NHL 2006-07

[Jesse James]

Meh...   

Another loss, another night of ****** calls by the refs (though there were a couple on us this time that didn't get called too, but not many), and another night where I seriously want to bench Gonchar.  The offense he brings to the table doesn't counter the utter lack of defensive play he gives all game long...  Some may disagree with me, and I love the guy when he does his job, but when the Pens can't even get out of their own end with the #1 line he's a major liability.

Rough game...  I'm peeved.

[JangoTat]

go ottawa...calgary...i have lost hope in you.

[JesseVader08]

WTF - Sharks lead Preds 3-1?  I sure didn't see that coming.

[Darth Slothus]

But..it's not a bad thing either

[Jeff]

My life has been a little delayed thanks to some sick kids, but I thought I'd share...

I went to the Wild v. Ducks game on Tuesday and it was a blast!  So glad they avoided the sweep, that would have sucked major ass.

The game had it all - intensity, scoring, rough stuff.  First and second periods were fantastic waiting and waiting for someone to break it open, then when the Wild busted it open in the 3rd and the nasty stuff happened, it was great... until things got ugly. 

Brad May threw a cheap-o sucker punch late in the 3rd period, but the NHL took care of that with a 3-game suspension.  It was such a gutless move by May, skating up and punching a guy in the back of the head while everyone was watching the fight at the other end of the ice.  Luckily, there was a lineman standing right there who saw the whole thing.

Anyway, it was a blast of a game, I'm glad I went to that one and not last Sunday's loss.   

Here's hoping for a game six back at home on Saturday!   

[Jesse James]

The Pens are pretty much done here (game's not over but my hopes are gone)...  the last goal was a joke and 100% the fault of Gonchar.  I'd love to see people just crash into goalies more to score goals though, that's the way it should be for everyone.  I have some other teams I'm rooting for since I didn't expect a lot with the Pens (I couldn't believe the # of people predicting them going to the finals in the East...  I hoped but didn't expect that by a longshot)...  Though I called the Pens making the playoffs this year so I'm happy they did and proved a LOT of people wrong who said at the season's start they wouldn't go anywhere again because of their age.

I think in the soon-to-be offseason that the Penguins need to dump Gonchar.  I'm sure they can get a LOT for him because a cup contender would love a scoring D-man like him.  The Penguins need to shore up their defensive core though and drop this fancy offensive ****.  I'd look at dealing guys like Malone too...  They didn't do much for you in the regular season and were a liability in the playoffs.  Gonchar looks like a genius when he scores for you but man he was like giving the 1st line a handicap throughout this series so I cannot see keeping him when you could get 2, maybe 3 good players for him.  The other aging player I have a gripe with, but don't see leaving, is Recchi...  He played like **** this series and he's supposed to be Mr. Playoff...  Roberts was outstanding though and I just hope he plays that way in the regular season.

Goaltending they're outstanding, offense needs a little help on the wings yet I think...  D is where they lacked depth though and I said as much at the deadline, they did nothing, and it bit them in the ass in the playoffs. 

Bad reffing for the first few games aside, I think they just didn't give a **** as much as the Senators did for the series...  The Penguins have played like it's not a big deal, the Senators have played like it's their lives.  Can't do that and expect to compete.  I'm anxious to watch other series now though that'll be more entertaining.  This series hasn't been really because it's been fairly one-sided and there's been more than a little bull**** going on in some of the games.

[Rob]

Well since there is a game six, I went ahead and ordered some tickets to see the Stars on Saturday.

Whoo hoo.   

[Jeff]

OK, I think I'm ready now...

"East is Least" Conference

Round 1:
Penguins over Senators in 5

Round 2:
Penguins over Thrashers in 6

Conference Championship:
Buffalo Sabres over Penguins in 6

I guess this is why I never go to Vegas... 

I'm blaming JJ for my pick...  he got me all hyped up on his "Penguin Positivity", then his squad lays an egg.  Thanks Jesse. 

[Jesse James]

Nobody's more sorry than I. 

[Jeff]

That's OK, I feel your pain... 

[JangoTat]

yes now that ottawa has won i hope they lose lets go calgary they still have a chance

[stormie]

So, we're through the first round, and the Sharks are still going strong. Let's see how the teams are doing (my picks in bold):

Buffalo over Islanders
NJ over TB  - closer than I thought
Rangers over Atl  - glad it went this way, but still thought Atl had more than they gave
Ottawa over Pitt  - I really don't understand what went wrong here.

Detroit over Calgary
Anaheim over Wild  - the Ducks just looked scary in this series
Vancouver over Dallas
Sharks over Nashville  - I sure thought it was going to be closer than it was, but am overjoyed at the outcome.

Here's a revision of what I think will happen in the second round:

Buffalo over NY (I predict a squeaker)
NJ over Ottawa  (I think NJ is really going to start shining, now)

Sharks over Detroit (I'm actually more confident for the Sharks in this series than I was with the Preds)
Anaheim over Canucks (I think the Ducks are going to roll in this series)

[Rob]

This just in, Dallas just got called for another penalty.  Vancouver is on the power play again!

[Jesse James]

Ottawa over Pitt  - I really don't understand what went wrong here.

The Penguins just ate **** was all...  No drive, no caring among ALL the players.  The only heart you saw was Crosby, Fleury, Roberts...  You had practically a handicap in playing Gonchar on the first line, you had Malkin not manning up (granted, the age thing, but still Jagr took a role in 91 and 92, so he's excuseless to me).  They just didn't vaguely match the intensity of Ottawa outside of Game 2.  It was all downhill.

Add to that though, some just horrid officiating, especially in the first 3 games, but really all 5 were just terribly called...  Then again every game I've watched outside the Pens series hasn't been rosey in terms of calls.  I was watching Buffalo and Rangers the other night and the announcer on NBC said himself about guaranteing the next stick infraction would be called, yada yada yada...  Point is, he shouldn't be able to say stuff like that with any credence to it, but sadly he can and he's likely right.  The new NHL seems to definitely melt once April hits.

That said, I'm still enjoying the playoffs...  No desire to see the Rangers go further, partly because of the rampant bandwagoning they always get (and thus the rampant cheers and boos at the dumbest points during any game at MSG).  Some good games going on though and it's nice to watch the other teams since we didn't get to watch another city's game on Vs. when ours were going on for some reason.  Which is pretty stupid IMO since I'd flick around myself if I had that option.

[Jeff]

Crazy Canadians.

Though, it is awesome that your country has time to waste arguing about who should be Captain of your team... 

In other news, man the Ducks look good, they rolled over Vancouver same way they worked us.     Should be interesting to see whether the Red Wings can get past the Sharks... either way, the Ducks are going to get about a week's worth of rest and that can't be good for either San Jose or Detroit.