I will keep this short:
Go Habs Go!

WHY is Shania Twain sporting Habs gear (she should take it off.......ALL OF IT. PLEASE.)??

Isn't she from Timmins?

In any event, I'll throw in my token "GO SENS GO" and then put the other cheek out so you can all SLAP ME RIGHT HERE!

FIGHT THE POWER!

Oh, here ya go you big baby.
There was one year when Shania hosted the Junos in Ottawa (actually, I worked the red carpet that year!) and through the course of the event, she came out eventually wearing specially made outfits conforming to each of Canada's six NHL teams.
Yes, even Toronto.

Ugh.

POL!

What's with all the White Trash-y ropes hanging from the Leafs outfit...?

Classy.

Of course, the best looking one is the Sens.

Fittingly, the best looking for the whole series, too!

And hey, WE even like cute kids, too....

Yeah, for breakfast!!
Look out, youth of Ottawa!

POL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Mikey,
are you doing my playoff pool? Did you get the e-mail?

Sens are going out in the first round UNLESS they get the sweet 6th seed and play Carolina (IMO)

I didn't get the email (unless you sent it to my Yahoo account, I never check that one - 1678 Spam emails and counting!)

I'll send you an email so you can respond with the details...

Oh, and see you chumps in Round 2.

Don't know why this image came up when typing "Round 2".....but WHO CARES? Wow.

This was the first Google image when I typed in 'round two'!

POL!

Ok, I'm a little confused with the standings right now, and how it could all work out, so forgive me if I'm mistaken but is it currently lined up for a MTL/OTT first rounder????
Yowza! This is madness!!!

Yes it is. See what I wrote on the other thread.

IF Philly loses (even in OT) against Pittsburgh on Sunday, they will clintch 8th

IF Boston gets 1 point against Buffalo today, they will clinch 6th (and therefore Ottawa will be in 7th).

THEN

IF Philly loses that means Pittsburgh beat them and even if Montreal beats TO tonight, they will still be in 2nd because Pitts has more wins. So Montreal winning or losing can still have them in 2nd.

THEREFORE. I think it is VERY probable to see OTT/MTL in round 1. This would be a great series, and I think this is who I want to play now. No Alfie, No Fisher, now Volchenkov went down last night. Stillman is not 100%, they have played like crap since x-mas, weak goaltending. Montreal will tear these guys a new "A" and the end result will be Murray fired. Hey maybe the Sens can pick up Pat Quinn !!

I don't want to put the buggy before the horse, but this is what I think could happen.

All will be revealed by tonight or tomorrow at the latest.


SOUP TIMER !!!!

Regular season isn't over yet, but a few matchups have already been decided.
The Wings will play the Preds (buh-bye Nashville), the Ducks will play the Stars (buh-bye Dallas), and most interesting of all, the Rangers will play the Devils. This will be a tight series - strong goaltending from both teams, a hated rivalry, AND they play each other on the last day of the regular season. The winner of that game will determine who gets home-ice advantage, then it's right off to round 1, so it should get nasty!
My money's on the Rnagers though.

I too think the Rangers will take Jersey. Their only hope is if Brodeur stands on his head and steals a few games for the Devils. I personally think NY could be a sleeper in the east to go to the cup finals.

OK, so Jaines Buffalo spanked the Bruins, not even garnering them a nano-point, so now the only permutation I can see for a Habs/Sens opening round is if Philly Beats Pittsburgh (unlikely, but possible)....NO, wait: that doesn't work, 'cuz then the Habs would be in FIRST place....which, as we all know is a SIN against nature:

No matter what happens today, it's already decided.
Habs/Bruins and Caps/Sens.
The B's and Sens are toast.

Wait I was wrong, scratch that.
NOW it's been decided.
Habs have home ice to the finals baby!!! SWEEEET!!!
My predictions for round one don't really have much in the way of upsets, but here we go:

Habs/Bruins: Do I really have to say it? Bruins have been consistently owned by MTL for a while now, including an 8-game season sweep, so if MTL doesn't win this series, for shame! But they totally will, in 5. (Hey, the B's won't be blanked forever.)

Pens/Sens: Goodnight Ottawa! The only thing these two teams have in common is shabby goaltending. With Alfie and Fisher out for 'weeks', and Crosby and Malkin playing their best, this should be done in 5 games. Should be physical though.

Caps/Flyers: Washington is HOT now, and Ovechkin....well, what can you say? This guy singlehandedly got this team where they are and wins games. Philly isn't half as good as they were in the Fall. They'll be physical though, and possibly dirty. Caps in 6.

NYR/NJ: Vicious rivals to start with, this'll be hard fought. I think NYR have the edge, so unless Brodeur becomes his usual superhuman playoff self, this'll likely go 7 games in the Rangers favour.

Wings/Preds: Nice try Nashville. You're done in 4.

Sharks/Flames: If there were to be an upset, this is my pick. Calgary seems to turn it up a notch come the post-season, and Iginla is on a mission. That being said, SJ are solid solid solid in every aspect right now. Could go either way, but I'll say Sharks in 7.

Wild/Avs: Meh, who cares? Flip a coin. Minnesota is one of those teams that you look at the standings and wonder how the hell they got so high. If Avs are healthy and Forsberg is indeed a factor, they have the edge. Minnesota is all defense and Gaborik, so if he's shut down and the Avs just shoot shoot shoot, it'll pay off. Otherwise we're looking at a lot of one-goal games, and I'll say Minnesota in 6.

Ducks/Stars: I think a quick exit for Dallas is in the cards. Anaheim is now looking like the big strong team that won the cup last year, Pronger is back from suspension, and Selanne is hot. The Stars that streaked mid-season are sucky now, and Turco has been mediocre at best. Ducks in 5.

Fun times ahead! Go Habs Go!

Look! It's Halle Berry and Mike Commodore!

I'll post my predictions a bit later, but WILL quickly address a few things:

1) Without being biased, I wouldn't write the Sens off...I think THEY might be the dark-horse pick of the first round. A lot of good players have always been in the shadows of the "super-stars" and will get more ice time and MIGHT bring a new excitement the Sens have been lacking of late.

Either that or they'll fold like a cheap tissue.

Obviously, I hope it's the former.

2) DON'T be surprised if Philly takes a cheap run at Ovechkin and knocks him out of the game (and possibly ruins his career). They've done it before and since this is probably the only way they can win this time (and I pray it doesn't come to this) - they might try it again. Look for alot of goonery around the 65-goal scorer.

3) Didn't Jerome Igninla (sp?) score 50 goals as well? He might pull his team kicking and screaming through the first round...

here we go !

MTL/BOS - Montreal in 5 or 6, I'm just glad Mitch and I can say "Thomas" a few hundred more times this year (inside joke)

Pitts/Ott - Sorry Mikey, Ottawa is no dark horse, they are SUPPOSED to be good, and now they are an average team at best. The questionable goaltending will have to go against a well rested Crosby, Malkin, Hossa and co. Pittsburgh in 6

Wash/Philly - Philly sucks, Washington is HOT HOT HOT and will take this one in 7

NYR/NJ Devils - here is my complex prediction. If NY can get on top of the series early on, they can win it in 5 or 6 BUT if it goes to game 7, I pick Jersey only because of the Brodeur factor. This guy will be lights out in a game 7. SO Ny in 5 or 6 or NJ in 7

Detroit/nashville - this is the pony to bet on if you're looking for a sweep. Detroit in 4

San Jose / Calgary - I really have to agree with Mitch here. This will be a tough series. San Jose has been amazing down the stretch BUT Calgary has the goaltending and defense to shut these guys down. Iginla vs Thornton, Kiprusoff vs Nabokov, Phaneuf vs Eggyface...you guessed it. Calgary will out match San Jose on defense and on PK and San jose could be a big upset. I say Calgary in 7

Minnesota vs Colorado. With Sakic, Smyth, Forsberg, hejduk, Stastny etc etc they will be too much for Minnesota. Colorado has had BIG injuries all year and for the first time they are actually healthy. This could be a dark horse team IF Jose Theodore can be better than average. Colorado in 5

Anaheim/Dallas - So Niedermayer, Selanne & Pronger are all nice and rested. They have vets like Doug Weight & Bertuzzi up front..oh yeah, and Matt Schneider on D. Anaheim looks VERY good for a repeat. Dallas on the other hand has Ribeiro & rub-a-dub (Robidas). Turco has never done any damage in the playoffs and this could be another sweep. I'll officially predict Anaheim in 5

LET THE GAMES BEGIN !!!

OKIES, here comes THE GOLD LOCK PICKS OF THE POST-SEASON *CLUNK* ("Wow, that's a big lock!")

here we go !

MTL/BOS - OK, um....duh - Montreal in 5. Now don't make a big DEAL out of it. Boston might celebrate the ONE game they DO win against Montreal as "the first game we won against these guys since 1492"

Pitts/Ott - "Sorry Mikey" SIGGGGHHHH!! Don't be sorry. It's a valid pick. I'm not blind. IF the Sens can muster some spirit, this HAS the making of a major upset (that's my HEART talking), but Pittsburgh is on the ups while the Sens (right now) DEFINE the word down. Pittsburgh simply have too many plusses and Ottawa too many minuses (stop me before I apply any more cheesy cliches)
Pittsburgh in 6 (man, I feel "dirty" just typing that).

Wash/Philly - I agree - Washington is the team everyone is secretly cheering for, the Cinderella story. Ovechkin has single-handedly made hockey fun to watch (or FUNNER to watch...yes, I MEANT to type "funner". Philadelphia is that team that slithers out from under a mossy rock and takes glowing gold Washington out by slicing their ankles. I'm predicting Washington in 6, but they're going to pay DEARLY and there will be suspensions handed out.

NYR/NJ Devils - YAWWWWWWWWWN! Who cares really? Pick one...they're ALL going to be 1-0, 2-1, 0-0 (called due to lack of available sunlight/power). I'm thinking the only tiebreaker in this will be Brodeur doing acrobatics during the first round (and thus blowing his wad for the 2nd round). NJ in 7

Detroit/nashville - Detroit in 4. Period.

San Jose / Calgary - I honestly don't know enough about these wacky West Coast teams to make a good prediction, 90% of them can be summed up with "flip a coin". I'm officially going with San Jose here, why? Because I ALWAYS thought their crest looks "KICK ASS" - it's a SHARK, and it's BITING a stick! AWESOME!
San Jose in 6

Minnesota vs Colorado. If they can keep all the cogs and springs in Jose Theodore from blowing out the top of his head, then the healthy experience of the Avs should be enough to down the boring Wild. Look for some Philadelphia style goonery in this one, too...Colorado in 6

Anaheim/Dallas - LOL! OK. Here goes: THIS is now my NEW dark horse upset of the playoffs. I think the Stars will upset the Ducks. Pronger will be suspended early on, Selanne will FINALLY show his age (LOL) and Brad Richards will help the Stars shake some ghosts from their past. Turco will show everyone that he IS solid and they will FINALLY do what the Sens couldn't do in last year's finals: CRACK the Ducks D.

Oh, and I fucking LOATHE the Ducks...always have, always will. That's a factor, too.

This is going to be long and NASSSSTY. But Stars in 7 (possibly 8 as it's going to be that stanky - LOLZEN!).

Let the GAMES BEGIN!

Mikhail

The monkey has spoken.
Maggie took Montreal (she also took Pittsburgh over Ottawa)

WOOO HOOOO !!!

Can't argue with that!

STUPID PAPES!

What I love is that the CBC has the rights to all the Canadian series, so those of us without cable (i.e. me and three other people on the planet) can still get the games.

Mikey's Picks have been submitted.

SHOW ME THE MONNNEEEEYYY!!

Hey! Those are GREAT picks...

4 to zip for the Penguins.

Sigh.

This was SUPPOSED to be a thing of beauty...not this....this......abomination...........

In other news, in my other pool, I ACTUALLY drafted TWO (2) HABS players...Plecanek (sp?) and Grabovski (sp?...EVERYONE on the Habs needs a "SP?" qualifier).

Grabovski! Sounds like one of the "Revenge of the Nerds" characters...

"We've got bush!"

Pardon me while I have a strange interlude....

...*BEEEP!*

...yeah, Dan calling...I wanted to know if you want to go to the gym and PUMP SOME FUCKIN' IRON!

Hey, is that the Volchenckov injury...?!

Nice! You cold-hearted EVIL sonnomaobaiitch!

The man got a slap-shot in the face. IN THE FACE!

Besides: how DARE you speak when you're so FAR behind in the pool??

"Hellllooooo doooownnnn theeerrreee......"

Yes, but I am in FIRST !!!

so good ridance to the Sens. I didn't catch the game but I heard they didn't even show up.

Sens will be gone in 4 or 5. I also think their window may have closed slightly, will they ever be as close as they were last year just to lose to a bunch of ducks??
Only TAIME will tell.


SOUP TIMER !

PS, I didn't actually see it, but by reading the box score, it seems that Neil was his classy self by getting ejected in a 4-0 game with several seconds left on the clock. That a boy !

I hear this guy humps hockey nets in his spare time...see?

For all you ex-Montrealers: There's a real buzz in the city this year like I haven't felt in a long time. Everybody is talking about the Habs..... I think they might win on sheer support!

(and please, no panty-hose jokes for my last statement!)

Yeah yeah yeah...

Was the same "feeling" that swept through Ottawa LAST year when they went to the finals...everyone waving flags, wearing Sens shirts, HUGE flag on city hall, etc.etc.

ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS, ass-clowns.

Bitter Mikey

Ok, I was gonna save my Sens-bashing for AFTER the Pens hand them their sorry asses on dinner silverware, but here goes......

....BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

?Luke 6:27-31. NIV

Translation:
"Let thyself be a human doormat unto those who would walk all over ye and rape thy possessions. Offer thy cheek to be crushed into yonder rink boards, then turn thy other cheek lest it be run into yonder opponent's bench. Do unto Gerber as ye would do unto a blashphemer at a stoning. Throw away thy spine, ye pussies, and relinquish yon beacon of Lord Stanley unto those who would rightfully claim it - Team Israel!"

OY!

"Now who wants to see Shmoolie juggle fire?"

Hey Mikey,
I'm really not saying this to upset you, but I'm watching the sens game and I really can't believe how these guys have just checked out. They seem so dis-interested. What gives? I'm guessing there is some real problems off the ice or something. It's now 3-0 Pitts. I thought PIttsburgh would win the series, but I thought Ottawa would at least show up.

Whoof!
I'm not gonna beat a dead horse here (ok, maybe a little) but WHERE is Ottawa?! I figured Pittsburgh would win the series, but.....
I mean Alfredsson coming back is obviously a desperation move, as he's not 100%. How much can he really help his team at this point? I guess game 4 will tell.....it's do or die.
Personally, I was kinda hoping they'd at least beat up on the Pens a little, you know, wear 'em down a bit before the next round. Only TAAIIIME will tell!

....maybe a little more of this, eh Sens?

Yeah yeah yeah...

OK. It seems the "chic" thing to do these days is to pick on the Sens. People re-hashing the tired old fact that they fold in the playoffs.

*YAWN*

At least they MAKE the playoffs 12 years running. If and when they get eliminated (told you: I'm a realist, not a zealot and let's face it - this team is NOT the '75 Islanders), I'm hoping they DO make some bold moves in the off-season.

Now, the question is: WHO do I cheer for for the Cup?? Calgary or Montreal. I like what Montreal's done in the last few months, they're now an exciting team to watch. But I admire Calgary's tenacity and grit. That facking BOO-YEAH hit on Phaneuf...mmmm, BABY!

I think my favourite thing coming out of the first round is to see Anaheim eliminated...fucking Ducks. PTOOUI!

Wha?

"OK. It seems the "chic" thing to do these days is to pick on the Sens."

This isn't the 'in' thing to do, Mikey. No one's leaping aboard the 'bash Sens' bandwagon.
It was ALWAYS fun! Since day one!

Anywho, I'm with you, I want the Ducks and Avs to fry. And the Rangers. And Nashville, Detroit, Minnesota, NJ, SJ, Pittsburgh, Philly, Washington, Dallas, and of course, Boston.
A good ol' MTL/CAL final would be awesome!

But WHHHHYYYY???!!

We're not an obnoxious team like Toronto...

You know who needs a team: HALIFAX! Or maybe ALL the maritmes. Call them the East Canada Atta-bay's or something. Now THERE's an area of Canada CRYING for hockey...

Or we could bring back the Winnipeg Jets! Teemu could play for them again!

Habs Win!!!! All is right in the universe. Didn't actually watch the game, but I monitored it between killing Yetis. And when I say "monitor" mean check my dashboard widget for the score.

Talk about a crappy fan!

This is going to open a big can of worms, but the Sens are a bunch of complainers and although not as bad as Toronto, they do have a snootiness to them that makes my skin crawl. Spezza thinks he's Gretzky, but doesn't have any hardware (trophies) to back it up.

I agree that my ideal final would be MTL/CAL.

As for the re-hashing of the Sens choking in the playoffs. They DO!
Sorry buddy, but until they win 3 cups, they are chokers. Losing to Toronto year after year after year. They are the Denver Broncos of the NHL, and we all relate the Broncos to being classic losers.
Sorry.

I had a fuckin' heart attack watching game 4 tonight. AGH!!!!
Thank god MTL won. I can't take much more of this!

LOL!

What you take as snootiness, I take as well-deserved pride. They started with nothing, from nothing and built a GOOD team. They are, or were, where the Habs are standing right now: young, full of promise, on an emotional high.

The ONLY thing they haven't done is gone all the way. They're the LAST AMERICAN VIRGINs of the NHL!

As for last night's Habs game...I PICKED Habs in that series because I THOUGHT they'd get points....and I deliberately picked FEW Devils/Rangers because I thought THAT series would end up in 1-0 games....WTF??!!

I'm sure there's not a fingernail left on any hand in Montreal...well, except for THIS guy...

See ya next year Sens. Sorry Mikey. It really does suck to watch your team lose, but hey, there's no way you were surprised after the last 3 games.

Better luck next year

And then there were 15!

SENS DEAD IN FOUR!!!!

BWAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

GO HABS GO!!

Of course I'm NOT happy.

But, as Deril correctly eluded to: I'm not surprised. They are a LOST team right now...EVERYONE in Ottawa is wanting a SINGLE answer to WHAT WENT WRONG (me included).

I'm actually QUITE interested in what they're going to do about it...I hope they don't take the simple road and fire Murray who I think made the team into a cup contender.

I would start by making some EPIC trades - the Spezza/Luongo rumours have started...but I'd look more to Heatley who INFURIATED me in this year's playoffs....what a FARCE. Could you LOOK more uninterested and uninspired. And, of course, Emery.....sigh. Redden's another prospect to go. But the problem is, ALL their stocks are SO low now....

It's embarassing to be swept, more-so AT HOME, MORE-MORE-SO by looking disinterested in BEING swept...and when your CHECKING line is generating the MOST offence and heart, then you're in TROUBLE.

And I feel bad for Gerber who actually SHOWED UP to play.

Ah well.

Now I either root for the Habs or the Flames...

Or ANY TEAM that downs the Fucking Ducks.

Oh, and please stick the "Choke" comments up your collective asses.

CHOKING, by definition, means to go ALL the way to the end and have 99% chance of winning and THEN lose.

What the Sens did was never even bother to SHOW UP.

Totally different.

I think the final guillotine blade was the embarrassment that was the intro to game 3, wherein an actor dressed as the gayest of bare-chested gladiators came out on the ice to rally the troops and inspire the masses, as it were, with a LAME call to arms of "TO VICTORY!".
Oy, how laughably wrong that was.
Even funnier, was the looks on the players faces as he went by them in the hall on his way to the ice.
A look that could only say, "Are you fucking kidding me? Whose idea was this and how soon until he's fired?"
No bother, Ottawa can still have their annual parade anyways!

POLLL!!

Kerri and I stood there in UTTER amazement. That was probably the SINGLE most uncomfortably embarassing live television I've EVER EVER seen.

Not only was the poor guys' mic cutting out, but his helmet kept sliding off and the whole THING wreeked of CHEEEESE. I agree with the players looks, too - "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS??!!"

I think some marketing dinkus got fired after that fiasco.

You'll note, the "300" Gladiator dork did NOT return for Game 4.

LOL! All the forums are blaming HIM for the Sens losing game 3.........POL!

Great Game tonight.....despite the loss

And on another note, check out who secretly loves the habs... (Clippers=PapaMikey)

I am honestly WAY more stressed than I ever should be over a hockey game. I can't bear to watch game 7.
I almost just want it over with already.

On the flipside: VERY glad the Ducks are gone!!
Yeah, thanks for that season-long decision about coming back, Selanne! You earned it!
Also, adios to Nashville, NJ & MInnesota!!
11 teams left!

As luck would have it. I am IN Montreal for game 7 !!!

Win or lose this is very exciting and STRESSFUL!

With the 2 seders out of the way, I am off to watch (kid free) with my friends tonight. I'm all decked out in my Habs-wear. Anat bout a pink Habs (Price) jersey for tonight, and we got the flag for our car.

If the Habs are half as ready as I am, this one should be in the bank by the 2nd period. Only TAIME will tell.

PS. Mitch, on the topic of Anaheim, Bettman actually fined Niedermayer $500,000 today because he was under contract and missed training camp. The CBA says that if a player misses training camp and comes to play later (and therefore gives the team cap-room) there are heavy fines. So now they are out and he has to pay up.

Let's all take a moment to pray for tonight.

Go habs go....for the love of God, GO HABS GO !!!