April 12, 2003

Whassup?: Can someone explain what the heck is going on in the NHL? Oh course my beloved Devils are up 2-0 but Ducks and Caps 2-0 and Wild and Oils each taking a first game win?!?! Okay, it's early and Avs and Stars took their second games but is this wild and whacky or what? Will the NBA be able to generate similar early excitement?

posted by billsaysthis to hockey at 04:55 PM - 16 comments

Sorry about the generic link but I couldn't think of a better one with all the series in one place. So whassup?

posted by billsaysthis at 04:56 PM on April 12, 2003

I just want to see the Oilers get past Dallas just _once_. I don't care if they get put out in the second round. This has gone on long enough.

posted by Space Coyote at 05:15 PM on April 12, 2003

It's still early, but I love it when the Mighty Ducks make me look good. I love playoff hockey.

posted by qbert72 at 05:39 PM on April 12, 2003

Caps being 2-0 isn't much of a surprise. Anaheim... yeah, I picked them as the dark horse team (ok, so I'm bragging like qbert), but it's still early. Remember what happened to Vancouver last year? Yeah. So far, the majority of the games that I've seen have been entertaining in some way (though watching the Leafs play like a junior team, despite stealing a win, isn't very entertaining to the Leafs fan in me). I didn't see game 2, but the triple overtime Anaheim win in game one was great. The playoffs are great, I love them, though they do make the previous 82 games seem like a bore and a complete waste.

posted by mkn at 11:10 PM on April 12, 2003

Washington is looking the best of any team in the East right now. Sure, they're playing the Lightning, but you have to consider that Khabispellcheck is one of the better goalies in the league, and they're just making him look rather silly. That Vancouver/St. Louis game was pretty intense tonight. Great hitting, great defense, and some decent break aways here and there. Cloutiere is back to his normal self it looks. Also, a big shout out to John Forslund, normally the Hurricanes TeeVee play by play guy, doing the calling for ESPN tonight. Good job Johnny! Too bad my Canes stunk up the joint this year. :(

posted by NoMich at 12:07 AM on April 13, 2003

I was wondering who that was. And considering that I watched most of the Carolina games on satellite this season, I should have known. Yet somehow all I remember of that entire season was Erik's Click it or Ticket commercials... I decided to adopt the Blues, who make it every year but never win it, as my team this year, but I also like Vancouver. So once my Isles lose, the winner of that series becomes my favorite team, and I sure as hell hope they win the cup. I'm sick of the Devils and all those western powerhouses. I hope the Ducks can finish what Vancouver couldn't last year... Speaking of obscure announcers, is anyone else disgusted by the use of Bob Norton for the NCAA final tongiht? I hate that slobbering idiot...

posted by Bernreuther at 03:32 AM on April 13, 2003

yay! my canucks take one back. with macinnis seemingly out and ohlund (and cloutier) back, the forecast is suddenly looking a bit brighter giguere kicking some over-the-hill detroit butt is pretty cool too. off-topic: cbs.sportsline.com/nhl is super cool if you're a stats freak.

posted by juv3nal at 07:35 AM on April 13, 2003

I just want to say that even though the Leafs looked terrible on Friday, I'm still smiling broadly after watching Detroit fans realize what Edmonton/St.Louis/Toronto fans have figured out before them: CuJo is good, but he'll break your heart every time. Nothing would make me laugh harder than to watch the Red Wings get knocked out in the first round and the Leafs to advance at least one round. But I'm not stupid enough to bet money on either event occuring.

posted by grum@work at 09:55 AM on April 13, 2003

CuJo is good, but he'll break your heart every time. I don't get it. I'd expect to hear the opposite from a Leaf fan! CuJo was stellar in the playoffs for the Leafs in the last three years. Thought the Washington-TB series would be a little closer. All's right for my Sens after handing out a drubbing last night, and Vancouver looked good against the Blues. How about Forsberg's hit on Ronning! Damn. I love it all. The NHL playoffs are the best playoffs of any North American sport. I'd put the World Series second.

posted by Succa at 01:29 PM on April 13, 2003

He was stellar, but in the end he broke our heart (leaving for Detroit). For the other teams, he just couldn't win the big games (and I guess for the Leafs too, but he tried his darndest). And Forsberg hitting Ronning is like a running back hitting the kicker. Ronning is one of the smaller players on the NHL, and Forsberg is one of the strongest. Nonetheless, it was a good hit from a skilled player. The first round of the NHL playoffs has the same feel as day one and two of March Madness. Games on all the time and lots of stories to be told. It's my favourite sports time of the year.

posted by grum@work at 02:12 PM on April 13, 2003

As usual, almost all of my picks have been dead wrong. It's not so much that I'm retarded (although mild stupidity is something of a factor), it's just that I have a problem with blindly going with my heart instead of my head. In a perfect world, the Bruins would beat the Devils. The Wild would beat the Avs. The Caps would get torn apart by the inexperienced Lightning. And of course, the Flyers would never win a game. These are all pipe dreams, but the part of me that really enjoyed that "Rudy" movie wants these things to happen. Watching playoff hockey always reminds me of why I don't believe in God. Or a least a god who watches hockey. As I write this, Stevens and Madden have just taken the Bruins apart again. Sigh.

posted by Samsonov14 at 04:16 PM on April 13, 2003

And of course, the Flyers would never win a game. Expand that to any Philly team and say amen, brother!

posted by billsaysthis at 05:28 PM on April 13, 2003

Consider it expanded. Amen, brother.

posted by Samsonov14 at 05:39 PM on April 13, 2003

CuuuuuuuuJooooooo! CuuuuuuuuJooooooo! CuuuuuuuuJooooooo! I still think it's possible for Detroit to win the next 4 straight. They really do look like the better team out there, but they aren't getting the job done. However, if the Red Wings do go out in 4 straight, CuJo is going to be begging for some hole to swallow him up. Heck, I'm curious to see if they go with Legace for #4 just to shake things up. I'm betting they won't because it means that CuJo would have to sit for the rest of the playoffs, and since they have him for a couple more years, that would absolutely destroy his confidence. Oh, and one more thing... Go Leafs Go! Go Leafs Go! Go Leafs Go!

posted by grum@work at 10:27 AM on April 15, 2003

Oh, what the hell. I didn't want to bring this out too early but I'd kick myself for not having it appear in this year's playoffs....

posted by grum@work at 10:31 AM on April 15, 2003

detroit's done like dinner! (unfortunately my canucks are just 1 step away from a similar fate)

posted by juv3nal at 12:33 AM on April 17, 2003

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