# 2021 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS



## Midnight Rider

Well,... here we are, the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs,... Covid Edition,... Covid Cup,... whatever.
Who's your team?
Predictions?
Trash talk?

Thoughts on the playoff format.
*How will the 2021 NHL playoffs work?*
With the tweaks to the divisions, things look a little different this year. One normal element is that each series will be a best-of-seven.
Here's the breakdown:
The match-ups:
East Division: (1) Penguins vs. (4) Islanders; (2) Capitals vs. (3) Bruins
North Division: (1) Maple Leafs vs. (4) Canadiens; (2) Oilers vs. (3) Jets
West Division: (1) Avalanche vs. (4) Blues; (2) Golden Knights vs. (3) Wild
Central Division: (1) Hurricanes vs. (4) Predators; (2) Panthers vs. (3) Lightning
The first seed of each division will play the fourth-place team while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams will meet.
The winners of these first-round meetings will then face off to crown a division winner.
Once the divisions wrap up their play, the four remaining teams advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals. The four teams will be re-seeded based on their regular-season point totals with the team with the most points facing the team with the fewest. The winners of the semis battle it out in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
Sorry, but there will not be an awarding of the Prince of Wales Trophy or Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in 2021.

*Are fans allowed?*
The 12 teams in the United States have been allowing fans into their buildings for a while, with some teams upping their capacity recently. In Canada, like the regular season, fans will not be in attendance.


> NHL playoff fan capacity:
> 
> Nashville: 12,135
> St. Louis: 9,000
> Colorado: 7,750
> Vegas: 7,567
> Tampa Bay: 7,000
> New York Islanders: 6,800
> Pittsburgh: 5,000
> Washington: 5,000
> Minnesota: 4,500
> Boston: 4,291
> Carolina: Unknown
> Florida: Unknown
> 
> Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg: 0
> — Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) May 14, 2021


*Where will the North Division winner play?*
Because of the border closure between the United States and Canada, and Canada's quarantine requirement upon arrival, there have been some discussions regarding whether the team will need to be relocated. If cross-border travel is not allowed by the Canadian government, it sounds like the Canadian division champ will relocate to an NHL city (whose team did not make the playoffs) south of the border.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports that the NHL has told the Canadian government that it will need to know by June 1, which is one day after the first round can end, if it goes the distance.


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## zontar

It feels weird that the regular season still has some games left (Delayed from Covid protocols--and yet the playoffs have started.)
Although none of those games affect the playoffs


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## Midnight Rider

zontar said:


> It feels weird that the regular season still has some games left (Delayed from Covid protocols--and yet the playoffs have started.)
> Although none of those games affect the playoffs


Agreed,... this year is setting an array of unprecedented events. One for the history books,... hopefully the last, lol.


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## Milkman

All I want to know is, at which stage in the playoffs will the Leafs choke?

Simple question.

Toronto and the other cities that orbit it could sure use a morale booster.


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## BlueRocker

I'd like everyone to go on the record. Is the winner of this year's Stanley Cup a "legit" Stanley Cup Champion, or is there the whole "_*covid season"_ thing going on, easy division, etc. Becasue you know if the Leafs win, all the Canadiens fans will be throwing that crap around.

I think whoever wins is legit. They all played by the same rules.


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## Milkman

BlueRocker said:


> I'd like everyone to go on the record. Is the winner of this year's Stanley Cup a "legit" Stanley Cup Champion, or is there the whole "_*covid season"_ thing going on, easy division, etc. Becasue you know if the Leafs win, all the Canadiens fans will be throwing that crap around.
> 
> I think whoever wins is legit. They all played by the same rules.



I agree, all players and teams have basically the same conditions.

No asterisks.

I'll take a little jab at long suffering Leaf fans from time to time, but hell if they won it would sure be a happy event around these parts.


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## Guitar101

Milkman said:


> All I want to know is, at which stage in the playoffs will the Leafs choke?
> 
> Simple question.
> 
> Toronto and the other cities that orbit it could sure use a morale booster.


I'll give you my answer on Friday.


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## leftysg

Milkman said:


> All I want to know is, at which stage in the playoffs will the Leafs choke?
> 
> Simple question.
> 
> Toronto and the other cities that orbit it could sure use a morale booster.


I put a wager on them to win this year, and they aren't even close to being my favourite team. I figured, after 50+ seasons of futility, if they were ever going to win another SC, it might as well be this year. That way, I could also stomach the result if it played out that way. One thing I am looking forward to is seeing some North division teams actually hit one another consistently.


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## Milkman

leftysg said:


> I put a wager on them to win this year, and they aren't even close to being my favourite team. I figured, after 50+ seasons of futility, if they were ever going to win another SC, it might as well be this year. That way, I could also stomach the result if it played out that way. One thing I am looking forward to is seeing some North division teams actually hit one another consistently.


Well I hope you're right, but I might use the same hopeful logic in my lottery quest, LOL.


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## Rollin Hand

In my playoff pool, I had the Leafs making the conference finals, along with Washington, Vegas and Carolina.

I still didn't pick any Leafs on principle.

Assuming the Avs and Vegas meet in their division final, that series will be an absolute stonker.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> All I want to know is, at which stage in the playoffs will the Leafs choke?
> 
> Simple question.
> 
> Toronto and the other cities that orbit it could sure use a morale booster.


Since they don't have to face the bruins right off the bat I predict they get to the second round.


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## BlueRocker

guitarman2 said:


> Since they don't have to face the bruins right off the bat I predict they get to the second round.


Washington will oust the Bruins. 

I predict a Toronto / NY Final (assuming they get by Colorado). You read it here first.


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## guitarman2

BlueRocker said:


> Washington will oust the Bruins.
> 
> I predict a Toronto / NY Final (assuming they get by Colorado). You read it here first.


Hope not. Would like to see the Bruins hoist the cup.


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## Pierrafeux

It would be a big mistake to count the Montreal Canadiens for beaten, Price, Gallagher and Weber will be back to face the Leafs and underdog have no pressure.. Hope for Leaf's fans that TO won't choke in the first round


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## allthumbs56

Long-suffering Leafs fan.

I'm hoping for a decent run but am fully prepared for disappointment. The regular season has shown that the Leafs can possibly win their way out of Canada but all those U.S. teams have a pretty good history against the Leafs.


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## Guitar101

We beat Montreal for the cup in 1967. Anyone else watch that series?🤞 (I don't have to say the Maple Leafs do I)


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## Rollin Hand

I....let's just say I have my doubts about the Leafs. I think Montreal can beat them. I agree that they have no pressure on them, so why not win?

I also think that Connor Hellebuyck might make life hard for the Oilers.

And I need Vegas to start scoring for the pool. A lot.


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## Powdered Toast Man

This is going to be an interesting year. After the Division finals, all of the final four teams have not played each other in about a year. So it's kind of a toss up as to which style of game is going to prevail. It's been a weird season to say the least. The Leafs had a lot of trouble with the Sens, but then the Oilers beat the crap out of the Sens, and then the Oilers had a lot of trouble with the Leafs.... It's just odd. 

The Calgary/Vancouver games are like their own mini-playoff series where they play 3 games and both teams lose.


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## Diablo

Gonna have to go with the Caps. ovechkin is a pure beast. not feeling good about their goaltending though. not sure who the playoff super goalie will be overall, actually. Vasilevskiy would normally be my pick, but can’t expect him to be a standout every year.

this is the best TML team in my lifetime. But that’s not saying much...so I predict whichever team they meet from the USA will mop up the floor with them.


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## allthumbs56

Diablo said:


> this is the best TML team in my lifetime. But that’s not saying much...so I predict whichever team they meet from the USA will mop up the floor with them.


92-93 for me. That was a great team with a pretty good playoff run that ended only when the great Gretzky got away with a bloody high-stick on Gilmour.


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## Diablo

allthumbs56 said:


> 92-93 for me. That was a great team with a pretty good playoff run that ended only when the great Gretzky got away with a bloody high-stick on Gilmour.


i remember watching that game at a bar at Yonge and St clair. i think TML fans cling to that excuse far too much. TML were good grinders but the Kings were a deserving team as well. theres missed/questionable calls in every series, and every game. the difference is, TML always seems to NEED those breaks more than every other team. Reality is, TML had one more game after to beat LA, and they didnt. Chokers, choke...winners win.
One bad goal/lost game didnt stop this team from winning the cup.


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## allthumbs56

Diablo said:


> i remember watching that game at a bar at Yonge and St clair. i think TML fans cling to that excuse far too much. TML were good grinders but the Kings were a deserving team as well. theres missed/questionable calls in every series, and every game. the difference is, TML always seems to NEED those breaks more than every other team. Reality is, TML had one more game after to beat LA, and they didnt. Chokers, choke...winners win.
> One bad goal/lost game didnt stop this team from winning the cup.


I hear ya.

It's one of those moments though that you never forget. The 84 Red Sox did not lose the World Series because of his error but for all he did in a career spanning 4 decades that'd be the one thing you remember of Bill Buckner.

For the Leafs, Gretzky gets five minutes, Leafs score, series over.


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## guitarman2

Diablo said:


> i remember watching that game at a bar at Yonge and St clair. i think TML fans cling to that excuse far too much. TML were good grinders but the Kings were a deserving team as well. theres missed/questionable calls in every series, and every game. the difference is, TML always seems to NEED those breaks more than every other team. Reality is, TML had one more game after to beat LA, and they didnt. Chokers, choke...winners win.
> One bad goal/lost game didnt stop this team from winning the cup.


I'm not a leaf fan but got to admit the leafs got a raw deal there. Yes missed calls happen but not game 7 OT of a championship series. Seemed convenient call on gilmour but not on Gretzky. Had to make sure it wasn't a Canadian show down. No one in the US would have cared.
However for Leaf fans it wouldn't have mattered. No one was getting by Roy that year.


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## Midnight Rider

Diablo said:


> Gonna have to go with the Caps. ovechkin is a pure beast. not feeling good about their goaltending though. not sure who the playoff super goalie will be overall, actually.


 Bruins fan since 1969 and can't complain about their consistent performance and playoff record since the cup win in 2011,... with the exception of Rask at times. They will have their hands full in their series with Washington no doubt. However, as it currently stands Washington is at a huge deficit with their number one and two goaltenders injured. Bruins have a golden opportunity to take advantage of that situation before Vanecek and or Samsonov return in the lineup. They blew one opportunity in game one but bounced back yesterday with the OT win. Nevertheless, the Capitals can consistently physically punish any team game after game and the Bruins are not built the same way as the 2011 cup winning team,... far from it.

As far as a playoff super goalie for this year I'll go with the rookie Swayman on Boston. If Rask screws up and Swayman gets the opportunity to get the nod I think he has the potential to perform as Binnington did for St.Louis during the 2019 cup win against the Bruins. Swayman bumped Halak out of the lineup for the backup spot for this years playoffs. In regular season he tallied 7 wins - 3 losses - 2 shutouts - 1,50 GAA - .945 SV%. I watched every game he played in and was impressed with every aspect of his game. His positional game is very good and his glove hand is extremely quick. He seems very calm and reserved during a game much like Carey Price was when he entered the league. For a 23 year old he shows signs of becoming a starter in the near future. I also like the fact that he is on the bench during the playoffs as it should light a fire under Rask's ass and push him to perform at a high level each game. Tuukka has a tendency to slack off a bit if no-one is breathing down his neck threatening to push him aside for the number one goaltending spot.


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## Diablo

guitarman2 said:


> I'm not a leaf fan but got to admit the leafs got a raw deal there. Yes missed calls happen but not game 7 OT of a championship series. Seemed convenient call on gilmour but not on Gretzky. Had to make sure it wasn't a Canadian show down. No one in the US would have cared.
> However for Leaf fans it wouldn't have mattered. No one was getting by Roy that year.


It was game 6, not game 7. Thats a big difference. Yes it sucked, but they still had game 7 to win it. But, in typical leafs fashion for the past 50+ years....they didnt.
Unfortunately, theres only 1 camera angle to review and IMO its not 100% clear that Doug didnt skate into Wg's stick (although I lean 70/30 that WG did let his stick hang out there intentionally to catch Doug). That said, Im pretty sure Doug has gotten away with a few missed calls in his lifetime as well. WG wasnt exactly a cheapshot artist in his day either. Its just part of the game. At any rate, they lost game 7 without controversy, so the best team won.

Ex-Leaf Doug Gilmour looks back at the Wayne Gretzky high stick in 1993 and sees ‘the worst officiated game you can imagine’ | The Star
All these years later, both Gilmour and Clark shake their heads at the memory of that call.

“If I’m reffing, I let the teams decide it in overtime,” Clark said. “But that’s neither here nor there. If we were good enough, we would have won Game 7.”


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## allthumbs56

Diablo said:


> It was game 6, not game 7. Thats a big difference. Yes it sucked, but they still had game 7 to win it. But, in typical leafs fashion for the past 50+ years....they didnt.
> Unfortunately, theres only 1 camera angle to review and IMO its not 100% clear that Doug didnt skate into Wg's stick (although I lean 70/30 that WG did let his stick hang out there intentionally to catch Doug). That said, Im pretty sure Doug has gotten away with a few missed calls in his lifetime as well. WG wasnt exactly a cheapshot artist in his day either. Its just part of the game. At any rate, they lost game 7 without controversy, so the best team won.
> 
> Ex-Leaf Doug Gilmour looks back at the Wayne Gretzky high stick in 1993 and sees ‘the worst officiated game you can imagine’ | The Star
> All these years later, both Gilmour and Clark shake their heads at the memory of that call.
> 
> “If I’m reffing, I let the teams decide it in overtime,” Clark said. “But that’s neither here nor there. If we were good enough, we would have won Game 7.”


I like to think of it as the only year it wasn't their fault that they lost the cup. 😢


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## Midnight Rider

Any nervous Leafs fans? Montreal has a new look with Price, Weber and Gallagher back in the lineup. Price looked very good and relaxed between the pipes in game one.


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## davetcan

Midnight Rider said:


> Any nervous Leafs fans? Montreal has a new look with Price, Weber and Gallagher back in the lineup. Price looked very good and relaxed between the pipes in game one.


If you're not a nervous Leafs fan you might want to go in for a psych evaluation. Even before Tavares was knocked out.


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## BlueRocker

The Leafs have their old disease back - trying to make everything six passes and a shot, screwing around in their own zone with the puck, etc. Makes me scream watching it.


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## traynor_garnet

Midnight Rider said:


> Any nervous Leafs fans? Montreal has a new look with Price, Weber and Gallagher back in the lineup. Price looked very good and relaxed between the pipes in game one.


Why would I be nervous? I know EXACTLY what will happen 😳😭


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## spacebard

I don't think I will see the Canadiens holding the cup again in my lifetime. Got tired of seeing them losing for the last three decades.


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## Guitar101

I think the Leaf's play play better in the last 5 minutes of the game. If they would play like that for the whole game, we couldn't lose.


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## mhammer

I haven't followed them this year, so I have no idea how essential he is to the team, hence have no opinion on the matter. But does Tavares being out for the playoffs change people's expectations for the Leafs? I'm not saying it should change your hopes, just maybe your expectations.


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## Budda

Fun fact: I've been a habs fan since elementary school, with no statistical cause. My best friend and I dont play hockey and a bunch of classmates had started. We quickly realized we needed a team. "Next logo we see!" - instant lifelong habs fans.

Go habs go! No idea how they are doing, occasionally get updates from fellow habs fans. But that's my team, damn it.


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## BlueRocker

mhammer said:


> I haven't followed them this year, so I have no idea how essential he is to the team, hence have no opinion on the matter. But does Tavares being out for the playoffs change people's expectations for the Leafs? I'm not saying it should change your hopes, just maybe your expectations.


Leafs have a lot of depth, but there's a reason they pay him 11 million.


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## keto

Oilers fan checking in. Hellebuyck (had to look 3 times to spell it right) has stolen the first 2 games, we’re dominating the advanced stats but can’t beat him.

That Tavares thing, watching live when they picked him up and his head rolled, I was definitely thinking broken neck. Couldn’t keep watching. ‘Glad’ he just got knocked senseless.


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## SWLABR

Haven’t seen any of the games yet. The Tavares thing was scary on the replay. The Toronto Sun’s front page Friday morning was “Captain Crunched”. Horrific taste. They claim they “didn’t know the full extent of his injuries”. Then don’t run that you goons! You know it’s bad when both teams medical staffs are out there. That wasn’t a Leaf on the ice, it was a person! With a family. 
He’s out of hospital. Apparently the knee injury might be worse than the head injury. 
Nice rebound win last night though.


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## Powdered Toast Man

keto said:


> Oilers fan checking in. Hellebuyck (had to look 3 times to spell it right) has stolen the first 2 games, we’re dominating the advanced stats but can’t beat him.
> 
> That Tavares thing, watching live when they picked him up and his head rolled, I was definitely thinking broken neck. Couldn’t keep watching. ‘Glad’ he just got knocked senseless.


Oilers fan in Winnipeg here. Hellebuyck is huge but it's also the Jets game plan. They just swarm the puck carrier on zone entry. They're playing trap hockey and it's absolutely shut down the Oilers. Any O zone time is spent just ringing it around the boards. I've watched the highlights from all the other games around the league and no one else is playing the style the Jets are defensively. If it works I'm hoping this doesn't turn into the early 00's when Detroit won a cup playing the neutral zone trap. 

God I hope the Jets don't win this series. They've won two games and the local bandwagon fans are already insufferable.


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## HighNoon

The last two games between the Preds and Canes in Smashville, have been the best games so far. Both games, double OT....both goalies playing out of their minds. Great fans, lot's of noise, fantastic atmosphere. Playoff hockey at it's best. Now it's 2-2 heading back to Caniac country.


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## jdto

HighNoon said:


> The last two games between the Preds and Canes in Smashville, have been the best games so far. Both games, double OT....both goalies playing out of their minds. Great fans, lot's of noise, fantastic atmosphere. Playoff hockey at it's best. Now it's 2-2 heading back to Caniac country.


There have been some good games, so far, in these playoffs. I barely watched any games during the season beyond the Leafs and occasionally the other HNIC game on a Saturday, so it’s been interesting to get to know some of the other teams again after a whole season of the North Division.

After last night, it looks like the Leafs have settled down a bit. The Habs make me nervous because Price can win a game on his own, but I think our talent will end up edging it. After that, we’ll see. I learned a long time ago not to look too far ahead with the Leafs.


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## Hammerhands

Powdered Toast Man said:


> They're playing trap hockey and it's absolutely shut down the Oilers.
> 
> God I hope the Jets don't win this series. They've won two games and the local bandwagon fans are already insufferable.


I don’t think it’s The Trap, like what The Devils used, that involves funnelling play to the boards. They’re not exactly standing up at the blue-line either.

I can’t imagine too many unrealistic expectations. Edmonton likes to humiliate the Jets in the most complete and awful ways, so I’m still bracing. I don’t know if Edmonton is an elite team, yet. They may have to luck into their next Fuhr, recognize they have him and not give him away. Or they may be a couple of years ahead of an all offensive style game.

10 years ago, when E. Kane had his one move, a lot of the play I see now was getting called as interference. If those rules come back, the Oilers speed will kill.

The Jets do look much better with Ehlers in the line-up, more threats from more lines. They have to keep Ehlers and Perreault from challenging guys like Perry and Thorton.


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## keto

Oilers just not ready for prime time. 2-3 players away, a goalie who can steal games in the playoffs and a couple legit top 9 guys who can score a bit. Turris was a bad gamble, apparently a good teammate, hard worker, community involved, just not a good looking player any more. Too many borderline AHL guys on our 3/4 lines, and one or two guys too high up the lineup on the wings. Got some cap space this summer, for the first time in a while.


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## Powdered Toast Man

keto said:


> Oilers just not ready for prime time. 2-3 players away, a goalie who can steal games in the playoffs and a couple legit top 9 guys who can score a bit. Turris was a bad gamble, apparently a good teammate, hard worker, community involved, just not a good looking player any more. Too many borderline AHL guys on our 3/4 lines, and one or two guys too high up the lineup on the wings. Got some cap space this summer, for the first time in a while.


Unreal. I know it wasn't the year for the Oilers to make a deep run but I didn't see a total sweep coming. I don't think this group knows how to play playoff hockey yet. There needs to be another gear to shift to and stay there and this team has never looked like they know where to find that gear.


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## Milkman

Nine votes for Toronto so far.

Seriously?

Is that who you _want _to win or who you actually think _will _win?

Nothing wrong with either, but do people think this Leafs team won't choke at some point before or at very least, during the finals?

Honestly that's not meant to be a shot. I would love to see Toronto win it all, but I guess I've seen to many seasons...

I just watched the game last night and they were just hanging on. The Habs were all over them.


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## Powdered Toast Man

Milkman said:


> Nine votes for Toronto so far.
> 
> Seriously?
> 
> Is that who you _want _to win or who you actually think _will _win?
> 
> Nothing wrong with either, but do people think this Leafs team won't choke at some point before or at very least, during the finals?
> 
> Honestly that's not meant to be a shot. I would love to see Toronto win it all, but I guess I've seen to many seasons...
> 
> I just watched the game last night and they were just hanging on. The Habs were all over them.


I think it just shows how many of the users on this board are from the GTA.


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## vadsy

Powdered Toast Man said:


> I think it just shows how many of the users on this board are from the GTA.


also. delusional


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## jdto

I’d love to see the Leafs win, but I voted for the Avs in the poll. And the Bruins looked pretty strong against Washington. Also, fuck the Bruins.


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## vadsy

I caught the first Avs game, they looked incredible. great hockey


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## allthumbs56

vadsy said:


> also. delusional


I've been waiting a long time. I want them to win. If I bet against them and they read this thread and it took the wind out of their sails then I would feel responsible. I couldn't bear to think of them crying into their piles of money.

So I say they will win.


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## Milkman

allthumbs56 said:


> I've been waiting a long time. I want them to win. If I bet against them and they read this thread and it took the wind out of their sails then I would feel responsible. I couldn't bear to think of them crying into their piles of money.
> 
> So I say they will win.


Good answer.


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## Milkman

I really want the Leafs to win, but I am a faithless person.


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## allthumbs56

Milkman said:


> I really want the Leafs to win, but I am a faithless person.


No problem. "Faith" is to believe that they will win. "wanting" them to win while not "believing" they will is perfectly ok.

Even if you did had "Faith", the Leafs would be a pretty lousy place to place it


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## vadsy

Good answer.


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## Vtham

i need my son to learn the heartache of being a leafs fan


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## leftysg

Milkman said:


> I really want the Leafs to win, but I am a faithless person.


[h:// video]


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## Milkman

Vtham said:


> i need my son to learn the heartache of being a leafs fan



That's a lot to put on a kid.


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## Vtham

Milkman said:


> That's a lot to put on a kid.


he needs to toughen up!


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## Milkman

Vtham said:


> he needs to toughen up!



That ought to do it.


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## allthumbs56

Milkman said:


> That's a lot to put on a kid.


My one son, despite all of my encouragement, hero-worshipped Gretzky and became an L.A. fan. He's turned out pretty successful. My other son, "The Loser", followed his old man as a lifetime Leafs fan. 😢


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## Milkman

allthumbs56 said:


> My one son, despite all of my encouragement, hero-worshipped Gretzky and became an L.A. fan. He's turned out pretty successful. My other son, "The Loser", followed his old man as a lifetime Leafs fan. 😢


Nah, you have more character by sticking with your team.

Now if only these players would show one tiny iota of loyalty to their fans in return.

All that "our fans are the greatest, we love you blah, blah, blah" crap goes out the window pretty quickly when a few extra dollars are offered by another team.


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## allthumbs56

Milkman said:


> Nah, you have more character by sticking with your team.
> 
> Now if only these players would show one tiny iota of loyalty to their fans in return.
> 
> *All that "our fans are the greatest, we love you blah, blah, blah"* crap goes out the window pretty quickly when a few extra dollars are offered by another team.


Similarly, how many more times can you hear "We are all in this together"?


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## Milkman

allthumbs56 said:


> Similarly, how many more times can you hear "We are all in this together"?



LOL

"We the North" (until a better offer comes along....)


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## allthumbs56

Milkman said:


> LOL
> 
> "We the North" (until a better offer comes along....)


I kinda liked that - I feel like it gave us some street cred


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## Milkman

allthumbs56 said:


> I kinda liked that - I feel like it gave us some street cred


Yeah but the big star that brought the championship to Toronto was gone before the next season wasn't he?

Meh, sorry to be a hater. I just like loyalty a lot and it should be a two way street. Rich enough is rich enough. Show me a guy who plays where he wants to just because he feels some affection or pride, even if he could go somewhere else for a bit more, and I can respect that.


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## Midnight Rider

jdto said:


> I’d love to see the Leafs win, but I voted for the Avs in the poll. And the Bruins looked pretty strong against Washington. Also, fuck the Bruins.


Smart move voting for the Avs and not your heart.
Bruins looked like they are finding their game starting with Washington.
Yeah, fuck the Bruins,... 3 Stanley Cup Final appearances in 9 years with a win against the number 1 ranked Canucks in 2011 and the comeback of all time against the Leafs in game 7 of the 2013 playoffs,... horrible fucking franchise,... fuck em',...lol.

















*It kind of feels like this,*









*Orr this,







*


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## jdto

Midnight Rider said:


> Smart move voting for the Avs and not your heart.
> Bruins looked like they are finding their game starting with Washington.
> Yeah, fuck the Bruins,... 3 Stanley Cup Final appearances in 9 years with a win against the number 1 ranked Canucks in 2011 and the comeback of all time against the Leafs in game 7 of the 2013 playoffs,... horrible fucking franchise,... fuck em',...lol.


I don't care what they've accomplished, they can still bite me. That part definitely wasn't rational


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## HighNoon

Lots of good story lines. Spencer Knight plays his first playoff game, lets in the first shot, then shuts down the Bolts to keep the Panthers alive. Sorokin playing lights out for the Isles (best 4th line in hockey today)....Jarry has the brain melt coughing up the biscuit for the Pens. Av's are on a roll.....as are the B's with Rask in the zone. Jets....Wheeler, Scheifele, Connor leading the way and Hellebuyck looking solid. Mark Stone stepping up for the Knights....Cam Talbot (who?) still playing.....Price will keep it tight for the Habs.....and the Leafs....lots of ??????....I guess that's why they play the games. Hard to watch the games with the canned fan noise.....way too lame.


----------



## jdto

HighNoon said:


> Lots of good story lines. Spencer Knight plays his first playoff game, lets in the first shot, then shuts down the Bolts to keep the Panthers alive. Sorokin playing lights out for the Isles (best 4th line in hockey today)....Jarry has the brain melt coughing up the biscuit for the Pens. Av's are on a roll.....as are the B's with Rask in the zone. Jets....Wheeler, Scheifele, Connor leading the way and Hellebuyck looking solid. Mark Stone stepping up for the Knights....Cam Talbot (who?) still playing.....Price will keep it tight for the Habs.....and the Leafs....lots of ??????....I guess that's why they play the games. Hard to watch the games with the canned fan noise.....way too lame.


Yeah, the recorded fan noise is a bit weird, but with no noise it would sound almost spooky. Like watching beer league at the local rink or something. I've watched a few soccer matches that didn't pipe in any noise and it's almost eerie how silent it is.


----------



## HighNoon

jdto said:


> Yeah, the recorded fan noise is a bit weird, but with no noise it would sound almost spooky. Like watching beer league at the local rink or something. I've watched a few soccer matches that didn't pipe in any noise and it's almost eerie how silent it is.


Remember when they had no announcers for NHL games.....they just showed the games....it was great. The canned noise is annoying at best.....if they just had mikes to pick up the ice noise it would be great....and no one to bleep out all the nasty stuff.


----------



## jdto

HighNoon said:


> Remember when they had no announcers for NHL games.....they just showed the games....it was great. The canned noise is annoying at best.....if they just had mikes to pick up the ice noise it would be great....and no one to bleep out all the nasty stuff.


That could be fun. On the DAZN app there is an option to watch the matches with stadium noise (for the English Premier League, at least) and sometimes it’s nice not to listen to the guys talking non-stop.


----------



## laristotle

My dad took me to the '67 finals when I was six. Game 3 or 4, can't remember what he told me later in life.
Don't recall anything, but I do remember him buying me one of those souvenir mini sticks.


----------



## Hammerhands

And that’s why no one likes The Bruins or their fans.

Have you ever watched a Bruins game on TV with their local play-by-play? That broadcast alone will make you a hater. 

Did you hear his call on that series win against Montreal one year? If I was Quebecois I would want to slap him. Biggest troll in the world?


----------



## vadsy

Hammerhands said:


> And that’s why no one likes The Bruins or their fans.


I would guess the Bruins are further down most lists, well behind teams like the Canucks or the Leafs. Those teams and their fans are insufferable


----------



## Midnight Rider

Hammerhands said:


> And that’s why no one likes The Bruins or their fans.
> 
> Have you ever watched a Bruins game on TV with their local play-by-play? That broadcast alone will make you a hater.
> 
> Did you hear his call on that series win against Montreal one year? If I was Quebecois I would want to slap him. Biggest troll in the world?


Ahhhhhh,... gotta love the Bruins Jack & Brick play-by-play,... especially when the Habs and Leafs are in town. Been in the building a few times and it is glorious when those teams and their fans are visiting Boston during a playoff game. Must feel very uncomfortable if you're wearing a blue or red jersey. 

The Habs and Bruins had the best rivalry in hockey for decades but it died in 2011 when Boston beat them in that game 7 playoff series. Montreal never recovered and the team was dismantled and remains in rebuild mode.

The Boston vs Toronto rivalry is now well established and I look forward each year for it to possibly re-surface in the playoffs to once again have the Bruins steal the dreams of the hopeful Leaf fan base.

Perhaps one year Toronto will exit a series as the victors,... but so far it has been more fun than any Bruins fan could have ever imagined.

Thank you Leafs and the city of Toronto.

Actually, I did pick the Leafs to win the first round in my hockey pool but have them losing against Winnipeg. TO will do me a solid by winning and adding 10 points to my bracket choices,...if they don't pull off another 2013.


----------



## jb welder

Midnight Rider said:


> and the comeback of all time against the Leafs in game 7 of the 2013 playoffs,...


As bad as any Oilers fans feel about game 3 vs the Jets, nothing will ever be as bad as that one. 

Hoping to see the Jets at least win the division. That might make the Oilers fans feel a bit better too?


----------



## Pierrafeux

Bottom 6 of the Leafs play great Hockey and they make the difference...............


----------



## NoTalentHack

I can't even confidently pick a winner for this one due to the lack of interplay between the divisions this year. So I just went with my team, Winnipeg. Why tf not Winnipeg?! (please don't answer).

I'm looking forward to watching the next round in the North. Some great games during the season. I'll be supporting whichever team comes out of that series. I'm not nationalistic but I'd be happy to see any Canadian team hoist the cup. Been too long since that happened.


----------



## Sneaky

laristotle said:


> My dad took me to the '67 finals when I was six. Game 3 or 4, can't remember what he told me later in life.
> Don't recall anything, but I do remember him buying me one of those souvenir mini sticks.


I remember going to a game back then too. My biggest memory as a kid was how everyone there was dressed in suits and ties. I think the Leafs lost.


----------



## Powdered Toast Man

jb welder said:


> As bad as any Oilers fans feel about game 3 vs the Jets, nothing will ever be as bad as that one.
> 
> Hoping to see the Jets at least win the division. That might make the Oilers fans feel a bit better too?


It'll be interesting to see if the Jets "clutch and grab" defence will be effective against the Leafs. Then again the refs aren't calling anything so why not?


----------



## Rollin Hand

As a Jets fan from a long time back, I was sure glad to see the Jets "buck" history and sweep the Oilers.

I watched the year they went up 3-1 against the Oilers....and the Oilers went on to win the Cup. I also realise that the Leafs may be the better team on paper and by record. 

But goaltending covers deficiencies like nothing else. And I'll take Hellebuyck over a lot of goaltenders.


----------



## jdto

Rollin Hand said:


> As a Jets fan from a long time back, I was sure glad to see the Jets "buck" history and sweep the Oilers.
> 
> I watched the year they went up 3-1 against the Oilers....and the Oilers went on to win the Cup. I also realise that the Leafs may be the better team on paper and by record.
> 
> But goaltending covers deficiencies like nothing else. And I'll take Hellebuyck over a lot of goaltenders.


If the Leafs don't collapse against the Habs, then I will start to think about the Jets  

At that time, Hellebuyck will worry me because the Jets actually have some offence. The Leafs depth is a lot better than the Oilers, so we'll see if the Jets can shut down the whole attack or not.


----------



## BlueRocker

Not that draft order is any certainty of success, but here's seven forwards and two defencemen drafted in the top 10, 3 firsts and all but one in the top 5. I don't think you can compare the depth on the Leafs with the Oilers.

1997 - 1st overall - Joe Thornton
2001 - 2nd overall - Jason Spezza
2008 - 3rd overall - Zach Bogosian
2009 - 1st overall - John Tavares
2012 - 3rd overall Alex Galchenyuk, 5th overall - Morgan Reilly
2014 - 8th overall - William Nylander
2015 - 4th overall - Mitch Marner
2016 - 1st overall - Austin Matthews


----------



## jdto

BlueRocker said:


> Not that draft order is any certainty of success, but here's six forwards and a defenceman drafted in the top 10, 3 firsts and all but one in the top 5. I don't think you can compare the depth on the Leafs with the Oilers.
> 
> 1997 - 1st overall - Joe Thornton
> 2001 - 2nd overall - Jason Spezza
> 2009 - 1st overall - John Tavares
> 2012 - 5th overall - Morgan Reilly
> 2014 - 8th overall - William Nylander
> 2015 - 4th overall Mitch Marner
> 2016 - 1st overall - Austin Matthews


Don't forget Galchenyuk was 3rd overall in 2012 and actually played like it on Monday night.


----------



## Hammerhands

Bogosian was 3rd - 2008. Atlanta thought he could start for them that year, become a #1, really put pressure on him.









2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com


Get up-to-date 2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs roster and statistics and much more on Hockey-Reference.com




www.hockey-reference.com


----------



## BlueRocker

jdto said:


> Don't forget Galchenyuk was 3rd overall in 2012 and actually played like it on Monday night.





Hammerhands said:


> Bogosian was 3rd - 2008.


Thanks @jdto and @Hammerhands I edited my post for those in the West who still think there's hope.


----------



## Milkman

Go Leafs!


----------



## Hammerhands

Campbell was 11th.









2021-22 Edmonton Oilers Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com


Get up-to-date 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers roster and statistics and much more on Hockey-Reference.com




www.hockey-reference.com





Edmonton’s list:

Bouchard - 10
Draisaitl - 3
Koekkoek - 10
Larsson - 4
McDavid - 1
Nugent-Hopkins - 1
Nurse - 7
Puljujarvi - 4
Turris - 3


----------



## SWLABR

Hammerhands said:


> Campbell was 11th.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com
> 
> 
> Get up-to-date 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers roster and statistics and much more on Hockey-Reference.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.hockey-reference.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edmonton’s list:
> 
> Bouchard - 10
> Draisaitl - 3
> Koekkoek - 10
> Larsson - 4
> McDavid - 1
> Nugent-Hopkins - 1
> Nurse - 7
> Puljujarvi - 4
> Turris - 3


Bet they wished they still had Nail Yakupov (1st round pick 2012). They may have beaten the Jets! 
All honesty, Hall could have (actually) helped

Sorry, couldn’t resist.


----------



## Midnight Rider

SWLABR said:


> Bet they wished they still had Nail Yakupov (1st round pick 2012). They may have beaten the Jets!
> All honesty, Hall could have (actually) helped
> 
> Sorry, couldn’t resist.


As a Bruins fan I am more than happy that Hall is now in Boston. He has already shown what an asset he can be and is performing well in the post season. Always thought Taylor Hall would have been more of a fit in Boston than Tyler Sequin during that draft year,... too bad, otherwise Hall would be wearing a Stanley Cup ring.


----------



## Hammerhands

The Jets lost Bogosian in the trade to remove E. Kane, for which they got Myers, Armia, Stafford and Brendan Lemieux.

Armia was given to Montreal for taking the contract for Steve Mason, not a good deal. Lemieux was traded to New York for a rental on some guy, not a good deal. Stafford was sent to Boston for practically nothing. Myers and Chiarot both left in free agency about the time it looked like they had lots of defensive depth, they would never move up the chart, and there wasn’t a lot of cap room to sign them.

And then there were none.


----------



## allthumbs56

Well that was quick


----------



## jb welder

Here I was, talking about Jets vs Leafs like it was all a done deal.


----------



## Midnight Rider

jb welder said:


> Here I was, talking about Jets vs Leafs like it was all a done deal.


Uh-Oh,... Toronto. Habs must be feeling good about themselves now and returning home for game 6 with fans in the stands.
I'll be watching the next game with my Leaf fan brother-in-law,... may have to sneak out the back door if things start to go in the southern direction.


----------



## jb welder

Midnight Rider said:


> Uh-Oh,... Toronto. Habs must be feeling good about themselves now and returning home for game 6 with fans in the stands.


I'm not even going to say it. I'll let Billy though.


----------



## keto

When I heard on the radio the Leafs were losing, I turned it on TV so I could revel in someone else’s pain a while.


----------



## Rollin Hand

It all depends on whether someone can find the switch on Carey Price's back and flip it from "NHL Goalie" to "All-World Goalie." If that happens, Leaf fans will be like....


----------



## SWLABR

I hadn't watch more than a half hour here and there for the other games. Tuned in from puck drop and the Leafs were down 2-0 within (what seemed like) minutes. I turned off. I'm not superstitious, like they won the games I _didn't_ watch, so I'd better turn off cause they'll losing the one I _am_ watching... I check TSN when I woke up. At least the Leaf's made a game of it and got it to OT. 

Not panicking


----------



## BlueRocker

Hard to win 4 straight games in the playoffs. Leafs have two chances to eliminate the habs, and they're 17-7-4 on the road this season. I doubt the 2500 fans at the Montreal game will have an appreciable effect on either team.


----------



## BlueRocker

I should add, as a lifelong Leafs fan who was two when they last won the cup, that if the Habs beat them I'll gladly cheer them on for the rest of the playoffs. They would deserve it to get by Toronto.


----------



## colchar

Not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread, but every time in NHL history that the Leafs and Habs have played each other in the playoffs, the winner of the series has gone on to win the Cup.


----------



## Midnight Rider

BlueRocker said:


> Hard to win 4 straight games in the playoffs.


Winnipeg seemed not to find it too hard,... and they are waiting for the Leafs,... or Habs.


----------



## Midnight Rider

colchar said:


> Not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread, but every time in NHL history that the Leafs and Habs have played each other in the playoffs, the winner of the series has gone on to win the Cup.


I think whichever Canadian team makes it out of the North Division is in for a rude awakening,... but I'll put Winnipeg with the best chance for success if they are the team to advance to the semifinals. I think they have the goaltending and heavy game needed to compete against teams like Colorado or Vegas.


----------



## zztomato

I think it's going to be really funny if the Habs beat the Leafs. Course, now that I've posted that, the Leafs will probably win. Leafs fans can thank me later. 😕


----------



## BlueRocker

zztomato said:


> I think it's going to be really funny if the Habs beat the Leafs. Course, now that I've posted that, the Leafs will probably win. Leafs fans can thank me later. 😕


Funny was not the first word that came to my mind...


----------



## zontar

Well there will be a game 7 in that series.


----------



## SWLABR

Excellent officiating Mr Fraser... 

I turned off when they decided that a MTL player standing in the crease under his own power (not pushed) between Campbell and the puck, was not “Goaltender Interference”.


----------



## zztomato

SWLABR said:


> Excellent officiating Mr Fraser...
> 
> I turned off when they decided that a MTL player standing in the crease under his own power (not pushed) between Campbell and the puck, was not “Goaltender Interference”.


Campbell was never going to get in a position to make a play on the goal. 

I can't believe the Habs prevailed in that game. The leafs are so much faster, much more organized on the ice, carry the puck with purpose, pass the puck with a plan in mind and yet, here we are going to a game 7. 
Really, Montreal didn't so much _win _the game, the Leafs lost it.
Gotta say though, that challenge rule is f'n stupid.


----------



## SWLABR

zztomato said:


> Campbell was never going to get in a position to make a play on the goal.
> 
> I can't believe the Habs prevailed in that game. The leafs are so much faster, much more organized on the ice, carry the puck with purpose, pass the puck with a plan in mind and yet, here we are going to a game 7.
> Really, Montreal didn't so much _win _the game, the Leafs lost it.
> Gotta say though, that challenge rule is f'n stupid.


Your right, by the time Campbell knew where the puck was, he was never getting there, but we’ve all seen a goal called back for way less. The rule is that the crease is the goalkeepers domain. If you’re in there you’d have better been pushed or inconsequential. That Hab was neither.


----------



## leftysg

I have no horse in this race however watching the game, then finding the ruling which states...

A *player* is allowed to skate through the goalie *crease* or enter the *crease* to pursue a puck that has entered into the *crease*. However, a *player* in the *crease* is in no way allowed to obstruct or impede the movement of the goaltender as this will result in a goaltender interference penalty for 2 minutes.

Campbell was out of position with no chance to get back in time. It was the right call. The wrong call was Keefe feeling the need to challenge instead of trusting that his boys would be able to rally, like the previous game, and then giving the Habs their second.

Makes for an interesting Monday night. I will be scanning the local Ontario horizon around 11 pm for potential explosions like May 24 fireworks...win or lose.


----------



## zztomato

SWLABR said:


> Your right, by the time Campbell knew where the puck was, he was never getting there, but we’ve all seen a goal called back for way less. The rule is that the crease is the goalkeepers domain. If you’re in there you’d have better been pushed or inconsequential. That Hab was neither.


Well, officials obviously looked at it a bit differently. He was in a space that was vacated by Campbell. As a player I think it's pretty hard to _not _be in an unoccupied place in front of the net when you're just focused on getting the puck in the net. The crease rule is _very _blurry. If they wanted to, they could call that on almost every play where there's a mess of players in front of the net. Players who get "pushed" into the crease go there quite happily.


----------



## SWLABR

zztomato said:


> Well, officials obviously looked at it a bit differently. He was in a space that was vacated by Campbell. As a player I think it's pretty hard to _not _be in an unoccupied place in front of the net when you're just focused on getting the puck in the net. The crease rule is _very _blurry. If they wanted to, they could call that on almost every play where there's a mess of players in front of the net. Players who get "pushed" into the crease go there quite happily.


I think if I keep replying with rebuttals, I’ll come across as just another jaded Leaf fan who’s watching their hopes of demons past being exercised, slip away.


----------



## zztomato

SWLABR said:


> I think if I keep replying with rebuttals, I’ll come across as just another jaded Leaf fan who’s watching their hopes of demons past being exercised, slip away.


Well said. It's been years since I've been interested in hockey enough to watch a game. This series is huge for a Leaf fan. Montreal will not suffer much if they fall to the Leafs. Everyone knows who the better team is. If the Leafs fail though, it will be total humiliation.


----------



## BlueRocker

The goalie interference rules are far better now than the dark days when a skate on the blue paint called back a goal. Keefe made the wrong call. And Cambell should have put on a bit of a goon show to sell the penalty, but he didn't. Habs deserved to win, I thought the Leafs sucked last night from the opening puck drop. As usual, they don't seem to give a shit when it comes playoff time.


----------



## SWLABR

zztomato said:


> Well said. It's been years since I've been interested in hockey enough to watch a game. This series is huge for a Leaf fan. Montreal will not suffer much if they fall to the Leafs. Everyone knows who the better team is. If the Leafs fail though, it will be total humiliation.


I wonder if Dubas’ job is in jeopardy if they do fall.


----------



## zztomato

SWLABR said:


> I wonder if Dubas’ job is in jeopardy if they do fall.


It's nothing any one person can be accountable for. There's some dark energy, a curse, a vile controlling force from below.... Oh wait, that's Harold Ballard. Never mind.


----------



## SWLABR

As someone said, if the Habs lose, that’s not a major disappointment. The Leafs we’re supposed to win handily. Will there be a big todo of the Leafs prevail? There shouldn’t be. 
It reminds me of my niece wanting to arm wrestle me. She’s a pretty strong kid, who beat her mom, and gave her dad more of a fight than he expected. I had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Did I think I would lose? It crossed my mind. Her moms no wimp. If I lost I’d be humiliated, if I won I could not celebrate. I’m a grown man, I’m supposed to beat a 13yr old girl! 
I eventually did, and of course I won. But, she lived rent free in my head for a while... ha, ha!!


----------



## Milkman

Go Habs


----------



## leftysg

If the Leafs lose, blame me. I placed a small wager, figuring if they were ever going to win another SC it would be this format.


----------



## vadsy

as long was both teams have fun, I'll be happy


----------



## keto

leftysg said:


> If the Leafs lose, blame me. I placed a small wager, figuring if they were ever going to win another SC it would be this format.


Was thinking about that earlier. Want them to lose, clearly, to punish all the TO fans that want Connor McJesus to get sick of losing out here and move there, or say that we should never have had the pick in the first place - there are lots of them out there, including occasional sports columnists - so, fuck em, enjoy your bitterness. But, should they go on, I don't think they have much of a shot vs Boston, Carolina, Colorado, Vegas, Tampa, or maybe even the Islanders. Not this year.


----------



## HighNoon

Bolts/Canes has all the makings for a really good series; big strong defense, and loads of firepower up front. Tampa has the edge in goaltending and that could make the difference. Two evenly matched teams.....should be fun.


----------



## keto

Avs are just crushing Vegas, and I don’t think it’s just the Knights starting Lehner, Avs just own the puck. Vegas just can’t catch them, or slow them down, so far. 4-0 less than halfway through the first.

MacKinnon had 9 pts in their prior round sweep, franchise record.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Avs 7 - Vegas 1?,... MacKinnon is a freakn' machine. Like McDavid, he does everything at full speed. Lehner had not played a playoff game this year before tonight so I would cut him some slack,... but the rest of the team must find their way out of first gear. Having just come off of a 7 game series they get some slack for being a little worn down and the Colorado high altitude may be somewhat of an initial factor in poor performance as well. However, they have a couple of days to rest and acclimate. I think game two will be a different game with Vegas being much more competitive and anticipate Fleury will be back in net. 

Meanwhile,... in Toronto,... Gulp!,


----------



## Midnight Rider

Just a friendly reminder that you can change your vote in the poll as teams are eliminated.


----------



## HighNoon

The Av's are built as an attacking speed team. Vegas are a heavy team that want to slug it out in the sand box. Reaves could get a game for 'intent to injure'. The attrition will mount in this series.


----------



## colchar

SWLABR said:


> I wonder if Dubas’ job is in jeopardy if they do fall.


It should be.

And they will also need to break up the core.

I've never liked Nylander. I regularly go to Marlies games and noticed when he was playing for them that he floated far too much. But he showed up in this series, so I guess they can keep him.

I've never liked Matthews and he has been invisible. They could get a king's ransom for him, so they should trade him. Hell, McJesus is unhappy in Edmonton so maybe package Matthews with someone/something else and see if Edmonton bites?

I love Marner, absolutely love him, but he just isn't built for playoff hockey. Playoffs are what matter, so they can deal him too.

If they can open some cap space by dealing any or all of the above, maybe they can sign Foligno.

Luckily, they've found their starting goalie so are set there.

Muzzin, Brodie, and Bogosian are all playing well. Reilly had some rough patches in the regular season but has played well in these playoffs.

Spezza can definitely come back. Jumbo? Not so much.


----------



## colchar

keto said:


> Was thinking about that earlier. Want them to lose, clearly, to punish all the TO fans that want Connor McJesus to get sick of losing out here and move there, or say that we should never have had the pick in the first place - there are lots of them out there, including occasional sports columnists - so, fuck em, enjoy your bitterness.



McJesus is clearly tired of losing. Hell, he wasn't happy about ending up out there to begin with. He was wearing Leafs blue and white when the lottery was held, and his face when Edmonton won said it all.

He will leave when he hits free agency, and will sing with Toronto where he always wanted to be. Or maybe my dream of the Leafs packaging Matthews with someone/something else in a deal for McDavid will actually happen.


----------



## SWLABR

colchar said:


> It should be.
> 
> And they will also need to break up the core.
> 
> I've never liked Nylander. I regularly go to Marlies games and noticed when he was playing for them that he floated far too much. But he showed up in this series, so I guess they can keep him.
> 
> I've never liked Matthews and he has been invisible. They could get a king's ransom for him, so they should trade him. Hell, McJesus is unhappy in Edmonton so maybe package Matthews with someone/something else and see if Edmonton bites?
> 
> I love Marner, absolutely love him, but he just isn't built for playoff hockey. Playoffs are what matter, so they can deal him too.
> 
> If they can open some cap space by dealing any or all of the above, maybe they can sign Foligno.
> 
> Luckily, they've found their starting goalie so are set there.
> 
> Muzzin, Brodie, and Bogosian are all playing well. Reilly had some rough patches in the regular season but has played well in these playoffs.
> 
> Spezza can definitely come back. Jumbo? Not so much.


That is a pretty harsh assessment (but not an inaccurate one) of this teams core. The core that Shanahan said he wanted to "be in the discussion to compete for the Cup every year", kinda like his days with the Wings. The Wings, Avs, Devils were perennial favorites. Any of those could go all the way. 

Unlike you, I do like Mathews. Do I believe he will return to Arizona the minute he is a UFA?? Yep. But no one can get mad at him, the same way we told the NYI fans to grow up when Johnny T came "home". 
I like Foligno, and they should do what they can to resign him. Jumbo?? Ya, he can go. Nylander?? Thought he was good trade bait ages ago... Muzzin is officially done with an injury from Saturday, but he has been a good acquisition, I like Reilly, and Sandin will (could) be good with the right mentorships. Dermot is underrated, and can also stay. 
As for Spezza... as much as it pains me to say I like him, since his Sens days, he is a good, very inexpensive role player, that can still burn defense and pot a few pretty goals.


----------



## colchar

SWLABR said:


> That is a pretty harsh assessment (but not an inaccurate one) of this teams core. The core that Shanahan said he wanted to "be in the discussion to compete for the Cup every year", kinda like his days with the Wings. The Wings, Avs, Devils were perennial favorites. Any of those could go all the way.
> 
> Unlike you, I do like Mathews. Do I believe he will return to Arizona the minute he is a UFA?? Yep. But no one can get mad at him, the same way we told the NYI fans to grow up when Johnny T came "home".
> I like Foligno, and they should do what they can to resign him. Jumbo?? Ya, he can go. Nylander?? Thought he was good trade bait ages ago... Muzzin is officially done with an injury from Saturday, but he has been a good acquisition, I like Reilly, and Sandin will (could) be good with the right mentorships. Dermot is underrated, and can also stay.
> As for Spezza... as much as it pains me to say I like him, since his Sens days, he is a good, very inexpensive role player, that can still burn defense and pot a few pretty goals.



Last I saw about Muzzin was that he was a game day decision. Now I see that he is gone three weeks. Fuck.


----------



## allthumbs56

Never liked Nylander since he spent most of that season refusing to show up. The Leafs were doing ok without him. Then he gets the massive contract, shows up and plays like crap. Down they go - but the stage is set for big contracts all around and diva attitudes as well. I like Mathews and I like Marner too. It's just that they seem to like themselves even more. They are incredible players when the game is fun and going their way - but seem to disappear when it isn't. Maybe that's not fair, they are getting lots of opportunities - just not goals.


----------



## Guitar101

allthumbs56 said:


> Never liked Nylander since he spent most of that season refusing to show up. The Leafs were doing ok without him. Then he gets the massive contract, shows up and plays like crap. Down they go - but the stage is set for big contracts all around and diva attitudes as well. I like Mathews and I like Marner too. It's just that they seem to like themselves even more. They are incredible players when the game is fun and going their way - but seem to disappear when it isn't. Maybe that's not fair, they are getting lots of opportunities - just not goals.


Yes, I remember all the talk about William Andrew Michael Junior Nylander Altelius but in my mind he's one of the better players now. Look for him to score the winning goal tonight.


----------



## BlueRocker

Spezza has been their best forward. Nylander #2. Gotta go to my French lesson now so I'll know how to cheer in the next round.


----------



## keto

colchar said:


> McJesus is clearly tired of losing. Hell, he wasn't happy about ending up out there to begin with. He was wearing Leafs blue and white when the lottery was held, and his face when Edmonton won said it all.
> 
> He will leave when he hits free agency, and will sing with Toronto where he always wanted to be. Or maybe my dream of the Leafs packaging Matthews with someone/something else in a deal for McDavid will actually happen.












Dunno, looks like an OILERS jersey to me.

2-0 Habs end 2.

SUCK IT.


----------



## Milkman

Go Habs.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Holy !!!


----------



## keto

empty netter


----------



## keto




----------



## zztomato

Wow! Price was great. Hard to win against a goalie when they're hot.


----------



## leftysg

I believe the longest SC drought now belongs to the TML hockey club.


----------



## Midnight Rider




----------



## colchar

That was a gutless performance.


----------



## colchar

keto said:


> View attachment 367753
> 
> 
> Dunno, looks like an OILERS jersey to me.



Take a look at his face when the Oilers won the lottery, that said it all. No way he stays with them. Four more years then he walks runs.


----------



## vadsy

incredible


colchar said:


> Take a look at his face when the Oilers won the lottery, that said it all. No way he stays with them. Four more years then he walks runs.


thats four more years the Leafs go without a cup. lol


----------



## jdto

You gotta love a “lifelong” Bruins fan celebrating a Habs win. The hate runs deep.

That was a pathetic performance by the Leafs and exposed how far they have to go to be contenders, no matter how badly the sports media in Toronto want to anoint them as such.


----------



## keto

'Quite tragic': Maple Leafs fans react to another first-round playoff exit


Another post-season, another groundhog day for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Game 7 loss on Monday hit Leafs Nation particularly hard, with many taking to social media to air their grievances.




www.sportsnet.ca





“Quite tragic” LOL. Some wit in the comments got me good. “I’ve been a Leafs fan for two hours and it has been a brutal experience.”


----------



## jdto

keto said:


> 'Quite tragic': Maple Leafs fans react to another first-round playoff exit
> 
> 
> Another post-season, another groundhog day for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Game 7 loss on Monday hit Leafs Nation particularly hard, with many taking to social media to air their grievances.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.sportsnet.ca
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> “Quite tragic” LOL. Some wit in the comments got me good. “I’ve been a Leafs fan for two hours and it has been a brutal experience.”


LOL yup. Being a Leafs fan is not for the weak of heart!


----------



## vadsy

it's just crazy how all the jokes we made about this happening actually happened ,., and it shouldn't have in any way


----------



## jdto

vadsy said:


> it's just crazy how all the jokes we made about this happening actually happened ,., and it shouldn't have in any way


A buddy of mine made a fantastical prediction after game 2 about the Leafs losing in 7. It pretty much all happened.


----------



## Frenchy99

Go Habs Go !!!


----------



## Midnight Rider

colchar said:


> Take a look at his face when the Oilers won the lottery, that said it all. No way he stays with them. Four more years then he walks runs.


I think McDavid has much more character than to leave Edmonton in four. He seems to me to be much like a Steve Yzerman with the same legendary leadership qualities. Look at how many painful years Yzerman went through in Detroit while he patiently waited for the team management to acquire the pieces of the puzzle to put a multiple Stanley cup team together. 

Patience is a virtue and Stevie Y was paid back in spades for exercising it. I think McDavid will do the same and hoist the cup in Edmonton within the next four years,... he doesn't come across as the type of player who will pick up and leave the Oilers with a pout because he doesn't always win when he wants to.

Matthews on the other hand,... ?


----------



## Delores Streisand




----------



## Midnight Rider

jdto said:


> You gotta love a “lifelong” Bruins fan celebrating a Habs win. The hate runs deep.
> 
> That was a pathetic performance by the Leafs and exposed how far they have to go to be contenders, no matter how badly the sports media in Toronto want to anoint them as such.


Same here, lifelong Bruins fan that also was cheering for the Habs for the first time,... *EVER*,... after they won game 6,... I knew then what was likely to transpire in game 7.

I was a hair away from selecting Montreal in my hockey pool first round bracket,... but I thought, _"no f'n way can the Leafs possibly blow this opportunity,... not this time,...not again"._

They cost me 10 points and a perfect score of 8 out of 8 for round one,... but honestly, it just doesn't upset me as much as I thought it would,... I just get too much satisfaction when they have a playoff meltdown.









For your viewing pleasure.

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/leafs/comments/npimxk


----------



## SWLABR




----------



## Milkman

When it comes to sports I have to admit I'm pretty lily livered.

I often will turn a game off if my team is looking like victory is unlikely.

But, this one was almost like it was going to happen, foretold... I could see the choke starting a couple of games ago and just knew the Habs would win. I figured no matter what happened a Canadian based team would win so...

Now I expect them to lose quickly in the second round and we'll be looking a a final with all American teams.


----------



## leftysg

Midnight Rider said:


> I think McDavid has much more character than to leave Edmonton in four. He seems to me to be much like a Steve Yzerman with the same legendary leadership qualities. Look at how many painful years Yzerman went through in Detroit while he patiently waited for the team management to acquire the pieces of the puzzle to put a multiple Stanley cup team together.
> 
> Patience is a virtue and Stevie Y was paid back in spades for exercising it. I think McDavid will do the same and hoist the cup in Edmonton within the next four years,... he doesn't come across as the type of player who will pick up and leave the Oilers with a pout because he doesn't always win when he wants to.
> 
> Matthews on the other hand,... ?


That was in the non salary cap era so buying a championship was easier. The fourth line one season had Hull and Shanny I believe. I'm not convinced that MacDavid is a lifer in Edmonton. They better get themselves contending within the next two years. They do have money available to bring in some talent so the pressure will be on to make the right choices this off season. I'm also not sure they have many talented prospects in their system.


----------



## Rollin Hand

Chiarelli put the Oilers in cap purgatory, and it will take years to fix. 

As for the Leafs, goaltending cures many ills. And what is their weakest position? Goaltending. They are stacked everywhere else, and they got stymied by a great goaltender finding his game.

As much as it pains me to say it, the Leafs are damn close. But as they are currently structured, they are an analogue to the Jets (tons of forward depth, scoring in spades. limited money under the cap for the blue line), but without that key element of the top-line goalie. Quite frankly, the Habs worry me more with the way they are playing than the Leafs would have. The Jets should have been able to score well against the Leafs. Not, perhaps, so much against Price.

I laughed when one of my wife's co-workers, who is a Leafs fan, said he anticipated being in a bad mood today. 

Still, it has to be tough for Leaf fans. Being up 3-1 in the against an Original Six team only to lose in game 7. Oh well, at least it doesn't happen all that often....


----------



## keto

leftysg said:


> That was in the non salary cap era so buying a championship was easier. The fourth line one season had Hull and Shanny I believe. I'm not convinced that MacDavid is a lifer in Edmonton. They better get themselves contending within the next two years. They do have money available to bring in some talent so the pressure will be on to make the right choices this off season. I'm also not sure they have many talented prospects in their system.


We need a first tier or very close goalie, something we haven't had - or, like good defencemen, had and let go before they were fully formed (Petry, Dubnyk) - in the 25 years I've lived here. A scoring LW for McD, a proper 3C, and one or two other guys who can pot 12-15 goals in the bottom 6.'

Our best prospect is Dylan Holloway, who was a Hobey Baker finalist along with Caulfield, who won it. Holloway is a big body who can fly and score some. Not sure he will make the team out of camp, but he will play in the NHL next year barring the unexpected, and plays both C and wing. Our prospect pool isn't super deep tho, no real stud goalie, Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg (had an awful year in SWE apparently), they keep calling Tyler Benson a prospect, and he was top 3 AHL scoring, but he doesn't have the wheels for the NHL. Ryan MacLeod came up late in the season and for the playoffs, is 6'2 210 and can absolutely FLY, but no physicality and not great hands. He's gonna have to hit someone once in a while if he wants to play in the NHL.


----------



## allthumbs56

jdto said:


> LOL yup. Being a Leafs fan is not for the weak of heart!


As a life-long fan I appreciate that they are consistent. No surprises - I know exactly what I'm gonna get. They deliver season after season.


----------



## Milkman

allthumbs56 said:


> As a life-long fan I appreciate that they are consistent. No surprises - I know exactly what I'm gonna get. They deliver season after season.


You have my sympathy.

I keep watching Lucy pull that football away every time CB goes to kick his field goal. Like you said, no surprises.


----------



## Powdered Toast Man

colchar said:


> Take a look at his face when the Oilers won the lottery, that said it all. No way he stays with them. Four more years then he walks runs.


Looks like the Leafs are wasting Matthews' prime. He should demand a trade.


----------



## zztomato

33% still think the Leafs are gonna win the cup.


----------



## allthumbs56

zztomato said:


> 33% still think the Leafs are gonna win the cup.


I like their chances for Game 8.


----------



## jdto

Powdered Toast Man said:


> Looks like the Leafs are wasting Matthews' prime. He should demand a trade.


He's like 23. I'd say he's still a few years away from his prime.


----------



## Powdered Toast Man

jdto said:


> He's like 23. I'd say he's still a few years away from his prime.


My comment was a tongue in cheek reply based on the TO media narrative that comes up every single time the Oilers lose a game that McDavid is unhappy and wants out. I've seen the exact comment that the Oilers are wasting McDavid's prime and he should be traded (to Toronto).


----------



## Powdered Toast Man

I was reading some commentary and I don't see any reason to fire Dubas. He's done his job. 

He stacked the offence. 
Defence was weak - so he went out and got better defence.
Goal was weak - so he went out and got a better goalie. 
Coach was bad - got a better coach. 

Honestly, what else is he supposed to do? When is it on the players to go out there and play? They're paying Marner $11M a season and he hasn't scored a goal in 17 straight playoff games (LOL). 

Anyway I got a good laugh out of this series. I feel bad for the die hard Leafs fans who aren't arrogant d-bags. But honestly it's just so great to get to watch the Toronto sports media have to eat shit after all the crap they dish on the Oilers.


----------



## allthumbs56

Powdered Toast Man said:


> Honestly, what else is he supposed to do? When is it on the players to go out there and play? They're paying Marner $11M a season and he hasn't scored a goal in 17 straight playoff games (LOL).


$11M U.S.

That's $164,179 U.S. for each point this past season.

Sounds reasonable - let's not be too hard on the little floater.


----------



## jdto

Powdered Toast Man said:


> My comment was a tongue in cheek reply based on the TO media narrative that comes up every single time the Oilers lose a game that McDavid is unhappy and wants out. I've seen the exact comment that the Oilers are wasting McDavid's prime and he should be traded (to Toronto).


Gotcha and I agree. I guess I'm too used to reading the Toronto media and the Leafs Nation garbage takes so I took you seriously 

How about this for a family tradition?

The last time the Leafs won the Cup, I wasn't born. The last time they won a playoff series, my 16-year-old daughter wasn't born.


----------



## BlueRocker

Hey Dubas, it's time to break up the band.


----------



## HighNoon

allthumbs56 said:


> $11M U.S.
> 
> That's $164,179 U.S. for each point this past season.
> 
> Sounds reasonable - let's not be too hard on the little floater.


The little floater.....I like that.


----------



## allthumbs56

jdto said:


> Gotcha and I agree. I guess I'm too used to reading the Toronto media and the Leafs Nation garbage takes so I took you seriously
> 
> How about this for a family tradition?
> 
> The last time the Leafs won the Cup, I wasn't born. The last time they won a playoff series, my 16-year-old daughter wasn't born.


So it's your fault?


----------



## HighNoon

Isles/B's....Game 2....Sorokin looked shaky in game 1, even though he won 4 straight, so Trotz puts in Varlamov (good eye coach). B's tie it in the third, then go to OT, where Casey Cizikas goes roof on the breakaway to win it for the Isles. Best fourth line in hockey, with some of the best hockey names. Good series.


----------



## colchar

Midnight Rider said:


> I think McDavid has much more character than to leave Edmonton in four. He seems to me to be much like a Steve Yzerman with the same legendary leadership qualities. Look at how many painful years Yzerman went through in Detroit while he patiently waited for the team management to acquire the pieces of the puzzle to put a multiple Stanley cup team together.
> 
> Patience is a virtue and Stevie Y was paid back in spades for exercising it. I think McDavid will do the same and hoist the cup in Edmonton within the next four years,... he doesn't come across as the type of player who will pick up and leave the Oilers with a pout because he doesn't always win when he wants to.


When his contract is up he will test the open market and leave.




> Matthews on the other hand,... ?


I'll drive him to the airport myself.

He will bolt for Arizona, so hopefully whoever is GM of the Leafs (I pray it isn't still Kyle 'Spreadsheet' Dubas) is smart enough to see that and deal him rather than hanging on hoping he will stay, and then losing him for nothing as a UFA.


----------



## colchar

Rollin Hand said:


> As for the Leafs, goaltending cures many ills. And what is their weakest position? Goaltending.



Campbell proved himself as an NHL starter, and an above average one at that. It is not their weakest position any more.






> Still, it has to be tough for Leaf fans. Being up 3-1 in the against an Original Six team only to lose in game 7. Oh well, at least it doesn't happen all that often....


Thirty times in NHL history.


----------



## colchar

Powdered Toast Man said:


> Looks like the Leafs are wasting Matthews' prime. He should demand a trade.


They aren't wasting his prime, he's the fucking problem! Invisible except for one game. How does the Richard winner get one goal in the playoffs?


----------



## Powdered Toast Man

colchar said:


> They aren't wasting his prime, he's the fucking problem! Invisible except for one game. How does the Richard winner get one goal in the playoffs?


It's a shame they can't find him a quality line mate. Have they tried throwing more money at Marner?


----------



## johnnyshaka

This commercial always made me chuckle:


----------



## keto

colchar said:


> They aren't wasting his prime, he's the fucking problem! Invisible except for one game. How does the Richard winner get one goal in the playoffs?


So, you want to get rid of the next Ovechkin, a guy widely talked of as the best goal scorer in the league? I think they should interview you for Dubas job, continue the current legacy indefinitely.


----------



## colchar

keto said:


> So, you want to get rid of the next Ovechkin, a guy widely talked of as the best goal scorer in the league? I think they should interview you for Dubas job, continue the current legacy indefinitely.


He disappears in the playoffs. He is a complete non-factor. His regular season totals are great, but they don't mean shit when he disappears in the playoffs.

They could get a great haul for him, or they could get McJesus from Edmonton if they offered the right package


----------



## Powdered Toast Man

colchar said:


> He disappears in the playoffs. He is a complete non-factor. His regular season totals are great, but they don't mean shit when he disappears in the playoffs.
> 
> They could get a great haul for him, or they could get McJesus from Edmonton if they offered the right package


If McDavid didn't want to go to Edmonton and can't wait to get out, then why did he sign a contract for 8 years - the max term allowable? If that's not a statement to say, "I'm staying here" then I don't know what is.


----------



## jdto

allthumbs56 said:


> So it's your fault?


I mean, it's as good a theory as any


----------



## Delores Streisand

Honestly, the Leafs getting embarrassed every year is the best possible outcome for the sport and the country. If they ever actually won anything, the Toronto media would be so unbearable the rest of the country would have to give up following hockey. Fortunately that will never happen.


----------



## Hammerhands

Rollin Hand said:


> The Jets should have been able to score well against the Leafs. Not, perhaps, so much against Price.


I can think of many times The Jets got stoned by a hot goalie. They seem to create hot goalies. It will be interesting to see if they can solve Price early and often.

In the games where Montreal dominated The Jets this year, Montreal was better in every way. They also tripped and held the fore-checkers.


----------



## Hammerhands

The cap really did its job on the Jets defence. They could have done with Buff last year what Tampa did this year, that would have made everyone happy.

You can hope you have players who want to win and will take a discount, like Crosby, which makes the NHLPA angry.


----------



## HighNoon

Bolts put the strangle on the Canes to go up 2-0.....Best D corps in the league.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Rollin Hand

Hammerhands said:


> I can think of many times The Jets got stoned by a hot goalie. They seem to create hot goalies. It will be interesting to see if they can solve Price early and often.
> 
> In the games where Montreal dominated The Jets this year, Montreal was better in every way. They also tripped and held the fore-checkers.


That's what worries me about Habs-Jets: getting goalied. That is what happened with Price and the Leafs to an extent. Matthews had lots of shots on net, and they didn't go in. Carey Price is a hall-of-fame level goalie. Remember JS Giguere with Anaheim? He got white hot, lots of high-scoring teams got stymied, and he won the Conn Smythe despite losing in the Cup final. If Price stays hot, the Habs stay hot.

As much as it pains me to say it, the Leafs are close -- maybe a player or two away. Trading Marner is not the answer, as much as those panicking seem to think (although the ridiculous way the fans and the press are reacting, I wouldn't be surprised if he asks out). Guys that score like that don't grow on trees. Tweaks will come, other adjustments will be made, and the Leafs will be better. One of the hallmarks of the Shanaplan is a slow, steady, patient build. This has been proven to work time and time again (recent examples include the Avs, Blackhawks, St. Louis, and even the early 90s Sens). Brash reactions and overreactions won't accelerate things -- they may set them back.


----------



## jdto

Rollin Hand said:


> the ridiculous way the fans and the press are reacting


This is one factor that drives me nuts about the whole "Leafs Nation" media frenzy thing. The vitriol directed toward whomever the current scapegoat happens to be is usually over the top. Someone in that organization needs to get in Marner's head and bring back his confidence. Get him some killer instinct, have him spend some time with Doug Gilmour...I don't know. Dougie was definitely a small, shifty playmaker who never backed down from the high traffic areas.


----------



## allthumbs56

jdto said:


> This is one factor that drives me nuts about the whole "Leafs Nation" media frenzy thing. The vitriol directed toward whomever the current scapegoat happens to be is usually over the top. Someone in that organization needs to get in Marner's head and bring back his confidence. Get him some killer instinct, have him spend some time with Doug Gilmour...I don't know. Dougie was definitely a small, shifty playmaker who never backed down from the high traffic areas.


I think you're on to something. If Marner had Gilmour's heart he'd be something else to see.


----------



## Rollin Hand

jdto said:


> This is one factor that drives me nuts about the whole "Leafs Nation" media frenzy thing. The vitriol directed toward whomever the current scapegoat happens to be is usually over the top. Someone in that organization needs to get in Marner's head and bring back his confidence. Get him some killer instinct, have him spend some time with Doug Gilmour...I don't know. Dougie was definitely a small, shifty playmaker who never backed down from the high traffic areas.


Yep -- the columns started right away. "What would have happened if we kept Lou?" "Should we hire Gerard Gallant?" "Should we trade Marner?" It's like they forget the other team has some say in matters. Buck kept the top Oilers largely quelled, and the media there (at least what I have seen) seem to be thinking "how can we improve?" vs. "who do we blame?" They, like the Leafs, are (justifiably) top heavy -- you get scorers like that, and you keep them, unless a "Lindros to the Flyers" type of deal comes up, where you can build a whole franchise by trading one guy.



allthumbs56 said:


> I think you're on to something. If Marner had Gilmour's heart he'd be something else to see.


"He's a good guy from Kingston!"


----------



## Midnight Rider

jdto said:


> This is one factor that drives me nuts about the whole "Leafs Nation" media frenzy thing. The vitriol directed toward whomever the current scapegoat happens to be is usually over the top. Someone in that organization needs to get in Marner's head and bring back his confidence. Get him some killer instinct, have him spend some time with Doug Gilmour...I don't know. Dougie was definitely a small, shifty playmaker who never backed down from the high traffic areas.


Dougie had an innate grit,... Marner does not.


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> Isles/B's....Game 2....Sorokin looked shaky in game 1, even though he won 4 straight, so Trotz puts in Varlamov (good eye coach). B's tie it in the third, then go to OT, where Casey Cizikas goes roof on the breakaway to win it for the Isles. Best fourth line in hockey, with some of the best hockey names. Good series.


Big mistake by Bruins rookie defence-man Lauzon. He should have put that puck off the wall and deep into the Islander's zone. One unfortunate deflection off a Bruins skate at the blue line and bam,... game over.

Cizikas didn't have to think of where to put that puck as the scouting report on Rask is,..."go top shelf",... and has been for years. He goes down way too early and shooters just wait him out knowing he will blink first.

As a Bruins fan it is the one thing about him that drives me nuts when watching a game,... can't figure out why the goaltending coaches have not corrected that part of his game,... or he's just not listening, lol.

Boston is going to have a tough time against this Islander team,... they just never throw the towel in during any game and keep coming at you with determination. Bruins must take one game in New York or they may be on the links teeing off just behind the Leafs.


----------



## sulphur

How do you know spring is over? The Leafs are out.

The Leafs drafted two Russians for next season, Summerov and Teeov.


----------



## Mooh

allthumbs56 said:


> I think you're on to something. If Marner had Gilmour's heart he'd be something else to see.


Or Darcy Tucker's, or Wendel Clark's...


----------



## HighNoon

That goal by Suzuki last night was sick.....sick I tell you. And they're still trying to reattach Evans backbone back in his body. And in the Avs/Knights game, Grubauer played lights out to get his team to OT. #1 star...


----------



## jdto

Midnight Rider said:


> Dougie had an innate grit,... Marner does not.


Yup. But he does need some sort of coaching to work on his confidence. He was lost in this series.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Bruins win game 3 in OT with Marchand's almost impossible angle shot from corner and lead series 2-1. Love him or hate him he is a game changer when it counts and only second to clutch-man Bergeron.
Hell of a shot though.


----------



## SWLABR

Mark Scheifele gets 4 games for the hit on Evans. 

I didn't see the game, but I saw the highlights "at speed" when they showed it. I knew about the hit, and roughly when/where it was going to happen. I still shuddered! Scheifele has no past, but if he did, I'm sure this would be more than 4. He went_* through *_Evans. So much of that would have been different if Scheifele was just a tad sooner, (stick to stick) or a tad later (nothing I can do). But he was booking it to get there in time to do something. By the time he realized he was too late, it was too late. In comparison to Scheifele's speed, Evens may as well have been standing perfectly still. Inertia happened. I'm not even sure what Scheifele could have done... did he have time to stop? Slow down? Veer off? 

I hate the Habs... and "hate" barely covers it, but Evans is a real live person, with family & friends. I have not heard an update, but I hope he is OK.


----------



## Hammerhands

He didn’t go to the hospital.


----------



## jdto

Midnight Rider said:


> Bruins win game 3 in OT with Marchand's almost impossible angle shot from corner and lead series 2-1. Love him or hate him he is a game changer when it counts and only second to clutch-man Bergeron.
> Hell of a shot though.


I can't deny his skill. It's all the extra little shit he does that makes him insufferable. That probably makes him the ideal Bruin


----------



## jb welder

Time to assemble a 'super group'.
McDavid, Matthews, the soon-to-choke Hellebuyck, who else?


----------



## Midnight Rider

jb welder said:


> Time to assemble a 'super group'.
> McDavid, Matthews, the soon-to-choke Hellebuyck, who else?


Bergeron-Pastrnak-Marchand(perfection line), Aho, Varlamov, Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Ovechkin, Draisaitl, Stone, Zibanejad, Landeskog, Mackinnon, Hedman, McAvoy, Weegar, Hamilton, Fleury, Vasilevskiy, Rantanen.


----------



## Diablo

jdto said:


> Yup. But he does need some sort of coaching to work on his confidence. He was lost in this series.


It wasnt just Marner.
leafs nation loves to scapegoat 1 player whenever they tank, which is always, as it gives them the illusion of hope for the next season if that 1 bad apple is gone. But its flawed.
Matthews didnt produce either, although it was nice for him to add *some physicality to his game that was previously sorely missing. But the _2 of them combined _didnt produce as much as Nylander, although theyre both in good company, McDavid choked in the playoffs too. Burke was onto something when he said you have to have a team built for the playoffs....reg season success doesnt always translate well to playoff hockey. Probably why theres the curse of the Presidents Cup. Matthews, Marner, Mcdavid etc who play a run and gun style, need a SOLID CORE behind them, to win, like the cup winning Penguins or Red wings of previous years. Much too much is expected of them for the superficial reason of salary.

Nor did Simmonds bring any of the grit he was hired for. Very disappointing.
Foligno and Thornton were not effective. foligno was too late and seriously, Thornton? A broken down version of the guy who made losing in the playoffs an annual event for the sharks? Whatever he tried to teach them, they should have had their Airpods in.
leafs defense for the most part was uninspired. Reilly is the only indispensable piece there.
The only bright spots I saw on this cap pressed team, were Nylander (remember all the grief he got 2 years ago?), Spezza, Galchenyuk and maybe Campbell, who may have an average career ahead of him (he was good, not great).

I liked some of the trades Dubas made THIS YEAR, but he should have been fired 2 years ago, you know, when he knew they were soft and would be facing the Bruins in round 1, and addressed that with....Nic Petan.
for that reason, Shanahan should be gone too, for not making the pencil neck geek above who doesnt seem to know anything about playoff hockey, acquire some players LIKE SHANAHAN HIMSELF WAS. Its highly possible Shanahan is another Gretzky. winner on the ice, loser off the ice.
Sheldon likely has to go too...he had no solutions to the Habs, who arent really that amazing a team, and everyone could see it.

As I said at the start of this thread, sadly, chokers choke, and the smart money always bets against TML. If you havent been to a final in 50+ years, youre nothing. 
all that history means nothing if youre watching the cup played between expansion teams like Tampa, Vegas, Florida, Dallas, Carolina, Ducks, Oilers, Flames, Sharks, Predators, Canucks, Sens, Devils, etc....teams that did it in far less than 50 years.
Facts.
and yes, Im pissed off. very nearly torched my TML merch after game 7.


----------



## HighNoon

Habs take game 2 in Winterpeg, behind Carey Price to go up 2-0 in games. Habs are playing good hockey and they're getting production froms the guys they brought in. The barn is dull though....not much feedback. Not so In Vegas with a sold out crowd, pumping up the team. Knights take the Av's in game three, 3-2. Really good game....lot's of hitting, driving the net, shot blocking....both teams going for it. Playoff hockey at it's best.


----------



## jdto

Diablo said:


> It wasnt just Marner.
> leafs nation loves to scapegoat 1 player whenever they tank, which is always, as it gives them the illusion of hope for the next season if that 1 bad apple is gone. But its flawed.
> Matthews didnt produce either, although it was nice for him to add *some physicality to his game that was previously sorely missing. But the _2 of them combined _didnt produce as much as Nylander, although theyre both in good company, McDavid choked in the playoffs too. Burke was onto something when he said you have to have a team built for the playoffs....reg season success doesnt always translate well to playoff hockey. Probably why theres the curse of the Presidents Cup. Matthews, Marner, Mcdavid etc who play a run and gun style, need a SOLID CORE behind them, to win, like the cup winning Penguins or Red wings of previous years. Much too much is expected of them for the superficial reason of salary.
> 
> Nor did Simmonds bring any of the grit he was hired for. Very disappointing.
> Foligno and Thornton were not effective. foligno was too late and seriously, Thornton? A broken down version of the guy who made losing in the playoffs an annual event for the sharks? Whatever he tried to teach them, they should have had their Airpods in.
> leafs defense for the most part was uninspired. Reilly is the only indispensable piece there.
> The only bright spots I saw on this cap pressed team, were Nylander (remember all the grief he got 2 years ago?), Spezza, Galchenyuk and maybe Campbell, who may have an average career ahead of him (he was good, not great).
> 
> I liked some of the trades Dubas made THIS YEAR, but he should have been fired 2 years ago, you know, when he knew they were soft and would be facing the Bruins in round 1, and addressed that with....Nic Petan.
> for that reason, Shanahan should be gone too, for not making the pencil neck geek above who doesnt seem to know anything about playoff hockey, acquire some players LIKE SHANAHAN HIMSELF WAS. Its highly possible Shanahan is another Gretzky. winner on the ice, loser off the ice.
> Sheldon likely has to go too...he had no solutions to the Habs, who arent really that amazing a team, and everyone could see it.
> 
> As I said at the start of this thread, sadly, chokers choke, and the smart money always bets against TML. If you havent been to a final in 50+ years, youre nothing.
> all that history means nothing if youre watching the cup played between expansion teams like Tampa, Vegas, Florida, Dallas, Carolina, Ducks, Oilers, Flames, Sharks, Predators, Canucks, Sens, Devils, etc....teams that did it in far less than 50 years.
> Facts.
> and yes, Im pissed off. very nearly torched my TML merch after game 7.


Agreed, it wasn’t just Marner. It was the whole entourage. But I see the potential in Marner and would love to see some intelligent coaching bring out his best. “Leafs Nation” is toxic as fuck. These are kids. Marner and Matthews are 23-24. Lots of time is left for them to learn the ropes.
our media is dogshit


----------



## Diablo

jdto said:


> Agreed, it wasn’t just Marner. It was the whole entourage. But I see the potential in Marner and would love to see some intelligent coaching bring out his best. “Leafs Nation” is toxic as fuck. These are kids. Marner and Matthews are 23-24. Lots of time is left for them to learn the ropes.
> our media is dogshit


IMO, Marner is in the top 5 all-time two-way players TML has had and they are lucky to have him, even at his salary (which considering its Toronto, will always be more than in other cities with a culture of winning, lower taxes, and a more forgiving media/fanbase, potentially better climate-noone with options would or should take a discount to play here). His linemates always benefit from him, not a coincidence that both Tavares and Matthews posted career high scoring numbers in the years when on Marners line).
I definitely dont think fans should write him and AM34 off.

Theres clearly something missing. It has to be more than Tavares absence. You look at cup winning teams from recent histlry, and you look at TML and cant help but think "...they dont look like that". if (Shan and) Dumbass cant see that, he needs new glasses, or to GTFO. They have more holes in their lineup than swiss cheese. And its not just bc of cap space...Pit could afford Crosby and Malkin, along with a cup winning ensemble...CHI had a massive group of stars around Toews and Kane, Red wings the same with Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom etc. Depth in every position.
But you have to have a savvy GM to spot the up and coming talent to surround the stars at a reasonable price. Dufus, IMO is not that guy.
Look what Pit have gotten out of Guentzel, a 3rd rounder...5 years, 250 points (48 points in 51 total playoff games). How come the stats genius Dumbass hasnt found gems like that, and instead just writes big cheques or goes dumpster diving for the Marleaus and Thorntons while defense is sorely lacking?
Or maybe other teams know _how to develop _that and TML simply do not.


----------



## Frenchy99

Go Habs Go !!!

Great game !


----------



## Midnight Rider

Watching judo and Diablo exchange analogies,... reminds be of being a Bruins fan in the early 2000's, lol. I feel your pain and frustration. One of the major reasons why the Boston ownership started to seriously make efforts to build a winning team was due to the fan base. Bruins fans had enough of a mediocre team for years and they just didn't buy tickets and show up at the rink. I remember the home games only having 10 to 12 thousand fans for many years.

Leaf fans should try sending the same message by hitting ownership in the pocket book,... but, they seem too desperate to spend money on a seat and merchandise instead of getting genuinely pissed off and forcing a truly competitive team roster to be created with players dedicated to do what it takes to win. Instead management decided to award outrageous contracts to a handful of players who had no track record of wining and being difference makers in the big leagues.

Bruins stopped playing that game a while ago,... and that's why Toronto landed up with Phil 'The Floater' Kessel for a couple years.


----------



## HighNoon

Bolts/Canes in a defensive struggle today.....8 goals in the second period.....wild 'chit. Bolts outgun the Canes and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series heading back to Caniac Country. Isles/ B's....what a grinder....great effort by Pageau and Barzal to lead the Isles in tying up the series. the Nassau was rocking. Varlamov solid again between the pipes....tied up 2-2 heading back to Boston.


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> Bolts/Canes in a defensive struggle today.....8 goals in the second period.....wild 'chit. Bolts outgun the Canes and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series heading back to Caniac Country. Isles/ B's....what a grinder....great effort by Pageau and Barzal to lead the Isles in tying up the series. the Nassau was rocking. Varlamov solid again between the pipes....tied up 2-2 heading back to Boston.


Yeah, tough loss for the B's. Pastrnak misses a _*WIDE *_open net that could have given the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first and helped in making it a potential 2-2 tie in regulation time forcing OT. That will haunt him in his dreams tonight.

Boston just didn't look hungry enough in the latter stages of the third period. They had no urgency or tenacity to secure an effective forecheck in the Islander zone allowing Rask to make it to the bench for the extra man advantage.

Could have had New York in a stranglehold going back to Boston with the 3-1 lead. In my opinion the B's have to win game 5 at home as they have a horrible time winning in the Islanders rink. Their all time playoff record against the Islanders is 5-10-0-0.

If they do win game 5 at home I smell a game 7 back in Boston. This is one tight series so far.


----------



## Paul Running

That feeling never goes away.


----------



## HighNoon

Midnight Rider said:


> Yeah, tough loss for the B's. Pastrnak misses a _*WIDE *_open net that could have given the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first and helped in making it a potential 2-2 tie in regulation time forcing OT. That will haunt him in his dreams tonight.
> 
> Boston just didn't look hungry enough in the latter stages of the third period. They had no urgency or tenacity to secure an effective forecheck in the Islander zone allowing Rask to make it to the bench for the extra man advantage.
> 
> Could have had New York in a stranglehold going back to Boston with the 3-1 lead. In my opinion the B's have to win game 5 at home as they have a horrible time winning in the Islanders rink. Their all time playoff record against the Islanders is 5-10-0-0.
> 
> If they do win game 5 at home I smell a game 7 back in Boston. This is one tight series so far.
> View attachment 368552
> 
> View attachment 368553


The B's missed having Carlo in the line up. But then every team has to deal with injuries, especially the deeper you get in the playoffs. Pastrnak will bounce back.....stuff like that happens.... As is often the case, it will come down to goaltending. Rask and Varlamov have been playing well. Trotz didn't wait an extra game to pull Sorokin....smart coach. I expect the B's top line to rebound in the next game at home. Good series.


----------



## mhammer

An old friend sent me this today. I liked it. I think you will too. I'm guessing some of you may well have heard it, or something very close, some time in past, but it still holds up well.

_It’s game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final , and a man makes his way to his seat right at
center ice. He sits down, noticing that the seat next to him is empty. He leans over
and asks his neighbor if someone will be sitting there. No, says the neighbor, the
seat's empty. Unbelievable, says the man. Who in their right mind would buy a seat
like this for the Stanley Cup and not use it? The neighbour says, well actually, the
seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away, this
is the first Stanley Cup we haven’t been to together since we got married. Oh I’m so
sorry to hear that. That’s terrible, but surely you could have found someone else, a
friend, a relative, even a neighbour, to take the seat?. The man shakes his head,
"nope, they’re all at the funeral._


----------



## Midnight Rider

Paul Running said:


> That feeling never goes away.


Yeah, I would not want to see this missed open net potentially being the reason for losing a series in the end.


----------



## Frenchy99

Go Habs Go !


----------



## HighNoon

The Golden Knights have got a little wind in their sails. They brought their A+ heavy game last night and shut down the Av's, to tie up the series. Time for Bednar to mix and match and get out the chalk board. Montreal....what can you say, except they're winning all the little battles out there that help to keep you in the win column. One more win to be Canada's rep in the next series.


----------



## Frenchy99

Go Habs Go ! 

😱  😱

🤟


----------



## vadsy

Frenchy99 said:


> Go Habs Go !
> 
> 😱  😱
> 
> 🤟


next round, they get swept


----------



## jdto

The Habs chances will depend heavily on how badly the Avs and Knights wear each other down. I didn’t think any team out of the North stood a chance of getting past this next round and I still don’t.


----------



## HighNoon

The B's/Isles game was a barn burner. The B's top line showed up but it wasn't enough to solve Varlamov enough to win. Hard hitting game. Advantage the Isles. Habs/Jets.....Habs get it done. Caufield is making some pretty passes and starting to fit in nicely. Suzuki really showing growth. Perry, once again, playing like a young 'un....such a smart player. Petry didn't play so we had a chance to see Romanov. He's going to be a good one. Very physical....might need him in the next series. Price lets in a softie, doesn't even flinch. That's the last one you get tonight. He will be an important key, next round.


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> The B's/Isles game was a barn burner. The B's top line showed up but it wasn't enough to solve Varlamov enough to win. Hard hitting game. Advantage the Isles. Habs/Jets.....Habs get it done. Caufield is making some pretty passes and starting to fit in nicely. Suzuki really showing growth. Perry, once again, playing like a young 'un....such a smart player. Petry didn't play so we had a chance to see Romanov. He's going to be a good one. Very physical....might need him in the next series. Price lets in a softie, doesn't even flinch. That's the last one you get tonight. He will be an important key, next round.


Anyone who says they had seen this coming with the Habs winning the north is an outright liar, lol. Montreal has the mojo and Price is looking like he did 6-8 years ago. The young kids are fearless and just having a shit-load of fun,... to young to realize they should be nervous? I just wonder when they meet either Colorado or Vegas if the Habs are ready and or able to play a physical brand of hockey for an entire series,... they have surprised the hockey world so far so who knows what they are capable of. Will it be the 'Cinderella Story' of 2021?,... if so I don't know how I will be able to live with some of my Hab fan family members, lol.

Yeah, Bruins are in deep now. Missed another opportunity to apply pressure on the Islanders. Cassidy hooked Rask from between the pipes in the third,... good strategy to get the team motivated but too little too late. Again they did not show enough urgency late in the third to get the extra man on the ice,... not enough fight in the Islanders zone to sustain puck control. Sounds like Rask may be a little beat up as indicated by coach Cassidy. Swayman may get the call in game 6 and I have total confidence in him to play well as he had shown in the regular season,... just hope the team wakes up in front of him.

However, not feeling too confident that Boston will force a game 7. From what I've seen in the last couple games and considering that the next game is in New York I give the Bruins a 20% chance of winning game 6,... they may want to pack their clubs for the trip as well.


----------



## SWLABR

Read an article on TSN about this years Habs and the comparisons to “unlikely” team of 93. Give me a break! 
Montreal might be considered “focused”, but they haven’t faced a focused team yet. Leafs had no idea how to play as “the favourites” and blew it, the Jets looked disorganized at best. Vegas or the Avs will give the rude awakening. 
it will not be a 70’s final of Boston vs Montreal.


----------



## Milkman

I'll be honest, I don't really follow hockey much anymore so I can't make any bold predictions or testimonies.

But, I did watch some of the Toronto / Montreal series and a good bit of the Montreal / Winnipeg series.

I hope Montreal goes all the way, but that's just based on wishful thinking, not knowledge or insight.


----------



## HighNoon

Midnight Rider said:


> Anyone who says they had seen this coming with the Habs winning the north is an outright liar, lol. Montreal has the mojo and Price is looking like he did 6-8 years ago. The young kids are fearless and just having a shit-load of fun,... to young to realize they should be nervous? I just wonder when they meet either Colorado or Vegas if the Habs are ready and or able to play a physical brand of hockey for an entire series,... they have surprised the hockey world so far so who knows what they are capable of. Will it be the 'Cinderella Story' of 2021?,... if so I don't know how I will be able to live with some of my Hab fan family members, lol.
> 
> Yeah, Bruins are in deep now. Missed another opportunity to apply pressure on the Islanders. Cassidy hooked Rask from between the pipes in the third,... good strategy to get the team motivated but too little too late. Again they did not show enough urgency late in the third to get the extra man on the ice,... not enough fight in the Islanders zone to sustain puck control. Sounds like Rask may be a little beat up as indicated by coach Cassidy. Swayman may get the call in game 6 and I have total confidence in him to play well as he had shown in the regular season,... just hope the team wakes up in front of him.
> 
> However, not feeling too confident that Boston will force a game 7. From what I've seen in the last couple games and considering that the next game is in New York I give the Bruins a 20% chance of winning game 6,... they may want to pack their clubs for the trip as well.


The Habs were down 3-1 in games.....fans in Toronto were planning the parade route. So it ain't over till it's over. The story for the B's was Varlamov....he kept the Isles in the game and Rask didn't....throw in some blown coverages and top shelf snipes by Barzal, Eberle, Bailey and Nelson and that was enough to win. B's top line showed up and I expect them to do the same next game.....Marchand is a beast and the gang leader for Boston.


----------



## HighNoon

And I wonder if Ritchie will get a game for the sneaky elbow to Mayfield's head.


----------



## jb welder

Go Habs Go!
They should have let the Jets have one or two though, just so they don't have to sit around and go stale like the Jets did.
Can't fault Hellebuyck at all, he gave them a chance every night and they just couldn't deliver any offence.
Unfortunately from here on in it's likely to be a street fight, and I don't think the Habs can go toe-to-toe with the big boys.


----------



## HighNoon

jb welder said:


> Go Habs Go!
> They should have let the Jets have one or two though, just so they don't have to sit around and go stale like the Jets did.
> Can't fault Hellebuyck at all, he gave them a chance every night and they just couldn't deliver any offence.
> Unfortunately from here on in it's likely to be a street fight, and I don't think the Habs can go toe-to-toe with the big boys.


Only Tampa has a better top 4 D as Montreal. Weber, Edmundson, Chiarot,....big boys who can rumble. Petry....all round great D man. Kulak, speed and moves. They might want to play Romanov in place of Gustafsson, as he plays a heavier game. They're scoring by committee....Toffoli, Suzuki, Armia, Perry, Staal (with the helpers), Kotkaniemi, Gallagher, Lekhonen,....role players Byron and Danault. And then there's Price between the pipes. If he can steal a couple games, who knows.....he's in the zone.


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> The Habs were down 3-1 in games.....fans in Toronto were planning the parade route. So it ain't over till it's over. The story for the B's was Varlamov....he kept the Isles in the game and Rask didn't....throw in some blown coverages and top shelf snipes by Barzal, Eberle, Bailey and Nelson and that was enough to win. B's top line showed up and I expect them to do the same next game.....Marchand is a beast and the gang leader for Boston.


Good point about the Islander snipes. If I'm not mistaken they were all top shelf,... which is what I mentioned the scouting report to be on Rask a few posts ago. Teams know this and take advantage of it every year. I wonder if this was one of the reasons Cassidy pulled Rask out of the game.

If Rask gets the nod for game six I certainly hope he adjusts his game,... but if Swayman gets the call It wouldn't upset me.


----------



## jb welder

Buh bye bubbas.


----------



## Midnight Rider

No hurricanes in Carolina tonight,... more like a lighting storm.


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> And I wonder if Ritchie will get a game for the sneaky elbow to Mayfield's head.


Though Ritchie would be more of a physical presence during this series,... but not by sharpening his elbows.
He was fined $5,000 for the elbow and no game suspension,... lucky.


----------



## Roryfan




----------



## jdto

Cassidy’s whine-fest turned out to be expensive and will likely have the Nassau rocking tomorrow night. Should make for an exciting game to watch.


----------



## Midnight Rider

jdto said:


> Cassidy’s whine-fest turned out to be expensive and will likely have the Nassau rocking tomorrow night. Should make for an exciting game to watch.


Don't usually see Cassidy criticizing the officiating,... actually can't remember ever seeing him do so to this extent in the past. Must be trying to perk up the ears of the stripes for game 6 to take a closer or second look,... don't think it was the smartest $25,000 investment, lol.

Anyways, as a Bruins fan the only way for them to win is to play through any poor officiating if should happen and focus on the task at hand,... trying to stay alive for a game 7 in Boston. However, they surely have their work cut out for them tonight. Scoring first would be a huge asset,... scoring at least two or three times is what they will need to happen.


----------



## HighNoon

The Av's/Knights series is being played at an intensity and speed that outpaces any other series. Fleury got the Mr. Softie award last night for a weak goal let in at the end of the 1st, then collected himself and stood on his head to keep his team in it. They responded off two Av's turnovers with goals and went to OT where 'Speedster' Stone buried it on the breakaway to clinch the comeback. Really good game.


----------



## jdto

HighNoon said:


> The Av's/Knights series is being played at an intensity and speed that outpaces any other series. Fleury got the Mr. Softie award last night for a weak goal let in at the end of the 1st, then collected himself and stood on his head to keep his team in it. They responded off two Av's turnovers with goals and went to OT where 'Speedster' Stone buried it on the breakaway to clinch the comeback. Really good game.


Yeah, this series has been something to watch, just for the pure sake of the hockey being played. The games are very enjoyable.


----------



## Guitar101

I guess I'm going to have to hold my nose and root for Montreal. 
"Go Canada Go"


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> The Av's/Knights series is being played at an intensity and speed that outpaces any other series. Fleury got the Mr. Softie award last night for a weak goal let in at the end of the 1st, then collected himself and stood on his head to keep his team in it. They responded off two Av's turnovers with goals and went to OT where 'Speedster' Stone buried it on the breakaway to clinch the comeback. Really good game.


Agreed, the pace of that game was full throttle. Stone put that puck in the only spot he could have to win in OT,... similar in accuracy/luck to the Marchand goal against the Islanders he shot from corner near the goal line.

Avs vs Vegas game 7 should be a ban burner,... but I'll go with Vegas and the reason being that I have them as winning the cup in the hockey pool I've entered. They could win me $450.00 if the hockey Gods should take the gamble.


----------



## jdto

Guitar101 said:


> I guess I'm going to have to hold my nose and root for Montreal.
> "Go Canada Go"


No chance in hell 

This isn't international hockey, here, this is city franchises. Out of the Canada-based NHL teams, I might root for Vancouver if the Leafs are out because I lived there and got to watch some live Canucks games (man, was Pavel Bure ever good!). I've long had a bit of an affinity for the Canucks, but it's a distant second. I might possibly cheer for the Jets, depending on who they were playing. But that's it. The rest of them can eat it.


----------



## Midnight Rider




----------



## Midnight Rider

Bruins vs Islanders, end of the second period as I type this and the score is 4-1 New York,... it's over for Boston.
Islanders are physically dominant and absolutely skating circles around them. Bruins can't get out of second gear while the Islanders are in fifth gear. Rask looks like he is off or hurt in some way,... and made a great pass to an Islander player from behind the net who landed up netting it. Perhaps Cassidy should have given Swayman the start.

Hmmm,... Bruins just got a power play goal(which seems the only way they can score),... now 4-2 with about 14 minutes left in the third,... should I erase this post?,.... naaahhh.


























Tonights Bruins performance = Leafs 2.0


----------



## HighNoon

Midnight Rider said:


> Bruins vs Islanders, end of the second period as I type this and the score is 4-1 New York,... it's over for Boston.
> Islanders are physically dominant and absolutely skating circles around them. Bruins can't get out of second gear while the Islanders are in fifth gear. Rask looks he is off or hurt in some way,... and made a great pass to an Islander player from behind the net who landed up netting it. Perhaps Cassidy should have given Swayman the star.
> 
> Hmmm,... Bruins just got a power play goal(which seems the only way they can score),... now 4-2 with about 14 minutes left in the third,... should I erase this post?,.... naaahhh.


Brock Nelson was a beast tonight for the Isles. Everyone knows their role on a team coached by Trotz and they've all bought in. Bringing in Palmieri was an excellent move, and picking up Pageau in free agency another. Hats off to bad,bad, Brad Marchand. Of all the B's, he's the one that showed up ready to play, scoring both of their goals. What a player. Might be the last game we see Rask with the B's. Now the Isles have to face the Lightning....again in the division finals. Best overall balanced team in hockey. Tough sledding for sure.


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> Brock Nelson was a beast tonight for the Isles. Everyone knows their role on a team coached by Trotz and they've all bought in. Bringing in Palmieri was an excellent move, and picking up Pageau in free agency another. Hats off to bad,bad, Brad Marchand. Of all the B's, he's the one that showed up ready to play, scoring both of their goals. What a player. Might be the last game we see Rask with the B's. Now the Isles have to face the Lightning....again in the division finals. Best overall balanced team in hockey. Tough sledding for sure.


Nailed it,... Islanders the better team in all areas tonight,... pure and simple. Marchand gets a thumbs up for sure as well as Wagner who had urgency and purpose to his game. Agree that Rasks days with Boston may be numbered as he has had 2 cup finals and many other playoff series to prove he can succeed in big pressure situations but has always fallen short of making big and timely saves to make the difference. I think Swayman is ready to step in and take over.

Trade Rask and pick up some grittier d-men and 3rd - 4th liners,... they need more size and toughness like they had in the 2011 cup winning team,... period.

I see Tampa and New York being very similar in size and playing the heavy game. I'll give Tampa the slight edge on the more skilled forward goal scoring side of things along with goaltending with Vasilevskiy.

I anticipate a physical series with the gloves being dropped more than once, ie., Martin and Maroon.

Now I can sit back,... keep my blood pressure low,...not have to shoot my cotton filled pucks with my Boston mini-stick off the couch end table at my TV screen, = 🏒¸¸¸¸¸¸¸¸¸¸¸📺,... and actually enjoy a playoff game without my wife having to leave the room half way though, lol.


----------



## keto

What happened to Jake D, he forget how to play? Local radio keeps linking him to the Oilers, for easy obvious reasons.


----------



## Midnight Rider

keto said:


> What happened to Jake D, he forget how to play? Local radio keeps linking him to the Oilers, for easy obvious reasons.


For starters he is half the size of his father. Jake D. wasn't the only one who forgot how to play tonight,... 90% of the Bruins roster appeared to think that this was game one of the series. I think Jake will struggle to stay in the line-up for next year. Cassidy sat him a couple times this year as his game had really cooled off from the previous two seasons.


----------



## jdto

Not gonna lie, seeing the Bruins go out somewhat warms my cold, dead, Leafs-supporting heart


----------



## Midnight Rider

jdto said:


> Not gonna lie, seeing the Bruins go out somewhat warms my cold, dead, Leafs-supporting heart


I figured it would,... but we all have to take our licks in the arena of hockey trash talk. I suppose the Leafs now have the advantage over Boston in the best of seven golf games,... 😜 

Go Habs, Colorado, Tampa, Islanders,...ah,... err,... Vegas!


----------



## Milkman

Go Habs.


----------



## leftysg

Still got room on my Lightning bandwagon. As a Rangers fan, anyone but the Islanders. Potvin Sucks!


----------



## allthumbs56

Midnight Rider said:


> I figured it would,... but we all have to take our licks in the arena of hockey trash talk. I suppose the Leafs now have the advantage over Boston in the best of seven golf games,... 😜
> 
> Go Habs, Colorado, Tampa, Islanders,...ah,... err,... Vegas!


If the Leafs can't find a 6 foot net I doubt they'll have much luck with a 6 inch hole 😕


----------



## jdto

Man, this Vegas-Colorado game is intense. You can see why they were 1-2 overall this season. Habs are in for a hell of a challenge no matter who wins this.


----------



## jdto

Wow, Vegas really roared back and took control. I think the Habs are in for a dose of reality. Ok…maybe I HOPE they are 

Go Vegas!


----------



## Midnight Rider

Viva Las Vegas!,... 6-3 over Colorado,... whaaaaat!?


----------



## StratCat

Now that I have recovered from the sweep, I’m just going to vent this…I blame Shieffle. In a situation like that, go for the puck, not the guy. That hit sucked the lifeblood out of the Jets and motivated the Habs. 

And now, I resolve to want the Habs to bring the cup home. Yeesh! Go Habs Go.


----------



## WinnipegTechGuy

StratCat said:


> I blame Shieffle. In a situation like that, go for the puck, not the guy.


Sheifele made the right play, with an outcome that he definitely regretted. He should have appealed, and he likely would have had it reduced, and it could have changed the entire series.

So I also blame Sheifs, but not for the same reason. But none of that matters now.
*___*

Can't wait to see how the Habs measure up to a perceivably much better team in Vegas.


----------



## Milkman

StratCat said:


> Now that I have recovered from the sweep, I’m just going to vent this…I blame Shieffle. In a situation like that, go for the puck, not the guy. That hit sucked the lifeblood out of the Jets and motivated the Habs.
> 
> And now, I resolve to want the Habs to bring the cup home. Yeesh! Go Habs Go.



The cheap shot was bad enough, but when he started whining about the penalty being too severe, and how the fans and experts never gave them a fair shake......

Sorry but that was embarrassing and a bit of a bitch move IMO.

You took a cheap shot, took a player out of the game with the intent to injure him. Take your medicine.

I could have gone either way in that series, but after that,....Go Habs.


----------



## HighNoon

Av's vs. Golden Knights......Speed game vs Heavy game....the new NHL vs the old NHL. Heavy game wins. Girard couldn't move Carrier in front of the net....goal. MacKinnon was mugged every time he was in the offensive zone....lost his cool with Whitecloud. Reaves behaving himself after getting benched...Reaves and Kolesar down low, who do you take or box out, if you can.....goal. Throw in the heavies down low, Stone, Pacioretty and Tuch and D men like Pietrangelo and you've got pressure all over the ice. And then Fleury outplayed Grubauer.


----------



## HighNoon

WinnipegTechGuy said:


> Sheifele made the right play, with an outcome that he definitely regretted. He should have appealed, and he likely would have had it reduced, and it could have changed the entire series.
> 
> So I also blame Sheifs, but not for the same reason. But none of that matters now.
> *___*
> 
> Can't wait to see how the Habs measure up to a perceivably much better team in Vegas.


The hit was fine....he crushed him. Evans didn't have his head up....how do you expect not to get laid out in that situation. Scott Stevens did that on a regular basis in the playoffs....it's a brutal game.


----------



## Milkman

HighNoon said:


> The hit was fine....he crushed him. Evans didn't have his head up....how do you expect not to get laid out in that situation. Scott Stevens did that on a regular basis in the playoffs....it's a brutal game.



It's only brutal if that shit is tolerated.

You don't have to injure a player to take him off the puck.

That's a bit like deliberately t-boning another car in a four way intersection, just because you have the right of way.

Just my opinion of course.


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> It's only brutal if that shit is tolerated.
> 
> You don't have to injure a player to take him off the puck.
> 
> That's a bit like deliberately t-boning another car in a four way intersection, just because you have the right of way.
> 
> Just my opinion of course.


Well, they have got most of the stick swinging out of the game.....weren't those fun days. And now you have guys all suited up in layers of plastic and kevlar....big fast robo cops. Clutterbuck took out Carlo with a 'clean hit' against the boards......concussion and done. It's a rough game even on quiet nights.


----------



## terminalvertigo

Milkman said:


> It's only brutal if that shit is tolerated.
> 
> You don't have to injure a player to take him off the puck.
> 
> That's a bit like deliberately t-boning another car in a four way intersection, just because you have the right of way.
> 
> Just my opinion of course.



Do you think he tried to hurt Evans? I saw a clean (heavy) hit trying to stop a goal. shoulder to chest 
(if your chin is down,.. it's gonna get popped a bit when I hit your chest logo with the shoulder..)


If Evans doesnt have a concussion history, he might not be hurt on the play.

If Evans pops right back up, they all do the facewash shuffle for 30 seconds, and go to the next game, Would you feel this same? Would you even still remember the hit?

Evans getting hurt = pressure in media, league etc.. On the to "root" it out. 




The fix to hockey is when they realize everything component of the game had become faster, bigger, and stronger, except the size of the ice.

International ice would cure many ails, giving the league more offense, cut down on all contact (good and bad) and reduce concussions.


Only a handful of the rinks are convertible, so the obvious problem here is lost revenue of platinum seats.


----------



## Milkman

To me, having viewed it several times, it looked deliberate. You might note that the game was virtually over.

I understand that many hockey fans prefer a more violent and physical style of play than I do.

To each their own.


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> To me, having viewed it several times, it looked deliberate. You might note that the game was virtually over.
> 
> I understand that many hockey fans prefer a more violent and physical style of play than I do.
> 
> To each their own.


Of course it was deliberate.....he laid him out. In the playoffs you have a chance to lay on a big hit, you do it. The attrition adds up over the course of a series. The idea is to win.


----------



## Frenchy99

I fell in Roman times reading this thread...

Kill him !!! Feed him to the lions !!!


----------



## Milkman

HighNoon said:


> Of course it was deliberate.....he laid him out. In the playoffs you have a chance to lay on a big hit, you do it. The attrition adds up over the course of a series. The idea is to win.



Right, he laid him out, and he wasn't exactly "winning" as they finished the series, but hey, again, it's just not a part of the game I enjoy.

I don't see it changing. I've been to lots of games. I see fathers and their young sons getting up and cheering on their feet when fights or big "checks" happen.

That bothers me. I get it that it doesn't bother many (possibly most) people.

But, it really does impact how many games I choose to watch anymore.


----------



## terminalvertigo

Did you play hockey growing up?


----------



## Milkman

terminalvertigo said:


> Did you play hockey growing up?



Yes, I'm not an ankle skater or anything. I grew up in a hockey family playing from a young age, but also tried my hand at baseball and Judo.

It was Judo I excelled at.


----------



## Frenchy99

terminalvertigo said:


> Did you play hockey growing up?


Yep, and I got usually benched or got penalties since I was out to kill the opponent players.... I was a bruiser.

My excuse: I was a kid and needed to learn discipline.


----------



## keto

terminalvertigo said:


> Do you think he tried to hurt Evans? I saw a clean (heavy) hit trying to stop a goal. shoulder to chest
> (if your chin is down,.. it's gonna get popped a bit when I hit your chest logo with the shoulder..)
> 
> 
> If Evans doesnt have a concussion history, he might not be hurt on the play.
> 
> If Evans pops right back up, they all do the facewash shuffle for 30 seconds, and go to the next game, Would you feel this same? Would you even still remember the hit?
> 
> Evans getting hurt = pressure in media, league etc.. On the to "root" it out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The fix to hockey is when they realize everything component of the game had become faster, bigger, and stronger, except the size of the ice.
> 
> International ice would cure many ails, giving the league more offense, cut down on all contact (good and bad) and reduce concussions.
> 
> 
> Only a handful of the rinks are convertible, so the obvious problem here is lost revenue of platinum seats.


While I certainly don't agree with you on the hit, I do on the bigger ice and have been playing that tune for 10-12 years now, and agree on your assessment of 'why not'.


----------



## Milkman

Frenchy99 said:


> Yep, and I got usually benched or got penalties since I was out to kill the opponent players.... I was a bruiser.
> 
> My excuse: I was a kid and needed to learn discipline.


I grew up in rural New Brunswick.

We were on the ice a great deal as kids. Our Friday night social activities even involved lacing on a pair, getting loaded and skating around to music in the town arena.

Spent lots of time on outdoor rinks as well, kindly provided by the DND.


----------



## Frenchy99

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1400276660516233217

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1400275011932409856

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1400275134854750215
Disgraceful...


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> Right, he laid him out, and he wasn't exactly "winning" as they finished the series, but hey, again, it's just not a part of the game I enjoy.
> 
> I don't see it changing. I've been to lots of games. I see fathers and their young sons getting up and cheering on their feet when fights or big "checks" happen.
> 
> That bothers me. I get it that it doesn't bother many (possibly most) people.
> 
> But, it really does impact how many games I choose to watch anymore.


So it's the sociological impact of the game you don't like? I don't even like going to games anymore.....it's too noisy, loud music, jumbotrons, all that nonsense. And then you got med students behind you talking about how much money they're going to make when they graduate. Big business entertainment....and very few even know the game anymore....the nuts and bolts and what makes it special. And they're always changing the rules and tweaking this and that. For me, it's like going to church....I just want to hear the sounds of the ice, what the players are saying....the great players doing amazing things at high speed on skates. Even the tough stuff is beautiful....bare knuckles, no we'll settle this problem right now. No where to hide out there.


----------



## Milkman

HighNoon said:


> So it's the sociological impact of the game you don't like? I don't even like going to games anymore.....it's too noisy, loud music, jumbotrons, all that nonsense. And then you got med students behind you talking about how much money they're going to make when they graduate. Big business entertainment....and very few even know the game anymore....the nuts and bolts and what makes it special. And they're always changing the rules and tweaking this and that. For me, it's like going to church....I just want to hear the sounds of the ice, what the players are saying....the great players doing amazing things at high speed on skates. Even the tough stuff is beautiful....bare knuckles, no we'll settle this problem right now. No where to hide out there.


Sociological impact? Only the impact on me personally. There's a double standard there that bugs me. I'm not on a campaign to change NHL hockey. Personally I just don't think that violence and exciting hockey are inextricably linked.

The hockey I enjoy and have always enjoyed involves skating, passing, shooting, stick handling and brilliant goal tending, et cetera.

If people enjoy violence as entertainment that's human nature I suppose but for me, it diminishes the game.


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> Sociological impact? Only the impact on me personally. There's a double standard there that bugs me. I'm not on a campaign to change NHL hockey. Personally I just don't think that violence and exciting hockey are inextricably linked.
> 
> The hockey I enjoy and have always enjoyed involves skating, passing, shooting, stick handling and brilliant goal tending, et cetera.
> 
> If people enjoy violence as entertainment that's human nature I suppose but for me, it diminishes the game.


Forget what people enjoy for a moment.....or what is deemed entertainment by the NYC HQ overlords. The skating, passing etc elements of the game have always been there....I enjoy them to the max. But along with that is the physical, this is my space and you're not going through it. That's always been there. It's woven into the game and for every dangler, you need someone to keep the flies off, so he can do his thing. And these men want to win....it's why they play....and whether it's Bobby Clarke breaking a Russian's ankle, or Bobby Baun playing on a broken leg, they'll take the pain or give it out to do it.


----------



## Milkman

HighNoon said:


> Forget what people enjoy for a moment.....or what is deemed entertainment by the NYC HQ overlords. The skating, passing etc elements of the game have always been there....I enjoy them to the max. But along with that is the physical, this is my space and you're not going through it. That's always been there. It's woven into the game and for every dangler, you need someone to keep the flies off, so he can do his thing. And these men want to win....it's why they play....and whether it's Bobby Clarke breaking a Russian's ankle, or Bobby Baun playing on a broken leg, they'll take the pain or give it out to do it.


I understand. I don't enjoy the tough guys. I like the finesse players.

I actually prefer Olympic hockey and if you want good clean skills based hockey, WOMEN's Olympic hockey.

But, anyway. it was one hit. Onward.

Sorry to get preachy.


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> I understand. I don't enjoy the tough guys. I like the finesse players.
> 
> I actually prefer Olympic hockey and if you want good clean skills based hockey, WOMEN's Olympic hockey.
> 
> But, anyway. it was one hit. Onward.
> 
> Sorry to get preachy.


I hear ya'.....I like skilled hockey....it's beautiful to watch. And I have a soft spot for the blood and snot and fractured bones it takes to win. And as you said, one hit and onward. Again into the breech we go....


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> I understand. I don't enjoy the tough guys. I like the finesse players.
> 
> I actually prefer Olympic hockey and if you want good clean skills based hockey, WOMEN's Olympic hockey.
> 
> But, anyway. it was one hit. Onward.
> 
> Sorry to get preachy.


One other thing....the finesse players.....those guys are tough as nails just to hang in the league and do their thing.


----------



## Milkman

HighNoon said:


> One other thing....the finesse players.....those guys are tough as nails just to hang in the league and do their thing.


No doubt, but one must wonder how many potentially brilliant players have bailed on the game because of the violence.

Some would likely respond that they were simply not tough enough for the game.


----------



## HighNoon

Milkman said:


> No doubt, but one must wonder how many potentially brilliant players have bailed on the game because of the violence.
> 
> Some would likely respond that they were simply not tough enough for the game.


Totally agree. A guy I played with....1st rd pick of the Montreal Canadiens....couldn't take it....went and played in Europe and had a good life and decent career. Too much torn this and that for him


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## leftysg

Habs dislike growing.


----------



## SWLABR

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 369442


So you fully admit the Habs are a one player team, and if he plays anything less than super human, they don’t stand a snow balls chance?? 
Thats growth. Most Habs fans think they are a “complete” team.


----------



## Frenchy99

SWLABR said:


> So you fully admit the Habs are a one player team, and if he plays anything less than super human, they don’t stand a snow balls chance??
> Thats growth. Most Habs fans think they are a “complete” team.


I don't recall Price scoring all the goals ???    

Why I am even replying here ???


----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 369442


I can respect what they have done so far,... but now they step outside the North Division comfort zone and into a Gladiator ring,... the test of their entire season now begins. Vegas packing in 18,000+ fans vs Montreal's 2,500,... Knights won't feel out of place at the Bell Centre if that number remains the same.

Vegas has some big bodies,... and they play big, Reaves, Carrier, McNabb, Kolesar, Whitecloud, Hauge, Holden,... heads-up Caufield, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Ylonen.

*VEGAS
Centers*

NOPLAYERPOSSHOTHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE38Patrick BrownCR5-112155/29/1992 (29)Bloomfield Hills, MI9Cody GlassCR6-21784/1/1999 (22)Winnipeg, MB26Mattias JanmarkCL6-119012/8/1992 (28)Danderyd, Sweden71William Karlsson
CL6-11881/8/1993 (28)Marsta, Sweden18Peyton Krebs
CL5-111801/26/2001 (20)Calgary, AB81Jonathan MarchessaultCR5-917412/27/1990 (30)Cap-Rouge, PQ92Tomas Nosek
CL6-32109/1/1992 (28)Pardubice, Czechoslovakia10Nicolas Roy
CR6-42082/5/1997 (24)Amos, PQ15Dylan SikuraCL5-111666/1/1995 (26)Aurora, ON20Chandler StephensonCL6-02044/22/1994 (27)Saskatoon, SK
*Wingers*

NOPLAYERPOSSHOTHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE28William Carrier
LWL6-221212/20/1994 (26)LaSalle, PQ13Tomas JurcoRWL6-218812/28/1992 (28)Kosice, Czechoslovakia55Keegan Kolesar
RWR6-22274/8/1997 (24)Winnipeg, MB67Max PaciorettyLWL6-221311/20/1988 (32)New Canaan, CT75Ryan ReavesRWR6-12251/20/1987 (34)Winnipeg, MB19Reilly Smith
RWL6-01854/1/1991 (30)Mimico, ON61Mark StoneRWR6-32055/13/1992 (29)Winnipeg, MB89Alex Tuch
RWR6-42175/10/1996 (25)Syracuse, NY
*Defense*

NOPLAYERPOSSHOTHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE52Dylan CoghlanDR6-21902/19/1998 (23)Duncan, BC14Nicolas HagueDL6-621512/5/1998 (22)Kitchener, ON22Nick Holden
DL6-42105/15/1987 (34)St. Albert, AB23Alec Martinez
DL6-12107/26/1987 (33)Rochester Hills, MI3Brayden McNabb
DL6-42161/21/1991 (30)Davidson, SK7Alex PietrangeloDR6-32051/18/1990 (31)King City, ON27Shea Theodore
DL6-21958/3/1995 (25)Langley, BC2Zach WhitecloudDR6-119611/28/1996 (24)Brandon, MB
*Goalies*

NOPLAYERPOSGLOVEHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE29Marc-Andre FleuryGL6-218011/28/1984 (36)Sorel, PQ90Robin LehnerGL6-42507/24/1991 (29)Gothenburg, Sweden

*MONTREAL
Centers*

NOPLAYERPOSSHOTHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE60Alex BelzileCR6-01928/31/1991 (29)Riviere-du-Loup, PQ41Paul ByronCL5-81584/27/1989 (32)Ottawa, ON24Phillip DanaultCL6-02012/24/1993 (28)Victoriaville, PQ45Laurent DauphinCL6-11803/27/1995 (26)Repentigny, PQ71Jake Evans 

CR6-11906/2/1996 (25)Toronto, ON15Jesperi KotkaniemiCL6-21887/6/2000 (20)Pori, Finland21Eric StaalCL6-419510/29/1984 (36)Thunder Bay, ON14Nick SuzukiCR5-112018/10/1999 (21)London, ON42Lukas VejdemoCL6-21941/25/1996 (25)Stockholm, Sweden
*Wingers*

NOPLAYERPOSSHOTHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE17Josh AndersonRWR6-32215/7/1994 (27)Burlington, ON40Joel ArmiaRWR6-32055/31/1993 (28)Pori, Finland22Cole Caufield
RW—5-71621/2/2001 (20)—67Michael FrolikRWL6-11942/17/1988 (33)Kladno, Czechoslovakia11Brendan Gallagher
RWR5-91845/6/1992 (29)Edmonton, AB62Artturi LehkonenLWL6-01747/4/1995 (25)Piikkio, Finland94Corey PerryRWR6-32105/16/1985 (36)Peterborough, ON90Tomas Tatar
LWL5-1118512/1/1990 (30)Ilava, Czechoslovakia73Tyler ToffoliRWR6-02004/24/1992 (29)Scarborough, ON56Jesse YlonenRWR6-016710/3/1999 (21)Scottsdale, AZ
*Defense*

NOPLAYERPOSSHOTHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE8Ben ChiarotDL6-32195/9/1991 (30)Hamilton, ON44Joel EdmundsonDL6-42206/28/1993 (27)Brandon, MB20Cale FleuryDR6-219911/19/1998 (22)Carlyle, SK32Erik GustafssonDL6-01763/14/1992 (29)Nynashamn, Sweden77Brett Kulak
DL6-21871/6/1994 (27)Edmonton, AB64Otto LeskinenDL5-111832/6/1997 (24)Pieksamaki, Finland28Jon Merrill 

DL6-31952/3/1992 (29)Oklahoma City, OK61Xavier OuelletDL6-12007/29/1993 (27)Bayonne, France26Jeff Petry 

DR6-320412/9/1987 (33)Ann Arbor, MI27Alexander Romanov
DL5-111851/6/2000 (21)Moscow, Russia6Shea WeberDR6-42368/14/1985 (35)Sicamous, BC
*Goalies*

NOPLAYERPOSGLOVEHTWTDOB (AGE)BIRTHPLACE34Jake AllenGL6-22038/7/1990 (30)Fredericton, NB39Charlie LindgrenGR6-118212/18/1993 (27)Lakeville, MN70Michael McNivenGL6-12147/9/1997 (23)Winnipeg, MB31Carey PriceGL6-32168/16/1987 (33)Anahim Lake, BC30Cayden PrimeauGL6-31988/11/1999 (21)Voorhees, NJ

If the current rosters hold up I say Vegas takes the series in 5 games.


----------



## SWLABR

Frenchy99 said:


> I don't recall Price scoring all the goals ???
> 
> Why I am even replying here ???


Cause you’re a good sport.


----------



## HighNoon

Isles/Bolts, game numero 1. After a chess match for the first period and a half, Isles break the ice on a beauty play by Barzal to bury one. And after the hammer from Pulock in the third, putting them up by 2, they went into Fire Marshall Bill's, wet smothering blanket defense. Outhustled and out checked the Bolts in all three zones. Isles take game one.


----------



## WinnipegTechGuy

Definitely pulling for the Isles in that series, it will be an insult if a cap-breaking team steals the cup


----------



## zontar

I am hoping for a Habs vs Isles finals--but in my head it says Golden Knights vs Lightning.

I hope my head is wrong this time.


----------



## Diablo

I dont have much to say here anymore...lol. I have zero interest in watching the habs, and frankly the division structure this year bored the shit out of me...no offense, Jets fans etc, familiarity breeds contempt....I just miss seeing TML play teams like Boston, PIT, WAS etc.

i personally think MTLs 15mins are up, you can overperform for only so long, but who knows....its been a crazy year.

Go Tampa!


----------



## Guitar101

Diablo said:


> I dont have much to say here anymore...lol. I have zero interest in watching the habs, and frankly the division structure this year bored the shit out of me...no offense, Jets fans etc, familiarity breeds contempt....I just miss seeing TML play teams like Boston, PIT, WAS etc.
> 
> i personally think MTLs 15mins are up, you can overperform for only so long, but who knows....its been a crazy year.
> 
> Go Tampa!


Hey, I don't like Montreal either but I'm going for a Canadian team to move on to the finals so Montreal is it, and please don't say that a lot of the American teams have Canadian players on it. I'll bet Montreal wins the series and moves on. Loser puts the word "embarrassed" on their avatar for one week.  Just let me know if your want to make the bet. Anyone else want to bet against Canada?😚


----------



## Diablo

Guitar101 said:


> Hey, I don't like Montreal either but I'm going for a Canadian team to move on to the finals so Montreal is it, and please don't say that a lot of the American teams have Canadian players on it. I'll bet Montreal wins the series and moves on. Loser puts the word "embarrassed" on their avatar for one week.  Just let me know if your want to make the bet. Anyone else want to bet against Canada?😚


heres the thing...i dont want to get political, and Montreal is a beautiful city... but you cant really keep talking about separatism all the time (and all the other divisive politics) and then expect ppl to rally around you as "Canada's team". fuck that. Habs fans are already unbearable...if they win the cup, they'll be rubbing it in the face of the rest of canada forever. only a cuckold would cheer for that.

Lot of proud Canadians in Tampa Bay certain times of year too  Plus, I have a stronger connection to Stamkos than any of the Habs. Ive got a picture somewhere with him when he played with us at a local charity tournament. Really great guy that Id love to see in the finals.

And for my money, no goalie is more fun to watch than Vasilevskiy. So the only team I have any emotion vested in now, is TB.

its part of being rivals too. The one time Price comes alive in the playoffs is to crush TML's only real chance to go deep? Fuck that again, I hope he eats a bad egg salad sandwich in LV.


----------



## Guitar101

Diablo said:


> heres the thing...i dont want to get political, and Montreal is a beautiful city... but you cant really keep talking about separatism all the time (and all the other divisive politics) and then expect ppl to rally around you as "Canada's team". fuck that. Habs fans are already unbearable...if they win the cup, they'll be rubbing it in the face of the rest of canada forever. only a cuckold would cheer for that.
> 
> Lot of proud Canadians in Tampa Bay certain times of year too  Plus, I have a stronger connection to Stamkos than any of the Habs. Ive got a picture somewhere with him when he played with us at a local charity tournament. Really great guy that Id love to see in the finals.
> 
> And for my money, no goalie is more fun to watch than Vasilevskiy. So the only team I have any emotion vested in now, is TB.
> 
> its part of being rivals too. The one time Price comes alive in the playoffs is to crush TML's only real chance to go deep? Fuck that again, I hope he eats a bad egg salad sandwich in LV.


I was just having a little fun but it was a little funny that you didn't want to get political and then . . . . . . . . .  They beat the Leaf's fair & square so I'm just going to hold my nose and root for Montreal. Go Canada Go.


----------



## Frenchy99

Go Habs Go !!!

🤟🤩🤟


----------



## jdto

Montreal is Montreal’s team. Toronto is Toronto’s team, Edmonton etc.

Canada’s team wears the red maple leaf and we see them in the World Championships, World Juniors, Olympics etc.

This isn’t the Olympics and the Habs can get fucked. 

Go Vegas!


----------



## HighNoon

zontar said:


> I am hoping for a Habs vs Isles finals--but in my head it says Golden Knights vs Lightning.
> 
> I hope my head is wrong this time.


A Habs/isles finals would be more old school for sure. Of course the teams from Vegas and Tampa might have something to say about that. Habs/Golden Knights. The Vegas team are much heavier up front....size wise and with fire power. Pacioretty/Stone are on a roll right now, with their eyes firmly set on the prize. Montreal will have to contain them, if possible, while continuing to score by committee. Montreal top 4 on D are as good as any team in the league (except for the Bolts.....note, the Isles forecheck kept their quick exit the d zone puck movement mostly under wraps in game #1). If I'm Montreal I'm targeting Pietrangelo on the back end. Then there's the battle of the goaltenders. Fleury is playing very well.....Price has moved into the zone and holds the edge in save percentage. Can he hold the fort while Montreal's D pound the Vegas forwards, until the Habs forwards get their offensive chances. Lots of moving parts in that equation (e.g. can Perry keep playing like his younger days with the Ducks), and there's always playoff player .attrition to consider....who get's knocked out next. Should be a fun series.


----------



## HighNoon

One other thing about the Habs. Lot of talk about Jeff Petry not playing.....excellent all 'rounder on the back end and that overall skill level will be missed. The fun thing will be seeing who Romanov can lay out.....he can hit like a train.


----------



## jdto

Welcome to the real playoffs, Habs. Calisse!


----------



## Diablo

Guitar101 said:


> I was just having a little fun but it was a little funny that you didn't want to get political and then . . . . . . . . .  They beat the Leaf's fair & square so I'm just going to hold my nose and root for Montreal. Go Canada Go.


I didn’t want to…but I dont see how it’s possible to discuss the habs as “Canada’s team” without going there though. It will always be the elephant on the room.











sure they beat them fair and square. Doesn’t mean I have to love them for it,

but I will love watching them combust. Like tonight


----------



## HighNoon

Golden Knights exert their will over the Habs. First half of the 1st period, Habs had some chances, and Fleury said, nope, not today. And that was that. Vegas is very heavy on the front end and just wear you down.


----------



## SWLABR

Slow & steady... you can't win all 4 in one night. A great start though. 










I'm with @Diablo the Habs are not Canada's team.


----------



## zztomato

I watched about 5 mins of the game. Habs are NOT going to get by these guys. 
Of course, the Leafs were skating circles around them too and managed an early exit for themselves.


----------



## Diablo

zztomato said:


> I watched about 5 mins of the game. Habs are NOT going to get by these guys.
> Of course, the Leafs were skating circles around them too and managed an early exit for themselves.


the difference was, the leafs were doing it without the puck


----------



## Milkman

Go Habs.

I have no clue who will win.

I can hope.


----------



## Frenchy99

Good game yesterday. Knights had a better night. Its only game one.

Go Habs Go !!!

and please, the politic bullshit goes on that forum.


----------



## mhammer

The way the Habs steamrolled right over the Leafs and Jets, you have to wonder if they've worn themselves out. On the other hand, as some commentators have noted, these two teams have not played against each other in over a year, so maybe this first game was simply "reconnaissance" for the Habs.


----------



## SWLABR

Milkman said:


> Go Habs.
> 
> I have no clue who will win.
> 
> *I can hope.*


I can hope too... I don't think _both_ of our wishes will come true though.


----------



## Milkman

SWLABR said:


> I can hope too... I don't think _both_ of our wishes will come true though.


Probably not. But if this is basically a foregone conclusion, there's really not much pooint or interest to me in watching.


----------



## SWLABR

Not necessarily. If game 1 was any indication, it will probably be entertaining from a "love of the game" standpoint, and from what the Habs did to the Leafs, and Jets, they really can't be counted out. They shouldn't be this far. They can ride Mr. Price as far as he'll carry them. No, he can't score goals, but if the rest of the team can score one or two, he can realistically do the rest. Game 1 Fluery did that. Price is more than capable.


----------



## Milkman

I have to be honest. I only watched the first ten minutes of the game and fell asleep.

But, unless I was watching a different game, in spite of the final score, it sure didn't seem like the Habs were on their heels at least up to that point. In fact they had more good scoring opportunities than Vegas.


----------



## Diablo

Milkman said:


> I have to be honest. I only watched the first ten minutes of the game and fell asleep.
> 
> But, unless I was watching a different game, in spite of the final score, it sure didn't seem like the Habs were on their heels at least up to that point. In fact they had more good scoring opportunities than Vegas.


the first 10 mins and the rest of the game were like 2 entirely different games.


----------



## Milkman

Diablo said:


> the first 10 mins and the rest of the game were like 2 entirely different games.



I'll have to take your word for it.

At any rate, the score was clear.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Bullshit goaltender interference/crosschecking call on Point of T-Bay,... cost them as Islanders tied game the 1-1 in first period.
Ref must get his head out of his ass,... this is the SC semi-final button-head.


----------



## HighNoon

The Bolts came out ready to rumble.....and rumble they did. They got the win tonight the ol' fashioned way....they earned it. The series just heated up.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Guitar101 said:


> Hey, I don't like Montreal either but I'm going for a Canadian team to move on to the finals so Montreal is it, and please don't say that a lot of the American teams have Canadian players on it. I'll bet Montreal wins the series and moves on. Loser puts the word "embarrassed" on their avatar for one week.  Just let me know if your want to make the bet. Anyone else want to bet against Canada?😚


I'll take the bet,... but I would like to suggest you must display the Boston emblem on your avatar for a week.


----------



## Guitar101

Midnight Rider said:


> I'll take the bet,... but I would like to suggest you must display the Boston emblem on your avatar for a week.


Not interested. Boston are a bunch of hooligans.😷


----------



## Midnight Rider

Guitar101 said:


> Not interested. Boston are a bunch of hooligans.😷


Perhaps,... but it wins Stanley cups from time to time. The Leafs should give it a try sometime, 😷


----------



## Diablo

Thank god Perry and Gallagher dont go in for that hooligan business.


----------



## Diablo

Midnight Rider said:


> Perhaps,... but it wins Stanley cups from time to time. The Leafs should give it a try sometime, 😷


Look at their GM. He's probably had to hide from bullies his whole life. No way he'd put one of them on his team. He mustve even told Simmonds and Bogosian to only play nicely, like mitch, auston and willy, in the playoffs.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Diablo said:


> Look at their GM. He's probably had to hide from bullies his whole life. No way he'd put one of them on his team. He mustve even told Simmonds and Bogosian to only play nicely, like mitch, auston and willy, in the playoffs.


LMAO, yeah,... that sums it up nicely. Wonder if the Leafs GM gets along with President Shanahan on a regular basis,... polar opposites. It is pretty clear that either Vegas, Tampa or the Islanders will win the cup this year solely due to their management teams recognizing what type of team you need to go the distance,... and it is surely not based on 🦄, 🍭, 🌈 and 🌥.


----------



## Diablo

Midnight Rider said:


> LMAO, yeah,... that sums it up nicely. Wonder if the Leafs GM gets along with President Shanahan on a regular basis,... polar opposites. It is pretty clear that either Vegas, Tampa or the Islanders will win the cup this year solely due to their management teams recognizing what type of team you need to go the distance,... and it is surely not based on 🦄, 🍭, 🌈 and 🌥.


I think Shanahan has forgotten the kind of player he once was. He doesnt seem to be able to recognize it anymore. He mustve idolized Paul Kariya when he was on the ice .


----------



## jdto

As much as it pains me to say it, that was a bigtime response game from the Habs tonight.


----------



## HighNoon

jdto said:


> As much as it pains me to say it, that was a bigtime response game from the Habs tonight.


Gut check time and they answered the bell. Having Petry back on D was one of the big differences tonight. Such a steadying influence on the back end. And the Habs forwards fore checked and back checked like rabid weasals. Fun game.


----------



## Frenchy99

Great Game !!!


----------



## Midnight Rider

Habs were holding on by a thread in the 2nd & 3rd. Once again Price bailed his team out from a near Vegas comeback. Big trouble if he cools off even by 25%. If Vegas finds their first period for the remainder of this series it's lights out Montreal.

Back to the Bell Centre with 3,500 fans, lol,... Vegas won't notice the fans in the building after the 18,000+ in their barn.

Can Price continue to be the best player on the team game after game?,... we'll see,... still a long grind to go before hoisting the cup.


----------



## Milkman

It's not over until it's over.

Lots of experts and prognosticators here and elsewhere.

None of them are on the ice or have any influence on those who are.

I remain hopeful that the HABS will prevail.


----------



## Guitar101

HighNoon said:


> The Bolts came out ready to rumble.....and rumble they did. They got the win tonight the ol' fashioned way....they earned it. The series just heated up.


It looks like the Knights rumble changed to a sputter in game 2.


----------



## Milkman

This time I made it all the way trhough the first period before falling asleep.

I saw pretty much the same as the first game, but awoke to a different (better?) result.

The Vegas management and owners sure do put on a show though don't they?


----------



## zztomato

Different Habs team last night. They were on it early and held on. Good rebound from the previous game. No crowd advantage apparently.


----------



## Milkman

zztomato said:


> Different Habs team last night. They were on it early and held on. Good rebound from the previous game. No crowd advantage apparently.


They needed a split in Vegas.

Done.


----------



## Diablo

That was quite a statement game. This may end up being the best series of the playoffs.

It frustrates me that a team like VGK can come from nowhere a few years ago, built with scraps and some luck, and they still have outperformed TML in the same years. Which is why Im always calling for TML's management to be on the chopping block. Theyve been watching expansion teams in the playoffs almost my whole life.


----------



## HighNoon

Guitar101 said:


> It looks like the Knights rumble changed to a sputter in game 2.


Did you see Gallagher's face.....Reaves was ramming his stick into Perry's groin while he was on the ice.....Karlson slammed Edmundson from behind into the boards and bounced his head off the glass....3-2 with all kinds of pressure up until the final buzzer. Good game.....playoff hockey at it's best.


----------



## HighNoon

Diablo said:


> That was quite a statement game. This may end up being the best series of the playoffs.
> 
> It frustrates me that a team like VGK can come from nowhere a few years ago, built with scraps and some luck, and they still have outperformed TML in the same years. Which is why Im always calling for TML's management to be on the chopping block. Theyve been watching expansion teams in the playoffs almost my whole life.


The Knights got a bunch of gifts from different teams.....Marchessault and Reilly Smith from the Panthers (dumb), Theodore from the Ducks (why would you protect Bieksa), Karlson from Washington.....a starting goalie from Pittsburgh.....they parlayed first rd picks into picking up Pacioretty. Most successful draft ever for an expansion team, with the bend over backwards help of the NHL governing bodies to build a successful franchise.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> The Knights got a bunch of gifts from different teams.....Marchessault and Reilly Smith from the Panthers (dumb), Theodore from the Ducks (why would you protect Bieksa), Karlson from Washington.....a starting goalie from Pittsburgh.....they parlayed first rd picks into picking up Pacioretty. Most successful draft ever for an expansion team, with the bend over backwards help of the NHL governing bodies to build a successful franchise.


I didnt really think of Fleury as a starting goalie at that time. Murray had taken over the reins at Pitt and was playing in the big games. I honestly expected Fleury to play a year or so then retire, he looked kind of spotty and lacking confidence. But the move was invigorating for him and IMO his best play has been in Vegas. You can tell he loves playing there.
None of the other stuff seems that impossible for the NHL's crown jewel TML working at the top of the cap, to accomplish, esp after the big rebuild that left only Morgan and Kadri from the BB game 7 collapse team. I can think of at least 3 guys on TML better than Pacioretty (on paper anyways  ) I was hoping TML would have gotten Stone from OTT at the time.

VGK have never been a "super-team", just an efficiently built one with a lot of heart.
Bergevin seems to have learned this sooner than Dubas, perhaps only just this year.


----------



## HighNoon

Diablo said:


> I didnt really think of Fleury as a starting goalie at that time. Murray had taken over the reins at Pitt and was playing in the big games. I honestly expected Fleury to play a year or so then retire, he looked kind of spotty and lacking confidence. But the move was invigorating for him and IMO his best play has been in Vegas. You can tell he loves playing there.
> None of the other stuff seems that impossible for the NHL's crown jewel TML working at the top of the cap, to accomplish, esp after the big rebuild that left only Morgan and Kadri from the BB game 7 collapse team. I can think of at least 3 guys on TML better than Pacioretty (on paper anyways  ) I was hoping TML would have gotten Stone from OTT at the time.
> 
> VGK have never been a "super-team", just an efficiently built one with a lot of heart.
> Bergevin seems to have learned this sooner than Dubas, perhaps only just this year.


The GM Kelly McCrimmon is real smart (he's building on good moves by McPhee who was kicked upstairs)....he's made moves around building a big heavy playoff team. And he waved the money around to bring goal scorers/leaders like Stone and Pacioretty into the fold. He gives a contract to Whitecloud (undrafted) who he knew from Brandon, and now he's a solid piece on the back end. And bringing in Pietrangelo to give that extra bunch of skill in the D and O zone.....real smart move. Fleury....what can you say. He loves coming to the rink, having a good time....that's infectious.
Toronto....Dubas ...he's one of those modern analytics guys....that don't look into the soul of the player and knowing what they will do to win, and the sacrifices that need to be made. Shanny should know better, but the powers that be wanted to go in that direction (don't forget it's a board of different interests....it's not just one guy making the call). That always leads to too many hands in the mix. Rarely a good outcome.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 370326


Full respect for Price,... but he needs to be the character as shown in your posted photo 100% of the time for the remainder of the Stanley Cup playoffs to win the prize,...if not the Habs will transform into the following.









Not to be confused with the current state of Leaf Nation.


----------



## HighNoon

Bolts on the road, put on a clinic in defensive hockey and put the Isles to sleep. Make the most of their opportunities and win it 2-1, to go up 2-1 in the series.


----------



## Diablo

Midnight Rider said:


> Not to be confused with the current state of Leaf Nation.


oh, these guys?


----------



## Milkman

Ok, whoever wins tonight takes the series!



(unless it's Vegas, in which case it doesn't mean anything).

Go HABS!


----------



## leftysg

Well, no head coach Ducharme for the foreseeable future due to positive Covid test. Hope he will be well. I'm sure Habs fans are holding their breath in terms of roster contacts that may show up in days ahead, Players play the game, but this adds another layer to the onion of this series.


----------



## Midnight Rider

End of the second period and Montreal is getting outplayed,... significantly. If it was anyone but Price in net this game would more than likely be over.
So far Price still remains the best Montreal player.

Vegas is unleashing some *HUGE* body blows but to the credit of the Hab players they keep getting up and back in to battle.

A tie at 1-1 with Montreal only registering 8 shots on goal while Vegas is at 30. Vegas 0/4 on the power play and Montreal 0/2,... hats off to the Habs PK,... impressive,... and that's coming from a Bruins fan, lol.

Looks like the next goal will win this one for either team.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Midnight Rider said:


> End of the second period and Montreal is getting outplayed,... significantly. If it was anyone but Price in net this game would more than likely be over.
> So far Price still remains the best Montreal player.
> 
> Vegas is unleashing some *HUGE* body blows but to the credit of the Hab players they keep getting up and back in to battle.
> 
> A tie at 1-1 with Montreal only registering 8 shots on goal while Vegas is at 30. Vegas 0/4 on the power play and Montreal 0/2,... hats off to the Habs PK,... impressive,... and that's coming from a Bruins fan, lol.
> 
> Looks like the next goal will win this one for either team.


Ouch!,... game should have been over at the end of the third,... Fleury messes up big time and allows tying goal.
Wide open OT.


----------



## Frenchy99

Go Habs Go !!!


----------



## Midnight Rider

Holy fuck!,... am I living in some sort of bizarro hockey world this year?, lol.
Fleury will be having nightmares all,... night,... long.
Price continues to be the magic man.


----------



## HighNoon

That was one serious exciting OT of hockey.....something about those home Habs jersey's ....so pretty....in Victory!!!! That pass by Byron....wow.....


----------



## Frenchy99

Amazing third and OT !!! Non stop action!


----------



## Frenchy99

That high stick to the face should have been a 4 minute penalty in OT. Cant believe they just blew that off.


----------



## HighNoon

Frenchy99 said:


> That high stick to the face should have been a 4 minute penalty in OT. Cant believe they just blew that off.


A missed double minor for high sticking is not reviewable. However you would think if you're following the puck, it was right there next to Perry's face....hard to miss Marchessaults swing and a miss with the two hander. Carved him up pretty good.


----------



## Diablo

MAF, what have you done…









I always thought the trapezoid was stupid if the NHL really wants to increase scoring.
most goalies are a detriment to themselves when they venture out to play the puck.


----------



## HighNoon

Diablo said:


> MAF, what have you done…
> View attachment 370553
> 
> 
> I always thought the trapezoid was stupid if the NHL really wants to increase scoring.
> most goalies are a detriment to themselves when they venture out to play the puck.


Yeah, the Brodeur rule. Let's punish someone who works on their puck handling skills and can move the puck up ice. The trapezoid rule is another attempt, another rule to create more offensive zone scoring chances. It's another dumb and stupid marketing/control mechanism. Goalies should be allowed to play the puck anywhere, but they also should be fair game once they've left their crease.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## mhammer

Frenchy99 said:


> Amazing third and OT !!! Non stop action!


I only started watching at the beginning ofthe 3rd period. The Habs seemed kind of listless for much of it. That last minute tying goal brought back the passion, and they played like their house was on fire during OT. A great finish to the game. Allons-y Habs!


----------



## leftysg

If the Habs win two more games, and win the next series, they'll deserve the result. It feels like '93 with the breaks they are catching, but there's still quite a ways to go. As a Rangers fan who enjoyed the ride to the final in 2014,but not the ultimate result, soak it in Habs fans.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> A missed double minor for high sticking is not reviewable. However you would think if you're following the puck, it was right there next to Perry's face....hard to miss Marchessaults swing and a miss with the two hander. Carved him up pretty good.


Martin Biron tweeted shortly after that he thinks the puck hit Perry’s face rather than the stick.

regardless, guys like Perry, Kadri, Marchand, etc don’t usually get the benefit of the doubt from refs.


----------



## jdto

Diablo said:


> Martin Biron tweeted shortly after that he thinks the puck hit Perry’s face rather than the stick.
> 
> regardless, guys like Perry, Kadri, Marchand, etc don’t usually get the benefit of the doubt from refs.


Every angle I’ve seen of it makes me believe it was the stick, not the puck. But I also haven’t done a full forensic analysis of it


----------



## HighNoon

Bolts/Isles.....what a barn burner, and they've got a barn in Uniondale. Point's a shot beast.....the 4th line for the Isles is the best in the biz.....and what an ending. Pulock get's the gold star for saving the game. 2-2 and back to the 
Bay we go.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Vegas dodges a bullet tying the game in the third forcing OT. If the Habs win I think the Knights lose the series,... however, if Vegas wins I think Montreal will be in a little trouble going back to Vegas. The outcome of this game I believe will be the turning point of this series.

My Hab fan family members are already becoming unbearable to watch this series with, lol, 

But we have one,... and only one thing in common,









OT just started,... later.


----------



## Midnight Rider

I'm back,... literally a couple minutes later,... Vegas wins in OT at 18:42,... now it gets interesting.


----------



## HighNoon

No magic tonight in OT for the Habs. Series tied 2-2 heading back to Sin City. Good game.


----------



## zztomato

Congrats to the refs on a fine win for Vegas.


----------



## jdto




----------



## HighNoon

zztomato said:


> Congrats to the refs on a fine win for Vegas.


Vegas/Tampa.....maximum ratings.


----------



## mhammer

I think this series will be won by whoever has a sharper eye for rebounds.


----------



## Diablo

2 great series going on...I cant call a clear winner in either of them.


----------



## zztomato

I'd say this series will be won by whichever team wins 2 out of the next 3 games. That folks, is punditry you can't argue with.


----------



## Frenchy99

I say the Refs will decide who wins...


----------



## zztomato

Frenchy99 said:


> I say the Refs will decide who wins...


This is also punditry you can't argue with.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Midnight Rider

I know it's been a while since Montreal has ventured deep into the playoffs and the tension is rising amongst Hab fans each time they advance to the next round. The hopes and anxiety increase and you can almost taste that Stanley Cup. Then perhaps you begin to view each game in super microscope vision,... and or rose coloured glasses mode.

Suddenly, things change during an important game,... the tide begins to turn and the opposition takes over the momentum which ultimately ends in a victory that ties the series.

Then wouldn't you know it,... in a flurry of frustration Montreal fans pull out the ref card,... and fail to observe the missed calls against their opposition. I think it's more of the case that the refs are letting the teams play,... well, deep playoff hockey. It's more intense and physical and the ultimate prize is on the line,... adapt or perish,... as the saying goes.

Perhaps all this ref blaming is do to Hab fans not seeing their team this close to wining the cup since 1993,... and if the ref blaming is already surfacing I can't imagine what the level will be if Montreal advances to the final round, lol.


----------



## zztomato

Midnight Rider said:


> I think it's more of the case that the refs are letting the teams play,...


..well, they're letting _one _team play anyway.


----------



## mhammer

Man gets away with murder after eyewitness turns out to be NHL referee


MONTREAL - A homicide has gone unsolved after the eyewitness who was right there turned out to be an NHL referee, and therefore somehow missed the entire thing.




www.thebeaverton.com


----------



## Diablo

Midnight Rider said:


> I know it's been a while since Montreal has ventured deep into the playoffs and the tension is rising amongst Hab fans each time they advance to the next round. The hopes and anxiety increase and you can almost taste that Stanley Cup. Then perhaps you begin to view each game in super microscope vision,... and or rose coloured glasses mode.
> 
> Suddenly, things change during an important game,... the tide begins to turn and the opposition takes over the momentum which ultimately ends in a victory that ties the series.
> 
> Then wouldn't you know it,... in a flurry of frustration Montreal fans pull out the ref card,... and fail to observe the missed calls against their opposition. I think it's more of the case that the refs are letting the teams play,... well, deep playoff hockey. It's more intense and physical and the ultimate prize is on the line,... adapt or perish,... as the saying goes.
> 
> Perhaps all this ref blaming is do to Hab fans not seeing their team this close to wining the cup since 1993,... and if the ref blaming is already surfacing I can't imagine what the level will be if Montreal advances to the final round, lol.


Exactly. Im not seeing the refs biased against MTL...anymore than they were biased against TML 
Its just playoff hockey...both cities just arent used to it


----------



## jdto

It's been 11 PP for Vegas vs. 6 for the Habs. So more than one extra PP per game. That may not seem like a lot, but I guess it can have some impact over the course of a series. Of the 11 power plays the Habs have given up, 4 have been for Hooking, 2 for Tripping and 1 for Holding, all calls which can come from playing a team that is stronger and faster than they have faced so far in the playoffs. Vegas hasn't been able to score on the PP, either.

As far as the more spectacular missed calls, the punch on Suzuki should have been called, as should the high stick on Perry. I get playoff hockey is more intense and there is often more stuff going on before and after the whistle, but those two were both pretty big misses by this ref crew.


----------



## Frenchy99

No, didn't see anything...


----------



## jdto

Did the ref say he didn’t see it or something? I don’t think there’s any question of that.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 370952
> 
> 
> No, didn't see anything...


Perhaps the conversation went something like this.


----------



## Diablo

There has always been silly scrums, face washing etc that gets a free pass even in the regular season. That’s why hanging in front of the net is the toughest place to be in hockey.
Suzuki was an active participant in that incident as well and no one got hurt.
the game was over anyway. Total nonissue.

gallagher and Perry made a career out of doing that kind of stuff every game, so no fux given.

what it comes down to is, MTL won a game they had no business winning in game 3. The hockey gods smiled and reversed their fortune the next game. That’s sports.

Too early for whining, you’re still in it.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Close game in Tampa tonight,... 8-0 Lightning. Fair amount of knuckling present as you could well imagine.


----------



## HighNoon

Midnight Rider said:


> Close game in Tampa tonight,... 8-0 Lightning. Fair amount of knuckling present as you could well imagine.


Snowman virus in Tampon Bay. Someone put psycho-delic in the Isles water bottles, 'cause they all looked like they forgot how to play the game. Oogly for Isles fans.....Bolts were dancing in the aisles.


----------



## leftysg

I see Tampa was successful on the two point conversion. Further, how the heck did the Pisles manage to sell this New York Saints image with a straight face?


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Diablo

Kotkaniemi with the soccer dive…lucky he didn’t get an unsportsmanlike penalty.

but Vegas‘ defense is full of holes and they look frustrated. MTL looks like the better team now.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Did the Islanders board the wrong charter flight out of Tampa on Monday,... land in Las Vegas,... then take to the ice against Montreal dressed in Vegas uniforms? Sure looks like the same team from Monday, lol.

Big trouble in the 'Sin City Of Lights' tonight,... 3-0 after two periods. I can't see Vegas pulling out of this one way tailspin to ground zero. I think they are finished if they go back to Montreal down 3-2 in this series.

What's worse is I get screwed in my hockey pool to win $400 if the Habs win the series,... there goes my Dawner Prince ' BOONAR' Binson Echorec clone pedal, 

There are 4 ways I win the pool,
1. Vegas Wins
2. Tampa loses 
3. Vegas & Tampa lose 
4. Vegas & Tampa win

The only way I lose,
Montreal & Tampa win

It's now 3-1 with 5:00 left in the third,... too little too late.


----------



## HighNoon

Habs stick with the game plan. Fore check in the O zone....check in the neutral zone.....check in the D zone. Get your opportunity and bury it. And then when you make mistakes you got a guy named Price to bail you out. Gut check time and the Habs answer the bell.


----------



## Frenchy99

Great game tonight !

4-1 Canadians

Amazing plays and the Fortress in the net !


----------



## jdto

Soooo…no crying about the refs tonight, eh?


----------



## Frenchy99

jdto said:


> Soooo…no crying about the refs tonight, eh?


Did you notice that the Refs were replaced and these ones did the job.


----------



## HighNoon

Frenchy99 said:


> Did you notice that the Refs were replaced and these ones did the job.


They sent Byron off with the first cross check.....they said we ain't dealing with that tonight....and the boys got back to playing hockey. And play they did...


----------



## Midnight Rider

HighNoon said:


> They sent Bryron off with the first cross check.....they said we ain't dealing with that tonight....and the boys got back to playing hockey. And play they did...


Well,... one of the two teams played.


----------



## jdto

Frenchy99 said:


> Did you notice that the Refs were replaced and these ones did the job.


Ok, so I’ll take that as a “no”, then.


----------



## Diablo

jdto said:


> Soooo…no crying about the refs tonight, eh?


you'll hear it again when/if they lose.


----------



## Milkman

Islanders come back and that series goes 7.

Habs defeat Kights in 6.

HABS defeat the Islanders in 5.

Fantasy?

LMAO, maybe, maybe not.


----------



## mhammer

Goals #2 and 3 were some of the prettiest goals I've seen in ages. Sheer poetry.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## leftysg

From the scene above, Suzuki says "who has the refs in their pockets now boys"
I remember when another team had three wins and only one loss and looked a cinch to advance.
Le travail n'est pas finis mes amis. * apologies for my 40 +OAC French attempt.


----------



## Milkman

leftysg said:


> From the scene above, Suzuki says "who has the refs in their pockets now boys"
> I remember when another team had three wins and only one loss and looked a cinch to advance.
> Le travail n'est pas finis mes amis. * apologies for my 40 +OAC French attempt.



Maybe not, but if I had a choice I'd take the 3 over the 2, n'est pas?


----------



## Diablo

Milkman said:


> Islanders come back and that series goes 7.
> 
> Habs defeat Kights in 6.
> 
> HABS defeat the Islanders in 5.
> 
> Fantasy?
> 
> LMAO, maybe, maybe not.


I see both series ending in 6, then TB taking the beaten up Habs in 5 or less.

Theres no shame in that if it happens. Clearly the Habs are a better team than most, including myself, gave them credit for. Just getting to the finals is a near miracle for a team north of the border in the modern age.


----------



## Milkman

Diablo said:


> I see both series ending in 6, then TB taking the beaten up Habs in 5 or less.
> 
> Theres no shame in that if it happens. Clearly the Habs are a better team than most, including myself, gave them credit for. Just getting to the finals is a near miracle for a team north of the border in the modern age.


I realize I'm stating the obvious here, but that's only so because of the Canadian players on the American teams.

Meh, just like mob hits, it's business, not personal.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> They sent Byron off with the first cross check.....they said we ain't dealing with that tonight....and the boys got back to playing hockey. And play they did...


yup, and they threw away Kotkaniemis Oscar campaign attempt to get a double high sticking penalty.
Im sorry, but you dont instantly lose all functional control of your legs and arms causing you to hit the ice and lose your stick....from a scratch on your lip. KK must have 911 on speed dial when he shaves.


----------



## Milkman

Diablo said:


> yup, and they threw away Kotkaniemis Oscar campaign attempt to get a double high sticking penalty.
> Im sorry, but you dont instantly lose all functional control of your legs and arms causing you to hit the ice and lose your stick....from a scratch on your lip. KK must have 911 on speed dial when he shaves.



Well if the officiating wasn't so one sided up until then he might not have had to try to convince someone that a stick in the face drawing blood is a major penalty.


----------



## Diablo

Milkman said:


> Well if the officiating wasn't so one sided up until then he might not have had to try to convince someone that a stick in the face drawing blood is a major penalty.


you can justify cheating anyway you want, but its never a good look.


----------



## jdto

Milkman said:


> Well if the officiating wasn't so one sided up until then he might not have had to try to convince someone that a stick in the face drawing blood is a major penalty.


I don't agree with the narrative that the officiating was one-sided. The officiating was very lax and the refs were letting a lot of stuff go for both teams. They let a couple of high-visibility plays go for Vegas, which suddenly had everyone screaming "unfair reffing". The only one that absolutely should not have been let pass was the high stick on Perry. The back and forth between Suzuki and McNabb (just like the earlier one between Weber and a guy whose name I can't recall), were about in line with what the refs were letting go.

As I mentioned previously, the penalties for "extracurricular activity" like roughing and unsportsmanlike have been pretty even. The Habs were hurting themselves early in the series with tripping, hooking and holding calls, which often happen when playing a big, strong, fast team you haven't faced before. Those penalties have tapered off as the series has gone on, so it seems the Habs have adjusted.


----------



## Milkman

Diablo said:


> you can justify cheating anyway you want, but its never a good look.


Ok, you don't like the soccer dive, but you're ok with a stick to the face not drawing a major?

Oky doke.


----------



## Diablo

Milkman said:


> Ok, you don't like the soccer dive, but you're ok with a stick to the face not drawing a major?
> 
> Oky doke.


the rule is pretty clear.
*High*-*sticking* - A "*high*-*stick*" is one which is carried above the height of the opponent's shoulders. A player is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or *follow through* of a shooting motion.

the refs determined, IMO, correctly, that the minor contact was due to follow through.

yup, Im ok with it.
Business, not personal, right?


----------



## jdto

Diablo said:


> the rule is pretty clear.
> *High*-*sticking* - A "*high*-*stick*" is one which is carried above the height of the opponent's shoulders. A player is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or *follow through* of a shooting motion.
> 
> the refs determined, IMO, correctly, that the minor contact was due to follow through.
> 
> yup, Im ok with it.
> Business, not personal, right?


I'm not 100% willing to say that stick swing could be called a shooting motion, but the ref decided it was.


Milkman said:


> Ok, you don't like the soccer dive, but you're ok with a stick to the face not drawing a major?
> 
> Oky doke.


There's a big difference for me between an accidental stick to the face and a deliberate dive attempting to deceive and draw a penalty.


----------



## Diablo

jdto said:


> I'm not 100% willing to say that stick swing could be called a shooting motion, but the ref decided it was.


there are always going to be "convenient accidents" in hockey....whether its sticks hanging out a split second longer than usual in order to make contact, or my favorite one "honest, i really couldnt stop in time to not fall on / crash into the goalie...". As Grant Fuhr once said (paraphrased), if it were a flaming pit of vipers instead of a soft cushiony goalie, you bet theyd find a way to stop. and it goes the other way too...players exaggerating reactions in order to draw penalties, when if it were within the rules they would otherwise continue playing as if nothing had happened.
So, we have to trust the refs to weed through them. But of course, every fan in MTL (and TO) could do a better job than the refs.


----------



## jdto

I also think the refs sometimes let the outcome decide whether or not it's a penalty in these cases. I've watched that video from multiple angles and I think the argument could be made that he was careless with the way he swung his stick, but Perry also does knock it up into his own face. It's a tough one to call and I can see it both ways, but I can understand why the refs didn't call it after looking at it some more. And that's with multiple video angles which they didn't have in the moment.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Diablo said:


> yup, and they threw away Kotkaniemis Oscar campaign attempt to get a double high sticking penalty.
> Im sorry, but you dont instantly lose all functional control of your legs and arms causing you to hit the ice and lose your stick....from a scratch on your lip. KK must have 911 on speed dial when he shaves.


Yeah,... lets not forget the Habs of the mid-2000's and the exquisite diving ballet they were performing during playoff series,...P.K. Subban ring a bell?




There's reels of more evidence,... but you get the picture.


----------



## Frenchy99

Reading the comments here is better then the comedy club !!! 
Go Habs Go !!!


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## leftysg

Diablo said:


> yup, and they threw away Kotkaniemis Oscar campaign attempt to get a double high sticking penalty.
> Im sorry, but you dont instantly lose all functional control of your legs and arms causing you to hit the ice and lose your stick....from a scratch on your lip. KK must have 911 on speed dial when he shaves.


Well, Finland is doing surprisingly well in Euro 21.


----------



## jdto

Frenchy99 said:


> Reading the comments here is better then the comedy club !!!
> Go Habs Go !!!


Almost as funny as your crying about refs 

You’re one win away, anyway!


----------



## HighNoon

Isles go down 2-0 then come back to tie it on a beauty back hand by Eberle, then a roof shot by Mayfield, forcing OT. Turnover and Beauvillier buries it top shelf for the 3-2 win. Game 7 Friday in Tampa. Helluva game. Playoff hockey at it's best.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 371206











However,... Wayne Gretzky has 4 Stanley Cup rings, ( his first one at age 23), and 1 Stanley Cup winning goal.

Sidney Crosby has 3 Stanley cup rings,... his first at age 22.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi is 20, (21 on July 6, 2021),... he and the Canadiens haven't won anything yet,


----------



## Diablo

jdto said:


> I also think the refs sometimes let the outcome decide whether or not it's a penalty in these cases. I've watched that video from multiple angles and I think the argument could be made that he was careless with the way he swung his stick, but Perry also does knock it up into his own face. It's a tough one to call and I can see it both ways, but I can understand why the refs didn't call it after looking at it some more. And that's with multiple video angles which they didn't have in the moment.


Part of the problem in this discussion is that we may be talking about different high sticking incidents....most of what I was referring to was the kotkaniemi one.

I havent said much about the Perry one honestly. When Martin Biron (a quebecer) said he thought Perry was hit by the puck, I pretty much accepted it without analysing too much. You have to have pretty good eyes to be an NHL goalie. We'd need CSI technology to get a definitive answer. And when its a guy like Perry, I just dont care.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> Isles go down 2-0 then come back to tie it on a beauty back hand by Eberle, then a roof shot by Mayfield, forcing OT. Turnover and Beauvillier buries it top shelf for the 3-2 win. Game 7 Friday in Tampa. Helluva game. Playoff hockey at it's best.


These are 2 great series. I think I appreciate them more by not having a dog in the fight.
Being a lawyer/activist over every call/non-call involving the personal investment in your team takes away from the appreciation of the game.
Ive got a warm spot in my heart for TB, and the Habs fans are already starting to get obnoxious, so Ive got a slight preference both ways, but otherwise I dont really care who wins.
I can always chalk it up to an asterisk year due to covid and the unbalanced divisions.


----------



## Diablo

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 371206


lol digging deep for the stats....BC the great players are always judged by their first 2 years in the league.
KK is a shoe-in for the "Under-21 Hockey Hall of Fame"!









Its a pointless stat, bc it hinges on how deep the team gets in order to play more games.
Noone would take KK over McDavid, Matthews, maybe an even trade for Marner, at best. So enjoy it until he wants his $12M.


----------



## Frenchy99

Funny, my thoughts are that the people who are against the Montreal Canadiens are the more obnoxious so far…


----------



## Diablo

Frenchy99 said:


> Funny, my thoughts are that the people who are against the Montreal Canadiens are the more obnoxious so far…


Then you are too thin-skinned.
comparing a near rookie on a hot streak with 5 regular season goals in 56 games to actual legends is pretty obnoxious.
theres a whole list of reasons why you wont get all of canada to rally around your team, but #1 is....It goes with the territory.
do people usually cheer for the team that put their team out? I don’t think so.
Im pretty sure if it were TML on a cup run, most Habs fans would NOT be for cheering for them. In fact, I wouldnt expect support from most of Canada. That what a rivalry is. I know lots of ppl in Calgary that would not cheer for EDM if they went on a run, either.
And even outside hockey, our country has always had regional resentments to different provinces/cities.It’s no secret that much of Canada has “feelings” towards torontonians /ontarians as well.
Deal with it.
why should you care so much? Cheer for your own team. But dont get butthurt when others dont.
And remember, this is a NHL PLAYOFFS thread. Not a "WE LOVE THE HABS" thread.


----------



## Milkman

Go HABS!


----------



## Frenchy99

I’d root for any Canadian team in the playoffs… 

I’d rather think of myself as not so narrow minded.

Go Habs Go!!!


----------



## Milkman

Frenchy99 said:


> I’d root for any Canadian team in the playoffs…
> 
> I’d rather think of myself as not so narrow minded.
> 
> Go Habs Go!!!


Yup,

Leafs are gone? It's the HABS now.


----------



## Diablo

Frenchy99 said:


> I’d root for any Canadian team in the playoffs…
> 
> I’d rather think of myself as not so narrow minded.
> 
> Go Habs Go!!!


YOU would and that’s commendable. Not many other habs fans would. Be honest.

here’s a secret, much of Toronto are Leafs fans. Not hockey fans. Our minor league teams struggle here due to lack of interest. Although TML sells out at inflated prices every year. So while your team is on a run, many TML fans have checked out and are watching golf or something.

In truth you are only rooting for 1 more Canadian team than I would 
I would be supporting any other team in this country....its just those Habs fans really have a way of getting under my skin.


----------



## jdto

leftysg said:


> Well, Finland is doing surprisingly well in Euro 21.


They had a decent run, but they won’t advance to the knockout round.


Diablo said:


> Part of the problem in this discussion is that we may be talking about different high sticking incidents....most of what I was referring to was the kotkaniemi one.
> 
> I havent said much about the Perry one honestly. When Martin Biron (a quebecer) said he thought Perry was hit by the puck, I pretty much accepted it without analysing too much. You have to have pretty good eyes to be an NHL goalie. We'd need CSI technology to get a definitive answer. And when its a guy like Perry, I just dont care.


Yeah, I was talking about Perry and Biron got it wrong. The stick definitely hits him, but he is the one who knocks it up there as Marchessault is swinging at the puck. I haven’t looked at the other play.


----------



## jdto

Frenchy99 said:


> I’d root for any Canadian team in the playoffs…
> 
> I’d rather think of myself as not so narrow minded.
> 
> Go Habs Go!!!


I will not support the Habs, but good for you that you would do that. This is city franchise hockey, not national teams, so I don’t particularly care about the “Canadian team” factor. Habs, Flames, Senators and Oilers can all take a walk. I might support the Oilers or Flames if they were up against Boston, but I wouldn’t like it. I can get behind Vancouver because they’ve long been a bit of a second team for me, having lived there for a while. I don’t really care much about the Jets, so that would depend on the individual opponent.

So, in summary, Go Vegas


----------



## Midnight Rider

Milkman said:


> Go HABS!


Go VEGAS!


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Guitar101

Go Habs and Go Canada. Hmmm, A Canada VS The US series for the Stanley Cup would be great. I just hope Montreal doesn't screw it up like my Leafs did.


----------



## keto

I have been impressed with Kotkaniemi, not knowing much about him. Stats so far not that impressive, but still just 20. Would be a reasonable wager to bet on a breakout year next year. Speed, 6’2 200, looked good defensively, vs Vegas at least, what’s not to like?


----------



## terminalvertigo

keto said:


> I have been impressed with Kotkaniemi, not knowing much about him. Stats so far not that impressive, but still just 20. Would be a reasonable wager to bet on a breakout year next year. Speed, 6’2 200, looked good defensively, vs Vegas at least, what’s not to like?


the jersey he's wearing.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Midnight Rider

Go ISLANDERS!,... or, TAMPA!


----------



## mhammer

Joyeux fete nationale!


----------



## jdto

Have a good riot, Habs fans. Good luck in the finals.


----------



## keto

TB will repeat, 5 maybe 6.


----------



## Midnight Rider

keto said:


> TB will repeat, 5 maybe 6.


Will Kucherov be back and ready to go?

Still need the Islanders to take game 7 in order to win $400.00 in the hockey pool,... however, if they should lose I will *DEFINITELY * be cheering for Tampa and will be surrounded by a room full of family member Hab fans while doing so.

I look forward to the challenge, lol.

Someone wake me from this reoccurring hockey nightmare,


----------



## Milkman

The Habs in 5 over Tampa, maybe 6.

or even better....Habs over the Islanders in 5 (maybe 6).

Have a nice day Habs haters.


----------



## laristotle

Frenchy99 said:


>


St Jean Baptiste day, no less.


----------



## SWLABR

Well, the Habs have done far more than anyone (including themselves) thought they would. Beating the heavily favored Leafs was a little triumph, and we all thought that was a fluke that would not be carried onto the second round. No one predicted this... NO ONE!!! You're a liar if you say you did. 

So, good for you. 

I am of course pulling for who ever you face in the finals. I don't care who it is. That's not a Habs _hate_ thing, that's a Leafs _love_ thing. I can't do it (except in 93 when I would rather see the Cup melted down before Gretzky & the Kings hoisted it). 
When the Sens faced the Ducks in the Finals, I root, root, rooted for the Ducks!! I was the only guy in the bar who was, (and it almost got me killed) but this was on the heels of those bitter series in the Battle of Ontario. I was not pulling for the Sens. I could not. 
When Edmonton went on their Cup run, I did not see Flames fans flipping, and the following year when the Flames had their run, no Oilers fans (that I knew at the time) did either. I pulled for either on their runs because I _did_ want a Canadian team to win it. I had no vested interest in either team. The Leafs were not "bitter rivals" to either of them. Both were good, both deserved to be there. It would have been... _nice_. This, is not that! 

Montreal is not "Canada's Team". Neither are the Leafs... name a team, none of them represent all of Canada. Are the Cowboys really "America's Team"? Ask a Philly fan that. 

@Diablo made a good point. "Toronto is not a hockey town, it is a Leafs town". Remember the _Road Runners_?? The hockey fans that are saying, "...but they're a Canadian team" want to see a good Finals... I guess I don't. I care more about not listening to the insufferable Habs fans than seeing a Canadian team win. And, I'm no fool, Leafs fans would be _*just *_as insufferable if we won. 

Enjoy it, you've got your own Miracle on Ice going. I hope to God you get obliterated, embarrassed, and demoralized. You would wish the same. Admit it! 

....Price wins the Conn no matter what though. He's been stellar.


----------



## Milkman

SWLABR said:


> Enjoy it, you've got your own Miracle on Ice going. I hope to God you get obliterated, embarrassed, and demoralized. You would wish the same. Admit it!
> 
> ....Price wins the Conn no matter what though. He's been stellar.



No, I'm afraid not. I root for Canadian based teams starting with the Leafs. If they are eliminated or fail to make the playoffs, it's Montreal, or Winnipeg, or Edmonton, which ever Canadin team is still in contention.

There are MANY such fans in Canada.

To me, ALL Canadian based teams are "Canada's Team".

I have NEVER and can't imagine EVER rooting for an American team over a Canadian one.

It's just not in me.


----------



## Frenchy99

SWLABR said:


> ....Price wins the Conn no matter what though. He's been stellar.


We agree at least on one thing !


----------



## SWLABR

Milkman said:


> No, I'm afraid not. I root for Canadian based teams starting with the Leafs. If they are eliminated or fail to make the playoffs, it's Montreal, or Winnipeg, or Edmonton, which ever Canadin team is still in contention.
> 
> There are MANY such fans in Canada.
> 
> I have NEVER and can't imagine EVER rooting for an American team over a Canadian one.
> 
> It's just not in me.


I totally respect that. 

The above commentary was a reflection of my thoughts. Call it, an "editorial". The internet is full of them!! ha, ha..


----------



## zztomato

I haven't enjoyed hockey this much in years. Habs have some incredible team chemistry going on. Explosive when they get chances and they are making the other team pay when they make mistakes. They are more skill based rather than just being bruisers.


----------



## Milkman

SWLABR said:


> I totally respect that.
> 
> The above commentary was a reflection of my thoughts. Call it, an "editorial". The internet is full of them!! ha, ha..



And frankly, I'm a fair weather fan. I start watching games when the playoffs begin. I think no matter what the Habs do from here, they've exceeded exectations (according to experts and armchair players alike). There's no getting demoralized about that.

I grew up in New Brunswick, and I think we had a more positive impression of Montreal than some who lived in other regions.

Anyway, may the best team win.


----------



## SWLABR

Milkman said:


> And frankly, I'm a fair weather fan. I start watching games when the playoffs begin. I think no matter what the Habs do from here, they've exceeded exectations (according to experts and armchair players alike). *There's no getting demoralized about that.*
> 
> I grew up in New Brunswick, and I think we had a more positive impression of Montreal than some who lived in other regions.
> 
> Anyway, may the best team win.


Yes, may the best team (that isn't the Habs) win... tee, hee... 

I threw in "demoralized" as just another adjective. I think there should always be three. I have a buddy who was born and raised in Ottawa. He hates the Leafs, and was a Habs fan. He switched allegiances when the Sens set up shop. _He_ is of course pulling for the Habs. There are plenty of others. 

One thing I want to be 100% clear on here, this _dislike_ for the Habs, is connected solely to the team. This is not political "Quebec vs Ontario", "English vs French". That's stupid bullsh*t that I want no part of. I work for a Quebec based company, (pre-pandemic) I travel there often, and I love it. Beautiful cities, and wonderful people. This is just hockey.


----------



## Milkman

The question is not "which is the better team?".

It's "which is the better team tonight?".

An important distinction. Teams get hot, teams get cold. Teams sometimes find explosive inspiration and momentum when they do get hot, and is there a better time than right now for an NHL team to find that?

It's just a game, but as @zztomato said, I haven't enjoyed hockey this much in years. I just wish I could stay awake long enough to watch the whole game. I always have to check the news in the morning.


----------



## HighNoon

The Habs going to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in many years. How cool is that? Very, very cool.


----------



## leftysg

Can't win it if you're not in it, but the last four are the toughest.


----------



## mhammer

The non-dependence on local players and international nature of any team's roster, plus the frequency with which players get traded around and switch jerseys, makes it increasingly difficult for any team to be considered "Canadian" or "American". That's not just true of hockey, but also baseball, football, and basketball. How many Raptors are Canadian?

But that doesn't stop us from feeling some sort of representation by a sports team, based on the city they work out of. It may not be cheering for one's home-team or one's "homeys". It's cheering for home.

I hope Dominique Ducharme gets to come out of quarantine and pace the boards with his team for the finals.


----------



## Guitar101

Milkman said:


> No, I'm afraid not. I root for Canadian based teams starting with the Leafs. If they are eliminated or fail to make the playoffs, it's Montreal, or Winnipeg, or Edmonton, which ever Canadin team is still in contention.
> 
> There are MANY such fans in Canada.
> 
> To me, ALL Canadian based teams are "Canada's Team".
> 
> I have NEVER and can't imagine EVER rooting for an American team over a Canadian one.
> 
> It's just not in me.


I agree. I just don't get the "anyone but Canada mentality" It must be deep rooted in their psyche.


----------



## jdto

Guitar101 said:


> I agree. I just don't get the "anyone but Canada mentality" It must be deep rooted in their psyche.


Because “Canada” isn’t playing. I support Canada when they pull on the red and white for international hockey. This is city-based franchises. If you want to glory-hunt or somehow “support Canada” (even though this isn’t international hockey) by supporting the Leafs’ arch-rival, then I would say you are a Canadian-based team fan, not a Leafs fan. That’s totally fine, of course.


----------



## mhammer

Guitar101 said:


> I agree. I just don't get the "anyone but Canada mentality" It must be deep rooted in their psyche.


It's not a character flaw or defect to have loyalty to one's own, no matter what sort of mental gymnastics one has to engage in to perceive a team as "one's own". I strongly doubt there are many south of the border who would not be cheering for "the American team" in the finals, regardless of how many Russians, Fins, Canucks, or Swedes might comprise that team.


----------



## Milkman

jdto said:


> Because “Canada” isn’t playing. I support Canada when they pull on the red and white for international hockey. This is city-based franchises. If you want to glory-hunt or somehow “support Canada” (even though this isn’t international hockey) by supporting the Leafs’ arch-rival, then I would say you are a Canadian-based team fan, not a Leafs fan. That’s totally fine, of course.



Spot on. I am indeed a Canadian based team fan (which includes the Leafs). That's not anti-American by the way. It's pro-Canadian.


----------



## jdto

Milkman said:


> Spot on. I am indeed a Canadian based team fan (which includes the Leafs). That's not anti-American by the way. It's pro-Canadian.


I can dig it. But diehard Leafs fans who jump ship to the Habs I don’t get. I have many friends and family members who are diehard Habs fans. I’m actually happy for them about this run, even though I want the Habs to lose. Of course, I also have some friends/family who will be insufferable trash-talkers should the Habs win. They will deserve the right, but I hope they don’t get there


----------



## Milkman

jdto said:


> I can dig it. But diehard Leafs fans who jump ship to the Habs I don’t get. I have many friends and family members who are diehard Habs fans. I’m actually happy for them about this run, even though I want the Habs to lose. Of course, I also have some friends/family who will be insufferable trash-talkers should the Habs win. They will deserve the right, but I hope they don’t get there


Years ago I might have talked some trash. These days, I'll try to just be happy.


----------



## Paul Running

For me it's patriotism, attachment to Canada. It was instilled as a kid by my parents and the school system...go Canada go.


----------



## Diablo

heck of a game. Vegas sure didnt roll over. I think Fleury in goal could have made the difference, but its not my job on the line. And as I said before, MTL is a far more solid team than I, (and most others) gave them credit for.

My first reaction after the win?
Dubas' head needs to be on a platter. This should have been their year, and Im tired of this kid fucking things up, year after year. In most jobs, you have an annual review where you reflect on success and failures based on circumstances. This was a gift year. He should have been on Canada.com filling out an EI claim a month ago. If hes still there in September I may not watch TML games next year. Seriously. If i want to support overpriced mediocrity, I will buy an american car.

As for the Habs, congratulations. But I wont be cheering for you. As I said before, I'd cheer for any other Canadian based team....but Habs fans just twist the knife too much for me to want to support them and I dont feel like we'd be supported if the shoe was on the other foot. Theres certain teams that are fun to hate. Habs and TML top that list in hockey. whining "why dont you like us?!" is so un-rock n' roll.

Cant support Islanders either....their over the top pissy reaction to Tavares leaving left a sour note with me.
Pulling for TB. Always loved Stamkos. And Vasilevskiy is a generational goalie.


----------



## SWLABR

Guitar101 said:


> I agree. I just don't get the "anyone but Canada mentality" It must be deep rooted in their psyche.


I don't think I am any less "pro-Canad*ian*" by disliking the Canad*iens*... I hope you do not misinterpret one for the other in my case. I never said anything even close to "anyone but Canada". 

I think very highly of Price. I have since he dazzled in the World Juniors all those years ago. I was disappointed (and a little worried) when I learned he was going to the Habs. When Price puts on a Canada jersey, there are few who back him as much as I do. The rivalry ends when the *real* Maple Leaf goes on the front of a jersey! (except with Marchand... I f**king hate that turd)


----------



## jdto

Paul Running said:


> For me it's patriotism, attachment to Canada. It was instilled as a kid by my parents and the school system...go Canada go.


Last I checked it was Montreal, not Canada, playing for the Stanley Cup.


----------



## Diablo

Guys, really urging you to not play the patriotism guilt trip. Lets keep it to hockey. Cheering for a particular professional sports team doesnt make anyone more or less of a loyal Canadian, so lets not go there.
Im trying real hard, but he wants to come out. And you wouldnt like me when I get political.


----------



## mhammer

jdto said:


> Last I checked it was Montreal, not Canada, playing for the Stanley Cup.


Yes, but it _has_ been a while since a team based in Canada advanced to the finals. Watching a final consisting of, say, a Florida team against a Nevada team just doesn't have the same appeal.

It is hard to match Saskatchewan Roughrider fans' enthusiasm for their team. But unless the team advancing to the Grey Cup was their sworn enemy and had only gotten to the Cup because of a dirty hit, those fans will generally be cheering for whoever the "western" team is at the Cup, simply because they're from "the west".

Nobel laureate ethologist Konrad Lorenz talked about what he called "kumpanz" relationships. For instance, individual crows might treat each other as interlopers and defend their territory against those other crows. But if a hawk shows up, suddenly those crow-to-crow conflicts are set aside and they group together to drive out the hawk. Sort of the animal version of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".

In this instance, I think a great many - though not all - would view a cup final between a Montreal team (who are not *just* Montreal but also an original 6) and a team from _*Florida*_ (just as bad as - ptui! -_ Wullerton_) as defending the honour of both hockey _and_ winter, not to mention the country. Were it a final involving two teams from the original 6, I doubt there would be as _much_ national loyalty to the Habs as we currently see. Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York were traditionally all stocked with a surfeit of Canadian players. That has obviously changed since the league expanded many years ago (and well before many fans were even born). But the loyalties that, say, many Québecois from the townships and Gaspé had towards the Bruins get passed down across generations.

That said, and notwithstanding the rampant trading and international players on the roster, a team from a country where winter is a _nationa_l experience, and a community without an outdoor rink is an embarrassment, is seen as standing up for the true spirit of hockey, and a team from a place where ice is something you have to _*make*_ indoors is a bit of an intruder. We swarm that intruder and drive them out, even though we all go back to our own trees and chase others away during normal pre-finals times.


----------



## Guitar101

How about this. Would this make everyone happy?

Go Canadian-based team Go


----------



## Milkman

LOL, trigger warning....

Nobody's judging anyone and no need to defend anyone's patriotism.

I support Canadian teams because....I'm Canadian.


----------



## jdto

mhammer said:


> Yes, but it _has_ been a while since a team based in Canada advanced to the finals. Watching a final consisting of, say, a Florida team against a Nevada team just doesn't have the same appeal.
> 
> It is hard to match Saskatchewan Roughrider fans' enthusiasm for their team. But unless the team advancing to the Grey Cup was their sworn enemy and had only gotten to the Cup because of a dirty hit, those fans will generally be cheering for whoever the "western" team is at the Cup, simply because they're from "the west".
> 
> Nobel laureate ethologist Konrad Lorenz talked about what he called "kumpanz" relationships. For instance, individual crows might treat each other as interlopers and defend their territory against those other crows. But if a hawk shows up, suddenly those crow-to-crow conflicts are set aside and they group together to drive out the hawk. Sort of the animal version of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".
> 
> In this instance, I think a great many - though not all - would view a cup final between a Montreal team (who are not *just* Montreal but also an original 6) and a team from _*Florida*_ (just as bad as - ptui! -_ Wullerton_) as defending the honour of both hockey _and_ winter, not to mention the country. Were it a final involving two teams from the original 6, I doubt there would be as _much_ national loyalty to the Habs as we currently see. Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York were traditionally all stocked with a surfeit of Canadian players. That has obviously changed since the league expanded many years ago (and well before many fans were even born). But the loyalties that, say, many Québecois from the townships and Gaspé had towards the Bruins get passed down across generations.
> 
> That said, and notwithstanding the rampant trading and international players on the roster, a team from a country where winter is a _nationa_l experience, and a community without an outdoor rink is an embarrassment, is seen as standing up for the true spirit of hockey, and a team from a place where ice is something you have to _*make*_ indoors is a bit of an intruder. We swarm that intruder and drive them out, even though we all go back to our own trees and chase others away during normal pre-finals times.


I get it and I get the reasoning behind it, but I am not on board with it. Especially not with the Habs


----------



## Frenchy99

Diablo said:


> Guys, really urging you to not play the patriotism guilt trip. Lets keep it to hockey. Cheering for a particular professional sports team doesnt make anyone more or less of a loyal Canadian, so lets not go there.
> Im trying real hard, but he wants to come out. And you wouldnt like me when I get political.
> View attachment 371410


 I see more like this when your Political !


----------



## Milkman

I find the animosity toward the HABS a little strange.

Is it because of resentment of the periodic separatist nonsense? As I said, I grew up in Northern NB and Montreal and Quebec City were both loved and often visited. We used to go up for Carnival every winter.

I have fond memories of gigging in old Montreal (Place Jaques Cartier) and of French girlfriends I enjoyed.

It's just hockey but....as a Leafs fan once they were gone, it was a no brainer for me to get in behind the HABS.

Growing up in our home, Boston and Philidelphia were the bad guys.


----------



## Diablo

Milkman said:


> I find the animosity toward the HABS a little strange.
> 
> *Is it because of resentment of the periodic separatist nonsense?* As I said, I grew up in Northern NB and Montreal and Quebec City were both loved and often visited. We used to go up for Carnival every winter.
> 
> I have fond memories of gigging in old Montreal (Place Jaques Cartier) and of French girlfriends I enjoyed.
> 
> It's just hockey but....as a Leafs fan once they were gone, it was a no brainer for me to get in behind the HABS.
> 
> Growing up in our home, Boston and Philidelphia were the bad guys.


Since you seem determined to pull the band-aid off lol
20% bolded, 80% the fans/rivalry.
I think youre minimizing it though...its more than periodic, and taken very seriously on both sides of the provincial border. the bolded just makes the patriotism guilt trip case laughable.
FWIW, I said earlier I'd cheer for any other Canadian team...Alberta teams might get scratched off that list too if they keep saying the things they say lately. The love has to go both ways.

Maybe if i had more of an ethnic connection or historical one with quebec as you do, I'd feel the way you do. But I dont.


----------



## Guitar101

Milkman said:


> I find the animosity toward the HABS a little strange.


For me it just that their not the Leafs. I said from the start that I would hold my nose and root for them because they are the last Canadian-based team.

*Go Canadian-based team Go*


----------



## Milkman

Guitar101 said:


> For me it just that their not the Leafs. I said from the start that I would hold my nose and root for them because they are the last Canadian-based team.
> 
> *Go Canadian-based team Go*



Ok, sorry to belabour the point, but I sort of feel the same about Edmonton and Calgary, but I would still support them any day over Tampa or New York, and esecially over Boston.


----------



## jdto

Milkman said:


> I find the animosity toward the HABS a little strange.
> 
> Is it because of resentment of the periodic separatist nonsense? As I said, I grew up in Northern NB and Montreal and Quebec City were both loved and often visited. We used to go up for Carnival every winter.
> 
> I have fond memories of gigging in old Montreal (Place Jaques Cartier) and of French girlfriends I enjoyed.
> 
> It's just hockey but....as a Leafs fan once they were gone, it was a no brainer for me to get in behind the HABS.
> 
> Growing up in our home, Boston and Philidelphia were the bad guys.


Mine is purely the sporting rivalry. A similar rivalry has sprung up between Toronto FC and Montreal CF lately in Major League Soccer and I cheered against them when they were in the continental tournament against teams from Mexico. That said, I have my affinity for a couple of Mexican teams after living down there for many years. I am not overly bothered by the separatist thing, but I won't get into my thoughts about it here. I love Montreal the city, have friends and family there and think it's a great place. I look forward to going back for a visit in the near future!

As for other Canada-based teams, I have a dislike for some of them based on the amount of shade they throw at Toronto and the Leafs in general over the years, so I'm disinclined to cheer for them. There are also some friendly rivalries with family members and friends that come into play. I used to like the Nordiques (especially for their intense rivalry with Montreal) and still have a soft spot for Colorado. Canada-based NHL franchises don't hold any special place in my heart just because of geography. Wrapping myself in nationalism over pro sports doesn't do it for me, but I can totally accept and understand that it does for other people.

And if Boston and the Habs play? I just turn off the damn TV


----------



## SWLABR

I don’t associate patriotism to a sports franchise. These millionaires playing for billionaires. Country doesn’t enter into it for me.
I grew up in the Niagara region so I was inundated with Buffalo propaganda. Being a Leaf fan, I hated it all. I cheered the loudest when the Bills lost 4 in a row. I don’t even like American Football. Still so awesome!
My nephew is a Wings fan. My brother in law and I take him to Detroit all the time. I’ll root for them if it’s a nothing (to me) team. It makes him happy. And to be clear, he’s young, this isn’t stemmed from Stevie Y. I have no idea where his love came from. I’m not sure he even remembers them making the playoffs. Ha, ha. But, he loves them. 
I guess the “bitter rivalry” thing runs deeper for me when it comes to the Habs and Sens than it obviously does for others on the forum. 
If I’m unpatriotic now that there’s only one Canadian team left in the playoffs, what does that say about the person living in Canada that always backs Boston? Or my nephew and his odd love for the Wings?
If being a Leaf fan and now backing the Habs makes you feel patriotic, who am I to tell it’s not. But, please do not tell I’m not patriotic if I don’t feel the same way.


----------



## Milkman

SWLABR said:


> I don’t associate patriotism to a sports franchise. These millionaires playing for billionaires. Country doesn’t enter into it for me.
> I grew up in the Niagara region so I was inundated with Buffalo propaganda. Being a Leaf fan, I hated it all. I cheered the loudest when the Bills lost 4 in a row. I don’t even like American Football. Still so awesome!
> My nephew is a Wings fan. My brother in law and I take him to Detroit all the time. I’ll root for them if it’s a nothing (to me) team. It makes him happy. And to be clear, he’s young, this isn’t stemmed from Stevie Y. I have no idea where his love came from. I’m not sure he even remembers them making the playoffs. Ha, ha. But, he loves them.
> I guess the “bitter rivalry” thing runs deeper for me when it comes to the Habs and Sens than it obviously does for others on the forum.
> If I’m unpatriotic now that there’s only one Canadian team left in the playoffs, what does that say about the person living in Canada that always backs Boston? Or my nephew and his odd love for the Wings?
> If being a Leaf fan and now backing the Habs makes you feel patriotic, who am I to tell it’s not. But, please do not tell I’m not patriotic if I don’t feel the same way.



I think you're overstating or over emphasizing the level of nationalism here.

We have teams representing opposite sides of the border but it's a game. Just because I favour the Canadian team doesn't mean I'll be wearing a Canadian flag and dancing in the streets singing Oh Freaking Canada any time soon and just because someone supports New York (after they come back to beat Tampa) doesn't mean they're somehow unpatriotic. For many it's purely a sports thing. People like a certain style of play, traditions et cetera.

Shit if you took all the Canadian players out of the playoffs....,well you wouldn't have much left, not enough for two teams.


----------



## mhammer

Oh Freaking Canada? What's the French lyrics for that?


----------



## Milkman

mhammer said:


> Oh Freaking Canada? What's the French lyrics for that?


It WAS in there until the censors did their thing.

It was something like

Oh freaking Canada, you most excellent nation.

I think there was one line about ....GO FREAKING HABS!! in there also.

But, my memory isn't what it once was.


----------



## jdto

mhammer said:


> Oh Freaking Canada? What's the French lyrics for that?


Oh Calisse Canada?


----------



## keto

LOL. Suck it some more, Leafs fans. Just LOL.








The Montreal Canadiens’ success is another low-key humiliation for Toronto Maple Leafs


Everything that’s happened since the Leafs’ loss has been a series of grinding, low-key humiliations




www.theglobeandmail.com


----------



## allthumbs56

keto said:


> LOL. Suck it some more, Leafs fans. Just LOL.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Montreal Canadiens’ success is another low-key humiliation for Toronto Maple Leafs
> 
> 
> Everything that’s happened since the Leafs’ loss has been a series of grinding, low-key humiliations
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theglobeandmail.com


I disagree.

I haven't felt humiliated or embarrassed in weeks.

Quite refreshing, actually. Go Habs go!


----------



## jdto

keto said:


> LOL. Suck it some more, Leafs fans. Just LOL.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Montreal Canadiens’ success is another low-key humiliation for Toronto Maple Leafs
> 
> 
> Everything that’s happened since the Leafs’ loss has been a series of grinding, low-key humiliations
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theglobeandmail.com


Cathal Kelly sure loves to play the heel. How are the Oilers doing?


----------



## keto

jdto said:


> Cathal Kelly sure loves to play the heel. How are the Oilers doing?


Well, speaking of heels.........!

j/k, we're a year or 2 away from any serious contention. GM Holland has lots of $$$$$ to play with this summer, let's see how well he can use it. Having 2 lines of at best marginal NHLers this year and last, we weren't going far and anyone who said otherwise is delusional. Given we will have Mike Smith as a primary G option next year doesn't give me any confidence, nobody else on our 50 man list (6 goalies, I believe) is better. We do have some up and coming talent for the bottom 6, still need a legit 3C, 1/2LW, and about 6 replacement goalies lol.


----------



## Midnight Rider

And of course as expected,... Montreal fans kept their long running tradition alive post game. Vancouver fans got nuttin' on Hab fans, lol.
Can't wait to see what the reaction of Canadien fans will be when Montreal loses in the final,... uh, errr,... or win I suppose.
Bravo Montreal,...Bravo,👏






























CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/downtown-montreal-habs-police-celebration-riot-1.6079611
During the video portion you can hear someone yell out ,"fuck the police". Yeah!, you tell em' buddy,... the hell with those bastard cops if they had anything to do with Montreal winning this series, 🥴, lol.

Hockey Riot Record: 1955(Rocket Richard suspension for punching a linesman), 1986, 1993, 2008, 2010, 2021... for winning or losing, lol. Won't be too long before Montreal has as many hockey riots as they do Stanley Cups.

Short story,... in 2009 my son and I along with my brother-in-law and nephew went to Montreal for a regular season game. The brother-in-law and nephew are Hab fans, son is a Detroit fan and I am dressed in my Boston colours.
In the rink I get harassed by a couple of drunk and obnoxious Hab fans and I let it go. The Bruins win 2-1 and we head to the Bell Centre 'La Cage' restaurant for a beer and food. Things are going well up until a third drunk and obnoxious Hab fan gets in my grill and tells me how much the Bruins suck, blah,blah,blah, but ends it with " you know, you could get killed walking around with that jersey in this city",... he came within a hair of having forced me to introduce him to Okinawa Isshin-Ryu. Last time I'll ever take a trip to Bell Centre,... I now go to Boston to spend my money on a game surrounded by my own hockey kind.

Never a dull moment in the Hab hockey world.🚔🔥👮‍♂️


----------



## HighNoon

Bolts do their best wet blanket defense impersonation and stifle the Isles 1-0 to advance to the finals. 
Bolts/Habs.....and yea, verily it was so.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Tough pill to swallow for the Islanders. The benefit of a power play in a game seven only to get scored on by the shorthanded opponent with a game that ends 1-0,... ouch.
I'll go with Tampa winning the cup in 6 games.


----------



## keto

Didn’t see but maybe half the game, but Bolts looked fairly dominant. I got them in a possible sweep, maybe 5. Habs are fast, I give them the edge there but in almost no other measurable category. Tampa with the big obvious experience advantage.


----------



## HighNoon

Tampa is a big machine right now. They roll three big pairings on D, of which Hedman, Sergachev, and McDonagh are #1 starters on any team in the league. Up front they have scoring punch, speed, determination, role players, fighters (they fight in packs), and everyone back checks. And in net they have Vasilevsky, Cup winner and at the top of his game right now. And overall they can play any style you want, and match up with any lines you throw at them. And then there's the Habs. Their two top D pairings are really good, but the third is kind of weak and doesn't match up well. Up front, they don't have the firepower the Bolts do, and yet somehow they score by committee and have gotten the job done so far. Of note, their PK has been lights out, which has helped get them to where they are today. In the net, they have a great tender in Price, but this is his first trip to the promised land. Can he maintain, can he shut down the four solid lines coming at him in waves. One thing's for sure; the Habs are having fun and playing with a lot of passion. And they just shut down the second best team in the league, the Golden Knights and outclassed them in every zone on the ice. If they can stay loose, and give it all they got, this could be an entertaining series.


----------



## Frenchy99

Habs in 5 !!! 

Go Habs Go !!!


----------



## leftysg

Well, I'm going with who I picked from the beginning of this rigamarol, the Lightning. Nothing but respect for the Habs, but I appreciate the complete package that TB plays with and it would be nice for them to share it with fans if they repeat. Oh, and there have been a few former Rangers play with TB and vice versa. Go Range...I mean go Bolts.


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Diablo

allthumbs56 said:


> I disagree.
> 
> I haven't felt humiliated or embarrassed in weeks.
> 
> Quite refreshing, actually. Go Habs go!


I suspect this is actually more humiliating for Habs fans….


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/999333721751744517
based on their typically over the top reaction

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1407524237057921030
lol…traitor


----------



## jdto

LOL “traitor”


----------



## Frenchy99

Diablo said:


> I suspect this is actually more humiliating for Habs fans….
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/999333721751744517
> based on their typically over the top reaction
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1407524237057921030
> lol…traitor


She came out before game 6 to point out that these were all photoshop and she never posed for these...

Please... check facts...


----------



## Diablo

TB in the finals as expected.

should be a good series. I dont expect it to be as rough, as TB is more of a complete package than VGK, and a much more focused team.
TB in 5 -6 or less (depends on kucherov status).


----------



## Diablo

Frenchy99 said:


> She came out before game 6 to point out that these were all photoshop and she never posed for these...
> 
> Please... check facts...


Even if they were, the reaction is hilarious.
that’s my point about habs fans. Too easily triggered.

Celine lives and works in Las Vegas. It shouldn’t be a shock that she may have appeared in some PR events at some point over the past 3 years. Shouldn’t matter if real or not. Yet the MTL newspaper calls her, the provinces most famous daughter, a traitor. Is Trump running their Twitter account?
biggest asshole fans in sport. They act like sore losers before they even lose!
That’s facts.

you completely missed the point, Frenchy…the original pics by vgk were funny. The reaction by Montreal…was embarassing.


----------



## Diablo

Midnight Rider said:


> And of course as expected,... Montreal fans kept their long running tradition alive post game. Vancouver fans got nuttin' on Hab fans, lol.
> Can't wait to see what the reaction of Canadien fans will be when Montreal loses in the final,... uh, errr,... or win I suppose.
> Bravo Montreal,...Bravo,👏
> View attachment 371480
> View attachment 371483
> View attachment 371484
> View attachment 371485
> 
> 
> CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/downtown-montreal-habs-police-celebration-riot-1.6079611
> During the video portion you can hear someone yell out ,"fuck the police". Yeah!, you tell em' buddy,... the hell with those bastard cops if they had anything to do with Montreal winning this series, 🥴, lol.
> 
> Hockey Riot Record: 1955(Rocket Richard suspension for punching a linesman), 1986, 1993, 2008, 2010, 2021... for winning or losing, lol. Won't be too long before Montreal has as many hockey riots as they do Stanley Cups.
> 
> Short story,... in 2009 my son and I along with my brother-in-law and nephew went to Montreal for a regular season game. The brother-in-law and nephew are Hab fans, son is a Detroit fan and I am dressed in my Boston colours.
> In the rink I get harassed by a couple of drunk and obnoxious Hab fans and I let it go. The Bruins win 2-1 and we head to the Bell Centre 'La Cage' restaurant for a beer and food. Things are going well up until a third drunk and obnoxious Hab fan gets in my grill and tells me how much the Bruins suck, blah,blah,blah, but ends it with " you know, you could get killed walking around with that jersey in this city",... he came within a hair of having forced me to introduce him to Okinawa Isshin-Ryu. Last time I'll ever take a trip to Bell Centre,... I now go to Boston to spend my money on a game surrounded by my own hockey kind.
> 
> Never a dull moment in the Hab hockey world.🚔🔥👮‍♂️


So, if they lose will they riot more or less than if they win?
how does that work?
ive never understood sports riots.


----------



## HighNoon

Frenchy99 said:


> She came out before game 6 to point out that these were all photoshop and she never posed for these...
> 
> Please... check facts...


You were also on the money when you pointed out that the refs squad were changed in that game when they went back to Vegas. Fact checker indeed.


----------



## HighNoon

Diablo said:


> So, if they lose will they riot more or less than if they win?
> how does that work?
> ive never understood sports riots.


Each have their own signature, reasons, societal pressures amongst other co-factors that determine the intensity/severity of the event. I've been in a few.....interesting phenomena.


----------



## SWLABR

Frenchy99 said:


> She came out before game 6 to point out that these were all photoshop and she never posed for these...
> 
> Please... check facts...


The close up of her face wearing a helmet has been discussed as fake. I believe it was a ploy Vegas to stir the pot. Success there.
The one of her on stage though??? Not a real pic taken during her Vegas residency? Admittedly, I have not dig into this. Nor care to. Just saying it’s plausible.

This all matters cause, you know, she’s a hockey legend herself.

“Drop the puck”


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## laristotle

Diablo said:


> So, if they lose will they riot more or less than if they win?
> how does that work?


Will probably depend on if someone in the crowd yells out something in english?


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Midnight Rider

Diablo said:


> So, if they lose will they riot more or less than if they win?
> how does that work?
> ive never understood sports riots.


Oh,... definitely more rioting, burning and flipping of large heavy objects when they are crowned runner-up at the end of the series.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 371554


----------



## Midnight Rider




----------



## SWLABR

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 371554


Fact check the dates!! This could be an old picture. She may have flipped after all those years living there.

Kidding, I don’t care.

Drop the puck.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> Habs in 5 !!!
> 
> Go Habs Go !!!


Mr. Frenchy99, would you care to make a wager? I propose if Montreal wins the cup I will change my avatar to a Montreal Canadiens emblem,... but if they lose you must change yours to a Boston Bruins emblem.
The duration of the avatar change must stay in place until the start of the 2021-22 NHL regular season play.

Do you accept the terms and conditions of this friendly wager?


----------



## SWLABR

Midnight Rider said:


> Mr. Frenchy99, would you care to make a wager? I propose if Montreal wins the cup I will change my avatar to a Montreal Canadiens emblem,... but if they lose you must change yours to a Boston Bruins emblem.
> The duration of the avatar change must stay in place until the start of the 2021-22 NHL regular season play.
> 
> Do you accept the terms and conditions of this friendly wager?


I used to make similar wagers with an Ottawa fan on another forum. It was only a week though! Too rich for my blood! Ha, ha…


----------



## zontar

So here's something I fully expect to see.

Someone out there will be cheering for the Lightning to win, because Montreal wins the Cup too much.

Yet it's been 28 years, and Tampa Bay has won it twice since then (Although that first one is still disputed in some parts)


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Midnight Rider

Midnight Rider said:


> Mr. Frenchy99, would you care to make a wager? I propose if Montreal wins the cup I will change my avatar to a Montreal Canadiens emblem,... but if they lose you must change yours to a Boston Bruins emblem.
> The duration of the avatar change must stay in place until the start of the 2021-22 NHL regular season play.
> 
> Do you accept the terms and conditions of this friendly wager?


Hmmmm?,... nothin' but 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗,... one for each game it's going to take for Tampa to defeat Montreal.

Thought Hab fans were really confident in their team winning this thing.

Let me know Frenchy99,... before puck drop, 🏒[/QUOTE]


----------



## jdto

Frenchy99 said:


> View attachment 371633


Won the series and still crying about the refs? Must be a Habs fan


----------



## keto

Midnight Rider said:


> Hmmmm?,... nothin' but 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗,... one for each game it's going to take for Tampa to defeat Montreal.
> 
> Thought Hab fans were really confident in their team winning this thing.
> 
> Let me know Frenchy99,... before puck drop, 🏒


[/QUOTE]

That would make sense if it were a TB uni.


----------



## Midnight Rider

That would make sense if it were a TB uni.
[/QUOTE]
Oh no,...nothing would be more satisfying than to have a Hab fan have to sport a Bruins avatar,... there is a long history with these two teams,....as you know.

I would have thought the average Hab fan would feel the same of having a Bruins fan to display a Montreal emblem,... guess times have changed.

Last week they were oozing confidence,... now some seem to be 🐔 of the wager concept,...lol

Just trying to keep things interesting.


----------



## SWLABR

Was texting my buddy, who is a big, big Boston supporter. I send:
Tampa or Montreal?

“Sorry but Tampa. I can't cheer for Montreal”.

The rivalry and history between those two franchises runs deep with him. He’s 8 years older than me. Some of his first hockey memories are playoff battles between them in the 70’s. 
It’s OK to switch allegiances, but it’s just as OK not to.


----------



## Diablo

I like where this is heading so far


----------



## keto

Gallagher’s face after the 5-1 goal told the whole story, beaten and bowed.


----------



## Diablo

ouch that has to sting...5 goals even with MTL's cheap shot antics (that they complained so much about VGK doing to them)









3 more games....








..until the habs fans are silent.

OTOH, I have to admit, its pretty cool the way Gallaghers hair loss is starting to resemble Guy Lafleurs. That may be the only nostalgia Habs fans get when the cup is raised.


----------



## HighNoon

Habs were outhustled and outmuscled by the Bolts. That's it.....that's all of it.


----------



## leftysg

And that was with Price playing well.


----------



## SWLABR

Just managed to get around to watching the highlights. 

Happy with the results, but holding off the prognostication after only one game. If you remember, Habs did not look capable of competing against Vegas after Game-1 in that series either.


----------



## Diablo

For sure, the series must be played. And I look forward to 3-4 more games of good hockey before the summer break and the TML nonsense begins again in October. 
But it was a nice dose of humility


----------



## Midnight Rider

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Final Montreal,... I know it's been awhile but this is where things get real,😖,🤕









Just curious,... have there been any riots after last nights game?


----------



## SWLABR

Midnight Rider said:


> Welcome to the Stanley Cup Final Montreal,... I know it's been awhile but this is where things get real,😖,🤕
> View attachment 371912
> 
> 
> Just curious,... have there been any riots after last nights game?


I can see the Tampa headlines... _"Bolts draw first blood_".


----------



## HighNoon

Habs should dress Romanov on the back end. They need some more grit to deal with the Bolts heavy attack down low.


----------



## Diablo

Pretty quiet in here. Habs fans licking their wounds?
Let’s see if they come back to gloat if they win one.


----------



## laristotle

SWLABR said:


> _"Bolts draw first blood_"


Ruh roh


----------



## HighNoon

Vasilevskiy was basically lights out tonight for the Bolts. Couple of turnovers for the Habs lead to goals and that was that. Back home to a few fans in Montreal .....


----------



## jdto

Diablo said:


> Pretty quiet in here. Habs fans licking their wounds?
> Let’s see if they come back to gloat if they win one.


I haven’t seen them play the ref card, yet.


----------



## SWLABR

Gotta admit how hard the Habs worked last night. At one point they were outshooting the Bolts 24-8. Tampa!?!?! Outshot that badly?!?!? Wow. The two Price allowed were not bad goals, but Vasilevskiy was huge. I don’t mean, “he came up huge”, he _was_ huge! You can’t see the net!

But, the score card does not record “effort”. Habs were not rewarded at the end of the night, the team with more goals was.


----------



## zztomato

I think the Habs will have them right where they want them by game 4.


----------



## SWLABR

zztomato said:


> I think the Habs will have them right where they want them by game 4.


Yep….


----------



## Midnight Rider

SWLABR said:


> Gotta admit how hard the Habs worked last night. At one point they were outshooting the Bolts 24-8. Tampa!?!?! Outshot that badly?!?!? Wow. The two Price allowed were not bad goals, but Vasilevskiy was huge. I don’t mean, “he came up huge”, he _was_ huge! You can’t see the net!
> 
> But, the score card does not record “effort”. Habs were not rewarded at the end of the night, the team with more goals was.


Looks like the Price is not right and on the other foot now.


----------



## Midnight Rider

zztomato said:


> I think the Habs will have them right where they want them by game 4.


Yup,... they have then in the step-over-toe-hold now,...🤼‍♂️, lol.
Any riots yet?


----------



## dick lyle

Habs need more than Price, great game 2 tho, great speed


----------



## HighNoon

dick lyle said:


> Habs need more than Price, great game 2 tho, great speed


I'd dress Romanov on the back end. He can hit. Gustafsson is an empty bucket out there. Game 2....you have a 4 on 3 and you've got Gustafsson on the back end with Weber....where's Caufield, where's Perry down low. Opportunity missed. The Habs need Ducharme back behind the bench. Coaching mistakes like that can cost you a series.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> I'd dress Romanov on the back end. He can hit. Gustafsson is an empty bucket out there. Game 2....you have a 4 on 3 and you've got Gustafsson on the back end with Weber....where's Caufield, where's Perry down low. Opportunity missed. The Habs need Ducharme back behind the bench. Coaching mistakes like that can cost you a series.


Too early to expect anything from Caufield really.

I think that’s the problem…MTL overachieved to get to where they are. Teams always run out of steam/luck when that happens. caufield needs to be on a line with a great forward to develop. Like Guentzel did with Crosby. I don’t see that happening in MTL.
Kotkaniemi did better in the playoffs than he did all season.
price is a goalies goalie, but has never delivered in the playoffs and is on the decline of his career, aside from a recent hot streak. The guy at the other end of the rink is at least an equal, and I’m being generous to price.
perry barely made the team.
it was fun while it lasted.


----------



## HighNoon

Diablo said:


> Too early to expect anything from Caufield really.
> 
> I think that’s the problem…MTL overachieved to get to where they are. Teams always run out of steam/luck when that happens. caufield needs to be on a line with a great forward to develop. Like Guentzel did with Crosby. I don’t see that happening in MTL.
> Kotkaniemi did better in the playoffs than he did all season.
> price is a goalies goalie, but has never delivered in the playoffs and is on the decline of his career, aside from a recent hot streak. The guy at the other end of the rink is at least an equal, and I’m being generous to price.
> perry barely made the team.
> it was fun while it lasted.


OK....let's break that down. I'm not expecting anything from Caufield. However he has a gun....a real good gun, better than Suzuki, and for him not to be on that 4 on 3 PP is stupid....that's a coaching mistake. And speaking of Suzuki he's making his mark, especially for his age and term in the league. As to Perry, barely making the team, he has been a highlight reel for the playoffs. His on ice positioning is outstanding, partly due to his experience and that long reach he has. And he goes to the dirty areas where most mortals fear to tread. Same as Armia.....playing great hockey. 

You're on the mark about Vasilevskiy out playing Price.....Price is in the zone....the Russian is another time zone, the super zone.

I still think (and pointed out in a long ago post) one of the key difference between the teams was Montreal's 3rd pairing on D.....much weaker than the Lightning. You can cut down on their minutes but that just overtaxes your first two pairings. And Petry's playing with dislocated fingers (on his shooting power hand)....no wonder there's no mustard on his shot. I would have taken the chance and played Romanov, who is a physical force and let him learn the playoff ropes as he went (he's part of their future team's success).

And the Bolts are on a roll....they just put on their hard hat and dive into the coal mine, shift by shift.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> OK....let's break that down. I'm not expecting anything from Caufield. However he has a gun....a real good gun, better than Suzuki, and for him not to be on that 4 on 3 PP is stupid....that's a coaching mistake. And speaking of Suzuki he's making his mark, especially for his age and term in the league. As to Perry, barely making the team, he has been a highlight reel for the playoffs. His on ice positioning is outstanding, partly due to his experience and that long reach he has. And he goes to the dirty areas where most mortals fear to tread. Same as Armia.....playing great hockey.
> 
> You're on the mark about Vasilevskiy out playing Price.....Price is in the zone....the Russian is another time zone, the super zone.
> 
> I still think (and pointed out in a long ago post) one of the key difference between the teams was Montreal's 3rd pairing on D.....much weaker than the Lightning. You can cut down on their minutes but that just overtaxes your first two pairings. And Petry's playing with dislocated fingers (on his shooting power hand)....no wonder there's no mustard on his shot. I would have taken the chance and played Romanov, who is a physical force and let him learn the playoff ropes as he went (he's part of their future team's success).
> 
> And the Bolts are on a roll....they just put on their hard hat and dive into the coal mine, shift by shift.


I feel like MTL doesn’t have a lot of faith in Caufield at this point, or wants to handle him with kid gloves.
might be his size, smaller players seem to take longer to get taken seriously and have to work harder….until they’ve proven themselves. If he were a foot taller with half the skills I bet he’d get played more. MTL is all in on a grinder game.


----------



## Diablo

I’m almost starting to feel sorry for the Habs.
some of their players faces look like they just did a tour of duty in ‘nam.


----------



## jdto

Tumbleweeds from the Habs fans


----------



## sulphur

?


----------



## SWLABR

3 & 0… it ain’t the 4 the Bolts need, but it’s reeeeeeeeeeeal close!
I kinda hope Montreal makes a series out of it (hustle without a win is not a series) but I also just want it over with.
Not interested in reading: “Great game. Habs can still turn it around”


----------



## HighNoon

National Anthems.....Bolts looked calm, almost relaxed. Habs looked uptight. Price has to stop at least one of the first two goals. Has to. Behind the 8 ball early and they barely got back into it at all. Lightning have the complete package for every zone on the ice, and of course they can roll 3 equally heavy D pairings. Habs....once again....why is Gustafsson out there....and on the 1st PP when you have Weber and his hammer....and then that give away in the third leading to the Johnson goal, making it 5-2, when the Habs were getting some pressure in the O zone. Pathetic. Habs out coached by Cooper in every game so far.


----------



## zztomato

It's July, enough with the hockey. 
NFL pre-season games are just a few weeks away. Go Seahawks!! 😆


----------



## keto

keto said:


> Didn’t see but maybe half the game, but Bolts looked fairly dominant. I got them in a possible sweep, maybe 5. Habs are fast, I give them the edge there but in almost no other measurable category. Tampa with the big obvious experience advantage.


Lookin good, keto, lookin good.


----------



## Diablo

Me too!


Diablo said:


> TB in the finals as expected.
> 
> should be a good series. I dont expect it to be as rough, as TB is more of a complete package than VGK, and a much more focused team.
> TB in 5 -6 or less (depends on kucherov status).


----------



## fretzel

I was joking with my wife and son that they need to test the lightening goalie for cocaine. He looked like he was tweaking every time they zoomed in on his eyes. LOL


----------



## Midnight Rider

Midnight Rider said:


> Mr. Frenchy99, would you care to make a wager? I propose if Montreal wins the cup I will change my avatar to a Montreal Canadiens emblem,... but if they lose you must change yours to a Boston Bruins emblem.
> The duration of the avatar change must stay in place until the start of the 2021-22 NHL regular season play.
> 
> Do you accept the terms and conditions of this friendly wager?


Good call Mr.Frenchy99,... wherever you are. It's as if you knew all along that accepting my wager proposal would be futile,... unless of course you would like to reconsider by taking a wager in believing that your team has it in them to execute a sweep against Tampa starting on Monday.

They could be only the second team to do so in the final and join the Leafs 1942 comeback from a 3-0 against the Wings in 1942. It's been 79 years,... perhaps the odds are in your favour?

Anyways,... I understand how Hab fans are feeling in this moment. In the last ten years I watched the Bruins in the cup final 3 times,... beat the Canucks in 2011, lost to Chicago in 2013 and lost to the Blues in 2019,... 1 out of 3 ain't bad, lol.

Habs had a good run,... made it to the big dance. Something to build on which you can't buy but only earn by experiencing. It will make each player better and the entire club a tighter unit going into battle next year.

"You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well, you might find
You get what you need."


----------



## Midnight Rider

fretzel said:


> I was joking with my wife and son that they need to test the lightening goalie for cocaine. He looked like he was tweaking every time they zoomed in on his eyes. LOL


Lol,... I was thinking the same thing. Those eyes would definitely get you hauled for a drug test if a cop pulled you over for a headlight that was out,... 👀


----------



## leftysg

zztomato said:


> It's July, enough with the hockey.
> NFL pre-season games are just a few weeks away. Go Seahawks!! 😆


That's an Ouch for us Lions fans.


----------



## leftysg

Midnight Rider said:


> Good call Mr.Frenchy99,... wherever you are. It's as if you knew all along that accepting my wager proposal would be futile,... unless of course you would like to reconsider by taking a wager in believing that your team has it in them to execute a sweep against Tampa starting on Monday.
> 
> They could be only the second team to do so in the final and join the Leafs 1942 comeback from a 3-0 against the Wings in 1942. It's been 79 years,... perhaps the odds are in your favour?
> 
> Anyways,... I understand how Hab fans are feeling in this moment. In the last ten years I watched Bruins in the cup final 3 times,... beat the Canucks in 2011, lost to Chicago in 2013 and lost to the Blues in 2019,... 1 out of 3 ain't bad, lol.
> 
> Habs had a good run,... made it to the big dance. Something to build on which you can't buy but only earn by experiencing. It will make the each player better and the entire club a tighter unit going into battle next year.
> 
> "You can't always get what you want
> But if you try sometimes, well, you might find
> You get what you need."


Props for getting to the final. Their problem is the vets aren't getting any younger...window closing.


----------



## SWLABR

leftysg said:


> Props for getting to the final. Their problem is the vets aren't getting any younger...window closing.


Nailed it!!! 

I've always liked Price. He continued to rebound through injury, dismal seasons, and held his head high. He was on some really sh*t Habs teams over the years. One could argue they wasted him. 

I guess I'd like to see: 
Price absolutely steals game 4, game 5 is a nail bitter, where Price puts on another clinic, but the Bolts prevail and win. Price gets the Conn. 

Win/win. When Price (eventually) walks away, he can say he was Playoff MVP, but we don't listen to Montreal fans gloating. Bolts win back to back (cause they really should).


----------



## leftysg

SWLABR said:


> Nailed it!!!
> 
> I've always liked Price. He continued to rebound through injury, dismal seasons, and held his head high. He was on some really sh*t Habs teams over the years. One could argue they wasted him.
> 
> I guess I'd like to see:
> Price absolutely steals game 4, game 5 is a nail bitter, where Price puts on another clinic, but the Bolts prevail and win. Price gets the Conn.
> 
> Win/win. When Price (eventually) walks away, he can say he was Playoff MVP, but we don't listen to Montreal fans gloating. Bolts win back to back (cause they really should).


He needs to take them to a game 6 or 7 for me to consider him, like Hextall did for the Flyers against the Oilers. When diehard analytics fans assess him, he really isn't the legend level that the Canadian media and Habs fans make him out to be. He seems like a genuinely fine person who thoughtfully does things for others. He'd be an excellent addition to their organization down the road as a goaltending director, PR guy but I'm not sure his nature will take him in that direction post playing days.


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> Nailed it!!!
> 
> I've always liked Price. He continued to rebound through injury, dismal seasons, and held his head high. He was on some really sh*t Habs teams over the years. One could argue they wasted him.
> 
> I guess I'd like to see:
> Price absolutely steals game 4, game 5 is a nail bitter, where Price puts on another clinic, but the Bolts prevail and win. Price gets the Conn.
> 
> Win/win. When Price (eventually) walks away, he can say he was Playoff MVP, but we don't listen to Montreal fans gloating. Bolts win back to back (cause they really should).


After losing 3 straight, and looking very underwhelming in them, with a brutal final series 4.5x+ GAA, and losing the final (most likely) if Price got the playoff MVP, I’d say it’s rigged. Goalies have to be perfect to win it.

it’s hard not to like Price. But IMO, his max trade value was 2 years ago. I think MTL held him too long, when they weren’t really a contender. until this year, he was never a playoff goalie. Trades are business asset related, not personal. maybe he sold a lot of jerseys for them. It’s a lesson for TML fans, that think all they need is the worlds greatest goalie to win the cup. Hockey doesn’t work that way. Some of the games greatest goalies never won a cup.

until this year, I thought Bergevin was another Dubas. A time wasting fuck-up. But I think MTL will have him for a long time now. Hope this year wasn’t just a fluke, for their sake.
Conversely, every year around this time I keep thinking “Dubas has no idea how far away from being a cup contender TML is”. And that’s why he needs to be fired, long ago. If someone can get Dubas and Shan into a room to actually watch the finals, and hopefully learn something, I will pay for the wings and pop.

elephant in the room, disappointingly typical of Habs fans to gloat and post memes when then they’re winning and hide under a rock when losing, instead of taking their lumps. Mostly just TML fans in here now, and they’ve been embarassingly eliminated a month ago.


----------



## SWLABR

Ya... I guess Price ain't taking the Conn. He's one of my favs all time (ya, I know that's odd) so I guess having all the international accolades are going to need to be enough. His play in the first three games hasn't been awful, but you're right, it's not Conn worthy. I suppose even if he steals game 4, puts on the clinic in 5, he still won't be a viable contender for consideration. I just feel like he should be more than "honorable mention". 

Kucherov on the other hand... I had no idea he didn't play in the regular season. Now his points totals for this years run are in Gretzky and Mario territory. WOW!!


----------



## zztomato

Diablo said:


> disappointingly typical of Habs fans to gloat and post memes when then they’re winning and hide under a rock when losing, instead of taking their lumps.


lol. I've seem much more goading of Habs fans in this thread than Habs fans gloating. Why would they be "taking their lumps"? No need. They've had a great run, played some great games and made their fans happy. I've enjoyed watching them play. They rallied, beat the hapless Maple Leaves- I've never laughed so hard watching a game 7. Delusional Leaf fans totally gobsmacked. Anyway, it's just hockey. It's been fun but the Habs have now come up against a team that not only has great individual players but they are also well coached and have team chemistry beyond a match from the Habs. They are the defending SC champions playing the lowest seeded team to make the playoffs. There is no shame here.


----------



## leftysg

If my team went as far as the Habs have this year, I'd be thrilled even though the end wasn't the pinnacle. You can bet I'll be cheering for Price when he's wearing the Team Canada Olympic jersey as well.


----------



## keto

Diablo said:


> After losing 3 straight, and looking very underwhelming in them, with a brutal final series 4.5x+ GAA, and losing the final (most likely) if Price got the playoff MVP, I’d say it’s rigged. Goalies have to be perfect to win it.
> 
> it’s hard not to like Price. But IMO, his max trade value was 2 years ago. I think MTL held him too long, when they weren’t really a contender. until this year, he was never a playoff goalie. Trades are business asset related, not personal. maybe he sold a lot of jerseys for them. It’s a lesson for TML fans, that think all they need is the worlds greatest goalie to win the cup. Hockey doesn’t work that way. Some of the games greatest goalies never won a cup.
> 
> until this year, I thought Bergevin was another Dubas. A time wasting fuck-up. But I think MTL will have him for a long time now. Hope this year wasn’t just a fluke, for their sake.
> Conversely, every year around this time I keep thinking “Dubas has no idea how far away from being a cup contender TML is”. And that’s why he needs to be fired, long ago. If someone can get Dubas and Shan into a room to actually watch the finals, and hopefully learn something, I will pay for the wings and pop.
> 
> elephant in the room, disappointingly typical of Habs fans to gloat and post memes when then they’re winning and hide under a rock when losing, instead of taking their lumps. Mostly just TML fans in here now, and they’ve been embarassingly eliminated a month ago.


Re: Dubas, big analytics guy, right? I could be wrong. Anyways, read an article on OilersNation yesterday, some guy was picking apart advanced stats they use these days pretty effectively. Had one important offense stat where McDavid was like 9th on his team, not in the NHL, on his team, a season or 2 ago. Sure would want to build around or get rid of someone that ineffective, right? The guy was trying to make a case for or against Duncan Keith, who has had miserable stats for 2-3 years now, but maybe isn't washed up yet, just playing on a crappy team. I don't want him here, but it was hard to say whether or not he has value, you can make arguments both ways.


----------



## SWLABR

keto said:


> Re: Dubas, big analytics guy, right? I could be wrong. Anyways, read an article on OilersNation yesterday, some guy was picking apart advanced stats they use these days pretty effectively. Had one important offense stat where McDavid was like 9th on his team, not in the NHL, on his team, a season or 2 ago. Sure would want to build around or get rid of someone that ineffective, right? The guy was trying to make a case for or against Duncan Keith, who has had miserable stats for 2-3 years now, but maybe isn't washed up yet, just playing on a crappy team. I don't want him here, but it was hard to say whether or not he has value, you can make arguments both ways.


It's hard to decide which is the way to go. New school vs old school.


----------



## Diablo

keto said:


> Re: Dubas, big analytics guy, right? I could be wrong. Anyways, read an article on OilersNation yesterday, some guy was picking apart advanced stats they use these days pretty effectively. Had one important offense stat where McDavid was like 9th on his team, not in the NHL, on his team, a season or 2 ago. Sure would want to build around or get rid of someone that ineffective, right? The guy was trying to make a case for or against Duncan Keith, who has had miserable stats for 2-3 years now, but maybe isn't washed up yet, just playing on a crappy team. I don't want him here, but it was hard to say whether or not he has value, you can make arguments both ways.


Ya, the stats guys are glorified gamblers.
they sure wouldn’t have thought players like Perry and Spezza would be among their teams most effective in the playoffs.

would’ve been interesting to see Drouin in this series. The deal for Sergachev must really sting.


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> It's hard to decide which is the way to go. New school vs old school.


I would have new school as an advisor to old school.


----------



## SWLABR

Diablo said:


> I would have new school as an advisor to old school.


That's a cop out answer dude! ha, ha...


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> That's a cop out answer dude! ha, ha...


No, you need both, otherwise you’re stuck in the Pat Quinn years giving crazy minutes to Domi Sr. bc loyalty.
but new school doesn’t seem to get the game. So old school has to call the shots.


----------



## 2manyGuitars

zztomato said:


> It's July, enough with the hockey.
> NFL pre-season games are just a few weeks away. Go Seahawks!! 😆


----------



## zztomato

2manyGuitars said:


> View attachment 372487


I'm _always _in the wrong neighborhood.


----------



## Diablo

zztomato said:


> It's July, enough with the hockey.
> NFL pre-season games are just a few weeks away. Go Seahawks!! 😆


I will never understand the appeal of NFL to Canadians.
I had a GF once who was a Packers fan, for no good reason really.
nuts.


----------



## zztomato

Diablo said:


> I will never understand the appeal of NFL to Canadians.
> I had a GF once who was a Packers fan, for no good reason really.
> nuts.


What, because Canadians shouldn't cheer for a team in another country?
I like football. The best play in the NFL. Been a Seahawks fan since the early 90s when I lived in Vancouver. They've always been a very entertaining team.


----------



## SWLABR

Diablo said:


> I will never understand the appeal of NFL to Canadians.
> I had a GF once who was a Packers fan, for no good reason really.
> nuts.


Cause the CFL is where it’s at?? Gotta disagree on this one Pally… I’m not an NFL guy, but I am an EPL fan. I was born in Birmingham, so I support Villa, but I’d follow even if I wasn’t.


----------



## Diablo

zztomato said:


> What, because Canadians shouldn't cheer for a team in another country?
> I like football. The best play in the NFL. Been a Seahawks fan since the early 90s when I lived in Vancouver. They've always been a very entertaining team.


Well, that is what ppl in here were told when they didnt leap onto the Habs bandwagon. 

i know the NFL attracts top talent ( by a long shot) but I do find the style of play, a lot of short yardage plays, to be really boring. <shrugs>


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> Cause the CFL is where it’s at?? Gotta disagree on this one Pally… I’m not an NFL guy, but I am an EPL fan. I was born in Birmingham, so I support Villa, but I’d follow even if I wasn’t.


Sometimes I actually appreciate the lower tiers of sports.
hear me out.
MLB to me, is boring because it is played too perfectly. I would much rather watch little league, with all the errors, steals, attempts to stretch hits etc. It’s a purer form of the game and actually…fun. MLB action is too brief and sporadic. They are just too good.
same with men’s tennis, which has too few rallies and is often just a competition of high powered serves.
IMO, the same applies to the NFL. Too many low risk short yardage plays, make it as exciting as watching a tug of war contest. I want to watch exciting plays not boring plays made by superstars. Take a risk, put the ball in the air. Watching a Jerome Bettis lumbering through a crowd was a joyless experience for me. today’s quarterbacks could play in wheelchairs for what little running they do.
Sometimes, the best make it…boring.

YMMV.

soccer is another story…always loved to play it, watching it is painful for me. Need more players on the field or something to give is some flow/momentum. A typical 1-nil game is as exciting as doing my taxes. And the diving needs to be put to an end, it’s disgusting.


----------



## zztomato

Diablo said:


> Well, that is what ppl in here were told when they didnt leap onto the Habs bandwagon.


yeah, I caught that.


Diablo said:


> i know the NFL attracts top talent ( by a long shot) but I do find the style of play, a lot of short yardage plays, to be really boring.


I think, like any sport, you have to become accustomed to the strategies and styles of play to really appreciate the competitiveness of the athletes and coaches. Once you understand and see what they are trying to do with the play calling, it's much more fun to watch. The NFL game has also changed a lot over the years so that you see a lot more deep plays and more quarterback scrambles and improv during the plays. The low score games are few these days. The NFL game is tighter, more complicated and requires some truly outstanding levels of athleticism. That's why I've always liked Seattle; they are really good now but, even when they sucked, they always tried to do some really wacky shit on the field that was very entertaining. Always fun to watch.


Diablo said:


> IMO, the same applies to the NFL. Too many low risk short yardage plays, make it as exciting as watching a tug of war contest. I want to watch exciting plays not boring plays made by superstars. Take a risk, put the ball in the air. Watching a Jerome Bettis lumbering through a crowd was a joyless experience for me. today’s quarterbacks could play in wheelchairs for what little running they do.


Read this after. I'm not sure how much football you've watched but this scenario you describe is very far from the current state of play in the NFL. Strategically though, you can't just go for deep plays every time the ball is snapped. Oddly, Seattle was doing that for the first half of the season until opposing teams got wise and shut them down. You have to keep the defence guessing. That's why you often see two run plays and one passing play in a series. You force the D to cover close and then slip in an explosive pass play. Keep them guessing and adjusting.


----------



## SWLABR

Diablo said:


> Sometimes I actually appreciate the lower tiers of sports.
> hear me out.
> MLB to me, is boring because it is played too perfectly. I would much rather watch little league, with all the errors, steals, attempts to stretch hits etc. It’s a purer form of the game and actually…fun. MLB action is too brief and sporadic. They are just too good.
> same with men’s tennis, which has too few rallies and is often just a competition of high powered serves.
> IMO, the same applies to the NFL. Too many low risk short yardage plays, make it as exciting as watching a tug of war contest. I want to watch exciting plays not boring plays made by superstars. Take a risk, put the ball in the air. Watching a Jerome Bettis lumbering through a crowd was a joyless experience for me. today’s quarterbacks could play in wheelchairs for what little running they do.
> Sometimes, the best make it…boring.
> 
> YMMV.
> 
> soccer is another story…always loved to play it, watching it is painful for me. Need more players on the field or something to give is some flow/momentum. A typical 1-nil game is as exciting as doing my taxes. And the diving needs to be put to an end, it’s disgusting.


I can totally respect that opinion. I have a buddy (American) who was a hot shit QB. Not saying he would have made NFL, but he was scouted and visited a few Bug 10 schools. Concussions put a halt on all of it. He has often said he prefers watching “collage ball” as it’s more pure.

EPL on the other hand… I can’t watch “lesser” leagues. The lack of skill is torture.


----------



## HighNoon

Petry knows he can't make that pass up the middle.....use the boards, get it out of the zone and get the line change made.


----------



## jayoldschool

Wow, that was a crazy OT.


----------



## HighNoon

jayoldschool said:


> Wow, that was a crazy OT.


And preceded by a 4 minute PK for high sticking drawing blood. Anderson was lights out tonight. Suzuki, what a player.


----------



## jdto

Looks like the TB mayor got her wish.


----------



## Diablo

HighNoon said:


> Petry knows he can't make that pass up the middle.....use the boards, get it out of the zone and get the line change made.


he's been a liability in this series. Will probably be on the TML top pair next year 

scrappy game. couldve went either way in OT, but admittedly, once they got past the first 15min of the game, MTL was 1 step ahead of TB.
I dont see it changing anything in terms of the outcome for the cup. MTL eek'd (is that a word?) out a win tonight, but I cant see them doing it 3 more times. if they do, I will tip my hat to them.


----------



## Diablo

zztomato said:


> yeah, I caught that.
> 
> I think, like any sport, you have to become accustomed to the strategies and styles of play to really appreciate the competitiveness of the athletes and coaches. Once you understand and see what they are trying to do with the play calling, it's much more fun to watch. The NFL game has also changed a lot over the years so that you see a lot more deep plays and more quarterback scrambles and improv during the plays. The low score games are few these days. The NFL game is tighter, more complicated and requires some truly outstanding levels of athleticism. That's why I've always liked Seattle; they are really good now but, even when they sucked, they always tried to do some really wacky shit on the field that was very entertaining. Always fun to watch.
> 
> Read this after. I'm not sure how much football you've watched but this scenario you describe is very far from the current state of play in the NFL. Strategically though, you can't just go for deep plays every time the ball is snapped. Oddly, Seattle was doing that for the first half of the season until opposing teams got wise and shut them down. You have to keep the defence guessing. That's why you often see two run plays and one passing play in a series. You force the D to cover close and then slip in an explosive pass play. Keep them guessing and adjusting.


Ya, in fairness, I gave up on the NFL a while back, around when Peyton Manning was playing and he could barely walk.
Mahomes is an exciting QB. I hope theres a trend towards that style, but it seemed when i watched it, guys like him, or Cordell Stewart for example, were always overlooked for slow lumbering giants like Roethlisberger who would usually lob a ball a few yards on most plays and never move very much, but could take a sack. Honestly, I know nothing about Seattle.


----------



## keto

Diablo said:


> he's been a liability in this series. Will probably be on the TML top pair next year
> 
> scrappy game. couldve went either way in OT, but admittedly, once they got past the first 15min of the game, MTL was 1 step ahead of TB.
> I dont see it changing anything in terms of the outcome for the cup. MTL eek'd (is that a word?) out a win tonight, but I cant see them doing it 3 more times. if they do, I will tip my hat to them.


Eked

Great hockey game.


----------



## zztomato

zztomato said:


> I think the Habs will have them right where they want them by game 4.


Amiright? Huh? 😆


----------



## leftysg

jdto said:


> Looks like the TB mayor got her wish.


And the Montreal mayor got hers.


----------



## SWLABR

Coming back against the Bolts will not be as easy as it was with the Leafs. TML are a fragile bunch, who have done nothing, and therefore had nothing the draw from when they were challenged.

Tampa are the reigning Champs. They know how to win. Added to that, their Scorers are scoring, their D are solid, their goalie is proven.

Unless the Habs can channel the 1942 Maple Leafs as the only team to come back from a 3-0 deficit. It's an 80 year old stat for a reason.

*EDIT* Full credit to Montreal for not rolling over. They have certainly shown a lot of grit. Secretly... I'm OK with this win. I hate when the Finals are a sweep. It means they don't deserve to be there. I think they have shown they do.


----------



## leftysg

Win in front of the home crowd. Holding Stamkos, Kucherov, Point, Cirelli off the scoresheet will give the tv puck heads the chance to build the storyline for two days about the Habs having found the secret formula to shut TB down. If they can win three in a row, two on the road without last change against a better team...they will earn their place in history. Finish it.


----------



## Diablo

zztomato said:


> Amiright? Huh? 😆


I dont know if any team "wants" their opponent to be 1 game away from closing the series while they need 4 themselves, but its an interesting strategy... reminds me of Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant


----------



## SWLABR

^^^_ Whatcha gonna do...??? _


----------



## Midnight Rider

jdto said:


> Looks like the TB mayor got her wish.


Yes,... and I would rather Tampa win on their turf so the celebration can be enjoyed by the players, fans in attendance and the entire state and or city of Tampa. I find it lame when a team wins the cup in the oppositions arena.

My brother lives in Florida and will be at the game on Wednesday,... lucky bastard squeezed some corporate tickets out of his employer. The Bro called and offered me a seat,... but with all the travel restrictions and quarantine roadblocks I had to decline, 😠


----------



## jdto

Midnight Rider said:


> Yes,... and I would rather Tampa win on their turf so the celebration can be enjoyed by the players, fans in attendance and the entire state and or city of Tampa. I find it lame when a team wins the cup in the oppositions arena.
> 
> My brother lives in Florida and will be at the game on Wednesday,... lucky bastard squeezed some corporate tickets out of his employer. The Bro called and offered me a seat,... but with all the travel restrictions and quarantine roadblocks I had to decline, 😠


Yeah, I totally get the benefits of winning it at home. I was at game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals and it would have been amazing to see the Raptors win it right before my eyes. It was still great to see them win it on TV, but being there would have been even better. I was there when Toronto FC won in 2017 (having had season tickets since the first season) and that was pretty special.


----------



## SWLABR

I wonder what this evening will hold... 





__





Latest U.S & World News: Trusted Source - WorldNewsEra






worldnewsera.com





It's kind of a shame. No matter what, if the Team extends it's season, or the fairy tale comes to an end, Montreal will burn tonight. I don't get it.


----------



## zztomato

SWLABR said:


> I wonder what this evening will hold...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Latest U.S & World News: Trusted Source - WorldNewsEra
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> worldnewsera.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's kind of a shame. No matter what, if the Team extends it's season, or the fairy tale comes to an end, Montreal will burn tonight. I don't get it.


Violence; it's part of the game. 😁


----------



## SWLABR

zztomato said:


> Violence; it's part of the game. 😁


I could maybe (but not really) see if they lost and were pissed off and angry… but the same results as celebratory? Nonsense.


----------



## Diablo

Hopefully they get a lot of rain tonight in MTL. Might keep more ppl home, from getting stupid.


----------



## SWLABR

That could happen...


----------



## SWLABR

Cause we're dealing with reasonable, rational adults...










IT'S HOCKEY for F**K SAKE'S!!


----------



## jdto

How many cop cars get burned? Over/under at 4.5?


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> Cause we're dealing with reasonable, rational adults...
> 
> View attachment 372810
> 
> 
> IT'S HOCKEY for F**K SAKE'S!!


I dont know how ppl like that wake up the next morning and think "ya, that was a sensible, justifiable thing I did last night".


----------



## zztomato

It seems like a "hockey fan" kind if thing to do. I mean, Vancouver had a couple of hockey riots as well. It may just seem extreme for Toronto fans cause the Leafs have never made it that far in the modern era so the tension never gets very high.


----------



## jdto

The Raptors celebrations were pretty good, relatively speaking. I know there were a few windows smashed and some other random vandalism, but compared to Vancouver's two Stanley Cup finals riots, it was pretty mild. The shooting incident during the parade was handled very quickly and didn't spread or ruin the day.


----------



## zztomato

jdto said:


> . The shooting incident during the parade was handled very quickly and didn't spread or ruin the day.


Lol. Yeah, that happens in most parades.


----------



## jdto

zztomato said:


> Lol. Yeah, that happens in most parades.


There were a million people at the parade and celebration, which was overall peaceful and joyous. A few idiots got into it and that's what lead to the shooting. It seems they were drug dealers involved in some sort of dispute. My point is, compared to what happened in Vancouver, this was a peaceful celebration marred by one contained incident as opposed to widespread mayhem and looting.


----------



## zztomato

jdto said:


> There were a million people at the parade and celebration, which was overall peaceful and joyous. A few idiots got into it and that's what lead to the shooting. It seems they were drug dealers involved in some sort of dispute. My point is, compared to what happened in Vancouver, this was a peaceful celebration marred by one contained incident as opposed to widespread mayhem and looting.


No, I know. It was just kind of an absurd sentence to read. Next year Santa's going to be granted a permit for a concealed firearm.


----------



## Guitar101

SWLABR said:


> Cause we're dealing with reasonable, rational adults...
> 
> View attachment 372810
> 
> 
> IT'S HOCKEY for F**K SAKE'S!!


There's a rumour going round that those are Tampa Bay fans that are trying to make Habs fans look bad. I was able to zoom in on one of them and saw this tat so maybe there's something to it.


----------



## SWLABR

Guitar101 said:


> There's a rumour going round that those are Tampa Bay fans that are trying to make Habs fans look bad. I was able to zoom in on one of them and saw this tat so maybe there's something to it.
> 
> View attachment 372859


Ya, and to make it look legit, they rioted in 1955 when Rocket Richard was suspended, in 1992 when Guns ‘n Roses cancelled a show, and last year to protest lockdown measures… 

If memory serves, there were no riots when the Jays won back to back World Series. Well, not in TO anyway. Saskatoon did in 93. 

I’d say Montreal has a “history of violence”. 

A suspension… a f*cking suspension. In the 1950’s??? Not exactly the G8 riots in Toronto lead by insurrectionists. 

Sorry… is that too political?


----------



## mhammer

Have you forgotten when the Canucks lost, and downtown Vancouver was left in a broken shambles?


----------



## SWLABR

mhammer said:


> Have you forgotten when the Canucks lost, and downtown Vancouver was left in a broken shambles?


Who? Me? I haven’t forgotten, but it wasn’t (in my opinion) relevant to this argument. Riots are not exclusive to Montreal. I would never suggest it was. They just seem to have a quicker trigger than most.


----------



## Midnight Rider

zztomato said:


> It seems like a "hockey fan" kind if thing to do. I mean, Vancouver had a couple of hockey riots as well. It may just seem extreme for Toronto fans cause the Leafs have never made it that far in the modern era so the tension never gets very high.


Oh,... well,... now that you explain that way it makes perfect sense to riot over a sporting event!,...


----------



## Midnight Rider

Guitar101 said:


> There's a rumour going round that those are Tampa Bay fans that are trying to make Habs fans look bad. I was able to zoom in on one of them and saw this tat so maybe there's something to it.
> 
> View attachment 372859


Oh yeah,... 100% proven and believable,... lol.


----------



## zztomato

Midnight Rider said:


> Oh,... well,... now that you explain that way it makes perfect sense to riot over a sporting event!,...


I'm glad you're picking up what I'm layin' down, bro. 👍


----------



## mhammer

SWLABR said:


> Who? Me? I haven’t forgotten, but it wasn’t (in my opinion) relevant to this argument. Riots are not exclusive to Montreal. I would never suggest it was. They just seem to have a quicker trigger than most.


Oh agreed. Whenever there's a postal workers strike, well after everywhere else across the country has settled, they're still turning over buses and setting them on fire in Montreal. Must be all that pent-up frustration at not being able to turn right on a red light.


----------



## Hammerhands

It’s not the modern era for Vancouver, they rioted for Grey Cup games. They just like to riot.


----------



## Diablo

I think I saw in the pregame show that in the Habs change room, they had brought their golf clubs with them.


----------



## Midnight Rider

One & Done!


----------



## leftysg

Well in the craziness of this season, when I actually I put money on the Leafs to break the curse, at least I picked the champs from the start in here.


----------



## jdto

A happy ending, after all


----------



## leftysg

mhammer said:


> Oh agreed. Whenever there's a postal workers strike, well after everywhere else across the country has settled, they're still turning over buses and setting them on fire in Montreal. Must be all that pent-up frustration at not being able to turn right on a red light.


Couldn't turn on a red light tonight either.


----------



## Diablo

So….who was the best this year?


----------



## Midnight Rider

Any reports of Montreal city throwing a Tampa-tantrum yet?,...


----------



## traynor_garnet

Velvety velvety, smooth


----------



## Midnight Rider

Watching the post game interviews on Sportsnet. Hedman, Stamkos and Killorn on one panel half in the bag sharing a bottle of champagne. 

Then Kucherov comes on solo, shirtless and clearly over half in the bag sporting a Bud Light in hand. His first comment is directed at Hab fans who he felt acted like they won the cup after winning game 4,... F'n hilarious!

Then he leaves for a minute or so and returns,... still shirtless and carrying in a few beers with a bottle of champagne.

This guy is my all time favourite post game cup winning interviewee,... F'n classic!,🤪 🍾


----------



## SWLABR

Just watched Kucherov's post-game. That was pretty funny.


----------



## HighNoon

Last minute of the game, you pull your goalie and the Habs have Petry on the point.....you know, the guy with two dislocated fingers on his right power shooting hand. And that means, Weber, the guy with the cannon, your captain is sitting on the bench. That pretty well sums up the series for Montreal. Follow and dissect each game and you will see similar dumb moves across the board, from the PP to who plays and who doesn't. Of course the Bolts have a power house team, strong in all three departments.....and smart coaching when it comes to match ups and game plans. That being said, it could have been a competitive series.


----------



## Guitar101

HighNoon said:


> Last minute of the game, you pull your goalie and the Habs have Petry on the point.....you know, the guy with two dislocated fingers on his right power shooting hand. And that means, Weber, the guy with the cannon, your captain is sitting on the bench. That pretty well sums up the series for Montreal. Follow and dissect each game and you will see similar dumb moves across the board, from the PP to who plays and who doesn't. Of course the Bolts have a power house team, strong in all three departments.....and smart coaching when it comes to match ups and game plans. That being said, it could have been a competitive series.


Yes that pretty well sums it up but some of their fans act like know-it-alls.


----------



## HighNoon

Guitar101 said:


> Yes that pretty well sums it up but some of their fans act like know-it-alls.


Don't listen to them. Just look at basic stats like SOG's, % of face off wins, possession time in the O zone, and then co-relate that to the eye test.....who's winning the one on one battles, number of hits etc, and of course who'd driving the play and burying the biscuit.


----------



## Diablo

Habs over achieved to get there, but once they did they were outclassed in every single category.
They had a great playoff hot streak, but it was no _miracle sur glace_

I only caught parts of Kucherovs rant but he makes some good points. Ive been hearing since the Don Cherry days how Price is "the worlds greatest goalie", but what was the based on? Certainly not the playoffs.
He is/was really good...and certainly a guy I would want to be the greatest...but his track record isnt deserving of that weight.
Yet Vasily never is brought into those discussions...what more does the guy have to do? He isnt just riding TB's coattails to a cup the way some, lets say Niemi, or Osgood, did.
I heard Guy Carbonneau on the radio today say on the topic "..._now_, Vasilevskiy is _slightly_ ahead of Price..."are you fucking kidding me? How is Price even comparable? He mustve been choking on the words though.
Price will be this generations Cujo. a fan favourite and national pride, that fell short.


----------



## allthumbs56

HighNoon said:


> Don't listen to them. Just look at basic stats like SOG's, % of face off wins, possession time in the O zone, and then co-relate that to the eye test.....who's winning the one on one battles, number of hits etc, and of course who'd driving the play and burying the biscuit.


Yup - and all of that can be summarized as "Tampa vs. Price". No other Montreal player made a dent.


----------



## SWLABR

allthumbs56 said:


> Yup - and all of that can be summarized as "Tampa vs. Price". No other Montreal player made a dent.


A grenade just entered the room... 

I'm off to make popcorn.


----------



## Diablo

allthumbs56 said:


> Yup - and all of that can be summarized as "Tampa vs. Price". No other Montreal player made a dent.


MTL looked as frustrated and impotent vs TB, as Vegas looked against MTL.

Now, in hindsight, a NYI vs MTL final series may have been more exciting.


----------



## 2manyGuitars

leftysg said:


> Couldn't turn on a red light tonight either.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Diablo said:


> MTL looked as frustrated and impotent vs TB, as Vegas looked against MTL.
> 
> Now, in hindsight, a NYI vs MTL final series may have been more exciting.
> View attachment 373005


Or the Bruins,... you wanna talk about riots, lol.


----------



## Milkman

Ok, go Leafs.


----------



## Diablo

Midnight Rider said:


> Or the Bruins,... you wanna talk about riots, lol.


Im personally sick of seeing them in the playoffs, lol.
It was good to get a break from Pit and BB. Theyre right after MTL on teams I love to hate.

Truth is, I dont think MTL would have gotten by BB if it were an ordinary year with the usual divisions.
MTL were lucky to have drawn the Leafs....that luck should have more than made up for their petty whining about ref-ing later on.


----------



## Diablo

Milkman said:


> Ok, go Leafs.


Too soon!

Im still deciding if they will be banned from the tv in my house next year. Enough's enough. Dubas' head on a platter, or they can pound sand.


----------



## Diablo

i guess instead of flipping cop cars, MTLers went straight to the source.
or maybe they can try to pin this on the refs too…








Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher loses Stanley Cup, then finds out his home was robbed — Yahoo Sports Canada


It's been a tough couple days for Brendan Gallagher.




apple.news


----------



## Frenchy99

Diablo said:


> i guess instead of flipping cop cars, MTLers went straight to the source.
> or maybe they can try to pin this on the refs too…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher loses Stanley Cup, then finds out his home was robbed — Yahoo Sports Canada
> 
> 
> It's been a tough couple days for Brendan Gallagher.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> apple.news


 Your such a moron.


----------



## Diablo

Frenchy99 said:


> Your such a moron.


----------



## mhammer

I thought the Beaverton paid suitable hommage to the finals:








Team that wasn't subject to Salary Cap better than teams that were


Tampa Bay, FL - The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup last night, proving once and for all that, in a salary cap league, a team that blatantly exceeds the salary cap will usually be better than teams that don't.




www.thebeaverton.com












Habs fans show appreciation for team's playoff journey by flipping over the Bell Centre


The Beaverton - North America's Trusted Source




www.thebeaverton.com












Tampa Bay Lightning snap nine month Stanley Cup drought


TAMPA BAY, FL - The Tampa Bay Lightning have finally broken their Stanley Cup drought, a wait spanning three-quarters of a year.




www.thebeaverton.com


----------



## Guitar101

Diablo said:


> Too soon!
> 
> I'm still deciding if they will be banned from the tv in my house next year.


If you do that, you'll just drive you're wife and kids underground. They may have better taste than you.


----------



## Midnight Rider

This 'The Beaverton' stuff is gold baby,...gold!, 😂
*Tampa Bay Lightning snap nine month Stanley Cup drought*
TAMPA BAY, FL – The Tampa Bay Lightning have finally broken their Stanley Cup drought, a wait spanning three-quarters of a year.
The team franchise has not engraved its name on Lord Stanley’s Cup since Donald Trump was President and a COVID-19 vaccine was not yet widely available.
“Hell has frozen over,” said one cynical commentator who never believed he would see the day that the Bolts would pull through for such a prolonged 282 days.
​The Lightning’s captain Steven Stamkos was at the tender age of 30 the last time Tampa Bay won the NHL’s Championship.
“I’ve waited all my life to see this moment,” presumably said an eight-month-old baby who has been a Lightning fan all of his life.
At press time, Montreal Canadiens fans were proud that, even though their team lost, they were given so many opportunities to riot.

*Leafs forfeit Game 7 to save everyone the trouble*
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced they will not play Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens to save everyone the trouble.
“I think we all know how this will end,” said Leafs Coach Sheldon Keefe at a press conference. “We owe it to our fans not to torture them with the false hopes that we’ll win tonight. We decided, as a team, that this game is really not worth it.”
Potential injuries during their inevitable last game of the season may affect players’ golf swings, warned the team’s doctor.

“In a way, we all win in this situation,” said the team’s goaltender and saint Jack Campbell. “Even though I’m having the greatest season in my career, I don’t blame the players. We’re all in this together. Now you must excuse me, I have to donate all of my earnings to the local children’s hospital.”
At press time, star players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner already gave up their season six games ago.


----------



## SWLABR

Even as a Leaf fan, that’s funny!

this is so accurate….

At press time, star players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner already gave up their season six games ago


----------



## Midnight Rider

Frenchy99 said:


> Your such a moron.





Diablo said:


> i guess instead of flipping cop cars, MTLers went straight to the source.
> or maybe they can try to pin this on the refs too…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher loses Stanley Cup, then finds out his home was robbed — Yahoo Sports Canada
> 
> 
> It's been a tough couple days for Brendan Gallagher.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> apple.news


Gotta give him credit,... at least he had a sense of humour about the double whammy.









But, if you want real funny you gotta watch this folks.


----------



## keto

Kucherov got a beer deal out of that ^. LOL.








Lightning's Kucherov signs with Bud Light after epic press conference


Nikita Kucherov signed a contract with Bud Light, the company announced on Friday, after the iconic press conference following his teams second-consecutive Stanley Cup win on Wednesday.




www.sportsnet.ca


----------



## Midnight Rider

My brother lives in Florida and sent me the route of the Lightning Stanley Cup parade,... I think it's unique and very cool that they do the parade on the Hillsborough River where fans can participate by land or water. The brother says he will have his boat there as the players go by like last year. Gonna be some serious southern party go'n on.


----------



## zztomato

Will they pull a Brady and throw the cup from one boat to another? Do it!


----------



## Midnight Rider

zztomato said:


> Will they pull a Brady and throw the cup from one boat to another? Do it!


Not sure if they threw the cup from boat to boat,... but they did have a scuba dive team on alert in the event that the cup went into the drink,... due to too much drink.

Here's how it went down the river today.


----------



## Midnight Rider

River run parade day.


----------



## Midnight Rider

Well,... alright Hab fans,... here's one for ya to help you along the road to recovery.


----------



## zztomato

I just heard on the sport news that the "cup" part of the cup was badly damaged in the boat parade. Guess where it gets sent for repair? Montreal.


----------



## leftysg

They were living on the edge...it's shark week after all.


----------



## SWLABR

zztomato said:


> I just heard on the sport news that the "cup" part of the cup was badly damaged in the boat parade. Guess where it gets sent for repair? Montreal.


Ahhh... they get to have the Cup in the summer after all.


----------



## Midnight Rider

zztomato said:


> I just heard on the sport news that the "cup" part of the cup was badly damaged in the boat parade. Guess where it gets sent for repair? Montreal.


Maroon is holding the damaged cup,... wonder if he went a few rounds with it,... one for as many years in a row he was on the winning team.


----------



## Diablo

Great to see that a city doesnt have to be an original 6, or north-east team to get excited about the stanley cup!


----------



## SWLABR

Diablo said:


> Great to see that a city doesnt have to be an original 6, or north-east team to get excited about the stanley cup!


True. But doesn't everyone love a Winner?? It's the lean years that show how deep the fanbase is.


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> True. But doesn't everyone love a Winner?? It's the lean years that show how deep the fanbase is.


Oh definitely.
Unpopular POV on sports fans coming up:








But I think teams should be rewarded by their base demographic for their performance as well. Its a two-way street
Honestly, theres something a little sad to me when fans keeping coming masochistically to teams that keep raising prices but never delivering with performance ie "value" in the experience.
A professional sports team is still a product, and fans are consumers. Consumers_ should_ lose interest in any company that puts out a lousy product. I dont blame consumers for that. Nor do I think continuing to buy/support, say the Blackberry, Atari, Polaroid, Tab or wood-panelled station wagon of sports, is really as brag-worthy as some think it is. In a way, its somewhere between spineless and learned helplessness.


----------



## zztomato

Diablo said:


> Honestly, theres something a little sad to me when fans keeping coming masochistically to teams that keep raising prices but never delivering with performance ie "value" in the experience.
> A professional sports team is still a product, and fans are consumers. Consumers_ should_ lose interest in any company that puts out a lousy product. I dont blame consumers for that. Nor do I think continuing to buy/support, say the Blackberry, Atari, Polaroid, Tab or wood-panelled station wagon of sports, is really as brag-worthy as some think it is.


Leafs, right?


----------



## Diablo

zztomato said:


> Leafs, right?


Lol...Im sure theres some other teams that ppl can think of as well, not necessarily in the NHL.
But when it comes to over-charging and underdelivering and living off the laurels of a past most fans arent old enough to have any memories of, they would be the most egregious example.
TML charge as if they are the Yankees, but deliver like the Brewers.

If youve gone to NHL games in "lesser markets", you can see fans have just as much fun or more, for a fraction of the price.


----------



## SWLABR

Diablo said:


> If youve gone to games in "lesser markets", you can see fans have just as much fun or more, for a fraction of the price.


I saw the Sabres & Canes in Carolina during lean years for both. Place was pretty empty, but the ones who were there got right into it. 
Stormy the Pig is worth the price of admission alone! He’s way more fun than Carlton the Bear.


----------



## Diablo

SWLABR said:


> I saw the Sabres & Canes in Carolina during lean years for both. Place was pretty empty, but the ones who were there got right into it.
> Stormy the Pig is worth the price of admission alone! He’s way more fun than Carlton the Bear.


Ya, Buffalo...is Buffalo. Went to game there vs Red wings as well, half the crowd were bussed in from Detroit. But it was a vibrant experience.
Carolina has to earn their fans. I admire that. I like an organization to be lean and hungry, on and off the ice. Thats what TML is missing. I feel dirty at TML games, like at a classy strip joint, where im looked at as prey for my money, with little care about the experience.

Saw a game in NJ at their old stadium. Could buy tickets the same week, parking was beside the stadium and less than $10. Building was pretty full, but was odd to see ppl leaving as it went into OT.

Went to a Panthers game (vs TB) before covid. Lots of TB fans there. Building wasnt full but snacks and souvenirs were reasonably priced, fans were having a really fun time, they had unique chants and stuff. Lu was treated like a god. An exec from the NHL gave a practice puck to my daughter, still with snow on it.

great memories, fraction of the price.


----------



## jdto

I went to a game in Columbus back in ‘08 and it was full, loud and a good time. concessions were reasonable and the stadium is right in a fun little district with lots of pubs and fun stuff to do.

We had travelled for the soccer game the next day, but also organized the outing to the hockey game as a large group, probably 80-100 of us. We made a lot of noise in support of the home team, who lost to Nashville. Their group hosts were great and invited us down for a group photo on the ice after the game.
The next day we were part of the 2000-odd Toronto supporters at the Columbus stadium and it was a blast. That whole trip probably didn’t cost much more than a pair of decent Leafs tickets plus some beers at the ACC. Of course, our dollar was quite high back then, too.


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