Mark Vader Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 NHL Playoffs start tomorrow. Does anyone care? Predictions? Rooting for any team? I'm not a hockey expert, I'll just be cheering on my team. GO SHARKS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommonCents Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Bruins fan, tough matchup against the Senators. After they fired Julien I made calls for the cup!!! I'm sticking to it but I have my doubts. Charlie McAvoy got called up and is expected to play with Chara. Krug and Carlo are out as far as I know. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriveFor1Outta5 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 I'd care if the Sabres were there. Otherwise it interests me very little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Does anyone care? Sure! Do I care? Nope. But of course you knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Bruins fan, tough matchup against the Senators. After they fired Julien I made calls for the cup!!! I'm sticking to it but I have my doubts. Charlie McAvoy got called up and is expected to play with Chara. Krug and Carlo are out as far as I know. Good luck. The McAvoy thing is a bit curious. BU fans were down on him as a whole this year, as he didn't progress quite like they would have liked. It's a bit of a surprise that a couple of their more advanced prospects didn't get a shot instead. I'm sure he'll be on a short leash though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 i'm not a big hockey guy, but i'm in it for the sens. my brother in law plays for them, and after a large injury layoff, he's finally back. it's nice to be excited to watch some hockey when this is otherwise a dead time of the year for sports for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Leafs tanked in January 2015, while still in a playoff spot, and have rebuilt from total scratch from execs to coaches to players. nice surprise it has come together so quick hopefully squeak out a few wins from the Caps, nothing more expected, but it will be enjoyed if it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Sharks haven't really looked good all season. Decent at times but never really dominant. Power play is middle of the road. Last season it was the best. Face off pct is woeful. Older players are a year older (Thornton and Marleau). I think they are in trouble against the much younger Oilers. Nashville is my pick to win it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommonCents Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 The McAvoy thing is a bit curious. BU fans were down on him as a whole this year, as he didn't progress quite like they would have liked. It's a bit of a surprise that a couple of their more advanced prospects didn't get a shot instead. I'm sure he'll be on a short leash though. Yeah crazy to think they threw a way a year of his rookie contract for this run. I guess he looked good in Providence for the few games he played. I have never seen him play, so I'm excited. Carlo and Krug are both out maybe that forced their hand? No idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted April 11, 2017 Author Share Posted April 11, 2017 Sharks haven't really looked good all season. Decent at times but never really dominant. Power play is middle of the road. Last season it was the best. Face off pct is woeful. Older players are a year older (Thornton and Marleau). I think they are in trouble against the much younger Oilers. Nashville is my pick to win it all. I think the Sharks have looked good, not great. Although they picked the worst time of the year to play their worst hockey. Getting Logan Couture back will help. Other players like Tomas Hertl, Joonas Donskoi, Jannik Hanssen, Mikkel Bodker, & Joel Ward have got to step up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Yep! Leafs are in! Would have preferred a matchup with Ottawa, but unfortunately they have to play the top team in the NHL. Oh well, this is all part of the process. I expect them to be ousted fairly quickly, but they are all going to get a taste of what the playoffs are all about and I have no doubt the experience will pay off in the long run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 There is no hockey like Stanley Cup hockey. Don't know which teams I like but I know a few I don't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Leafs tanked in January 2015, while still in a playoff spot, and have rebuilt from total scratch from execs to coaches to players. nice surprise it has come together so quick hopefully squeak out a few wins from the Caps, nothing more expected, but it will be enjoyed if it does. I don't think it's fair to say they rebuilt from scratch. The Sabres have truly rebuilt from scratch. They have almost nobody left from the previous team. The Leafs rebuilt their front office and coaching staff, but they did more of a retool of their player roster than rebuilt from scratch. They still have a lot of players left from previous rebuilds - Kadri, Rielly, Gardiner, Bozak, JVR, Brown... Those are some important leftovers that are contributing greatly to the Leafs current success. They definitely tanked last year though, and the second half of the previous season. And their turn around has been extremely impressive this season. Babcock is taking full advantage of the roster he has. He has always been a defense first, clutch & grab stayed coach and he has seemed to totally reform that system to fit the offensive ability of his current roster. He is truly one of the very best coaches in the NHL. And I have been beyond impressed with Brendan Shanahan as team president. He is right there with Steve Yzerman IMO, as one of the top (former player) NHL execs. I would take Shanahan here in Buffalo in a heart beat! NHL Playoffs start tomorrow. Does anyone care? Predictions? Rooting for any team? I'm not a hockey expert, I'll just be cheering on my team. GO SHARKS!!! Yes, I absolutely LOVE the NHL playoffs! IMO it is the most exciting playoff sport to watch. I look forward to the playoffs every year. But hockey is my favorite sport. I have played and/or been involved in the game most of my entire life. I don't have any predictions yet. Playoff hockey is so much different than regular season hockey. You never really know how a series will go, and there are a number of teams playing some pretty good hockey at the moment. And since the Sabres aren't in it, I don't really care who wins either. I usually pick a favorite team for each series and root for them. I can usually find a reason to root for almost any team. I will definitely be pulling for Ottawa though, since our current GM had a huge hand in assembling that team and since I don't like Boston. I don't see them making it past the 1st or 2nd round at best though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 I learned not to fear the President's Trophy winner decades ago, but the Leafs are up against it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 I learned not to fear the President's Trophy winner decades ago, but the Leafs are up against it... I would be pretty shocked if the Leafs somehow made it past such an experienced Washington team. But hey, it's the playoffs, you never know! And Washington has crapped the bed in the playoffs many times before... Either way, it's great experience for the kids on the Leafs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomper Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 The best playoffs in all of sports. Totally different game in the postseason. Not a reach by any means but I'll pick Chicago to win it all. This is the year the Caps win a few rounds but Toronto will give them a scare. 1st round picks: Washington in 6. Interesting to see how the Caps handle any adversity. Leafs playing with house money. Montreal in 6. Even though Habs can't score, gotta go with Price. Pittsburgh in 7. This series will be nasty. They hate each other. Ottawa in 7. With both sides banged up on D, this is basically a pick'em. Chicago in 6. Will not be easy. May depend on which Renni shows up. Saint Louis in 5. Coaching change did wonders. Blues are a great dark horse. Anaheim in 6. This will be rough as well. Too much too soon for Calgary. Plus they haven't won in Anaheim in 11 years. Edmonton in 6. Oil need secondary scoring. McDavid will win two games by himself. Don't like SJ's game this year. Every year is awesome. Two months of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EersN'Bills Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Not really. The NHL has become a really bad product, like the NFL. It's over officiatied (and badly done at that), player suspensions are inconsistent and there's not a lot of scoring. It's just too frustrating to watch and with the awful season the Sabres had, I just can't care enough at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Would like to see the Blues win I guess. I want the Bruins to lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Double kick in the teeth to Buffalo sports fans. McDavid leads the Oilers to the Finals and Pittsburgh wins yet another sports title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Hockey is such a regional sport meaning once your team is done the casual fan could care less. The weather is getting nice, there are other things to do & they go head to head with the NBA playoffs which there is noway the NHL is winning that battle. With that being said I will flick on the playoffs on a Saturday if I put some money on the games, but other than that I could careless. It is really unfortunate that Buffalo sports takes the fun out of such things as the playoffs by having 2 pathetically runned franchises. My one question about the Sabres is(& I am a casual hockey fan at best) is I hear our coach is on the firing block, when is it Murray's turn to get called out & be held accountable or does he get a free pass like Whaley does every year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I'm a huge hockey fan but I don't "like" any teams besides the Sabres so it's difficult for me to devote my spare time to watching 7-game series between teams I don't care about. I will start watching a bit once they get to the conference finals, and I typically try to watch most of the SC finals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I stopped caring when the Sabres were eliminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 When the leafs were out golfing I cheered for the Sabres. So all my Buffalo fan friends on this board are welcome to join the Leafs bandwagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Go Blue Jackets, Go Sharks, Go T-Wolves, Go Caps. Couldn't care any less about any other team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB3 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 i'm not a big hockey guy, but i'm in it for the sens. my brother in law plays for them, and after a large injury layoff, he's finally back. it's nice to be excited to watch some hockey when this is otherwise a dead time of the year for sports for me. Very excited Mac is back. He's a good player and should do well paired with Turris and Ryan tonight. It was looking like his career was going to be over so I'm shocked he's back this season. I do worry every time I see someone closing on him near the boards though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Very excited Mac is back. He's a good player and should do well paired with Turris and Ryan tonight. It was looking like his career was going to be over so I'm shocked he's back this season. I do worry every time I see someone closing on him near the boards though. the decision to put him back in the line up was a pretty big shock to everyone on our end. one minute the gm and team physicians were very against it, and suddenly we get the call that he's playing. it's a bit gut wrenching watching him play now, but he loves his team and was dying to get back on the ice. i haven't looked yet, but is karlsson back? i think he had an issue with his foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Nope. No sabres, no time for the rest of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 (edited) I think the Sharks have looked good, not great. Although they picked the worst time of the year to play their worst hockey. Getting Logan Couture back will help. Other players like Tomas Hertl, Joonas Donskoi, Jannik Hanssen, Mikkel Bodker, & Joel Ward have got to step up. A month and a half ago it seemed like they really began to pick up their intensity. I figured ok a veteran team getting into playoff mode. Really surprised to see them mail it in after that. I couldn't agree more on Hertl and Danskoi. I feel I should give Danskoi the benefit of the doubt since he has had some nagging injuries. They really need him for the 2nd pp unit. Hertly is a bit of a enigma to me. He has the size and skill to be much more effective than he is. He shows flashes of it that kind of renews your hopes but he just can't be counted on day to day.. Hanssen is a bit to new for me to tell and I feel Bodker has been decent. I go back and forth on this series with the Oilers. No doubt Edmonton will be the better team next season but I hope the Sharks playoff experience will be the difference now. We'll see. It will be fun to watch McDavid. Edited April 12, 2017 by Dante Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB3 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 the decision to put him back in the line up was a pretty big shock to everyone on our end. one minute the gm and team physicians were very against it, and suddenly we get the call that he's playing. it's a bit gut wrenching watching him play now, but he loves his team and was dying to get back on the ice. i haven't looked yet, but is karlsson back? i think he had an issue with his foot. Karlsson has been cleared to play. I believe Ceci and Smith have too. Not sure if Methot will be lining up next to EK tonight though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 It's the playoffs, we are free from trying to pretend we cared about the NHL in the regular season. But respect for fans in the eastern time zone who fully follow a team 3 hours behind us, that's a big commitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 When the leafs were out golfing I cheered for the Sabres. So all my Buffalo fan friends on this board are welcome to join the Leafs bandwagon. The Leafs have a shot against the Cap's. They like to check out for the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 The Leafs have a shot against the Cap's. They like to check out for the playoffs. Was hoping to face the Sens, but that's how the cookie crumbles. No fear against the Masters of the Universe of the Regular Season, that's meaningless as soon as the puck drops starting tonight. But still hoping for a good show and maybe take a few off the Caps, goalie could be an issue as he is getting hurt slightly a lot recently, without him forget it. Just put the hammer to the Oil, too many fans in my life crowing and predicting a Stanley Cup parade already for goodness sakes.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Was hoping to face the Sens, but that's how the cookie crumbles. No fear against the Masters of the Universe of the Regular Season, that's meaningless as soon as the puck drops starting tonight. But still hoping for a good show and maybe take a few off the Caps, goalie could be an issue as he is getting hurt slightly a lot recently, without him forget it. Just put the hammer to the Oil, too many fans in my life crowing and predicting a Stanley Cup parade already for goodness sakes.. Take on the big dog right off the bat. Knock them off and anything is possible. I can't believe the Oilers are ready yet. They are a nice team though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Take on the big dog right off the bat. Knock them off and anything is possible. I can't believe the Oilers are ready yet. They are a nice team though. Playoffs are a burden and grind that have to be experienced to be believed. Red Wings out for the first time since 1990, Babcock knew when to desert at just the right time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like A Mofo Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Not a care in the world. Won't watch any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Not a care in the world. Won't watch any. Pray the Sabres tank like the Leafs did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted April 12, 2017 Author Share Posted April 12, 2017 A month and a half ago it seemed like they really began to pick up their intensity. I figured ok a veteran team getting into playoff mode. Really surprised to see them mail it in after that. I couldn't agree more on Hertl and Danskoi. I feel I should give Danskoi the benefit of the doubt since he has had some nagging injuries. They really need him for the 2nd pp unit. Hertly is a bit of a enigma to me. He has the size and skill to be much more effective than he is. He shows flashes of it that kind of renews your hopes but he just can't be counted on day to day.. Hanssen is a bit to new for me to tell and I feel Bodker has been decent. I go back and forth on this series with the Oilers. No doubt Edmonton will be the better team next season but I hope the Sharks playoff experience will be the difference now. We'll see. It will be fun to watch McDavid. True, Donskoi's injury problems caused him to miss a lot of games this year. He was so good last year and I am hoping he can return to that playing level. Hertl is definitely an enigma. I am still waiting for him to take that big step. I think it will be a competitive series with the Oilers. I feel they are both evenly matched. Take on the big dog right off the bat. Knock them off and anything is possible. I can't believe the Oilers are ready yet. They are a nice team though. The Oilers are a nice team. Todd McLellan has done a fantastic job in turning them around so quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomper Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Pray the Sabres tank like the Leafs did. I'm a Sabres fan but I love watching this Leaf team play. They're fun. Playing with house money. All you need is a split and if Andersson stands on his head, doubt may creep in for the Caps. I know hockey has its detractors but the playoffs are amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I'm a Sabres fan but I love watching this Leaf team play. They're fun. Playing with house money. All you need is a split and if Andersson stands on his head, doubt may creep in for the Caps. I know hockey has its detractors but the playoffs are amazing. Comments from other fans about the Leafs are that they are watchable and entertaining. As a fan I'm starting to see the formation of the ideal I want on power plays and killing penalties, getting the puck out of their end and decent rushes instead of dump-and-chase. The brains are in place and young talent is present, wasn't expecting the playoffs for another year or so. Now for some experience in the games that count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 The Leafs have a shot against the Cap's. They like to check out for the playoffs. Disagree. Leafs won't win a game. The Caps are a machine and the Leafs are totally outmanned. It'll be a good learning experience for their young rookie core, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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