2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs Official Thread

[zer0dotcom]

It'll be good to see guys like Selanne lift the Cup, those are the guys it means the most to, who have played their careers with teams that you just know aren't going to make it, and they come back year after year to try again.

Winning at the end is so much sweeter.

And now at 6-2, all hope that remained is now snuffed. Congratualtions Anahien, you had a hell of a season, and just turned it on this finals. Enjoyt he party!

[FiddySicks]

Way to let the light of that inferiority complex shine just that much brighter there bro. Looks like someone needs a hug. And howabout this fact? Ottawa is still getting steam rolled, no matter if they're from Ottawa, Orlando, or freakin Oslo, Norway. But hey, lets not let silly little facts like score get in the way of our undaunting patriotism eh?

Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

No inferiority complex. Just a little sick of fans in non-traditional hockey markets thinking that because they've held the Cup for what appears to be the third season in a row that "OMG Cananada is the SUX at hoky!!!11!!111eleven"

Also, I'll be honest, you personally are one of the worst offenders. In the 03-04 season the Sharks were eliminated by the Flames. In 05-06 the Sharks were eliminated by the Oilers, at which point you openly proclaimed you hated Canadian teams then offered a very half-a$$ed apology. Then now that the Ducks are on the verge of capturing the Cup you play the "it's staying in the US!" card. So all of these things compounded on each other don't leave me with the best impression of you when it comes to this situation.

To be fair even though you're one of the worst, you're not the only one. There's a fairly numerous non-traditional market fan base here who claim Canadian fans are selfish, snobbish, etc... then gloat like there's no tomorrow when the a team in a non-traditional market wins the cup. It's hypocrisy in its most blatant form.

To your point though, yes it does look like the Cup will stay in the States. So in the event that does happen I would like to congratulate the Ducks and their fans. The Ducks have played hard all season, and their dominance has carried through the playoffs. They were underestimated going into the Finals (I admit I was guilty of this), and they proved they're a genuine powerhouse, one worthy of the Cup assuming they don't suffer a major break-down. True are there's a good number of players on the Ducks I think are thugs, goons, etc... but the team also has its fair share of deserving talent.

All that said though, even though the Cup may stay south of the border for an other year it doesn't change the fact that we as Canadians are still the best in the world when it comes to the sport, and no amount of snappy inferiority complex comebacks is going to change that.

I explained it then and i'll go back and explain it now. I can't stand teams who come out of nowhere from low or unexpected seeds and beat my teams, when they should have mopped the floor with them. Its frustrating, nothing else. True fact is the team I root for has lost some miserable series either to teams they were far superior to, or they handed the series on a silver platter to better teams. Two of those teams they were far superior to just happened to be Canadian. In the last three cups have had far overmatched Canadian teams who just didn't have enough in the tank to finish the job. It's more of a frustration on the part of my teams inability to capatalize when they should than a true hatred for Canadian teams. Hell, I honestly dont follow or care about hockey enough to build up that much of a hatred. So yeah, sometimes my frustration gets the better of me.

BUT, with all that said, unless the Ducks pull their goalie and replace their sticks with fly swatters, they're gonna win the cup. They have steam rolled the Sens all series long and have done so even harder tonight. And don't take my happiness of it as "Haha the Canadians dont get their cup again" thought. Im happy to see California pull in their first cup, and if it couldn't be the Sharks im happy its the Ducks. Ive watched this team all year from the first scrimmage at the Anaheim Ice Arena and have been to a bunch of games. Im happy to finally see Selanne, my personal favorite, get his title. And am glad that a bunch of my friends get to see their favorite team grab a cup. And hey, at least its not the Kings. And further fact is that the Sens are yet again another team on the Canadian trend that plowed through the playoffs only to be completely overmatched in the finals. Fact is the cup does stay in America, and thats not a spite thing, its just plain simple fact. And fact is, despite the Canadian influence, an American team has won yet another cup in a mostly American league. So despite if my "Snappy inferiority complex comeback" isn't doing it for you, its better than the "CNADIAN EYESE HOOKY ROOLZ MOR DAN U SO DERE!!!!1!!" Argument. But with all that said, congrats to the Ducks, they earned it. And congrats to the Sens on such a well played season. They came through and beat the best team in the NHL to get to their first cup. No shame in losing in the finals to a tough team, and hey, theyre still the best team in the East.

[IceCap]

Congrats Anaheim. You dominated this series, you earned it.

[KevinMcD]

Will this be Selanne's last game?

Should be Giguere for Comm Smythe right?

[J.R.]

Much deserved, Ducks. Congratulations to them and the only Anaheim fan I know: Roger Clemente. You've probably been laughed at for many years as a (Mighty) Ducks fan, but you're laughing and cheering now.

[KevinMcD]

Should be Giguere for Comm Smythe right?

Wrong, Scott Neidermeyer wins the Conn Smythe

[MadmanLA]

Congrats to the Ducks...nice to see a local team win it all.

[Fred T. Jane]

And further fact is that the Sens are yet again another team on the Canadian trend that plowed through the playoffs only to be completely overmatched in the finals.

...because nothing says "overmatched" like extending the series to seventh and final game.

[SteveR]

Congrats to the Ducks as well. It was really cool to see Teemu with it.

[Viper]

I might as well just finish the sig now and get it over with:

You do realize that they are not "NHL Champions," but rather "Stanley Cup Champions," don't you?

Same thing. Besides, "2006-07 Stanley Cup Champions" wouldn't fit in the panel. Also it's consistent with my other championship sigs. Notice that I also call the Colts the NFL Champions in their sig, not the Super Bowl Champions.

Plus, the Stanley Cup logo is right on the sig.

[HedleyLamarr]

Congrats to the Ducks as well. It was really cool to see Teemu with it.

Yep. He has been the face of the team for practically forever. He just looked out of place when he didn't play for Anaheim. It'd be cool to see him go out on top with the team he's been with most of his career.

Also, congrats to former Thrashers Chris Kunitz and Mark Hartigan on winning the Cup.

As well as Sebastien Caron, Option Three for Anaheim goalie. Why, you ask? I have a tape-repaired broken goalie stick of his....

[Neon_Matrix]

And further fact is that the Sens are yet again another team on the Canadian trend that plowed through the playoffs only to be completely overmatched in the finals.

...because nothing says "overmatched" like extending the series to seventh and final game.

Something the mighty Sens couldn't do but the 8th and 6th seeded Edmonton and Calgary teams could...

I'm not going to lie, my eyes kind of watered when I saw Scott hand the cup off to his brother... it is so awesome when you see things like that happen.

[Fred T. Jane]

*This space for rent*

[IceCap]

Way to let the light of that inferiority complex shine just that much brighter there bro. Looks like someone needs a hug. And howabout this fact? Ottawa is still getting steam rolled, no matter if they're from Ottawa, Orlando, or freakin Oslo, Norway. But hey, lets not let silly little facts like score get in the way of our undaunting patriotism eh?

Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

No inferiority complex. Just a little sick of fans in non-traditional hockey markets thinking that because they've held the Cup for what appears to be the third season in a row that "OMG Cananada is the SUX at hoky!!!11!!111eleven"

Also, I'll be honest, you personally are one of the worst offenders. In the 03-04 season the Sharks were eliminated by the Flames. In 05-06 the Sharks were eliminated by the Oilers, at which point you openly proclaimed you hated Canadian teams then offered a very half-a$$ed apology. Then now that the Ducks are on the verge of capturing the Cup you play the "it's staying in the US!" card. So all of these things compounded on each other don't leave me with the best impression of you when it comes to this situation.

To be fair even though you're one of the worst, you're not the only one. There's a fairly numerous non-traditional market fan base here who claim Canadian fans are selfish, snobbish, etc... then gloat like there's no tomorrow when the a team in a non-traditional market wins the cup. It's hypocrisy in its most blatant form.

To your point though, yes it does look like the Cup will stay in the States. So in the event that does happen I would like to congratulate the Ducks and their fans. The Ducks have played hard all season, and their dominance has carried through the playoffs. They were underestimated going into the Finals (I admit I was guilty of this), and they proved they're a genuine powerhouse, one worthy of the Cup assuming they don't suffer a major break-down. True are there's a good number of players on the Ducks I think are thugs, goons, etc... but the team also has its fair share of deserving talent.

All that said though, even though the Cup may stay south of the border for an other year it doesn't change the fact that we as Canadians are still the best in the world when it comes to the sport, and no amount of snappy inferiority complex comebacks is going to change that.

I explained it then and i'll go back and explain it now. I can't stand teams who come out of nowhere from low or unexpected seeds and beat my teams, when they should have mopped the floor with them. Its frustrating, nothing else. True fact is the team I root for has lost some miserable series either to teams they were far superior to, or they handed the series on a silver platter to better teams. Two of those teams they were far superior to just happened to be Canadian. In the last three cups have had far overmatched Canadian teams who just didn't have enough in the tank to finish the job. It's more of a frustration on the part of my teams inability to capatalize when they should than a true hatred for Canadian teams. Hell, I honestly dont follow or care about hockey enough to build up that much of a hatred. So yeah, sometimes my frustration gets the better of me.

BUT, with all that said, unless the Ducks pull their goalie and replace their sticks with fly swatters, they're gonna win the cup. They have steam rolled the Sens all series long and have done so even harder tonight. And don't take my happiness of it as "Haha the Canadians dont get their cup again" thought. Im happy to see California pull in their first cup, and if it couldn't be the Sharks im happy its the Ducks. Ive watched this team all year from the first scrimmage at the Anaheim Ice Arena and have been to a bunch of games. Im happy to finally see Selanne, my personal favorite, get his title. And am glad that a bunch of my friends get to see their favorite team grab a cup. And hey, at least its not the Kings. And further fact is that the Sens are yet again another team on the Canadian trend that plowed through the playoffs only to be completely overmatched in the finals. Fact is the cup does stay in America, and thats not a spite thing, its just plain simple fact. And fact is, despite the Canadian influence, an American team has won yet another cup in a mostly American league. So despite if my "Snappy inferiority complex comeback" isn't doing it for you, its better than the "CNADIAN EYESE HOOKY ROOLZ MOR DAN U SO DERE!!!!1!!" Argument.

Yes, the Ducks will (and as of now have) won the Cup. Your powers of observation astound me.

Look, if your tired about the Sharks losing to inferior teams in the playoffs, be they Canadian or American, then direct your frustration at the Sharks team, not the "inferior" teams who had enough heart to dig down and beat your guys. I'm a Leafs fan, I know all about being frustrated at your team. It doesn't make you less of a fan of your team if you direct your frustrations at the team itself for its failures.

You know what? I'm happy for your friends who are Ducks fans too. Their team played great all season, and they stepped it up a notch in the finals to steamroll a team that dispatched the President's Trophy winners in five games. I've never seen my team win the Stanley Cup, so I can only imagine how great it must feel. So my congratulations to Ducks fans tonight. I hope to feel what you feel soon enough.

Back to my point, you say you really don't hate Canadian teams, but you make ample effort to point out the fact that Canadian teams have come up short in the Finals for three years in a row and how the Ducks are keeping the Cup in the States. But if you don't have anything against Canadian teams, why make these observations? If you're the "I love everyone" sports fan you paint yourself to be, why should it matter to you that the losers of the last three Cup Finals are Canadian?

Canadian influence? It's more then an influence. We invented the modern game. A Canadian head of state donated the game's ultimate prize. We exported it , we have the most international championships of the game, and the top two teams in the total Stanley Cup count are Canadian. On top of that Canucks make up the vast majority of the rosters of every team in the NHL, including the Stanley Cup Champions Anaheim Ducks. Does it suck that a team in Canada hasn't won the Cup in 14 years? Yeah, but does that mean it's no longer our game or that we're no longer the best in the world? Nope.

For the record, you can put away the "OMG UR A CRAZY PATRIOT!!!1!!!11!" line. It's no secret that I'm proud of my country, and that I will root for any one of the Canadian teams if they happen to make it to the Cup Finals. Heck, I rooted for the Ottawa Senators in this series, arguably the Leafs' biggest rival. You're not accusing me of anything I won't admit. The question I'm wondering is who are you to talk?

You said it yourself, you're excited to see a team from California win the Cup. I'm not saying that's wrong, in fact if I was a Bay Area native I would probably have rooted for the Ducks as well, and chances are I would probably root for the Kings if they made it that far. So I'm not calling you out for cheering for the Ducks, in fact I would do the same if I was in your position. The point is, how are you any different from me?

[gojetsgo]

Some of my thoughts:

- Disappointing that it's not coming to Canada yet again. Oh well - sports is all about both triumphs and disappointments. I think Ottawa will be a contender for years to come.

- Great to see Teemu with the cup. He has been one of my favourite players since his great rookie season. Great to see Carlyle win it too.

- Technically the Stanley Cup winning goal was that horrible own-goal - for some reason that's kind of sad to me.

- Horrible to see Pronger with the Cup. I was hoping he'd go his whole career without one. Most Edmontonians would agree with me.

- Anaheim changed its name at the best time. "Mighty Ducks" engraved on the Cup would have been a travesty.

[IceCap]

- Anaheim changed its name at the best time. "Mighty Ducks" engraved on the Cup would have been a travesty.

Agreed. There's nothing wrong with "Anaheim Ducks" being engraved on the Cup.

"Mighty Ducks" though? Lord Stanley would have rolled over in his grave.

[CC97]

- Anaheim changed its name at the best time. "Mighty Ducks" engraved on the Cup would have been a travesty.

Agreed. There's nothing wrong with "Anaheim Ducks" being engraved on the Cup.

"Mighty Ducks" though? Lord Stanley would have rolled over in his grave.

Lord Stanley's spun so much he's a good 12 feet under right about now... after having "TAMPA BAY", "SEASON NOT PLAYED", "CAROLINA" and "ANAHEIM" engraved on there in consecutive seasons...

[Neon_Matrix]

- Anaheim changed its name at the best time. "Mighty Ducks" engraved on the Cup would have been a travesty.

Agreed. There's nothing wrong with "Anaheim Ducks" being engraved on the Cup.

"Mighty Ducks" though? Lord Stanley would have rolled over in his grave.

That would have been awesome! Yes the "Ducks" is a more classy name... but the Mighty Ducks would have just been pretty cool. I could have placed some bets that they would somehow find a way to spell that wrong... hell, they spelled Islanders "Ilanders" on the cup...

So Icecap... when will you jump off the Sens bandwaggon and back onto the Leafs one?

[gorams1]

Seeing Teemu with the cup brought a tear to every Winnipegger's eye. If not, you're a freakin' robot!!

Congrats Teemu & Randy.....

[STL FANATIC]

Glad to see the Ducks win it. Of all the teams I can remember deciding I truly despised at one point or another...I can't remember the Ducks being one. So therefore, I've always kinda liked them. Plus I just got my awesome jade old Ducks alt from way back when, so hey, it was an obvious choice. And like it or not, I chose to root American also.

Talking to JQK, he wished to pass along this...

------

To Ottawa Fans: HAhahAHAhaHAHAhaAHAhaha!!!!

To Anaheim Fans: You're Welcome

From: John Quincy King

New Jersey Devils and Scott Neidermeyer Fan.

------

(He called the Sens a big bug-a-boo for the Devils, and Scott Neidermeyer left the Devils only because he could play with his brother.)

I wasn't able to watch that much of the games...is anybody else surprised that Neidermeyer won the Conn Smythe? I was sure it'd be Giguere. Do you think they just gave it to the Captain, or do you guys who watched more than me think it was deserved?