NHL 2009 Super Special Playoff Edition Megathread

[JQK]

Carolina Hurricanes vs Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins win series 4-0

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals win series 4-2

Anaheim Ducks vs Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings win series 4-2

Chicago Blackhawks vs Vancouver Canucks

Chicago Blackhawks win series 4-2

[Cujo]

Bruins in 7

Pens in 6

Canucks in 7

Ducks in 5

What the hell are you smoking over there?

[BrySmalls]

Nobody picking the pens. I like it.

I'll pick A Pen:

Malkin for MVP.

[thestockholmpig]

Well.. this is one of the more crushing defeats in franchise history...

Yes because the Devils and their fans have had it SO bad over the years.

Never said the Devils and/or their fans had it bad, but other than Matteau, and the 2001 SCF loss, this right now is #3 in all time crushing playoff losses for me, as a Devils fan.

I know you're ranking YOU'RE OWN heartbreaking defeats, but the Devils won the Cup the year after Matteau and the year before losing in the 2001 SCF loss. You can't win it every year. The New Jersey Devils fans have had a lot to be thankful for that other fans of other teams haven't been even close to witnessing. Other than Red Wings fans, noone's had it easier in the last 15 years than Devils fans. I just hope you guys are aware of how lucky you truly are to witness a winning team year after year.

Just wait until the day Brodeur retires....then see how difficult it is to be in contention to win the Cup.

Ha ha, because Brodeur's the reason we've been so good the past 15 years. Clemmensen's proved that even a career minor leaguer/ backup can succeed in Jersey for at least half a season. No, I think we owe our success to our defense. Stevens, Niedermayer, Rafalski leave and where does that leave us? Are we now San Jose East?

[NEW.ERA]

Eastern Semi-Finals

Boston over Carolina in 7

Boston has had a long time off and that's not always a good thing, for the most part Carolina is healthy and Cam Ward is playing exceptional and this will come down to how lucky each goalie and which way the bounces go for the eventual winning team.

Pittsburgh over Washington in 6

Washington was lucky to escape the grasp of the Rangers and overall the Pens surprised me against the Flyers and it tells you how much this team has come from almost packing up and leaving the Steel City, I believe that the Pens will get to Simeon Varlamov and again win a series in 6.

Western Semi-Finals

Detroit over Anaheim in 6

Detroit I can't believe I didn't have faith in you to beat Columbus, they are still the Champs if you can believe that and they showed the flexing of there muscles against Columbus but that's Columbus a team that couldn't bring the Physical boom and that's how you win in the Playoffs Detroit isn't overly physical team Anaheim is but if Detroit takes a page out of Chicago's book and what they did against Calgary by bringing the boom the Wings should have no problem moving on but first they'll have to get by the Swiss Sensation the forth Jonas Brother, Hiller played like a beast against the Sharks and should he do again the Ducks have a legit shot at upsetting another top seed team.

Vancouver over Chicago in 7

Oh Canada! This our only shot left at bringing Lord Stanley home all be it the Canucks those hated Canucks but what I saw from Luongo albeit against St Louis but the way he stoned the Power Play of the Blues was amazing but the thing the Canucks will have to stop is the constant parade to the box because unlike St Louis, Chicago will make you pay for your stupidity (Just ask my Flames) the Hawks may be young but they grew up in just one series they like the taste of Playoff hockey and they don't feel like going home yet, but just as in the Bruins-Canes series it will be a battle between the Goalies.... Roberto Luongo and the Bulin Wall.

[BrySmalls]

Well.. this is one of the more crushing defeats in franchise history...

Yes because the Devils and their fans have had it SO bad over the years.

Never said the Devils and/or their fans had it bad, but other than Matteau, and the 2001 SCF loss, this right now is #3 in all time crushing playoff losses for me, as a Devils fan.

I know you're ranking YOU'RE OWN heartbreaking defeats, but the Devils won the Cup the year after Matteau and the year before losing in the 2001 SCF loss. You can't win it every year. The New Jersey Devils fans have had a lot to be thankful for that other fans of other teams haven't been even close to witnessing. Other than Red Wings fans, noone's had it easier in the last 15 years than Devils fans. I just hope you guys are aware of how lucky you truly are to witness a winning team year after year.

Just wait until the day Brodeur retires....then see how difficult it is to be in contention to win the Cup.

Ha ha, because Brodeur's the reason we've been so good the past 15 years. Clemmensen's proved that even a career minor leaguer/ backup can succeed in Jersey for at least half a season. No, I think we owe our success to our defense. Stevens, Niedermayer, Rafalski leave and where does that leave us? Are we now San Jose East?

Let's see what a career minor leaguer could do as a starter for more than half a season or seasons before pinning the success on the defense.

[Shane Does Art]

Well.. this is one of the more crushing defeats in franchise history...

Yes because the Devils and their fans have had it SO bad over the years.

Never said the Devils and/or their fans had it bad, but other than Matteau, and the 2001 SCF loss, this right now is #3 in all time crushing playoff losses for me, as a Devils fan.

I know you're ranking YOU'RE OWN heartbreaking defeats, but the Devils won the Cup the year after Matteau and the year before losing in the 2001 SCF loss. You can't win it every year. The New Jersey Devils fans have had a lot to be thankful for that other fans of other teams haven't been even close to witnessing. Other than Red Wings fans, noone's had it easier in the last 15 years than Devils fans. I just hope you guys are aware of how lucky you truly are to witness a winning team year after year.

Just wait until the day Brodeur retires....then see how difficult it is to be in contention to win the Cup.

Ha ha, because Brodeur's the reason we've been so good the past 15 years. Clemmensen's proved that even a career minor leaguer/ backup can succeed in Jersey for at least half a season. No, I think we owe our success to our defense. Stevens, Niedermayer, Rafalski leave and where does that leave us? Are we now San Jose East?

Jesus Christ, you lose a first round series in 7 and you're ready to call your team the Sharks of the East? You've won 3 cups. San Jose hasn't even made it to the finals.

[DEAD!]

Jesus Christ, you lose a first round series in 7 and you're ready to call your team the Sharks of the East? You've won 3 cups. San Jose hasn't even made it to the finals.

So, Jesus Christ is the devil....

[BrySmalls]

Jesus Christ, you lose a first round series in 7 and you're ready to call your team the Sharks of the East? You've won 3 cups. San Jose hasn't even made it to the finals.

So, Jesus Christ is the devil....

Or the devil is Jesus Christ?

[Shane Does Art]

Actually I think he's a waffle stuck to the ceiling.

[charger77]

Sacralicious!

-Dan

Edit: I guess this clip belongs here:

This too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1fKnNWTBT4

[habsfan1]

Boston in 6

Pittsburgh in 7

Vancouver in 7

Detroit in 7

[DarkJourney]

Carolina over Boston in 6

Washington over Pittsburgh in 7

Detroit over Anaheim in 5

Chicago over Vancouver in 7

I don't think any of us should be shocked the Sharks went out in the first round since they have been playing .500 hockey since January and well they're the Sharks.

[charger77]

With the Ducks finally healthy, the best defensive core in the playoffs and a Stanley Cup winning / Conn Smythe winning goalie on the bench I am surprised that there isn't much love for the Ducks here.

-Dan

[DEAD!]

Ah. CNC machining. Is there anything they can't do?

[charger77]

Ah. CNC machining. Is there anything they can't do?

Turn left?

-Dan

[Shumway]

With the Ducks finally healthy, the best defensive core in the playoffs and a Stanley Cup winning / Conn Smythe winning goalie on the bench I am surprised that there isn't much love for the Ducks here.

-Dan

I think the Wings still have the edge defensively. There's clearly a reason why "Osaverage", as you call him, has his name on Lord Stanley three times. The Wings' defense is just that good.

[charger77]

Oh boy... somebody got me started on my Chris Osgood rant!

Honestly, I think Osgood is a fraud. To me he is THE shining example of a player who is carried by his team. As for his three Cups, 1997, he was a back up, in 1998 they won inspite of him (playing Phoenix, St.Louis, a injury depleated Dallas and Washington in the finals helped too.) If any year you could say he played a big part of 2008. But honestly couldn't Detroit have won with just about any goalie? Yeah, Hasek crapped out, but he was a 42 year old shell if himself.

What about the years he didn't win Cups in Detroit? He dropped a 2-0 series lead and lost 4 straight to Colorado. I'll even be nice and not rip him for 2000 because that Avalanche team was damn good and similiar to the team that would win the 2001 Cup. And speaking of 2001 what about the loss to the Kings as a #2 seed? Just like 1999, after going up 2-0 he lost 4 straight again.

How many playoff series did he win with the Islanders or the Blues? Goalies like Irbe, Theodore, Brent Johnson, Cloutier (Who he let up a 3-1 series against), Roloson, Cechmanek and Aebischer all won playoff series in that same span (2002, 2003 and 2004) In 2006 Osgood was a back up to Manny Legace and backed up Hasek in 2007.

What do the Wings think of Osgood? In 2001 he was placed on waivers because they thought he was not good enough to win with so they brought in Hasek, then when he was brought back in 2005 it was as a back up, and only because his salary fit into the cap. After Hasek crapped out in the '08 playoffs the Wings would have replaced him with just about any back up they had, if it was Legace, it would have been Legace, but they had Osgood, so thats who went it. The Wings could have won the Cup last year with just about any of the playoff goalies from that year, except the crappy tandem that Colorado put out.

What about his regular season career? Where is his Vezina? In 1996 he was 39-6, that is a damn good record, and a 2.17 gaa, but where was his Vezina? Jim Carrey won it that year because the voters (NHL GMs) knew that he has the benefit of playing on a very talanted Red Wings team. However, he did win two Jennings Trophies, which he had won as a tandem (Vernon 1996 and Hasek 2008). Hell, Olaf Kolzig and Jim Carrey have won Vezinas during Osgood's time as a starter.

The Wings won 2 Cups with Osgood as their starter but couldn't they have won in 1998 and 2008 with most other play off goalies from those years? I think Osgood's playoff fate when he was not with the Wings, his playoff faliures (especially 1999 and 2001), plus his zero Vezina Trophies really show that while Osgood is a decent and serviceable goalie but is really the product of playing on a damn good Red Wings team (playing behind a six time Norris Trophy winner helps too). In the 2008 playoffs Osgood had 14 wins 3 shutouts and a 1.55 gaa. A 1.55 gaa! Hernik Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe. I think that shows what the Professional Hockey Writers' Association think.

Sorry about the rant I just think he is one of the most overrated athletes out there and I'm sick of hearing how he is a Hall of Fame lock.

-Dan

[Shumway]

I'm not sure if you misunderstood me, but I was actually making the same point you just did. I'm in complete agreement that he's just an above-average tender who has an incredible defense in front of him.

[Wheelhouse]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone make the argument that Osgood is a big part of Detroit's success. He's a very capable goaltender who handles the workload asked of him. He's not terrible, he's not great.