Colorado will be scary after the lockout, if they can keep the roster as is.
fast, shifty forwards, and big mobile hard hitting d men.
i really like watching landeskog play, he seems to me to be the young kid that has the potential to be the star (as opposed to Nugent-Hopkins, who the NHL wants to be a star). give that kid a year or two, get some real hockey strength. could be a messier type forward, i think.

I appreciate the Avalanche group therapy session, you Obeliskiteers. "There's always next year........?" or "Detroit MAY get killed in the playoffs"

Landeskog likely getting rookie of the year keeps my spirits up.

To be honest, I'm proud of the team they've built. Even the late season acquisitions. Even Varlamov shows good potential, when I was skeptical having followed the Caps the previous year. The depressing part for me is I don't know how we can improve other than time. Maybe lose Sacco, but I can't say the guy isn't trying.

And I typed this all with one finger.


/smoke

playoff spot clinched!
huzzah.

Wanted to make sure nobody missed this hilarity. After all hell broke loose at the end of the Pens/Flyers game, some Hulk Hogan-wannabe Pens fan was taunting the Flyers, and Hartnell just made a new fan out of me (still hate the rest of the Flyers, though). Freakin' HILARIOUS.

that flyer penguin game was awesome.

not sold on the hogan guy... there was a guy when ECW was around that hit every chicago event and was a doppleganger.i think that was what the guy did... just pretended to be hogan.
he would get chants at local events. but whatever.



Hey Black aspirin? can we both hope for a wings vs hawks series? conference finals...
i would like nothing more. hope our teams both make it that far.

Flyers play the Penguins this Saturday in the season finale. That game may decide who gets home ice advantage in their potential 1st round playoff series.

Well yeah, we can both dream. But realistically, if the Wings play Nashville in the first round, which looks most likely...I think we're going down. Our road record is a losing one this year, and it's only our supposed home-ice dominance that kept us high in the standings. Nashville just beat us 4-1 at The Joe the other night, and they're probably gonna win home-ice advantage anyway.

The Wings lost a lot of games once they had all those injuries pile up, and now that everyone (except Helm) is back...they can't find their game, and don't look like they even care to. I think Datsyuk's knee is not well after that 'cleanup' surgery...he doesn't look at all like himself, but the whole team doesn't look anything like the one that piled up 23 straight home-ice wins earlier this year. We play St. Louis in their building on Wednesday...anyone wanna guess how that one will go? Haha.

In what should be a surprise to nobody. The Avs are officially out of the playoffs. All we had to do was beat one of the worst teams in the league in regulation at home to stay alive. We didn't. We didn't deserve the playoffs.

Hawks lose to Minnesota in a shootout AGAIN.

Beat minnesota those 2 times, and dont be fucking retards against Edmonton.... this team wins the division easily. But, they choose this. Too much talent, and no direction.

Black aspirin has trouble with the wings power play? try 8 goals since January.
Goaltending? no shut-outs all year, it gets under 10 in the 3rd.... its a gimme goal.

kings 4-1 in the first round. Only because the hawks will win the 3-0 game on home ice when LA gives bernier his start.

Saturday is going to be a great day of hockey...

If the Hawks beat the Wings on Saturday they get to play Nashville. If that happens they're locked in.
It's still way up in the air, though. Phoenix can still win the division 'cause they have 2 more games. San Jose can win it too.

Aaaaaaand Sharks are in the playoffs. Holy hell.

Hawks beat detroit in the shootout.
Wings vs preds in the 1st round, nashville gets home ice.
i was actually rooting for detroit to get home ice.


now... go minnesota & san jose.

I can't recall having ever wanted to lose a game, but I'll be honest...when we tied it up late, I was actually pissed. No, you don't want your team to 'throw a game', so I respect them for trying to win it...but now we play the Preds in the first round instead of Phoenix, LA or Dallas (as far as I understand).

In other words, we likely go out in the first round instead of having the advantage against a lesser team in order to get our game back in shape after getting all these guys back.

FML. I predict Preds in 6 games. They're way hungrier, better defensively and special teams, and have the grit that the Wings badly need. Still, GO WINGS. <-half-hearted, eh?

I feel you. I'm happy to be in the playoffs, but fuck, we pulled the st. Louis straw. We lost the entire series to them this year. 0-4. This is going to kill me.

at the end, when the hawks pulled their goalie, i was really hoping detroit would score. I wanted them to get home ice against nashville, better chance o the preds losing.

oh, well.
Hawks get Phoenix, and the hottest goalie in the league. Hope Toews & Bolland are ready.

Rangers in 5
Bruins in 6
Devils in 6
Flyers in 6

Canucks in 6
Blues in 7
Coyotes in 7
Predators in 7

Kings 7
Blues 5
Hawks 6
Preds 6


Rangers 4
Bruins 6
Devils 5
Pens 7

Canucks in 6
Blues in 7
Hawks in 6
Predators in 7 (does that make me a shitty fan?)

Rangers in 5
Bruins in 6
Devils in 6
Penguins in 6

had the hawks and wings swapped positions that final day, you'd have seen my prediction as:

Preds 4

I almost said Preds in 6, but I think the Wings would find a way to win that 6th game at home...just not the final one in Nashville.

I also think the Preds will definitely take the opener. That building is gonna be insane. Good news, though...Helm is back for game 1. We better stay out of the box, 'cause the Preds have the #1 PP, and we're like 18th on the PK. Special teams will probably be what kills us in the series.

Man, the Pens/Flyers series is so fucking good!!

Godfuckingdammit. I expected the Preds to win game one, but their first 2 goals were flukey (one going off our defenseman's skate during a pass, and the second being an arbitrary deflection that sent it into the top corner of the goal)...and aside from that, Helm made it back for his first game in weeks after a strained MCL, only to leave the game for the hospital, 3 minutes in...with a wrist injury. FUCK MY LIFE.

I

Fucking

Love watching Vancouver lose at home. God bless you LA kings, I hope you continue to shmear those assholes all over the ice.