2013 NHL Thread

[Lowdown]

I would love it if the Kings finally get that brass ring. But to be fair, it would be a challenge regardless if they play the Rangers or the Devils, more so the Rangers. They have a shot without question and have shown their poise and mettle. I don't think it would be a sweep, but it could go at least 6 or 7 games. But another sweep in the Finals would shut up a lot of naysayers (again, I'm talking about you Bob Ryan!).

 

[It's Damn Real!]

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infom...min&feed:c=sports_columnists&feed:i=1.3724873

"My son has said he's waiting until the end of the year to decide anything, and that's what he's told me, too," Parise said. "And that's because he knows I have a big mouth."

Zach Parise and the Devils are tied at 1-1 with the Rangers, three wins away from getting a crack at a Stanley Cup . Beyond that, Parise is six weeks away from unrestricted free agency. He would easily be the top forward on the market, and the list of suitors is as long as the list of teams with salary cap room and enough funds to offer a long-term, front-loaded contract to the 27-year-old wing .

A couple of things seem pretty certain, even without any guidance from J.P. Parise, whom we'll get to in a moment. The first is that the Devils' incredibly ugly financial picture, with managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek reportedly searching for a partner with $80 million to pony up and a mountain of debt on the Prudential Center, will prevent the Devils from offering Parise anything close to market value before July 1, Cup or no Cup.

The second is that the Rangers, the team Parise is currently trying to defeat for the Eastern Conference crown, will be at or near the head of the line, as they were for Brad Richards , the top free-agent forward this past July. Parise's representation is Newport Sports, the same as Richards', and there are plenty of executives around the league who could easily see Parise joining John Tortorella 's band of hard workers for 2012-13 and well beyond.

"All I said was, don't make a decision based on emotion, in the heat of things," J.P. said. "He's waited a long time to be in this position . . . He loves the Devils, he loves Pete DeBoer and Lou Lamoriello . There's time for all these things to be decided."

And so the Devils captain continues Saturday afternoon on his quest to bounce the rival Rangers. Whether he can beat the Rangers will be decided in the next 10 days. About a month after that, Zach Parise may very well join them.

--

Very reminiscent of the Drury/Sabres year.

So you blind ass Devils fans finally seeing the light, or what? I told you a year ago you'd lose him, and that fact has not changed. Enjoy the last remaining games you have with him, because come July 1st, he's gone, and there's a good chance it'll be to the Rangers or one of the Wild/Red Wings (he's from Minnesota).

 

[Davi323]

Well, I know for a fact that just about every hockey writer in the state of Michigan is under the assumption that Parise is easily the Red Wings biggest target this summer. They are going to go after him hard.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

So will the Rangers. Guaranteed. I'd bet a vital body part on it.

Thing is — Parise is actually a fantastic fit for either club. Ultimately it'll come down to whatever balance of money and atmosphere he wants. The Wings can give him a close to home scenario. The Rangers can give him essentially all he's ever dreamed of (in terms of city, exposure and amenities).

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Well, I know for a fact that just about every hockey writer in the state of Michigan is under the assumption that Parise is easily the Red Wings biggest target this summer. They are going to go after him hard.

If Nick Lidstrom decides to hang up the skates, we're looking at some SERIOUS cap space (because Holmstrom will definitely retire if Nick does). Even if Nick comes back, we'll still have a lot of cap space.

It could be possible to add Parise, Suter, and maybe even Semin (if we want to). We'll have that much dough.

Here's a question (might have been answered upthread but it's Friday and I'm too lazy to look): Has any team ever (or in recent memory) beaten the top 3 seeds in a conference, in the playoffs? The Kings are about to do it.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

If Nick Lidstrom decides to hang up the skates, we're looking at some SERIOUS cap space (because Holmstrom will definitely retire if Nick does). Even if Nick comes back, we'll still have a lot of cap space.

It could be possible to add Parise, Suter, and maybe even Semin (if we want to). We'll have that much dough.

Here's a question (might have been answered upthread but it's Friday and I'm too lazy to look): Has any team ever (or in recent memory) beaten the top 3 seeds in a conference, in the playoffs? The Kings are about to do it.

No, and no team lower than the 4th seed (or 5th... can't recall exactly) has ever won the Stanley Cup either.

 

[Lowdown]

There's a first time for just about anything. The Kings have been playing strong enough to be the first 8th seed to win the cup.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yes, they have, but they've also had their path carved for them in a lot of ways.

They haven't played any teams as good as the Rangers, and when they did play the Blues it was Elliott who shit the bed, and now the entire Yotes team is shitting the bed except Smith. The Kings have taken care of business, for sure, but let's not pretend like they haven't had some good fortune along the way. Good on them, but it doesn't make them unbeatable.

 

[Lowdown]

Agreed. They shouldn't take anything for granted. The Rangers and the Devils would be formidable as opponents against them in the Finals. Either way it would be a dogfight.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

With Prust suspended for Game 4, I fully expect tonight's Rangers/Devils game to be just a wee bit chippier than the last two, especially considering the Devils will be battling the brink and looking to tie the series up, rather than going back to MSG down 3-1, giving the Rangers an opportunity to clinch a Stanley Cup Final berth for the first time since 1994 — a series of events I'm hoping/expecting to happen exactly like that!

 

[Lowdown]

Well, the Kings are faced with another Game 5 on the road. Can they pull out another road win? I hope they do. Phoenix doesn't need another spark.

 

[CH David]

Yes, they have, but they've also had their path carved for them in a lot of ways.

They haven't played any teams as good as the Rangers, and when they did play the Blues it was Elliott who shit the bed, and now the entire Yotes team is shitting the bed except Smith. The Kings have taken care of business, for sure, but let's not pretend like they haven't had some good fortune along the way. Good on them, but it doesn't make them unbeatable.

They played the President's Trophy winners, and beat them in five. I'd love to go on a long diatribe about how much the Canucks suck. I really would. But really, they played very well throughout the season. They ran into Jonathan Quick. He, and the defense I suppose, was able to shut down a very skilled offense. Even without Daniel the Canucks are a skilled offensive team. He didn't do much when he came back. They did just enough to get by Luongo and Schneider when needed.

The Rangers had to go to a Game 7 against the Senators and the Capitals. That's the 8th and 7th seeds, respectively. If the Rangers are as good as you are making them sound in this post, these games should have gone six at worst for the Rangers. Also just in case you or anyone else is thinking it, the Sens and Caps are not as good as the Canucks or Blues, just so there is no comparison of talent played.

Will the Kings win? I can't answer that until the start of the Finals next Wednesday. But to say they haven't played a team as good as the Rangers just doesn't sound right when they beat the team that represented the West last year as well as winning the President's Trophy, and the team that was the best in Goals Allowed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just had to get that off my chest because it irked the shit out of me.

Kings are going to represent the West this year. Fuck yes! Was hoping it would be them and not the Coyotes. I can't stand Phoenix. Who'da thunk it would be Dustin Penner to send them, and not Dustin Brown? Jonathan Quick continues to impress, and is a legitimate candidate for the Conn Smythe if they happen to win. Hell, I'd probably back him regardless of how the Finals went if he played well. My support goes to the Kings in the Finals, simply because of how good Quick and Brown have played.

As far as the East goes, my stance stays firm. I don't give a shit who comes out of it. Although I'm perked up upon realizing how good the Finals will be regardless of who wins. Lundqvist/Brodeur vs. Quick? I'll take a big old HELL YEAH! I want to root for the Devils just because of Zach Parise. But the Rangers have John Scott. Has he even played since the first round? Eh, I'm not picking sides. It's too heated a battle!

I'll just enjoy the hockey being played as long as there are no shenanigans. If there are shenanigans that I think are too shenanigany I'll call shenanigans and choose to root for the team that did not do the shenanigans. Only for the last game or two of course.

 

[Lowdown]

I was going ape-shit during OT last night. That penalty against Doughty was uncalled for. But the whole game was a huge dogfight, as both teams pushed each other to the limit. The Kings are still perfect on the road, and now they're back in the Finals after 19 long years. I said this before that regardless of who they play, I picture it going the distance of all seven games. Considering the path and tear they've been on knocking out the top 3 seeds in the west, I doubt they're gonna lose a step to the Cup.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

So was Doughty's reaction. He's lucky he didn't get tossed from the game for that — especially when you take into account the number of calls that the refs pocketed the whistle for that the Yotes should have had in their favor (the Rozsíval "knee-on-leg" not included — that was fine).

But hey — congrats to the Kings regardless! Their run has been something special to watch, and I'm either going to be the world's biggest Kings fan, or the world's biggest Rangers fan depending on how this all shakes out.

I'll say this much, though – if it's Kings/Devils, I doubt I'll watch any game except one where the Cup can be clinched. I loathe the Devils with the fire of a thousand suns. They are the WWE of hockey to me. Totally unwatchable.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

They played the President's Trophy winners, and beat them in five. I'd love to go on a long diatribe about how much the Canucks suck. I really would. But really, they played very well throughout the season. They ran into Jonathan Quick. He, and the defense I suppose, was able to shut down a very skilled offense. Even without Daniel the Canucks are a skilled offensive team. He didn't do much when he came back. They did just enough to get by Luongo and Schneider when needed.

The Rangers had to go to a Game 7 against the Senators and the Capitals. That's the 8th and 7th seeds, respectively. If the Rangers are as good as you are making them sound in this post, these games should have gone six at worst for the Rangers. Also just in case you or anyone else is thinking it, the Sens and Caps are not as good as the Canucks or Blues, just so there is no comparison of talent played.

Will the Kings win? I can't answer that until the start of the Finals next Wednesday. But to say they haven't played a team as good as the Rangers just doesn't sound right when they beat the team that represented the West last year as well as winning the President's Trophy, and the team that was the best in Goals Allowed.

...yes, the President's winning team, who's goaltender shit the bed early on. The same team who were without their first-line center (concussion) and who had to switch goaltenders in a media market that went insane over the decision, calling for heads left and right because of it, mid-series. You aren't taking the reality of the situation into account here. Being a first seed, or even a President's Trophy team is not in and of itself indicative of post-season success.

And the Blues did the same fuckin' thing. Elliott, the guy everyone was screaming about at the end of the season for not getting the respect he deserves, took a fat dump in the middle of his own bed, and both McDonald and Oshie were total no-shows the entire series (much like how Gáborík and Richards have been for this Devils' series thus far). If you think a team can get by when it's goaltender fails to show face, and it's two leading scorers decide to take an early vacation, I strongly suggest you become a Chicago Blackhawks fan. Oh wait...

The Rangers played teams that actually had their number in the regular season. Again, you are putting too much stock into position. The Kings are an eight seed, so why are you not touting the same rhetoric about how they just beat the 1, 2 and 3 seeds if bottom-seeds are non-threats? Just because you don't have home ice does not mean you are not a deserving club, or that you can't upset anyone.

Fact is, the Caps were on a tear heading into the playoffs. The Sens just squeaked in, but really paired up well with the only team IMO they stood a shot at beating in the Rangers. Both were tougher opponents for New York than Vancouver/St.Louis were for L.A.

 

[Lowdown]

So was Doughty's reaction. He's lucky he didn't get tossed from the game for that — especially when you take into account the number of calls that the refs pocketed the whistle for that the Yotes should have had in their favor (the Rozsíval "knee-on-leg" not included — that was fine).

But hey — congrats to the Kings regardless! Their run has been something special to watch, and I'm either going to be the world's biggest Kings fan, or the world's biggest Rangers fan depending on how this all shakes out.

I'll say this much, though – if it's Kings/Devils, I doubt I'll watch any game except one where the Cup can be clinched. I loathe the Devils with the fire of a thousand suns. They are the WWE of hockey to me. Totally unwatchable.

Righteous IDR. I know if its the Rangers and the Kings, its nothing personal from you. I'd rather have an enemy in the Rangers for the Cup than your all out warpath against the Devils.

 

[CH David]

...yes, the President's winning team, who's goaltender shit the bed early on. The same team who were without their first-line center (concussion) and who had to switch goaltenders in a media market that went insane over the decision, calling for heads left and right because of it, mid-series. You aren't taking the reality of the situation into account here. Being a first seed, or even a President's Trophy team is not in and of itself indicative of post-season success.

Oh I know it isn't indicative of success in the playoffs. However to dismiss the Canucks as a team that isn't as good as the Rangers, even though talent-wise they probably are, is just wrong. It's probably why you hadn't included them when talking about teams that shit the bed.

Which center? Daniel? Shit, I mentioned him. They played fine without him the rest of the season. If it's someone else. Something was going to happen in regards to the goaltender situation. Vigneault felt pressure and caved like the little girl he is. But Schneider played very well, the others just couldn't score. Jonathan Quick was an absolute beast, and the defense helped step up.

And the Blues did the same fuckin' thing. Elliott, the guy everyone was screaming about at the end of the season for not getting the respect he deserves, took a fat dump in the middle of his own bed, and both McDonald and Oshie were total no-shows the entire series (much like how Gáborík and Richards have been for this Devils' series thus far).

That's on Elliott and the defense. Everyone should know that the Blues are not a big offensive threat. They score and then play defense. In that same boring way that Phoenix did. *****. However, are we really going to say that the Blues lost this series and not the Kings just dominated? Likely a mix, but you can't take away the sweep just because the goalie started to suck and their offensive leaders, lol leaders, could barely score regardless if it was the regular or post season.

If you think a team can get by when it's goaltender fails to show face, and it's two leading scorers decide to take an early vacation, I strongly suggest you become a Chicago Blackhawks fan. Oh wait...

Nice little jab there.

The Rangers played teams that actually had their number in the regular season. Again, you are putting too much stock into position. The Kings are an eight seed, so why are you not touting the same rhetoric about how they just beat the 1, 2 and 3 seeds if bottom-seeds are non-threats? Just because you don't have home ice does not mean you are not a deserving club, or that you can't upset anyone.

I did research. The Kings had a 3-1 record in the regular season against the Blues. One win was a 5-0 blowout. The rest were one goal affairs. 3-2 that was won at 14:11 of the 3rd. A 1-0 loss, and then a 1-0 win in a shootout.

Kings were 2-2 against the Canucks. A 3-2 loss, 4-1 win, 3-2 shootout win, and a 1-0 loss.

Rangers against the Sens. 1-3. 5-4 loss, 3-2 win, 3-0 loss, and a 4-1 loss.

Rangers vs. Caps was 2-2. 6-3 win, 4-1 loss, 3-2 win, 4-1 loss.

So having their number can be a slight edge, but I mean really. Close games are close games. The Kings matched up well with both the Canucks and the Blues, and they won.

Fact is, the Caps were on a tear heading into the playoffs. The Sens just squeaked in, but really paired up well with the only team IMO they stood a shot at beating in the Rangers. Both were tougher opponents for New York than Vancouver/St.Louis were for L.A.

Sens I'll give you. The matchup was bad. Strange how teams like that give high seeds the struggles. No sarcasm with that either.

Caps on a tear, sure. Though with my manipulation of the schedule, in their last 10 games they went 6-4. I suppose if you go last 5 they were 4-1, two wins that were in shootouts. Here's the thing. Holtby played out of his mind and the offense just couldn't pick him up. Granted that sounds like them during the regular season too. That whole series was about Braden Holtby playing insane though. The offense barely helped him at all.

As far as the bolded part goes, if you want to talk tougher opponents for said team, then sure. They were tougher. But you said that the Kings didn't play any teams as good as the Rangers, which is false. That's really my whole issue. The Kings have played and beat teams that could be considered just as good as the Rangers. Tougher is a different argument than as good.

 

[CH David]

(the Rozsíval "knee-on-leg" not included — that was fine).

This is the most hilarious part about Phoenix to me. "Aiming" for a guy's knee is way worse than leaving the ice to deliver a vicious hit? Mike Smith is a fucking moron. There is no way that Dustin Brown's "knee-on-knee/leg" is worse than what Raffi Torres did. I understand you want to back your team but that is a situation where you just get a lot of people laughing at you. Shane Doan was also hilarious in his post game remarks. Bitching about how the refs missed that call. Let me see, THERE WAS ALSO NO CALL WHEN RAFFI TORRES TRIED TO TAKE OFF MARIAN HOSSA'S HEAD YOU FUCK!!!!!!!!

*compose myself again*

Sorry about that. If you haven't been able to tell, I hate Phoenix. Their fans are idiots, and the organization is hilariously hypocritical.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Oh I know it isn't indicative of success in the playoffs. However to dismiss the Canucks as a team that isn't as good as the Rangers, even though talent-wise they probably are, is just wrong. It's probably why you hadn't included them when talking about teams that shit the bed.

Which center? Daniel? Shit, I mentioned him. They played fine without him the rest of the season. If it's someone else. Something was going to happen in regards to the goaltender situation. Vigneault felt pressure and caved like the little girl he is. But Schneider played very well, the others just couldn't score. Jonathan Quick was an absolute beast, and the defense helped step up.

Henrik, dude. The guy your boy Keith concussed, remember?

Yeah, he "came back", but he was quite obviously not ready to. The Kings played well, but they matched up VERY WELL against an ailing Vancouver team with a goaltending controversy.

That's on Elliott and the defense. Everyone should know that the Blues are not a big offensive threat. They score and then play defense. In that same boring way that Phoenix did. *****. However, are we really going to say that the Blues lost this series and not the Kings just dominated? Likely a mix, but you can't take away the sweep just because the goalie started to suck and their offensive leaders, lol leaders, could barely score regardless if it was the regular or post season.

Difference being that Mike Smith never shit the bed. Again, the Kings played well, but when your goaltender DOES NOT SHOW UP—and worse yet, you're a defensive team that relies heavily on goaltending to win—you will lose more games than you win, so the STL sweep was not ALL that shocking to me. Not once I realized that the Blues' goaltending had imploded. It's the same reason I said the Flyers wouldn't go far either.

Nothing matters more than goaltending in the playoffs. Nothing.

I did research. The Kings had a 3-1 record in the regular season against the Blues. One win was a 5-0 blowout. The rest were one goal affairs. 3-2 that was won at 14:11 of the 3rd. A 1-0 loss, and then a 1-0 win in a shootout.

Kings were 2-2 against the Canucks. A 3-2 loss, 4-1 win, 3-2 shootout win, and a 1-0 loss.

Rangers against the Sens. 1-3. 5-4 loss, 3-2 win, 3-0 loss, and a 4-1 loss.

Rangers vs. Caps was 2-2. 6-3 win, 4-1 loss, 3-2 win, 4-1 loss.

So having their number can be a slight edge, but I mean really. Close games are close games. The Kings matched up well with both the Canucks and the Blues, and they won.

That's exactly my point. The Kings matched up well. The Rangers did not, ergo the Kings did not have to play teams as "good" as the Rangers have had to. What I was saying was not that the Kings have not played teams as good AS the Rangers. I meant that the Kings have not had to play teams as good AGAINST THEM as the Rangers have had to. Sorry if that was confusing.

Sens I'll give you. The matchup was bad. Strange how teams like that give high seeds the struggles. No sarcasm with that either.

Caps on a tear, sure. Though with my manipulation of the schedule, in their last 10 games they went 6-4. I suppose if you go last 5 they were 4-1, two wins that were in shootouts. Here's the thing. Holtby played out of his mind and the offense just couldn't pick him up. Granted that sounds like them during the regular season too. That whole series was about Braden Holtby playing insane though. The offense barely helped him at all.

As far as the bolded part goes, if you want to talk tougher opponents for said team, then sure. They were tougher. But you said that the Kings didn't play any teams as good as the Rangers, which is false. That's really my whole issue. The Kings have played and beat teams that could be considered just as good as the Rangers. Tougher is a different argument than as good.

It happens all the time. The Kings are an "eighth seed". Look what they did to the 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the West. In fact, recent history shows that ROAD teams are the ones who go far in the playoffs, and no one plays more on the road than teams in the 5, 6, 7, 8 positions.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

This is the most hilarious part about Phoenix to me. "Aiming" for a guy's knee is way worse than leaving the ice to deliver a vicious hit? Mike Smith is a fucking moron. There is no way that Dustin Brown's "knee-on-knee/leg" is worse than what Raffi Torres did. I understand you want to back your team but that is a situation where you just get a lot of people laughing at you. Shane Doan was also hilarious in his post game remarks. Bitching about how the refs missed that call. Let me see, THERE WAS ALSO NO CALL WHEN RAFFI TORRES TRIED TO TAKE OFF MARIAN HOSSA'S HEAD YOU FUCK!!!!!!!!

*compose myself again*

Sorry about that. If you haven't been able to tell, I hate Phoenix. Their fans are idiots, and the organization is hilariously hypocritical.

Raffi Torres is a piece of shit. I hate that fuckin' asshole, and I hate that teams keep giving him second chances. He's Public Enemy No. 2 for me (Matt Cooke is still No. 1, despite his "turnaround" season).

I can forgive the players who don't have the benefit of instant replay for their transgressions, but fans who watch these things happen or worse yet — see it on television — and then maintain that the wrong call happened are obviously blind with bias.

 

[Lowdown]

Looks like Shane Doan is still fuming over the knee-to-knee non-call last night. Just read this from the LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...yotes-kings-20120523,0,868082.story?track=rss

Funny how he doesn't mention that lame ass penalty against Doughty. Hell considering how many power plays that were blown, Doan really doesn't have much of a stance here.

 

[CH David]

Henrik, dude. The guy your boy Keith concussed, remember?

Yeah, he "came back", but he was quite obviously not ready to. The Kings played well, but they matched up VERY WELL against an ailing Vancouver team with a goaltending controversy.

Lol, it was Daniel, man. Henrik was bitching about it though. Plus the twin thing. I'm sure Henrik felt some of it though. Don't twins have that thing where they feel their twin's pain?

As far as the goalie controversy, I don't know if you can really say that was a reason they lost the series. The two games Luongo played in were close games until the empty net gave a two goal lead. But then putting in Schneider didn't help much either. They were getting solid goaltending, regardless of what Vancouver wants the world to believe. Their offense shat the bed a lot more than Luongo did. Even then, Schneider was in for Games 3-5, did a damn good job, but the offense sucked outside of Game 4. But I digress. The matchup was in favor of the Kings.

Difference being that Mike Smith never shit the bed. Again, the Kings played well, but when your goaltender DOES NOT SHOW UP—and worse yet, you're a defensive team that relies heavily on goaltending to win—you will lose more games than you win, so the STL sweep was not ALL that shocking to me. Not once I realized that the Blues' goaltending had imploded. It's the same reason I said the Flyers wouldn't go far either.

Nothing matters more than goaltending in the playoffs. Nothing.

Truth

That's exactly my point. The Kings matched up well. The Rangers did not, ergo the Kings did not have to play teams as "good" as the Rangers have had to. What I was saying was not that the Kings have not played teams as good AS the Rangers. I meant that the Kings have not had to play teams as good AGAINST THEM as the Rangers have had to. Sorry if that was confusing.

I'm on to you, Mr. It's Damn Real. IF that is your real name! Lol.

Not confusing, just not expressed in this manner. Granted I wasn't reading the conversation between you and Lowdown, so I didn't see if there was context involved. It came off as the teams that the Kings had played weren't as good as the Rangers. From my perspective at least.

I can agree with what you're saying here. The matchups have not favored the Rangers, so it is tougher for them, all while the spotlight for them to succeed is burning pretty hot. Kings are going as the underdog with no spotlight. Let's see what they can do with the ultimate spotlight starting in one week.

It happens all the time. The Kings are an "eighth seed". Look what they did to the 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the West. In fact, recent history shows that ROAD teams are the ones who go far in the playoffs, and no one plays more on the road than teams in the 5, 6, 7, 8 positions.

Truth.

Raffi Torres is a piece of shit. I hate that fuckin' asshole, and I hate that teams keep giving him second chances. He's Public Enemy No. 2 for me (Matt Cooke is still No. 1, despite his "turnaround" season).

Agreed on the Torres part. If it happens again, which I wouldn't be surprised since he shows no signs of changing, he needs an even bigger suspension/fine. Fuck him.

I can forgive the players who don't have the benefit of instant replay for their transgressions, but fans who watch these things happen or worse yet — see it on television — and then maintain that the wrong call happened are obviously blind with bias.

Ehhhh. Speaking out and saying that a knee on leg hit is worse than one that caused a head injury is bullshit. That's where my frustration with Smith comes in. But then again, this is the same guy who acted his way into getting Andrew Shaw a three game suspension. Fuck Phoenix.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Lol, it was Daniel, man. Henrik was bitching about it though. Plus the twin thing. I'm sure Henrik felt some of it though. Don't twins have that thing where they feel their twin's pain?

As far as the goalie controversy, I don't know if you can really say that was a reason they lost the series. The two games Luongo played in were close games until the empty net gave a two goal lead. But then putting in Schneider didn't help much either. They were getting solid goaltending, regardless of what Vancouver wants the world to believe. Their offense shat the bed a lot more than Luongo did. Even then, Schneider was in for Games 3-5, did a damn good job, but the offense sucked outside of Game 4. But I digress. The matchup was in favor of the Kings.

My mistake — it was Daniel. Regardless, he was their leading scorer, no? It was a huge blow for them, but not nearly as much as the controversy was. The controversy cost them the series, IMO, because the media went INSANE in Vancouver over it. The team is trying to compete in a series and they get nothing but white hot anger from all the media influence doing nothing but hammering them, the coach, etc. about the decisions. It became a total and complete distraction.

All I'm saying, though, is that despite what factors there were, the Kings were a GOOD match for them. The Sens and Caps were TERRIBLE match ups for the Rangers. Especially the Senators, who have OWNED the Rangers in the regular season for the last six years.

I'm on to you, Mr. It's Damn Real. IF that is your real name! Lol.

Not confusing, just not expressed in this manner. Granted I wasn't reading the conversation between you and Lowdown, so I didn't see if there was context involved. It came off as the teams that the Kings had played weren't as good as the Rangers. From my perspective at least.

I can agree with what you're saying here. The matchups have not favored the Rangers, so it is tougher for them, all while the spotlight for them to succeed is burning pretty hot. Kings are going as the underdog with no spotlight. Let's see what they can do with the ultimate spotlight starting in one week.

Yup. All the spotlight is on them now, and whoever they draw—be it the Rangers or Devils—will undoubtedly be tougher to play against and provide them more of a challenge by sheer virtue of only having played them once (or twice) a year in every year since the lockout.

Harder to game plan against teams you almost never see perform.

Agreed on the Torres part. If it happens again, which I wouldn't be surprised since he shows no signs of changing, he needs an even bigger suspension/fine. Fuck him.

If it happens again, he deserves to be BANNED from the league, same as Bertuzzi was (even though it was only for a year) for his fuckin' assault on Moore. Torres is a piece of shit that has NO respect for any of his peers. If the NHL were a prison, he'd have been beaten to death with fists and shanks the first night in.

Ehhhh. Speaking out and saying that a knee on leg hit is worse than one that caused a head injury is bullshit. That's where my frustration with Smith comes in. But then again, this is the same guy who acted his way into getting Andrew Shaw a three game suspension. Fuck Phoenix.

They're still angry, though. Keep the context of the situation in mind. They jus lost in the Conference Finals. In a week from now, I doubt any of them are as adamant about this as they are right now.

 

[CH David]

My mistake — it was Daniel. Regardless, he was their leading scorer, no? It was a huge blow for them, but not nearly as much as the controversy was. The controversy cost them the series, IMO, because the media went INSANE in Vancouver over it. The team is trying to compete in a series and they get nothing but white hot anger from all the media influence doing nothing but hammering them, the coach, etc. about the decisions. It became a total and complete distraction.

I hope you're happy that I've had to semi-defend the Canucks. Those dirty fucks. The off ice goalie controversy I can see being a huge distraction. Once Schneider took over in net in Game 3, if the offense performed they could have came back and won. He did an excellent job. DAMN IT AGAIN!

All I'm saying, though, is that despite what factors there were, the Kings were a GOOD match for them. The Sens and Caps were TERRIBLE match ups for the Rangers. Especially the Senators, who have OWNED the Rangers in the regular season for the last six years.

I hear what you're saying.

Yup. All the spotlight is on them now, and whoever they draw—be it the Rangers or Devils—will undoubtedly be tougher to play against and provide them more of a challenge by sheer virtue of only having played them once (or twice) a year in every year since the lockout.

Harder to game plan against teams you almost never see perform.

It is harder to get the plan going. I did read on Twitter that someone from the Kings was going to head to NY/NJ to scout the rest of the series. Scouting is helpful, but putting the plan to work on the ice is what will matter. I think Games 1 and 2 will be a solid indicator in the next series.

If it happens again, he deserves to be BANNED from the league, same as Bertuzzi was (even though it was only for a year) for his fuckin' assault on Moore. Torres is a piece of shit that has NO respect for any of his peers. If the NHL were a prison, he'd have been beaten to death with fists and shanks the first night in.

True words.

They're still angry, though. Keep the context of the situation in mind. They jus lost in the Conference Finals. In a week from now, I doubt any of them are as adamant about this as they are right now.

I suppose, but still. There's a difference between being gracious in defeat and being all pissy. I suppose my bias against Phoenix is probably where most of my lack of caring about context is coming from.

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Rough game for the Rangers. Falling behind 3-0 in the first, coming back, and then falling in the 3rd. It's going to be interesting to see how they respond tomorrow. Last night's loss will either be deflating or could give them motivation in Jersey.

IDR, do you think that the goal from Gaborik can be a turning point for the last two games or was it just one goal that doesn't mean anything for him?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Rough game for the Rangers. Falling behind 3-0 in the first, coming back, and then falling in the 3rd. It's going to be interesting to see how they respond tomorrow. Last night's loss will either be deflating or could give them motivation in Jersey.

IDR, do you think that the goal from Gaborik can be a turning point for the last two games or was it just one goal that doesn't mean anything for him?

Hard to say. They've done this once before — quite recently—in the Ottawa series, and Tortorella's Lightning club faced the same situation in the Cup Final in 2004 and came out on top, so honestly I'm not all that worried in that sense, but losing back-to-back is bad enough. Losing back-to-back now twice, and being forced to play a third straight 7-game series because of your inability to close the deal each time prior? That's gambling with your life, every time. Yeah, you can win and call it the thrill of a lifetime, but when you lose, you lose hard.

Honestly, it's the one thing I really hate most about the club. They lack "killer instinct". The Gáborík goal is a prime example of that. They clawed back from 3-0 to tie the game, then stopped playing and gave the fuckin' game away by letting the Devils re-establish everything they just took away from them for nearly two full periods worth of hockey.

I will say this much, though — if they win Game 6, they'll win this series. For whatever the reason, when they play with their backs against the wall—and I mean truly against the wall, not just in "must win" situations early in the series, like Game 5—they actually show the resiliency that's taken them this far in the first place. 4-0 in Game 7's at MSG is no joke, and they've won two of this this year alone.

Here's to hope!