NHL 2009 Super Special Playoff Edition Megathread

[charger77]

Ah, got ya!

The Osgood is an elite goalie is a topic that always gets a long rant out of me.

-Dan

[Breakwood]

The eternal question: To watch hockey in English, French, or Punjabi. So many choices.

[Shane Does Art]

The eternal question: To watch hockey in English, French, or Punjabi. So many choices.

Punjabi definitely.

Well that was a fun game to watch. Bowman wants Campbell's head!

[randyc]

Pretty scary third period, Canucks just seemed flat, but luckily caught Chicago late. I must say though, that was probably the best game I've seen Kyle Wellwood play as a Canuck.

[The_Admiral]

Oh Canada! This our only shot left at bringing Lord Stanley home all be it the Canucks those hated Canucks

If you hate a team, you shouldn't be rooting for them to win just because they're from Canada. You Canadians.

[JQK]

Wow. Kicked out of the game for a clean hit on a guy.

Why watch hockey anymore if they won't let them play the game?

NHL = No Hitting League

[charger77]

Kicked out of at game because he clean hit a Red Wing.

You know according to the rule book any hit that causes a player to bleed must be dirty!

And noting for the hit on Hiller after the goal?

-Dan

[Snowcap30]

I do not think that hit warrented a 5 and game...if anything call it an elbow. The refs had been marginal this entire playoffs.

I guarantee you Hudler will keep his head up next time he makes a pass.

[JQK]

But it wasn't an elbow. It was a clean his, not head-hunting, in the open ice. It was beyond a bad call, but it seems to me this is what the NHL wants...

...and as far as that CNC making that mini-cup; I want a mini-cup.

[-kj]

I just saw the replay. That's an elbow to the head. Nasty.

[JQK]

I just saw the replay. That's an elbow to the head. Nasty.

i've seen the replay all night, he hit him with the shoulder. Not nasty.

And he got the 5 and game for interference, not elbowing, which blows my mind.

[-kj]

The call was interference? Now that's weird.

That's not a shoulder. That's a forearm and elbow. In any case, a shoulder to the head is not a legal hit.

[Still MIGHTY]

On the one hand, This was a game the Ducks could have (and probably should have) won.

The Ducks played great (minus the face-offs and the penalties (more on that later)). If they can keep up an effort like this (and get some calls/noncalls), they will be fine and can bring it to Detroit. Also... ugh the posts... ugh... Also some puck movement on the Power Play would be appreciated.

But other hand, this game made me want to puke.

The officiating has been and will be criticized ad nauseum by our fanbase, and rightly so.

But I also give the Ducks a lot of credit for not complaining about the calls and taking stupid retaliation penalties. Most penalties either didn't exist, just happened, or were passed over on us.

Brown's hit? Ok maybe interference... mayyyyyybe a 5 minute major because there was blood and the NHL gets freaked out by blood. But I think the game misconduct was unwarranted. It was a clean hit. Maybe possibly slightly kinda not really but conceivably late, but intent to injure or high elbow or dirty? No. I don't think he will be suspended. Hopefully the NHL will go back and look at it and rescind the game misconduct, much like they did when they called that on Rob Niedermayer against Holmstrom in 2007. I can see why they almost have to call a penalty on it (although there was no need) because of the circumstance of blood and the environment, but I think they were a bit harsh and made the wrong call. You can call it bias, but that's my take.

Also, Versus was terrrrrrrrible. Beninati makes me want to puke normally. He's too damn quirky and uses all these cutesy phrases all the time instead of just calling the hockey game. He uses all these euphamisms and whatever. Makes me sick see as I want to be in his chair one day. I thought Darryl Reaugh would give us the benefit of the doubt and some props being the Dallas guy and familiar with us. Heck, I didn't think he was terrible in the Sharks series. But the Detroit lovefest was disgusting. They worked their system to "perfection." Everything about the Wings was soooooo great and sooooo wonderful. Ugh. I think the only times they mentioned the Ducks were saying something about Marchant, Getzlaf, Hiller, Scotty, and Brown. Marchant and Getzy were actually praised multiple times during the game. Scotty's skating was praised one time. Only once. Hiller they talked about his pads for like 2 minutes and his rebounds. Brown of course should be tarred, feathered, lit on fire, hung, crucified, and publicly humiliated in the town square.

The intermission reports weren't much better.

Heck, even my half-deaf grandfather who hardly notices there are commentators at all on TV or other people in the arena at Ducks games complained about the love fest. I'm not even saying that for effect. It is wholeheartedly true.

I know that Versus and NBC would love to have the Wings advance so they can get their ratings and viewer shares, but try and keep that behind closed doors in your offices and meetings. Don't broadcast that. Hopefully Doc Emerick, Eddie Olcyzk, and Pierre McGuire (whom I all have much respect for) do their duty to a bias free, informational, interesting, and entertaining broadcast on NBC on Sunday. I don't expect much from Mike Milbury, but the other 3 I do.

There isn't much the Ducks have to change. Fix-up the face-off circle and the power play movement. You can't change the officials. You can't change the bounces. They have to just keep going forward and play their game and everything will be just peachy.

LET'S GO DUCKS!

TAKE GAME TWO!

[Still MIGHTY]

DUCKS' BROWN AVOIDS SUSPENSION FOR HIT ON HUDLER

DETROIT -- Mike Brown will be back for the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal.

The Detroit Red Wings were told Saturday that Brown would not be suspended for his hit that bloodied Jiri Hudler.

Brown landed a blow to Hudler's head in the first period of Game 1 on Friday night. He was given a major penalty for interference, leading to Detroit scoring a tying goal, and a game misconduct that ended his night.

The game was delayed briefly while Hudler was helped off the ice and blood was scraped off it. A towel was pressed against a big cut above Hudler's left eye.

Hudler returned to the game in the second period, helping the defending Stanley Cup champions win 3-2 to stay undefeated in the playoffs.

TSN Link

[OMMF]

Geeze, with all the Wings-Ducks -sucking, some would think that was the only game last night. That's fine. Bruins will just keep moving along quietly.

[BrySmalls]

Game 1 Win, 3-2

EDIT: Now with youtube link.

[rams80]

Geeze, with all the Wings-Ducks -sucking, some would think that was the only game last night. That's fine. Bruins will just keep moving along quietly.

If you win in a blowout, folks are less inclined to discuss the game.

[Still MIGHTY]

Geeze, with all the Wings-Ducks -sucking, some would think that was the only game last night. That's fine. Bruins will just keep moving along quietly.

You stay classy Boston

I'm sorry nothing overly interesting happened in the Bruins-Canes game.

Our bad

Plus, they were on at around the same time and were being broadcast on the same channel.

Everybody couldnt watch both games. It was most likely one or the other.

[Don]

absolutely wonderful save by The Iron Curtain. learn the name: Semyon VarLAmov. gotta win 3 more now.

[speedy]

Geeze, with all the Wings-Ducks -sucking, some would think that was the only game last night. That's fine. Bruins will just keep moving along quietly.

You stay classy Boston

I'm sorry nothing overly interesting happened in the Bruins-Canes game.

Our bad

Plus, they were on at around the same time and were being broadcast on the same channel.

Everybody couldnt watch both games. It was most likely one or the other.

How ironic that statement is coming from you, after your ridiculously saturated homerism posts, and then your apparent sarcasm at OMMF. You stay classy Still MIGHTY

The Bruins haven't been talked about at all on these boards throughout the entire season. Maybe marginally here or there, but it's been mostly talk from Leafs and Pens fans. Which is fine, considering the strong fan bases that occupy this community.

The little bit of rust the Bruins did show was expected but they still played an incredible game. Carolina doesn't match up well in this series, but I'm very afraid of Caps. They played the B's extremely hard every time this season, not to mention Varlamov coming into his own. That would be one hell of a match up for the Conference Finals. The Pens don't make it any easier even though the Bruins for all intensive purposes dominated them this season. They're a much different team now and match up more than favorably with the B's in the speed category.