I’ll give $5 for every Islanders playoff win, rounded up to $100 if Gary Bettman says “Anders Lee, come get the Stanley Cup”. (Most I can give right now. Got some vet bills to deal with)

First up, the Carolina “Tough, but at least they’re not the Boston Bruins” Hurricanes.

Now you make a pledge for your team. Feel free to go higher then $5 per win.

All my teams are OUT - I’ll get back to you if one of them drafts Bedard instead of the rigged lottery sending him to the Bettman’s favorite charity the Coyotes

This may be a good time to "polish up" on my...

Oops... Wrong pledge. Never mind, sorry. ;)

288562

Count me in for $5 for every Kraken win.

I like your optimism. The Islanders squeaked in the playoffs thanks to the help of my hometown Blackhawks. It doesn't matter how you get in. Anything can happen in the playoffs.

Has it really been 40 years since their last Cup? They are due for a run.

It will be hard for me to root against my regional Hurricanes, but since I have a financial interest in the results....Let's Go Islanders!

https://media.tenor.com/WObQtaish_sAAAAM/islanders-new-york-islanders.gif

https://media1.giphy.com/media/kDlWtcOfCDmFXAXkuG/200w.gif?cid=6c09b952vk2rlhzma46axgsf2ynidstwixac2pb5d1xvqi9g&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

https://media.tenor.com/UNly5LJsbMAAAAAM/isles-islanders.gif

Count me in for $5 for every Kraken win.

I like your optimism. The Islanders squeaked in the playoffs thanks to the help of my hometown Blackhawks. It doesn't matter how you get in. Anything can happen in the playoffs.

Has it really been 40 years since their last Cup? They are due for a run.

It will be hard for me to root against my regional Hurricanes, but since I have a financial interest in the results....Let's Go Islanders!

https://media.tenor.com/WObQtaish_sAAAAM/islanders-new-york-islanders.gif

https://media1.giphy.com/media/kDlWtcOfCDmFXAXkuG/200w.gif?cid=6c09b952vk2rlhzma46axgsf2ynidstwixac2pb5d1xvqi9g&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

https://media.tenor.com/UNly5LJsbMAAAAAM/isles-islanders.gif

Yeah, things looked bleak after that Monday night losing at a depleted Washington team who were without their top players and only dressing 17. But then the Penguins said “Hold my beer” and stepped up to lose to bottom of the league Blackhawks at home.

At least now the country gets the hot Sebastian Aho on Sebastian Aho action they’ve been craving

288647

This may be a good time to "polish up" on my...

Oops... Wrong pledge. Never mind, sorry. ;)

288562

Or better yet, try Seattle! They have the right arena for it.

https://www.enr.com/ext/resources/News/2020/07-July/Climate_Pledge_Arena_ENRwebready.jpg?1594911116

Yeah, things looked bleak after that Monday night losing at a depleted Washington team who were without their top players and only dressing 17. But then the Penguins said “Hold my beer” and stepped up to lose to bottom of the league Blackhawks at home.

At least now the country gets the hot Sebastian Aho on Sebastian Aho action they’ve been craving

288647

Sebastian Aho (Islanders) scored last night. Unfortunately, it was into his own net. They had a couple bad bounces and flukey goals against. Sometimes the puck just has eyes. Tough OT loss. Maybe they can make it a series at home.

1648844704715526145

I have an idea. Why don't the Canes and Isles make a trade this summer where Carolina gets the other Sebastian Aho and this way they would have them both on their side? It wouldn't hurt to try and the Isles won't really miss him that much. Then they would have to show him where the right net is. That's unbelievable and crazy but it's not even close to the weirdest thing that's happened so far. These playoffs have become very unpredictable with every series providing their share of surprises. Even the mighty record-setting Big Bad Bruins got their lunches handed to them the other night by the Florida Panthers and they even had to play without their captain Patrice Bergeron which had to hurt them even more than the score. I would expect them to bounce back from this setback but this will now be a much longer series than they figured.


But it's the other Florida team that has me worried and hoping for a happier ending for a change.

The Lightning and the Maple Leafs are becoming what I call the "Jekyll and Hyde" series. That's because in the first 2 games we have seen the best and worst from both sides in extremes. Also, because after Game 1, I wanted to find a good place to hide! But I'm feeling much better now after the Leafs' great bounce back win in Game 2 led by a hat trick from our captain John Tavares (you may have heard of him) and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens from here on out. I am curious to see how the Leafs much-maligned stars perform when the games get close. When you need one goal to win a game, who will step up and be the hero or will they turn to goats again? Both teams have plenty of game-breakers and any one of them can make a difference. I'm really praying heavily for a Leafs win but I will offer no guarantees just yet.

Speaking of stars, I'm calling Dallas to win their series in the West along with Vegas, Colorado, and Edmonton. In the East, I also like Boston, Carolina, and the Rangers, although I would not be surprised if there was an upset or two along the way.

http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1125,w_2000,x_0,y_79/c_fill,f_auto,h_900,q_auto,w_1600/v1/m/0/0/00a73557ee01795bcec23f6e82c7c05d57c9bcff/USATSI_20506239-scaled.jpg

The win tonight was worth 5 bucks. At least Valerie’s birthday Sunday won’t be the Isles deathday

I am curious to see how the Leafs much-maligned stars perform when the games get close. When you need one goal to win a game, who will step up and be the hero or will they turn to goats again? Both teams have plenty of game-breakers and any one of them can make a difference. I'm really praying heavily for a Leafs win but I will offer no guarantees just yet.



For one game anyway, the answer is Morgan Rielly who scored the OT winner last night in the last minute of the first OT period in a game that had all kinds of drama and a few strange moments to go with it, including a rare fight between - wait for it - Steven Stamkos and Auston Matthews! That one has to be seen to be believed.

The real hero in this series may be Ryan O'Reilly, acquired just before the trade deadline from the Blues, and he is proving to be a key component in this series just by his tenacious work ethic and relentless forechecking which led to him scoring to tie the game late in the third period and winning a key faceoff in OT that set up Morgan Rielly's goal.

So now the Leafs are up 2-1 with Game 4 tomorrow. Who will step up and be the hero this time? I doubt it will be Stamkos. His hands may still be a little rusty from the fight. Too bad!

Carolina clearly has the better Aho. I'm not sure if the defenseman would be in their top six.

The Huricanes don't allow many shots or high quality scoring chances. They aren't the most exciting team to watch.

Toronto has bounced back nicely after getting blown out in Game 1. Ryan O'Reilly is the gritty playoff performer they've lacked in recent seasons. I still think this series goes 7 games. I would want Vasilevskiy over Samsonov in a Game 7.

I guess an Edmonton vs. Toronto final is what everyone in Canada wants this year. They have two good chances to end their long Stanley Cup drought.

I’m happy someone finally told the Devils the playoffs started.

(I also slightly altered the topic title)

Carolina clearly has the better Aho. I'm not sure if the defenseman would be in their top six.


I fully expect the Islanders to get Connor McDavid next season. But like Aho, not that Connor McDavid, but a different, worse one.

The Devils might be the best team in NY/NJ this season. I didn't see that coming at the start of the year. Schmid has got them back in the series.

Gutty comeback efforts by Toronto tonight and Edmonton last night. Los Angeles really had them on the ropes. A 3-0 lead is never safe.

I fully expect the Islanders to get Connor McDavid next season. But like Aho, not that Connor McDavid, but a different, worse one.


Would you settle for Connor Bedard? I'm not kidding. This kid is the real deal. But in order to see him play live next season, you'll have to buy a ticket to Disneyland!

I feel like I've been there personally after watching the last 2 games in Tampa and riding an intense roller coaster wave of emotions from up to down to up again many times over. That's what the playoffs are like for every team in every game. It's why I love to refer to them as the best reality series on TV. Hopefully, the Leafs can keep riding their own waves and keep them high in front of the home crowd tomorrow and finish off the Lightning for good. It's something that recent Leafs teams have been notoriously bad at, not showing a killer instinct in putting teams away, which is why they went and traded for players like Ryan O'Reilly. So far he has been a big help. Let's see if he can keep it up once more and allow the fans to get the party started after the game.

Would you settle for Connor Bedard? I'm not kidding. This kid is the real deal. But in order to see him play live next season, you'll have to buy a ticket to Disneyland!

Islanders first pick is at #50. I’m sure he’ll drop that far. :hockey:

Well, that’s now $10 in the SO coffers. Back to UBS on Friday.

For your entertainment, two Aho’s in the box simultaneously.

288881

They showed some life tonight with their backs against the wall. 2 wins down. 14 to go to lift Lord Stanley.

https://media.tenor.com/E6TacR8cHggAAAAC/fallon-dance.gif

Next time you blame your goalie for costing your team a big game, try to decide if it’s worse than this

noWhoIlklSQ
https://youtu.be/noWhoIlklSQ

If you lose in OT you at least want to lose to a good goal. Last night, while no Ullmark, was brutal.

I made my $10 donation. This time I even remembered to stick the fee on my side.

One more thing to say, even though they may eventually still win it all, Bruins no longer look like a superteam who will steamroll over everybody.

One more thing to say, even though they may eventually still win it all, Bruins no longer look like a superteam who will steamroll over everybody.

That will proven beginning this week. If the Panthers don't beat them, the Leafs could do so instead. That might have sounded like a preposterous statement two weeks ago or even two days ago, but last night the Leafs finally got out of the first round by beating Tampa Bay in OT thanks to the series winner coming from captain John Tavares sending the entire Southern Ontario area and a large part of Canada (including myself!) into an emotional frenzy! So now it's wait and see time to see who wins tonight between the Bruins and Panthers. If it's Boston, then that's another curse that has to be lifted. If it's Florida, then it's a team that can be beaten but never underestimated. Either way, the Leafs will be ready.


One more thing: As an Isles fan, who do you see winning the NY/NJ series in Game 7? Or, to put it another way, who do see as being the lesser of the two evils? I think Carolina can beat them both no matter who wins.

https://images.dailyhive.com/20230430065243/maple-leaf-square-game-6.png

That will proven beginning this week. If the Panthers don't beat them, the Leafs could do so instead. That might have sounded like a preposterous statement two weeks ago or even two days ago, but last night the Leafs finally got out of the first round by beating Tampa Bay in OT thanks to the series winner coming from captain John Tavares sending the entire Southern Ontario area and a large part of Canada (including myself!) into an emotional frenzy! So now it's wait and see time to see who wins tonight between the Bruins and Panthers. If it's Boston, then that's another curse that has to be lifted. If it's Florida, then it's a team that can be beaten but never underestimated. Either way, the Leafs will be ready.


One more thing: As an Isles fan, who do you see winning the NY/NJ series in Game 7? Or, to put it another way, who do see as being the lesser of the two evils? I think Carolina can beat them both no matter who wins.


Quite the interesting game 7 scoreboard tonight. From the goalie change through overtime, Boston seemed tight all night. Colorado I’ll chalk up to the fact that the hardest thing to do in sports is repeat.

As for the question, hate the Rags, neutral on the Devs. So hoping for the best tomorrow, preparing for the worst.

If you lose in OT you at least want to lose to a good goal. Last night, while no Ullmark, was brutal.

I made my $10 donation. This time I even remembered to stick the fee on my side.

Thanks for adding to Sitcoms Online's coffers. It wasn't the result we wanted, but at least they made some progress and got in the playoffs this season. Bo Horvat is a much better player than he showed. He will improve next season.

Big upsets with Boston and Colorado losing Game 7s. Toronto fans must be excited to see a weaker Florida team. Florida won't be intimidated after taking down the best regular season team of all time.

It's much more wide open now with Tampa Bay also eliminated. Carolina vs. New Jersey should be an interesting series. They play a similar style.

Yes! Devils win 4-nil ! (I'm trying to bring soccer talk to other sports)

Game 1 final

Seattle 5
Pavelski 4

Game 1 final

Seattle 5
Pavelski 4

Tonight was

Vegas 6
Draisaitl 4

The key to winning in the playoffs is letting a guy on the other team score 4.

Toronto is in a deep 3-0 hole. Maybe they would have preferred playing Boston. You don't want to run into a hot team and goalie like Bobrovsky.

Toronto is in a deep 3-0 hole. Maybe they would have preferred playing Boston. You don't want to run into a hot team and goalie like Bobrovsky.

I'm not sure if Boston would have been a better alternative. It would have been more fun to watch because of the long Original 6 rivalry and the recent (and painful!) playoff history that has existed between them, but either way I believe the ending would have still been an unhappy one.



Only one game to watch tonight (Sportsnet has them all!) and that is Oilers vs Vegas. That will follow the much-anticipated NHL Draft Lottery at 8 pm. It has been that way for more than a year now because the winning lottery team will get a chance to draft the NHL's latest child phenom, Connor Bedard from the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He is the most hyped prospect to come along since Connor McDavid who has certainly lived up to his billing. If Bedard's new team plays their cards right, they can soon find themselves in the same position that McDavid is in now, waiting for their shot at a Stanley Cup. Here is more info on Bedard and the Draft Lottery that you can use to follow along with the telecast:

Who is Connor Bedard? - USA Today (https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/who-is-connor-bedard-nhl-prospect-2023-draft)

Draft Lottery TV Times (https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/05/2023-nhl-draft-lottery-date-time-channel)

Best Odds To Pick #1 (https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nhl-draft-lottery-odds-2023-projected-order)

Only one game to watch tonight (Sportsnet has them all!) and that is Oilers vs Vegas. That will follow the much-anticipated NHL Draft Lottery at 8 pm. It has been that way for more than a year now because the winning lottery team will get a chance to draft the NHL's latest child phenom, Connor Bedard from the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He is the most hyped prospect to come along since Connor McDavid who has certainly lived up to his billing. If Bedard's new team plays their cards right, they can soon find themselves in the same position that McDavid is in now, waiting for their shot at a Stanley Cup. Here is more info on Bedard and the Draft Lottery that you can use to follow along with the telecast:

Who is Connor Bedard? - USA Today (https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/who-is-connor-bedard-nhl-prospect-2023-draft)

Draft Lottery TV Times (https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/05/2023-nhl-draft-lottery-date-time-channel)

Best Odds To Pick #1 (https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nhl-draft-lottery-odds-2023-projected-order)

Love the internet outrage tonight that once again the NHL is rigging things to benefit an original six team.

Karma (vid from April 29, probably after they beat Tampa and before FLA-BOS game 7)

1652504152583315456?

Count me in for $5 for every Kraken win.


That turned out to be $35. But is it really giving if you’re giving to yourself?


Final four:

Panthers- Canes
Stars- Knights

No hockey till Thursday (unless you’re watching the IIHF World Championships. Saw a tight one today between Finland and Sweden)

That turned out to be $35. But is it really giving if you’re giving to yourself?


Final four:

Panthers- Canes
Stars- Knights

No hockey till Thursday (unless you’re watching the IIHF World Championships. Saw a tight one today between Finland and Sweden)


Before being eliminated, my Leafs won 5 playoff games, which would make my total $25. I wish to donate the full amount to the Valerie Bertinelli Retirement Fund.

Before being eliminated, my Leafs won 5 playoff games, which would make my total $25. I wish to donate the full amount to the Valerie Bertinelli Retirement Fund.

She's still working and doing pretty well. Give your money to TJ instead.

So who's your pick of the remaining 4 to win the :stanleycup:? All of Canada is out. Would you support any of them to break the Canada drought from 1993, or does it have to be Toronto?

She's still working and doing pretty well. Give your money to TJ instead.

So who's your pick of the remaining 4 to win the :stanleycup:? All of Canada is out. Would you support any of them to break the Canada drought from 1993, or does it have to be Toronto?

I would not mind if another Canadian team wins the Cup, as long as Toronto does it first. After that, it doesn't matter to me. The only other Canadian teams I like right now are Edmonton and Calgary. Ottawa and Montreal are heated rivals. I wouldn't cheer for them under any circumstances. Vancouver and Winnipeg have good teams and players but their fans are awful. Outside of Southern Ontario, Canadian hockey fans tend to be split regarding the Leafs. It seems that half the country loves them (you can tell that by counting the number of Leafs sweaters on fans at road games) and the other half hates them. In Western Canada, the most hate seems to take place in Vancouver and Winnipeg when the Leafs visit there so I'm somewhat happy to see those two teams out.

My favorite USA teams, in order of preference, are Colorado, Pittsburgh, and San Jose. Of the 4 teams left, I'm calling Vegas to win the Cup because they have the most Canadian-born players on their roster. I wouldn't actually bet on this unless I was in Vegas myself, and right now I wish I was!

Sal:

I assume Sportsnet is on suicide watch with the Leafs being out followed
by the Oilers.

It doesn't matter to me who wins the cup because watching the NHL (and the other sports) is no longer enjoyable because of the all the sports betting commercials. I just get the scores, but cannot watch the game. That's the one benefit of the team that I root for, the Senators, that since they didn't make the playoffs I didn't have to sit through these never ending gambling ads. That sadly is what sports is about nowadays, gambling, and not the games itself.

It was a great run by the Kraken to take out the defending champions. They put up a valiant effort.

I thought Edmonton and Toronto had good chances of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals and winning. Canada's drought continues for another year.

Who will win a Cup first - Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews? If I could build around only one player, it would be McDavid. It seems likely he will be in Edmonton for a while. They have Leon Draisitl and some other good players. I doubt we see any more dynasties like the Oilers in the 1980s.

I'm not sure about Matthews. I think he would like to play in Arizona in front of his family, but who knows if they will still even be there if they can't get a new arena built.

Carolina will end Florida's Cinderella run in 5 games. Dallas and Vegas is a toss-up. I will take Roope Hintz and company in 6 games.

Carolina defeats Dallas in 7 games in the Finals. :stanleycup:

A billion dollars donation if this game ever freaking ends.

Florida and Carolina headed to OT again. This game will probably end at about 3 AM.

HOEtBU--2RI

Matthew Tkachuk does it again. Florida is 6-0 in OT games. Maybe Carolina can get back in the series in Florida.

I bet they will buddy!!

We are witnessing the Bobaissance, and it is glorious.

Florida and Carolina headed to OT again. This game will probably end at about 3 AM.

HOEtBU--2RI

Game 7 Easter marathon. One of my all time favorites.

It was a great run by the Kraken to take out the defending champions. They put up a valiant effort.

I thought Edmonton and Toronto had good chances of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals and winning. Canada's drought continues for another year.

Who will win a Cup first - Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews? If I could build around only one player, it would be McDavid. It seems likely he will be in Edmonton for a while. They have Leon Draisitl and some other good players. I doubt we see any more dynasties like the Oilers in the 1980s.

I'm not sure about Matthews. I think he would like to play in Arizona in front of his family, but who knows if they will still even be there if they can't get a new arena built.

Carolina will end Florida's Cinderella run in 5 games. Dallas and Vegas is a toss-up. I will take Roope Hintz and company in 6 games.

Carolina defeats Dallas in 7 games in the Finals. :stanleycup:


I would take McDavid too even though I love Matthews as well as his linemate Mitch Marner, my current favorite NHL player. There's another player you can build around because he makes everyone around him better, including Matthews who may not be in TO much longer. Arizona might not sound so great right now because of their failed arena deal and the team's ongoing shaky future. A better option might be Chicago, where he could get to play with the NHL's newest phenom Connor Bedard. There's a duo I would love to watch, not to mention whoever the Leafs may get back in a trade.

If Matthews or any other Leaf does get traded, that decision will have to be made by a new GM. On Friday, in a move which stunned the entire hockey world, Kyle Dubas was fired before he was set to sign a contract extension. Apparently, his demands (and possibly his playoff record) were not good enough to allow him to keep his job. So now, both sides will move on. The hot rumour going around is that Dubas will eventually land as GM with Sid Crosby and the Penguins. We'll see what happens there. Meanwhile, I have no idea who will take over in Toronto. The new man will likely take over before the NHL draft on June 28 (on Sportsnet).

To Dianne: I have lost interest in the playoffs because the 4 teams that are left - Carolina, Florida, Dallas, and Vegas - are all small markets and non-traditional hockey towns. This does not look good for the game at all and I would not be surprised if the TV ratings start to nosedive from now on, despite that great OT game that was featured the other night.

We are witnessing the Bobaissance, and it is glorious.

https://media.tenor.com/gdxL7_WmzHoAAAAC/bow-down-worthy.gif

It's raining rats in Florida.

Bobrovsky wasn't even their starting goalie the first three games of the playoffs. What the heck. This is vintage 2012–13 and 2016–17 Vezina Trophy winning Bobrovsky.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Coyotes in Atlanta if they move. I think the most likely location would be Houston. Dallas may be a non-traditional market, but only New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia are bigger US TV markets. Houston is the largest market without a team. That's what would make them a possible landing spot. They have a NHL ready arena.

Chicago really lucked out in the lottery. There's a big difference between Bedard and the other possible high draft picks.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Coyotes in Atlanta if they move. I think the most likely location would be Houston. Dallas may be a non-traditional market, but only New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia are bigger US TV markets. Houston is the largest market without a team. That's what would make them a possible landing spot. They have a NHL ready arena.


Here’s some current betting odds. Funny to see Toronto on the list. Maybe they finally want an NHL quality team :)

https://bookies.com/nhl/picks/arizona-coyotes-relocation-odds


290218

Hurricanes swept, but in name only. A 4OT loss, an OT loss, tonight loss in regulation with 5 seconds left, and a 1-0 loss. Series was a lot closer than a sweep indicates.

My pick for the Finals is Florida in 3. Unless their long layoff has cooled them off. In that case, it might take 4.

Bob, Conn Smythe.

The longer layoff may have affected Florida in Game 1. They looked a little rusty. I think they will rebound. Florida in 6 games.

I'm picking Vegas. They have more Canadians on their team than Florida does. That's what you need most at playoff time. Plus, Paul Maurice is a real jerk. He doesn't deserve it.

Vegas trading a fourth round pick to San Jose for Aiden Hill is at the moment looking like a major steal.

Florida either has the most miraculous 3rd period in playoff history or Vegas gets the Cup.

I was glad to see the Golden Knights win the cup but I wanted them to play vs. Boston in the finals. When Florida upset Boston in the first round it ruined the entire playoffs.