Playoff Update
I’m getting really sick of this. Someone has to beat those Ducks. Giguere is on too much of a hot streak. Click here to see some people’s opinion on why he’s been so hot….his pads. I don’t think it’s his pads, he just has great positioning and he probably has the best goalie-support of anyone in the NHL. He hardly ever has to face a rebound. His defense is always there to get the puck after the initial shot. Also, check out John Niyo’s question and answer session with himself in today’s DetNews (It’s about Giguere). It’s about time for a humiliation, something he hasn’t gotten all playoffs. Come on Wild, don’t let him shut you out again. Get him out of your heads! Sheeesh.
Anyway, the Wild got shut out (again!) 2-0 last night thanks to their newly bad power play. They gave up 2 shorthanded goals, one on an unfortunate breakaway (and an extremely lucky one for the Ducks, it’s amazing how sticks just break). The guy who scored the first goal, Kurt Sauer, had one goal in the regular season and now has one in the playoffs. I mention this only because Gary Thorne and Co. couldn’t stop talking about him. It was like this guy Sauer was suddenly the NHL’s greatest breakout player ever, the feel-good story of the playoffs or something. I thought they only talked like that about Peter Forsberg, their hero. They also can’t shut up about Rucchin….. The stupid Ducks have won their first two games in each series this year and are now 6-1 on the road. The Wild aren’t far behind, they’re 6-2 away from home this playoff season. Hopefully, now that they’ll be going to Anaheim, they’ll dominate again and actually win this time. Hopefully friend JS won’t pull a “goalie hat trick” and get his 3rd shutout in a row, like Johnson and Lalime did last year. The Wild will have their chance to begin a comeback on Wednesday in Anaheim @ 9 ET.
Tonight’s Games
New Jersey @ Ottawa, 8 ET, Sens lead series 1-0
Playoff Update
There were no games last night.
The Detroit News has an article about the Ducks and their playoff run.
Here is a couple-day old article by Terry Frei about these playoffs and how they’re good for hockey. I’m not too sure I agree though…..
Tonight’s games
Anaheim @ Minnesota, 7:30, Ducks lead series 1-0
Wings fans: Red Wings Fanatics is now up and running. RWF is the official fanlisting of the Wings. I expect all of you to join. (-: Thanks to Lisa for designing and hosting the site. At least go and check it out. It looks pretty darn cool.
Playoff Update
I think JS Giguere should get serious consideration for the Conn Smythe even if the Ducks don’t win the Cup or even make the Finals. He is amazing (he even looks like the lead singer of Coldplay, which makes him cool already….Coldplay’s a good band….). He did “it” again yesterday. The Wild dominated the Ducks in every statistical category (except goals and faceoffs won, they were 53-30 Ducks) but still lost 1-0 in 2OT. This game was far more exciting than I thought it would be and most of the play was not in the neutral zone. The Wild had many chances to score but couldn’t put it in. Like the time Gaborik had an absolutely wide open net with JS waaaay on the other side. As he began to back-hand it into the net, Giguere pushed back across and got his stick on it just as it would have crossed the line. WOW. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a goal robbed quite like that before. I think Giguere is in the Wild’s heads. Next game is Monday in Minnesota @ 7:30 ET.
The Senators beat the Devils 3-2 in OT last night. A no-duh: “The Senators haven’t lost a playoff game this year in which they’ve scored. Ottawa was shut out once by the New York Islanders and twice by Philadelphia in the first two rounds.” They aren’t going to win if they don’t score……. Anyway, their next game is Tuesday @ 8 in Ottawa.
Well, the Western Conference Finals start in a few minutes. I never would have thought I’d be going to watch the Wild and Mighty Ducks playing eachother in the 3rd round of the NHL playoffs. Pretty weird. This is definitely the Year of the Underdog, as Nick Cotsonika writes about today. The game starts at 3 (really it’s 3:10 or so). Too bad it couldn’t be Dallas/Minnesota. That would have been an awesome series, at least for Minnesota fans. This is when my support for the Ducks is withdrawn. I’m pulling for the Wild now. The other game tonight is the Senators/Devils game @ 7. Go Ottawa!
Playoff Update
The Wild became the only team in NHL history to complete two comebacks from a 3-1 deficit in the same playoffs last night when they beat the Canucks 4-2 in Vancouver (Sorry Lisa). I’m pretty disapointed in the Canucks, I wanted them to continue on. I normally would be happy the Wild won because their probably my second favorite team but I’m not sure if having two trap teams in the Western Conference Finals will be a good thing for the NHL. I can’t see a lot of non-serious fans watching the games because I’m sure they won’t be terribly exciting. We’ll see though. Congratulations Minnesota. This definitely is not the Year of the Big Guns.
Some good news: The Wings will not be raising ticket prices for next season. This is good news for those who already can afford to buy tickets regulary (not me) and people who have season tickets (again, not me). I guess you could say it’s good for fans who can’t afford to go to many games, if any (me), because the prices won’t be any higher at least. I wish they could lower prices though……
FYI: I’m not sure when this happened but according to letsgowings.com Stacy Roest has signed with a Swiss team. He played two games with the Wings this year, the rest were with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He was never drafted and had played in the Wings’ farm system for years. He went to the Wild for two seasons and was resigned by the Wings as a free agent last summer. He’s a decent player but I guess he wasn’t good enough for anyone in the NHL anymore. Sorry to see you go, Stacy.
Correction: ESPN’s The Season Part II is not tonight. That was the information I got but apparently it was wrong. The show is on tomorrow, May 9th @ 7:30ET on ESPN. If you miss it that time, it will be shown again on May 11 at 2 p.m. ET, May 13 at 1 a.m. ET on ESPN2, and May 14 at 10 p.m. ET. Sorry for the mistake.
Playoff Update
The “Cult” has done it again. They beat the Canucks 5-1 in Minnesota to tie the series at 3 and for a Game 7. I’m beginning to wonder if the Canucks have just collapsed because the Wild aren’t that good. Poor Cloutier’s going through “it” again. The Canucks took 8 penalties last night, which wasn’t very smart since the Wild are a league leading 14-for-55 (25%) on the PP. Minnesota went 3-for-5 with the man advantage last night. The Wild would be the first team in NHL history to come back from a 3-1 deficit two times in the same playoffs if they win Game 7. In only their 3rd year too. They also have won 5 elimination games this year. Pretty impressive. I watched the first period and it was mostly Vancouver, up until about the 10 minute mark. After that, it looked to be going more the Wild’s way, though both teams came really close to scoring a couple times. Gaborik has a league leading 17 playoff points while the Canuck’s big line has been quiet this series. Game 7 is tonight in Vancouver @ 10 ET.
