Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Hannibal]

Just looked at the schedule. They are really cramming in the games this year. Every other day instead of three per week with one extra day off in there. Five games tomorrow night and then four a day after that.

[WingsFan]

Bob Probert's family spread his ashes inside the Red Wings penalty box at Joe Louis Arena following the club's final game.

[WingsFan]

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

TV: USA (Game 1), NHL Network (Game 2), CNBC (Games 3-4)

Stream: NHL.tv

April 12, 7:30 p.m., PPG Paints Arena

April 14, 7 p.m., PPG Paints Arena

April 16, 6 p.m., Nationwide Arena

April 18, 7:30 p.m., Nationwide Arena

April 20, TBD, PPG Paints Arena*

April 23, TBD, Nationwide Arena*

April 25, TBD, PPG Paints Arena*

[WingsFan]

I just hope that lack of playoff experience doesn't hurt Columbus. Can't be 'happy' just being in the playoffs. Bobrovsky had an unbelievable regular season, and will most likely win the Vezina. But its a new season and he will have to be on his game vs the Penguins

The Blue Jackets are a very physical team who hit extremely hard. Their physicality is their advantage, as the Jackets will look to slow down the Penguins’ speed.

Prediction

The Blue Jackets have lost 6 of the last 7 games. This series will come down to the depth of the Penguins vs. the physicality of the Jackets. The Pens are going to have to ignore the hitting and just play, like they have all year. Penguins in 7 - Fuck cindy

[WingsFan]

Just looked at the schedule. They are really cramming in the games this year. Every other day instead of three per week with one extra day off in there. Five games tomorrow night and then four a day after that.

Stanley Cup odds


Washington Capitals 3-1

Chicago Blackhawks 5-1

Minnesota Wild 6-1

Anaheim Ducks 10-1

New York Rangers 10-1

Pittsburgh Penguins 10-1

Columbus Blue Jackets 15-1

Montreal Canadiens 15-1

Edmonton Oilers 16-1

San Jose Sharks 16-1

Boston Bruins 25-1

Calgary Flames 30-1

Nashville Predators 30-1

Ottawa Senators 30-1

St. Louis Blues 35-1

Toronto Maple Leafs 40-1

[WingsFan]

Odds listed are as of April 10. (Courtesy Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)

Washington the favorite? Laughing out loud! Biggest chokers in sports history..Watch Babcock take down pansy ass ovechkin would be hilarious and not even surprising. Caps should get to the second round though.

[Hannibal]

Boudreaux isn't coaching them anymore though.

[WingsFan]

I guess if the Cubs can win the WS anything is possible, but I just don't see it. Hockey is a fickle game, you need to be really good and lucky these days. That's why there are 'Hockey Gods' - no team still has won the Cup back to back either since the Red Wings.


Most upset if 'team' win the Cup -

Chicago - I think I would physically get sick if Kane wins another Cup

Pittsburgh - ugh.... same as above, and would take the mantle away from the Red Wings as back to back Cup winners and cindy - close call

Montreal - Hated team from my childhood, no return to glory

Toronto - Not going to happen, not sure how I would feel? Watch them every Saturday night as a kid HNIC

Other teams I would not want to see win the Cup -

Any team from Canada

Any team south of St Louis

[WingsFan]

Former Red Wing announcer and long-time NHL voice will be back in the national booth these playoffs despite his ongoing battle with cancer. That would be Dave Strader, who’s spent 37 years covering hockey. He tweeted Monday that he’ll be calling the first two games of the Washington Capitals – Toronto Maple Leafs series for NBC Thursday and Saturday:

[Hannibal]

I'll be pissed off if Chicago gets their fourth modern era Cup without going through the same amount of the pain and suffering that the Red Wings fans had to endure before winning just one. Fuckers should have to choke against a shitty San Jose team or lay a gigantic egg in the Finals to really earn it. Four Cups was awesome but there should have been three or four more. I'm still in utter disbelief that New Jersey beat them even once much less four in a row.

[WingsFan]

Jacques Lemaire's dreaded Left wing lock

[Hannibal]

The league still has yet to recover. There were only three guys who even scored 40 goals and none who broke 50.

[Hannibal]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_zone_trap

The neutral zone trap (often referred to as simply the trap) is a defensive strategy used in ice hockey to prevent an opposing team from proceeding through the neutral zone (the area between the blue lines) to force turnovers. The strategy is generally used to level the playing field for teams that are not as offensively talented as their opponents, although the trap can also be used by teams simply looking to protect a lead late in the game. The trap was innovated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1920s and 1930s but became the defensive scheme for most coaches during the late 90s early 2000s—known as the "Dead Puck era"—as a direct result of the success seen by the New Jersey Devils under the coaching of Jacques Lemaire, who perfected the trap defense to 3 Stanley cups in 1995, 2000 , and 2003 for the New Jersey Devils.

The most recognizable implementation of the trap sees the defense stationing four of their players in the neutral zone and one forechecker in the offensive zone. As the offensive team starts to move up the ice, the forechecker (generally the center) will cut off passing lanes to other offensive players by staying in the middle of the ice, forcing the puck carrier to either sideboard. The defensive wingers—typically placed on or near the red line—will be positioned by the boards to challenge the puck carrier, prevent passing, or even keep opponents from moving through. The two defencemen who are positioned on or near the blue lines are the last defence, and must stall the opposition long enough for the wingers to reset themselves and continue the trap.

The trap has been widely criticized for reducing scoring. It has, however, proven to be very effective, especially in the playoffs. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, serious discussion about opening the game to offence was held between the NHL and NHL Players Association (NHLPA). Because it is easier to trap when engaging in obstruction and restraining fouls, such as hooking and holding, which slow the progress of faster players who can evade the trapping team, the NHL ordered officials to call every obstruction penalty, regardless of circumstance. The prohibition on two-line passes from behind a team's blue line to the other side of the red line was also lifted. Long passes are one method for breaking out of the trap, as it avoids the need to navigate through defenders in the neutral zone, although it has high rates of turnovers. Defensive minded teams have reverted to a "third man high" 1–3–1 system where only two offensive players will commit down low, allowing the third to join the defence and impede progress across the blue line.

[WingsFan]

Bob Cole is calling Boston-Ottawa, but Chris Cuthbert is not even on the schedule WTF?

[Hannibal]

IIRC Chris Cuthbert hasn't done playoff games for a while.

But don't worry I'm sure that NBCSN will have a great "D" crew to take his place.