of the other team" kind of guy on your hockey team, but not when he's taking stupid penalties and diving.

Yeah with Byfuglien's exit years ago and Bickell's demise, the Hawks have really had no enforcer to protect his teammates and intimidate opponents. All they have had is Shaw's annoying, get under your skin annoyingness that, at the right level, can be effective. But when the veteran leadership fades to the background, like it has in this series, Shaw's behavior really becomes a liability, and is hard to defend.

There are a lot of parallels with this series and the 2013 series against the Wings. This team should have it in them to be able to come back and win, but going into tonight I certainly don't feel good with what I have seen in the first 4 games.

[dead0man]

Indeed, your club is very good and the Blues have chocked hard before in the playoffs....hell, pretty much every year.  Thank Og for the Cardinals.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Go Wings!!!

How do you guys like playing in the East?  Do you miss your rivalries with the old Norris Division?

I really miss having the Wings in the division. It was the best rivalry in the NHL, and think there is no doubt that the rivalry is just dead now. It just couldn't be sustained by playing only twice a year. If the Hawks and Wings ever play in the Stanley Cup Final, that would be an incredibly intense and fun 4-7 games of hockey. But the statistical unlikelihood of that happening, meaning no Hawks-Wings playoff series, just kills the rivalry. With my Michigan roots and chances of moving there, I may even come to root for the Wings as a secondary team. Best of luck to the Wings, lets both complete huge comebacks and play each other in June!

I know.  I kind of wish they'd stayed in the West.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Penguins in 7

We're not going to need 7, chicka. 

[Badger]

Penguins in 7

We're not going to need 7, chicka. 

This. Though admittedly who expected Murray and Zatkoff to step up that big in the nets, or for King H to choke in multiple games.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Ahem.

[dead0man]

Indeed, your club is very good and the Blues have chocked hard before in the playoffs....hell, pretty much every year.  Thank Og for the Cardinals.

<cough>