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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ****the NHL playoff thread**** (really a "tiesto is coming" thread i
| quote: | Originally posted by yankeeBaby
true story, hence my mention of the fact that ANY team can collapse under the playoff pressure. Esp Rangers since they have very little experience in comparison.
...BUT my argument was simply over the broduer vs. Lunqvist argument. I cant say how they will play in the playoffs because experience is def a factor. HOWEVER to say that Brodeur is playing better than lundqvist in the rangers vs. devils games in ludicrous. If they play each other we will have to see if lundqvist's game will overtake brodeur's experience.
You know at some point brodeur was a rookie and had to make it to the big timers, and just like any other goalie, he needed the experience and needed to prove himself in playoff games. Hopefully HL will keep his focus, keep his composure and keep the rangers on the winning streak.
Not to mention losing to the devils is *my* WORST possible scenario. Its like the yanks losing to boston. not fun. 
and yes, please no one put money on philly. If you want, you can send a check directly to me and I will cash it. It might be easier. |
Indeed you're correct. Brodeur was a rookie needing to prove himself at one time. That time came in his first full season (he only played 4 games in the prev. yr) when he took the NJD within a Mark Messier Miracle and a Stephan Matteau wrap-around in game 7 in OT, of the finals where he'd have cemented Roy-like status and won the cup in his first year (I had a broken leg at watched every second of those play-offs ... hence the detail). So to say Lundquist is even in the same phylum as Brodeur is flat-out NYR home-towner talk. Sorry my dear. No offence.
The bottom line is that regular season gets you into the dance, but it's your ability to handle the big time like it was the pre-season (in the sense that nothing enters your head) that separates the greats from the also-rans. Henrik may be there some day, but they don't have shoot-outs in the play-offs and his skating ability is too tiring for him to carry on much past the first OT without exhausting himself. So unless his team can wrap things up by the middle of the 3rd in 4 games out of 7, they're not moving on.
As far as my predictions go, there's a little something I should share first off. That is that I truly have no favourite team, and will watch any game, with any team, at any time, so I firmly feel that I bring no team-centric bias to the table. That said, here are my predictions:
- Montreal will make it to at least the 3rd round of the play-offs
-yep, Price really is that good (& it scares me a bit), as I've never seen any goalie with that kind of skating ability. Now add in his size, reflexes, and poise, and you've got a legend in the making. Forget the rest of the team, b/c when it comes down to it, they'll only need to score twice per game (allowing for flukes) on average to win a series.
-Detroit will not go past the second round (barring a Hasekian miracle)
-simply put, they're a one line team. Yes, they're a dynamo on the PP. Yes, they're brilliant on the blueline. Yes Cleary is a threat in a grinding game. Yes Chelios has more longevity than Noah. But here's the bottom line— Unless they somehow end up playing Minnesota (which is essentially impossible), they can't bang & crash with the rest of the conference; everyone else has a defensive pair that can shut down the Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Holmstrom line (either with physical play or sheer skating abiity); and beyond Lidstrom & Rafalski (if he's even healthy enough to absorb the play-off minutes he needs to), they haven't got a pairing that can stop the second lines of most teams from generating quality chances.
- Anaheim vs. San Jose in the second round of the play-offs will result in more red eyes the next morning than St. Patrick's Day and NYE combined.
- This series will decide who wins the Cup b/c both teams have all the elements of a great champion. Yes, SJ hasn't got the experience overall, and yes they lack the offensive numbers that one would expect to give them the odds in favour of skating past a top 3 D-unit of Pronger, Nedermayer, and Schneider. But, they've got the skating ability to tire the Ducks' key players, and the vet's that haven't won but have the grit to make it happen. And all that is up against is arguably the best D (including the clutch goaltending ... Giggy won the Conn Smythe in 2003...) that has existed since the Habs in the 1970's. Versus Nabokov having one of the best goaltending seasons in the past decade. Factor in the Getzlaf line and the Ducks' PP, and you've got a 7 game nail biter that will provide enough momentum to carry an old-timers' team to the finals.
-Brodeur has one more big playoff run thanks to Parise's heroics against the NYR.
-this kid's stamina makes him an OT threat. Marty will get them to OT thanks to the Rangers' inability to score late in games (even more prevalent late in the season). Add in the general flukiness of NJD v. NYR in the playoffs and the fact that NY's got little winning experience beyond their 36+ crowd (i.e. Shannahan and Jagr who look like they're skating with an achor tied to their aging legs and wearing flak jackets for fun), and Brodeur's playoff stigma grows in the minds of the Rangers' players period by period.
-Philly provides 4 very entertaining consecutive losses to the Pens (assuming they pick up a point tomorrow...if not, Boston will be watching blurs and picking pucks out of their net until the 60 minute mark of game 4).
-they don't have the D to deal with Malkin in either the physical, skating, OR positional senses. Now add Crosby's playmaking, the overall skill level of the Pens against Philly's inexperience (yes the Pens are young too, but to man they've got a couple more years in the league than the Flyers), and Philly's lack of faith in Biron (which messes with his head...witness his history in Buffalo), and you've got all the makings of a blow out series with some great brawls, which the Pens will win both of.
K. That's all I'm willing to type right now. More later after round one of the play-offs.
End rant.
(for now)
Last edited by The Ear on Apr-06-2008 at 08:29
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) I doubt that this is an accurate assessment. 
