BINGO!

That was kinda my point. The "game" they play isn't really changing that much (why would it?), they're just all better teams, so everything is predictably a little more difficult.

Anybody get a lok at last night's games?

FIVE games and a total of 38 goals scored. Wednesday and Thursday's scores looked like those of an average hockey night in mid-November.

I'm tellin' ya, the fabled playoff defense is a myth! Sure, teams may lock down a little bit, but not so much that it will be a factor.

Teams may play harder in the playoffs, but that just means EVERYTHING is ramped up a bit, so if the defense is stepped up at all, it is mostly countered by a stepped up offense.

One night of games does not prove your point.

Considering the goalies there participated last night, I can see how 38 goals were scored by 10 different teams.

Bryz(alphabet)ov- had an off night; didn't look sharp at any point in that game

Howard- Over-rated for this point in his career; PHX nets 4 on him and an aging Detroit blue line

Fluerry- Looked sharp last night, stole that game from the Sens

Elliott- Showed he was able to shut down the powerhouse that is the Pens

Brodeur- Old, let in 3 against Philly

Boucher- Wasn't this guy playing ECHL a few months ago? Let in 4 vs devils, and then 1 empty netter

Niemi- The reason why the Blackhawks can't win the cup

Rinne- Shined bright last night; but he's very hit or miss

Nabokov- Had an off night, much like Bryzgalov

Craig Anderson- The American version of Marty Biron, great back up goalie, but never will be an elite starter


I mean, nobody that played last night, with the exception of Brodeur is a mega-star. Considering the amount of "soft" goals that went in last night, I'd hardly say the playoffs arent as defensive; I'd just have to say the quality of goal tending last night was just shit.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Craig Anderson has been a good starter this year. An elite starter is someone like Miller, and you can't classify him that way.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Meh, he's good, but not great. Much like Marty, can win you some games, but won't steal you a best of 7.

Nothing wrong with that, but he's far from somebody you can build a franchise around.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Off nights from goaltenders, combined with wide open fast paced hockey will produce exactly what happened last night.

The Wings, Sharks, and Devils were already down a game, and really got after it to even their series up. Fleury basically shut out the Senators for over 59 minutes. The Preds / Hawks game was a 2-1 game with 2 ENs.

(And I can't wait until Mike sees that anyone thinks Howard is overrated. Oh boy..... :p )

Lol, all I'm gonna say in response to the Howard is overrated comment is this;

He plays infront of one of the most talented teams in the league, and puts up very good numbers. I have yet to see him show up and win a huge game by himself though. Before we even consider him to be a "great" goalie, lets see him preform when the pressure is on. Hence the playoffs, and thus far, he's proven to be a 3.5 GAA with an under .900 sv percentage.

To me, it's all about what you do in the playoffs; which is why I'd be more inclined to build a franchise from the net out, rather than the blueline out, if I had the opportunity to find/sign a goalie that thrives under pressure. Much like Hasek or Osgood did for Detroit in the early part of this past decade. Osgood was very average in the regular season, but his numbers in the playoffs are mind boggling.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Sabres/Bruins, Caps/Habs

Two more playoff games...

Another 19 goals.

N I N E T E E N


D-FENSE

D-FENSE

14 games out of how manu hundreds of playoff games? Your point is still not proven.

Ya, he gave Elliot good marks, and I thought he looked like shit(game 1). I also think Anderson is looking good. If you're 23, then you can be questioned. If your 25 and up, and you're playing well, don't question it. It's not like any goalies is gonna rattle off 3 good games, then shit the bed. These guys are in playoff mode. Right now Anderson is outplaying Howard(yes I know they're not playing against one another). If his forwards would have helped, they could easily be up 2-0.

Since the lockout and in the last 40 years the team that wins the cup is usually top 5 in goals for. Many times the team that wins the cup has a top 5 pp and PK and is tops in the league in goals for and goals against. Basically, the sabres will never win the cup the way Lindy coaches and the way Darcy drafts.

Go back and look at the last 40 Stanley Cup winners and tell me is Buffalo has the same talent? The Devils trapped it up but had Hall of fame defensemen and the best goalie ever. They also draft the best two way guys who also can score. The Canes are the weakest team that won but you can throw that year out since it featured new rules and the coaches were not trapping it up. The Canes did have many veterans and future hall of famers and Eric Staal. They didn't have a superstar defensemen and neither did the 1990 Edmonton Oilers. Most of the time the winning team has some bad ass talent, not the trash Buffalo has.

P.S. the team with the home ice has won in finals way more than they lost. In the first and second round the home ice doesn't matter but in the finals it does most of the time.

This is silly!

There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

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Wheelhouse

How can you have any hope of winning a cup without at least ONE go-to guy?

Just ONE!

One player you can really depend on in the clutch. Great teams have AT LEAST one of those, maybe even more.

Red WIngs
Penz
Senz
Canes
Caps
Canucks
Hawks

They ALL do.

How about Darcy's gang?

Who, Vanek? As several commentators have pointed, his absence is being overblown 'cause even when he's on the ice, you don't know what you're gonna get. Vanek is like a box of chocolates!

HEY DARCY! I know you LOVE your players, but get a PROVEN WINNER, not some role player at the dealine just to shut everybody up.

Or a Ferret

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

How could I NOT dig this thread up after a 20-goal night between the 2 games?

Because you're a pompous blowhard?

But, seriously, there's been a lot of talk about the defensive playoffs coming to an end with the offensive explosions seen this post-season.

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mechaphil

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

But even with these many offensive explosions, haven't most of the games been decided by one goal, to be honest, wouldn't a one goal game technically be a defensive battle even with 7 or 8 goals scored with both teams?

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If anything, the playoffs are a grind. That's what it is.

This validates no points whatsoever. I am simply stating that a team will dig deep, either offensively or defensively, to win games. San Jose proved this tonight by holding off a 6-on-4 for Detroit. Jaroslav Halak proved this when he decided to be amazing for the Canadiens against Washington, and now against Pittsburgh.

In the playoffs, it truly is which team wants it more.

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550