Let's talk NHL PLAYOFFS!!!

[Coconut36]

Yeah, I've literally never seen a team get as favorable of reffing as the Coyotes do. It's very frustrating to play them.

Other than the Torres hit I didn't think it was THAT dirty. And he definitely got what he deserved. But that doesn't matter when in the GAME Hawks didn't get a powerplay, they're without one of their best players because of it (and not having Torres doesn't hurt the Yotes at all) and even some of their goals in the series shouldn't have happened (too many men goal).
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As a long time (as in from the time they came to Phoenix) fan of the Coyotes I would argue about the favorable thing. It always seems favorable to the opposing team. Except for the last few years after having kids I attended most of the home season games and saw just as many questionable calls (or lack of calls) that went "against" the Coyotes as you likely think you saw for them.

I am not arguing the hit was wrong and shouldn't have happened. I am however surprised by that people seem to be acting like this was the first ever too aggressive/violent hit from one player to another. I was at the game where Krys Kolanos was injured and it was pretty bad and his career has never been the same.

 

[mvazul]

I had no idea Richard Simmons played hockey.

Must have played for the Capitals at one time as well...

 

[Cinderumbrella]

As a long time (as in from the time they came to Phoenix) fan of the Coyotes I would argue about the favorable thing. It always seems favorable to the opposing team. Except for the last few years after having kids I attended most of the home season games and saw just as many questionable calls (or lack of calls) that went "against" the Coyotes as you likely think you saw for them.

I am not arguing the hit was wrong and shouldn't have happened. I am however surprised by that people seem to be acting like this was the first ever too aggressive/violent hit from one player to another. I was at the game where Krys Kolanos was injured and it was pretty bad and his career has never been the same.

Allow me to respond as a Chicago fan.

The outrage was over it was handled THAT game. Torres wasn't even given so much as a penalty for it, he was allowed to stay in the game. In fact, when our guy came to fight him for it, he dropped to the ground instantly, rather than fight back (which you know is VERY uncharacteristic for Torres). And WE ended up with the penalty, plus a game misconduct while one of our best players, who is a clean player, is being carted off the ice on a stretcher. Couple that with the fact that Andrew Shaw had just been suspended for bumping your goalie the previous game, in which his immediate punishment was ejection, even though Smith was back up and completed the game... Fair? I think not.

I can only speak for myself, but I think the the 25 game suspension is adequate seeing as how he is a repeat offender for this. I feel justice was finally served, but it still doesn't excuse the ineptness of the ref staff that night.

 

[mvazul]

Allow me to respond as a Chicago fan.

The outrage was over it was handled THAT game. Torres wasn't even given so much as a penalty for it, he was allowed to stay in the game. In fact, when our guy came to fight him for it, he dropped to the ground instantly, rather than fight back (which you know is VERY uncharacteristic for Torres). And WE ended up with the penalty, plus a game misconduct while one of our best players, who is a clean player, is being carted off the ice on a stretcher. Couple that with the fact that Andrew Shaw had just been suspended for bumping your goalie the previous game, in which his immediate punishment was ejection, even though Smith was back up and completed the game... Fair? I think not.

I can only speak for myself, but I think the the 25 game suspension is adequate seeing as how he is a repeat offender for this. I feel justice was finally served, but it still doesn't excuse the ineptness of the ref staff that night.

Thank you for summing that up perfectly. Plus, the poor calls in just those two games alone may have tipped the scales. If they would have been called properly, the outcome may have been completely different.

 

[BDL]

3 game 7's to decide the Eastern Conference. What are the odds? The 1st one is tonight. The Caps are playing my B's at the Garden. And I couldn't be more nervous. The last time I was this twistsed was at the start of the 3rd period of Gm 7 vs. TB last year. 0-0 score and not a penalty called yet. You KNEW that anything (offsides, stupid penalty, uneven cleaning of the ice) could lead to doom. That's how I feel now.

The worst part is, the game will be on NBC Sports instead of NESN tonight. I can't even get my Jack Edwards fix.

 

[Belle Ella]

The worst part is, the game will be on NBC Sports instead of NESN tonight. I can't even get my Jack Edwards fix.

Are you sure it's not on both? The Bruins website has it listed on NESN as well (same goes for NESN's website).

 

[Sam33]

Hmm...no Wings, no 'Hawks, no Canadian team...is there ANY reason to even pay attention to the West?

Thank goodness the East may be putting deserving and quality teams through. Flyers already in, and a Bruins-Rangers Conference Semi would be epic (although I'm quietly hoping the Sens dust the Rangers in game 7). Beyond that, Panthers/Devils is just bleh.

Yeah I'm kind of a hockey purist. I'll take the "old guard" teams in the playoffs over the window dressing expansions any day.

Blues and Kings are not "window dressing expansion teams". They've been around since the 60's. They have plenty of tradition.

And "deserving and quality teams"? Makes it sound like you haven't watched any Blues or Preds hockey this year. Both teams are INCREDIBLY deserving of going all the way to the cup finals, imo. They're a HELL of a lot more deserving than the Hawks or Wings who seem to be relying on past success to do well instead of realizing that teams need to be improved upon every year.


As a fan of the sport in general, I'd like for the popularity to grow and for more people to get into the game. The Wings and Hawks winning every year are not going to do that. Those potential fan bases have been exhausted. Any potential fans are already fans. A team like the Preds or the Panthers winning the cup would do WONDERS for the growth of the sport. The same old teams doing well every year do nothing for me.


I also find it weird you mention Canadian teams but want tradition. Some of those "window dressing expansion" teams have a hell of a lot more tradition that the Sens or Nucks. What does being Canadian have to do with it?




Sorry the B's lost BDL! I was thinking of you and really sad when that goal was scored On the other hand, I'm a Ward fan. He really picks it up when the playoffs start. That's when it matters! At least you won the cup last year so I'm sure the sting is less so that it has been in the past. Good luck next year (I may have to stop liking them if Marchand sticks around, though...which I'm assuming he will)

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Blues and Kings are not "window dressing expansion teams". They've been around since the 60's. They have plenty of tradition.

And "deserving and quality teams"? Makes it sound like you haven't watched any Blues or Preds hockey this year. Both teams are INCREDIBLY deserving of going all the way to the cup finals, imo. They're a HELL of a lot more deserving than the Hawks or Wings who seem to be relying on past success to do well instead of realizing that teams need to be improved upon every year.


As a fan of the sport in general, I'd like for the popularity to grow and for more people to get into the game. The Wings and Hawks winning every year are not going to do that. Those potential fan bases have been exhausted. Any potential fans are already fans. A team like the Preds or the Panthers winning the cup would do WONDERS for the growth of the sport. The same old teams doing well every year do nothing for me.


I also find it weird you mention Canadian teams but want tradition. Some of those "window dressing expansion" teams have a hell of a lot more tradition that the Sens or Nucks. What does being Canadian have to do with it?

BBM. Note your second line in bold, and apply that to the first sentence in bold. The Predators or the Panthers winning the cup would do nothing for the league but further mire it down financially. The league has enough trouble getting ratings, and you think 2 teams that are ranked 20/21 in attendance will help that?

And that is my overall point. These teams aren't doing the league any favors, but sucking money.

Let's look at the "modern" era of expansion and see how these teams have fared in terms of bringing in the people:

1) San Jose - No brainer, has had 100% attendance for the last 3 seasons.
2) Ottawa - Again, 3 straight seasons in the top 13 of attendance (99-99-101 in terms of %)
3) Minnesota - One of the best things the NHL did was correcting the error of letting the North Stars leave for Dallas. The Wild have had been ranked 16th, 15th, 10th in attendance the last 3 seasons wih 98-100% capacity.

... and that's where it ends, here are the rest of the expansion teams, and their respective attendance ranks/percentages over '11-'12, '10-'11, '09-'10.

Tampa Bay - 13 (96%), 18 (87%), 21 (78%)
Florida - 21 (87%), 22 (81%), 25 (79%)
Anaheim - 26 (86%), 26 (86%), 24 (88%)
Nashville - 20 (98%), 21 (94%), 26 (88%)
Atlanta - TEAM MOVED in 2011, 28 (73%), 28 (73%)
Columbus - 27 (81%), 27 (75%), 22 (85%)

One step further would be looking at teams that were relocated.

Dallas (see above about leaving Minnesota) - 28 (77%), 23 (81%), 17 (93%)
Colorado - 23 (86%), 24 (82%), 27 (78%)
Phoenix - 30 (73%), 29 (71%), 30 (69%) - Dreadful
Carolina - 22 (86%), 20 (88%), 23 (81%)
Winnipeg - The might return of the Jets ranked 25th in attendance due to their arena size, but they had 100% capacity.

Now, let's look at the 100% club. These teams have had 100+% capacity for ALL of the last 3 seasons.

Chicago
Philadelphia
Washington
San Jose
Pittsburgh
Montreal
Calgary
Toronto
Vancouver
Edmonton

Take a look at those last 5 and you'll see why I specifically mentioned Canadian teams. Calgary hasn't made the playoffs in ANY of those 3 seasons, but still fill the stadium.

The league made terrible financial moves by trying to go to warmer climates to spread hockey, but it has been a failure. Hockey fans are purists and traditionalists. They want to see teams return to Quebec and Hartford. That is how this league will grow, along with old time rivalries in the playoffs.

Obviously this is all JMO, but having watched the Calgary Flames lose the Stanley Cup to the Tampa Bay Lightning...a team that actually had a section on their website called "Learn the game of hockey" was just disgusting. I'm hoping for positive changes, too, but I don't see a team like the Coyotes deserving of anything.

I'll agree with you about the Blues & the Kings, but I'd rather that have been the Conference Final.

 

[kimmar067]

a big CONGRATS to the NY Rangers and the NJ Devils, although I'm exhausted from watching to the very end of the Devils' game!

 

[mebbradley]

a big CONGRATS to the NY Rangers and the NJ Devils, although I'm exhausted from watching to the very end of the Devils' game!

I must have refreshed my phone about every three seconds to keep up with the rangers score!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Take a look at those last 5 and you'll see why I specifically mentioned Canadian teams. Calgary hasn't made the playoffs in ANY of those 3 seasons, but still fill the stadium.

What else is there to do in Calgary besides go to hockey games?

I often said this was one of the reasons Mizzou was never able to put together the kind of football program Nebraska did. Mizzou has to contend with Royals, Chiefs, Blues, Cardinals, and Rams for competition for fans & $$$ while Nebraska has Cornhusker football and................

Not that I disagree entirely about Southern expansion. It's mostly been bad.

 

[kimmar067]

I must have refreshed my phone about every three seconds to keep up with the rangers score!

 

[akhenaten]

a big CONGRATS to the NY Rangers and the NJ Devils, although I'm exhausted from watching to the very end of the Devils' game!

I fell asleep and woke up to my son cheering... the late start and double OT did me in...LOL

Go Devil!!!!

 

[kimmar067]

 

[mebbradley]

It was intense to say the least. Good Luck to the Rangers today!!!

 

[jenny105]

I was in Scotland so I missed the Rangers game 5 & 6. I came back the day of game 7 and forced myself to stay up and watch the game. I was happy with the result and immediately passed out cold LOL. Game 2 tonight!

 

[BDL]

First my B's get bounced in the 1st round. Now my alternate favorite, the Preds, are down 2-0. Tell you what... You wanna get rich? I will start posting who I think will win each day, and all of you can take whatever money you have and bet on the opposite. I only ask for a 15% finders' fee.

 

[BDL]

The 3rd round now has it's first member. The Kings swept the Blues. Wow! I did not see that one coming. I mean, the Kings definitely had the firepower to make it to the Conference Finals. But think about their road...

In back to back series, The Kings have knocked off the #1 and the #2 seeds in only 9 games.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

The 3rd round now has it's first member. The Kings swept the Blues. Wow! I did not see that one coming. I mean, the Kings definitely had the firepower to make it to the Conference Finals. But think about their road...

In back to back series, The Kings have knocked off the #1 and the #2 seeds in only 9 games.

As a Hawks fan, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see the Kings knock off the Canuckleheads and now the Blues!!!

I have no dog left in this fight, but this has proven to be a very surprising playoff season!

 

[jenny105]

Wow. Good for the Kings. I'm happy for this thread because I'm not paying any attention to who is winning out there.