[John P.]

And JP, ALL the teams do an insane amout of travel every year...although the timezone one gets points for originality!

Actually, the number of miles the Wings travel is quite a bit more than any of the eastern conference teams and most of the westernconference teams. Some examples:

Wings 2008: 37,000 miles

Other top teams:
Habs: 27,000 miles (27% less)
Penguins: 26,000 miles (29% less)
Devils: 23,000 miles (38% less)

And as for your comment regarding timezones, I'm just coming off a 3-week stint of traveling back and forth to the west, and I know that of which I speak. Sitting in the plane is the easy part; trying to get your body to keep readjusting to different times zones is the real bitch.

 

[JohnE]

Excuses, excuses. So what that tells me is that they would DOMINATE as a beer league team...as long as they could stay out of the local jail.

 

[John P.]

Excuses, excuses. So what that tells me is that they would DOMINATE as a beer league team...as long as they could stay out of the local jail.

If we're going to talk about excuses, I'd love to hear the excuse the Hawks have for not even making the playoffs since the Clinton administration.

Look on the bright side, though: with Toews and Kane on the team, it not only gives fruits like you a couple of sexy teen starlets to lust after, your team no longer has to give away their tickets for free, too.

 

[JohnE]

Hey...we made it. Once. 4 and out...
Our excuse is our team has just sucked. The big $$ guys they bought never panned out (Zhamnov, Mironov, Khabi) and they made some horrible personnel moves (Roenick leaves, nothing back. Chelios, same story.) etc etc.
I have been amazed that the Wings have kept on as their guys age. They really havent developed many players, Zetterberg and Datsyuk excepted. Top goalie duo in th eleague, when you can bench the starting All Star goalie and make it sound like an imporvement? Scary. Like I said, if they get goaltending, they could do some damage.
We do have a bright future...fingers crossed!

 

[maddog17]

oh well, the B's have to play Montreal... looks like a classic 4 game sweep for the Habs!!! and why not, they swept the regular season too. i watched a bit of last nights debacle against the Sabers and all they could talk about was how happy everyone was they made the playoffs, how all the writers picked them to come in last in the east blah blah blah... no one bothered to mention they play Montreal and how bad they played against them this year. trying to keep a positive spin on the season is meaning less since they have no chance of getting out of the first round, or for that matter making a series of it.

so i'll start the chant for next season..... GO LEAFS GO!!!!

 

[MMcG]

Having grown up in Michigan, I'm a huge Wings fan, but the insane amount of travel they have to do throughout the year and the number of timezone changes they have to deal with really stacks the cards against them in the playoffs. Detroit's been winning without 5 guys who could start on any team in the league (Holmstrom, Maltby, Samuelson, Draper, and Stuart are all injured), and if those dudes can somehow get healthy, they've got as good of a chance as anyone in the West.

In the East, I like the Habs, but I don't think Price has any clue what the F he's in for in the playoffs -- it's almost like an entirely different sport with the intensity turned up about 20 notches.

For the finals, whoever wins the west will destroy their eastern counterpart, just like last year. With that in mind, get psyched for the conference finals; the cup finals will be another snoozer.

--JP

Price has won a World Junior Championship and a Calder Cup Championship...........maybe he'll pull a Dryden or Roy in this new era of hockey!

 

[splat]

Ain'tthat the trurth . I went to a Bruins-Caps game a couple weeksago, and Brashear cost them the game , taking a triple minor with 7 minutes left in the game anda 1 goal lead. the B's power play finally came alive and took the game.

oh well, the B's have to play Montreal... looks like a classic 4 game sweep for the Habs!!! and why not, they swept the regular season too. i watched a bit of last nights debacle against the Sabers and all they could talk about was how happy everyone was they made the playoffs, how all the writers picked them to come in last in the east blah blah blah... no one bothered to mention they play Montreal and how bad they played against them this year. trying to keep a positive spin on the season is meaning less since they have no chance of getting out of the first round, or for that matter making a series of it.

as much as I love my Bruins , The Bruins goal the whole season was just to make the play offs , not win the cup, hence why they will exit quickly in hte first round .

 

[MMcG]

The Bruins are beat up - but you never know if they play to their system and get great goaltending.

They MUST stay out of the penalty box against Montreal. If they don't the Habs power play will bury them quickly.

 

[MMcG]

Oh and if the Penguins lose today won't the Habs play the Flyers?

 

[tonyhawk]

Well that is something that every monkey can agree on. Well, except tonyhawk but he doesn't count.

Stupid Wings fans

Round 1:
Habs\B's - Habs in 5
Pens\Sens - Pens in 5
Caps\Flyers - Caps in 7
NJ\Rangers - Rangers in 7

Wings\Preds - Wings in 5 (dammit)
Sharks\Flames - Sharks in 4
Ducks\Stars - Stars in 7
Wild\Avs - Avs in 6, Forsberg averages 3 assists per game :biggrin:

Go

 

[LordOpie]

Avs win in OT on a Sakic rebound score... w00t!

 

[shamrock]

fvckin' Rangers... I could vent & go on & on but I'll resist the urge & let it play out a bit

 

[Silver]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Wings bounced in the first round again. They have such a butter soft schedule during the year, and Datsyuk is such a dynamic offensive player in the playoffs...

 

[MMcG]

The Penguins are gonna roll over the Senators methinks. Ottawa is a mess.

 

[MMike]

Stupid Wings fans

Round 1:
Habs\B's - Habs in 5
Pens\Sens - Pens in 5
Caps\Flyers - Caps in 7
NJ\Rangers - Rangers in 7

Wings\Preds - Wings in 5 (dammit)
Sharks\Flames - Sharks in 4
Ducks\Stars - Stars in 7
Wild\Avs - Avs in 6, Forsberg averages 3 assists per game :biggrin:

Go

Fixed

 

[jacksonpt]

This is the best time of the year... Hockey playoffs, baseball starting, soccer in full swing, riding season starting... *ahhhhhhh*

I'm routing for the Devils, though they aren't playing that well right now. In recent history, they either go out in the first round or make it to the finals. Judging by how they are playing and how they match up with the Rangers, I'm betting they lose this series.

 

[dante]

fvckin' Rangers... I could vent & go on & on but I'll resist the urge & let it play out a bit

LETS GO RANGERS!!

 

[LordOpie]

The true quest for the Cup begins.
Despite a late push, (And a beuatiful spanking of the Dead Things!) my Hawks are out...so now I root for the Avs I guess.
Who you rootin' for?

(All you non hockey fans need not reply...)

WTF? How dare you start and steal NHL threads from .Pit Steelers.

 

[JohnE]

Loop, dont ever equate me with armPit. Stealer...he is far and away my superior in all matters...

Ottawa, done. Last years strengths are this years liabilities. Pens = Scary. I cant see Fleury going deep tho, Conklin will return to the net.

Calgary has momentum now, but Sharks are VERY scary. But, I say go Flames!

Other series...

Mont over Boston

Detroit over Nashville. Dont look for Detwa to go deep tho, I see an upset coming.

Avs over Minn, but will go long and tire out the Avs

Dallas over Ducks. Hate the Ducks...love Zubov and Modo

NJ over NY, Brodeur will find himself and Lundqvuist (Whatever his name is.) will fold...

Caps over Flyers, Ovey will light up the weak ass Flyers. But Caps dont have enough depth to go long. Federov is old, but hasnt played alot of games in the past few years, he could get hot.

Stay tuned for my second round prognostications...

Oh, and (now) I predict the Flames will win the Cup...call me a hippy.

 

[surfinguru]

GO

Sharks vs Pens in the final

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
Detroit over Nashville. Dont look for Detwa to go deep tho, I see an upset coming.

Sure thing, Nostradamus.

 

[JohnE]

Just remember, you heard it hear first...
Ridemonkey, your #1 source for NHL prognosticatoring!

 

[LordOpie]

Sure thing, Nostradamus.

He's a lot better than Nostradumbass.

 

[JohnE]

Thanks...I think!

 

[SkaredShtles]

He's a lot better than Nostradumbass.

Yeah... but he doesn't discuss hockey, does he?

 

[Ksquaredracing]

Sharks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ksquaredracing]

Hey the Canadian monkey picked the Sharks to win round one. Can't argue with the Monkey

 

[shamrock]

LETS GO RANGERS!!

Whatever dude... whether the Rangers win the series & move on or not history will repeat itself & they'll eventually show their age & run out of steam. Not to mention... I predict that if Jagr does in fact retire after they drop out, the Rangers will be in shambles much like they where after Gretzkey left.

 

[LordOpie]

w00t! Avs send it to OT!

 

[JohnE]

Wild takes Avs...on Keith Carneys 2d goal of the year? He is almost as old as Chelios.

 

[dante]

Whatever dude... whether the Rangers win the series & move on or not history will repeat itself & they'll eventually show their age & run out of steam. Not to mention... I predict that if Jagr does in fact retire after they drop out, the Rangers will be in shambles much like they where after Gretzkey left.

Writing your team off after only the 1st game? Smart move, I guess, considering they lost again last night.


And for your information, then Rangers were in shambles even BEFORE Gretzkey left...

 

[shamrock]

Writing your team off after only the 1st game? Smart move, I guess, considering they lost again last night.


And for your information, then Rangers were in shambles even BEFORE Gretzkey left...

I never wrote them off... All I said was either way the cup is NOT in the Rangers imediate future.

I hold a different opinion as to when the Rangers fell to shambles... I was a Rangers fan at the time.

If I can sit next to Rangers fans at the Prudential Center while the Devils are down I can handle half @$$ remarks from a guy on his PC. If you're looking for a pointless argument over who's the better team I have better things to do.

 

[dante]

I was a Rangers fan at the time.

so you were a Rangers fan, but now you're a Devil's fan? shouldn't you have jumped onto another bandwagon by now? the Devil's haven't done much lately, I'm sure the Penguins could use another fan this year...

and you're ranting and raving on a message board about a sports team. obviously you don't have better things to do.

 

[LordOpie]

...the cup is NOT in the Rangers imediate future.

I find it disappointing that most people think this way. Celebrate the success, however far they went.

It's one reason I like long road bike races (TdF, AToC), cuz of the different categories to compete in and podium is success.

 

[shamrock]

I find it disappointing that most people think this way. Celebrate the success, however far they went.

I'm trying LO, I really am... I actually have alot of respect for the Rangers... some people have nothing better to do than pursue school yard arguments with no purpose other than to work people up.

 

[shamrock]

so you were a Rangers fan, but now you're a Devil's fan? shouldn't you have jumped onto another bandwagon by now? the Devil's haven't done much lately, I'm sure the Penguins could use another fan this year...

and you're ranting and raving on a message board about a sports team. obviously you don't have better things to do.

Well that's a pretty generic response... What are you 7? If you wanna' talk facts... hey that's cool. But I'm not gonna' bicker back & forth with you & your infinite wisdom.

 

[dante]

I find it disappointing that most people think this way. Celebrate the success, however far they went.

It's one reason I like long road bike races (TdF, AToC), cuz of the different categories to compete in and podium is success.

His post is more of an anti-Rangers rant than anything resembling a cohesive argument predicting how far a team might go. His team is losing, and he's, ummm, waxing poetic or something like that.

 

[shamrock]

His post is more of an anti-Rangers rant than anything resembling a cohesive argument predicting how far a team might go. His team is losing, and he's, ummm, waxing poetic or something like that.

Ummm yeah... that's it.

That statement was based on an observation over the years. It has nothing to do with the rivalry. I strongly feel the Rangers need a younger more consistant team & that they'd greatly benifit if they'd give Messier a chance to coach.

As for the "fvckin Rangers" post... you'd be a little frustrated too if the tables were turned this season

 

[JohnE]

Two awesome OT games today...Devils over Rangers and Bruins over Habs.
Now, if the Flames can get it going we are in business.

 

[HOOWAH]

I'm going for the Canadiens. They've had a cup every decade since the 1920's. Time for another one!