The dust has settled and it's time to make your playoff picks.
Rules: Scotty will buy the winner of the first round a boilermaker at the Tavern. Person who picks the first round 100% correctly gets a picture of my Ovechkin bobblehead and a personal congratulatory call from Bress. If anyone picks the first round 100% incorrectly you will have to jump in net for our next ball hockey game.
Bress Pens in 5 Bruins in 7 Devils in 6 Caps in 6
Sharks in 6 Red Wings in 7 Kings in 7 Hawks in 7
Scotty Caps in 5 I want the Bruins, Nem but Buff is uber sneaks - Buff in 6 NJ in 6 Pitt in 6
Rangers beat the Leafs, 5-1: This was probably the Rangers best 60 minute effort of the entire season and definitely their best effort recently. When all 4 lines are rolling and Lundquist is in Sandman mode, they are a scary team.
Oilers beat the Avalanche in OT, 5-4: The Avs are most likley going to play the 1st seed in the play-offs. Will they just be happy to be there and pull a BJs and get swept. Coyotes beat the Predators, 5-2: I just hope the Coyotes avoid the Red Wings in the first round... speaking of the wings...
Red Wings beat the BJs, 4-3: Remember when people thought the Olympic break would be bad for the Wings? Hawks beat the Blues, 6-5: Its a win, but the Hawks were up 6-1. That type of defense and goaltending doesn't bode well for the play-offs.
One of my childhood heroes is fighting Butterbean in an MMA match on May 21.
Per Wiki:
Byers is scheduled to face Eric “Butterbean” Esch on May 21, 2010 at Moosin: God of Martial Arts. The superheavyweight bout won’t be on the pay-per-view and is only to raise money for charity. In remarks at the press conference, Byers said the money would go to the family of a slain Boston police officer.
After last night the western conference is set and the East has 4 teams fighting for 3 spots.
The Flames lost and the Avs won, so the surprising Avalanche are in. If the west standings stay the same here are the match ups:
SJ v Col - maybe the Sharks win a first round series Chi v Det - sucks for the Hawks Van v LA - Luongo has sucked lately and gave up 8 to LA a week ago Pho v Nash - if no one watches a playoff series, does it still count?
The Rangers lost a must win last night and the Canadiens let the Islanders come back, so Montreal didn't clinch yet. And Philly won.
The Rangers/Flyers game on Friday will decide everything.
Vs had problems during the Caps game and then because of some rules, I couldn't watch the blues game. Thanks.
I'm only recapping the Oilers game then.
Oilers beat the Wild, 4-1: Two teams, both eliminated from the play-offs and kind of playing like it. The Oilers scored some fancy goals based of nice passing or odd-man rushes. The Wild are disappointing again.
I'm back from vaca and I haven't had a solid shit in 4 days.
Before I left I predicted the Rangers would have a playoff spot and the Bruins would be golfing. Let's just say that I'm pleasantly surprised with the how the standings look right now. That's the best you get with this year's Bruins: you are just happy to be in the discussion.
And it's the same with last night's game against DC. I thought the Bruins had a great chance to get 2 points but they couldn't and I'm ok with losing in OT. My expectations have officially been tempered. Going sideways just might be enough to get into the final two spots in the East this season.
Before I get into it...What was with the camera work for Versus last night?? I literally cannot describe what was going on with the way that game was shot for tv.
Anyways Patty Bergeron's goal was nifty and I'm going ignore all the negative stuff about the game and highlight the bright spot.
First Dennis Wideman (I'm ignoring the fact that he took the high-sticking penalty in OT) spins away from a Mike Knuble check and looks to break out of the zone.
What drives me crazy about Dennis Wideman is how he tries to do a little too much with the puck. He has Lucic open and Patty Bergeron (being the mayor he is) is giving Wideman an out. Wideman instead looks up-ice to Recchi by headmanning the puck through a scary part of the ice. Maybe I'm just a pussy but c'mon.
Things work out and Lucic (flying up the wing) gets the puck with speed crossing the red line. I'm too lazy to look up who the Washington left D is but I would like to see him bust back into that circled position to keep Patty Berg in check. But it's all good as long as Nick Backstom stays with his center.
He doesn't. Lazy Left D busts it to get back into action but he is toast. Backstrom gives an uninterested attempt to get his stick in the lane and Joe Corvo (giving Lucic way too much space) has what Eddie O would call an "inactive stick". Lucic's pass is pretty and this all doesn't work if Patty Bergeron isn't busting the entire time. Nothing sexy about Patty Bergeron. He is Tim Ducaning his way into the Bruins Captain's chair.
Bergeron bears down on Jose Theodore and all of a sudden a dog is on the trampoline and time stands still.
Berg shrugs off a desperate hook and somehow slides the puck past Jose. Mark Recchi is so happy he doesn't know who to hug.
The best part about this clip is that Mike Green got the night off to rest. Had Green been on the ice Bergeron would have never gotten touched.
I never get tired of seeing this picture.
It was a nice moment until the Bruins cough it up in OT. I'll take the 1 point at this stage. I just wish I could produce a solid bowel movement.
