Stanley Cup Finals eeriy similar to 2009

[blues_demitra38 11]

1) Features a team from the Midwest against a team from Pennsylvania.

2) Also features an extremely overrated player heralded to be something he is not (Crosby:Gretzky Toews::Yzerman)

3) Home team goes up 2-0 despite being outplayed

4) Home team has held serve up until this point

5) Both game 5's resulted in blowouts for the home team

If the pattern stays true then we should be in for a close victory by the Flyers in Game 6 and then an "anything can happen" scenario in Game 7. Stay tuned, it should be a good finish.

[NEpats1028 1]

1) Features a team from the Midwest against a team from Pennsylvania.

2) Also features an extremely overrated player heralded to be something he is not (Crosby:Gretzky Toews::Yzerman)

3) Home team goes up 2-0 despite being outplayed

4) Home team has held serve up until this point

5) Both game 5's resulted in blowouts for the home team

If the pattern stays true then we should be in for a close victory by the Flyers in Game 6 and then an "anything can happen" scenario in Game 7. Stay tuned, it should be a good finish.

i'd hardly call toews overrated. He's a great captain and knows how to lead a team at such a young age. Im not saying he's comparable to Yzerman yet, but something about the kid is special. On the other hand, Kane is overrated and so is Keith. I'd love to see Toews win a cup someday, but not Kane.

[miller76 463]

The Flyers shouldn't have even been in this series! The way the Blackhawks are built this year, they should have totally dismantled this team in four. It's good to see a team like Philly, a true underdog hang in there like they are.

I have posted multiple times, prior to this series about my dislike for Philly. But in all honesty, I have found a great deal of respect for this team.

[lookalive07 251]

Yeah, I'd say Toews is just a damn good player, and a damn good leader. Is he comparable to Yzerman at this point in his career? No. If the Blackhawks win the Cup this year, that is the only thing he would have before Yzerman at the same spots in their respective careers, but that's about it. Yzerman didn't have the offensive firepower backing him up like Toews does and that is the difference maker.

[blues_demitra38 11]

Both Toews and Crosby are also Finals choke artists. Neither one of them produces when it matters most.

[AIK'91 22]

i'd hardly call toews overrated. He's a great captain and knows how to lead a team at such a young age. Im not saying he's comparable to Yzerman yet, but something about the kid is special. On the other hand, Kane is overrated and so is Keith. I'd love to see Toews win a cup someday, but not Kane.

I agree, Toews is a great player. Obviously not on Yzerman-level, but good nonetheless.

However, Keith is definitely not overrated. Underrated if anything. He is simply one hell of a dynamic defenseman at both ends of the rink. He has one of the quickest first few strides in the entire league to go along with terrific hockey sense.

And Kane I hate. Enough said.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

i enjoy watching kane play hockey :)

[Drake_Marcus 890]

i'd hardly call toews overrated. He's a great captain and knows how to lead a team at such a young age. Im not saying he's comparable to Yzerman yet, but something about the kid is special. On the other hand, Kane is overrated and so is Keith. I'd love to see Toews win a cup someday, but not Kane.

Toews is slightly overrated at this point. He's considered a superstar but really is just a star right now. He'll probably get there but right now he just isn't the super elite player people say he is (again it's worth noting that he has the potential to be that kind of player).

Yeah, I'd say Toews is just a damn good player, and a damn good leader. Is he comparable to Yzerman at this point in his career? No. If the Blackhawks win the Cup this year, that is the only thing he would have before Yzerman at the same spots in their respective careers, but that's about it. Yzerman didn't have the offensive firepower backing him up like Toews does and that is the difference maker.

Yeah... if you look at what Yzerman had to work with in the 80's it's not even close. Chicago is bursting at the seams with talent.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Drake_Marcus

[Tr!PoD#19 524]

Pronger is the most overrated player in this series.

[F2B&G 15]

Toews is a much better leader than Crysob in my book. He brings way more to his team than just points, and he does a lot of the little things that rarely get noticed, but define a captain. He is the only 'Hawk that I won't mind seeing hoist the Cup (good thing he'd be first in line, so I could shut the TV off immediately after).

Comparing Toews to Yzerman, while still a lopsided draw at this point in his young career, is more fair than comparing Cindy to Gretzky.

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

A 7-4 game (including an empty net) is a blowout?

What are you smoking?

[Guest Lidstromboli]

i enjoy watching kane play hockey :)

his effortless skating, creativity, and puck possession skills

oh my

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

In both, the Pennsylvania team replaces their coach during the season.

[stevkrause 1,247]

In both, the Pennsylvania team replaces their coach during the season.

and in both, the Pennsylvania team is filled with d-bags...

[titanium2 867]

I suppose but as far as I know, I haven't heard anything about Duncan Keith's testicles nearly rupturing; nor is Seabrook nearly injured from top to bottom.

[blues_demitra38 11]

A 7-4 game (including an empty net) is a blowout?

What are you smoking?

The closest Philly ever got was within two goals. Chicago was in the driver's seat for about 90% of the game.

[magicaldatsyuk 6]

hopefully pattern repeats itself and the flyers can pull it out!

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Said this exact same thing to a buddy of mine last night after s***cago started controlling the whole game... Pretty much the same series with way less defense and goaltending. (Probably some of the worst tending I have seen in a Finals in a long time)

If Marian Hossa must go through the exact same thing 3 years in a row and the exact same series 2 years in a row I think it could be time to pull chute on signing that guy for Cup runs. Just a thought

Edited June 7, 2010 by HankthaTank

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Yeah, I'd say Toews is just a damn good player, and a damn good leader. Is he comparable to Yzerman at this point in his career? No. If the Blackhawks win the Cup this year, that is the only thing he would have before Yzerman at the same spots in their respective careers, but that's about it. Yzerman didn't have the offensive firepower backing him up like Toews does and that is the difference maker.

Yzerman was his own offensive power at this point in his career.

[CenterIce 83]

his effortless skating, creativity, and puck possession skills

oh my

And, his ease of turning the puck over to the other team at the most inopportune times.

[chrisdetroit 189]

Said this exact same thing to a buddy of mine last night after s***cago started controlling the whole game... Pretty much the same series with way less defense and goaltending. (Probably some of the worst tending I have seen in a Finals in a long time)

If Marian Hossa must go through the exact same thing 3 years in a row and the exact same series 2 years in a row I think it could be time to pull chute on signing that guy for Cup runs. Just a thought

I'm with you. The goaltending in this series has been terrible.

6-5

2-1

4-3

5-3

7-5

Chicago has given up 20 goals in 5 games 4.00 GAA and Philly has given up 21 goals for 4.2 GAA.

As far as Hossa, the Hawks are stuck with him for the rest of his career. Nobody wants a career playoff underachiever.

[xtrememachine1 795]

1) Features a team from the Midwest against a team from Pennsylvania.

2) Also features an extremely overrated player heralded to be something he is not (Crosby:Gretzky Toews::Yzerman)

3) Home team goes up 2-0 despite being outplayed

4) Home team has held serve up until this point

5) Both game 5's resulted in blowouts for the home team

We were outplayed in the first two games? We were outshot by a little, but won those games by a total of 6-2.

and in both, the Pennsylvania team is filled with d-bags...

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

The Flyers shouldn't have even been in this series! The way the Blackhawks are built this year, they should have totally dismantled this team in four. It's good to see a team like Philly, a true underdog hang in there like they are.

I have posted multiple times, prior to this series about my dislike for Philly. But in all honesty, I have found a great deal of respect for this team.

The Flyers actually have a good team on paper.

Two great scoring lines + Giroux, great checkers all around, and pretty solid top 4 defensemen.

They're weak in net, but Chicago hardly has a big name back there themselves.

I do think Chicago has a bit more scoring depth, but Philly has a pretty loaded team on paper, thus the series should be close, contrary to what you say.

Edited June 7, 2010 by GMRwings1983

[miller76 463]

The Flyers actually have a good team on paper.

Two great scoring lines + Giroux, great checkers all around, and pretty solid top 4 defensemen.

They're weak in net, but Chicago hardly has a big name back there themselves.

I do think Chicago has a bit more scoring depth, but Philly has a pretty loaded team on paper, thus the series should be close, contrary to what you say.

So a team like Chicago that has pretty much dominated their opponents night in night out through the regular season, had a hot goaltender, that no one gave any validity too. Has a Norris trophy candidate on their blueline, three legitimate snipers, a big body in Buff, and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, except SJ, for whom they swept. Comparing them to a team that made a coaching change, seven goalies, a seventh seed by a shootout, constant injuries from their big names while in the playoffs. This team should have been slaughtered by New Jersey, never being given a chance to do what they did to Boston.

I don't see how anyone could of thought Philly was going to be there, and give a beast like Chicago a run like they are doing. And imo, Philly looks better on ice then they will ever on paper. Their regular season stats were nothing to brag about this year.

[Mitchmac33 103]

So a team like Chicago that has pretty much dominated their opponents night in night out through the regular season, had a hot goaltender, that no one gave any validity too. Has a Norris trophy candidate on their blueline, three legitimate snipers, a big body in Buff, and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, except SJ, for whom they swept. Comparing them to a team that made a coaching change, seven goalies, a seventh seed by a shootout, constant injuries from their big names while in the playoffs. This team should have been slaughtered by New Jersey, never being given a chance to do what they did to Boston.

I don't see how anyone could of thought Philly was going to be there, and give a beast like Chicago a run like they are doing. And imo, Philly looks better on ice then they will ever on paper. Their regular season stats were nothing to brag about this year.

i don't know that anyone was saying that philly should be where they are now, but once they got to the finals i knew they had a good chance. A lot of ppl thought that chicago was going to dominate, but philly has a great team. Plus, it's the sport of hockey, where any team can win any given night.

Here's to hoping this year's finals ends up going the same way last years did.