NHL, 2006-2007 season

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Just let them play it out
Coming up with all the possibilities and likelihood of getting X many points is fun though, I have to admit. Fans love doing statistics

 

How is this for absurd, the Lightning have only two games left and they could end up in ninth place and miss the playoffs or they could end up being ranked third.

 

As I've been away in the last couple of weeks, it's time somebody spoke for the Canadians!

Last game's win against Boston keeps them in the race. In fact, a win against the Rangers combined with a lost of Tonroto against the Islanders would result in Toronto being eliminated. But if the opposite happens, Montréal is in too tight a spot (they need at least a point saturday). I'm afraid that's what's going to happen. Let's face it, withtout Dipietro, NYI suck big time.

On the plus side, the Latendresse / Lapièrre / Kovalev line is playing great, the Higgins / Plekanec / Kostistyn line is really dangerous. Saku Koivu is on fire, and Halak is playing extremely well (if he should ever have a bad night, Huet is back from his injury). It's gonna be one close call for the 8th spot.

But if Mtl should make the playoffs, I'd rather they played against Buffalo than the devils in the first round... So let's hope they don't make it a 7th spot...

 

I'm hoping for Montreal to win in Regulation and the Leafs to beat the Islanders.

Then Saturday night, The Rangers have to fight Pittsburgh. If the Rangers get stuck at 92 and the Leafs beat the Habs Saturday night, then they make 93 and are in. The Shootout point would determine whether Montreal has 7th or 8th...

 

I'd rather just see a 25th Stanley Cup in Montréal , though it is unlikely. What isn't unlikely is that they make the playoff.

 

Wow, Montreal and Toronto both lose and we have the potential for neither one to make the playoffs if the Leafs win on Saturday and the Isles win both of their remaining games. I don't think anyone I have heard talking was considering that situation.

However, given how poorly Toronto has looked lately I think Montreal will win on Saturday and that will eliminate the Islanders.

 

Sunday, the Islanders take on New Jersey. I don't see them winning that one.

I think the Leafs win in regulation Saturday night and then we get a rant from those that think JF Jr. is a moron saying he should have blown up the team and started fresh.

 

I'm really hoping Montréal beats Toronto Saturday! Anyway NYC really shined yesterday both the Ranger and the Islander won.

 

If the Leafs don't get into the playoffs, Fergie is fired...

 

Pens are in thats all that matters to me.

I don't really care who wins between the Leafs and Canadians. They are my two least favorite Canadian teams and they both fall really far in the in the NHL rankings for me. Like somewhere near Dallas and Minnesota. And I hate those two teams. Besides they are playing Buffalo and Buffalo is looking way to good to lose to either team in the playoffs. From goalie out I give the edge to the Sabres.

 

I will watch the game tonight, and get on my knees and pray for a Montréal win! In fact, they only need to get to the overtime to eliminate Toronto (but if they want to also eliminate the Islanders, they need to win). It's funny that you think Toronto is playing bad recently, because I think the same goes to Montréal. The 3-0 loss on thursday was horrible. Halak let in one or two bad goals. They question is, will Halak or Huet be in goal against Toronto. And will the team show up or will they already be in vacation?

And with the possible win of Mtl, a series win against Buffalo isn't that far fetched. Of course, my money would be on Buffalo (but my heart with Mtl.. ), but the habs have won nearly all the games against Buffalo in the season...

 

Actually I think the Islanders have a pretty good shot at winning both games. Philly should be easy to beat and then given that New Jersey has absolutely no incentive to win on Sunday I wouldn't be surprised if their best players were given the day off.

About the only reason I can think of for Brodeur to even be in the game is if he is trying to make sure that Luongo doesn't beat him for the most wins in a season record.

 

After one period, it's 2-1 for Toronto. But it could have been 4-0. Mtl is playing very badly (at least in the first 12 minutes). They can't keep the puck in the offensive zone, so they have trouble getting the puck at Raycroft. If not for Huet, this game would be in Toronto's pocket. I'm really disapointed. However, Mtl is known to have vbery bad first periods and come back strong in the seconde and third. We'll see..

But you have to admit Higgin's goal was a beauty! (It's about time he got the puck to the net. He missed open nets like four times in the first 10 minutes)

 

Looks like the playoff matchups are set in the West after Vancouver won in San Jose.

1. Detriot vs 8. Calgary (Colorado?)
2. Anaheim vs 7. Minnesota
3. Vancouver vs 6. Dallas
4. Nashville vs 5. San Jose

No clear winner anywhere I'd say.

 

Sloppy game with no one having killer instinct. Watching this game neither the Leafs or the Habs deserve to make the playoffs.

 

Well, Toronto ended up winning 6-5. I'm extremely dispointed in the habs' performance. After their no-show first period, I thought they were done for. They really surprised me with 4 straight goals. I thought the game was in Montréal's pocket at 5-3. I should have known better. While I admit Toronto's 4th goal was a freak occurence, Montréal shot itself in the foot with all the penalties they took in the start of the 3rd. I wasn't even surprised that the leafs scored twice. For the last 15 minutes of the game, the habs seemed to be thinking of what gold course they'd be playing at. They just weren't there.

For next season, I think big changes need to be made, including Bob Gainey. The most notable is to get rid of Alex Kovalev. He's supposed to be Mtl's best player, and yet he always plays like badly and gives the puck to the other team. After a bad season, people say "oh, that's okay if he's mediocre in regular season, because he's there when it counts in the last games and playoffs". Where the hell was he tonight? I'd like to hear the excuses Kovalev will get after his horrible game. Not only did he do absolutly nothing offensive wise, but he kept giving the puck away. Kinda like Perezhogin, Bonk, Johnson, etc... Time to kick Kovalev off the team, head first...

I'm gonna stop ranting now. I'm juste really dispointed...

 

Mats Sundin got three assists, despite not getting the goal. I'm not going to fret that he's not scoring the goals himself as long as he gets the assists. If Sundin got three assists and was the first star tonight, means that he got three assists at key times (the second, fifth and sixth goals).

THe Leafs aren't a flashy high power offence, and they've had huge injuries over the year (Wellwood, Peca and Tucker all out at one point), Paul Maurice deserves credit for keeping them in it.

Triactus hit the nail on the head complaining about Kovalev and Samsonov. They were poison in the locker room, and they didn't perform in the clutch. I think that Gainey should right two cheques and get rid of both of them. I don't see anyone wanting to finish above 30th signing those fools...

On to Tomorrow. 4pm start, Islanders vs Devils. All we need to do is convince Cam Janssen that he owes the Leafs for the Kaberle hit and get him in the game (no Chris Simon to deal with), and get some pictures that Lou Lamourillo doesn't want to see the light of day to put Brodeur in. TSN has the game, and you better believe I'll be watching it...

 

Luongo won for Vancouver so that might coax Brodeur into playing tomorrow.

I must agree with everyone who said that both teams didn't look worthy of being in the playoffs tonight. If they make it in to the playoffs and play like that aginst Buffalo the Leafs will be booking tee off times soon enough.

I have a big family get together for Easter dinner tomorrow so chances are I won't be able to watch the game. I guess all we can do at this point is hope that Jersey wins and that the Leafs start playing a whole lot better than they have been lately.

Personally I am not particularly worried about Sundin's lack of goals - he is more than making up for it in assists many of which have been on tip ins off of his shots. Even if his line wasn't scoring goals, the way they have been keeping the puck trapped deep in enemy territory is good enough reason to throw them out there.

No, I am more worried about goaltending. Raycroft just isn't getting the job done and being pulled like that in the big final game doesn't look good for carrying things into the playoffs. I can't imagine that they would start Aubin.

 

You know, it has just occured to me how hard Edmonton has fallen since their Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss. One of the stats that was aired tonight said that if they had lost to Calgary, their 69 points would have placed them fifth last in the league. Strategically that would give them as many balls in the lottery for the top draft pick as the last team in the league. But going from Stanley Cup finalists to the equivalent of dead last really shocked me.

If Toronto sneaks in, they better get better goaltending and defence. Otherwise Buffalo is going to have a really easy time in the first round.

7 of the 8 West playoff teams have over 100 points... I have never seen so many 100-point teams before, but the new point system probably has a lot to do with that.

 

Considering that they only squeeked in last year Edmonton really only fell from 8th to 12th or 13th (depending upon Chicago's final game). It wouldn't have been nearly that bad if they hadn't traded their captain and then completely self destructed. Last season they had 95 points and this year they fell to 71. That is certainly not good but Carolina's fell just as badly (2nd place with 112 to 11th with 88 points) and then we have Philly.

Philly's decline is truly incredible - going from 5th place with 101 points to dead last with only 54 points is mind boggling. Of course Pittsburg going from dead last with 58 points up to 5th with 105 points is almost as astonshing. We all knew that having Fleury, Crosby, Malkin and Staal meant good things for the Penguins future but I don't think anyone figured they would come so far so fast. It is almost as if the two teams decided to change places.

As an interesting comparison, Washington went from being in 14th place and having 70 points last year to having 70 points and being in 14th place again this year.

Oh and on the 100 point front the results are pretty much the same as last season. Last year there were six teams in the east and four in the west with 100+ points. In addition to that the next two in the west had 99 and 98 points. This year we have four in the east and seven in the west with 100+ points.