The canucks will win the cup now- guaranteed.

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  • Rod1010
    SBR Hall of Famer
    • 09-01-10
    • 6208

    #106
    Canucks will get to the cup ... Who knows from there . Had the under in this game
    Comment
    • waco66
      SBR MVP
      • 04-14-09
      • 1645

      #107
      Originally posted by lakerboy
      11 wins left. Lots of so called hockey guys thought the preds would win today. Nashville is done. They needed this one badly to have any chance.

      Most people on this forum don't know shit. They believe a Nashville team that beat a Ducks team that has one of the worst goalies in the league deserve credit.
      Chicago had 97 pts to finish the season..2 pts behind Ducks and Nashville. Didn't Philly almost get elminated by a 95pt Buffalo team? Same with Boston.

      The STanley cup winner is coming from the west...and they will be the Vancouver Canucks.
      Comment
      • bigsmitty
        SBR MVP
        • 04-12-10
        • 3026

        #108
        Luongo made some key saves tonight-wasn't brilliant but VAN is planning on taking as much pressure as possible away from him. Good shut down game by the Canucks-virtually a road game at home and it worked the way they wanted it to. NSV has to play the tight and limited style which is fine with VAN. Quality win but obviously boring as hell to watch. If you cashed in it all makes up for the viewing. Under seemed like a logical move as well but I freaking hate totals. Cheers.
        Comment
        • bigsmitty
          SBR MVP
          • 04-12-10
          • 3026

          #109
          Idle wishes but I wouldn't mind seeing Bieksa and O'Brien having a tilt. Shane seems like an all right guy and player but I get a little annoyed with heavyweight wannabes.
          Comment
          • DennisGreen
            SBR Posting Legend
            • 11-27-08
            • 18369

            #110
            Originally posted by waco66
            Most people on this forum don't know shit. They believe a Nashville team that beat a Ducks team that has one of the worst goalies in the league deserve credit. Chicago had 97 pts to finish the season..2 pts behind Ducks and Nashville. Didn't Philly almost get elminated by a 95pt Buffalo team? Same with Boston. The STanley cup winner is coming from the west...and they will be the Vancouver Canucks.
            I know. Rinne is one of the elite goalies in the league. Canucks absolutely dominated tonight across the board. If it wasn't for Rinne it would have been ugly. Easiest shutout ever for Lou tonight. Ugly win but our Nucks will take another 11 ugly wins if it results in the cup

            Originally posted by bigsmitty
            Idle wishes but I wouldn't mind seeing Bieksa and O'Brien having a tilt. Shane seems like an all right guy and player but I get a little annoyed with heavyweight wannabes.
            They are good buddies unfortunately so it's doubtful. Both have short tempers though so you never know I guess.
            Comment
            • leafsfan19
              SBR Wise Guy
              • 09-10-10
              • 620

              #111
              I read that in another thread, but I really could care less to try and find it. and I didn't get upset about you dissing the wings lol, I could care less what you think of the wings, or the leafs, or any other team for that matter. I'm just saying you go from one end of the spectrum to another with the flick of a switch.
              Comment
              • leafsfan19
                SBR Wise Guy
                • 09-10-10
                • 620

                #112
                and lakerboy, my point had nothing to do with whether or not the wings would win the cup...it just pointed to how obsurd it is to call van a lock after that first round series. They could very well still win the cup, and I think they still have a good chance, but a lock? no.
                Comment
                • DennisGreen
                  SBR Posting Legend
                  • 11-27-08
                  • 18369

                  #113
                  Originally posted by leafsfan19
                  I read that in another thread, but I really could care less to try and find it. and I didn't get upset about you dissing the wings lol, I could care less what you think of the wings, or the leafs, or any other team for that matter. I'm just saying you go from one end of the spectrum to another with the flick of a switch.
                  WTF you talking about? I bet VAN, hedged with CHI and won $500. Not sure what you're getting at here sir. I always reverse jinx to help out the Canucks by saying the other team is gonna win. I'm a Canucks fan til the grave and that will never change
                  Comment
                  • leafsfan19
                    SBR Wise Guy
                    • 09-10-10
                    • 620

                    #114
                    well I meant in your playoff thread after game 6 when you hedged you said somethin like "probably gonna choke again.." but then when they won all the confidence in the world was back. But now I see Im just an idiot and didn't clue into your reverse jinx not tryin' to start anything just bein an observer.. at least ur team is in the playoffs lol
                    Comment
                    • DennisGreen
                      SBR Posting Legend
                      • 11-27-08
                      • 18369

                      #115
                      Originally posted by leafsfan19
                      well I meant in your playoff thread after game 6 when you hedged you said somethin like "probably gonna choke again.." but then when they won all the confidence in the world was back. But now I see Im just an idiot and didn't clue into your reverse jinx not tryin' to start anything just bein an observer.. at least ur team is in the playoffs lol
                      LOL yeah sorry I was a bit of a dick to you. We're still BFFs I like to "give up" and hopefully jinx the Nucks opposition sometimes. Seems to work somehow.
                      Comment
                      • Shark
                        SBR MVP
                        • 01-14-10
                        • 1789

                        #116
                        Hope the canucks make it. I like seeing new teams in the cup
                        Comment
                        • OTL
                          SBR MVP
                          • 03-08-10
                          • 2433

                          #117
                          Like Don Cherry said the Canucks can't win the cup unless the Sedin sisters start scoring, and those guys are always MIA in the playoffs. Postseason hockey is far too rough for them.
                          Comment
                          • keyboarding
                            SBR Hall of Famer
                            • 07-30-09
                            • 6817

                            #118
                            Here are my thoughts.

                            NSH: Vezina winner Rinne (dark horse I called at the start of the season and owned in all fantasy formats) will have a hard time carrying a team with such little offensive spark. Hands down the worst PP in the playoffs, just embarrassing. Guys like Erat playing hurt, relying on Tootoo, going to be hard for this team to string together a lot of wins. And as a fan of the game, as much as I enjoy watching Rinne play, hate NSH's defensive style and don't want to see it for two more rounds.

                            NSH Team Rating in Playoffs: 38%

                            VAN: Easily one of the best two teams left in the playoffs, a great mix of skill and physical play. Luongo is incredibly overrated and if he ever runs into a real offense, he will be exploited badly. Lucky for VAN Schneider is an incredibly capable back up and I would prefer seeing him in the playoffs. The return of Edler has sparked the blueline and with cornerstones like Bieksa it's hard to really say anything about that defense; best in the playoffs and possibly the NHL. The offense is two lines deep with solid fringe options at the third line. While the Sedins do lack the physical play needed to win, they really are dynamite on the powerplay where they are most useful. Let the tough guys Kesler and Burrows do the grunt work while providing offense.

                            VAN Team Rating in Playoffs: 88%

                            DET: I read something about if you are 20 years old, you've never had to see DET not make the playoffs. That really does say it all. However, with an aging/injury prone offense, the same positives about experience are now negatives. While the skill is there, it wouldn't be hard to imagine DET being outworked by some of the younger teams in the NHL. Still, the coaching and fundemantals are there, and hard to rule them out with HOFs all over that roster. Biggest question mark is the physical and mental fortitude of Jimmy Howard, who during the regular season showed signs of lagging. This SJ series will be a great test for him, and if DET gets by SJ, expect them to do the same against VAN, as long as the SJ series stays relatively short. The longer this series goes, the less likely they get by VAN, who are playing a really soft series against NSH.

                            DET Team Rating in Playoffs: 77%

                            SJ: Really interesting if Niemi goes deep this year, I wonder when the last time a goalie won the Stanley Cup in consecutive years with two different teams as the starter. I talked earlier about VAN having a soft top line; SJ is like VAN if you increased their physical play and decreased their skill. SJ still has proven guys in the lineup with a great mix of youth and speed. If SJ gets past DET, they will be incredibly dangerous as they will have had plenty of time to gel and develop a playoff drive chemistry that wins it all. LA shouldn't have taken 6 games seeing as they were missing Kopitar, but you can see SJ building up momentum.

                            SJ Team Rating in Playoffs: 82%

                            TB: This is the Cinderella story (again), riding amazing goaltending from an old fart that everyone gave up on (except Don Cherry). A lot of youth and lack of experience, I could see TB being simply outcoached but with snipers all over that lineup (though Gagne, that soft pussy, may be useless at this point) and a fantastic grit line led by Downie, TB can not be overlooked. If Roloson holds up and continues his stellar play, TB could make a push. The only problem with TB is they aren't a put away team, and I can't see any of their series' going less than 6 games. The playoffs are a battle of attrition, and TB is not helping themselves out in that cause.

                            TB Team Rating in Playoffs: 63%

                            WSH: Forever underachievers in the playoffs, if you think the Sedins are soft, WSH are still in diapers. I've never liked the team's chemistry and don't believe they are in any position to win against teams like VAN/SJ. Simply too soft and too many injuries. A defense that relies on Green who is looking like a one hit wonder (no surprise there, ask McCabe) and you can find Backstrom's face on milk cartons. Ovechkin isn't distributing and I don't blame him considering outside of 3-4 players, that team is a bunch of third liners. I also am a huge fan of Neuvirth, knew he'd be the man in WSH (ask DennisGreen) but unproven and still technically riding a platoon, I think the second he gets into hot water he'll be pulled. Ask PHI how pulling your goalie every game works out for their confidence.

                            WSH Team Rating in Playoffs: 48%

                            BOS: After overcoming MTL and winning their first game in PHI in such fantastic fashion, BOS doesn't have any skeletons in its closet that haunt them or affect their play. Hard nosed and determined, looks like Tim Thomas is contagious. Well coached, great chemistry, and solid goaltending make BOS a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. They are missing the offensive flair of Savard which would put them over the top in my books, BOS still has a lot of sleeper pieces that are now becoming house hold names. Offense coming from everywhere and in bunches now, Krejci waking up in that first game is a great sign for BOS as he was nowhere to be found in MTL. Very difficult team to shut down, they can be exploited on their blueline because outside of Chara/Seidenberg, the rest of that defense is nothing to write home about. But even if you do exploit the overrated Kaberle (about time he left TOR and now people can see what a loser he has been all along) you still have the unorthodox and effective Thomas who continues to amaze everyone.

                            BOS Team Rating in Playoffs: 79%

                            PHI: Pronger playing hurt, an inconsistent offense, and a goaltending platoon in the playoffs? Needless to say PHI has a lot of things to figure out before you can really believe they have a chance to win 12 more games. Need Carter to bring his game up to the level that Giroux and Briere have and they would be in business, but it just seems like PHI is going to have a hard time pulling it all together. Undisciplined play is going to bite you in the ass in the playoffs (unless you're playing NSH in which case you could score a SHG) so PHI doesn't help themselves there either. Mostly the issue with this team is that they have yet to stick with a goalie, and it doesn't take a nuclear physicist to know that isn't going to instill confidence in the team. I don't think PHI is a cake walk, but way too many uncertainties make them a very difficult team to believe in.

                            PHI Team Rating in Playoffs: 68%
                            Comment
                            • DennisGreen
                              SBR Posting Legend
                              • 11-27-08
                              • 18369

                              #119
                              Originally posted by keyboarding
                              Here are my thoughts. NSH: Vezina winner Rinne (dark horse I called at the start of the season and owned in all fantasy formats) will have a hard time carrying a team with such little offensive spark. Hands down the worst PP in the playoffs, just embarrassing. Guys like Erat playing hurt, relying on Tootoo, going to be hard for this team to string together a lot of wins. And as a fan of the game, as much as I enjoy watching Rinne play, hate NSH's defensive style and don't want to see it for two more rounds. NSH Team Rating in Playoffs: 38% VAN: Easily one of the best two teams left in the playoffs, a great mix of skill and physical play. Luongo is incredibly overrated and if he ever runs into a real offense, he will be exploited badly. Lucky for VAN Schneider is an incredibly capable back up and I would prefer seeing him in the playoffs. The return of Edler has sparked the blueline and with cornerstones like Bieksa it's hard to really say anything about that defense; best in the playoffs and possibly the NHL. The offense is two lines deep with solid fringe options at the third line. While the Sedins do lack the physical play needed to win, they really are dynamite on the powerplay where they are most useful. Let the tough guys Kesler and Burrows do the grunt work while providing offense. VAN Team Rating in Playoffs: 88% DET: I read something about if you are 20 years old, you've never had to see DET not make the playoffs. That really does say it all. However, with an aging/injury prone offense, the same positives about experience are now negatives. While the skill is there, it wouldn't be hard to imagine DET being outworked by some of the younger teams in the NHL. Still, the coaching and fundemantals are there, and hard to rule them out with HOFs all over that roster. Biggest question mark is the physical and mental fortitude of Jimmy Howard, who during the regular season showed signs of lagging. This SJ series will be a great test for him, and if DET gets by SJ, expect them to do the same against VAN, as long as the SJ series stays relatively short. The longer this series goes, the less likely they get by VAN, who are playing a really soft series against NSH. DET Team Rating in Playoffs: 77% SJ: Really interesting if Niemi goes deep this year, I wonder when the last time a goalie won the Stanley Cup in consecutive years with two different teams as the starter. I talked earlier about VAN having a soft top line; SJ is like VAN if you increased their physical play and decreased their skill. SJ still has proven guys in the lineup with a great mix of youth and speed. If SJ gets past DET, they will be incredibly dangerous as they will have had plenty of time to gel and develop a playoff drive chemistry that wins it all. LA shouldn't have taken 6 games seeing as they were missing Kopitar, but you can see SJ building up momentum. SJ Team Rating in Playoffs: 82% TB: This is the Cinderella story (again), riding amazing goaltending from an old fart that everyone gave up on (except Don Cherry). A lot of youth and lack of experience, I could see TB being simply outcoached but with snipers all over that lineup (though Gagne, that soft pussy, may be useless at this point) and a fantastic grit line led by Downie, TB can not be overlooked. If Roloson holds up and continues his stellar play, TB could make a push. The only problem with TB is they aren't a put away team, and I can't see any of their series' going less than 6 games. The playoffs are a battle of attrition, and TB is not helping themselves out in that cause. TB Team Rating in Playoffs: 63% WSH: Forever underachievers in the playoffs, if you think the Sedins are soft, WSH are still in diapers. I've never liked the team's chemistry and don't believe they are in any position to win against teams like VAN/SJ. Simply too soft and too many injuries. A defense that relies on Green who is looking like a one hit wonder (no surprise there, ask McCabe) and you can find Backstrom's face on milk cartons. Ovechkin isn't distributing and I don't blame him considering outside of 3-4 players, that team is a bunch of third liners.I also am a huge fan of Neuvirth, knew he'd be the man in WSH (ask DennisGreen) but unproven and still technically riding a platoon, I think the second he gets into hot water he'll be pulled. Ask PHI how pulling your goalie every game works out for their confidence. WSH Team Rating in Playoffs: 48% BOS: After overcoming MTL and winning their first game in PHI in such fantastic fashion, BOS doesn't have any skeletons in its closet that haunt them or affect their play. Hard nosed and determined, looks like Tim Thomas is contagious. Well coached, great chemistry, and solid goaltending make BOS a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. They are missing the offensive flair of Savard which would put them over the top in my books, BOS still has a lot of sleeper pieces that are now becoming house hold names. Offense coming from everywhere and in bunches now, Krejci waking up in that first game is a great sign for BOS as he was nowhere to be found in MTL. Very difficult team to shut down, they can be exploited on their blueline because outside of Chara/Seidenberg, the rest of that defense is nothing to write home about. But even if you do exploit the overrated Kaberle (about time he left TOR and now people can see what a loser he has been all along) you still have the unorthodox and effective Thomas who continues to amaze everyone. BOS Team Rating in Playoffs: 79% PHI: Pronger playing hurt, an inconsistent offense, and a goaltending platoon in the playoffs? Needless to say PHI has a lot of things to figure out before you can really believe they have a chance to win 12 more games. Need Carter to bring his game up to the level that Giroux and Briere have and they would be in business, but it just seems like PHI is going to have a hard time pulling it all together. Undisciplined play is going to bite you in the ass in the playoffs (unless you're playing NSH in which case you could score a SHG) so PHI doesn't help themselves there either. Mostly the issue with this team is that they have yet to stick with a goalie, and it doesn't take a nuclear physicist to know that isn't going to instill confidence in the team. I don't think PHI is a cake walk, but way too many uncertainties make them a very difficult team to believe in. PHI Team Rating in Playoffs: 68%
                              Haha GFY Key Damn that Neuvirth. Sharp post as always. Great write ups on all teams and glad you agree with me that the Canucks are one of the better teams left.
                              Comment
                              • Boxing Champ
                                SBR MVP
                                • 03-11-11
                                • 3358

                                #120
                                Not so fast Vancouver fans..not so fast...
                                Comment
                                • lakerboy
                                  SBR Aristocracy
                                  • 04-02-09
                                  • 94379

                                  #121
                                  Nashville series price is still +166
                                  Comment
                                  • keyboarding
                                    SBR Hall of Famer
                                    • 07-30-09
                                    • 6817

                                    #122
                                    Originally posted by lakerboy
                                    Nashville series price is still +166
                                    That's not a very good investment at all.
                                    Comment
                                    • lakerboy
                                      SBR Aristocracy
                                      • 04-02-09
                                      • 94379

                                      #123
                                      Canucks now 10 wins away. Nashville is pesky and has a great goalie but they are finished now. Canukcs are getting closer every two days.
                                      Comment
                                      • DennisGreen
                                        SBR Posting Legend
                                        • 11-27-08
                                        • 18369

                                        #124
                                        Van city biiiiiiiiiiiiiiitchessssssssssssssssss!! ! Fcuk you haters! Woooooo!!!!!
                                        Comment
                                        • Rich Boy
                                          SBR Hall of Famer
                                          • 02-01-09
                                          • 9714

                                          #125
                                          Nashville has been incredibly lucky, series should be 3-0 vancouver, but they will finish off Nashville in 5, maybe 6
                                          Comment
                                          • Greekster
                                            SBR MVP
                                            • 04-12-11
                                            • 2763

                                            #126
                                            Originally posted by Rich Boy
                                            Nashville has been incredibly lucky, series should be 3-0 vancouver, but they will finish off Nashville in 5, maybe 6

                                            Wow, did you even watch Game 2.

                                            Nashville outplayed them and deserved to win Game 2 and have the better goaltender.

                                            Pekka hasnt been lucky, hes been GREAT.

                                            Referee made a horrible call in OT tonight.

                                            Get your head out of your ass.
                                            Comment
                                            • lakerboy
                                              SBR Aristocracy
                                              • 04-02-09
                                              • 94379

                                              #127
                                              Preds deserved game 2 but all that wont matter anyways. This is just one of those series where the games are close but the series wont be.
                                              Comment
                                              • keyboarding
                                                SBR Hall of Famer
                                                • 07-30-09
                                                • 6817

                                                #128
                                                The fact VAN hasn't swept NSH is cause for concern. That they can't put a team away that relies on third liners for offense is cause for concern.

                                                They are in for a very rude awakening when they meet SJ.

                                                And even worse if they meet BOS, who are basically CHI's offense with NSH's goaltending/defense.
                                                Comment
                                                • DennisGreen
                                                  SBR Posting Legend
                                                  • 11-27-08
                                                  • 18369

                                                  #129
                                                  Originally posted by keyboarding
                                                  The fact VAN hasn't swept NSH is cause for concern. That they can't put a team away that relies on third liners for offense is cause for concern. They are in for a very rude awakening when they meet SJ. And even worse if they meet BOS, who are basically CHI's offense with NSH's goaltending/defense.
                                                  Come on man. This is not a sharp post. Give Nashville a bit of credit they play a solid team game. SJ will be a good challenge, Nucks in 7. Toews, Kane, Sharp and Hossa vs Horton, Krejci, Bergeron, and Lucic. Sorry I'll take those big four from the Hawks over the B's top 4 any day. I predicted VAN/BOS final so I still like Boston to come out of the East.
                                                  Comment
                                                  • face
                                                    SBR Posting Legend
                                                    • 01-31-11
                                                    • 14740

                                                    #130
                                                    canucks have been dominating posession vs. predators. but predators have good defense and goaltending. i'm no expert, but canucks need better aim at net, need to shoot it higher. too many easy shots right at rinne.
                                                    Comment
                                                    • keyboarding
                                                      SBR Hall of Famer
                                                      • 07-30-09
                                                      • 6817

                                                      #131
                                                      Originally posted by DennisGreen
                                                      Come on man. This is not a sharp post. Give Nashville a bit of credit they play a solid team game. SJ will be a good challenge, Nucks in 7. Toews, Kane, Sharp and Hossa vs Horton, Krejci, Bergeron, and Lucic. Sorry I'll take those big four from the Hawks over the B's top 4 any day. I predicted VAN/BOS final so I still like Boston to come out of the East.
                                                      You can't believe NSH is a solid team right now. They play the worst kind of hockey and rely on their goalie way too much. When Joel Ward is providing a scoring touch (if you can even call his goal that) then you got problems.

                                                      SJ is running over DET right now, and NSH is grinding this series against VAN out which is not going to help VAN against SJ. Niemi against VAN part two will be interesting, too.

                                                      Offense does not consist of a top 4 list, this isn't NBA Jam. It's a team effort, and throw in guys like Kelly and Marchand and BOS is a very dangerous offensive team.

                                                      The only good thing VAN gets out of this series is facing a team as offensively inept as NSH can only help Luongo's shitty confidence. Once he allows 3-4 goals a game again against a legitimate offense VAN will be forced to make a very difficult decision; stick with the choke artist or go with the young upstart?
                                                      Comment
                                                      • dilaudid8
                                                        SBR MVP
                                                        • 10-19-10
                                                        • 1866

                                                        #132
                                                        hey guys hold on rod1010 is right VANCOUVER we are just having fun here but VANCOUVER WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM IN THIS SERIES. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT CHICAGO GOING 7 GAMES WHO CARES ALL I NO CHICAGO IS FISHING RIGHT NOW IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU WIN IT IN 4 GAMES OR 7 YOU LOST . NEXT VICTIM NASHVILLE NO PROBLEM NEXT GAME MUST WIN BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER THE GAME 2 WATCH 3 SERIES VANCOUVER- SAN JOSE. AND THE GUY THATS SAID DETROIT SERIES IS NOT OVER WHAT ARE YOU THINKING SAN JOSE IS UP 2-0 AND SAN JOSE OWENS DETROIT SO THAT SERIES IS OVER 2 NASHVILLE+166 you picked the wrong series my friend you should have taken TAMPA BAY AT +170 LIKE I DID IM THE MAN THAT TOOK U.CONN IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2 WIN IT ALL IN THE BEGINING iHOPE YOU TOOK SAN JOSE +140 WHAT A GIFT GL
                                                        Comment
                                                        • DennisGreen
                                                          SBR Posting Legend
                                                          • 11-27-08
                                                          • 18369

                                                          #133
                                                          Originally posted by keyboarding
                                                          You can't believe NSH is a solid team right now. They play the worst kind of hockey and rely on their goalie way too much. When Joel Ward is providing a scoring touch (if you can even call his goal that) then you got problems. SJ is running over DET right now, and NSH is grinding this series against VAN out which is not going to help VAN against SJ. Niemi against VAN part two will be interesting, too. Offense does not consist of a top 4 list, this isn't NBA Jam. It's a team effort, and throw in guys like Kelly and Marchand and BOS is a very dangerous offensive team. The only good thing VAN gets out of this series is facing a team as offensively inept as NSH can only help Luongo's shitty confidence. Once he allows 3-4 goals a game again against a legitimate offense VAN will be forced to make a very difficult decision; stick with the choke artist or go with the young upstart?
                                                          Lou only has problems with the Hawks. He's not as bad as he was against the Hawks and he's not as good as he's been vs the Preds. We will see his true value and worth in the next round (provided the Canucks win the series) in their match up with the Sharks or Wings. Trust me Lou isn't that bad, the Hawks just own his soul. You all willl see

                                                          PS: NBA Jam FTW
                                                          Comment
                                                          • keyboarding
                                                            SBR Hall of Famer
                                                            • 07-30-09
                                                            • 6817

                                                            #134
                                                            Originally posted by keyboarding
                                                            Here are my thoughts.

                                                            NSH: Vezina winner Rinne (dark horse I called at the start of the season and owned in all fantasy formats) will have a hard time carrying a team with such little offensive spark. Hands down the worst PP in the playoffs, just embarrassing. Guys like Erat playing hurt, relying on Tootoo, going to be hard for this team to string together a lot of wins. And as a fan of the game, as much as I enjoy watching Rinne play, hate NSH's defensive style and don't want to see it for two more rounds.

                                                            NSH Team Rating in Playoffs: 38%

                                                            VAN: Easily one of the best two teams left in the playoffs, a great mix of skill and physical play. Luongo is incredibly overrated and if he ever runs into a real offense, he will be exploited badly. Lucky for VAN Schneider is an incredibly capable back up and I would prefer seeing him in the playoffs. The return of Edler has sparked the blueline and with cornerstones like Bieksa it's hard to really say anything about that defense; best in the playoffs and possibly the NHL. The offense is two lines deep with solid fringe options at the third line. While the Sedins do lack the physical play needed to win, they really are dynamite on the powerplay where they are most useful. Let the tough guys Kesler and Burrows do the grunt work while providing offense.

                                                            VAN Team Rating in Playoffs: 88%

                                                            DET: I read something about if you are 20 years old, you've never had to see DET not make the playoffs. That really does say it all. However, with an aging/injury prone offense, the same positives about experience are now negatives. While the skill is there, it wouldn't be hard to imagine DET being outworked by some of the younger teams in the NHL. Still, the coaching and fundemantals are there, and hard to rule them out with HOFs all over that roster. Biggest question mark is the physical and mental fortitude of Jimmy Howard, who during the regular season showed signs of lagging. This SJ series will be a great test for him, and if DET gets by SJ, expect them to do the same against VAN, as long as the SJ series stays relatively short. The longer this series goes, the less likely they get by VAN, who are playing a really soft series against NSH.

                                                            DET Team Rating in Playoffs: 77%

                                                            SJ: Really interesting if Niemi goes deep this year, I wonder when the last time a goalie won the Stanley Cup in consecutive years with two different teams as the starter. I talked earlier about VAN having a soft top line; SJ is like VAN if you increased their physical play and decreased their skill. SJ still has proven guys in the lineup with a great mix of youth and speed. If SJ gets past DET, they will be incredibly dangerous as they will have had plenty of time to gel and develop a playoff drive chemistry that wins it all. LA shouldn't have taken 6 games seeing as they were missing Kopitar, but you can see SJ building up momentum.

                                                            SJ Team Rating in Playoffs: 82%

                                                            TB: This is the Cinderella story (again), riding amazing goaltending from an old fart that everyone gave up on (except Don Cherry). A lot of youth and lack of experience, I could see TB being simply outcoached but with snipers all over that lineup (though Gagne, that soft pussy, may be useless at this point) and a fantastic grit line led by Downie, TB can not be overlooked. If Roloson holds up and continues his stellar play, TB could make a push. The only problem with TB is they aren't a put away team, and I can't see any of their series' going less than 6 games. The playoffs are a battle of attrition, and TB is not helping themselves out in that cause.

                                                            TB Team Rating in Playoffs: 63%

                                                            WSH: Forever underachievers in the playoffs, if you think the Sedins are soft, WSH are still in diapers. I've never liked the team's chemistry and don't believe they are in any position to win against teams like VAN/SJ. Simply too soft and too many injuries. A defense that relies on Green who is looking like a one hit wonder (no surprise there, ask McCabe) and you can find Backstrom's face on milk cartons. Ovechkin isn't distributing and I don't blame him considering outside of 3-4 players, that team is a bunch of third liners. I also am a huge fan of Neuvirth, knew he'd be the man in WSH (ask DennisGreen) but unproven and still technically riding a platoon, I think the second he gets into hot water he'll be pulled. Ask PHI how pulling your goalie every game works out for their confidence.

                                                            WSH Team Rating in Playoffs: 48%

                                                            BOS: After overcoming MTL and winning their first game in PHI in such fantastic fashion, BOS doesn't have any skeletons in its closet that haunt them or affect their play. Hard nosed and determined, looks like Tim Thomas is contagious. Well coached, great chemistry, and solid goaltending make BOS a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. They are missing the offensive flair of Savard which would put them over the top in my books, BOS still has a lot of sleeper pieces that are now becoming house hold names. Offense coming from everywhere and in bunches now, Krejci waking up in that first game is a great sign for BOS as he was nowhere to be found in MTL. Very difficult team to shut down, they can be exploited on their blueline because outside of Chara/Seidenberg, the rest of that defense is nothing to write home about. But even if you do exploit the overrated Kaberle (about time he left TOR and now people can see what a loser he has been all along) you still have the unorthodox and effective Thomas who continues to amaze everyone.

                                                            BOS Team Rating in Playoffs: 79%

                                                            PHI: Pronger playing hurt, an inconsistent offense, and a goaltending platoon in the playoffs? Needless to say PHI has a lot of things to figure out before you can really believe they have a chance to win 12 more games. Need Carter to bring his game up to the level that Giroux and Briere have and they would be in business, but it just seems like PHI is going to have a hard time pulling it all together. Undisciplined play is going to bite you in the ass in the playoffs (unless you're playing NSH in which case you could score a SHG) so PHI doesn't help themselves there either. Mostly the issue with this team is that they have yet to stick with a goalie, and it doesn't take a nuclear physicist to know that isn't going to instill confidence in the team. I don't think PHI is a cake walk, but way too many uncertainties make them a very difficult team to believe in.

                                                            PHI Team Rating in Playoffs: 68%
                                                            Comment
                                                            • skyscrapers
                                                              SBR Hall of Famer
                                                              • 05-02-11
                                                              • 6168

                                                              #135
                                                              It seems most likely VAN will see SJ in the West Finals. If that's the case, it'll be a long series I think. I also think whoever wins the West will win the cup.

                                                              DennisGreen is right. Lou is not that bad. For some reason he's got the Blackhawks in his head.
                                                              Comment
                                                              • odog11
                                                                SBR MVP
                                                                • 02-14-11
                                                                • 3874

                                                                #136
                                                                Originally posted by skyscrapers
                                                                It seems most likely VAN will see SJ in the West Finals. If that's the case, it'll be a long series I think. I also think whoever wins the West will win the cup. DennisGreen is right. Lou is not that bad. For some reason he's got the Blackhawks in his head.
                                                                I have to believe the Cannucks fans are hoping Tampa comes out of the east, am I wrong? As a Bruins fan I would rather see them than San Jose if we make it.
                                                                Comment
                                                                • yokes33
                                                                  Restricted User
                                                                  • 02-17-11
                                                                  • 85

                                                                  #137
                                                                  I have them winning too! Go VAN!!!
                                                                  Comment
                                                                  • DennisGreen
                                                                    SBR Posting Legend
                                                                    • 11-27-08
                                                                    • 18369

                                                                    #138
                                                                    Originally posted by odog11
                                                                    I have to believe the Canucks fans are hoping Tampa comes out of the east, am I wrong? As a Bruins fan I would rather see them than San Jose if we make it.
                                                                    Although we match up well with Boston too as both teams play solid D I would much rather play the Bolts.
                                                                    Comment
                                                                    • sweethook
                                                                      SBR Posting Legend
                                                                      • 11-21-07
                                                                      • 12667

                                                                      #139
                                                                      cup run is gettin hot, gl
                                                                      Comment
                                                                      • keyboarding
                                                                        SBR Hall of Famer
                                                                        • 07-30-09
                                                                        • 6817

                                                                        #140
                                                                        Originally posted by skyscrapers
                                                                        It seems most likely VAN will see SJ in the West Finals. If that's the case, it'll be a long series I think. I also think whoever wins the West will win the cup.

                                                                        DennisGreen is right. Lou is not that bad. For some reason he's got the Blackhawks in his head.
                                                                        Luongo's numbers aren't that impressive. He is not a top tier goaltender.
                                                                        Comment
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