NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs - Part II

[-Jrabbit]

Glad to see the Habs move forward. I will always favor The 6.






Yes, even Toronto.

[Ninot]

To hell with Toronto. Anyone but them

The party is STILL going on outside. This is outrageous.

[Ben Kenobi]

Speaking as a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks (and Cubs), you'll get no sympathy here.

Will be 40 years.

At least you guys won a cup. We haven't.

[Asher]

Vancouver is king of the pity party.

[Ninot]

Well, when it rains every day, and your only winning team is in the CFL, I guess that makes sense

[Ben Kenobi]

At least I'm carrying out my bet

You know this place wasn't the same when you were gone.

[Nostromo]

Originally posted by Ninot
I can only imagine what it's like downtown. Absolutely unbelieveable. Wasn't like this at all in 2004 or 2002.


...I think I hear fireworks going off.

I live downtown and let me tell you, its noisy as hell here

Go Habs, go!

[Ninot]

I can't wait for Round 2. I'm going to game 2 on Saturday! Should be EPIC!

[notyoueither]

Damn. I was really hoping. Don't take it personally Habs fans. Every division winner knocked out this round or next gets the Oilers pick from Anaheim one spot better.

[Cavalcadeus]

****. I was out at the bars for the game. Definately outnumbered by the habs fans here in kingston. Still, I can't complain that we took it to 7 games. I've been ****ing loving the bruins this season, and can't wait for next year. Still going to wear my bruins jersey out to the parties tonight and chirp every habs fan i run into.
Hell, yeah. We are looking awesome for next year. Just hope the flames can win tommorow and keep the lower seeds doing well. Hells yeah bruins, making me love these games again. I'm definately getting tickets to habs/bruins next year to seee how montreal does it

[Ninot]

http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/faitsdivers/archives/2008/04/20080421-231848.html

English Summary:

After the game, "fans" set fire to 5 cop cars, and broke into some shops.

What I've heard from friends who were downtown said that all those involved in this bull**** weren't fans at all, and the ones that set fire to the cop cars specifically looked like gang related punks.

[Asher]

PJ Stock is a Tool

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080421.truth22/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home

MacLean should swear off the bad language

WILLIAM HOUSTON

From Monday's Globe and Mail

The Hockey Night in Canada telecast of the San Jose Sharks-Calgary Flames game last Sunday was weak in spots, but helpful in identifying some of the show's problems.

Let's start with host Ron MacLean, an excellent broadcaster and a popular hockey personality.

On a semi-regular basis, MacLean uses "hell of a" to describe something exceptional, such as "a helluva third period." He uttered "helluva" once on Sunday.

Last week, he used damn and hell in the same breath.

They're minor expletives, but CBC Sports is the only place we know where a host is allowed to swear on the air.

Can you imagine Peter Mansbridge announcing on the CBC's The National, "There was one hell of an earthquake in Pakistan yesterday."

And then there's P.J. Stock, a Montreal radio personality and former NHL player. Hockey Night is working hard to make Stock a star, and clearly it is working, at least in P.J.'s mind.

He's relatively new to TV, but we know of no other broadcaster so obviously pleased with himself on the air.

One journalist we talked to likened him to "a bar disc jockey - no sense that he isn't the show."

In the playoffs, Hockey Night has Stock reporting the out-of-town scores, but, of course, that minor assignment is hardly enough to contain his talent.

On Sunday, he approved of the suit worn by analyst Kelly Hrudey and gave thumbs-up to his analysis, which undoubtedly topped off Hrudey's perfect day.

He talks, or yells, at a quick pace, sometimes making sense, but not often. On Sunday, he tossed out this gem, "Personally, and it's not my opinion, but I think ..." In Stock's substance-free zone, that's about as good as it gets.

Ottawa analyst Garry Galley has received work on Hockey Night this spring and his commentary on Sunday was fine. But, with Galley you never know when he might drop a bomb on the English language. Last week, he offered these two double-negatives during the same telecast: "He can't do that no more," and "There isn't nothing wrong with those hands."

And, finally, reporter Cassie Campbell continues to ask leading questions. Her work would be acceptable for someone at a local station, but not for network television.

MacLean's swearing, Galley's bad grammar, Campbell's inexperience and Stock's inanities are consistent with the theory that Hockey Night has been dumbed down.

The show's not as smart and professionally produced as it used to be.

The good things? Don Cherry's game instincts are terrific. He continues to be entertaining and incites controversy, even when there isn't much there.

Jim Hughson is among the top play-by-play voices in the game. Game analysts Craig Simpson and Greg Millen are solid.

Mark Lee has improved as a play caller. Elliotte Friedman's reporting is strong.

Burke and Leafs

AM640 Toronto hockey commentator Bill Watters went at the theory, that Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke is coming to Toronto to run the Maple Leafs, from a new direction.

Because of the Ducks' poor showing in the playoffs, he wondered whether the club owner may refuse to release Burke from the year remaining in his contract. It wouldn't be punishment as much as to say, "Your job here isn't finished."

Watters says Burke is the right choice for the Leafs - strong enough to deal with "the two stooges who have been running the team into the ground." Larry and Moe, in this case, would be Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum and chief executive officer Richard Peddie.

Canada's team

The RDS telecast of the sixth game of the Montreal Canadiens-Boston Bruins series last Saturday was watched by 1.882 million, a network record and also a bigger number than the best audience for the 1993 Stanley Cup final, Canadiens-Los Angeles Kings, on Société Radio-Canada, an over-the-air network. SRC had 1.865 million for the fifth and final game of that series. The CBC drew 1.68 million for the Saturday game, the network's largest playoff audience of the season. The Canadiens' combined national audience was 3.562 million.

The Toronto Raptors' opening NBA playoff game against the Orlando Magic on Sunday drew 218,000 on TSN, down a whopping 34 per cent from the Raptors' opener last year (New Jersey Nets, 333,000, TSN). There was more interest a year ago. The Raps were coming off a better season and facing former teammate Vince Carter.

[Spec]

GO FLAMES GO!!!

Who will win and by how much?

Spec.

[Asher]

I'm not even going to bother trying to predict.

This series is as even as it gets. 3-3, equal # of goals scored...

[Ben Kenobi]

PJ Stock sounds like he's being groomed to replace Cherry.