Say you are a regular reader of my little scribblings, in that case I apologise for the infrequency that snuck into my postings. Work has been unbelievably hectic and personal time as well. In itself not a bad thing, but it has kept me from watching games as soon as I can and writing them up. So here with some delay my shorter than usual views on both games.
[Game 5: Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Nucks lead series 3-2. I hate 1-0 games. I hate them just a bit less if the team I root for wins. But I hate them nonetheless. Upon seeing the result on my NHL applet I decided against watching this one. I am sure it had it's moments, but I just refuse to watch it. There you go. Nucks are a game ahead at this point and could have claimed the Cup in Game 6.
[Game 6: Nucks-Bruins] 2-5. Series tied, again. On home ice there is just no stopping the Bruins. They do not just play and somehow win, they dominate.
♦ That was an awesome first period. If you are a Bruins fan anyways. Everything went right for the Bruins here and they scored four goals in this one period. Marchand, Lucic, Ference scored in quick succession at which point the suffering Luongo was replaced by Schneider. Not that it helped much, as just a minute later Ryder (although at first it looked as if it was Kabby) scored the fourth one
♦ The second period was scoreless and apart from some hacking, slashing, checking, you could say not much went on it this period
♦ The third brought some more excitement. At least the Nucks got on the scoreboard. Sedin (Henrik) scored just seconds into the third. But Krejci made sure the message was clear and scored the fifth goal for the Bruins. Lapierre added a second goal for the Nucks, but for this game it was just not in the cards for the Nucks
Other stuff.
♦ Hits. Yes. Some took place. Some bad too. Of course I will mention the Boychuck hit on Raymond. By now we know that Raymond has a few fractured vertebrae and that he will be out for a few months. I wish him all the best and hope that he will have a quick recovery. As for the hit itself, I am a bit on the fence here. Both guys were fighting for the puck and Raymond was doing some weird contortionist act to get to the puck before Boychuck would. He sort of folded his own body around and underneath Boychuck's. And that is a big dude, so that close to the board it was an accident waiting to happen. I do not even want to imagine what that hit would have looked like at full speed, I am just glad the speed had already dissipated a bit. Still, I wonder if Boychuck maybe could have tried to avoid it, but I am sure he would have if he could
♦ But the nastier hit was performed by Eidler. He thorougly boarded Pev. On an icing! Right. Eidler, read up on rules will you? Hmm and Bergeron had mean elbowing going on against Ehrhoff. Not very nice either
Some final thoughts:
♦ Does anyone else thinks that the Sedin twins are airing their frustration with lots of nasty mean little hits and pokes, of which most go unpunished?
♦ Who else misses Kesler? Well he is there, but he must be in some serious pain due to some sort of injury. He has been a ghost of his former self the past few games. Damn, I hate when such a great player is pretty much sidetracked due to some undisclosed injuries :(
♦ OK. So the Nucks barely win, but still, win, at home. The Bruins utterly dominate on their home ice. I am not so sure what to make of this. If the Bruins can bring even a bit of that extra energy they seem to have at home to Vancouver for Game 7, I can just see them win the Cup. Would be nice!
Showing posts with label play-offs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label play-offs. Show all posts
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Playoffs Daily | SCF Game 1 | June 2nd, 2011
I was so excited for Game 1 of the Final! I spent the entire evening fighting off sleep and sure enough, the clock struck 2am and I was still up. Hockey Night In Canada tune ... anthems ... puck drop. So exciting, even more so than the previous games!
[Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Intense game. Not exactly because of gameplay, but just because of what is at stake and both teams really wanting to win but obviously getting frustrated as time went on and no goals were scored ...
♦ But it started off with a barrage of shots by the Nucks in the first few minutes. Timmie had to show up early and in the first two minutes alone made about 5 saves, but at least the Bruins made it through the first minute without allowing a goal. If you have been following them these Playoffs, you will know it is not uncommon to happen
♦ It took the Bruins a bit longer to get the first shot on goal, well into the third minute but Luongo managed to deflect the puck with his skate. Would have been an easy tap in otherwise
♦ D. Sedin then performed some nasty high sticking on Chara giving the Bruins their first powerplay, all 4 minutes of it. The Bruins moved the puck around pretty well, but it was not really offensive and the Nucks had a very effective PK. Rather tame four minutes actually, instantly livened up by Sedin's return to the ice ... Timmie had some blistering saving to do straight away. What followed were a lot of intense moments and quite a lot of PPs
♦ The game settled in the last few minutes though, only to be livened up by a skermish right after the whistle was blown. Bergeron and Burrows got into it and I just read that Burrows bit Bergeron. What?!
♦ This period was the busiest in terms of SOG: 17 Bruins, 12 Nucks
♦ Onto the second period. This one started with a rush again. But the Nucks were - in my opinion - even less disciplined this period and soon the Bruins found themselves on a two man advantage once more. Unfortunately, again the special teams failed to monetise
♦ This period brought us the best hit of the game: Lucic got flipped over by Hamhuis (perfectly legally), but in the process Hamhuis managed to get himself hurt and he did not return to the ice once he finally skated off. Krejci did also crosscheck him as a bit of retaliation, but that was pretty gentle, so yeah, I am going with a self inflicted injury due to lifting a taller and heavier opponent. Still. Awesome hit, see for yourself (courtesy of NHL.com)
♦ Halfway through the period the Nucks to me looked just a bit more feisty, but the Bruins just grunted and beared it. Thinking back, Kesler had the biggest chance of this period shortly after that hit on Lucic
♦ The hit also served as a bit of a catalyst for the Bruins. They already had their share of penalties in the first period but seemed to have calmed down significantly, but the bear was loose again. Marchand wanted to retaliate a bit I suppose and made a great hit on Raymond, another flip. Seidenberg saw an opportunity to break away and did so but not without some kneeing first and was sent to the penalty box. Seconds later Peverley followed for hooking, giving the Nucks a 5-on-3 advantage. You would think that the Nucks would finally get a PP goal now, instead pesky Burrows got a penalty for tripping Timmie, making it a 4-on-3. Not nearly as exciting. This penalty seemed a bit unfair though, but Burrows had been a nuisance throughout the game, there had to be payback at some time. The game got very gritty
♦ But eventually things settled down a bit and we entered a much quieter part of the game, although by no means boring. Both teams were hunting for that first goal. What struck me towards the end of the second period is that neither team had a strong grip on strategy. Both Bruins and Nucks seemed to have a haphazard approach towards offence. Maybe it was the unsettling amount of PPS on which neither team managed to capatilise. End of second period and still no goals scored. Both teams had 9 shots on goal
♦ Third period, much of the same and the first big chance was generated by Hansen, who broke loose and went full speed ahead towards the Bruins net, but Timmie performed yet another awesome save. As we went to the final 10 mins of regulation, the Nucks picked up speed for a good five minutes, generating a few chances, but nothing paid off. Once again things settled down for the remainder of the third period and I think everyone had accepted the idea that the game would go to OT, but then Torres struck. 1-0 Nucks. Great goal too, but then it would take something special to beat any of the goalies this night
♦ The final period saw 10 shots on goal by the Bruins and 14 by the Nucks
♦ Funny moment 1: Thomas turning his back on the skermish at the end of the fist period and hitting imaginary posts (embedded via NHL.com):
♦ Funny moment 2: After the hit on Lucic and subsequent crosscheck on Hamhuis by Krejci, they replayed a barrage of crosschecks of Seids on Burrows I think it was (sorry, was too lazy to rewind during the game to ascertain) ... but no penalty awarded there. Could not find footage of this, but take my word for it, it was amusing
Final words. Not sure what to make of this game really. Great goaltending, that is a certainty. Both Timmie and Lu played an awesome game. The Nucks were a bit feistier. But the Bruins were steady and did not allow for much space. Both teams had 6 PPs and failed to score. For the Bruins this was expected, but for the Nucks less so. In the end I think the game was pretty even and either team could have/should have won. The Nucks got it this time, hopefully the next one will be for the Bruins. But both teams will have to work on some elements of their game and I want to see a bit more fireworks next time. Not talking about the goalies here, like I said, they were splendid!
[Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Intense game. Not exactly because of gameplay, but just because of what is at stake and both teams really wanting to win but obviously getting frustrated as time went on and no goals were scored ...
♦ But it started off with a barrage of shots by the Nucks in the first few minutes. Timmie had to show up early and in the first two minutes alone made about 5 saves, but at least the Bruins made it through the first minute without allowing a goal. If you have been following them these Playoffs, you will know it is not uncommon to happen
♦ It took the Bruins a bit longer to get the first shot on goal, well into the third minute but Luongo managed to deflect the puck with his skate. Would have been an easy tap in otherwise
♦ D. Sedin then performed some nasty high sticking on Chara giving the Bruins their first powerplay, all 4 minutes of it. The Bruins moved the puck around pretty well, but it was not really offensive and the Nucks had a very effective PK. Rather tame four minutes actually, instantly livened up by Sedin's return to the ice ... Timmie had some blistering saving to do straight away. What followed were a lot of intense moments and quite a lot of PPs
♦ The game settled in the last few minutes though, only to be livened up by a skermish right after the whistle was blown. Bergeron and Burrows got into it and I just read that Burrows bit Bergeron. What?!
♦ This period was the busiest in terms of SOG: 17 Bruins, 12 Nucks
♦ Onto the second period. This one started with a rush again. But the Nucks were - in my opinion - even less disciplined this period and soon the Bruins found themselves on a two man advantage once more. Unfortunately, again the special teams failed to monetise
♦ This period brought us the best hit of the game: Lucic got flipped over by Hamhuis (perfectly legally), but in the process Hamhuis managed to get himself hurt and he did not return to the ice once he finally skated off. Krejci did also crosscheck him as a bit of retaliation, but that was pretty gentle, so yeah, I am going with a self inflicted injury due to lifting a taller and heavier opponent. Still. Awesome hit, see for yourself (courtesy of NHL.com)
♦ Halfway through the period the Nucks to me looked just a bit more feisty, but the Bruins just grunted and beared it. Thinking back, Kesler had the biggest chance of this period shortly after that hit on Lucic
♦ The hit also served as a bit of a catalyst for the Bruins. They already had their share of penalties in the first period but seemed to have calmed down significantly, but the bear was loose again. Marchand wanted to retaliate a bit I suppose and made a great hit on Raymond, another flip. Seidenberg saw an opportunity to break away and did so but not without some kneeing first and was sent to the penalty box. Seconds later Peverley followed for hooking, giving the Nucks a 5-on-3 advantage. You would think that the Nucks would finally get a PP goal now, instead pesky Burrows got a penalty for tripping Timmie, making it a 4-on-3. Not nearly as exciting. This penalty seemed a bit unfair though, but Burrows had been a nuisance throughout the game, there had to be payback at some time. The game got very gritty
♦ But eventually things settled down a bit and we entered a much quieter part of the game, although by no means boring. Both teams were hunting for that first goal. What struck me towards the end of the second period is that neither team had a strong grip on strategy. Both Bruins and Nucks seemed to have a haphazard approach towards offence. Maybe it was the unsettling amount of PPS on which neither team managed to capatilise. End of second period and still no goals scored. Both teams had 9 shots on goal
♦ Third period, much of the same and the first big chance was generated by Hansen, who broke loose and went full speed ahead towards the Bruins net, but Timmie performed yet another awesome save. As we went to the final 10 mins of regulation, the Nucks picked up speed for a good five minutes, generating a few chances, but nothing paid off. Once again things settled down for the remainder of the third period and I think everyone had accepted the idea that the game would go to OT, but then Torres struck. 1-0 Nucks. Great goal too, but then it would take something special to beat any of the goalies this night
♦ The final period saw 10 shots on goal by the Bruins and 14 by the Nucks
♦ Funny moment 1: Thomas turning his back on the skermish at the end of the fist period and hitting imaginary posts (embedded via NHL.com):
♦ Funny moment 2: After the hit on Lucic and subsequent crosscheck on Hamhuis by Krejci, they replayed a barrage of crosschecks of Seids on Burrows I think it was (sorry, was too lazy to rewind during the game to ascertain) ... but no penalty awarded there. Could not find footage of this, but take my word for it, it was amusing
Final words. Not sure what to make of this game really. Great goaltending, that is a certainty. Both Timmie and Lu played an awesome game. The Nucks were a bit feistier. But the Bruins were steady and did not allow for much space. Both teams had 6 PPs and failed to score. For the Bruins this was expected, but for the Nucks less so. In the end I think the game was pretty even and either team could have/should have won. The Nucks got it this time, hopefully the next one will be for the Bruins. But both teams will have to work on some elements of their game and I want to see a bit more fireworks next time. Not talking about the goalies here, like I said, they were splendid!
Monday, 30 May 2011
Playoffs 2011 | Witchcrafting Revisited - Post SF | May 5th, 2011
{edit: totally forgot to post this one on May 5th, adding it now for future reference ;)}
After the Quarter Finals I had to redo part of my initial predictions. And had fun with those too. But I did not do to well! The Semi Finals were definitely a torture to watch! So how did I do?
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
[Caps vs Bolts] Yeah, did not see that one coming at all. Nor did Ovi. Never seen someone look so sad in a post-game interview. I felt like crying. But I think the Hockey Gods new. As I was writing my Whimsical Playoffs Predictions | Part Deux on April 28th, just as I posted the articled, huge thunder bolts lit up the sky and I edited the post back then, wondering I was wrong ... and boy was I ever!
My prediction: 4-2 Caps
Reality: 4-0 Bolts
[Flyers vs Bruins] - Not going to relive this one. I have written all I want to say at this stage the day after. We lost. Bruins swept us ... *sigh* ... I knew it would be a tough series ... but I was not ready for what really happened :) and The Coins were wrong on this one too.
My prediction: 4-2 Flyers
Reality: 4-0 Bruins
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
[Nuck vs Preds] - Yeah, this one exactly the way I predicted, cool.
My prediction: 4-2 Nucks
Reality: 4-2 Nucks
[Sharks vs Red Wings] - This one hurt, as much, or maybe even a bit more than the Flyers loss.
My prediction: 4-1
Reality: 4-3
The result:
I called one right. But when I am right, I really am right ... called the number of games correctly as well ;)
After the Quarter Finals I had to redo part of my initial predictions. And had fun with those too. But I did not do to well! The Semi Finals were definitely a torture to watch! So how did I do?
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
[Caps vs Bolts] Yeah, did not see that one coming at all. Nor did Ovi. Never seen someone look so sad in a post-game interview. I felt like crying. But I think the Hockey Gods new. As I was writing my Whimsical Playoffs Predictions | Part Deux on April 28th, just as I posted the articled, huge thunder bolts lit up the sky and I edited the post back then, wondering I was wrong ... and boy was I ever!
My prediction: 4-2 Caps
Reality: 4-0 Bolts
[Flyers vs Bruins] - Not going to relive this one. I have written all I want to say at this stage the day after. We lost. Bruins swept us ... *sigh* ... I knew it would be a tough series ... but I was not ready for what really happened :) and The Coins were wrong on this one too.
My prediction: 4-2 Flyers
Reality: 4-0 Bruins
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
[Nuck vs Preds] - Yeah, this one exactly the way I predicted, cool.
My prediction: 4-2 Nucks
Reality: 4-2 Nucks
[Sharks vs Red Wings] - This one hurt, as much, or maybe even a bit more than the Flyers loss.
My prediction: 4-1
Reality: 4-3
The result:
I called one right. But when I am right, I really am right ... called the number of games correctly as well ;)
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | ECF Game 7 | May 28th, 2011
Hell yeah! I managed to watch nearly two periods before I had to call it quits and get some sleep. Hey do not judge me, the game started at 2am my time! So when I woke up this morning and saw the result I was relieved, happy for my buddy Sven who is a huge Bruins fan and pretty damn happy for myself as well as I preferred for the Bruins to claim the Prince of Wales Cup.
[Bolts-Bruins] 0-1. Bruins win series 4-3. I did not know this, but it is the first time in 21 years that the Bruins have reached the Finals again. And they have not won a Cup since 1972. My year of birth. A good omen? lol
♦ A very tense first period! But at least no goal against for the Bruins in the first minute like the past couple of games. What followed was a pretty even game. Hard for either team to get through the neutral zone and near the goal and a lot of time was spent along the boarding. But the atmosphere was thick with tension! Both teams wanting to win, not wanting to lose. I think the Bruins had the best chance in this period. Happened around the fifteen minute mark with a breakaway by Lucic, but Roloson made one of many big saves right there. Moments before it was Timmie who had a a busy spell as the Bolts took a few shots on net. Timmie was butterflying all over the crease. Shots on goal: Bruins 15, Bolts 9
♦ Second period was scoreless as well, but not because the teams were not trying. Timmie made some great saves (8), but Roloson even more. He fended off 14 shots. Apart from some great hockey, this period saw a crazy helmet save by Roloson and quite painfully, Stamkos took a hard shot right in the nose. After treatment he returned to the game, but that looked extremely painful
♦ Both teams continued playing great in the third, but you could see the Bruins pushing just a bit harder. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on my part ;) ... but it sure kept me on the edge of my seat. There were 9 shots on goal by the Bruins and 8 by the Bolts. After Nathan Horton scored the winning goal, the Bruins went into lockdown mode and hardly gave the Bolts room to get out of the neutral zone. Ferocious forechecking by the Bruins! So much so that pulling Roloson in the final minutes was problematic. He spent 59:34 on ice! You know how in the final minutes the team lagging will pull out any magic trick they have and cause a frenzy in front of the opposing goalie. No such thing in this game. The Bruins' defence was so tight, that even the top guys in the Bolts line up could not get past them and did not even manage to fire a shot at Timmie. Wow. So impressed. Goosebumps!
♦ This was as much a goalies game as you will ever see. Both Timmie (sv% 1.000) and Roli (sv% 0.974) peaked. Both guys made some amazing saves, but Roloson was unable to stop that one goal. Bruins' whole D-squad was awesome, but yeah I will point out once more how great Chara and Seidenberg are. Seidenberg again clocked most time on ice with 27:57
♦ Amazing fact: NO PENALTIES! It is so easy to forget that a game CAN be played with ferocity, intent and passion without shoving the opponent into the glass panels, illegal hitting, hooking and whatnot. OK, there were some moments that could have ended up in a penalty, but the refs really did a great job by letting the game evolve on its own but still keeping a grip on proceedings. Other ref teams should take note. Anyways, this game was intense without nonsense. Kudos to both teams. With PPs suddenly leading to goals more often again, it is not a bad idea to keep your players out of the penalty box anyways
♦ The goal. That was just a precision attack and beautifully executed. Horton skillfully finished what was set up by Krejci & Ference! *courtesy of NHL & CBC*
Well, I got my wish. The Bruins have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. As for the Nucks. I should not have listened to The Coins, who predicted the Sharks would win. I said Nucks, but they said 'no way'. Wonder what the hell I am talking about?
Check my Whimsical Playoffs Predictions | Part III HERE. I will have to redo them now that The Coins let me down again ;)
{edit: why did noone tell me I had written 'Prince of Whales Cup'? WHALES?! lol ... glad I saw that, after a while ... }
[Bolts-Bruins] 0-1. Bruins win series 4-3. I did not know this, but it is the first time in 21 years that the Bruins have reached the Finals again. And they have not won a Cup since 1972. My year of birth. A good omen? lol
 |
| Courtesy of me shooting pics of the ESPN America CBC broadcast ;) |
♦ A very tense first period! But at least no goal against for the Bruins in the first minute like the past couple of games. What followed was a pretty even game. Hard for either team to get through the neutral zone and near the goal and a lot of time was spent along the boarding. But the atmosphere was thick with tension! Both teams wanting to win, not wanting to lose. I think the Bruins had the best chance in this period. Happened around the fifteen minute mark with a breakaway by Lucic, but Roloson made one of many big saves right there. Moments before it was Timmie who had a a busy spell as the Bolts took a few shots on net. Timmie was butterflying all over the crease. Shots on goal: Bruins 15, Bolts 9
♦ Second period was scoreless as well, but not because the teams were not trying. Timmie made some great saves (8), but Roloson even more. He fended off 14 shots. Apart from some great hockey, this period saw a crazy helmet save by Roloson and quite painfully, Stamkos took a hard shot right in the nose. After treatment he returned to the game, but that looked extremely painful
♦ Both teams continued playing great in the third, but you could see the Bruins pushing just a bit harder. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on my part ;) ... but it sure kept me on the edge of my seat. There were 9 shots on goal by the Bruins and 8 by the Bolts. After Nathan Horton scored the winning goal, the Bruins went into lockdown mode and hardly gave the Bolts room to get out of the neutral zone. Ferocious forechecking by the Bruins! So much so that pulling Roloson in the final minutes was problematic. He spent 59:34 on ice! You know how in the final minutes the team lagging will pull out any magic trick they have and cause a frenzy in front of the opposing goalie. No such thing in this game. The Bruins' defence was so tight, that even the top guys in the Bolts line up could not get past them and did not even manage to fire a shot at Timmie. Wow. So impressed. Goosebumps!
♦ This was as much a goalies game as you will ever see. Both Timmie (sv% 1.000) and Roli (sv% 0.974) peaked. Both guys made some amazing saves, but Roloson was unable to stop that one goal. Bruins' whole D-squad was awesome, but yeah I will point out once more how great Chara and Seidenberg are. Seidenberg again clocked most time on ice with 27:57
♦ Amazing fact: NO PENALTIES! It is so easy to forget that a game CAN be played with ferocity, intent and passion without shoving the opponent into the glass panels, illegal hitting, hooking and whatnot. OK, there were some moments that could have ended up in a penalty, but the refs really did a great job by letting the game evolve on its own but still keeping a grip on proceedings. Other ref teams should take note. Anyways, this game was intense without nonsense. Kudos to both teams. With PPs suddenly leading to goals more often again, it is not a bad idea to keep your players out of the penalty box anyways
♦ The goal. That was just a precision attack and beautifully executed. Horton skillfully finished what was set up by Krejci & Ference! *courtesy of NHL & CBC*
Well, I got my wish. The Bruins have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. As for the Nucks. I should not have listened to The Coins, who predicted the Sharks would win. I said Nucks, but they said 'no way'. Wonder what the hell I am talking about?
Check my Whimsical Playoffs Predictions | Part III HERE. I will have to redo them now that The Coins let me down again ;)
{edit: why did noone tell me I had written 'Prince of Whales Cup'? WHALES?! lol ... glad I saw that, after a while ... }
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | ECF Game 6 | May 26th, 2011
Hmm. The Bruins sure like to make things suspenseful. I am looking forward to a Nucks-Bruins Stanley Cup Final, but I will have to wait another game to see if that will become reality.
[Bruins-Bolts] 4-5. Series tied at 3-3. Another Game 7. I have to say the more hockey the merrier, so a Game 7 is cool! I just hope the Bruins will nail this one. Guys, my day was so hectic that I did not get around to actually watching the game and I only just managed to read up on the outcome. So this is going to be a short one - no really, I mean it this time! - for future reference and I will just list the basics. In all honesty, you might as well head over to the NHL site :D
♦ Considering the amount of goals, the actual number of shots on goal is low. Bolts had 26 and the Bruins just 20. Not a surprise then that the save percentages of both goalies are low. 0.800 for Roloson and 0.808 for Timmie. Definitely not a goalie game ;)
♦ Goalscoring for the Bolts: Purcell (0:36), St. Louis (27:55), Purcell (33:35), Stamkos (40:34) & St. Louis (50:15). Yeah you are seeing it correctly. Another very early goal against the Bruins. Still not doing their best from the get go. I really dislike goals when they are still showing the line-ups for the game
♦ Goalscoring for the Bruins: Lucic (7:09), Krejci (16:30), Krejci (49:46) & Krejci again (53:28)
♦ Yes, Krejci got himself a hat trick *throws a virtual hat on the ice* ... great job!
Well, that is all for now. Feel free to leave your insights about this game in the comments, will be happy to read those! And I am going to crank up the dusty Xbox and finally try my hand at Call Of Duty Black Ops ... have had the game since release date but it is still wrapped lol ... but I feel like shooting stuff after my very hectic day at work. Downside is that I am the worst gamer in the world, so I think it will be me getting shot at ;)
[Bruins-Bolts] 4-5. Series tied at 3-3. Another Game 7. I have to say the more hockey the merrier, so a Game 7 is cool! I just hope the Bruins will nail this one. Guys, my day was so hectic that I did not get around to actually watching the game and I only just managed to read up on the outcome. So this is going to be a short one - no really, I mean it this time! - for future reference and I will just list the basics. In all honesty, you might as well head over to the NHL site :D
♦ Considering the amount of goals, the actual number of shots on goal is low. Bolts had 26 and the Bruins just 20. Not a surprise then that the save percentages of both goalies are low. 0.800 for Roloson and 0.808 for Timmie. Definitely not a goalie game ;)
♦ Goalscoring for the Bolts: Purcell (0:36), St. Louis (27:55), Purcell (33:35), Stamkos (40:34) & St. Louis (50:15). Yeah you are seeing it correctly. Another very early goal against the Bruins. Still not doing their best from the get go. I really dislike goals when they are still showing the line-ups for the game
♦ Goalscoring for the Bruins: Lucic (7:09), Krejci (16:30), Krejci (49:46) & Krejci again (53:28)
♦ Yes, Krejci got himself a hat trick *throws a virtual hat on the ice* ... great job!
Well, that is all for now. Feel free to leave your insights about this game in the comments, will be happy to read those! And I am going to crank up the dusty Xbox and finally try my hand at Call Of Duty Black Ops ... have had the game since release date but it is still wrapped lol ... but I feel like shooting stuff after my very hectic day at work. Downside is that I am the worst gamer in the world, so I think it will be me getting shot at ;)
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | WCF Game 5 | May 25th, 2011
And here I thought the Bruins-Bolts game was weird. This one was even wilder. Crazy bouncing pucks, amazing saves, last-second heroics, double OT ... they should turn it into a movie ;)
[Sharks-Nucks] 2-3. Nucks clinch series 4-1. Well done Nucks! Maybe not your best ever game, but certainly one of the more memorable and I am sure some of it will be replayed often for years to come!
♦ I am not sure which is the more amazing moment of the game. Kesler's last minute score or Bieksa's winner. I think I will go with Kesler's last minute goal. Without it, the rest would not have happened. This really is the stuff movies are made of. A not entirely fit Kesler, battling till the very last minute of regulation, to score a cool and collected goal with just 14 seconds left on the clock! I just hope he will be good to go for the Finals. Or not lol ... I want an Eastern Conference winner. No, I mean yes, I want an EC winner, but they should still earn it fair and square and that requires beating a guy like Kesler! If you have read earlier posts you might recall that Kesler is a favourite NHL athlete of mine eventhough I have little interest in the Nucks. But some athletes just deserve the admiration ;) ... and he had me worried when he limped off the ice in the second period and did not return for the remainder of the period. Quote: "No, I'll play on one leg, I don't care ... it's all about the team right now."
♦ Goalscoring ... not much of it considering they spent 90 minutes on the ice ;) ... but no matter. Burrows was first to score (first period) for the Nucks after some magic passing between the Sedins. In the second period Marleau scored the equaliser on a PP. Just seconds into the third, Setoguchi scored for what for the longest time seemed to be the game-winner. But yeah ... then Ryan Kesler happened and we had ourselves an OT game. First OT morphed into second OT and the clock said 10:18 when Bieksa scored the winner
♦ Shots on goal action: Nucks had 34, Sharks had 56! The Sharks had 15 in the first period and 16 in a frenzied first OT. A lot of work for Luongo ;)
♦ Goaltending. A save percentage of 0.912 for Niemi, not bad at all, but Luongo saved 54 out of 56 shots, giving him an average of 0.964. No choking for him this game!
♦ OK, Bieksa time. I watched this over and over and over and over and it just boggled my mind. I just could not figure out what happened there. Everyone, Sharks and Nucks alike, agree on one thing: Bieksa is the only one who knew where the puck went. While the rest was looking back and forth trying to locate the puck, he saw it and went for a one-timer! Took this video however to make me understand what happened:
What a game!
[Sharks-Nucks] 2-3. Nucks clinch series 4-1. Well done Nucks! Maybe not your best ever game, but certainly one of the more memorable and I am sure some of it will be replayed often for years to come!
♦ I am not sure which is the more amazing moment of the game. Kesler's last minute score or Bieksa's winner. I think I will go with Kesler's last minute goal. Without it, the rest would not have happened. This really is the stuff movies are made of. A not entirely fit Kesler, battling till the very last minute of regulation, to score a cool and collected goal with just 14 seconds left on the clock! I just hope he will be good to go for the Finals. Or not lol ... I want an Eastern Conference winner. No, I mean yes, I want an EC winner, but they should still earn it fair and square and that requires beating a guy like Kesler! If you have read earlier posts you might recall that Kesler is a favourite NHL athlete of mine eventhough I have little interest in the Nucks. But some athletes just deserve the admiration ;) ... and he had me worried when he limped off the ice in the second period and did not return for the remainder of the period. Quote: "No, I'll play on one leg, I don't care ... it's all about the team right now."
♦ Goalscoring ... not much of it considering they spent 90 minutes on the ice ;) ... but no matter. Burrows was first to score (first period) for the Nucks after some magic passing between the Sedins. In the second period Marleau scored the equaliser on a PP. Just seconds into the third, Setoguchi scored for what for the longest time seemed to be the game-winner. But yeah ... then Ryan Kesler happened and we had ourselves an OT game. First OT morphed into second OT and the clock said 10:18 when Bieksa scored the winner
♦ Shots on goal action: Nucks had 34, Sharks had 56! The Sharks had 15 in the first period and 16 in a frenzied first OT. A lot of work for Luongo ;)
♦ Goaltending. A save percentage of 0.912 for Niemi, not bad at all, but Luongo saved 54 out of 56 shots, giving him an average of 0.964. No choking for him this game!
♦ OK, Bieksa time. I watched this over and over and over and over and it just boggled my mind. I just could not figure out what happened there. Everyone, Sharks and Nucks alike, agree on one thing: Bieksa is the only one who knew where the puck went. While the rest was looking back and forth trying to locate the puck, he saw it and went for a one-timer! Took this video however to make me understand what happened:
What a game!
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | ECF Game 5 | May 24th, 2011
Weird game. Yet oddly exciting. Miracle goalie. Going to keep this one short. Maybe ;)
[Bolts-Bruins] 1-3. Bruins lead series 3-2. Not a great game by the Bruins at all and Timmie made the difference. Frustrated the Bolts to no end I am sure. I like this win personally, but they need to step it up in the next game.
♦ Because really? FOUR shots on goal by the Bruins in the first period?! And 14 by the Bolts. Just goes to say how well Thomas played right? Thankfully his team mates did a bit better in the second period with eight shots on goal, whereas the Bolts had nine. The third saw 14 shots by the Bolts and nine by the Bruins. But really 20-34? I want to see more effort from the Bruins next game, this is just not right
♦ Now Chara always get a lot of credit and rightly so. But guys, never forget Seidenberg. Game after game this guy puts in amazing time on ice. Had a look at his stats and in regular season he put in give or take 23 minutes per game. Come Playoffs, a TOI of 29 minutes is more regular than not and there was even a whopping 38:15 in Game 4 versus the Habs. So it is good to see he was awarded the third star for this game. The guy deserves the appreciation for all his hard work
♦ Gagne scored the only goal for the Bolts. Good one! But what is it with allowing the very early goals? How about the Bruins try starting with a solid D straight from the get-go, rather than allowing the opponent to strike first? They have the proper manpower in place, they might as well use it. Still. I like to see my former Flyer do well ;)
♦ For the Bruins it were Horton (great pass by Lucic) and Marchand (awesome feed by Bergeron) who scored in the second period. After a very frantic last few minutes in the third period, Peverley scored an empty-netter, securing this win and making it easier to breathe for everyone watching ;)
♦ Goalie time. First of all, Mike Smith got first Playoffs start. And lucky for him he only had to deal with 20 shots by the Bruins. I wonder if we will get to see Roloson start the next game. I like the 'who is net?' suspension! I am used to it of course, being a Flyers fan and all ;)
♦ Timmie Thomas. A 0.971 save percentage. And some miracle saves. He literally won this game for the Bruins. So going to finish this post with that miraculous 'holy shit!' stick save! Downie must have had a nightmare about this ...
[Bolts-Bruins] 1-3. Bruins lead series 3-2. Not a great game by the Bruins at all and Timmie made the difference. Frustrated the Bolts to no end I am sure. I like this win personally, but they need to step it up in the next game.
♦ Because really? FOUR shots on goal by the Bruins in the first period?! And 14 by the Bolts. Just goes to say how well Thomas played right? Thankfully his team mates did a bit better in the second period with eight shots on goal, whereas the Bolts had nine. The third saw 14 shots by the Bolts and nine by the Bruins. But really 20-34? I want to see more effort from the Bruins next game, this is just not right
♦ Now Chara always get a lot of credit and rightly so. But guys, never forget Seidenberg. Game after game this guy puts in amazing time on ice. Had a look at his stats and in regular season he put in give or take 23 minutes per game. Come Playoffs, a TOI of 29 minutes is more regular than not and there was even a whopping 38:15 in Game 4 versus the Habs. So it is good to see he was awarded the third star for this game. The guy deserves the appreciation for all his hard work
♦ Gagne scored the only goal for the Bolts. Good one! But what is it with allowing the very early goals? How about the Bruins try starting with a solid D straight from the get-go, rather than allowing the opponent to strike first? They have the proper manpower in place, they might as well use it. Still. I like to see my former Flyer do well ;)
♦ For the Bruins it were Horton (great pass by Lucic) and Marchand (awesome feed by Bergeron) who scored in the second period. After a very frantic last few minutes in the third period, Peverley scored an empty-netter, securing this win and making it easier to breathe for everyone watching ;)
♦ Goalie time. First of all, Mike Smith got first Playoffs start. And lucky for him he only had to deal with 20 shots by the Bruins. I wonder if we will get to see Roloson start the next game. I like the 'who is net?' suspension! I am used to it of course, being a Flyers fan and all ;)
♦ Timmie Thomas. A 0.971 save percentage. And some miracle saves. He literally won this game for the Bruins. So going to finish this post with that miraculous 'holy shit!' stick save! Downie must have had a nightmare about this ...
Monday, 23 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | WCF Game 4 | May 23rd, 2011
The fans were psyched for this game, but as a neutral party for me this Game 4 started out rather dull. I found first intermission more entertaining than the first period ;) ... but it got better though and eventually pulled me in and made for a fun hockey night.
[Nucks-Sharks] 4-2. Nucks lead series 3-1. It took Kesler's 5-on-3 goal in the second period to wake me up.
♦ Then it really got embarrassing for the Sharks. Two more 5-on-3 goals followed in quick succesion, both scored by Salo. I did not expect PPs to play such a large role really, not with PKs being so effective in the last couple of months. In the east anyways, maybe it was different in the west
♦ Third period was really exciting. It was definitely fast-paced but both teams lacked control. At least it made for better watching and then came that wonderfully executed goal by the Burrows, making it a 4-0. Henrik Sedin set Burrows up nicely for this one!
♦ A budy wrote 'They're done'. Guess he nearly jinxed the Nucks as a second later the Sharks finally got rid off the zero on the scoreboard. They kept us guessing for a while as the goal went on review (possible highsticking) but in the end it was a good hockey goal. The goal generated a little momentum shift to the advantage of the Sharks and their hard work paid off with another goal. You could definitely see the pressure building, but in the end they ran out of time
♦ Low-light of the game: Torres' hit on Thornton. It was brutal and I was annoyed even more when I found out Thornton may not be good to go tomorrow
And damn, still those stupid orange and teal spandex-clad men in the crowd. Stop it! It is obnoxious!
{update: Thorton will be ready to play - phew}
[Nucks-Sharks] 4-2. Nucks lead series 3-1. It took Kesler's 5-on-3 goal in the second period to wake me up.
♦ Then it really got embarrassing for the Sharks. Two more 5-on-3 goals followed in quick succesion, both scored by Salo. I did not expect PPs to play such a large role really, not with PKs being so effective in the last couple of months. In the east anyways, maybe it was different in the west
♦ Third period was really exciting. It was definitely fast-paced but both teams lacked control. At least it made for better watching and then came that wonderfully executed goal by the Burrows, making it a 4-0. Henrik Sedin set Burrows up nicely for this one!
♦ A budy wrote 'They're done'. Guess he nearly jinxed the Nucks as a second later the Sharks finally got rid off the zero on the scoreboard. They kept us guessing for a while as the goal went on review (possible highsticking) but in the end it was a good hockey goal. The goal generated a little momentum shift to the advantage of the Sharks and their hard work paid off with another goal. You could definitely see the pressure building, but in the end they ran out of time
♦ Low-light of the game: Torres' hit on Thornton. It was brutal and I was annoyed even more when I found out Thornton may not be good to go tomorrow
And damn, still those stupid orange and teal spandex-clad men in the crowd. Stop it! It is obnoxious!
{update: Thorton will be ready to play - phew}
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | WCF Game 3 | May 21st, 2011
Short one today, spent much of the day sitting in the sun during a marketing communications industry football (aka soccer in some regions of the world) tournament where my company had a team playing. Cheering was fun and I have got a bit of sunburn going. Anyways, managed to catch the rerun of last night's game and the Sharks are back in the series. Here a quick write-up before the start of the Bruins game!
[Nucks-Sharks] 3-4. Nucks lead series 2-1. Nowhere near as electric as Game 2 and as I am just not so interested in either team it was back to being a bit indifferent who wins. At least for a while. The three goal lead the Sharks accomplished in the first period did not sit wel with me at all. But the Sharks just played a disciplined game and looked pretty good the first two periods. The final period was a bit off for them and they were really doing all they could to keep the 4-3 lead after the Nucks managed to score twice on the PP in the third. A few more minutes and we might have gone into OT, the Nucks were exerting some massive pressure. But it was all a bit too late.
♦ Sometimes it looks as if teams can no longer score on the PP. This game had five PPGs! Take notes teams!
♦ At the same time, the Nucks failed to score on two 5 on 3 advantages. Did that lose them the game? It is usually their forte ...
♦ A game riddled by penalties. Undisciplined much?
♦ Meanest hit: Jamie McGinn on Rome. The guys on NHL On The Fly said it was not such a bad hit, but looked horrible enough to me and it left Rome breathless and lying on the floor for quite some time. I have no idea what the guys on OTF were thinking, but that was some serious boarding right there
♦ Oh man, as if it was not enough to have those Green Men prancing around in spandex, the Sharks now have their very own Orange Men. Can these guys just leave the spandex at home? It is obnoxious!
OK, with Game 3 out of the way, I hope the Nucks can dominate in Game 4. Time for the Sharks to go home. I think I have made my mind up about these series.
[Nucks-Sharks] 3-4. Nucks lead series 2-1. Nowhere near as electric as Game 2 and as I am just not so interested in either team it was back to being a bit indifferent who wins. At least for a while. The three goal lead the Sharks accomplished in the first period did not sit wel with me at all. But the Sharks just played a disciplined game and looked pretty good the first two periods. The final period was a bit off for them and they were really doing all they could to keep the 4-3 lead after the Nucks managed to score twice on the PP in the third. A few more minutes and we might have gone into OT, the Nucks were exerting some massive pressure. But it was all a bit too late.
♦ Sometimes it looks as if teams can no longer score on the PP. This game had five PPGs! Take notes teams!
♦ At the same time, the Nucks failed to score on two 5 on 3 advantages. Did that lose them the game? It is usually their forte ...
♦ A game riddled by penalties. Undisciplined much?
♦ Meanest hit: Jamie McGinn on Rome. The guys on NHL On The Fly said it was not such a bad hit, but looked horrible enough to me and it left Rome breathless and lying on the floor for quite some time. I have no idea what the guys on OTF were thinking, but that was some serious boarding right there
♦ Oh man, as if it was not enough to have those Green Men prancing around in spandex, the Sharks now have their very own Orange Men. Can these guys just leave the spandex at home? It is obnoxious!
OK, with Game 3 out of the way, I hope the Nucks can dominate in Game 4. Time for the Sharks to go home. I think I have made my mind up about these series.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | ECF Game 3 | May 20th, 2011
I caught myself saying 'we got the series lead' this morning when I saw that the Bruins had won Game 3. We?! I am not a Bruins fan, I just like them lol ... my excuse is that I often get really caught up in the spirit of the moment. And sticking with it. No worries Leafies & Flyers, still love you most. And the Wings! ;)
[Bruins-Bolts] 2-0. Bruins lead series 2-1. After a crazy Game 2, it was nice to have a bit of normalcy. Not that the game was any less entertaining. Even knowing the outcome it was fun to watch. In my opinion both teams played very well, but the Bolts - despite home ice advantage - lacked the usual spark and energy.
♦ 'Just' two goals. Merely a minute into the first period, Krejci scored on a smart feed by Lucic. The Bolts had no quick reply, so the Bruins settled into a well-played first period. Lots of control in front of the opponents net, smart puck movement, complemented by an excellent defence. They kept this up for the next two periods as well. Not saying the Bolts were playing a bad game. Not at all, their defence was solid as well, but the Bruins were simply better at it. The Bolts definitely had a hard time getting the puck anywhere near Tim Thomas and the Boston D-guys thwarted many an attempt as soon as the Bolts crossed the blue line. Anyways, the second goal was scored eight minutes into the third period by my new hero Ference (will never forget his epic gesture during the series versus the Habs) and that gave Timmie a bit more breathing space for the remainder of the game. In total the Bruins had 25 shots on goal and the Bolts a bit more with 31.
♦ Yay! Bergeron was back. Glad the mild concussion really was mild. But his presence was highly impactful. Great on the face-off (won 18 out of 28) and great at reading the game and feeding pucks to teammates. In the post-game interview a reporter asked how he was feeling about being involved in hits and he said he was ready for any hits and that he felt confident he would be alright
♦ In the post-game interview Timmeh commented that the last game was just crazy with the constant rushes and that this game was much more normal. So he had more control, which meant we got to see a less floppy Timmeh ;) ... plus he had an awesome spinorama save!
♦ And can I just point out that the Bruins D-guys, especially Chara and Seidenberg, are awesome? Both clocked nearly 29 minutes of ice time. That is some serious effort and they got a few shots on goal as well adding extra firepower to the offence ... I checked the Bolts' stats and no one on that squad was on ice that long
♦ Biggest hit? The 'other' Bergeron hit Krejci pretty hard with his shoulder. I am not going to say Krejci was blindsided, but he certainly did not see him coming as he was focusing on receiving the puck. M.A. Bergeron got booed for quite some time, although not necessarily deserved. Lets face it, Krejci should have kept his head up
♦ Was keeping an eye on Seguin. No heroics this game, but good solid play. Excellent
♦ No big skirmishes. After Ben Eager's antics last night during the Nucks-Sharks game, it was good to watch a game without the dramatics ;)
♦ Steven Stamkos with a beard? I hope the playoffs will finish soon for the Bolts so he can get rid off that abomination ;)
Bring on the next game!
[Bruins-Bolts] 2-0. Bruins lead series 2-1. After a crazy Game 2, it was nice to have a bit of normalcy. Not that the game was any less entertaining. Even knowing the outcome it was fun to watch. In my opinion both teams played very well, but the Bolts - despite home ice advantage - lacked the usual spark and energy.
♦ 'Just' two goals. Merely a minute into the first period, Krejci scored on a smart feed by Lucic. The Bolts had no quick reply, so the Bruins settled into a well-played first period. Lots of control in front of the opponents net, smart puck movement, complemented by an excellent defence. They kept this up for the next two periods as well. Not saying the Bolts were playing a bad game. Not at all, their defence was solid as well, but the Bruins were simply better at it. The Bolts definitely had a hard time getting the puck anywhere near Tim Thomas and the Boston D-guys thwarted many an attempt as soon as the Bolts crossed the blue line. Anyways, the second goal was scored eight minutes into the third period by my new hero Ference (will never forget his epic gesture during the series versus the Habs) and that gave Timmie a bit more breathing space for the remainder of the game. In total the Bruins had 25 shots on goal and the Bolts a bit more with 31.
♦ Yay! Bergeron was back. Glad the mild concussion really was mild. But his presence was highly impactful. Great on the face-off (won 18 out of 28) and great at reading the game and feeding pucks to teammates. In the post-game interview a reporter asked how he was feeling about being involved in hits and he said he was ready for any hits and that he felt confident he would be alright
♦ In the post-game interview Timmeh commented that the last game was just crazy with the constant rushes and that this game was much more normal. So he had more control, which meant we got to see a less floppy Timmeh ;) ... plus he had an awesome spinorama save!
♦ Biggest hit? The 'other' Bergeron hit Krejci pretty hard with his shoulder. I am not going to say Krejci was blindsided, but he certainly did not see him coming as he was focusing on receiving the puck. M.A. Bergeron got booed for quite some time, although not necessarily deserved. Lets face it, Krejci should have kept his head up
♦ Was keeping an eye on Seguin. No heroics this game, but good solid play. Excellent
♦ No big skirmishes. After Ben Eager's antics last night during the Nucks-Sharks game, it was good to watch a game without the dramatics ;)
♦ Steven Stamkos with a beard? I hope the playoffs will finish soon for the Bolts so he can get rid off that abomination ;)
Bring on the next game!
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | WCF Game 2 | May 19th, 2011
Two high-score games in a row. Even this series got exciting! And there was some added excitement that got my FB and Twitter buzzing ;) ... I actually worried that that was all there was to this game. So when I checked the highlights this morning and read up on reports I was happy I DVR'ed this game. So I got home, had dinner and cranked up the game and in parts it lived up to it's promise.
[Sharks-Nucks] 7-3. Nucks lead series 2-0. By no means a flying start to this game, unless you count the quick PP goal Couture scored two and a half minute into the game. It reminded me of a statistical fact a buddy of mine shared the other day. I think he said that of all teams who score first, 78% also goes on to win the game. What a nutty stat. Anyways, let me continue with the notable moments:
♦ For a while it was a very even first period and in fact, also a bit boring. Then Daniel Sedin scored on the PP and that sparked some energy and within the next minute, the Nucks scored again. Then another PP and somehow a Marleau shot confused Luongo and trickled across the line. 2-2 was a good score, considering neither team excelled in the first period. Both teams had 13 shots on goal, further confirming the equality
♦ So not sure what you lot thought about the second period but apart from the Nucks goal it was dull. It lacked a certain energy although the Nucks did have the edge there with puck possession and some good shots on goal. At least the goal woke up the audience ... and there was the Bieksa-Marleau fight. Which got Clowe to start chirping Kesler. As for shots on goal, the Nucks had 14, the Sharks just 9
♦ And then came the third period! It started innocent enough, but it soon became grittier. Lots of little mean checks that went unnoticed and of course the more apparent fouls, many committed by Ben Eager. The Nucks went on to score four more times, twice on PP! And in the final ten seconds of the game the Sharks lost what little composure they had left and went for a brawl. Of course Eager was at the centre of it. But if we look beyond the hits, the fouls, the brawl, we saw the Nucks skating better, creating chances, taking shots on goal (11 versus the Sharks' 9) & capitalising on PPs. Kudos to them for keeping their cool, whilst the Sharks lost it
♦ I often joke about Timmie flopping around like a fish, but damn, Luongo is not much better. Thankfully his team mates scored so often, I was not impressed at all by him
♦ Clowe was particularly pesky I found, but Eager takes first place for being an all-round idiot
♦ Bieksa got a Gordie Howe hat trick. Cool!
♦ Interesting fact: five of the ten goals scored were PP goals
So in case you missed it, all that Twitter buzzing I mentioned before also involved Eager. And the penalty box. And with the Green Men banned, it did not involve them. But it did involve a crazy female Canucks fan, flashing Eager whilst he sat out the roughing penalty in the third period ;) ... not sure if this type of taunting is actual taunting ... could have been a request for a date ;) ... I would post the pic in question, but I like to keep things clean here lol. Oh fuck it, here a link to a twitpic posted by @CountBettman. If you are offended, drop me a line :p
[Sharks-Nucks] 7-3. Nucks lead series 2-0. By no means a flying start to this game, unless you count the quick PP goal Couture scored two and a half minute into the game. It reminded me of a statistical fact a buddy of mine shared the other day. I think he said that of all teams who score first, 78% also goes on to win the game. What a nutty stat. Anyways, let me continue with the notable moments:
♦ For a while it was a very even first period and in fact, also a bit boring. Then Daniel Sedin scored on the PP and that sparked some energy and within the next minute, the Nucks scored again. Then another PP and somehow a Marleau shot confused Luongo and trickled across the line. 2-2 was a good score, considering neither team excelled in the first period. Both teams had 13 shots on goal, further confirming the equality
♦ So not sure what you lot thought about the second period but apart from the Nucks goal it was dull. It lacked a certain energy although the Nucks did have the edge there with puck possession and some good shots on goal. At least the goal woke up the audience ... and there was the Bieksa-Marleau fight. Which got Clowe to start chirping Kesler. As for shots on goal, the Nucks had 14, the Sharks just 9
♦ And then came the third period! It started innocent enough, but it soon became grittier. Lots of little mean checks that went unnoticed and of course the more apparent fouls, many committed by Ben Eager. The Nucks went on to score four more times, twice on PP! And in the final ten seconds of the game the Sharks lost what little composure they had left and went for a brawl. Of course Eager was at the centre of it. But if we look beyond the hits, the fouls, the brawl, we saw the Nucks skating better, creating chances, taking shots on goal (11 versus the Sharks' 9) & capitalising on PPs. Kudos to them for keeping their cool, whilst the Sharks lost it
♦ I often joke about Timmie flopping around like a fish, but damn, Luongo is not much better. Thankfully his team mates scored so often, I was not impressed at all by him
♦ Clowe was particularly pesky I found, but Eager takes first place for being an all-round idiot
♦ Bieksa got a Gordie Howe hat trick. Cool!
♦ Interesting fact: five of the ten goals scored were PP goals
So in case you missed it, all that Twitter buzzing I mentioned before also involved Eager. And the penalty box. And with the Green Men banned, it did not involve them. But it did involve a crazy female Canucks fan, flashing Eager whilst he sat out the roughing penalty in the third period ;) ... not sure if this type of taunting is actual taunting ... could have been a request for a date ;) ... I would post the pic in question, but I like to keep things clean here lol. Oh fuck it, here a link to a twitpic posted by @CountBettman. If you are offended, drop me a line :p
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | ECF Game 2 | May 18th, 2011
The second Eastern Conference Finals Game was certainly eventful. A lot happened, so I think I will just list whatever comes to mind!
[Bruins-Bolts] 6-5. Series equalised at 1-1. Lots of goalscoring, which is fun for viewing, but heavy on the goalies. Some goals were just awesome and could not be blamed on the guys. But Thomas let in a few soft ones and well, Roloson's bad roll got him pulled after the second period. The game:
♦ Hall scored just 13 seconds into the game (a cool goal too I must add), followed by some quick saves by Roloson, giving the Bolts a flying start. But things got really crazy in the second period as the Bruins scored five goals
♦ Roloson had a great first period, dealing with 18 shots on goal and letting in just one. Things went downhill for him in the second period, as the Bruins upped the intensity. The Bruins had 8 shots on goal and 5 actually went in. Roloson did not return for the third period. That actually made me sad a bit, because he was on such a great roll going into this game
♦ Timmie had some floppy moments during the game, and that last goal by Moore, whatever was going on there with Timmie and his D-man McQuaid, it did not look very good ;) ... but still, he was there when most needed as he fended of a great deal of attempts by the Bolts in the final minutes of the game
♦ Up until the third period SOG were pretty equal. Bruins had 27 and the Bolts had 26. But you could tell the urgency the Bolts felt. They were really hunting for a game equaliser and had 15 shots on goal in the final period, making a grand total of 41. The Bruins only had 8, totalling 35.
I bet Seguin had the best night. He did not get to play in the first two rounds as for obvious reasons the coach went with Bergeron and of course Julien is protecting this awesome rookie. But with Bergeron injured he got his chance in Game 1 and what a great start he had with that marvelous goal. Coach Julien is easing him into the hardships of playoffs hockey: time on ice in Game 1: 9.38. Time on ice in Game 2: 13.31. I like that about a coach. With two Playoffs games under his belt and already an impressive 3/3 in points, you cannot help but wonder if this guy is the one who will make a difference this series. Personally I do not like to put that kind of pressure on youngsters. But he looks calm and collected and he did tell us after Game 1 that the first goal took the pressure of things for him and that he is really just focusing on what he is good at: skating and shooting. He has also been listening to the advice provided by the likes of Mike Recchi and in the post-game interviews you can just see how proud his teammates are of his progress. Wonderful to see.
Not perfect, but definitely exciting hockey, I knew it! Looking forward to Game 3.
[Bruins-Bolts] 6-5. Series equalised at 1-1. Lots of goalscoring, which is fun for viewing, but heavy on the goalies. Some goals were just awesome and could not be blamed on the guys. But Thomas let in a few soft ones and well, Roloson's bad roll got him pulled after the second period. The game:
♦ Hall scored just 13 seconds into the game (a cool goal too I must add), followed by some quick saves by Roloson, giving the Bolts a flying start. But things got really crazy in the second period as the Bruins scored five goals
♦ Roloson had a great first period, dealing with 18 shots on goal and letting in just one. Things went downhill for him in the second period, as the Bruins upped the intensity. The Bruins had 8 shots on goal and 5 actually went in. Roloson did not return for the third period. That actually made me sad a bit, because he was on such a great roll going into this game
♦ Timmie had some floppy moments during the game, and that last goal by Moore, whatever was going on there with Timmie and his D-man McQuaid, it did not look very good ;) ... but still, he was there when most needed as he fended of a great deal of attempts by the Bolts in the final minutes of the game
♦ Up until the third period SOG were pretty equal. Bruins had 27 and the Bolts had 26. But you could tell the urgency the Bolts felt. They were really hunting for a game equaliser and had 15 shots on goal in the final period, making a grand total of 41. The Bruins only had 8, totalling 35.
I bet Seguin had the best night. He did not get to play in the first two rounds as for obvious reasons the coach went with Bergeron and of course Julien is protecting this awesome rookie. But with Bergeron injured he got his chance in Game 1 and what a great start he had with that marvelous goal. Coach Julien is easing him into the hardships of playoffs hockey: time on ice in Game 1: 9.38. Time on ice in Game 2: 13.31. I like that about a coach. With two Playoffs games under his belt and already an impressive 3/3 in points, you cannot help but wonder if this guy is the one who will make a difference this series. Personally I do not like to put that kind of pressure on youngsters. But he looks calm and collected and he did tell us after Game 1 that the first goal took the pressure of things for him and that he is really just focusing on what he is good at: skating and shooting. He has also been listening to the advice provided by the likes of Mike Recchi and in the post-game interviews you can just see how proud his teammates are of his progress. Wonderful to see.
Not perfect, but definitely exciting hockey, I knew it! Looking forward to Game 3.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | ECF Game 1 | May 15th, 2011
Stayed up way too late last night and caught the first two periods and then I just fell asleep! It was not the best ever first game and I was a bit disappointed in the Bruins.
[Bolts-Bruins] 5-2. Bolts lead series 1-0. The game started cautiously. Both teams seemed to be testing the water so to speak. Some decent enough passing where the Bolts seemed to prefer a bit more speed and the Bruins were taking things more slowly, looking for opportunities and playing a much more controlled game. So the first goal the Bolts scored surprised me a bit. But not so much as the second and third Bolts goals! All within one minute and 25 seconds! Timmie was doing a great Timmie Tuna ... flopping all over the place. It makes him more human though, without these moments he would be a total awesome relentless goalie machine hahah. For a minute I thought they would send in Rask at this point, but then I remembered these are not the Flyers ;) ... other than that it was not all on Thomas, the D-guys totally let him down too there. It was nice to see Seguin score a couple of minutes later though and I thought they might do a bit better after getting rid off that zero on the scoreboard, but I must say that the second period did not impress me much. And of course I missed the third, so no idea how that one went, but the end result 5-2 tells me the Bolts' rather more energetic skating got the best of the Bruins and that the Bruins will have to ramp up their next game. Looking forward to it!
[Bolts-Bruins] 5-2. Bolts lead series 1-0. The game started cautiously. Both teams seemed to be testing the water so to speak. Some decent enough passing where the Bolts seemed to prefer a bit more speed and the Bruins were taking things more slowly, looking for opportunities and playing a much more controlled game. So the first goal the Bolts scored surprised me a bit. But not so much as the second and third Bolts goals! All within one minute and 25 seconds! Timmie was doing a great Timmie Tuna ... flopping all over the place. It makes him more human though, without these moments he would be a total awesome relentless goalie machine hahah. For a minute I thought they would send in Rask at this point, but then I remembered these are not the Flyers ;) ... other than that it was not all on Thomas, the D-guys totally let him down too there. It was nice to see Seguin score a couple of minutes later though and I thought they might do a bit better after getting rid off that zero on the scoreboard, but I must say that the second period did not impress me much. And of course I missed the third, so no idea how that one went, but the end result 5-2 tells me the Bolts' rather more energetic skating got the best of the Bruins and that the Bruins will have to ramp up their next game. Looking forward to it!
Playoffs 2011 Predictions | Witchcrafting Part Trois | May 15th, 2011
My Whimsical Playoffs Predictions - New & Improved Once Again
My post-QF predictions were horrible lol ... only got one right, so here my new predictions for the Conference Finals and the SC Finals.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
[Bolts vs Bruins]
I thought the Caps would beat the Bolts but I think the Hockey Gods were sending me a message when I posted my previous predictions. As I hit the 'publish post'-button, huge thunder bolts lit up the sky. So let me have a look outside ... it is dark and a bit windy, but no thunder & lightning in sight. I will go with the Bruins *keeps an eye on the sky whilst posting*. 4-2 Bruins.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
[Nucks vs Sharks]
How much I would have loved to see a Nucks - Red Wings match up. But no, the Sharks made it this far instead. I want the Sharks out. Enough is enough. Nucks will get this one. Just no idea how tough it will be. I think I will go to The Coins for help, eventhough they did not help me much with my Flyers-Bruins prediction. Damn. The Coins disagree with me. They say it will be a seven-games series and the Sharks will ultimately win. OK. 4-3 Sharks.
STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Bruins vs Sharks]
This does not even look close to my dream in which the Flyers meet the Red Wings and the Flyers bring the Cup to Philadelphia ... but I am all in for a Eastern Conference win, so goooooooo Bruins! They win the Cup in six games. 4-2 Bruins.
My post-QF predictions were horrible lol ... only got one right, so here my new predictions for the Conference Finals and the SC Finals.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
[Bolts vs Bruins]
I thought the Caps would beat the Bolts but I think the Hockey Gods were sending me a message when I posted my previous predictions. As I hit the 'publish post'-button, huge thunder bolts lit up the sky. So let me have a look outside ... it is dark and a bit windy, but no thunder & lightning in sight. I will go with the Bruins *keeps an eye on the sky whilst posting*. 4-2 Bruins.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
[Nucks vs Sharks]
How much I would have loved to see a Nucks - Red Wings match up. But no, the Sharks made it this far instead. I want the Sharks out. Enough is enough. Nucks will get this one. Just no idea how tough it will be. I think I will go to The Coins for help, eventhough they did not help me much with my Flyers-Bruins prediction. Damn. The Coins disagree with me. They say it will be a seven-games series and the Sharks will ultimately win. OK. 4-3 Sharks.
STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Bruins vs Sharks]
This does not even look close to my dream in which the Flyers meet the Red Wings and the Flyers bring the Cup to Philadelphia ... but I am all in for a Eastern Conference win, so goooooooo Bruins! They win the Cup in six games. 4-2 Bruins.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | SF Game 6 | May 11th, 2011
I just have to post this article, eventhough it is very baren. Just have the need to say WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
[Sharks-Red Wings] 1-3. Series tied at 3-3. I am so on the edge of my seat for this series. To me it is just amazing how the Wings rebounded after that 3-0 series deficit. Yes yes, veteran team, talented players etc etc, but a 3-0 is not something you just recover from. I am going to watch this game as soon as I get home and if time permits rewrite this post with additional insights.
In the mean time, CLICK HERE to see how Gordie Howe stuns Jimmy Howard. It was really cute! lol
{edit} Watched the game! What an energetic first period! It almost felt like watching a continuous hectic OT. The Red Wings were really offensive and I must say that Niemi bailed the Sharks out on numerous occasions. Not that the Sharks were without good opportunities, but much of the game took place in front of the Sharks' goal. Niemi had eighteen saves, Howard six in this period. No goals though. Which was amazing considering the chances. Second period continued in much the same vein. Red Wing Cleary had one of the more prolific chances as he broke away and put one past Niemi. At least everyone in the arena including the commentator thought so. It hit the goal post, but it sure was close. The game continued in a rather hectic manner and both the Sharks and Wings were chasing the puck all over the ice. Main difference was that the Wings were skating better and had more puck-time. A goalless, but very entertaining second period. Especially as in the final second we saw Holmstrom make a summersault as he tried to score a goal. Oh yeah. Let me add a pic.
And then came the third period. Slightly less energetic and I must say that despite knowing the outcome, I was a bit down after the Sharks scored. The Wings had so many opportunities so it was harsh to see this happen. But the Wings just did not give up. They kept creating opportunities and again some instances where Niemi had to do some crazy contortionistic moves to keep the zero up on the board for the Wings. But then the Wings soared, that Zetterberg/Kronwall/Filippula goal was awesome! Filippula then got the second goal with help from Datsyuk and Helm secured the win with an emptynetter. What a great game and again, Datsyuk was splendid! But then again so was everyone else on the squad! I am already nervous for Game 7!
[Sharks-Red Wings] 1-3. Series tied at 3-3. I am so on the edge of my seat for this series. To me it is just amazing how the Wings rebounded after that 3-0 series deficit. Yes yes, veteran team, talented players etc etc, but a 3-0 is not something you just recover from. I am going to watch this game as soon as I get home and if time permits rewrite this post with additional insights.
In the mean time, CLICK HERE to see how Gordie Howe stuns Jimmy Howard. It was really cute! lol
{edit} Watched the game! What an energetic first period! It almost felt like watching a continuous hectic OT. The Red Wings were really offensive and I must say that Niemi bailed the Sharks out on numerous occasions. Not that the Sharks were without good opportunities, but much of the game took place in front of the Sharks' goal. Niemi had eighteen saves, Howard six in this period. No goals though. Which was amazing considering the chances. Second period continued in much the same vein. Red Wing Cleary had one of the more prolific chances as he broke away and put one past Niemi. At least everyone in the arena including the commentator thought so. It hit the goal post, but it sure was close. The game continued in a rather hectic manner and both the Sharks and Wings were chasing the puck all over the ice. Main difference was that the Wings were skating better and had more puck-time. A goalless, but very entertaining second period. Especially as in the final second we saw Holmstrom make a summersault as he tried to score a goal. Oh yeah. Let me add a pic.
 |
| Hockey + Summersault = Fun |
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | SF Game 6 | May 10th, 2011
Are you the same as me? Do you dislike the way we are winding down to the finals and have less and less games to look forward to? I am already starting to feel the hockey deprivation symptoms setting in ...
[Nucks-Pred] 2-1. Nucks close out series 4-2. Well, at least one of my predictions was on the money ;) ... the Nucks started off with two good goals in the first period. Although I must say that the Preds' D looked a bit weak there. Leaving D. Sedin on his own in front of the goal? Hmm, bad idea. And again some hard work by Ryan Kesler. Along with Datsyuk of the Wings he must be the hardest working guy these Playoffs. Feel free to leave your own thoughts about this in the comments! Anyways, the Preds scored a bit of a lucky goal in the second period. Luongo let in a soft one there, but he was alright the rest of the game. The Nucks basically shut down the door and played a very defensive third period and the Preds just had no answer to it. So grats to all you Nucks fans out there!
And I just mentioned Kesler. Hard worker, awesome player and of course someone like that will have to bear the brunt of hits and whatnot. It is amazing he could talk at all after last night's game.
[Nucks-Pred] 2-1. Nucks close out series 4-2. Well, at least one of my predictions was on the money ;) ... the Nucks started off with two good goals in the first period. Although I must say that the Preds' D looked a bit weak there. Leaving D. Sedin on his own in front of the goal? Hmm, bad idea. And again some hard work by Ryan Kesler. Along with Datsyuk of the Wings he must be the hardest working guy these Playoffs. Feel free to leave your own thoughts about this in the comments! Anyways, the Preds scored a bit of a lucky goal in the second period. Luongo let in a soft one there, but he was alright the rest of the game. The Nucks basically shut down the door and played a very defensive third period and the Preds just had no answer to it. So grats to all you Nucks fans out there!
And I just mentioned Kesler. Hard worker, awesome player and of course someone like that will have to bear the brunt of hits and whatnot. It is amazing he could talk at all after last night's game.
 |
| Ouchies, banged up face. Poor guy! Look at that gash on his chin! |
Monday, 9 May 2011
Twitter Time #5 | Flyers Post Playoffs Tweets | May 9th, 2011
Ha, the Flyers are not the most Tweet-savvy NHL players, but a few have adapted it into their lifestyle. So here the post-sweep Tweets by JVR, Carle and Carcillo.
James van Riemsdyk
btw thanks to all the fans for your support throughout the year, you guys were great! #flyernation
Matt Carle
Was really hoping to wake up this morning in the hotel in Boston have last night just be a bad dream, I can't believe it's over...
Matt Carle
Going to have a sick feeling in the stomach for awhile. Sorry to all our fans, but thanks for your support all season #HowLongUntilOct
Daniel Carcillo
Afternoon ladies and gents...just l'eggoed my eggo but before I shave this beard, all u haters/pigeons can pick the crumbs out of it Q
Playoffs Daily | SF Game 5 | May 9th, 2011
We are getting dangled as much as the next puck that comes in touch with Datsyuk! Awesome news for me when I woke up this morning!
[Red Wings-Sharks] 4-3. Sharks lead series 3-2. The Wings live another game! Watched the highlights, read a bunch of reports, checked out all the post-game interviews and I think I will like what I see when I get back home to watch the game. Hahah, especially as my fave team won, I admit ;) ... based on the various interviews I watched the Wings have not necessarily played their best game and the Sharks may have had the edge at some point in the game. But you cannot deny that working hard can be the decisive factor in tight games and most kudos seem to go to Datsyuk - who played despite a wrist injury. Click this sentence to see yet another awesome Datsyuk move that leads to a goal! And turning a 3-1 deficit to a 4-3 win ... do not tell me that is luck ;) that is stamina and determination. Next stop: series tied! I truly, truly hope so.
Speaking of a tied series. Wonder if the Preds will tie their series tonight or if the Nucks will finally close this one out!
[Red Wings-Sharks] 4-3. Sharks lead series 3-2. The Wings live another game! Watched the highlights, read a bunch of reports, checked out all the post-game interviews and I think I will like what I see when I get back home to watch the game. Hahah, especially as my fave team won, I admit ;) ... based on the various interviews I watched the Wings have not necessarily played their best game and the Sharks may have had the edge at some point in the game. But you cannot deny that working hard can be the decisive factor in tight games and most kudos seem to go to Datsyuk - who played despite a wrist injury. Click this sentence to see yet another awesome Datsyuk move that leads to a goal! And turning a 3-1 deficit to a 4-3 win ... do not tell me that is luck ;) that is stamina and determination. Next stop: series tied! I truly, truly hope so.
Speaking of a tied series. Wonder if the Preds will tie their series tonight or if the Nucks will finally close this one out!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | SF Game 5 | May 8th, 2011
Just one game, but I am fine with that, I need a break to recharge for the next Red Wings game ;)
[Preds-Nucks] 4-3. Nucks lead series 3-2. So there, the Nucks are not making it easy for themselves once again. Closing a series does not seem to come naturally for them. Guys that stood out: Joel Ward and Ryan Kessler. And no, still not liking the Green Men. Ugh.
And because it's Mother's Day today I thought I would add a sweet quote from Joel Ward about his mother:
"She's got the hockey package now, so she catches all the games, watches the other series like Detroit and San Jose and tells me who the good players are on those teams. She just loves the game, has a strong passion. It's definitely her favorite sport even though cricket is our pastime in Barbados."
So everyone ... go call/visit/hug your mother and tell her you love her if you can!
[Preds-Nucks] 4-3. Nucks lead series 3-2. So there, the Nucks are not making it easy for themselves once again. Closing a series does not seem to come naturally for them. Guys that stood out: Joel Ward and Ryan Kessler. And no, still not liking the Green Men. Ugh.
And because it's Mother's Day today I thought I would add a sweet quote from Joel Ward about his mother:
"She's got the hockey package now, so she catches all the games, watches the other series like Detroit and San Jose and tells me who the good players are on those teams. She just loves the game, has a strong passion. It's definitely her favorite sport even though cricket is our pastime in Barbados."
So everyone ... go call/visit/hug your mother and tell her you love her if you can!
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Playoffs Daily | SF Game 4 | May 7th, 2011
Where to start? First of all, 7pm EST is 1am my time and I was not planning on watching the games last night. Was a busy week at work so a girl needs to recuperate right? But both the Flyers and Red Wings game kept me preoccupied and I could not fall asleep and I was constantly grabbing my BlackBerry to check the NHL applet. At one point I gave up this torture and got up and tuned in to ESPN America to watch the final period of the Sharks-Red Wings game which ESPN followed up with the third period of the Flyers-Bruins game. By the time I went to sleep it was past 5am and I was a mixed bag of emotions and sleep deprivation lol
[Sharks-Red Wings] 3-4. Sharks lead series 3-1. My favourite Western Conference team lives to play another game! I liked how they quickly got to the 3-0 lead and liked it less when I saw it dwindle to 3-3 on the applet. At which point I decided to give up on this 'trying to sleep'-thing and got up to watch the rest of the third period. And it was very exciting. The Wings kept hunting for a winner and the Sharks were pretty much doing the same. It went back and forth and then Helm scored the fourth goal just as I was thinking 'Oh no, we're up for another OT'. I was on the edge of my seat for the last seconds of the game and never did time go so slowly. And I probably should not but I have admit to something very girly here. As the seconds ran out I was overwhelmed by it all and I found myself crying a bit lol ... I was so happy at least one of my faves evaded a sweep ...
[Flyers-Bruins] 1-5. Boston sweep series 4-0. Yes you probably heard about it ... my Flyers got SWEPT! Oh stop smirking at me like that! Two were emptynetters ok? But yeah, it all went downhill after game two and they never recovered. During the last two games at times I would see the Flyers that dominated the first half of the season, but all in all they were nothing but a ghost of their 'former' self. As if it was ages ago. But how else to describe it? Lines that once clicked perfectly and linemates that once found eachother blindly failed to generate goals. During the last period I saw things I have never seen before: shots on goal from the red line?! Sure, always try to take a shot, but that was just ridiculous. Bad stick-handling. Nervous undirected and even completely missed shots. Do not even get me going on the Playoffs goaltending situation. Sergei was in my opinion the saving grace in this final game. Do not blame him at all. And Lavi, who was such a rock for us seemed to have lost his coaching skills and confidence-inspiring coolness. And the Bruins were awesome the entire series. Credit where credit is due! Having said all that, I did see my guys give all the energy they had in them, but it was not enough to pull them through.
This series will be analysed to death and much better too, so I will not even attempt it, but in short this is what I think.
As for the Bruins, I like these guys. Chara, Bergeron, Kaberle (yeah the Leafs were right about shipping him out, but I still like the guy), Ference (my hero eversince he flipped off the Habs fans), Lucic, Timmie ... awesome players. And the Bruins played the kind of game I was used to seeing my Flyers play. Physical to the max and dominating. So yeah, as I finally went to bed after 5am I was pissed off and ready to hate them. But with a few hours of sleep behind me and a really sunny day ahead the little bit of hate has gone and well, might even cheer for them to win the next series. What can I say, I am not a sore loser and we all deal with loss differently right? ;)
[Sharks-Red Wings] 3-4. Sharks lead series 3-1. My favourite Western Conference team lives to play another game! I liked how they quickly got to the 3-0 lead and liked it less when I saw it dwindle to 3-3 on the applet. At which point I decided to give up on this 'trying to sleep'-thing and got up to watch the rest of the third period. And it was very exciting. The Wings kept hunting for a winner and the Sharks were pretty much doing the same. It went back and forth and then Helm scored the fourth goal just as I was thinking 'Oh no, we're up for another OT'. I was on the edge of my seat for the last seconds of the game and never did time go so slowly. And I probably should not but I have admit to something very girly here. As the seconds ran out I was overwhelmed by it all and I found myself crying a bit lol ... I was so happy at least one of my faves evaded a sweep ...
[Flyers-Bruins] 1-5. Boston sweep series 4-0. Yes you probably heard about it ... my Flyers got SWEPT! Oh stop smirking at me like that! Two were emptynetters ok? But yeah, it all went downhill after game two and they never recovered. During the last two games at times I would see the Flyers that dominated the first half of the season, but all in all they were nothing but a ghost of their 'former' self. As if it was ages ago. But how else to describe it? Lines that once clicked perfectly and linemates that once found eachother blindly failed to generate goals. During the last period I saw things I have never seen before: shots on goal from the red line?! Sure, always try to take a shot, but that was just ridiculous. Bad stick-handling. Nervous undirected and even completely missed shots. Do not even get me going on the Playoffs goaltending situation. Sergei was in my opinion the saving grace in this final game. Do not blame him at all. And Lavi, who was such a rock for us seemed to have lost his coaching skills and confidence-inspiring coolness. And the Bruins were awesome the entire series. Credit where credit is due! Having said all that, I did see my guys give all the energy they had in them, but it was not enough to pull them through.
This series will be analysed to death and much better too, so I will not even attempt it, but in short this is what I think.
- Things went downhill after the ASG and got worse with the addition of Versteeg. Lines were messed up.
- The biggest WTF fuck moment of this season was when they called Leights back up for the Playoffs. Now I know our goalies were not the best, but to call up Leights? Great confidence booster for Sergei and Boosh *rolls eyes* ... that was just plain stupid and should not have happened. Not allowing Sergei back in net for Game 2 was the worst mistake. Sergei may have had the occasional bad game, but he always bounced back the next one.
- Lavi. Something is not right there. And the bad spell must have created locker-room issues. I am waiting for post-season fall-out!
As for the Bruins, I like these guys. Chara, Bergeron, Kaberle (yeah the Leafs were right about shipping him out, but I still like the guy), Ference (my hero eversince he flipped off the Habs fans), Lucic, Timmie ... awesome players. And the Bruins played the kind of game I was used to seeing my Flyers play. Physical to the max and dominating. So yeah, as I finally went to bed after 5am I was pissed off and ready to hate them. But with a few hours of sleep behind me and a really sunny day ahead the little bit of hate has gone and well, might even cheer for them to win the next series. What can I say, I am not a sore loser and we all deal with loss differently right? ;)
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