2021 NHL Playoffs
 

We should have done a pool here! Who you got? Anyone watching the Panthers/Lightning series? Bad blood down there. Me? Isles fan here.

Only one game on per night here, unfortunately, unless I stay up late and watch western hockey game.

Been waiting all week for the Leaf's/CDN's series to start but I am currently watching the Isle's/Pens go at it tonight.

Not sure who is going to go all the way as so many teams look strong, but unfortunately for me, I don't think the Leaf's are quite there yet.

Bruins/Caps should be a real Banger tonite ! The "little ball of hate" was at it again Monday nite. Let`s Go B`s !!!!!!!

Even though my Flyers are not in it, playoff hockey is the best. I try to watch every game if I have nothing else to do.

Rock the red!!!

Go caps!

I’m man enough to admit, I had a man crush on Brook Laich ! Loved that guy...

I watched the last two Bruins/Caps games talk about a dog fight !!!

Habs are gonna shock the world!!! Go habs go

Got them in my pool. Going to Isles-Pens tonight.

Agree. My Rangers didn't get in but love playoff hockey. My stepson is a Flyers fan so I was hoping at least the Flyers or Randers got in.

This year not many teams I like enough to root for so I'm rooting against more teams then rooting for.

Mike

Agree - there is no way an Isles fan could root for the Rangers or vice versa. Last night was painful, my friend. I was a&s bagels in Franklin Square after the game (24 hour bagel place a few blocks away from the house) and I heard two kids talking about the game in front of me. Both Ranger fans. I mentioned I was at the game and they both said they hated both teams. Completely respect that!

Nice win today.

Mike

Suddenly the Caps look like an old team. Time for a retooling as we go into the off season and into next year.

At least I got to see them win a Stanley Cup! Been a fan since they started.

Caught the last 2 double O T games between Nash/Carolina, great action. Think Carolina had 60 + shots on goal today, wow !

The days of Denis Maruk and Ryan Walter? Loved those uniforms! And was happy when they returned!

Disappointed Edmonton is done but with their lack of depth, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

With Washington and St. Louis now done, I'm hoping Vegas gets by the Wild, the Pens beat the Islanders and Florida beats TB. Don't really care or have much interest in Carolina or Nashville, but if I had to choose, I'd take Nashville I guess?

Glad to see my Leaf's hang on for a victory last night. Hope they can do the same again tonight and also put out the CDN's. :)

Like someone else said, I am rooting against more teams than I am rooting for.

My #1 hope - Is that the Penguins get knocked out of the playoffs no matter who they play.
#2 - The winner of the Carolina / Nashville series wins the cup.
#3 - The winner of the Vegas / Minnesota series wins the cup.
#4 - All the other teams knock each other senseless.

Bob

Well the Bruins sure have some time to rest and get somewhat healthy, blue liners all banged up already. Enjoying the other series and rooting for NYI`s, HATE Pitts, Nash, and of course the Leafs(give me an original 6 team every time). Let`s Go B`s !!!!

Some anti-Islander sentiment that I find interesting as they’ve been such a disaster over much of the last 30 years until Wang died. Irv notes he’d like to se the Pens beat the Isles, me? I’m of the thought process where the Isles still owe the Leafs one since Lanny MacDonald. (If Isles are looking for that 5th Cup, it’s in 78 or 79, not 84).

I have no idea how anyone under the age of 35 is an Islander fan. There were 3000 people at games for years, no one was there for almost 2 decades.

It's not that I hate the Isle's, I just think this might be Sid's last chance at winning a cup so I'd like to see him win another, unless, of course, he is facing my Leaf's. ;)

Many great players on the Isle's, and I have a soft spot for Jordan Eberle since his World Juniors days.
Imo, he never really lived up to what he was capable of but he is having a great season this year so it is hard to root against him.

Ebs is cool. I think the Isles issue is that Barzal is not a #1 center. There really isn’t a #1 line either. Sort of run two #2 lines out there and two #3 lines out there. Fantastic coach and staff. Goalie coach Lou brought with him from Toronto is probably the best in the game.

Like someone else said, I am rooting against more teams than I am rooting for.

My #1 hope - Is that the Penguins get knocked out of the playoffs no matter who they play.
#2 - The winner of the Carolina / Nashville series wins the cup.
#3 - The winner of the Vegas / Minnesota series wins the cup.
#4 - All the other teams knock each other senseless.

Bob

Wish # 1 Comes True!!!!!!!!

It is always a great Stanley Cup playoff when Pittsburgh loses to anybody.

Since the Caps are done I can root for my other team now……Go Avs!!!!

It's sad to watch McDavid waste his prime years in Edmonton. This organization keeps surrounding him with the same crappy players year-after-year and guess what? They still don't get it! They are not going to get anywhere with these guys!

Chiarelli didn't help matters by letting go, trading, not signing some of their previous acquisitions.

Hindsight is 20/20 but I bet if the original core of players in Eberle, Ryan N Hopkins, Hall, etc, were still there, things would be much better.

Chiarelli was a disaster and was kept on too long.

Same with Carey Price in Montreal

Almost as bad as Milbury. Not quite there. The Isles thank you him for Barzal...

Who you got?
 

Montreal/Toronto V Winnipeg

Boston V Isles

Carolina V Tampa Bay

Colorado V Las Vegas

Me:

Toronto closes out the Habs tonight, Winnipeg beats them in 6.

Boston sweeps the Isles, not even close. My Game 6 tickets go to waste.

Tampa beats Carolina in 6. Close series.

Colorado beats Vegas in 6.

As good as a prediction as any I suppose but I hope you're both right and wrong on the Leaf's/Montreal/Jets one.

Right: Toronto beats Montreal tonight. Wrong: Jets take Leaf's in 6.

Looking forward to the Mtl-Tor game 7. Habs showed character by not folding after Toronto's third period goals.

That had to be one of the most boring playoff games I have ever watched.
Neither team, imo, played like they wanted it and despite which team advances, if they play like that in the next round they will be finished.

I've honestly seen far more regular season games played much better, with more intensity, than what I witnessed last night. :(

Barzal
 

He is a kid, he is exciting, he has disappeared and I’m not sure you can build your team around him. As for playing Leo Komorov with him, all I can say is Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello know more about hockey than I do, but...

Am I the only one...
 

...that really dislikes Vegas? Too good, too fast? Shouldn’t they have had some growing pains ? Go Avs

What is the Vegas hockey club has nothing to do with the players but everything to do with the NHL and Gary Bettman.

I personally like them and will be rooting for them when my Leaf's are finished (maybe tonight?) but I do know they are in tough against the AV's who I also like.
Imo, it's a shame these 2 teams have to face off so early. I would much rather see them in the Stanley Cup final that seeing them in the 2nd round.

Come on Leafs, come ON. Think T B a little too much speed for Hurricanes. Don’t want to jinx my B’s but they are peaking at the right time and got a HUGE bump at the trade deadline. Is there a more under rated 2 way player in the league than P Bergeron, he’s the Stan The Man of hockey!! Enjoy the playoffs boys 💪💪

He and Toewes players of the decade? 2010-2019? As for Hall, he was there for Lou, but he had to go with his Devils. Bruins in 4 of Isles can’t pull this one out tonight. I’ll get my $ back for Game 6 tix

Toronto Maple Leafs
 

Choked on - 3-1 series lead ; not going to be fun with the Toronto press

Well, Isles are finished. Done.

I didn't even watch it. Sad to say, but I knew the outcome before the game even started. :(

This is the major reason right here that The Leafs are out of the Playoffs

Yep, hard to argue with that.
Before the series began when I heard Price (and Gallagher/Weber) were coming back, I knew right then Toronto wasn't going to have an easy time with them.

lol. :d

The Winnipeg/Montreal series is somewhat historic....

the last time teams from the respective cities met in Stanley Cup competition was 1903.

I hadn’t thought about that, but back in the 80s when I scoured all things Stanley Cup, I must have noted that to my pre-teen self! I have the Habs in my $50 pool. So...GoHabsGo! I typically shun teams from other cities (Hurricanes, Avs, Stars, Coyotes), but I never warmed up to the Thrashers anyway and was thrilled Winnipeg got a team back. So...I have financial reasons to root for the Habs and personal reasons to root for the Jets.

Question: does Winnipeg roll Bobby Hull out from time to time? Bob Essenas? Dave Babych? Steen? Selanne? Pokey Reese? Hedberg? Nilsson (clean hit, by the way)? Phil Housley? Are they brought back to the games?

Jake Evans
 

I was watching with my wife and 5 year old son. They were both visibly upset. My wife was saying "these guys are so young out there" and Arthur was asking over and over "is he ok? is he ok?"

Real tough to watch

Hard to be on the wrong side of a great game, Boston up 2-1 in the series after last night’s OT game.

How is everyone emotionally?
 

I’m a tad spent after last night. Wife was a tad overwhelmed, 5 year old wanted some serious batting cage time (over night he became a baseball freak) so I rolled up to the house at 6pm. I could have bought a single for $180 and probably tipped my way to SRO (if I went in a sports jacket and tie). But I stayed home.

Sitting in my old section for Game 6.

Tampa will repeat!

Lay off, suspension...a playoff derailed
 

Sweeping the Oilers was the worst thing that could have happened to Winnipeg.

What a call this has been!
First Toronto now a sweep of Winnipeg...unbelievable.
Folks must be going nuts up in Montreal!

Game 6
 

Think the B`s sit Rask tonite and start the rookie in his 1`st playoff game, back issue. B`s rally around the kid and force a game 7, NHL game 7`s NOTHING better in sports ! Enjoy the game Kev.......................

There are a few teams I just don’t like: 3 of them are Original 6 teams (Rangers, Maple Leafs, Canadiens). The other is the Vegas Knights. Like, why didn’t they suffer??

All this being said, I have the Habs in the playoff pool.

As for tonight, I think Cassidy was BRILLIANT! Take the onus off his team, put the spotlight on the refs...and he’s going to start the rookie goaltender. Team is going to rally around the goalie and they have an us VS them mentality going into the best venue in the sport (even after the face lift, best place in the league to watch a game).

I will be reporting live from the seats I saw the 1981 Cup!

Lucky Dog!!

Just watching the singing of the National Anthem. :cool:

Enjoy!

Go B's! :D

Wait, what? Irv rooting against the Isles?

Good series for the Islanders and hopefully they can slow down and beat T Bay. B`s will have some tough $$$$ and direction questions this off season, should be very interesting. Enjoy the rest of the playoffs boys..................

I know some thought Boston would practically walk all over the Isle's, you included, but, personally, I am not surprised the Isle's beat them.

They are a good team, there is no doubt about it, especially now, so going forward, I hope they get by TB and go the big dance, but realistically speaking, I know it is going to be tougher for them than what Boston was.

I'd rather see a Vegas/Isle's Stanley Cup final than a Vegas/TB final, but that is, of course, assuming Vegas gets by the AV's.

Tampa in 4

















I forget you guys just met me in October...

Me? Born in 1973, grew up at the Coliseum. Dad had/has seasons from initial season to Brooklyn, then hasn’t missed a home game since they returned. It’s easy to root for a winner , but I survived the 25-28 years of schlock with Milbury/Wang and countless others.

Tampa in 5

I think the difference is Semyon Varlamov, this guy has been standing on his ear. I think the Isles can beat Tampa.

I think it is going to be a heck of a series but I also think the Isle's can get it done.

I'll be surprised if the CDN's win a game in their series against Vegas. Vegas is looking really good, imo, and I can see them hoisting Lord Stanley this year.

Isles have to have game 4, bounce here or there think they can do it.

Well, so much for that prediction. :o

I honestly never dreamed, for one second, that the CDN's would be up on Vegas. It's a must win, imo, for Vegas to get the next one or they are in reall deep trouble.
I feel for Fleury. I don't imagine he got much sleep last night.

Please.....3 time Stanley Cup winner already, he slept like a baby.

Huge Respect to Fleury for taking the time to celebrate his pass to Josh Anderson on the tying goal

I’ve been to so many “last games at the Coliseum” events, I’m sort of numb to them. And you don’t think they’ll be playing pre-season games here ? Anyway...I passed on Game 4. Tums, did I ever respond to you? I was in the middle of a PM and the kids came in and distracted me.

So: I have the Canadiens in my own pool. I’m going to Game 6 Lightning @ Isles tonight. Missed out on Saturdays game - had a free ticket to boot, but I passed.

Prediction: Vegas or the Isles will come back from being down 3-2.

gooo habs

Got your P M Kev, well we now have the best there is in sports an NHL playoff game 7 ! Go Isles.............................

That was a great win by the Isle's last night.
Hoping Vegas can do the same tonight in Montreal and play game 7 on their home ice.

Still shaking my head, however, at the reffing, or lack there of, during these playoffs. With all the talk about it in numerous circles it's hard to believe it has continued. :confused:

Did my heart good to see Vegas get dumped from the playoffs last night.

Hope the Isles can do the same tonight against Tampa.

Agreed Butchie! Vegas needs some heartbreak before winning.
Hopefully the Isles can knock off the salary cap exploiting Lightening and close the old barn in style.

How crazy are the COVID restrictions in Canada? 3,500 people allowed in the arena and about 100,000 outside in the streets. I bet the arena is full capacity for the Finals.

I’m a Caps fan, I know heartbreak and Vegas needs a bunch more for sure. Canada is crazy as it pertains to covid. Nice to see it did not stop the masses from celebrating though. Good for them.

I’m rooting for the Isles too. I’ll go back to hating on them at the start of next season. Here’s to them closing out the old barn in style.

Cheers,

I have seats to 1&2 if they make it. 5&7 will be tough , but we will get it done.

Again, I don’t expect much tonight. If they falter, there may very well be some changes as the Isles are one of the older teams in the league.

yer goddamn right!


Canadiens are a road apple.

Playoffs
 

Tampa is strong and fast. They dominated my Canes. I didn't think that would happen before that series, but we were overmatched.