OT: NHL Playoff Picks 2010

[stefvorcide]

Fleury played like a joke. I'm sick of him giving up shit goals and putting up a 2.60 GAA and a .900 save percentage. He needs to step it up big time next year and Sidney Crosby needs an elite winger on his line. I can't believe he put up 109 points playing with guys like Kunitz (average scorer at best), Guerin (WAY past his prime), and Dupuis (third line player at best). Whoever wins the Eastern Conference is going to get swept by whatever Western team makes it. Fleury cost them that series. Pathetic is the only word to describe their performance against an 8th seeded team like Montreal with nowhere near the talent or depth.

I don't think Pittsburgh has any salary cap left after paying $21 000 000 to just three players...and that's their Achilles heel. Shadow the top players and that ship will sink, Pittsburgh is not full of depth.


...and GO MONTREAL!!!!

Salary cap is achille's heel (or hell) for every team... We have Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri for $18 000 000. I think Gomez is great, worth 8 million alone? I don't think so, but he made Gionta and Cammy sign with the habs...

Fleury was awful yesterday it was embarassing, as well as Gonchar before the 4th goal... was he trying to imitate a (orange) cone ??

GO HABS!

 

[Meathead]

Fleury played like a joke. I'm sick of him giving up shit goals and putting up a 2.60 GAA and a .900 save percentage. He needs to step it up big time next year and Sidney Crosby needs an elite winger on his line. I can't believe he put up 109 points playing with guys like Kunitz (average scorer at best), Guerin (WAY past his prime), and Dupuis (third line player at best). Whoever wins the Eastern Conference is going to get swept by whatever Western team makes it. Fleury cost them that series. Pathetic is the only word to describe their performance against an 8th seeded team like Montreal with nowhere near the talent or depth.

I don't think Pittsburgh has any salary cap left after paying $21 000 000 to just three players...and that's their Achilles heel. Shadow the top players and that ship will sink, Pittsburgh is not full of depth.


...and GO MONTREAL!!!!

Salary cap is achille's heel (or hell) for every team... We have Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri for $18 000 000. I think Gomez is great, worth 8 million alone? I don't think so, but he made Gionta and Cammy sign with the habs...

Fleury was awful yesterday it was embarassing, as well as Gonchar before the 4th goal... was he trying to imitate a (orange) cone ??

GO HABS!

I didn't understand Gonchar just standing there while a player walked around him. It looked like Montreal payed him off.
Fleury wasn't a match for Halak.
Maybe it isn't right when a team is constantly out shot/out played yet they keep winning...but that's hockey.

 

[stefvorcide]

Maybe, but Halak was like a wall again... not as impressive as game #6 vs Washington (45 saves) is saving % is now .933 (I think he's the best in series this year)

 

[Meathead]

Maybe, but Halak was like a wall again... not as impressive as game #6 vs Washington (45 saves) is saving % is now .933 (I think he's the best in series this year)

The guy is focused. It's next to impossible to score with a shot...really tough to even sneak up on him from behind the net or with cross crease passes, he's extremely aware. Most goals I see on him are tips/redirects right in front of him (which are impossible to stop).
If Halak keeps it up, I wouldn't count out Montreal in the finals.

 

[dfrattaroli]

Montreal is playing really well but Halak is their savior. Gomez is not a great player. He's a nice player and ridiculously over paid. I like the guy but have to admit I was happy to see his contract go when the Rangers made that move.

 

[dfrattaroli]

Wow. Go Montreal. Alex Ovechkin chokes in the playoffs yet again. Hysterical. Guy has 1 playoff series win and there are idiots out there who think he's even comparable to Crosby. Just amazing. I love watching him fail constantly while Sid racks up Stanley Cup finals appearances, wins, Olympic Gold Medals, and awards.

Crosby is great but he disappeared in this series. So now he's got his choker medal as well. And I'm sorry but if I'm starting a new team tomorrow, my first pick is Ovechkin. He's the best of the best.

 

[technomancer]

Let's summarize:

1) Fleury was TERRIBLE, that alone was enough to end the game for the Pens since they were down by 4 before he was pulled
2) Gonchar was TERRIBLE, he repeatedly bobbled/misplayed the puck and standing and watching while a player skates by you to score a goal is not acceptable, period. If you're afraid to get an interference call by standing the guy up TURN AROUND AND GO AFTER THE PUCK
3) Halak played another GREAT game
4) the Habs defense played another good game

Also the Habs are a better team than anybody has given them credit for. They were an eight seed because half of their team was injured during the regular season.

As for the Pens getting the mythical scoring winger, good luck. They can't afford to sign the team they have now for next season much less add another high salary player. I'm a huge Pens fan, but I'm bracing myself for them to be pretty bad next year as they're going to lose a lot of talent they can't afford to keep... and they don't have the glamour of having won the Cup to bring in guys for less than they could earn elsewhere this year.

 

[technomancer]

Wow. Go Montreal. Alex Ovechkin chokes in the playoffs yet again. Hysterical. Guy has 1 playoff series win and there are idiots out there who think he's even comparable to Crosby. Just amazing. I love watching him fail constantly while Sid racks up Stanley Cup finals appearances, wins, Olympic Gold Medals, and awards.

Crosby is great but he disappeared in this series. So now he's got his choker medal as well. And I'm sorry but if I'm starting a new team tomorrow, my first pick is Ovechkin. He's the best of the best.

Maybe the best in his own mind.. sorry watching him run around intercepting passes intended for his teammates on the power play in game 7 says all that needs to be said about Ovechkin.

I don't think Crosby or Ovechkin really choked against Montreal, I think they got smothered by Montreal's defense. Let's be real, it'd be hard to do ANYTHING with Gill's stick between your legs and hand clutching your jersey.

 

[Meathead]

Wow. Go Montreal. Alex Ovechkin chokes in the playoffs yet again. Hysterical. Guy has 1 playoff series win and there are idiots out there who think he's even comparable to Crosby. Just amazing. I love watching him fail constantly while Sid racks up Stanley Cup finals appearances, wins, Olympic Gold Medals, and awards.

Crosby is great but he disappeared in this series. So now he's got his choker medal as well. And I'm sorry but if I'm starting a new team tomorrow, my first pick is Ovechkin. He's the best of the best.

Maybe the best in his own mind.. sorry watching him run around intercepting passes intended for his teammates on the power play in game 7 says all that needs to be said about Ovechkin.

I don't think Crosby or Ovechkin really choked against Montreal, I think they got smothered by Montreal's defense. Let's be real, it'd be hard to do ANYTHING with Gill's stick between your legs and hand clutching your jersey.

Ovechkin just seems to care about his precious stats, which make him 'look' good, thus giving him bargaining chips for big contracts and sponsors. Maybe when (if) he matures and becomes a team player he'll be the best.

 

[MARK2C]

Wow. Go Montreal. Alex Ovechkin chokes in the playoffs yet again. Hysterical. Guy has 1 playoff series win and there are idiots out there who think he's even comparable to Crosby. Just amazing. I love watching him fail constantly while Sid racks up Stanley Cup finals appearances, wins, Olympic Gold Medals, and awards.

Crosby is great but he disappeared in this series. So now he's got his choker medal as well. And I'm sorry but if I'm starting a new team tomorrow, my first pick is Ovechkin. He's the best of the best.

Maybe the best in his own mind.. sorry watching him run around intercepting passes intended for his teammates on the power play in game 7 says all that needs to be said about Ovechkin.

I don't think Crosby or Ovechkin really choked against Montreal, I think they got smothered by Montreal's defense. Let's be real, it'd be hard to do ANYTHING with Gill's stick between your legs and hand clutching your jersey.

Montreal has made the best players in the league look dormant. It's simple. No time, no space and freakish goal tending.
Both series were won and lost on the boards. The Habs never quit digging the puck out. The Pens were flat and not moving their feet.
I would hate be the team meeting them in the finals right now.

On a side note, maybe Mario should have kept Gill, Satan and Scuderi. All of them are either played in or are still playing in the playoffs.
They may have kept that utterly pissed off look on his face last night of spending 18 Million on two goals.

 

[LedZep77]

My money is on the Sharks. Chicago is cursed with having Marian Hossa. He's been on the losing end of 2 straight teams in the finals.

3rd time's a charm

 

[Meathead]

Look at those focused, calm, unflinching eyes....you can't beat this man.

 

[stefvorcide]

Montreal is playing really well but Halak is their savior. Gomez is not a great player. He's a nice player and ridiculously over paid. I like the guy but have to admit I was happy to see his contract go when the Rangers made that move.

Yeah, but we basicly got Gomez + Pyatt (great defensive player) for almost nothing

 

[dfrattaroli]

Montreal is playing really well but Halak is their savior. Gomez is not a great player. He's a nice player and ridiculously over paid. I like the guy but have to admit I was happy to see his contract go when the Rangers made that move.

Yeah, but we basicly got Gomez + Pyatt (great defensive player) for almost nothing

Well, you have to pay Gomez.

 

[dfrattaroli]

Maybe the best in his own mind.. sorry watching him run around intercepting passes intended for his teammates on the power play in game 7 says all that needs to be said about Ovechkin.

I don't think Crosby or Ovechkin really choked against Montreal, I think they got smothered by Montreal's defense. Let's be real, it'd be hard to do ANYTHING with Gill's stick between your legs and hand clutching your jersey.

I don't expect a Pens fan to agree with me for preferring Ovechkin to Crosby. But Crosby choked.

 

[technomancer]

Montreal has made the best players in the league look dormant. It's simple. No time, no space and freakish goal tending. Both series were won and lost on the boards. The Habs never quit digging the puck out. The Pens were flat and not moving their feet. I would hate be the team meeting them in the finals right now.

On a side note, maybe Mario should have kept Gill, Satan and Scuderi. All of them are either played in or are still playing in the playoffs. They may have kept that utterly pissed off look on his face last night of spending 18 Million on two goals.

No argument, Montreal looks fantastic I take NOTHING away from that team, and would say they'll make it to the Stanley Cup finals this year.

And you can blame Shero, not Mario, for who's in and who's out, as those decisions reside solely with Shero. Bottom line is they couldn't afford to pay Gill and Scuderi, and Satan did not look as good EVER while he was on the Pens as he does now in Boston. Satan also had the better part of a year off to get his shit together before being brought back in.

 

[stefvorcide]

What about round 3 now??

Montreal in 5 vs Phillies and San Jose in 6.

if Chicago would have good goaltender it could be an "original 6" final, but I doubt it's gonna happen

 

[mixeduplydian]

if Chicago would have good goaltender it could be an "original 6" final, but I doubt it's gonna happen

Check Niemi's stats so far in todays game.
Not bad for a playoff noob.

 

[LedZep77]

if Chicago would have good goaltender it could be an "original 6" final, but I doubt it's gonna happen

Check Niemi's stats so far in todays game.
Not bad for a playoff noob.

He was fantastic today

 

[mrp5150]

Maybe the best in his own mind.. sorry watching him run around intercepting passes intended for his teammates on the power play in game 7 says all that needs to be said about Ovechkin.

I don't think Crosby or Ovechkin really choked against Montreal, I think they got smothered by Montreal's defense. Let's be real, it'd be hard to do ANYTHING with Gill's stick between your legs and hand clutching your jersey.

I don't expect a Pens fan to agree with me for preferring Ovechkin to Crosby. But Crosby choked.

Crosby didn't play very well, but at least he has had a ton of success in the past. He choked once. Ovechkin is a choker. Always has choked in every big situation he's ever been in. BIG difference. Crosby goes home to his Stanley Cup championship and Olympic Gold Medal. Ovechkin goes home to some pointless stats.