2011 NHL Playoffs

[GO2HELL]

I hope the Canucks take the series at home just so we can hear Chelsea dagger during the handshake

[Sodboy13]

I was listening to the end of the game on the train, but if the announcers were correct, tonight's game ended with a barely-errant pass in front of a fairly-open net - pretty much how Sunday's game against Detroit ended.

[CS85]

I was listening to the end of the game on the train, but if the announcers were correct, tonight's game ended with a barely-errant pass in front of a fairly-open net - pretty much how Sunday's game against Detroit ended.

It was a close finish, there was a scoring chance with time running out but too little too late. Blackhawks slept in the bed they made with their poor play.

[The_Admiral]

They didn't look that bad to me. I conceded the first two games of the series before it even started. I've seen enough flashes of brilliance to believe that they can win their next two. Vancouver is very good, but not unbeatable. Luongo gave up some weak goals (any goal surrendered to Viktor Stalberg is, by definition, a weak goal).

The biggest and most frightening change that I can see from the last two years is that the Canucks don't act like a busful of tards after whistles anymore, and aren't as easily goaded into stupid penalties which become power play goals. I don't know how much of that is a change in our personnel and how much is a change in theirs (All-Time Appropriate Initials Champion Shane O'Brien was a big part of things on their end), but they've been playing like the Red Wings, and the Hawks don't beat the Red Wings.

[Corvus]

I wish the Canucks would not sit back so much with a lead. It always seems to end up with the opposition scoring and making the game tighter than it should be.

[Corvus]

They didn't look that bad to me. I conceded the first two games of the series before it even started. I've seen enough flashes of brilliance to believe that they can win their next two. Vancouver is very good, but not unbeatable. Luongo gave up some weak goals (any goal surrendered to Viktor Stalberg is, by definition, a weak goal).

The biggest and most frightening change that I can see from the last two years is that the Canucks don't act like a busful of tards after whistles anymore, and aren't as easily goaded into stupid penalties which become power play goals. I don't know how much of that is a change in our personnel and how much is a change in theirs (All-Time Appropriate Initials Champion Shane O'Brien was a big part of things on their end), but they've been playing like the Red Wings, and the Hawks don't beat the Red Wings.

The Canucks whole plan is "copy the Wings"

Basically, the idea is "shut your mouth and score on the power play" They made a special point in the off season of sitting down with Kesler and Burrows and telling them to cut out the yapping and just be business like. Kesler's PIMs were down 40 minutes this season, and Burrows were down 50, though he did miss 10 games.

[Puckguy14]

Guys, first off, I was not there for the game. For the record I wouldn't go bug the Kings TV crew.

Also, while I know Cujo a little bit and know he's slightly joking about my suicide watch. Annoying? Yeah a little bit but that's the passion I have for my team. However, essentially wishing death on someone, is pretty pathetic. No matter who it is. Guaranteed, if it's flip flopped around, I can see everyone going off. So I encourage those to try to keep within good taste. Thanks.

That being said. Uhhh Chicago, come on. I expected more from them in this series. Anaheim, no biggie they tied the series up.

[oddball]

Guys, first off, I was not there for the game. For the record I wouldn't go bug the Kings TV crew.

Also, while I know Cujo a little bit and know he's slightly joking about my suicide watch. Annoying? Yeah a little bit but that's the passion I have for my team. However, essentially wishing death on someone, is pretty pathetic. No matter who it is. Guaranteed, if it's flip flopped around, I can see everyone going off. So I encourage those to try to keep within good taste. Thanks.

That being said. Uhhh Chicago, come on. I expected more from them in this series. Anaheim, no biggie they tied the series up.

Why would you bug Bob Miller and Jim Fox? Unless you want to talk to two of the classiest people in all of hockey.

[Puckguy14]

I wouldn't. Fox and Miller are good guys. Not sure where they were situated, but at the Tank the press box is high up in the catwalk. So i guess it was the Kings Live crew? Even then, no reason to be on LA TV.

[Seadragon76]

All I have to say is Go Phoenix! Beat the evil Dead Things!

Oh, and go San Jose. It would be nice to see the Shark actually win the Cup so both Puckguy and ICS can celebrate like it's 1999.

[CubsFanBudMan]

There's your key phrase: Evil Cubs Executive. I'd bet he or one of his cronies were to blame.

Really? Really?!? Tell me you don't believe this.

Good thing the Blackhawks were "a year early" with their title though, right?

I didn't think they were a year early. In fact, I went into the 09-10 season with full knowledge that the salary cap was going to go kaboom, and that it was a case of win now or hope for lucky breaks to keep some semblance of the team together.

Sorry, the Cubs comment called for a smiley face. As for the "year early" stuff, maybe I'm mixing years and it was the WCF year where that talk was prevelant. Sorry, I really shouldn't talk hockey.

And you couldn't have known the salary cap was going to be quite that big of a kaboom, right?

[maz]

Well, that game last night was painful to watch, but the Pens had quite a few good moments. They had their fair share of difficulties, too, but nothing they can't fix. Monday we see where this is really going.

[The_Admiral]

And you couldn't have known the salary cap was going to be quite that big of a kaboom, right?

Why not? All the numbers are public. We know how much is committed to whom for how long. It's all on Capgeek.

There were only two unexpected pile-ons to what we expected was going to be a big problem. One was having to pay Niklas Hjalmarsson about twice his market value because the Sharks offered to vastly overpay him (which Hjalmarsson followed with a horrible season). Part of this was that San Jose needed a defenseman, and part of it was that Doug Wilson is another one of those crusty old hockey men who hated the way the Blackhawks fired Tallon, so he broke the gentlemen's agreement not to disrupt restricted free agency because anyone who would fire his old buddy is no gentleman indeed. The other was this year's team being punished for Jonathan Toews's Conn Smythe, the bonus for which (only players on entry-level contracts can earn this bonus) didn't fit under last year's cap and rolled over to count against this year's. It made for an awkward scenario in which we needed Toews to be our best player, but needed someone on a standard contract to be named our best player, lest we be punished for our best player being our best player.

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

C-A-P-S Caps, Caps, Caps, CAPS!!!

On a side note, I've noticed there are a ton of Canucks fans on here, and I just wanted to say the atmosphere in that arena last night looked INSANE. Did anyone else see the national anthem? The whole crowd was singing it, the guy who was singing it even stopped to just let the audience sing it. It gave me chills.

Also, when they were showing the crowd I saw someone with a shirt that said "Hawks Suck Cawks". I thought that was clever, and it made me chuckle.

Bottomline, I have much respect for the Vancouver fans, I hope we see you all in DC at some point in late May.

[TrueYankee26]

Forget it rangers... you ain't winning the series.

[See Red]

C-A-P-S Caps, Caps, Caps, CAPS!!!

On a side note, I've noticed there are a ton of Canucks fans on here, and I just wanted to say the atmosphere in that arena last night looked INSANE. Did anyone else see the national anthem? The whole crowd was singing it, the guy who was singing it even stopped to just let the audience sing it. It gave me chills.

Also, when they were showing the crowd I saw someone with a shirt that said "Hawks Suck Cawks". I thought that was clever, and it made me chuckle.

Bottomline, I have much respect for the Vancouver fans, I hope we see you all in DC at some point in late May.

Gave me chills too. I remember in the 2006 Finals for the Edmonton games, the guy who was singing sang basically the first few verses and then let the crowd finish the rest. It was awesome. Go to a game in America and you'll see plenty of people have a hard enough time not carrying on with their conversation through the Star-Spangled Banner. Granted, I'm in the camp that doesn't think that playing the National Anthem before an athletic event is particularly necessary, but still...

[Corvus]

The crowd sings the anthem at pretty much every Canucks game. It just gets cranked up in intensity for the playoffs.

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

The crowd sings the anthem at pretty much every Canucks game. It just gets cranked up in intensity for the playoffs.

I think that's a really cool tradition, I'd love to see more U.S teams' fans do this. I think the Blackhawks' fans do something similar, that's the only U.S team I can think of that does anything like that. But even so I don't think it'd be as good because I think Canada's national anthem sounds much nicer than the U.S one.

[GMW79]

Yeah, the anthem singing in Vancouver was moving. Playoff hockey is by far the best time of the sports year.

[Sodboy13]

And you couldn't have known the salary cap was going to be quite that big of a kaboom, right?

Why not? All the numbers are public. We know how much is committed to whom for how long. It's all on Capgeek.

Found out today that Capgeek has a very user-friendly mobile site. Wife wanted to know how much BizNasty pulls down for pine-riding and goofy twoops ($600K this year, $625K next year). That thing's a dream for hockey dorks at a bar.

Also, regarding the anthem, Blackhawks fans don't sing along, we just more or less rupture our lungs, which is awesome in person because then you don't have to hear Jim Cornelison so much. Best I've probably ever heard was Edmonton's crowd in the Finals against Carolina.