April 30, 2006

2006 NHL Playoffs Pick-em Update: Half of the series' are over, and the updated leaderboard shows that only two players have been perfect with their series winner picks thus far: billsaysthis and WeedyMcSmokey. The quest for (winner) perfection will come down to Carolina vs Montreal.

posted by mkn to fantasy at 10:52 PM - 46 comments

From the previous thread:

I see a few diluted souls picking the Oilers to beat Detroit. Just wondering why? I've seen the Oilers play lots this year with my Hockey Package and for the life of me I just don't get it.......... Detroit takes this series in a sweep! I'll take my lumps if the Oilers win this series but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. posted by skydivedad
The series isn't over yet, but still wondering why?

posted by mkn at 10:58 PM on April 30, 2006

I thought Dallas had the best chance of winning of the cup this year. Boy do I look stoopid.

posted by HATER 187 at 07:19 AM on May 01, 2006

At least I've got more right than the freaking monkey!

posted by grum@work at 08:44 AM on May 01, 2006

Good on ya, billy. I think I'm now officially dead wrong about Carolina. They are going to hammer the Canadiens into the ice in game seven. They found their legs and are dominating while Montreal now has to play Radek "Cancer" Bonk as their 1st line centre. It's time for Huet to do his impression of Patrick Roy circa 1993. Vive les Habitants!!

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:56 AM on May 01, 2006

Just theorizing in hindsight: if Dallas loses their twelve shootout wins, they probably don't win their division (assuming a couple of the extra points go to SJ/ANA) and they come in as a fifth or sixth seed. I don't think Dallas is that bad a team, but I think they were overrated just enough to bump the predictions for this series from "feisty and competitive" to "Dallas: stone cold lock". Also, we probably forgot how many very good players still play for Colorado. At least I did.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 09:04 AM on May 01, 2006

All I know is this: whoever brainwashed Detroit's D-Men into forgetting how to play D,
please make it stop... This isn't all on Legace, guys. Edmonton is getting second and third chances in front of Detroit's net before they remember basic defensive skills and clear the puck or the player!

posted by wingnut4life at 09:16 AM on May 01, 2006

Dr John - yes, when I was making predictions I noted that Dallas had the best shootout record in hockey, and San Jose the worst - eliminate those points and Dallas is slightly ahead of Colorado and worse than San Jose. So I did think that they were the most over-rated of teams and could be beat. I didn't think they'd get beat THAT soundly, though. I really hope Turco becomes available following the guaranteed overreaction.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:33 AM on May 01, 2006

I blame Buccigross's belief in Turco for my pick. Bucci has a bigger hard-on for Turco than he does for Drury, and I took that as 'the word' having not watched many Dallas games this year. "Way to go, Dallas!" (I caught the second half of 'HFRO' over the weekend, and this quote has taken on a new sarcastic tone for me.)

posted by garfield at 09:34 AM on May 01, 2006

garf, I saw a dozen or so Stars games (maybe more, thank you OnDemand) and during the season, especially after the first month or so, Turco was the real deal. His disappearance in the playoffs is a total mystery. I, for one, did not expect Vessa Toskala to step up like he has.

posted by chicobangs at 12:03 PM on May 01, 2006

Turco's stumbling around, scrambling, off-balance play juxtaposed against Jose's calm, well-positioned play makes it seem like Marty's jitters are really bad. I had Toskala on a fanatsy team in 03-04 and he was awesome for a couple-month stretch. This season, he was on my watch list, but stayed there because his play wasn't like it was in 03-04...until the last few weeks of the season. I was beginning to think his play 03-04 was a fluke. Good on him for carrying over that success.

posted by garfield at 12:28 PM on May 01, 2006

I thought Dallas had the best chance of winning of the cup this year. Boy do I look stoopid. In the Spofi preseason prediction thread I think I had Boston winning the Cup. Thankfully the lockeroom archives (if that was a lockerroom discussion) aren't available to prove that.

posted by gspm at 12:42 PM on May 01, 2006

I picked a Philly-Clagary final possible but not probable.

posted by HATER 187 at 12:48 PM on May 01, 2006

In the pre-season pick 'em that is.

posted by HATER 187 at 01:09 PM on May 01, 2006

Have we lost that lockerroom post where we predicted how the league would finish up? I'm pretty sure I had some strange-ass prediction in that one too. Though it's nice to see I'm not totally wrong all the time.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:23 PM on May 01, 2006

With my Rangers out in a hurry, I'm gunning for a Costanza...

posted by ajaffe at 03:29 PM on May 01, 2006

Have we lost that lockerroom post where we predicted how the league would finish up? Yeah, until 2.0 launches.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 03:31 PM on May 01, 2006

Hey, my pick is still in in it. I think they were 50-1 before the season. They're at 6-1 now. Can you short a bet?

posted by qbert72 at 03:32 PM on May 01, 2006

Oh, man, if we'd only known:

What a shitty night of hockey. All the bad guys won. posted by Samsonov14 at 6:37 PM CDT on October 6 Wrong Samsonov: Edmonton won! posted by mkn at 10:45 PM CDT on October 6

posted by DrJohnEvans at 03:38 PM on May 01, 2006

Since I have yet to watch a full game of hockey, including the playoffs, you have only Weedy's smokage and your intelligent comments here to blame for my standing in the table. Plus I figured at least one underdog beside the Sharks, who weren't really underdogs, would win a first round West series and it wasn't going to be Detroit or Calgary playing golf. Though the Red Wings better man up in a hurry or the trophy for having the best regular season is going to become a curse (i.e., a jinx) in the NHL.

posted by billsaysthis at 04:12 PM on May 01, 2006

From my Oct 4th comment: If someone said "Pick two teams for the Stanley Cup finals or die!", I'd go with Vancouver and Ottawa. Well, I still have a chance to be half-right. Ottawa because they have lots of great scorers (Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson, Havlat) and I think a rested Hasek could be a dangerous Hasek. And also because I don't think they'll face Toronto in the playoffs. Well, I was right about their scoring and not playing Toronto in the playoffs. Hasek, however, has had FAR too much rest right now to be considered "dangerous"...

posted by grum@work at 06:18 PM on May 01, 2006

Just to let everyone know, I've had a vision. In this vision, I spoke to the great Scotty Bowman. The conversation went kinda like this: Forgive me, Scotty, for I have sinned. How so, dear hockey fan? I have taken the Wings' name in vain. You must say 16 Hail Stanley's, my son... Hail Stanley, full of grace, the cup keeper is with you. Blessed are you among trophies and blessed is the booze from your cup. Holy Stanley, patron saint of the Original Six, pray for us Wings fans, now and at the hour of our possible elimination...

posted by wingnut4life at 06:48 PM on May 01, 2006

Updated with the Det EDMONTON WIN

posted by mkn at 09:58 PM on May 01, 2006

What a win. Unreal. Dr.John - what are the lottery numbers I should be looking at come Friday?

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:32 PM on May 01, 2006

Gawd. I am hating sports. Casually interested in (and watching the end of) the Suns-Lakers tilt Sunday, hoping for a Suns win to make a 2-2 series (more interesting than 3-1) plus pulling for Nash... and they blow it. twice. lousy. Rather interested in the Habs-Canes game Sunday, pulling for the Habs, and they can't get it done and never look anything like they will get it done. disappointing. Rather interested in the Oilers-Wings game but decide to watch 24 instead. All the scoring in the exciting third period seems avoid all the commercial breaks. Miss all the great action and get the result I'm rooting for. hurrah, but I missed it all. Very interested in the Flames-Ducks game, stay up until almost 2am on a Monday. watch the Flames look like their typically offensively challenged selves, lose. (can you decline a powerplay?) arsebiscuits.

posted by gspm at 12:46 AM on May 02, 2006

If you missed the beginning of the Flames/Ducks game, then you missed a good between Iginla and some Duck. Fists actually landed squarely. Very nice.

posted by NoMich at 08:07 AM on May 02, 2006

For a guy who watches and follows a lot of hockey, I apparently know very little about it. Yikes. Those were some ugly picks on my part.

posted by Samsonov14 at 08:10 AM on May 02, 2006

Looks like DrJohn has the hot stick in these playoffs. He is now leading in confidence points too. That was a good fight, Iginla got the worst of it IMO. I wish I would have been able to stay awake for the 3rd period of the Flames/Ducks game. The lack of sleep from staying up to watch these late games is starting to wear on me.

posted by njsk8r20 at 09:36 AM on May 02, 2006

You're just getting old. har har

posted by NoMich at 09:56 AM on May 02, 2006

if my picks weren't so late...i'd be perfect if calgary can win :)

posted by nintool3369 at 02:28 AM on May 03, 2006

and while i'm at it ... i'll do up the eastern conference: i take ottawa in 6 and new jersey in 7. if i'm wrong there sue me. ...calgary better win :)

posted by nintool3369 at 02:39 AM on May 03, 2006

That you would be. I can still throw you into the leaderboard, but the leaderboard's leaders might resent being bumped because of it.

posted by mkn at 12:24 PM on May 03, 2006

Totally off topic, what do you think of 10,000 days Mr. nintool3369?

posted by HATER 187 at 12:42 PM on May 03, 2006

I have a question about the leaderboard. I don't understand what the two numbers in parentheses mean. I'm guessing the first one is for correct number of series winners, but what's the second one for? DrJohnEvans' says 5, but he has 6 correct number of games.

posted by qbert72 at 12:46 PM on May 03, 2006

I'm not a leader, and I think your picks are great nintool, but you can't be included if you posted them after the puck dropped for the first game, and I'm not even a stickler for 'rules'. Wouldn't you agree? But hey, whatever is decided upon, I'm cool with. I just think of this more as not tempting the wrath of the hockey gods. Besides, if you won, you wouldn't want your win to be tainted.

posted by garfield at 12:53 PM on May 03, 2006

Woo! In the running for the Costanza on this one it would seem.

posted by gspm at 02:51 PM on May 03, 2006

DrJohnEvans' says 5, but he has 6 correct number of games. I think it's a typo. It should say (6,6) which would add up to his 18 point total.

posted by grum@work at 04:13 PM on May 03, 2006

Woo! In the running for the Costanza on this one it would seem. I admit I know little about hockey, but I cant believe how poor im doing in both pools. You would think that dumd luck woukd have givin me a better showing in at least one of them. note to self, leave hockey to those who know what the hell they are talking about, and how bout that race at Dega monday, at least I was there

posted by Folkways at 04:28 PM on May 03, 2006

The first bracket number is for how many series winners were picked, no matter how many games it took. The second is how many correct series winners AND the number of games it took them. So the second one is the number of "perfect" picks. You can also sort by those numbers if you click on their "Results" counter-parts. I added those because I figured that adding a point for number of games was kind of arbitrary (though it does balance the scores a bit). Also, I know you weren't asking me, but I can tell you that "10,000 Days" is great. A little bit disappointing in that it's pretty much what you'd expect, but some of the songs are just outsanding anyway (Right In Two).

posted by mkn at 05:34 PM on May 03, 2006

Don't worry folkways if you ever get depressed at the bottom of the pool I'm down there with you.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:48 PM on May 03, 2006

yea i had the albumn 10,000 days a month before it was out...so i got burned out early lol. and it's an ok cd i mean, the first track is great...and i can't get over maynard singing so high pitched in that song "the pot". good shit though. it's a tough listen for all you long time tool fans like me :)

posted by nintool3369 at 12:27 AM on May 04, 2006

yea i guess i wasn't perfect cause anaheim won. it's ok if you don't put me up there...i guess i can imagine i was on time :) oh well...

posted by nintool3369 at 12:27 AM on May 04, 2006

i guess for the first time since conference play was introduced...it had to happen once...that all the top seeded teams get killed in the first round. maybe i thought too much of calgary. go avs...maybe they beat anaheim in 6 games...and face ...yea edmonton in the conference finals. maybe i pick the avs for the stanley cup finals too :)

posted by nintool3369 at 12:28 AM on May 04, 2006

Man, that was the most boring game seven I have ever seen. Anaheim could have put a cardboard cutout of Brizgalov in net and they still would have won. If the Anaheim net was in the corners, Calgary would have won 8-2. But, unfortunately for them, they failed to realize that the net was in front and never got anyone to it. What a disappointment. I expected better from Calgary. I guess tomorrow I'll create a round 2 pick'em thread.

posted by mkn at 01:01 AM on May 04, 2006

Ugh. I've had a bad week watching sports on TV. not a single result that I had even a passing interest in came to pass, except for the Oilers game which I pretty much missed because I was watching something else. The Flames, man. They are now 0-4 in their last four chances to clinch a series. If you can't get motivated for a game 7, at home, then what the heck is wrong with you? They were BRUTAL. and the crowd, egads. The crowd at the Montreal game on Tuesday (at least on tv) was incredible. loud, spirited. the Flames crowd seemed dead, almost Anaheimian or Carolinesque. I am disappointed all around. Please, Flames, add somebody that can score. I guess i'll put my hat in with Edmonton. There is a team that can be fun to watch (stoopid Flames mutter mutter)

posted by gspm at 07:31 AM on May 04, 2006

I am OGT back from '92 off the first EP and I love the new record. Goddam ducks are making me look stoopid, besides SJ every pick I had in the west wrong and i'm 2 fer 4 in the east.

posted by HATER 187 at 07:44 AM on May 04, 2006

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