2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs

[Sir Spankspeople]

Yeah, I'm only barely following it this year, but I'm a little confused right now.

I just don't know what to think.

[Nukinblackmage]

Fucking Habs. Okay, I will give it to them...they had a great defense tonight and amazing offense. I'm still bummed out over it. The Pens had like...no fire. No drive. They started getting it midway through the 2nd and over halfway through the 3rd they started getting the fire. But alas, it was too little too late.

The Bruins/Flyers game was really good though. The Flyers had an amazing defense tonight. I can't wait for Game 7. I'm still psuedo-rooting for the Bruins, but I'm happy whichever team wins that game...so long as they can wipe the floor with the Habs.

[tnitnetny]

The way you feel today Nukin is the way I felt two weeks ago. I just couldn't believe the 8th seat team came back to play that well and then all of a sudden there is no fire in the team against them.

I agree, Friday's game will be awesome. It sucks that I have a 7:45 flight that lands at 9:15. I am going to miss the game! Hopefully when I get off the plane I can find a TV by the luggage to watch the end.

[The Cid]

The Bruins/Flyers game was really good though. The Flyers had an amazing defense tonight. I can't wait for Game 7. I'm still psuedo-rooting for the Bruins, but I'm happy whichever team wins that game...so long as they can wipe the floor with the Habs.

I'll say it right now--my pick is Philly. The Flyers are going to win on Friday. They have all the momentum and there's no home ice advantage to playing in the TD Garden. (Also known as "that cookie-cutter building they built on the remains of the great Boston Garden.") They even have one of their original goalies back--Michael Leighton.

What I want to see are multiple overtime periods and a few fights.

Side note: a month ago, when the NHL and NBA playoffs began, I made a twenty dollar bet with a friend that the Bruins would last longer in the NHL playoffs than the Celtics last in the NBA playoffs. This seemed like a very, very safe bet. It's also a bet I will definitely lose if the Bruins do not win on Friday.

[Arminius]

Fucking Habs. Okay, I will give it to them...they had a great defense tonight and amazing offense. I'm still bummed out over it. The Pens had like...no fire. No drive. They started getting it midway through the 2nd and over halfway through the 3rd they started getting the fire. But alas, it was too little too late.

Don't know what happened to Fleury. Game 6, 11 shots, 3 goals. Game 7, 13 shots, 4 goals. You can't expect to beat a team when your own goalie is that generous.

...so long as they can wipe the floor with the Habs.

Keep dreaming.

[The Cid]

I am numb inside.

Fucking Habs.

"You get it," Stein said glumly on the drive back to my hotel. "You know what this is like."

Yeah, I get it. You're not even that mad. You just feel empty inside. You head into every big game assuming you will lose, and when it happens, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. You claim that you have your guard up, only deep down, that guard is lowered just enough that you're hoping against hope that THIS game will be different. Only it never is.

"I get it," I said.

I don't know if that helps, or how it would, but it seemed like an appropriate quote for the moment.

[sneaky ninja]

Wow.....I couldn't have said that better myself. That dude is dead on.

So, I think I might root for the Leafs next season. They always lose, so there'd never be any disappointment, right? Plus, their uniforms are pretty.

[Arminius]

So, I think I might root for the Leafs next season.

Please don't.

[The Cid]

So, I think I might root for the Leafs next season. They always lose, so there'd never be any disappointment, right?

Um Sneaky? No. Doesn't work that way. I can tell you from experience. (My favorite football team was considered a hopeless laughing stock for about 24 of the 27 years they existed before winning a Super Bowl, and my favorite baseball team hadn't won a championship in my grandparents' lifetime.) I know what it's like to root for teams that "always lose." It's just like the Simmons quote I posted yesterday. You know it's going to happen and expect it to happen, but somewhere along the way you talk yourself back into optimism only to have it shattered.

The reward is tremendous. You follow one of those teams and, when they finally do win, you get to celebrate like few other sports fans even understand how. When the Canucks finally do get what they've been trying for, the victory will stay with you forever. Years after the fact you'll be flipping the channels, and see a playoff game from that year on television, and you'll watch every second of it like it's your favorite movie. (I know this because if I ever see a game from the 2004 MLB playoffs on television I watch it until the end. I've seen Game 4 of that ALCS, easily, a dozen times in the five and a half years since it happened.)

Trust me, you don't want to go from a tough situation to one that literally drives you insane, and the Leafs will drive you insane. (Also: "Maple LEAFS." Nice uniforms, but "leafs?")

[ampersand]

So the Bruins lose the series in spectacular fashion. And now, I'm left wondering what the hell is going on in the East? On the bright side, those 2004 Boston Red Sox get mentioned yet again.

I'm going with Montreal only because a) The 7th game seems to be going to the road team and b) it is their 100th year in existence, or so I'm told. Shouldn't fight fate at this point. And it's going to be Chicago in the West, we might as well have an old school Original Six Stanley Cup final.

[The Cid]

what the hell is going on in the East?

The Flyers were always better than their record, and the deeper into the playoffs they go the more they recover from the injuries that nearly caused them to miss the playoffs. Meanwhile, Montreal is riding a goalie on an incredible hot streak, which in the NHL is absolutely unstoppable.

The Flyers nearly lost their last regular season game, which would have caused them to miss the playoffs. Instead they have home ice advantage for the conference finals. Something really cool about that.

On the bright side, those 2004 Boston Red Sox get mentioned yet again.

Thank you for that. Not that I needed much prompting to continue celebrating the 2004 Red Sox.

b) it is their 100th year in existence, or so I'm told.

I think this is year 101 actually. Last season was their 100th.

I'm pulling for Philly. If the B's had to lose I'm glad they lost to a franchise like the Flyers. Go get those French-speaking no goodniks. Hit them so hard there's a bleu, blanc et rouge smudge across the Wachovia Center boards!

[Arminius]

I'm pulling for Philly. If the B's had to lose I'm glad they lost to a franchise like the Flyers. Go get those French-speaking no goodniks.

Actually, we got 1 French-speaking guy in the whole team (Lapierre) while the flyers got like 5. Daniel Brière, Simon Gagné and Giroux did an awesome job tonight btw.

But seriously El Cid, why the Flyers? The Flyers: a 40 years history of cheap shot, intimidation and brainless thugs. Another nice punch in the face from Carcillo just today. I think that guy, Hartnell and Pronger alone got more penalties than the entire Canadien team last season.

[The Cid]

The Flyers: a 40 years history of cheap shot, intimidation and brainless thugs.

The Flyers have always been among my favorites because, well, to me the Philadelphia Flyers represent hockey violence and general goonery, and I can only support that. When I imagine the Flyers, I imagine Warren Zevon's Hit Somebody.

Alright, fine. I know that ideally, the most dangerous hits and all fighting would be banned and the product wouldn't really suffer for it. But it's hard to not find the likes of Dan Carcillo entertaining. What else could a farm boy from Canada do?

And besides, like a Bostonian is going to root for the Canadiens. Yeah, right.

[Nukinblackmage]

Yes! Philly is leading the series right now!

[Arminius]

And besides, like a Bostonian is going to root for the Canadiens. Yeah, right.

Ok good point.

Can't wait for game 4. Now that the Habs realized they could count on a good defense once more.