2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs

[Sport]

Flyers get a goal on an undeserved power play. Seriously, the refs are not supposed to call that on a Habs player - though it's perfectly acceptable to call it on the Flyers. The NHL should want the Habs to win, and should allow its officials to make sure it happens.

If I wasn't convinced most of what you said was specifically designed to elicit incredulous reactions, I'd suggest that you were a madman.

It would enhance the NHL for a Canadian team to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals - they should do everything they can to make sure it happens.

I know you're basically just trolling here, but I'm going to respond anyways because I can't help myself. The NHL gaining the reputation as a league that fixes its games to set up their most desirable matchup would be a lot more damaging than not having a Canadian team in the finals. Anyways, if they were going to fix a matchup of this final 4 then they would probably want Philadelphia-Chicago. Thirdly, your logic is flawed. The Canadian audience isn't going anywhere, it's the Americans the league worries about.

[Sodboy13]

"The Canadiens saying auR Rev voiR to the Penguins"

Joe Beninatti: Slaying English and other world languages on the daily

I'm so glad to know that my hatred for Joe Beninati is shared far and wide. All the announcers they have to choose from, and they pick this dickrag for the conference finals? If Versus gives him Finals duties, I'll start lobbying for ESPN3.com to get the NHL TV contract.

Also, since Verbose McPukerson is obviously getting this gig because he works for Comcast SportsNet, and Versus is Comcast-owned, would it kill them to put Pat Foley on the Western finals?

[Still MIGHTY]

"The Canadiens saying auR Rev voiR to the Penguins"

Joe Beninatti: Slaying English and other world languages on the daily

I'm so glad to know that my hatred for Joe Beninati is shared far and wide. All the announcers they have to choose from, and they pick this dickrag for the conference finals? If Versus gives him Finals duties, I'll start lobbying for ESPN3.com to get the NHL TV contract.

Also, since Verbose McPukerson is obviously getting this gig because he works for Comcast SportsNet, and Versus is Comcast-owned, would it kill them to put Pat Foley on the Western finals?

Mike Emerick gets the Finals, and the #1 Conference Final (in this case SJ/CHI)

And so they have dubbed Beninatti their 2nd best guy I guess. And I can only assume Foley, Hahn or whoever does Philly's games aren't used because Chicago, San Jose, and the Flyers are all in it and all use Comcast. So they can't use the team's actual broadcaster? I don't know.

I guess it would also be easier for Beninatti to get to Philly/Montreal because he is on the East Coast.

But that theory is thrown out, because since NBC has Game 4 of PHI/MTL Emerick will be on NBC's broadcast.

It sucks.

[RedRenesis]

Gee, Halak gets shelled in Game 1 again.

[WJMorris3]

I wonder, given Halak just got the hook, if the Price will be right for the Habs?

[Seadragon76]

Just turned the game on and the only thing I can say is UGH!

4-0 Flyers in the 2nd.... Somebody forgot to tell the Canadians that there was a game tonight.

[habsfan1]

I wonder, given Halak just got the hook, if the Price will be right for the Habs?

Previously, he showed that he is able to bounce back right after a bad loss. He will be playing on Tuesday and hopefully continues to be brillant.

[Don]

I wonder, given Halak just got the hook, if the Price will be right for the Habs?

Previously, he showed that he is able to bounce back right after a bad loss. He will be playing on Tuesday and hopefully continues to be brillant.

Hopefully Martin realized what a huge mistake putting Price in vs the Caps was and will avoid doing so unless Halak lost a leg or something. Even a 1 legged Halak might be a better play than Price.

[Jigga]

I wonder, given Halak just got the hook, if the Price will be right for the Habs?

[habsfan1]

I wonder, given Halak just got the hook, if the Price will be right for the Habs?

Previously, he showed that he is able to bounce back right after a bad loss. He will be playing on Tuesday and hopefully continues to be brillant.

Hopefully Martin realized what a huge mistake putting Price in vs the Caps was and will avoid doing so unless Halak lost a leg or something. Even a 1 legged Halak might be a better play than Price.

Just as long as his d-men keep him covered, I will agree with your statement.

[Magnus]

Hawks in 6. Flyers in 3, the way they're playing. That was a no-show performance by every Hab except their poor goalie.

[JACK IS CONSTRUCTION]

Halak will bounce back, no worries there. Sharks in 6, although I guess I'll root for the Hawks. But I really don't give a :censored:.

[RedRenesis]

Hawks in 6. Flyers in 3, the way they're playing. That was a no-show performance by every Hab except their poor goalie.

Montreal did this in Game 1 with the Pens too. Martin will get it turned around for game 2, I still think the Flyers will pull this series off, but I dont think what we saw tonight will be typical for the balance of it.

[tBBP]

I love how people draw such brash conclusions about stuff after one game. One...game. There's a reason these things are series, you know.

Hang tight...we've still got a whole lot of quality hockey ahead of us yet.

[Brendan]

Canucks won game one 5-1. We all know how that series ended. Game 1 does not decide the fate of a series.

[The_Admiral]

It doesn't, but for a moment I want to pretend that it does. Take a gander at these TOIs:

Marleau: 23:58

Heatley: 22:37

Clowe: 22:27

Pavelski: 22:24

Thornton: 22:20

Setoguchi: 19:05

Toews: 19:36

Bolland: 18:50

Hossa: 17:49

Kane: 16:30

Sharp: 16:02

Versteeg: 15:56

Now certainly the strange penalty situation has something to do with this (this also explains Bolland), but still, the Sharks are riding their top six forwards really hard. No Blackhawk forward played more than 20 minutes, and five Sharks were well over. If the Blackhawks are able to stick to their uptempo game for as much of the game as possible while rolling four lines against San Jose's seven forwards, then by the third period they should be on relatively fresh legs while the Sharks' forwards start to veer into diminishing returns. I'll hang up and listen to your answer (or IronChefShark's death threat).

[BigEd76]

Game 1 does not decide the fate of a series.

In 8 of the 12 series so far, the team that won game 1 lost the series...

[The_Admiral]

Well, there you have it. The team that wins Game 1 loses the series except when it doesn't.

[OMMF]

It doesn't, but for a moment I want to pretend that it does. Take a gander at these TOIs:

Marleau: 23:58

Heatley: 22:37

Clowe: 22:27

Pavelski: 22:24

Thornton: 22:20

Setoguchi: 19:05

Toews: 19:36

Bolland: 18:50

Hossa: 17:49

Kane: 16:30

Sharp: 16:02

Versteeg: 15:56

Now certainly the strange penalty situation has something to do with this (this also explains Bolland), but still, the Sharks are riding their top six forwards really hard. No Blackhawk forward played more than 20 minutes, and five Sharks were well over. If the Blackhawks are able to stick to their uptempo game for as much of the game as possible while rolling four lines against San Jose's seven forwards, then by the third period they should be on relatively fresh legs while the Sharks' forwards start to veer into diminishing returns. I'll hang up and listen to your answer (or IronChefShark's death threat).

Sharks also dressed 7 defensemen so the forwards ice time had to go up. You wouldn't give that extra time to a 4th liner, would you?

[The_Admiral]

But the Sharks' third line hardly played, let alone fourth. Luckily for the Sharks, this series has a lot of rest time built in, at least through Friday.

The Marleau/Thornton/Heatley line was a -2 yesterday, by the way.