The NHL Discussion Thread

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Choke!!

 

 

 

Hawks are on their way to the cup final

[Josh Linn]

Yes yes yesssssssss....feels so good.

 

Would feel even better if I could afford to drop $330 for a ticket to one of the games at Wachovia.

[AndCamSS]

So it comes down to this...

 

The Flyers who haven't been since 97 and haven't won since 75. They only made it to the playoffs thanks to a shootout win, and had a huge comeback from a 3-0 deficit in both games and the score of the 7th game of the series. Stunning!

 

The Blackhawks have not been since 92 and haven't won since 61, the longest drought in the NHL. The 92 team was up against an experienced Penguins team that had won the year before, but this is not the case this season. They have won 7 straight road games in the playoffs, and all but 1 team (I believe) that have done this have gone on to win the cup. About 3 years ago, this franchise was in the dumps, among the worst in sports. After the terrible owner of the team (Dollar) Bill Wirtz died, his son took over and turned it all around. It is amazing how much things have turned in such a short time. It is awesome to have hockey back in Chicago.

 

The Hawks are clearly the better team. This doesn't mean that you are going to win (just look at the Capitals early exit) but they are the team that should win. Even though the Hawks record and play has been better, you can't look past what the Flyers have done. They will not go down easy. If they do, I will be even more shocked then the Sharks getting swept. If the Flyers win, it will go down as a "fairy tale" ending.

 

Hawks in 6.

 

Whatever happens I hope neither team sweeps since I cant watch game 4 as it falls on the first day of Holiwood Nights and I doubt any TVs in that area broadcast Versus!

[Hercules]

I just want to say....... Barry Melrose predicted a Blackhawks/Flyers Stanley Cup Finals before the season began.

[bigstevet07]

I just want to say....... Barry Melrose predicted a Blackhawks/Flyers Stanley Cup Finals before the season began.

 

I think the lesson from that is... never underestimate the power of The Mullet!

[dandaman]

The Blackhawks have not been since 92 and haven't won since 61, the longest drought in the NHL.

 

Ottawa hasn't won since the first (I think) "official" NHL year in 1927.

[ParkTrips]

Well technically its not the same franchise

[AndCamSS]

Yeah and if you didnt play as that team for 50-60 some odd years ya cant count those either! lol

[dandaman]

I'm not really sure what you're getting at here. Haven't the Ottawa Senators been... well, the Ottawa Senators, since at least before the NHL became the main hockey league in the 1920s'? Or did the Sens move to a different city briefly then move back?

 

/Don't know my league history well enough

[BeemerBoy]

^ Dan, nothing's changed, per se. He's just saying that because the Sens were technically absent from the league, those years can't be counted against them in terms of longest drought.

[Hercules]

Basically, the Senators were an "expansion" team in 1990, and started play again in 1992. The original Senators stopped playing in the league in 1934.

[ParkTrips]

/Don't know my league history well enough

bad Canadian!

[AndCamSS]

Yeah I thought Canadians knew every single thing about hockey eh?

[dandaman]

Basically, the Senators were an "expansion" team in 1990, and started play again in 1992. The original Senators stopped playing in the league in 1934.

 

Ah, that's the clue I needed.

 

^^ + ^ I'm dual citizenship, so maybe that counts as a minimal defense.

[KPfreak519]

In a non-finals related note, the Pens will be hosting the Caps on New Years Day at Heinz Field

 

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/sports/23702099/detail.html

 

Also, the Canadiens will play Calgary in an outdoor game in February.

[chemical_echo]

Sounds like a good match up, but it would have been nice if they used some teams that haven't played a Winter Classic game yet.

 

I'm also happy to see that they're doing a second one in Canada, only a matter of time before there's a Leafs vs Sens one in Toronto

[Hercules]

This is awesome: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/With-stealing-and-taunting-Chris-Pronger-leads-;_ylt=AopffZ5HqQ_vCW.4t9YebNM5nYcB?urn=nhl,244882

[AndCamSS]

^He fits in well with Philly.

[Hercules]

Yeah Philadelphia pretty much sucks. I can't wait to get the hell out of here.

 

By the way, go Devils.

[bigstevet07]

Great game last night. Thank god the Flyers pulled that one out. They should have taken the lead in the 3rd, they were peppering Neimi who played well.

[BeemerBoy]

Hartnell's blind pass *may* have saved the series. It's been entertaining so far.

[bigstevet07]

True, that was pretty amazing. The post *may* have saved it as well as the Hawks rang it twice in the 1st on rebounds.

[AndCamSS]

That was one hell of a game! I won't be able to see game 4 because of HWN (unless I drive a long distance to some dive bar!) so if the Hawks win the cup I am glad it is not a sweep and I don't have to watch at a place like that and can do it back in Chicago. If they don't win it however, I wish we had won last nights game! Philly is a tough team and this has been a hell of a series so far!

[King of Ka]

Congrats to the Blackhawks, nothing but pride and respect for both teams. Wait 'till next year!

[chemical_echo]

You know, I really wanted the Flyers to win. Not just because I'd get to cash my ticket from February when I go back to Vegas this summer, but because if they had lost we'd have a new sports curse on our hands...the Hossa curse.