**** Official Hockey Thread **** (NHL & College)

[GSG]

This has been kind of a fun/funny story to follow:

 

http://deadspin.com/the-arizona-sundogs-enter-day-6-in-their-sky-prison-482402631

 

Basically, the Arizona Sundogs of the CHL have their GM, owner, captain, and marketing director up in a scissor lift and they aren't coming down until they sell 300 season tickets. That was 4 days ago. They were 17 away when they went to bed last night.

[walksalone]

Thats pretty funny... Thats the same league as the team from Rapid City, SD...

[walksalone]

Karlsson talking about Cooke intentionally unintentionally trying to take him out...

 

http://sports.yahoo....03118--nhl.html

 

He's playing tonight...

 

This is why Hockey is f'ing amazing...

[Minnesota_husker]

WILD ARE IN!!!!

[walksalone]

WILD ARE IN!!!!

 

Subsequently, Joe Sacco, out...

[GSG]

Playoff Matchups

 

East

 

#1 Pens vs #8 Isles

 

#2 Habs vs #7 Sens

 

#3 Caps vs #6 Rangers

 

#4 Bruins vs #5 Leafs

 

West

 

#1 Blackhawks vs #8 Wild

 

#2 Ducks vs #7 Red Wings

 

#3 Canucks vs #6 Sharks

 

#4 Blues vs #5 Kings

 

 

As a Pens fan, I'm a little relieved and a little disappointed that we're not playing the Sens in the first round. I'm disappointed because it would have been a heated series with the Cooke-Karlsson deal, but that's the same reason I'm relieved. That type of stuff seems to take the Pens off their game (see: last year).

 

Some fun matchups in the first round. Bruins need to get their sh#t together, having lost 7 of their last 9 games.

 

Y'all will have fill me in on the West playoffs, since I haven't seen much of those teams, other than the Blackhawks highlights every night. I'm assuming they should breeze by the Wild.

 

Here's a handy TV schedule of the first round:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/2013-stanley-cup-playoff-first-round-tv-schedule-034013168.html

[GSG]

Odds to win the Stanley Cup:

 

Pittsburgh Penguins 7/2

Chicago Blackhawks 15/4

Boston Bruins 17/2

Anaheim Ducks 12/1

Montreal Canadiens 12/1

Los Angeles Kings 14/1

St. Louis Blues 14/1

Vancouver Canucks 14/1

San Jose Sharks 16/1

Washington Capitals 16/1

New York Rangers 18/1

Toronto Maple Leafs 20/1

Minnesota Wild 22/1

Detroit Red Wings 28/1

Ottawa Senators 28/1

New York Islanders 40/1

 

http://www.sbnation....enguins-in-2013

[GSG]

Ranking the series:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ranking-2013-stanley-cup-playoffs-first-round-series-143346994.html

[iamthenorm]

I follow the western conference almost exclusively and can't tell you much about the eastern except that Pittsburgh is pretty solid. As for the west:

 

Chicago is the best team, but not completely unbeatable as the media wants you to believe. I think the west goes through them, but it will be a challenge. I believe all the higher seeds win easily except the 4/5 series. I think la/stl will be a great series if stl wins game 1. If they lose, it very well may be over in 4.

 

Having said that, I am a blues fan and will be just behind the glass for game 1. Hoping payback is in order for the kings. The worst thing about going to a playoff game is missing the other games. The Stanley Cup Playoffs r awesome tv.

[walksalone]

I follow the western conference almost exclusively and can't tell you much about the eastern except that Pittsburgh is pretty solid. As for the west:

 

Chicago is the best team, but not completely unbeatable as the media wants you to believe. I think the west goes through them, but it will be a challenge. I believe all the higher seeds win easily except the 4/5 series. I think la/stl will be a great series if stl wins game 1. If they lose, it very well may be over in 4.

 

Having said that, I am a blues fan and will be just behind the glass for game 1. Hoping payback is in order for the kings. The worst thing about going to a playoff game is missing the other games. The Stanley Cup Playoffs r awesome tv.

 

Best playoffs in the 4 major professional sports, hands down..

 

And as a parting gift, my Av's get the 1st overall pick... yay

[GSG]

I thought that I heard this morning that this is the first time since 1996 that the Original Six have all made the playoffs.

[walksalone]

I thought that I heard this morning that this is the first time since 1996 that the Original Six have all made the playoffs.

 

thats good knowledge...

[walksalone]

This might be the funniest thing I've read in a while...

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2013/4/30/4288052/mike-commodore-tweets-pierre-mcguire-ruins-hockey

 

Wonder if the League office will have something to say about this??

[iamthenorm]

Well, just home from the stl/la game. This was an amazing game. Lots of hitting. I think this series will take lots out of both teams. I thought I saw there were almost 80 hits in the game. But what a giveaway by quick. Happened in the end I was sitting, and saw the whole debacle. What a fun game to watch. Blues deserved to win, but la never was out of it. Still can't get over the ending.

[walksalone]

Well, just home from the stl/la game. This was an amazing game. Lots of hitting. I think this series will take lots out of both teams. I thought I saw there were almost 80 hits in the game. But what a giveaway by quick. Happened in the end I was sitting, and saw the whole debacle. What a fun game to watch. Blues deserved to win, but la never was out of it. Still can't get over the ending.

 

That was a crazy ending and going to be one of the better series of the 1st round. It's awesome you got to go, lucky bastard...