listened to it early. radio is better than nothing, but there's no way to really know how things are going. watched more, but bedtime called. thanks for the reply.
anxiously awaiting 2 pm.

As much as I want to see the Caps bounce the Rangers, it will be VERY hard to root for Dale Hunter (for ruining the one good Islander team of the '90s). I tend to hold on to grudges...but if he did find a way to win this series I might start to forgive him.

i was never a big hunter fan; i'm ambivalent about him as coach. but i want that cup!! tortorella could be coaching the caps and i'd root for them! :D

darn. shots keep pinging off the post.

Would have been nice to have the Predators play like this against the Wings...

Wow, what is happening in the desert. Do you hear that howling. too funny. Go Yotes

I'm sure the ice will melt soon. I've been watching all the playoffs on CMT, Hockey Night in Canada, great coverage and Don Cherry at intermission. :tro:
I was a little concerned they would stop showing games after all the Canadian teams were out, but that's not the case. They did however draw the line at Phoenix-Nashville, and I had to watch on NBC.

I read an article about this. CMT was allowed to cover two series and they chose both series in the East. Don Cherry is entertaining even if you can't always agree with him.

My favorite Don Chery moment so far this year was when he said something like, "These refs, whats wrong with them, I mean drop the F-ing puck already."
I swear he nearly said the F word.

i don't care for cherry at all.
the howling made me laugh, almost as funny as the growls for the panthers.

Mike Emrick is the BEST play by player going today, any sport!

Emrick is pretty great, no doubt about that.

Can you imagine the ratings (or lack thereof) if, well, any of the four teams in the west make the finals? There hasn't been a frozen pond anywhere near LA or Phoenix since the Ice Age, and Nashville is hardly a hockey hotbed either. St. Louis at least has some tradition, though none of it has been recent. Thankfully, any of the Caps, Rangers, Flyers, and Devils would provide some sort of storyline as the Eastern Conference champs.

I think the only intriguing team for NBC would be the Kings.

Does anybody in LA even root for the Kings?

I want to believe so. I remember in 94 how great it was in NYC with the Knicks and Rangers both making runs. Obviously we all know that the Lakers numero uno out there, but from what I saw the Staples center was rockin when the Kings played the Canucks last week. What's LA the 2nd biggest TV market in the country? You have to think that there are at least a few hockey fans out there.

Not I.

saw today that rinne has allowed as many goals in the second round thru two games (9) as in the whole first round. can't do that and win. his gaa was 1.81 first round, it's 4.09 so far for round two. he definitely needs to pick it up.

what in the world is going on with st louis??

I can understand that. I don't care for Jeremy Roenick.

Phoenix-LA in the WCF. What is this, the WCHL?

and every time i see milbury, i ask the t.v. 'shake anyone lately'? tough guy picking on a youth hockey player. :rolleyes: he's the matt millen of the hockey world.

it is unbelievable how those series' have gone. i can't believe st. louis last night, just awful.

Eh, the Blues played way over their heads all season.

The Kings problem all year was that they couldn't score enough goals. They were 29th in the league in goals for and 2nd in the league in goals against. They averaged 30.6 shots a game which ranked them 11th.
I think it's as simple as, all of a sudden pucks are finding the back of the net.

The Blues to me are just a team that played a good defensive system but outworked teams on a nightly basis. In the playoffs everyone works that hard so their advantage is negated. I feel to a lesser degree the same way about the Rangers although Lundquist makes up for a lot of mistakes.

we also need to factor in their starting goalie is on the shelf


-bt-

Brian Elliot was a freakin all-star.

In other news Kovalchuk out for the Devs tonite.

8 goals in 2 games..... and Halak was the starting goalie against SJ, all-star?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/st...1_2&qualified=


not sure why kovalchuk is out, but philly will break him if this series goes deep

-bt-

Halak got hurt in game 2 of the series and then Elliott proceeded to stop 98 of 103 shots. Check out Elliott's numbers again and get back to me.

who started the series?
i'm not arguing he's not a viable back up, but Halak carried more of the load this season, for a reason i assume, probably the same reason he got the nod for the playoffs.

and it's all about what have you done for me lately, you know that. He could have stood on his head against SJ, you said it yourself, LA one of the worst Goals For in the league have layed 8 on him in two games

-bt-

Elliott had an upper body injury before the start of the Sharks series.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=6...vid=nhl-search


I can't comment on the quality of goals he's given up (I haven't watched). But for a team like the Blues who have goalies that are 1 and 1A, it shouldn't matter who's in between the pipes. That excuse would/will work with the Caps at any point if Holtby should go into the tank. But it holds no water for the Blues.

To be fair, at least three of those LA goals last night were basically of the breakaway variety. STL was awful defensively in the opening period.

now i see nash has suspended two of their forwards for violating team rules.

i'm not disagreeing with your 1 1A theory.
but, they no longer have that option, ala to go to Halak, if just to change up the pace.


-bt-

You'll get no arguement from me there.

may not be such a bad thing, jonesy rips into him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZgkCmVHyCs


-bt-

oh, i wasn't saying it was-agree completely with them being benched. talk about dumb on their part. hello, second round of playoffs, what are you thinking?? jackasses.

Talk in the DC area is over Ovechkin's ice time or lack thereof. I think it's pretty simple: Caps have a lead they need to protect, he sits. Caps need goals, he plays. Until Ovie starts becoming more of a two-way guy, I presume that's how it will be for him.

yeah, i don't get why it's huge news. you play your lines/players as needed, not because of who gets paid what. he did what he was supposed to do last night-they all did. ovie gets a ton of hits, but he's not what you'd consider a good guy defensively.
it's just like the reporters prodding tortorella, and then they write how he's acerbic and curt. yeah, cause that's something new with him. trying to make a story where one doesn't exist.

Flyers d doing Bryz no favors.