Stanley Cup Playoffs 2011 - This Thread Is Now About Riots

[Metcarfre]

Prediction time!

First Round Matchups (Best of 7)

Eastern Conference

(1) WSH vs. (8) NYR (Washington in 7)

(2) PHI vs. (7) BUF (Philadelphia in 5)

(3) BOS vs. (6) MTL (Boston in 6)

(4) PIT vs. (5) TB (Tampa Bay in 6)

Western Conference

(1) VAN vs. (8) CHI (Vancouver in 6)

(2) SJ vs. (7) LA (San Jose in 5)

(3) DET vs. (6) PHX (Phoenix in 7)

(4) ANA vs. (5) NAS (Nashville in 7)

[Tapir12]

Yay, yay, yay!!! I am very excited for the playoffs, and incredibly saddened that I don't have a TV. I will be visiting a lot of friends with TVs over the next while. If anyone in Vic wants to watch the games with me, let me know!

Predictions:

(1) WSH vs. (8) NYR (Washington in 6)
(2) PHI vs. (7) BUF (Philadelphia in 5)
(3) BOS vs. (6) MTL (Montreal in 6)
(4) PIT vs. (5) TB (Tampa Bay in 6)


(1) VAN vs. (8) CHI (Vancouver in 5)
(2) SJ vs. (7) LA (San Jose in 6)
(3) DET vs. (6) PHX (Detraoit in 5)
(4) ANA vs. (5) NAS (Anaheim in 5)

[Metcarfre]

The Vancouver/Chicago, Boston/Montreal, Pittsburgh/Tampa Bay, and Detroit/Phoenix series will be streamed live on the CBC Sports website. It works pretty well.

[Tapir12]

Sweet. For the Sportsnet streams you had to pay $2.99 per game, ouch. Now I just have to arrange my schedule so I don't work on game nights.

[Lord Chrusher]

I wonder how far into the deep internet I will have to go to get a stream here in Australia.

[Metcarfre]

*cough-cough*

[Tapir12]

We have a severe shortage of hockey fans posting in this thread. The gong show starts tomorrow!

Crusher, no predictions?

[Lord Chrusher]

Canucks in 5 is about the limit of my predictive powers when it comes to this post season.

[Elomin Sha]

What does in 5 mean?

[WBAGNR]

It's best out of seven matches. If you say 'in 5', you are saying that that team will get to four wins in the fifth match.

E.g.

Pittsburgh vs Tampa Bay

Say Tampa win the first two games, that would make the best-of-seven series 2-0 to Tampa.

If Pittsburgh then gained a victory, it would be 2-1 to Tampa. Three games played, Tampa need two wins, Pittsburgh need three.

If Tampa won those two remaining games, it would be 4-1 to Tampa. They have four wins out of seven, and so they win that series of matches.

[Elomin Sha]

Ah, I see.

[aeric90]

Eastern Conference
(1) WSH vs. (8) NYR (Washington in 6)
(2) PHI vs. (7) BUF (Philadelphia in 5)
(3) BOS vs. (6) MTL (Montreal in 7)
(4) PIT vs. (5) TB (Tampa Bay in 6)

Western Conference
(1) VAN vs. (8) CHI (Vancouver in 5)
(2) SJ vs. (7) LA (San Jose in 6)
(3) DET vs. (6) PHX (Detroit in 5)
(4) ANA vs. (5) NAS (Anaheim in 6)

[Rikadyn]

Eastern Conference
(1) WSH vs. (8) NYR (Washington in 5)
(2) PHI vs. (7) BUF (Philadelphia in 6)
(3) BOS vs. (6) MTL (Boston in 6)
(4) PIT vs. (5) TB (Tampa Bay in 6)
Western Conference
(1) VAN vs. (8) CHI (Vancouver in 5)
(2) SJ vs. (7) LA (San Jose in 5)
(3) DET vs. (6) PHX (Phoenix in 5)
(4) ANA vs. (5) NAS (Anaheim in 6)

[Mister Fiend]

I predict me and the guy down the street with the Capitals flag over his front door are going to be crying in our beers.

[goat]

Eastern Conference
(1) WSH vs. (8) NYR (Washington in 6)
(2) PHI vs. (7) BUF (Philadelphia in 6)
(3) BOS vs. (6) MTL (Boston in 5)
(4) PIT vs. (5) TB (Tampa Bay in 6)

Western Conference
(1) VAN vs. (8) CHI (Vancouver in 4)
(2) SJ vs. (7) LA (San Jose in 5)
(3) DET vs. (6) PHX (Detroit in 5)
(4) ANA vs. (5) NAS (Anaheim in 6)

Just realized today that I was missing out on this thread. Sadly, I will likely see more post-season games this year than regular season games.

[Matt]

Go canucks!

-m

[Lord Chrusher]

Beyond finding somewhere to watch it an issue with watching the playoffs in Australia is that they are on in the middle of the day when I am supposed to be working.

[Matt]

this sounds like a job for CBC radio!

-m

[Tapir12]

Did you manage to hear the game, Crusher? I know when I was abroad I had a really tough time trying to follow the Olympics because of the timing and lack of access outside the country.

I actually watched the gold medal hockey game on my parents' TV through skype because there wasn't any other way I could see it. The worst part was not having anyone else to cheer with!

[psychopez]

<--- Note Location, and inherited biases.

Though the Flower was a stone wall in game one, he's carried the Pens all season, why not for the 16 (well, 15 now) wins needed...

[Yaxley]

<--- Note Location, and inherited biases.

Though the Flower was a stone wall in game one, he's carried the Pens all season, why not for the 16 (well, 15 now) wins needed...

*high five*

Related, I was having a conversation last night where I was arguing that injury shouldn't be an excuse and we should still expect the Pens to play well despite losing Crosby and Malkin. I was told that as excuses go, that was a pretty good one. I still say all teams face injuries and you have to play on regardless, but whatever.

[Metcarfre]

Is it an excuse? Sure, and a valid one, at that. But Bylsma has coaxed more out of this team than I thought possible (given Sid and Gino are out), and I wouldn't be too surprised if they bounced Tampa - even given my pick.

Especially given that game 1...

[psychopez]

If I'm honest, I'm nervous about this round. There's no emotion to hate the Lightning, unlike when you have Pens v Caps or Pens v Flyers, even though there could be one in the "You KOed Sid" camp. Removing that, there are plenty of weapons the Lightning have that, now that they have their playoff feet, could totally burn the Pens.

But this is why I love playoff hockey. Nothing's guaranteed.

Also, who else is growing a playoff beard?

[aeric90]

Also, who else is growing a playoff beard?

After attempting this last year... and having it immortalized in my passport... I've decided not to.. unless the Habs start losing because my beard might have gotten them far last year.

[goat]

Can't do the beard. Well, I could, but it would probably wouldn't do much for looking respectable at work. I already stick out a little.

Also re: tampa/pitt, I like tampa in this one still, but mainly that's out of spite. That was a pretty impressive hit that Orpik put on Stamkos, though.