The Rite of Spring

[charger77]

Not to sure where to post this but can somebody shed some light on the rift that had existed between the Chicago Blackhawks and Bobby Hull & Stan Mikita?

Wirtz wouldn't pay Hull what he was worth, Hull bolted for Winnipeg, Wirtz never forgave him. I don't remember what happened with Mikita but it was pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with the team till the old man died.

Oh, I thought there was more to it than a contract dispute.

[Kevin W.]

I'm not sure of the exact details but like so many others, I'm sure it had a lot to do with Wirtz being a penny-pinching bastard.

[justie]

West

RedWings Vs Predators - Predators in 7

BlackHawks Vs Coyotes - Coyotes in 6

Sharks Vs Blues - Blues in 7

Kings Vs Canucks - Canucks in 6

East

Flyers Vs Penguins - Penguins in 7

Capitals Vs Bruins - Bruins in 5

Devils Vs Panthers - Devils in 5

Senators Vs Rangers - Rangers in 6

[-kj]

I'm not sure of the exact details but like so many others, I'm sure it had a lot to do with Wirtz being a penny-pinching bastard.

Wouldn't pay for a new hairpiece?

[dfwabel]

Not to sure where to post this but can somebody shed some light on the rift that had existed between the Chicago Blackhawks and Bobby Hull & Stan Mikita?

Wirtz wouldn't pay Hull what he was worth, Hull bolted for Winnipeg, Wirtz never forgave him. I don't remember what happened with Mikita but it was pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with the team till the old man died.

Oh, I thought there was more to it than a contract dispute.

It depends on who you read now. While the contract dispute, Hull signing with the WHA and the competing lawsuits were a part of it, also Wirtz and then-NHLPA chief Alan Eagleson were considered to be pals and it worked against the players during CBA talks since Wirtz was chairman of the Board of Governors for nearly two decades.

Part of the proof is whole mess with NHL player pensions in the 1990's.

Eagleson also was the man picking Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series, which left off Hull and other WHA stars from the roster.

[FiddySicks]

I have ZERO expectations for the Sharks this year, as I'm sure most Sharks fans don't either. Now watch them win the cup for this very reason.

[crashcarson15]

A Sharks/Caps Cup Final would be tight.

[WJMorris3]

Prediction:

While the Blues will win their first Stanley Cup Finals game since 1968, the Penguins will be hoisting the Cup, winning it in six.

[zpqmaowl]

Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number.

[ninersdd]

Blues vs Sharks... again... damnit. Do not want.

[

[-kj]

The only thing I'd like to remember from that series are those Blues jerseys. Beauties.

[NEW.ERA]

Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number. Eighth is just a number.

Yeah, it is.

If that Oiler team, beat that Red Wing team. Anything can happen. These are the best playoffs in the World, no one can change my opinion on that.

[ninersdd]

The only thing I'd like to remember form that series are those Blues jerseys. Beauties.

Agreed.(The jerseys that is )

I just don't know what to expect from this series. Of course nobody expected a STL-SJ series with the Sharks as the 7 seed. Quietly, the Blues have more experience then I thought, guys like Halak obviously, but Backes, Perron etc have been there a long time and have some experience(albeit not a lot in the playoffs). SJ only got 3 goals in 4 games against the Blues(all losses). However, 12 years ago, the Sharks went 0-3-1-1 against them and would stun them in that series. With that said, the Sharks need to win 1 of the 2 in St. Louis to give them momentum returning home. Ultimately, I believe this series goes 6 or 7 and the games will be super tight(A goal separating the squads). Maybe the Sharks can make a deep run like Philly 2 years ago as a 7 seed and finally make it to the final.

Can't wait till Thursday!

[maz]

All I'm sure of is that the Penguins are going to win in four games. The Flyers have neither the goaltending nor the firepower to beat the Penguins this year.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. If all else fails, the Flyers will resort to goonery, and we have already seen the pens don't respond well to that. The penguins will win if A. they can tighten up defensively, and B. And if they can ignore Philly's attempts to drag them down to their level with their antics.

We saw some of both in Saturday's meaningless finale (granted, the refs were doing an excellent job at keeping the lid on Pandora's box), but the playoffs is a whole new monster.

Saturday? What game were you watching? It was an overall unemotional snoozefest. Ease off the Bullies thing buddy, this isnt the 70s.

1. I stated the refs kept a lid on the game... I mean, there was a ten minute misconduct for simple post-whistle jostling and a five-and-a-game for a hit from behind that, in most circumstances, is just a two for boarding. Considering I was at the game, I think I saw things pretty clearly...

2. The game was meaningless, so no, your Cryers didn't really "bully" anyone, but I didn't say they did.

3. No, it isn't the 70's, but it is the Flyers, and some things never change.

Yes the Flyers really field a team of goons, guys like Briere, Read, Schenn, Talbot, Couturier, Jagr. I get it you hate the Flyers, partly because of the rivalry, partly because you and the rest of the hockey world can't get over a reputation that's been dead now for about 30 years. But if you're going to take little shots, at least have them make some sense.

.. Talbot.. The only thing keeping him from being nothing more than a "funny guy who's a hack on the ice (but he tries really hard, guys)" is his ability to score clutch goals.

Face it. The Flyers are a dirty team. You don't need goons to take cheap shots and hack, just listen to what your all-knowing coach said. If Sid and Geno can be "the dirtiest players on the team", then all those wannabes you mentioned are more than capable. Are they the "earn ALL the penalty minutes!" team from the 70's? No. In this era, nobody is. But to say they aren't dirty and don't resort to goon-esque tactics is foolish. Hartnell bit a man one time for christsakes. I wouldn't exactly call him or Simmonds or Rinaldo squeaky-clean goal scorers.

[RyanMcD29]

My "Lightning win the East, Flyers barely miss the playoffs" predictions went so well, I'm going to try again with playoff picks

Rangers in 5

Bruins in 6

Devils in 5

Penguins in 6

Canucks in 6

Sharks in 7

Blackhawks in 5

Predators in 7

For spits and giggles..

Devils in 7

Penguins in 6

Canucks in 6

Blackhawks in 6

Penguins in 6

Blackhawks in 7, Vancouver goes boom

Penguins in 6

Don't really have any reasoning behind this except I feel like Pittsburgh matches up well with the teams they would face in my projected road to the cup

[HedleyLamarr]

At the beginning of the season, I put a couple bets in Vegas: For the Kings or Capitals to win the Cup. So I'll obviously be wanting these teams to win. But I like a happy fiance too....so go Vancouver! And I want Nashville to do well. That said:

Rangers over Senators in 6

Bruins over Capitals in 7

Panthers over Devils in 6

Flyers over Penguins in 6

Canucks over Kings in 7

Sharks over Blues in 6

Blackhawks over Coyotes in 6

Predators over Red Wings in 6

Flyers over Rangers in 6

Bruins over Panthers in 5

Canucks over Sharks in 6

Predators over Blackhawks in 7

ECF: Bruins over Flyers in 6

WCF: Predators over Canucks in 6

SCF: Bruins over Predators in 6

[Kramerica Industries]

Better now than never:

1) New York over 8) Ottawa in six -- Ottawa is strangely streaky. NY's solid consistency should overpower that.

2) Boston over 7) Washington in seven -- Caps enter as the underdog for once. I think there is some danger in that.

6) New Jersey over 3) Florida in five -- no question.

5) Philadelphia over 4) Pittsburgh in six -- Pittsburgh has usually had Philly's number in big games in recent years. Bryz is playing well, the Flyers offense looks as potent as ever, and they are great in Pittsburgh's building. If only they played better on their home ice.

1) Vancouver over 8) Los Angeles in five -- with Carter gone, LA's not any better than the scuffling team we saw for most of the season. Quick can steal a game, maybe two, but that's it. 'Nucks can survive Luongo.

7) San Jose over 2) St. Louis in six -- don't trust the Blues, at all. In the playoffs, starpower becomes more of a factor. Sharks are thin, but they have a few real game changers at the top and a goalie who has won the Cup.

6) Chicago over 3) Phoenix in seven -- should be fun to see if Mike Smith can continue to stymie the Blackhawks. Toews returning should be an enormous boost to Chicago's chances.

5) Detroit over 4) Nashville in six -- this is the biggest toss-up, to me.

1) New York over 6) New Jersey in five -- battle of the Hudson should be fun, but New York is better in all facets of the game. Can't see the Devils winning four games here.

2) Boston over 5) Philadelphia in seven -- Flyers struggled badly with the Bruins going back over two full seasons + playoffs now. Can't see that changing.

1) Vancouver over 7) San Jose in five -- Canucks are a discernibly deeper team. Aside from the Sharks giving the Canucks a series of 5-on-3 PP's in one game, this shouldn't be much different than last year's WCF.

5) Detroit over 6) Chicago in seven -- Corey Crawford is a friggen sieve. And will be Chicago's downfall.

1) New York over 2) Boston in six -- Equal in net, NY better D, Boston better O. Should play out like the regular season matches did, which featured three one-goal games.

1) Vancouver over 5) Detroit in five -- nah, screw it. I can't describe this one.

1) New York over 1) Vancouver in six -- re-match of 1994, I don't think the Presidents' Cup figures big here. It's King Hank's time to reach hockey's pinnacle.

Third straight year I have the Canucks coming out of the West. God.

[The_Admiral]

Other than the Weber/Suter pairing of doom, the Predators do not have more talent than the Red Wings. That's absurd.

[Kramerica Industries]

My forms of "analysis" always suck. All that matters are the predictions themselves.

[rams80]

For everyone picking the Sharks over the Blues, when was the last time San Jose won a series it wasn't supposed to?