The Rite of Spring

[Still MIGHTY]

That was an AWESOME game. Not necessarily played well, but entertaining as hell to attend.

43-21 was the final shot total in Nashville's favor. Smith was absolutely fantastic (needs to stat in his damn net though). Phoenix's 3rd periods have been awful, but almost by their own design. Get a lead and Just sitting back and trying to keep the other team to the outside. That was shown in the OT when Nashville kept constantly kept setting up at the goal line/behind the net and throwing it on net and into the crease. Just grinding and scrapping and eventually putting it in. Rope-a-dope.

It's working, but it's gotta be taxing. Probably would explain the TOI numbers though. Weber/Suter each had around 33 mins with the Yotes only having one guy over 30 (Ekmund-Larsson) and then Morris with 26. Tippett is spreading out the time and rolling everyone, while Nashville keeps trotting out their big guns. Probably could explain the disparity in shots, but man.

Huge win Yotes. I was concerned early, but good job Yotes fans. Filled in the building for the most part and got decently loud. (Screw the tracksuited group of douches who started the wave though. Its the playoffs you idiots. Stop... And my Pekkkaaaaa/Rinnnneeee chanta went unanswered...) Itwas a sellout, but the secondary sales didn't come through. And then about 5 people in the row in front of me showed up for the 3rd period and OT. And if my count was right, there was somewhere around just 40 Predators fans.

Now Ive been given a choice to go to Game 2 or Game 5... Which to choose? Hmmm (Thanks grandpa!) Go Yotes!

[Cujo]

Is this going to become the real-life hockey version of Major League?

....with Tippett stripping down a cardboard cutout of Bettman after each win.

[Squeaks4]

That was an AWESOME game. Not necessarily played well, but entertaining as hell to attend.

43-21 was the final shot total in Nashville's favor. Smith was absolutely fantastic (needs to stay in his damn net though). Phoenix's 3rd periods have been awful, but almost by their own design. Get a lead and Just sitting back and trying to keep the other team to the outside. That was shown in the OT when Nashville kept constantly kept setting up at the goal line/behind the net and throwing it on net and into the crease. Just grinding and scrapping and eventually putting it in. Rope-a-dope.

It's working, but it's gotta be taxing. Probably would explain the TOI numbers though. Weber/Suter each had around 33 mins with the Yotes only having one guy over 30 (Ekmund-Larsson) and then Morris with 26. Tippett is spreading out the time and rolling everyone, while Nashville keeps trotting out their big guns. Probably could explain the disparity in shots, but man.

Huge win Yotes. I was concerned early, but good job Yotes fans. Filled in the building for the most part and got decently loud. (Screw the tracksuited group of douches who started the wave though. Its the playoffs you idiots. Stop... And my Pekkkaaaaa/Rinnnneeee chanta went unanswered...) Itwas a sellout, but the secondary sales didn't come through. And then about 5 people in the row in front of me showed up for the 3rd period and OT. And if my count was right, there was somewhere around just 40 Predators fans.

Now Ive been given a choice to go to Game 2 or Game 5... Which to choose? Hmmm (Thanks grandpa!) Go Yotes!

Couldn't disagree more with this. One of Smith's biggest strengths is his ability to handle the puck and make outlet passes to guys standing at the blue line. I will gladly take a fluke bounce off the glass like that over him staying in his net and just leaving the puck behind the net for his players. Sucks they got a goal on a play like that but in my opinion his ability to handle the puck far outweighs the small number of lucky bounces like that.

I agree with everything else though Go Yotes!

[ElwoodCuse]

I never understood the conspiracy theories about the Coyotes. Viper is right--if there was any fix in, it would be to make them suck so no one would notice or care when they get spirited out of town. From a PR/Conspiract perspective, moving a team that is good and coming off a deep playoff run, maybe even a SCF appearance or title, would be awful.

[Kramerica Industries]

That was an AWESOME game. Not necessarily played well, but entertaining as hell to attend.

43-21 was the final shot total in Nashville's favor. Smith was absolutely fantastic (needs to stay in his damn net though). Phoenix's 3rd periods have been awful, but almost by their own design. Get a lead and Just sitting back and trying to keep the other team to the outside. That was shown in the OT when Nashville kept constantly kept setting up at the goal line/behind the net and throwing it on net and into the crease. Just grinding and scrapping and eventually putting it in. Rope-a-dope.

It's working, but it's gotta be taxing. Probably would explain the TOI numbers though. Weber/Suter each had around 33 mins with the Yotes only having one guy over 30 (Ekmund-Larsson) and then Morris with 26. Tippett is spreading out the time and rolling everyone, while Nashville keeps trotting out their big guns. Probably could explain the disparity in shots, but man.

Huge win Yotes. I was concerned early, but good job Yotes fans. Filled in the building for the most part and got decently loud. (Screw the tracksuited group of douches who started the wave though. Its the playoffs you idiots. Stop... And my Pekkkaaaaa/Rinnnneeee chanta went unanswered...) Itwas a sellout, but the secondary sales didn't come through. And then about 5 people in the row in front of me showed up for the 3rd period and OT. And if my count was right, there was somewhere around just 40 Predators fans.

Now Ive been given a choice to go to Game 2 or Game 5... Which to choose? Hmmm (Thanks grandpa!) Go Yotes!

Couldn't disagree more with this. One of Smith's biggest strengths is his ability to handle the puck and make outlet passes to guys standing at the blue line. I will gladly take a fluke bounce off the glass like that over him staying in his net and just leaving the puck behind the net for his players. Sucks they got a goal on a play like that but in my opinion his ability to handle the puck far outweighs the small number of lucky bounces like that.

I agree with everything else though Go Yotes!

Yeah, having come through Dallas and being a back-up under Marty Turco, Mike Smith has always been one of the best puck-handling goaltenders in the NHL, regardless of whether he was any good in any other facets of the game (which for a long period of time in Tampa he wasn't). That was just bad luck that led to Yip's goal, something that'll happen from time-to-time, even with some goaltenders who are generally terrible puck-handlers.

[waltere]

I never understood the conspiracy theories about the Coyotes. Viper is right--if there was any fix in, it would be to make them suck so no one would notice or care when they get spirited out of town. From a PR/Conspiract perspective, moving a team that is good and coming off a deep playoff run, maybe even a SCF appearance or title, would be awful.

That's the point though, the NHL doesn't want to move the Coyotes, that team SHOULD have been out of town already, but instead we've seen the Thrashers sacrificed on the Altar of Bettman's Ego to protect his failed Arizona Hockey Experiment^TM. It would not surprise me if they somehow spin a successful postseason into extorting yet more money out of Glendale and then we see another team get shipped to Quebec City instead.

[rams80]

I never understood the conspiracy theories about the Coyotes. Viper is right--if there was any fix in, it would be to make them suck so no one would notice or care when they get spirited out of town. From a PR/Conspiract perspective, moving a team that is good and coming off a deep playoff run, maybe even a SCF appearance or title, would be awful.

...And that is why the Nordiques moved to Denver following a division title.

But yeah, the point is that this is a market that would still not develop a viable fanbase even if you went on a run of 5 straight Stanley Cup titles. All a playoff run does is (theoretically) drives up the asking price for some out of market party to buy and move the team.

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

By winning a playoff game in the second round, the Coyotes have officially surpassed the Jets in terms of post season success. While the Jets got to the second round twice (1985 and 1987), they were swept both times. Up until now this franchise (which has been in the league since 1979) never won a game past the first round of the playoffs.

[Kramerica Industries]

I think Nashville will win their series, but I didn't tender my prediction of that series in time because, well, I was sleeping.

But as for the other three series...

New York in 6

Philadelphia in 6

St. Louis in 7

Setting up a fantastic Eastern Conference Final, and a ratings killer out west.

[NEW.ERA]

Well luckily if you love hockey like we all do here, ratings don't matter worth anything. I welcome whatever Western Conference Final.

[Still MIGHTY]

Smith was absolutely fantastic (needs to stay in his damn net though).

Couldn't disagree more with this. One of Smith's biggest strengths is his ability to handle the puck and make outlet passes to guys standing at the blue line. I will gladly take a fluke bounce off the glass like that over him staying in his net and just leaving the puck behind the net for his players. Sucks they got a goal on a play like that but in my opinion his ability to handle the puck far outweighs the small number of lucky bounces like that.

I agree with everything else though Go Yotes!

Yeah, having come through Dallas and being a back-up under Marty Turco, Mike Smith has always been one of the best puck-handling goaltenders in the NHL, regardless of whether he was any good in any other facets of the game (which for a long period of time in Tampa he wasn't). That was just bad luck that led to Yip's goal, something that'll happen from time-to-time, even with some goaltenders who are generally terrible puck-handlers.

I do agree he's a great puck handler, and I wasnt really referring to that odd goal, because like you guys said, that's just completely bad luck. What I was saying was, he was getting a little too adventurous in his selection of time playing the puck. He's great with it, but there were more than a few times where he would have been equally or greater served just staying in the net, particularly in the overtime.

[knnhrvy16]

If this game so far is any indication, Caps-Rangers is going to be a GREAT series. Really fun-to-watch, intense hockey.

Also...and I know they're very likely not going to, but...it'd be awesome if the Rangers busted out that navy fauxback third and the Caps busted out thier throwbacks for just one game. My gosh, that matchup would be beautiful.

[Kramerica Industries]

Alas, with NHL uniform rules, the Rangers and Capitals are already locked into the jerseys they sport in today's game.

Not that the blueshirts or Caps roadies are bad, mind you. The blue's are a classic, and the Caps were one of the few teams not to be thoroughly trashed by the EDGE redesign.

[njmeadowlanders]

If this game so far is any indication, Caps-Rangers is going to be a GREAT series. Really fun-to-watch, intense hockey.

Also...and I know they're very likely not going to, but...it'd be awesome if the Rangers busted out that navy fauxback third and the Caps busted out thier throwbacks for just one game. My gosh, that matchup would be beautiful.

Even if the Rangers were allowed in the playoffs, they only wear them at home on Sundays or vs. Original Six teams.

[tvko]

If this game so far is any indication, Caps-Rangers is going to be a GREAT series. Really fun-to-watch, intense hockey.

Agreed - although the final score wasn't close, I definitely feel not terrible about our chances going forward. Holtby needs to step it up; Johansson should've scored on the assist from Backstrom; the Caps outshot NYR... all in all, not a disaster even though it's 0-1.

[WSU151]

So, basically, Florida wasn't good enough to be top half of the conference because they lost more of the carnival games than other teams?

Fixed.

So, then, you see a three-player shootout as a legitimate way to determine a winner and a loser outright? Should that then be applied to the playoffs? (To me, if that's good enough, then why play the entire game?)

The teams that overly rely on overtime wins are just as vulnerable in my mind; it's just that the generic standings don't show that for everyone to see.

What? My whole point was saying that they lost more total games than anyone in the playoffs, i.e. not just shootouts.

OT, but I was watching highlights and I just remembered how sharp those *new* Florida homes are.

Let's clear a few things up:

• [*]I never said the Panthers were going to 100% without-a-doubt going to get swept. I actually expected them to come away with one, maybe two wins.

So you never said this in the NHL 2011-2012 thread:

Admiral won't need to pick up a knife anytime soon considering they'll (the Panthers, clarified by WSU151) be done in 4 games.

Oh...ok. Revisionist history is a bitch.

I fail to see where I said that without a doubt, they'll 100% not win a game.

I only said "in 4 games" to enhance my point about them not being good and how they wouldn't go far. Which provides more emphasis?

"Admiral won't need to pick up a knife anytime soon considering they'll be done in 4 games."

OR

"Admiral won't need to pick up a knife anytime soon considering they'll be done in possibly 4 games, although I will admit that they have a pretty good chance of taking one, perhaps two away from the Devils during this series, thereby extending it to a fifth or even a sixth game, with a seven also a possibility."

Point is, I never made an official, thought-out prediction. A rash, near-hyperbole of a comment I made to stress a point doesn't cut the mustard.

That quote was also taken from before the seedings were set in stone.

Cool story, bro. I'm glad you offer predictions, then decide which ones were serious and which ones were not serious... after the fact.

Anyone can brush off a prediction as "Oh..that? I was joking! hahahahahaha I wasn't really serious..."

And to help you out, you could have easily said "Admiral won't need to pick up a knife anytime soon considering they won't make it to the second round."

[BigBubba]

[WSU151]

Yep. That guy sums up pretty much every post you make.

[BigBubba]

Yep - that was a real prediction all right. Even though that quote was taken before the final seedings were set, it was a true, well-thought out prediction.

I made a comment insulting the Panthers, and then you have to take it so personally and start this whole argument. Let's think - does my prediction for the Panthers supposedly being three games off warrant a three page argument? What does pointing that out accomplish? I never made a guarantee or thoroughly thought out prediction, whether you want to think it or not. Yeesh. I'm sure nobody is tired of clicking on this thread and seeing this argument. No one.

[Magnus]

So, Rangers vs. Yotes final, anyone?

Big market vs. Gary's Precious. Gotta love it.