ComradeWasabi

The penalty-kill is driving me ******* batty.

Thinking about it is making me sad. Even if they aren't what they used to be, they're just such fixtures that imagining not having them in there is depressing.

Let's see a win here, a sacrifice loss in game 4 and then a home finish in game 5. I know it's gonna happen.

Just thinking about that goal still hurts, even though we won it in game 6 and we're back in the finals... the absolute sense of deflation followed by the dejection an hour or more later sits pretty vividly in my mind.

I thought about J-Bo, but I think I'd like to see him play for a good team before I put my faith in him moving forwards.

Anybody know when they play Hell Yeah - Rev Theory? I know I've heard it, just can't pinpoint when.

Crap, I forgot Keith. Something about him disappearing last round.

The homer in me says Hank, Nick and a goalie that I haven't figured out yet. I'd like to say Ozzie but I'm trying to think of another goaltender who is simply rock-solid all the time. Someone like Ryan Miller, perhaps, or Nabokov (although Nabby has had his share of off games..). For the sake of this thread I propose we choose three non-Red Wings just to try to make it a little more interesting. In that case, I would say... Mike Richards; the consummate locker room leader provides a strong foundation to build a team and his exemplary two-way play sets an example for everyone else. Scott Niedermayer; a 30-minute-a-night elder statesman who plays in all situations and who, of course, skates incredibly smoothly. Henrik Lundqvist; always a rock in net for the Rangers; capable of standing on his head when called upon and is almost never the reason that the Rangers lose... and that's really all you can ask for in a goalie.

Players are allowed to stand in the way of another player and make them go around. That is not obstruction. How do you think "standing up at the blueline" works? Hitting or touching another player after he has chipped it past the defenseman, however, is obstruction under the new rules.

The Gator!!!

I've been a proponent of Lidstrom over Ozzie thus far, but after these two games Ozzie is my #1 candidate for the Conn. Absolutely unbelievable.

I wonder what the Pens fans will complain about this time? Oh, probably the disallowed goal.

Talbot pushes Ozzie down in the crease, that guy is continuing to move up spots on my list of guys I hate.

He was an assistant coach for the Pens in 91 and 92, as well. So what?

what a guy!

GATOR CRUNCH!!!

I'm disappointed but not surprised. Playoff hockey is a different animal and I didn't think Leino looked particularly good at going into hard areas and grinding out pucks.

Thank you! I couldn't remember his name but I didn't want to sound silly so I left out any reference to him in my post. Yes, Allaire is the reason that Anaheim's goaltenders play like they do.

That's possible, I haven't really seen much of Giguere in a year and a half or so. Hiller's glove gave me nightmares, though.

Lucic vs any of those power forwards you mentioned and they all win, hands down. I have not seen anything from Lucic to show that he has the ability to score 40 goals like Staal or Nash or to dominate physically like Getzlaf.

Honestly, it probably wasn't their fault entirely that the Stars' season was such a disaster. Injury trouble and their obvious chemistry issues surrounding Mr Avery (alright, that was Brett's fault entirely) never let them really get their year rolling. Write this one off and I believe they'll be good again in 2009-2010.

Both Hiller and Giguere play a very similar style of netminding, heavily relying on a strong butterfly and being as big in the net as possible. They are both extremely good at gobbling up anything shot above their waist, and both have very good gloves. Hiller's rebound countrol in particular, however, is weak when shooting at his pads. Both of those goalies are susceptible to on-the-ice plays; shooting five hole, shooting for rebounds off the pads and looking for cross-crease passes which can be tapped in easily. Unfortunately, Anaheim's defense is very good at making sure that those rebounds are cleared and not dangerous and are almost always able to take away any easy cross-seamers. The playing styles of their goalies and their defense are intertwined and work beautifully together.. but when you interrupt their defense's ability to defend their goalie, then the weaknesses emerge.

Oh come on, really? I'll give you Staal and Nash, but Looch?

Dirty playoff goals are where it's at. People are critical of Detroit's style of scoring; garbage goals in front of the net which are said to be boring.. but hey, they win hockey games.

Can't help but think that this re-aggravated an injury sustained in the late season. Might explain his lack of goal-scoring while he was playing, as well, although he was certainly very strong despite his inability to find the back of the net.