shadow47

One game is plenty. He should've just been fined. The Avery-hate on this board is off the chain btw, I can't wait until June when he's skating the Cup at the Joe in front of you all. Hold up, the Wings aren't making the Finals.

He must've been feeling a LOT of twinges of pain this season.

Uh yeah, I've posted her for two years, so I'm clearly a "troll". I laugh to myself about all the people that flip-flop with every game, Osgood's awesome, omg Hall of Fame! to Osgood needs to be traded...wahwah. You know Chris is an okay goalie, he's won a pair of Cups so obviously he's no Jamie McLennan. I just don't understand why people whitewash a game that the Wings were gasping to win because of Osgood's typical melted cheese game, just because the Wings WON it's all OK. I can only imagine the posts had the Wings ended up losing 6-5. "Oh, Osgood, oh boy, we're in trouble..." It takes effort to post on a message board, I just wonder what people are looking to accomplish with this constant flipflopping, I can't imagine how the Wings are gonna do next round, for the record I predicted a Columbus series win IF Steve Mason delivered which he didn't, check my posting history, there're plenty of qualifications. Not a troll, listen to me, listen to me all night because I'll tell you how it's gonna end, Vancouver over Pittsburgh, the end.

Brodeur steals Game 5. Nice one, fatso. What a game Canes had the edge in shots 44-42, what a goaltending battle. Canes win Game 6.

What edge for Osgood, he ******* sucks? Oh boy, the Blue Jackets. If the BJs had won this series as I had predicted, would it not have been one the biggest upsets in NHL history? I'd say so. You so-called fans gloating over a sweep of Columbus are in big trouble next round at this rate. Let's see, Vancouver, Calgary, Anaheim, yep, not good.

I read Price pulled a "Roy" in cheering back and raising his arms at the crowd when they Bronx cheered him.

Hasek was tied for 3rd in GAA, tied 1st in winning percentage of his games (19th in overall wins despite only having 40 decisions), and was tied for 6th in most shutouts. Compared to Vezina runner-up Evgeni Nabokov GAA ... Hasek 2.14 Nabokov 2.14 Save percentage Hasek .902 Nabokov .910 Winning percentage Hasek .675 Nabokov .613 Shutouts Hasek 5 Nabokov 4 Not saying that Dominik should've been up for Vezina because he obviously didn't play enough games but his performance numbers are very comparable to a guy like Nabokov who was hailed in '08. In the Nashville series both Hasek and Osgood had had real strong seasons so it was known that the change would come real quick. Hasek had two fine games against Nash and then Game 3 got away at the end. Detroit pulled it together and there was no need for a change, really that's not saying much about whether it had to be one guy or the other, Detroit was a 2 goalie team that year, who cares? It's just too bad that people have such poor memories.

People like you I'm sure Ezbak, eh? The Glass Domino will have his work cut out for him next season, in the Czech league the top 10 of the 14 teams make the playoffs and Pardubice last season was 12th. Should be exciting.

You really can't blame the Hawks for being excited, what's it been, seven years since they even played? Have a little perspective.

Anyone willing to entertain the Wings'/Osgood's play is elevated by playing in Detroit against a young team in its first ever playoff games a team that only made the playoffs by a couple points to begin with and slumped down the stretch? No? Oh, alright. *runs*

20 saves gets a thread now does it? There's still plenty of time to collapse. Or win another Cup. Is there really a point to these type of threads popping up though? Just post something the player will never read in the GDT. You realize Osgood gets paid to not lose the game himself right?

It'll be the Habs I'd say. Next most likely, mmmmmmm, the Ducks. Third, I'd say the Devils. Edit: Guarantee you the Devils won't sweep. Brodeur gives up too many lousy goals for that to happen. I DO think the Devs will win though (one round anyway).

Round 1 SJS/ANA 4-1 DET/CLB 4-3 VAN/STL 4-2 CHI/CAL 4-3 BOS/MTL 4-0 WSH/NYR 4-2 NJD/CAR 4-3 PHI/PIT 4-1 Finals VAN/BOS 4-3

People bashing the poor CBS guy but their predictions are mostly the same or just as outlandish and no one's got the guts to pick the Conference and Cup picks either. Let's see some full playoff predictions if you're doing first round might as well say who's going to come out of it then. Nightfall: there's always one big upset it seems in the first round, so you're likely spot on it's going to be one of them.

Was just working on a thread for this: West .... Detroit (2) vs. Columbus (7) Could go either way. Unless Mason collapses CBJs have a real chance. Columbus, despite their good season, has done with a revolving cast of players. The Wings are the Wings. Questionable defense and one of the best offenses in the league. Good depth but will Hossa be effective? Good chemistry but is there the hunger? Columbus also dealt Detroit one of it’s most humiliating losses of the season and the crowd in Ohio will be electric for their club’s first ever appearance in the postseason and against their imagined “rival” the Wings. Perhaps this is where the rivalry begins. Prediction: Blue Jackets win 4-3 (Wings blow a one goal third period lead late in Game 7 and lose in overtime, you know you can see it, that Hitchcock and players jumping around like they won the Cup, Wings slumping face-down on the ice, etc.) San Jose (1) vs. Anaheim (8) The Sharks have a new coach, and a new attitude. Or do they? The question for me is health and the revolving fourth line that has thrown a haze of uncertainty over the club. Claude Lemieux did more hurt than help as a distraction and non-factor and the team’s heads may not be on straight at the most crucial time of the season, I think. Anaheim has nothing to lose and somehow made the playoffs despite the Kunitz and Moen trades. It would’ve been preferable to me to see the Wings try to get revenge on a cast that still includes most of the main cogs from the 2007 disappointment. That said, without a matchup against a team like the Wings with major consistency and goaltending questions, I can’t see the Ducks winning, particular with the depth SJ has. Prediction: Sharks win 4-1 Vancouver (3) vs. St. Louis (6) The Canucks finally have a real leader in Mats Sundin, and Mats is looking every bit as good as when he played for the Leafs (unlike a certain other Captain the Canucks plucked a few years ago, rhyming with Hessiay). The Sedin twins had twin 82-point-in-82-game seasons (what the hell) and Burrows, Demitra, and Kessler scored 28, 20, and 26 goals respectively. So unlike past playoffs, this club can score. And they managed to rip the division crown away from Calgary in the last month and a half of the season. And then there’s Luongo, one the best goalies in the league (if not THE best). All this against a St. Louis team that was in 15th in the West at the new year. How things change when you get rid of Manny Legace (ha, just kidding). Chris Mason has had some great regular seasons but hasn’t seen much playoff action, getting a quick hook against San Jose a few years ago. This year he finished the season going 18-6-3 down the stretch. Boyes and Tkachuk are capable scorers. But is it enough? I can’t help thinking about the Capitals from last year. Prediction: Canucks win 4-2 Chicago (4) vs. Calgary (5) It’s Chicago’s first dip in the playoffs in 7 years will be the first steps towards greatness for the Hawks mix of young talent. Calgary is headed in on a downward spiral, no one is sure why. Inconsistent defense, lack of chemistry, players tuning out Keenan...whatever the problem is, Calgary’s lackluster play cost them a division title (not that they mind given the matchups). Even though Khabibulin led the Lightning to a Cup recently, his play with the Hawks has been inconsistent with huge highs and probably slightly more lows...and he’s been nursing a lower body injury throughout the year. With Huet having a poor game and Khabby shutting out Detroit in the final games it’s likely he gets the start, but the Hawks will always be tempted with their two goalie rotation to start rotating. Calgary has tried everything, they’re going to desperate and perhaps that hopelessness will be just enough to unite the team after they were so good in the middle of the year. Prediction: Flames win 4-3 West Finals: Vancouver beats San Jose 4-2 ========== East ....... Boston (1) vs. Montreal (8) Boston really lucked out getting Montreal instead of the Florida Panthers or Buffalo Sabres, who were revived with the return of team MVP Ryan Miller. Carey Price will no doubt be in goal for most of the Habs tilts but has been a leaky faucet all year with a penchant for, while perhaps not giving up a great amount of goals, giving up extremely weak goals at crucial moments. Tim Thomas on the other hand is on the short list for the Vezina. He was extremely inconsistent with great games and poor games in losing in seven to these same Canadiens last year. You can expect Tim to have a great series this time around. From starring at the All-Star game to leading the league in GAA and save percentage and far exceeding the performance of one Manny Fernandez, there should be no doubt The Little Engine That Could wants to prove he can deliver in the playoffs. The Bruins are just too good this year for the Canadiens to handle. Prediction: Bruins win 4-0 Washington (2) vs. NY Rangers (7) As usual the Caps are in the playoffs with Alex the Great leading a high-powered offense, yet the goaltending is again the question mark. Why this club didn’t pick up Nikolai Khabibulin or Dwayne Roloson somewhere along the way escapes me. Jose Theodore has shown he can have good stretches yet as shown last year against the Wings can collapse at anytime. Conversely, the Rangers know Lundqvist will be on every night, likely allowing no more than 3 goals. The trick for the Rangers, despite their talent, will be figuring out how to score more than 1 as the Rangers, remarkably, had the third worst offense in the league this season yet somehow made the playoffs. Sean Avery should help, he’s been their MVP since being acquired. I see the Rangers winning one of the first two in Washington...overall it’ll shake out largely the way of ‘08 for them. Prediction: Rangers win 4-2 New Jersey (3) vs. Carolina (6) The Devils seem back on their game after some years perceived out of the “favorite” spotlight. Brodeur and the Devils have had a few disappointing playoffs, of course in between these stretches of bad showings they usually win a Cup here or there. Marty has looked pretty great at times and got in around 30 games this year to his usual 75 or so, he should be rested so that excuse will not work if he goes in the can. Carolina has been red-hot lately looking like one of the top teams in the East, yet still managed to lose to Buffalo when it seemed the Sabres couldn’t buy a win. Parise is a bonafide superstar apparently and the Devs are as unstoppable as ever...so says Chico Resch. I can’t help thinking about how the Canes won in ‘06 though with Brodeur looking beatable and the Hurricanes manhandling the entire Devils team. If Pittsburgh had played the Devils I’d have had no problem picking Pittsburgh, but with this matchup to me it’s less defined. New Jersey always has trouble in first rounds. Prediction: Devils win 4-3 Pittsburgh (4) vs. Philadelphia (5) The defending Conference Champs (big woot) take on the team they beat for that title last year. The Flyers were hanging around the top five in scoring all year and had 4 thirty-goal-men. Biron has had a really good year but can anyone imagine Malkin/Crosby getting stoned by him in a series, as good as the Flyers offense has been? I don’t like this matchup one bit for the Flyers. Fleury has turned it on, in two days the Penguins completely rebuilt what was a tepid one line team and made themselves into a Cup threat. Ridiculous. Prediction: Penguins win 4-1 East Finals: Penguins beat Bruins 4-3 STANLEY CUP FINALS: Vancouver Canucks beat Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 vanquishing the ghosts of ‘94

Nights in the Vegas valley can actually be pretty f’ing cold most of the year. And to the guy who says "don't be a Wings fan if you don't have confidence", a fan is someone who likes a team and hopes for the best for them. Having blind confidence all-the-time everytime is just being a stupid fan. The playoffs are always wide open for make-or-break moments. Last year, had the Predators not scored two late goals in game 3, the Wings would’ve coasted with a 3-0. In ‘02, had luck not allowed Lidstrom to destroy Cloutier's confidence, it's likely the team would've been bounced that year in Round 1. This series is no different in that respect. Mason is the key. If he plays solidly as he did in the regular campaign I think the Wings have a very good chance of losing this series. This is not Dan Ellis who got on a late run for Nashville last year and disappeared just as fast, giving up huge rebounds left and right, and it isn't Cam Ward who barely played in the regular season in '06 (and not at all consistently I might add) concerning rookie goalies in the playoffs. Mason IS the rookie of the year this year, all year, he‘s had no slumps, barely any bad GAMES. And he's better prepared and trained than Jim Carey during his playoff meltdowns in the 90s, and doesn't have certain obvious weaknesses as Patrick Lalime's messy footwork was. He is not a blind butterflyer like Cristobal Huet who has flamed out for predictability in past seasons. Still, he is young, so time will tell with him. Merely, I wish to illuminate the factors working in his favor to NOT collapse in this series. Another thing to consider is how Nash feasts on Chris Osgood in particular. That will be a matchup I will be watching, yeah, people will go on and on about how “all Detroit has to do is shut down Nashâ€, well they are never able to do it when they play the CBJ’s so you’d think people might be more concerned over this, particularly with an Osgood playoff start. I admittedly prefer Osgood starting over Conklin at this point but Nash is a tough draw for Chris personally. Columbus has real depth. Vermette has been a better player than he was on Ottawa since joining, Jason Williams will want to play well against his former club. Hardworking grinders like R.J. Umberger and Chris Gratton, young gun smooth Russian Nikita Filatov and the scoring of Kristian Huselius, and not to be outdone a leader in Michael Peca who’s already taken a team within two games of a Cup title. Not to name every player, I’m just having a look at their roster, Columbus is a very good team, very good, both on the ice and on paper. Hitchcock’s coaching has always been tough. With Detroit they’ve got no guarantee Hossa will be back to gamebreaker status he’s been all regular season (go figure, signs for the playoffs and now a ?), goaltending, should Osgood falter, Ty Conklin is not exactly as dependable as having Osgood and Hasek two men with playoff track records to fall back on. And then there’s motivation. Detroit played last year having been bitterly disappointed against the Ducks, they had that extra drive. This season, mostly the same players, they’ve already won the Cup, they’d like to again but I question whether they feel they HAVE to. I think not. Should be a good series.

A ******* goalie does not "make the save" if the puck goes in the net. Christ.

Blow a late lead 4-3 to Nash?! What is it, 2008 again? Too bad they don't have Osgood to come off the bench anymo...oh.

Gorgeous hit. Just gorgeous. The best hipcheck I've seen in awhile, just the grace and precision and smoothness of how Ballard comes out of it, not dirty, not dangerous. How hockey should be played. Not like Sid running around trying to fight with a visor on. I laughed when Potvin said "I understand Sid TRYING TO BE STRONG" f'ing hilarious!

Both of those plays were embarrassing. And I mean embarrassing for the people here that are actually impressed by them.

Osgood and Brodeur have the same amount of Cups. 3. Roy had 4, Fuhr had 5. No need to wait till June for an assessment, btw, should have it ready for ya by the end of April.

f***in' called it. Kiss the Cup goodbye minions!

By this logic the USA should fight infantry wars with 100% African American males.

If a woman can cut it, more power to her. Wickenheiser was on the radar of I think the Flyers for awhile. It's just very rare, and how do you work out issues like fighting? No man is gonna fight her. It doesn't seem right that one player in the whole league is off limits for fighting. She could do anything she wanted. Decapitate Brodeur. Claude-Lemieux-Draperize Datsyuk. No one could really touch her. As far as goalies go, Manon Rheaume was super hot, don't get me wrong, but that was just a publicity stunt for an expansion team in an exhibition game. Which is fine, it certainly was a stunt, 3 goals allowed for poor Manon in one period, "two good goals, one bad" as she put it, but I have yet to see a reason for women in the N.

Conch standing on his shell. This could be THE game he makes his playoff claim. nm, the Wings are gonna lose.