OK, playoffs for the 2017 Stanley Cup are about to start, who are your picks?

https://www.nhl.com/stanley-cup-playoffs

First Round we have:

West:

c1 Chicago Blackhawks vs wc2 Nashville Predators

c2 Minnesota Wild vs. c3 St. Louis Blues

p1 Anaheim Ducks vs. wc1 Calgary Flames

p2 Edmonton Oilers vs. p3 San Jose Sharks

East:

m1 Washington Capitals vs. wc2 Toronto Maple Leafs

m2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. m3 Columbus Blue Jackets

a1 Montreal Canadiens vs. wc1 New York Rangers

a2 Ottawa Senators vs. a3 Boston Bruins

- it all starts Wednesday April 12th - so make your picks now!!

Finally the Capitals year?

I'm kind of curious as to whom NBC will use for some of the lower level series, like SJ/EDM, BOS/OTT and NYR/MTL. I hope it an't Paul Romanuk calling the Rangers/Habs series; I've read some pretty bad complaints about his work on CBC.

Most years these hockey threads start with a lot of excitement, but because the hockey playoffs are long, the longer they go the less people post.

Can anyone explain why in Canada Sportnet pays over a billion dollars for NHL rights, yet the NHL caters to NBC who pays how much?

I'm a Sens fan by the way.

Why does this topic title have the angry face by it? Did robyrob's team not make it in :) ?

I would like to see Columbus vs. Nashville in the finals, but I doubt that is going to happen. Would be cool if it did happen, it would be a major league championship battle between two minor league sounding locations. :lol:

Why does this topic title have the angry face by it? Did robyrob's team not make it in :) ?
although my Canucks didn't have a chance in hell of getting in this year, I have embraced the Blue Jackets and am happily following them

the angry face was more directed at getting SERIOUS about the real season starting now.

although my Canucks didn't have a chance in hell of getting in this year, I have embraced the Blue Jackets and am happily following them

the angry face was more directed at getting SERIOUS about the real season starting now.

My team (Islanders) ended up missing out by a point, so I'm perfectly fine with the angry face representing angry :wave:

my picks:

West:

c1 Chicago Blackhawks vs wc2 Nashville Predators - I'm not a big fan of the Blackhawks and I don't think they are the same team of two years ago, but I still think they will take this series in 5 games.

c2 Minnesota Wild vs. c3 St. Louis Blues - Minnesota has had a great team all year, but they have had a bad slide to end the season and the Blues have more playoff experience and want it more - so they take it in 6.

p1 Anaheim Ducks vs. wc1 Calgary Flames - the Flames have been hot to end the season, but I think the Ducks will prevail in 7 games.

p2 Edmonton Oilers vs. p3 San Jose Sharks - this is the toughest one to call in the West; I think the Oilers are capable of winning this series but somehow the Sharks do it in 6 (and if they go out in the first round this year head are gonna roll).


East:

m1 Washington Capitals vs. wc2 Toronto Maple Leafs - I have been a lifelong Caps fan, it is good to see them playing like this - Caps in 5.

m2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. m3 Columbus Blue Jackets - #CBJ all the way - they had a rough patch to end the season but when they are on they can beat anyone in the league; the Blue Jackets have nothing to lose, if they don't take it to the second round they still have gained a ton of momentum and built a loyal fan base that will be happy with everything they have done this year, whereas the Penguins as last year's champs will go home hanging their heads in shame when the Blue Jackets beat them in 7.

a1 Montreal Canadiens vs. wc1 New York Rangers - the Rangers are tough but the Habs take it in 6 games.

a2 Ottawa Senators vs. a3 Boston Bruins - the Bruins barely made the playoffs, I just don't think they have a good enough team to go anywhere this year, they should be focusing on a rebuild. Sens in 5.

2nd round - Blues beat Blackhawks, Ducks over Sharks, Caps over Blue Jackets, and Canadiens over Sens.

in the final Ducks lose to the Caps in 6 games.

I usually like to root for the underdog - but mostly I want to see teams that have either never won or never made it to the Stanley Cup finally get there.

So I am hoping the Predators do better than expected and really want to see the Blues take out the Blackhawks.

I've never been a Calgary fan (too many rivalries with the Canucks) but I do like a young up-and-coming team and like to see them do well, so I'm not sure what team I'll be rooting for in that series - just want to see some good hockey. Pretty much the same scenario with the Oilers-Sharks series, although I do think if it comes to it, I'd rather see either Anaheim or the Blues go up against the Blackhawks - I really don't want to see them go to the finals again.

I've always been a Caps fan and it should be a great series against the Leafs, but I don't think the Leafs really have much of a chance.

I'll be mainly watching and rooting for the Blue Jackets, but even if they manage to squeak by the Pens I don't think they can get past the Caps, it is just too deep and talented a team this year. I think the Pens are really going to take Columbus serious but they will probably get surprised in an early game or two. I think Crosby is really overrated - he has lots of talent, but really doesn't show up every game - he seems to just only try hard when he feels like it. Whether it is a meaningless preseason game or a game seven play-off game, sometimes he just doesn't act like he cares at all. Either that or he's being a crybaby, which really gets me irked. Other than that, the Pens have a lot of injuries and even if some of them come back for the playoffs, I don't think those guys are at 100%.

Montreal vs Rangers, not really a fan of Montreal, but I hate the Rangers - especially Kreider and generally any player that sets out to intentionally injure other players.

...which brings me to the Bruins vs Sens series. I really think that Brad Marchand's recent spearing incident one week ago really deserved a lot more than a two game suspension. This guy has repeatedly shown more than just a disregard for other player's safety - that was an outright and deliberate jab at another player with obvious intent to injure, and it clearly shows that he thinks that because he is a "star" or marquee player that he can get away with just about anything with very little response from the league. His comments about it afterwards displayed how little he cared about it and showed absolutely no remorse for what he did; he was basically saying "this is hockey it's a rough game" - which is a somewhat fair statement, but he is sortof also saying "hey, sometimes I intentionally injure other guys just for fun, and if I actually substantially hurt someone or end their career, who cares - I'm a STAR." That said, I hope the Sens mop the floor with those jerks.

I sooooo want this to be Columbus' year...

I know it's doubtful that the Sens will make it all the way, but every year my dream matchup is whatever matchup will upset the networks the most.

I don't think Ovechkin is destined to win a Stanley Cup. Just a feeling. He's more focused on leaving the NHL to play in the Olympics next winter.

My predictions:


WESTERN CONFERENCE

Edmonton vs San Jose - Connor McDavid vs last year's Cup finalists. Sharks aren't as good as last year and facing the NHL's newest boy wonder will test their veteran core but they will still battle hard to the end.

Edmonton in 7

Anaheim vs Calgary - Calgary hasn't won a road game in Anaheim in the last 25 games and the Ducks will have home ice advantage. Even if they do pull off a miracle win at some point, the Ducks are still better.

Anaheim in 6

Chicago vs Nashville - P K Subban's first playoff series with Nashville and he should be a big difference in the outcome --- in Chicago's favour!

Blackhawks in 6

St. Louis vs Minnesota - This series is very tough to call. The goaltending should be very good for both sides and in the end it may come down to a lucky bounce or a timely goal from a gamebreaker like the Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko.

St Louis in 7


EASTERN CONFERENCE


Pittsburgh vs Columbus - The best player in the world facing a team that over-achieved in a big way. Bottom line: Crosby still rules!

Pittsburgh in 5


Montreal vs NYRangers - This should be another good series to watch featuring two of the NHL's greatest goalies, Montreal's Carey Price and New York's Henrik Lundqvist. I wonder if Chris Kreider will try to run Price like he did in their last playoff series. That would be super awesome!

Rangers in 6

PS: Bad news, Danderson! Paul Romanuk is in fact calling the series for CBC and what you've heard about him is true. He really is that bad, almost as bad as Pierre McGuire on NBC.


Ottawa vs Boston - Boston will win this in 4 games because NHL rules state that you can't finish a series after 3!


Washington vs Toronto - Alex Ovechkin can go stuff himself. His team will not be winning the Cup this year. If the Leafs don't beat them, Pittsburgh will. Still, it will be a lot of fun watching the NHL's most exciting team try to pull off a David vs Goliath type of upset. Don't be surprised if this series goes longer than you expect.


Leafs in 7

I have some doubts with The Blue Jackets since the play against Pittsburgh...well, I also have doubts for the Cavaliers in the NBA.

I have some doubts with The Blue Jackets since the play against Pittsburgh...

Not looking good so far.

This seeming challenge of every other goal for offsides is starting to get annoying.

Not looking good so far.

Yeah...and the Blue Jackets AAA Affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, missed the playoffs despite being Calder Cup winners last year...what happened?

Great game last night. Leafs pull off big upset in double OT vs the Caps despite Alex Ovechkin scoring his first goal of the series on a Washington power play. Now the series moves back to Toronto all tied 1-1 with the Leafs having home ice for 3 of the next 4 games and their fans all ready to start celebrating like they did last night:

Leafs fans celebrate OT winner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yNtQi0rdME)

On a somewhat related note, I just bought the Canadian Stanley Cup quarter on EBay.

I think The Blue Jackets are out!

I dunno how they'll be next year since their AAA affiliate in the AHL The Cleveland Monsters missed the playoffs...no hope...no hope...ohno:ohno:ohno:

Great game last night. Leafs pull off big upset in double OT vs the Caps despite Alex Ovechkin scoring his first goal of the series on a Washington power play. Now the series moves back to Toronto all tied 1-1 with the Leafs having home ice for 3 of the next 4 games and their fans all ready to start celebrating like they did last night:

Leafs fans celebrate OT winner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yNtQi0rdME)

So far..., these Canadian teams:

* Montreal Canadiens
* Ottowa Senators
* Toronto Maple Leafs
* Edmonton Oilers

Are putting pressure on these major American city teams:

* New York Rangers
* Boston Bruins
* Washington Capitals
* San Jose Sharks

Meanwhile, these two major American city teams are both overrated and under the worst pressure:

* Chicago Blackhawks
* Minnesota Wild

Think about that...!

Page 2 already - on an NHL thread? A certain poster (who I won't name) has disappeared, or he would be on here complaining. LOL!!!

NBC is probably now on suicide watch - their beloved Chicago Blackhawks are almost done. The only team they care about in the west.

Here in Canada, Crosby is relegated to an obscure channel for now. A couple of the series, instead of using NBC's feed, Sportsnet in using some regional feed which is awful.

I watched a couple of games on the NBC channel on the weekend.

HEY! That's not fair for the Penguins to lose right now!

HEY! That's not fair for the Penguins to lose right now!

:clap :clap :clap :clap

HEY! That's not fair for the Penguins to lose right now!
the Blue Jackets finally caught some breaks - they have really been playing great through most of the series (except for some terrible 2nd period stretches that probably cost them those losses), they aren't really expected to win the series so just getting a couple of wins and playing hard through the whole series is what matters.

who could have predicted what is going on with the Blackhawks? crazy - Peka Rinne has been amazing

I think the Leafs have been playing great, but any of those games could have easily gone either way - I still think the Caps are a better team but they will have to work a lot harder if they want to go to the next round.

I've watched most of the games and there has been some good hockey - hard to believe most of the games have been so close with so many going to OT.

Anaheim is the first team to advance, Minnesota joins Columbus in staying alive.

Anaheim is the first team to advance, Minnesota joins Columbus in staying alive.

Yes, Anaheim poured too much quack-quack H-2-O on Calgary completely last night!

Now since Montreal-New York, Toronto-Washington and Edmonton-San Jose are currently tied altogether, how did Ottowa put more pressure on Boston completely last night?

I think The Blue Jackets are out!

I dunno how they'll be next year since their AAA affiliate in the AHL The Cleveland Monsters missed the playoffs...no hope...no hope...ohno:ohno:ohno:

The Blue Jackets are now out! The Penguins and the Predators are the next ones to move onto the next round. Although, both Ducks and Predators are the NHL playoffs leaders and the Penguins are the follow-ups, so far...

the Blue Jackets finally caught some breaks - they have really been playing great through most of the series (except for some terrible 2nd period stretches that probably cost them those losses), they aren't really expected to win the series so just getting a couple of wins and playing hard through the whole series is what matters.

who could have predicted what is going on with the Blackhawks? crazy - Peka Rinne has been amazing

I think the Leafs have been playing great, but any of those games could have easily gone either way - I still think the Caps are a better team but they will have to work a lot harder if they want to go to the next round.

I've watched most of the games and there has been some good hockey - hard to believe most of the games have been so close with so many going to OT.

The Blackhawks are now "Flathawks" and the Flames are now "Lames"!

The Bruins are growing worse than the Rangers, Capitals and Sharks, but not only that, the Bruins are the next ones in danger ending up like the Blue Jackets!

The Blackhawks played like a tired team that had run out of gas. They were up against a Nashville team that was energized and determined to win. I don't think the Blackhawks have to make major changes to their team, but they need to get younger on defense because their core group of defensemen are aging and showing signs of slowing down.

St. Louis Blues just eliminated Minnesota Wild 4 games to 1. I think Bruce Boudreau should stop coaching in the NHL because he does not have a good coaching record in the playoffs. He has coached several teams that had a successful regular season, only to fall flat in the playoffs. Something's wrong with that picture.

St. Louis Blues just eliminated Minnesota Wild 4 games to 1. I think Bruce Boudreau should stop coaching in the NHL because he does not have a good coaching record in the playoffs. He has coached several teams that had a successful regular season, only to fall flat in the playoffs. Something's wrong with that picture.

Minnesota Wild is becoming "Minnesota MILD" and worse...

No first round game 7's :(

No first round game 7's :(

Very impressive...!

The only team I want to win it all now is the Rangers...will The Maple Leafs have to wait for 52 years to win it all?

The only team I DON'T want to win it all is Ottawa. They make me sick!


Being one of the few Leafs fans on here, which is hard for me to believe, I have a few parting words from what was a great series which didn't end very well.

Nobody except the players in that dressing room expected the Leafs to beat the Caps in this series. The biggest surprise was the fact that it went 6 games and every game could have gone either way. Even at times when it looked like the Caps were dominating, they still had to fight like heck just to get one more goal at the end to win each game. Whether this will help or hurt them in their next series vs the Penguins won't be known until the series gets near the end.

The Leafs have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about except for the long Cup drought which this current group led by coach Mike Babcock and future captain Auston Matthews seems determined to end at some point in their careers. Matthews and fellow star rookies like Mitch Marner and William Nylander and others have provided their fans with some exciting hockey and great hope for the future and I can't wait to see what they can do next year for an encore. Last year, they finished last overall in the NHL and the year before they weren't that much better. This season, they have served notice to the other teams in the league, including star players like Crosby and Ovechkin, that they are ready to make their move up the standings faster than expected and become serious Cup contenders again in the near future. The Leafs are out now but they will be back and they will be better than ever for a long time. Thanks for the ride guys and see you next year! :wave:

Whoever complained about both Canadiens and Maple Leafs eliminated too soon should cool down right now! They both already won lots of Stanley Cups in the past, so please give these eight current teams a chance!

Whoever complained about both Canadiens and Maple Leafs eliminated too soon should cool down right now! They both already won lots of Stanley Cups in the past, so please give these eight current teams a chance!

Toronto hasn't won it since 1967.

Toronto hasn't won it since 1967.

I don't think that's really quite a big problem at all, TBH, IMO.

From the eight teams still competing in the playoffs, the only team I like is Nashville. They are going to have their hands full vs. St. Louis, I don't expect them to win the series but will see what happens.

I guess my post will be making Sal sick - Go Sens Go. LOL!!
I don't care if someone hates the team I route for. I'm on a high right now in one way (but shocked & sad about Erin Moran).

About the Minnesota Wild - here's an irony.
A couple of days ago I browsed through a Sports Illustrated magazine at Walmart, and there was an article on how this could be their year to win the the Cup.

What is suprising (pleasantly), that NBC's ratings are up with a couple of Canadian teams being featured.

ESPN just let go most (or all) their hockey media. Massive layoffs since they are now like TMZ instead of a sports channel.

now that the second round is underway...

just heard a statistic that 67% - two thirds - of the games in the first round were won by a single goal. That is pretty amazing.

I was really surprised by the Predators, not as surprised as the Blackhawks were of course, but it seems like they could be much more dangerous and go farther than would seem reasonable here. I think they finish off the Blues in 6 games. The Wild were a pretty good team all season, but that means nothing in the playoffs - I think they need to make some changes if they want to go farther next year.

Anaheim was all over the Flames and riding high off of that I think they will eliminate a very hard working Oilers team in 7 games. I'm not sure what happened with the Sharks, but obviously the Oilers are really coming together with all that young talent. I just don't think it is enough to beat the Ducks this round.

The Capitals vs the Pens is THE series to watch this round. They have met each other 9 times before in the playoffs, and while Pittsburgh has dominated past series I think this is the Caps year to win. The Leafs are a good team and really made the Caps work for every win in that series - I think their fans should be quite pleased with how they did and it looks good for the future. This series is going to get rough and dirty and is going to have a lot of goals and action - and I think it is going to go all the way to seven games.

The Ottawa - New York series is hard to call, I want Ottawa to win but I think it is going to be a tough one for them to pull off. I'm going to say they squeak by the Rangers in seven games.

The Blue Jackets are now out! The Penguins and the Predators are the next ones to move onto the next round. Although, both Ducks and Predators are the NHL playoffs leaders and the Penguins are the follow-ups, so far...

Better off being called The Columbus Blew-It Jackets!

Go Rangers!

I guess my post will be making Sal sick - Go Sens Go. LOL!!
I don't care if someone hates the team I route for. I'm on a high right now in one way (but shocked & sad about Erin Moran).

About the Minnesota Wild - here's an irony.
A couple of days ago I browsed through a Sports Illustrated magazine at Walmart, and there was an article on how this could be their year to win the the Cup.

What is suprising (pleasantly), that NBC's ratings are up with a couple of Canadian teams being featured.

ESPN just let go most (or all) their hockey media. Massive layoffs since they are now like TMZ instead of a sports channel.


The last time I checked Ottawa was 0-4 in playoff series vs Toronto and were EXTREMELY LUCKY that they didn't have to face the Leafs in the first round. You would have been crying all the way to the bank. :lol:

Which brings me to my fearless predictions:

Western Conference

Edmonton vs Anaheim - Connor McDavid and his young kiddie corps looked good last night in beating Anaheim but I wonder if they can keep it up for a full series. If they do, good for them. They should at least be the last Canadian team standing, which in Gary Bettman's world means about as much as owning stock in BlackBerry. This series would be fun to watch if only the games weren't on so late.

Ducks in 6


St. Louis vs Nashville - The closest series to call. Nashville right now is on fire and looks nearly unstoppable. The Blues came close last night but they would need goalie Jake Allen to be at his absolute best like he was against the Wild for the Blues to win. But it might not be enough. Any team that can sweep Chicago---one of the top teams in the last decade---should be good enough to beat any of the remaining West teams.


Nashville in 7


Eastern Conference

Ottawa vs NYRangers

Ottawa will get their giant horseshoes ready to see if they can pull off another big upset against one of the best goalies in the NHL, Henrik Lundqvist. If they can, their luck is bound to run out in the next series.

Rangers in 5


Washington vs Pittsburgh


The must see TV series of the entire playoffs. This is where the real Cup champion will be decided. The main attraction will be the NHL's biggest individual rivalry: Sidney Crosby vs Alex Ovechkin. Both teams have battled each other hard in a very spirited, yet surprisingly one-sided, affair. Pittsburgh has appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals 3 times since Crosby was a rookie and each time they had to beat the Caps on the way there. Both teams would be mistaken if they only had to worry about the 2 stars. Each of them has depth at every position and any player on either side can be the hero. Even the goaltending will be top-notch on both sides. So this is a real toss-up in every way but I'm going to go with Captain Canada and his crew of champions.


Penguins in 7

The Senators are the only NHL Round 2 Game 1 Home winners so far...

Anaheim Ducks not so Mighty anymore, lose the first two games at home.

Anaheim Ducks are the next Chicago Blackhawks now!

wow the Sens pull it out in OT - very pretty goal to end it too. It's a long series though, still a lot of hockey to play and it has been really close both games.

I don't think you can really compare the Ducks to the Blackhawks - I mean the Ducks are at least close to winning each game, Chicago didn't even show up.

wow the Sens pull it out in OT - very pretty goal to end it too. It's a long series though, still a lot of hockey to play and it has been really close both games.

I don't think you can really compare the Ducks to the Blackhawks - I mean the Ducks are at least close to winning each game, Chicago didn't even show up.

The Sens are the only unbeatened team left in the second round and they still play tonight.

man - that Washington/Pittsburgh game last night, whatta sshow

I guess if you're a Pens fan you are crying into your hat, prolly not as bad as Crosby is though. As many times as I saw that replay, it still looks to me like Crosby just lost his footing and fell into Niskanen's stick. There was no cross-checking motion and it really looked like he was just getting up the stick to stop someone from running into him. Did not look like a game misconduct or even a major penalty to me - especially after all the other calls (for both sides) they let go. I could see it if he brought his stick up, but it was at waist height and Crosby just fell into it.

I think this series is going to get even rougher with every game played, and I still think it is going to seven games.

Between Rangers winning and Predators winning, All 4 NHL second rounds were 2-1.

I hope that Nashville will finish off St. Louis today and advance to the conference finals. The clinching game is sometimes the hardest one to win, will see what happens.

Hooray for Nashville, on now to the conference finals vs. either Anaheim or Edmonton.

In the East, I'm not really a fan of any of the teams still playing, but if I had to choose one I guess I'd like to see Ottawa in the finals.

Hooray for Nashville, on now to the conference finals vs. either Anaheim or Edmonton.


Is it too soon to predict game 7 in that series?

Is it too soon to predict game 7 in that series?

LOL, Edmonton is flying so far in the 6th game, 5-0 after one period. Game isn't over, but unless Anaheim has a big answer in the 2nd period then yes they're heading for a 7th game.

The Senators-Rangers game looks interestingly important tonight also...

Despite the easy win for Edmonton in game 6, I like Anaheim's chances in game 7 back on their home ice.

Ottawa advances:clap:

Senators and Predators both move on.

The Caps are hexed, the 8-67-5 record their first year in the league continues to haunt them. They weren't much better the following year with a 11-59-10 record. Those two abysmal debut seasons continue to haunt the franchise.

So it's Ottawa/Pittsburgh in the conference finals. I wish the Penguins would bring back the uniforms with dark blue and light blue colors, I'm tired of seeing every Pittsburgh pro sports team in black and yellow uniforms, they all look like bumblebees. :rolleyes:

And why doesn't Pittsburgh have an NBA team? Is pro basketball not a popular activity there? It seems to work in Philly, so why not Pittsburgh? :confused: :lol:

The Caps are hexed, the 8-67-5 record their first year in the league continues to haunt them. They weren't much better the following year with a 11-59-10 record. Those two abysmal debut seasons continue to haunt the franchise.

So it's Ottawa/Pittsburgh in the conference finals. I wish the Penguins would bring back the uniforms with dark blue and light blue colors, I'm tired of seeing every Pittsburgh pro sports team in black and yellow uniforms, they all look like bumblebees. :rolleyes:

And why doesn't Pittsburgh have an NBA team? Is pro basketball not a popular activity there? It seems to work in Philly, so why not Pittsburgh? :confused: :lol:

I do know what are the two causes that made the Caps become hexed and one has to do with something in the beginning of their creations and the other has to do with the way they supported erratically by this current US president, TBH, IMO.

Nashville/Anaheim in the conference finals also.

And why doesn't Cleveland have an NHL team? Is pro hockey not a popular activity there also? Well, it's only worked in Philly and Columbus, but not worked in Buffalo, so why not Cleveland?

I figured that Anaheim would win over Edmonton, it just isn't Edmonton's time yet, that team has a bright future they'll be back in contention next season.

Anaheim vs. Nashville, I want Nashville to win the series but I think Anaheim winning is more likely.

I'd like to see Anaheim bring back the uniforms they wore when they were called the Mighty Ducks. Their current uniforms look terrible, ugly color scheme and the logo on the front of their shirts is ugly too, it's supposed to resemble the letter D but it looks awful and whoever designed it is a lousy artist. :lol:

Pro hockey hasn't been successful in Cleveland, the last time they tried it was when the California Golden Seals relocated there in the late 1970's and became the Cleveland Barons. The Barons lasted only two seasons then the team folded and merged with the Minnesota North Stars. I would like to see pro hockey succeed in Cleveland, it sounds more like a major league city, Columbus sounds like a minor league location.

Pro hockey hasn't been successful in Cleveland, the last time they tried it was when the California Golden Seals relocated there in the late 1970's and became the Cleveland Barons. The Barons lasted only two seasons then the team folded and merged with the Minnesota North Stars. I would like to see pro hockey succeed in Cleveland, it sounds more like a major league city, Columbus sounds like a minor league location.

:yeahthat

I wouldn't mind seeing Cleveland having a hockey team, a Cleveland-Columbus rivalry may do good as well.

But now with the Rangers out...I care less who wins the Stanley Cup this year...ohno:ohno:ohno:ohno:ohno:

:yeahthat

I wouldn't mind seeing Cleveland having a hockey team, a Cleveland-Columbus rivalry may do good as well.

But now with the Rangers out...I care less who wins the Stanley Cup this year...ohno:ohno:ohno:ohno:ohno:

I would like to see an NHL team in Cleveland and an NBA team in Cincinnati.

My team of preference to win the Stanley Cup this year is Nashville (another minor league sounding location :lol: ) but I think the chance of it happening is fairly slim.

I would like to see an NHL team in Cleveland.

I'd like to see an NFL team in Cleveland.

As for the remaining NHL games, I'll support Ottawa over Pittsburgh , and Nashville over Anaheim, although I'm reserving the right to change my mind about that one.

I would like to see an NHL team in Cleveland and an NBA team in Cincinnati.

My team of preference to win the Stanley Cup this year is Nashville (another minor league sounding location :lol: ) but I think the chance of it happening is fairly slim.

Actually, I would like to see an NHL team in Cleveland and an NBA team in Pittsburgh, instead, IMO.

I'm sure the reason that Cleveland doesn't have a hockey team or Pittsburgh a basketball team is market size. Those cities aren't large enough for 4 leagues. (not counting soccer)

I am on an emotional roller coaster of major highs/lows.
The areas close to where I live are experiencing major flooding which the levels haven't been seen for over 100 years. So many homes lost/destroyed. We are getting way too much rain. Rivers overflow.

So I'm on a high with the Sens, but watching the news is so hearbreaking.
I've never experienced life getting in the way of me watching the Sens in the playoffs before.

Actually, I would like to see an NHL team in Cleveland and an NBA team in Pittsburgh, instead, IMO.

I'd like to see an NBA team in Pittsburgh and also in Cincinnati. The Pittsburgh team could be called the Pittsburgh Pride, sounds like a good name to me. The Cincinnati team could be called the Stingers, that's the name the Cincinnati team of the old WHA had. They could bring back the name and give it to the Cincinnati NBA team. We already have the Charlotte Hornets, so why not the Cincinnati Stingers? :lol:

As for the remaining NHL games, I'll support Ottawa over Pittsburgh , and Nashville over Anaheim, although I'm reserving the right to change my mind about that one.

That's what I want-- for the Stanley Cup Finals to be Predators/Senators.

I'm sure the reason that Cleveland doesn't have a hockey team or Pittsburgh a basketball team is market size. Those cities aren't large enough for 4 leagues. (not counting soccer)

I am on an emotional roller coaster of major highs/lows.
The areas close to where I live are experiencing major flooding which the levels haven't been seen for over 100 years. So many homes lost/destroyed. We are getting way too much rain. Rivers overflow.

So I'm on a high with the Sens, but watching the news is so hearbreaking.
I've never experienced life getting in the way of me watching the Sens in the playoffs before.

That may be the case...but Cleveland has two teams...The Cleveland Browns (Clowns) are an excuse, not a team!

And both the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Metropolitan areas are losing people...

:yeahthat

I wouldn't mind seeing Cleveland having a hockey team, a Cleveland-Columbus rivalry may do good as well.

But now with the Rangers out...I care less who wins the Stanley Cup this year...ohno:ohno:ohno:ohno:ohno:Cleveland has a hockey team - the Cleveland Monsters - they even won the Calder last year (swept both final and conference series too - although not as good this season), they are the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate.

As for the remaining NHL games, I'll support Ottawa over Pittsburgh , and Nashville over Anaheim, although I'm reserving the right to change my mind about that one.that's who I'll be rooting for - Ottawa and Nashville.

Cleveland has a hockey team - the Cleveland Monsters - they even won the Calder last year (swept both final and conference series too - although not as good this season), they are the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate.

It should be the other way around. Cleveland should be the NHL team and Columbus the AHL. Cleveland Monsters is a dumb name, I can't believe they couldn't come up with a better team name than that. :rolleyes: :lol: Cleveland Maulers sounds better than Cleveland Monsters.

Two names to look out for in the Anaheim/Nashville series: Ryan Getslapped and Pekker Rinne. :lol: :lol:

OT wins for the road teams to start the semifinals.

Getting ready now for Nashville/Anaheim game 2. I'd like to see Nashville win again but my feeling is that Anaheim will even the series.

I like the Predators but I don't like the location where they play, I think Nashville shouldn't have a pro hockey team. They might have fan support but I still think Nashville doesn't belong in the NHL. I also think Carolina doesn't belong in the NHL. Same thing with the states of Florida, Texas, and Arizona. None of these southern states belong in the NHL. The only southern location that made sense was Atlanta, it was tried there twice and failed both times, so go figure. :crazy: The California teams are OK except I would like to see Anaheim relocated at some point in the future.

Take these NHL southern located teams and move them to northern locations, put a few more teams in Canada too. Quebec needs another shot at NHL hockey. How about having a team in Seattle? Would be a good rival for Vancouver. Next season there will be a team in Las Vegas, I don't know how that's going to work, I would rather they put a team in Utah/Salt Lake City, would be a good rival for Colorado, Las Vegas sounds like a failing location to me. I think the NFL Raiders will fail in Las Vegas too after they move there. :lol:

Getting ready now for Nashville/Anaheim game 2. I'd like to see Nashville win again but my feeling is that Anaheim will even the series.

I like the Predators but I don't like the location where they play, I think Nashville shouldn't have a pro hockey team. They might have fan support but I still think Nashville doesn't belong in the NHL. I also think Carolina doesn't belong in the NHL. Same thing with the states of Florida, Texas, and Arizona. None of these southern states belong in the NHL. The only southern location that made sense was Atlanta, it was tried there twice and failed both times, so go figure. :crazy: The California teams are OK except I would like to see Anaheim relocated at some point in the future.

Take these NHL southern located teams and move them to northern locations, put a few more teams in Canada too. Quebec needs another shot at NHL hockey. How about having a team in Seattle? Would be a good rival for Vancouver. Next season there will be a team in Las Vegas, I don't know how that's going to work, I would rather they put a team in Utah/Salt Lake City, would be a good rival for Colorado, Las Vegas sounds like a failing location to me. I think the NFL Raiders will fail in Las Vegas too after they move there. :lol:
I think Seattle will get an NHL team eventually - they have a lot of hockey fans there, many actually travel to see Canucks games - but it hinges on what happens with their hunt for an NBA team; the city does NOT want to pay for a new arena, any potential ownership group wants the city to pay for it, and either way it is contingent on having an NBA team as a long-term tenant, and the NBA won't award them a franchise until they have a new arena deal in place. Catch-22, with any chance of getting a hockey team just riding on the coattails of that mess - but I still think it will happen eventually.

Quebec City stands a good chance of getting a team - but I think it is going to take a few more years; Bettman and Co don't want to risk another failure in a smaller city, even if the numbers do make sense.

..as for the Southern state teams - most of them are actually doing OK, with the exception of the Coyotes, and even though they've had numerous opportunities to move the team to another city and it has cost the league a lot just to get it stable again they seem intent on keeping the team there for some strange reason. I think admitting it was a failure will hurt the league's reputation (and devalue other potential expansions) and they want the 500 million expansion fee rather than a smaller relocation fee.

Yep I figured Anaheim would even things up tonight, on now to Nashville and see what happens in game 3.

Preds took the lead last night.

I think Seattle will get an NHL team eventually - they have a lot of hockey fans there, many actually travel to see Canucks games - but it hinges on what happens with their hunt for an NBA team; the city does NOT want to pay for a new arena, any potential ownership group wants the city to pay for it, and either way it is contingent on having an NBA team as a long-term tenant, and the NBA won't award them a franchise until they have a new arena deal in place. Catch-22, with any chance of getting a hockey team just riding on the coattails of that mess - but I still think it will happen eventually.

Quebec City stands a good chance of getting a team - but I think it is going to take a few more years; Bettman and Co don't want to risk another failure in a smaller city, even if the numbers do make sense.

..as for the Southern state teams - most of them are actually doing OK, with the exception of the Coyotes, and even though they've had numerous opportunities to move the team to another city and it has cost the league a lot just to get it stable again they seem intent on keeping the team there for some strange reason. I think admitting it was a failure will hurt the league's reputation (and devalue other potential expansions) and they want the 500 million expansion fee rather than a smaller relocation fee.

I also think Kansas City should have a hockey team again, even using the name they used between 1974 and 1976...The Kansas City Scouts....

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fe/KansasCityScouts.png/220px-KansasCityScouts.png

wow - Ottawa-Pittsburgh

Nice redirect by Subban in OT last night. Unfortunately though, for the wrong team :(

Two NHL semifinal rounds of 2-2, so far...

Nashville gets the win in a close and very rough game - lot of players out injured now, hard to predict what happens next

Preds are one win away from the finals, will see if they can get there. Has an 8th seeded team ever played in the finals before?

Preds are one win away from the finals, will see if they can get there. Has an 8th seeded team ever played in the finals before?

2012 LA Kings won the Cup as the 8th seed

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/1211932.amp.html

2012 LA Kings won the Cup as the 8th seed

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/1211932.amp.html

OK thanks for the info, this was 5 years ago but I remember now.

Kings won the cup that year finishing with 95 points, so obviously Nashville as an 8 seed finishing with 94 points could do it too. Take away 10 points and have an 8 seed team with 84 points go on to win the cup which is basically a .500 team and that would be pretty much a surprise.

The Blackhawks were #1 seed in the West this year with 109 points, Nashville was #8 with 94 points, that's a 15 point spread which isn't really all that much so looking at it that way it's not really all that surprising that Nashville is one win away from the finals.

I also think Kansas City should have a hockey team again, even using the name they used between 1974 and 1976...The Kansas City Scouts....

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fe/KansasCityScouts.png/220px-KansasCityScouts.png

I remember the KC Scouts, dreadful team but they wore some cool looking uniforms. Their defense wasn't all that bad but aside from their #1 line their offense was woeful to say the least. Wilf Paiement was one of their better players. Denis Herron was a pretty good goalie too. I was really into hockey during that mid 1970's era, I was a Seals fan and followed that team close until they relocated to Cleveland and became the Barons.

Well it looks like it's all over for Ottawa unless they have a big answer for Pittsburgh in the next game because the 7-0 blowout today was embarrassing. Several lapses on defense today for Ottawa, either that or maybe the Pens were just too quick for them.

Game 7 tonight, and it looks like I'll be free to watch.

Some of the games in the series have been "over" after the first period, so let's hope this stays tight all the way.

Ottawa in OT would be my ideal conclusion.

The further Ottawa goes in the playoffs, the less I want to post. I only like talking about other team's, and not the one I follow.

Anyway whatever happens tonight it has been a great ride.

Opus - As for going into OT, my nerves will be shot.

The further Ottawa goes in the playoffs, the less I want to post. I only like talking about other team's, and not the one I follow.

Anyway whatever happens tonight it has been a great ride.

Opus - As for going into OT, my nerves will be shot.

Yes, the games are definitely more "fun" when "your" team isn't involved.

Good luck tonight :wave:

OT!!!

Double OT!!!

And someone tell the crowd it didn't go in...

Predators-Penguins final.

Too bad Ottawa lost yesterday, they gave it a good fight but came up short. Pittsburgh is the faster skating team and that basically was the difference in the series, Pens were faster and have more firepower.

Preds and Pens are in the finals, I'd like to see Nashville hoist the cup but dethroning the defending champs won't be easy, will see what happens.

Finals start in a few minutes. Don't forget....

still rooting for Nashville - it'd be nice to see a different team win it all for a change.

...should be an interesting draft this year, and looking forward to see what happens in Vegas.

Series tied :)

Series tied :)

I hope the Preadetors win it all after going 0-2... I hope that happens with the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

All these 2 day breaks in between games, I can do without.

Well, no game 7 :(

P.S. I'm not a fan of fanbases that throw dead animals on the ice.

Not surprised at the outcome. Nashville gave it a good fight but I think it was too much to expect for an 8 seed to dethrone the defending cup champions.

Maybe the Preds can regroup and make another run at it next season, but it won't be easy because there are other improving teams like Edmonton and Toronto that are eager to claim the stanley cup.

Penguins are starting to become like the Pittsburgh Steelers...well...both teams are from Pittsburgh!