National Hockey League Playoffs

[canuck]

Interested in what the readership thinks of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and which team should take it all.
As of today, the teams knocked out in the first round are :

Chicago Black Hawks
Phoenix Coyotes
Los Angeles Kings
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim Ducks
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins

(Buffalo Sabres/ Philadelphia Flyers tied at 3 games each)

canuck

[lonegreywolf20]

I am a born and bred Flyers fan, so I am naturally going to root for them and say they'll win it, but with the way that they're playing I could be wrong.

[canuck]

I am a born and bred Flyers fan, so I am naturally going to root for them and say they'll win it, but with the way that they're playing I could be wrong.

When they are forechecking well and get decent netminding, they look like worldbeaters. Yes, the Flyers
have a shot at it. When Kate Smith's taped rendition of "God Bless America" is played during home games,
the Flyers seem to rise to the occasion.

canuck

[lonegreywolf20]

Very true about Kate Smith!

Even those Flyers that weren't alive when Kate sang "God Bless America" seem to just understand what that song means to Philadelphia and it's hockey team. There win/loss ratio speaks to that effect.

Will find out how well they do against Boston in just about 30 minutes.

[p.rehbein]

  we have a national hockey league 

[canuck]

(quote author=p.rehbein link=topic=52890.msg891462#msg891462 date=1304253569]
we have a national hockey league  


[/quote]

Ha, ha... I take that to be a "tongue-in-cheek" remark.
The NHL has existed for more than 80 years --- having morphed out of a loose association of teams from across Canada (and a few from the USA), all vying for the title of the best overall team in hockey through the winning of the Stanley Cup emblematic of world hockey supremacy.

From the mid 1920's the NHL consisted variably of seven or eight teams until the mid 1940's when it was reduced to 6 teams following the collapse of a few due to financial woes (e.g. Ottawa Senators, Montreal Maroons, New York Americans) From 1945 -1968 the league consisted of the same 6 teams : Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Rangers.

In 1968 the league doubled its size with the addition of the Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Oakland Seals and the Los Angeles Kings. Over the next few years more teams were added while some moved to other cities under different team names. Today the NHL is not really a "national" league since there are nearly as many players from Europe in the NHL as there are North Americans.

canuck

[p.rehbein]

canuck:

[canuck]

Very true about Kate Smith!

Even those Flyers that weren't alive when Kate sang "God Bless America" seem to just understand what that song means to Philadelphia and it's hockey team. There win/loss ratio speaks to that effect.

Will find out how well they do against Boston in just about 30 minutes.

What's happened? Down 3 games to zip! Can Philly repeat last year's dramatic comeback against the Bruins?

canuck

[canuck]

Down to 4 teams now :

Boston, Tampa Bay, San Jose and Vancouver.

The Bruins have maybe been resting too long since sweeping the Flyers four straight. Can they get back into the groove after all that unwinding?

canuck

[canuck]

Congrats to the Boston Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup in seven games over the Vancouver Canucks.
The better team won. Boston outscored Vancouver over the 7 games by a margin of better than 4 to 1. They
also kept the Canucks to the boards more effectively and out of the "slot."
As a Vancouver fan, I was naturally disappointed; but have the greatest respect for the Boston team and its coaches for their solid effort.

canuck

[Mere Nick]

Any good brawls in the Stanley Cup?

[revmitchell]

I went to see a fight once. But it turned into a hockey game. Imagine my disappointment 

[canuck]

No real brawls. Some "face-washing" and clinch uppercuts, but no
real punchups.

canuck