NHL Playoffs 2017

[Tequila Cowboy]

A complete embarrassment from the Blackhawks. In the NHL when your big money guys don't produce you're toast. Hard to see how they can fix this going forward, but it's been a nice run while it lasted.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Tough loss for Sharks last night, looked like they had it there for a good bit of the game

[jr29]

Preds !!!! Barely get into the playoffs and now they are headed to play for the Cup.

It's a fun time for pro sports in my home state.

[Iowan]

Preds !!!! Barely get into the playoffs and now they are headed to play for the Cup.

It's a fun time for pro sports in my home state.

It makes me feel a little better about the Hawks seeing they lost to a team that's going to play for the Cup.

I was in Nashville back in March and was impressed with the way people were into the Preds. The gear was every where and you could tell the community had embraced the team/sport.

[211poundsofpork]

Yes, indeed. the fake country music part of it notwithstanding, I am rather excited for the Preds. Excellent team, ownership, and fanbase.

[Zip City]

Didn't want to start a new thread but...

Columbus vs. Boston!!! Let's get it on, ya bean-fuckers!

[cortez the killer]

Oh, no. Not bean-fuckers. Boston will never recover.

[tinnitus photography]

flick the bean, fuck the bean.

[Zip City]

All four division winners are bounced in the opening round. Wow

[Iowan]

Rooting for CBJ. Not a hater of any of the remaining teams, but I think they're the best story going at this point.

[Zip City]

Rooting for CBJ. Not a hater of any of the remaining teams, but I think they're the best story going at this point.

Our bandwagon is open for business. Welcome aboard

[211poundsofpork]

Definitely want Columbus out of the East (love Torts as a coach) and the Blues out of the West. This matchup of course would be a nightmare for the NHL as far as tv, etc goes.

[beantownbubba]

I am an admitted casual, mostly playoffs NHL viewer/fan so this is my time of year. Take this w/ a grain or 2 of salt because of my limited background, but I suspect that for most of the first period tonight the Bruins played about as well as they can play, but should have had more to show for it. As often happens in any sport when advantage does not lead to points on the scoreboard, they left themselves open to Columbus coming back strong, which they did. But in the end it was the right result To state the obvious, sudden death is really, really nervewracking, and for that reason, really really exciting.

I was really surprised by how the commentators were ripping into Pastrnak - not because they were wrong (I got what they were saying but couldn't make any real judgment) but because one seldom hears that kind of criticism on tv broadcasts.

[cortez the killer]

Didn't want to start a new thread but...

Columbus vs. Boston!!! Let's get it on, ya bean-fuckers!

[cortez the killer]

Columbus plays HARD. Great series.

[Zip City]

Congrats!

[beantownbubba]

That series was truly "playoff hockey" and great fun to watch. It was nice to see the Bruins big stars pretty much step up as needed. The Blue Jackets and their fans will be hearing the sound of frozen pucks clanging off pipes in their nightmares for quite some time.

There is no sound quite like a home arena full of rabid enthusiastic LOUD fans go quiet for the last time of the season.

Not being a "real" fan, I don't have any feel for why CBJ's regular season record was so relatively poor. Anyone have any insights?

[Zip City]

That series was truly "playoff hockey" and great fun to watch. It was nice to see the Bruins big stars pretty much step up as needed. The Blue Jackets and their fans will be hearing the sound of frozen pucks clanging off pipes in their nightmares for quite some time.

There is no sound quite like a home arena full of rabid enthusiastic LOUD fans go quiet for the last time of the season.

Not being a "real" fan, I don't have any feel for why CBJ's regular season record was so relatively poor. Anyone have any insights?

Just very inconsistent play and a season-long problem with the powerplay (I believe they were bottom 5 in the league). They added several players at the trade deadline, and it took an unusually long time for them to find chemistry.

Columbus now faces the reality of three of their top five players all being free agents this summer.

[Iowan]

Blues/Stars game was pretty intense.

Rooting for the Blues from here on out. Would love to see the Blues finally win one. My cousin moved to St Louis a few years back (he's a Winnipeg native and diehard Jets fan) and has adopted the Blues as his #2 team. We went to a game (ironically vs the Stars) back in March, and I was blown away by how much of a hockey town St Louis. The Blues were always a bigger deal than the Rams and honestly aren't a distant 2 (within the city) to the Cardinals. Those fans deserve to see Lord Stanley hoisted.

[211poundsofpork]

Totally agree with Iowan.

[Howlinwolf]

Well the four teams are in. Nice to see a great new mix and sure to be some nice battles.
Pulling for a Canes/Blues Stanley Cup.

[211poundsofpork]

Well the four teams are in. Nice to see a great new mix and sure to be some nice battles.
Pulling for a Canes/Blues Stanley Cup.

Canes/Blues as well. Have a feeling it will end up being Bruins/Sharks though. Canes have no goaltending and the B's top line has caught fire. Sharks will likely have Pavelski back. The only good thing I would like about the Sharks getting to the final is it gets Jumbo Joe his chance to finally hoist the Cup.

[beantownbubba]

Wow. If the Bruins continue to play like they did in the 2nd and 3rd periods last nite (or perhaps more accurately, if the Blues can't stop the Bruins from playing like they did in the 2nd and 3rd periods last nite) this is going to be a short series. I understand that nobody outside New England wants the Bruins to win but hopefully fans can appreciate the incredibly high level of play they're seeing. As the Eck would say, "it's a beautiful thing."

[Iowan]

I'm impressed with the Bruins, but 100% rooting for St Louis.

[211poundsofpork]

Congratulations Blues! Totally deserved the Cup. Binnington- wow, what a year! This guy came out of nowhere! Also like how Phish covered Laura Branigan's Gloria (Blues rally song) at their tour stop in STL last night.

[cortez the killer]

Boo!

[tinnitus photography]

it would have been nice for the Bruins to show up for game 7, but congrats to the Blues team; massively successful on the road and they had a good game plan and it worked. not sure that Binnington is the second coming of Roy or Brodeur quite yet, though. i thought Rask thoroughly outplayed him.

it would have been nice for the B's top line to actually do something when they were on even strength... 1 goal (Pasta) and 1 assist (Marchand) and a goose egg from Patrice is atrocious.

[cortez the killer]

it would have been nice for the Bruins to show up for game 7,

Ullmark was shaky the last several games. Montgomery was a little late on the hook. Charlie McAvoy might be the most overrated Bruin I’ve ever seen. Turnover machine and soft as an overripe grape. Go Celtics!

[tinnitus photography]

lol repurposed post still works.

[beantownbubba]

it would have been nice for the Bruins to show up for game 7,

Ullmark was shaky the last several games. Montgomery was a little late on the hook. Charlie McAvoy might be the most overrated Bruin I’ve ever seen. Turnover machine and soft as an overripe grape. Go Celtics!

As I have admitted before, I am a mere bandwagon fan of the Bruins. Even so, I was shocked by the result and the quality (i.e. lack therof) of play by the Bruins. In addition to McAvoy I thought Orlov was particularly bad. What a shame, especially for my old favorite Bergeron.

Once again I have to wonder about the economics (both money and time) of being a truly committed fan during the regular season in most sports. An historic very fun and exciting season turned to ashes in the course of a week.

I have seen this collapse compared to the 2007 Patriots which I don't understand. The Patriots made it to "the finals" and lost at least in part because of a one time only never to be repeated miracle play*. The Bruins lost in the first round and as best as I can tell simply were outplayed when it mattered.

Go Celtics!

*Although it sometimes feels like Edelman's catch in the 28-3 Super Bowl was the karmic make up for Tyree.