Devils get 26 shots on goal in the first period and almost lose Volchenkov look liked the world's most expensive pylon all 2nd period. I'll take it. And this sports bar in Brooklyn has been taken over by rowdy Penguins fans? Might be the first time I'm rooting for the Flyers in my life
Patrik Elias' goal last night was sick. I have no idea how a forward gets that much time at the side of the net on a powerplay, but Elias made the most of it.
Patrik Elias' goal last night was sick. I have no idea how a forward gets that much time at the side of the net on a powerplay, but Elias made the most of it.
Heh, I think everyone on Florida thought he was going to pass it to Kovalchuk and just got way out of position. It was a very "welcome to the playoffs" goal for Florida
What the hell is wrong with the Canucks? I realize that missing Daniel really screws up their offense, but letting in 4 goals a game?
They still aren't out of it; plenty of teams have come back from 2-0 down and they are still the better team on paper. But yeah... Better show some heart soon...
What the hell is wrong with the Canucks? I realize that missing Daniel really screws up their offense, but letting in 4 goals a game?
They still aren't out of it; plenty of teams have come back from 2-0 down and they are still the better team on paper. But yeah... Better show some heart soon...
I'm not even sure we're better on paper than LA without Daniel Sedin to be honest with you. Management made some bone-headed moves in the off-season and trade deadline that has messed up chemistry. We lost Christian Ehrhoff, Raffi Torres, Mikael Samuelsson, and Cody Hodgson and replaced them with Booth, Kassian, and Gragnani. It's really no wonder we're not as good this year.
Maybe. They still have Sedin, Sedin, Kesler, Edler, Hamhuis, Schneider who are all 26-31. Trade one of their goalies for help at forward or defence, and some other moves...and their right back in a spot to seriously contend for another 4-5 years.
Maybe. They still have Sedin, Sedin, Kesler, Edler, Hamhuis, Schneider who are all 26-31. Trade one of their goalies for help at forward or defence, and some other moves...and their right back in a spot to seriously contend for another 4-5 years.
Sedins are done imo , all downhill from there.They'll still be good players but their peak is over and their playoff reputation is getting bad very quickly.It's the same thing everytime you see a window closing for a team , their pieces are often still there but you take out one or two pieces and lower the level of a couple of pieces and all of a sudden they're not a contender anymore.
Sedins are done imo , all downhill from there.They'll still be good players but their peak is over and their playoff reputation is getting very bad real quickly.
Their playoffs have been fine. They are a point a game over their last 50 playoff games, each. Even if they are only 80 point players the next couple of years, plenty of teams don't have the big 100 point scorers but go on to win (Boston, Chicago, New Jersey)..
Maybe. They still have Sedin, Sedin, Kesler, Edler, Hamhuis, Schneider who are all 26-31. Trade one of their goalies for help at forward or defence, and some other moves...and their right back in a spot to seriously contend for another 4-5 years.
Can they get a heart transplant? That team needs real leadership so badly.. from the outside looking in it really looks like they have a terrible culture. The way they carry themselves and the way they play just turns me off completely.
Otherwise it is just shuffling the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
Can they get a heart transplant? That team needs real leadership so badly.. from the outside looking in it really looks like they have a terrible culture. The way they carry themselves and the way they play just turns me off completely.
Otherwise it is just shuffling the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
(yep, I worked the 100th anniversary in there)
Well, they had the 'heart' to get themselves to a 2-0 lead in the finalks until injuries to Hamhuis and Kesler completely rattled their chances. They just aren';t deep enough this year, not a heart issue.
Can they get a heart transplant? That team needs real leadership so badly.. from the outside looking in it really looks like they have a terrible culture. The way they carry themselves and the way they play just turns me off completely.
Otherwise it is just shuffling the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
(yep, I worked the 100th anniversary in there)
They bow out meekly to LA and its lack of heart as much as missing Sedin. Other teams have used injuries as a rallying point and might lose, but at least go down fighting.
Vancouver's backs are against the wall; we'll see how they respond. If they don't even make a series of it, I'd say they need to get a serious dose of gritty veteran leadership in the offseason
Their playoffs have been fine. They are a point a game over their last 50 playoff games, each. Even if they are only 80 point players the next couple of years, plenty of teams don't have the big 100 point scorers but go on to win (Boston, Chicago, New Jersey)..
By watching them play , those points must have been very weak if it even make sense.Seems like the Sedins aren't there when it really counts.
I just don't think they're winners , and since you have two of them it makes it difficult to build a winning team around them for the playoffs.
I'm also not sure they'll get 80 pts for a long time again.I predict in 2 years they are done as PPG players.
If I was Vancouver's GM I would try to trade them for a sweet deal real quickly if another GM bites.
Well, they had the 'heart' to get themselves to a 2-0 lead in the finalks until injuries to Hamhuis and Kesler completely rattled their chances. They just aren';t deep enough this year, not a heart issue.
That is one way of looking at it. The other way of looking at why things turned sour for Vancouver after Game 2 is antics like this catching up to them:
Boston was missing people too but they got stronger as the series went on and the Canucks just put their tail between their legs.
Then again, I'm a Leaf fan who hasn't seen playoff hockey featuring my team for going on a decade now so what do I know. I guess I was spoiled by Clark/Gilmour/Roberts for a long while there.
Last edited by BraveCanadian: 04-14-2012 at 08:21 PM.
What exactly is that Thomas video showing against the heart of the Canucks? Was Henrik supposed to drop the gloves and fight Thomas in retaliation? Or are the "antics" you're referring to somehow concluding that Henrik dived there? (not that he and the Canucks don't dive, I'm just not sure about that example)
Depth isn't really an issue either. The bottom-6 is fantastic, Pahlsson has been every bit as good as Malhotra was last year pre-injury and Lapierre is the best fourth line center on the team in a decade. Whichever of Higgins/Hansen/Raymond isn't playing with Kesler and Booth have been elite in their third line roles.
The issue is that Ryan Kesler is playing like a forty point player (oh, he had 49 points this year...), and that the special teams has gone to ****. The PP operated at something like 28% the first three rounds last year. I'd wager it's not even at half of that over the past month or so.
Luongo is not the issue, at all. Sure, he's not stealing any series', but he's hardly losing them singlehandedly. The defense has been atrocious so far, Alex Edler went from looking like a Norris contender to goat rather quickly.
Switch Mike Richards for Ryan Kesler and the Canucks are up 2-0 in the series. That might not be a fair swap seeing as how Richards has arguably been the best player in the series while Kesler has been one of the worst, but for two players that are so comparable when they're on the top of their games, it's not too hard to dissect why the Canucks are in the position their in. Daniel Sedin is the difference between these two teams offensively when everyone is rolling. LA could've won game 1 by a lot more than they did.
''switch kesler for richards'' ... sure , except for that fact Kesler was always incredibly overrated as a player.Richards is a far superior player than Ryan Kesler.
What exactly is that Thomas video showing against the heart of the Canucks? Was Henrik supposed to drop the gloves and fight Thomas in retaliation? Or are the "antics" you're referring to somehow concluding that Henrik dived there? (not that he and the Canucks don't dive, I'm just not sure about that example)
No of course he wasn't supposed to fight Thomas in retaliation.
If you aren't sure about that example then you need to take the homer glasses off occasionally. He was going for the Oscar there, seriously.
I can admit the Leafs are horrible and gutless, and I am a Leaf fan.
I see your Sedins and raise you a Kessel. He makes me wince every time the Leafs play Boston too.
''switch kesler for richards'' ... sure , except for that fact Kesler was always incredibly overrated as a player.Richards is a far superior player than Ryan Kesler.
lol, Kesler has a Selke and two nominations under his belt and has also outscored Richards each of the past three seasons.
