NHL 2005-2006, the year Canadians and all hockey fans try to make up for a lost year

[Zoomerang96]

i care about canada during the olympics, not during the playoffs.

vancouver and tampa are out, i don't care for any team now. still great to watch though, i think i'm gonna cheer for buffalo and new 7ersey.

 

[DaveC]

Originally posted by DaveC
2. Carolina vs 7. Montreal
Prediction: Carolina in 5.

Originally posted by GibsonGirl
You were saying?

Originally posted by DaveC
OK, so it'll be Carolina in 6 instead of Carolina in 5. Big deal.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Come now, Dave, I didn't rub it in when Toronto didn't make the playoffs.

 

[trevster2k]

Edmonton over Detroit in 7, Legace might not hold up for Detroit, Samsonov and Peca spark Oilers

Colorado over Dallas in 6, Turco will lose the goaltending battle to Theodore, Colorado has good mix of youth and veterans

Calgary over Ducks in 6, dullest first round series

Sharks over Predators in 5, Nashville's loss of Volkun puts em out

Ottawa over T-Bay in 6, too much firepower

Carolina over Montreal in 7, Habs lose their momentum and Carolina mounts stunning comeback

Devils over Rangers in 6, NY wins one more but that's it, Brodeur pissed off after Olympics backstops Devils to the finals

Buffalo over Flyers in 6, Flyers still have some life but not enough


My theories, some just for the drama, I have no idea about the Habs, they could win. Bottom line is any team with a hot goaltender will go a long way, if your goalies is choking, start booking tee times. Playoff hockey rule number one. That's my Harry Neale pearl of wisdom for the day.

Wow, Flames were snuffed pretty easily by Anaheim last night.

7 out of 8 first round picks correct, not bad. The Flames prediction was out to lunch but the Habs one was great.

Round two

Devils over Carolina in 6, Brodeur and clogging style nullify high-powered offence of Hurricanes

Buffalo over Ottawa in 7, Miller outplays Emery

Colorado over Anaheim in 6, Theodore and Sakic overpower Ducks

Edmonton over San Jose in 7, Oilers have huge momentum after defeating Red Wings, McTavish keeps 'em playing as a team


And how about the top 4 teams in the Western Conference being eliminated in first round, I can't remember that ever happening before. 4 upsets in the same conference.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I hope you've got money on all these, Trev.

 

[angelordevil]

Wow, Flames were snuffed pretty easily by Anaheim last night.

Flicker, flicker.....fade. I'm guessing DaveC is in mourning. It absolutely sucks when your favourite goes down...it's like a little death.

Your picks are pretty good Trev. I hope you're right with Ottawa bowing-out, and the Colorado win. For some reason I can't articulate, I can't stand Ottawa--especially Alfredsson. He just bugs me.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Come now, Dave, I didn't rub it in when Toronto didn't make the playoffs.

Well, anywhere outside of the GTA, it's pretty much an accepted law of Nature that Toronto Sucks™.
I mean, when the world looks at Canada and sees the overuse of aboot, beavers, and general day-to-day blandness, they're basically seeing Ontario first. I wish people from other countries knew that our country also has oil tycoons and crazy maratime folk, not to mention the pea soup eaters.

With Montreal out in a typically disappointing second-round fashion in the first round, and no Battle of Alberta looming on the horizon, my interest is waning in the 2006 Playoffs. I suppose it's Go Oilers.

When does the CFL start? Is that lovable Doug Flutie still playing for our beloved Moosejaw Muskrats?

 

[fah]

I'm feeling some love for Anaheim

 

[Thora]

Still rooting for Edmonton!

Our office has turned into a battleground. It's pretty hilarious. Mass emails were sent out today insulting all the Canadian teams in a variety of ways. Hockey is serious business at my office!

 

[trevster2k]

Wow, that was the craziest playoff game I have seen in a long long time. 7-6 in a playoff game, sheesh.

Tough loss for Ottawa, to have a team come back 5 times in a game and win in OT. In your own building.

Andrej Meszaros might get benched for the next game, we'll see.

 

[trevster2k]

So far game ones have gone as they should. Teams with the longer layoff have had trouble finding their legs. Practices and game simulations aren't good enough.

Game 3 will determine what happens in each series.

 

[angelordevil]

So far game ones have gone as they should. Teams with the longer layoff have had trouble finding their legs. Practices and game simulations aren't good enough.

Game 3 will determine what happens in each series.

All they must decide is what to do with the time that has been given to them...

I have a strong feeling Anaheim and Carolina are the teams to beat this year. However, I really hope Colorado can pull off a victory...I admire Joe Sakic quite a bit. He's always reminded me of a left-shooting Yzerman. (And they do both share number 19!)

 

[trevster2k]

^ And both Stevie Y and Gentlemen Joe are class acts in the world of sports.

 

[angelordevil]

^ And both Stevie Y and Gentlemen Joe are class acts in the world of sports.

For sure...hope Yzerman plays one more year.

Edmonton had trouble scoring tonight...damn those Californian teams! Funny how they probably wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the Gretzky trade in 1988. Six degrees of separation...everything is connected

 

[trevster2k]

yep, so far my picks aren't doing too good.

 

[TheBrush]

I stayed up until three am to watch the sharks lose.......grrrr.

 

[trevster2k]

I stayed up until three am to watch the sharks lose.......grrrr.

Could be worse, you could have been up until 430 am like the folks in Newfoundland

 

[RavenBlue]

I wonder if Ottawa will be able to stage a comeback. They need to not get overconfident. Who is the backup for Emery? Anyone know?

 

[fah]

Anaheim

 

[trevster2k]

Sorry Brush, at least it was an early night this time.

Still a long way to go though. Go Oilers!!!

 

[TheBrush]

Yea, I dont know what happened last night. Two completely different games. First 30 minutes was all sharks, last 30 all Oilers.

Should be a good one on sunday.

 

[bonnevoix02]

i wonder who's going to be the scapegoat for the sens this year.

even though the sabres/sens series was tight (1 goal wins for each game), ultimately someone's going to get the boot in ottawa. they consistently don't come through during the playoffs, no matter how well they perform during the regular season.

for the sabres it's a win-win situation at this point because no one even expected them to go that far. but they're also a younger, faster team that's more suited to the new nhl (whereas the leafs, for example, were suited to the old nhl).

although, considering that buffalo has had so many major sports losses, it would be amazing to see them finally take the cup that they were supposed to get in 1999! but i digress....

 

[trevster2k]

The Sens don't have that intangible factor that separates the good teams from the great teams. Is it heart, sacrifice, determination, strong nerves, who knows? Whatever it is , they don't have it, neither do the Canucks or the Leafs. Some organizations can take a ragtag no-name team and still contend in the playoffs when on paper , they have no right being there. Kinda like Edmonton right now, with their "over the hill no-name goalie" but that organization knows how to achieve.

Going back to the nineties, teams like New Jersey, Detroit, Colorado, and Dallas would get tantalizing close to the Cup and then come back the next year and win it. Those teams may not have made the finals but they got knocked out in a tough series and learned from the experience. The Sens and Canucks haven't learned how to win the big games yet despite all the talent on the ice. The Leafs just have the ghost of Harold Ballard controlling the management of the team. Like I don't care how beloved Tie Domi is, my gawd, replace him with a real hockey player, sheesh. They decided not to dump players at the deadline because they had a "chance" to make the playoffs, foolishness. I empathize with the Sens and Canucks cause they are trying but Leaf management is just awful.

Of course, playoff hockey goes back to rule no one. The team with the hottest goalie wins, no matter how good you think you are.

End of hockey rant. Flame away hockey fans.

 

[RavenBlue]

That was a heartbreaking goal last night. Breakaway and shorthanded. Sweet for Buffalo though.

Well hopefully Edmonton will be able to advance. If that's not the case I would like to see Carolina do well.

 

[V Nura]

i wonder who's going to be the scapegoat for the sens this year.

Alfredsson (sp) is goin o be the casualty I feel. He's been playing a bit indifferent, and Pominville clearly schooled him on that goal.


As a life long sabres fan...honestly it was one of the greatest things in the teams history...it really is something to take down the sens like that

 

[trevster2k]

^yeah, wasn't that amazing, Alfredsson was a pylon. Hit em, slash em ,cross-check him, do something, nah, go ahead and deke out my goalie.

Drury's goal was also ridiculous too when he skated out from the boards untouched to be Emery with 3 Sens standing there.

New Jersey is out so my hopes for Brodeur to steal the series were dashed. They didn't play very well in front of him and Carolina had a great team strategy to stop the Devils. I think Carolina / Buffalo should be an outstanding series, well, I hope so.

 

[angelordevil]

^yeah, wasn't that amazing, Alfredsson was a pylon. Hit em, slash em ,cross-check him, do something, nah, go ahead and deke out my goalie.

His playoff (non) performances are one of the big reasons I dislike Alfredsson as a player. He completely shuts down, as if his mind is on berry-picking or the great fishing back in Sweden. If I were a Sens fan, I'd be demanding a trade...he's their Achilles heel.


GO EDMONTON!!!

 

[trevster2k]

 

[V Nura]

^yeah, wasn't that amazing, Alfredsson was a pylon. Hit em, slash em ,cross-check him, do something, nah, go ahead and deke out my goalie.

Drury's goal was also ridiculous too when he skated out from the boards untouched to be Emery with 3 Sens standing there.

New Jersey is out so my hopes for Brodeur to steal the series were dashed. They didn't play very well in front of him and Carolina had a great team strategy to stop the Devils. I think Carolina / Buffalo should be an outstanding series, well, I hope so.

Not just that Emery could have poke checked on the OT goal to prevent it....His lateral movement is suspect both the drury goal and the pominville goal were testaments to that

 

[Thora]

Still continuing to root for Edmonton!