Stanley Cup Playoff Pick 'Em 2007 part 2

[notyoueither]

Pronger gets another game for the shot on McAmmond.

[Guynemer]

And, again, he's lucky he didn't get more. He's a dirty player with a history of violence, and he's gonna end up seriously injuring someone before the NHL finally gets the balls to suspend him for any significant amount of time.

[notyoueither]

I don't see Pronger as dirty so much as mean.

The difference may only be degree, like the difference between a Howe or Messier and Claude Lemieux. But I think it is larger. A dirty player will look for opportunities to injure or stir ****. A mean player will follow through with a hit that presents itself even if discretion should kick in.

Anyways, Ducks up 3-1 and going back to CA looking to put it away.

[Lord Avalon]

Don Cherry's mentioned this before and did again last night: the pads players wear nowadays are much larger than they used to be, and he showed the elbow pads as an example. The current elbow cups (just the plastic part over the joint) are much larger than old ones, and there's much larger pads around it as well. So you've got big players whacking each other with hard armor and going for head shots, and it's a bad mix.

[Pekka]

Yeah but I think the hit Pronger gave was still a bit dirty. I mean he did put the elbow out there, not necessarily on purpose to meet the face of the other one, but it was still up there a bit. Especially if you're such a big guy, you know, duck your elbow when you're going for that hit, because it always hits the face, because he is so tall.

I don't know though, I mean the shot Alfredsson gave was weak man. If it was on purpose, which isn't necessarily the case, I mean I'd throw the guy out of a game after that. I think the key is the intent when it comes to missing games.

Ducks will take this cup though. I don't see them losing 3 games in a row.

[Kontiki]

Here comes a massive pay cut...

Islanders buy out remainder of Yashin contract
Canadian Press

NEW YORK — The New York Islanders are buying out the remaining four years on Alexei Yashin's 10-year contract in the first step of an offseason overhaul they hope will include re-signing Jason Blake and Ryan Smyth.

"It's going to make the team have a different look," coach Ted Nolan said of Yashin's departure in a conference call Wednesday. "Hopefully, we can work something out with (Blake and Smyth). We're trying to assemble a cohesive group here."

Yashin finished with 119 goals and 171 assists in 346 games with the Islanders, but struggled the past two seasons. He had 18 goals and 32 assists this season, when he missed 24 games with a sprained right knee. He was scoreless in the Islanders' five-game first-round playoff loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

"Unfortunately he got hurt and couldn't get back to where he was before. ... He couldn't get it going," Nolan said. "It'll be a nice fresh start for him and now we have to find someone to replace him."

General manager Garth Snow and Nolan wouldn't disclose the team's offseason strategy, but acknowledged that re-signing Blake, their leading scorer, and Smyth would be priorities.

"We'd love to have Ryan back," Nolan said. "We're going to do everything we can to keep him."

Smyth, who was acquired in a trade-deadline deal, and Blake can become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Yashin came to the Islanders in a trade after the 2000-01 season. New York signed him to a 10-year contract worth $87.5 million. The four years left on the deal are worth $26.45 million. The Islanders can buy Yashin out by paying two-thirds of the remaining amount ($17.63 million) over the next eight years for a salary-cap hit of about $2.2 million per season.

Snow said the Islanders' decision was based on discussions among team officials and that Yashin was disappointed when he learned of the buyout Tuesday.

"From my time knowing Alexei as a teammate and as a general manager, I have learned that Alexei is nothing but a first-class individual," said Snow, who played with Yashin for four seasons before becoming the Islanders GM. "With him on the team, the Islanders made the playoffs four out of the last five seasons and I believe that we would not have been able to do that without him."

Yashin had his best season with the Islanders in 2001-02 when he scored 32 goals and had 43 assists in 78 games.

"I believe this is in the best interests of the team and player. ... " Nolan said. "Alexei will have the opportunity to pursue a fresh start and we'll look at options to fill his position."

[notyoueither]

****. That means they are likely going to get Smyth.

[Ninot]

So the Ducks won

[Sparrowhawk]

Yep, the team I picked , in the right number of games .
Too bad I picked almost everything else wrong!

/me

[notyoueither]

Hopefully KH won't find a problem with this one...

Final Standings

KrazyHorse  23
gjramsey    17
Sparrowhawk 15*
nye         15
Asher       14*
cinch       14
Cavalcadeus 12*
Guynemer    12
Tingkai     11*
Flubber     11
joncha      10
Ninot        9
Maggie       8
Ben Kenobi   2
OzzyKP       1

*tie breakers applied

[notyoueither]

Ottawa really sucked the last 2 games.

I suppose I should be expected to hate the Ducks winning because of CFP, but I don't. I don't hate CFP, so I am undisturbed with the better team winning.

Alas, another year wasted on fans who have little clue what their team just won. On the bright side, maybe a bit of a boost for the game in CA (yeah, right).

[Sparrowhawk]

Wow! I hadn't expected third, especially when I was battling Maggie after round 1

I was pleased to see Anaheim win, though I admit I pretty much lost interest in the playoffs by the start of the semi-finals, the four teams left at that point were all teams I would have been happy to see winning, for different reasons. Not having a clear team to cheer for, nor a team to hate made it hard to be interested in the outcome.

/me

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Sparrowhawk
Wow! I hadn't expected third, especially when I was battling Maggie after round 1

I could recount...

[Tuberski]

So, how long has it been since a Canadian team won their national sport?

14?

ACK!

[Ninot]

Go Habs!