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senna
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The 2001 NHL Playoffs
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Apr 18 03:18 UTC 2002 |
I think there are a few hockey fans on the board, so I'll throw this out (thus
completely undermining my attempt at sophisticated learning in the previous
item [which I think was undermined anyway by my silly proposition that a
question about such stories be considered "sophisticated."])
It's among the best times of the year: Playoff season. We had a rather
successful item on it last season, which died a bit when the
"I'd-rather-have-my-kidneys-carved-out-of-my-living-body-and-my-eyes-poked-out
-with-a-rusty-fork" matchup between New Jersey and the Evilanche became a
reality. Perhaps we'll be lucky and it will go longer this season, implying
that some cheerable teams make it.
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| 141 responses total. |
senna
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response 1 of 141:
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Apr 18 03:22 UTC 2002 |
It just occured to me that there are other avenues for hockey discussion as
well, so they are welcome.
It's the first day of the playoffs, and the Red Wings are underperforming
already, falling 4-3 to the Canucks in OT in game 1. How depressing. Now,
intellectually, I'm not at all surprised that we lost, but we blew three leads
and had the better of the play in the overtime period before the fluky winner.
It feels rather annoying now. Still, this is a good indicator for the Wings
that nothing is going to come easy, and I'm hoping that they'll get the
message. Remember, we had tough early-round matchups in '97 and '98, too.
Carolina beat jersey in regulation, Philly beat Ottawa 1-0 on a nice
backhander in OT, and San Jose is winning 2-1 in the 2nd period against
Phoenix.
To those who quickly forget this item, thank you for excercizing your rights
to personally filter what you read. :) Can't say I blame you.
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buddy
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response 2 of 141:
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Apr 18 15:12 UTC 2002 |
Ok i am responding to this item because i am a very big red wings fan and i
have been loyal to them for many years. Although i was disappointed that they
lost last night,they still have a chance in my book. Now that they know what
they are facing, maybe they will be stronger defensively and hopefully they
will succeed in winning game 2 tomorrow night. My mother agrees with me.
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edina
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response 3 of 141:
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Apr 18 18:09 UTC 2002 |
Well, that's a relief.
Ok - so the Caps sucked some major ass this year. Didn't make the play-offs.
So, I am now pulling for the Flyers and the Wings.
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buddy
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response 4 of 141:
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Apr 18 19:18 UTC 2002 |
thanks for supporting the red wings edina. it really means alot to me.
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edina
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response 5 of 141:
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Apr 18 21:39 UTC 2002 |
What on earth for? They were my team in the beginning.
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senna
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response 6 of 141:
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Apr 18 23:30 UTC 2002 |
The Flyers can suck an egg, in my book. No offense. :)
The Wings had better have more than a chance. It takes 4 games to win a
series, not one. Should be a good series, though.
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flem
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response 7 of 141:
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Apr 19 00:39 UTC 2002 |
I didn't think the Wings played particularly well in OT last night, but they
did play reasonably well through the rest of the game. Several of the goals
were, ah, a little on the lucky side, and we were pinging shots off the posts
all night long. Our big players were skating well and looking dangerous, and
Hasek didn't appear to suck. I'm somewhat optimistic, going forward.
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oval
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response 8 of 141:
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Apr 19 01:19 UTC 2002 |
i am a hockey lover, and only discovered this a year ago. i used to be a
penguins fan, but this year i'm rooting for the rangers. last night i was
rooting for detroit just cuz of grex. :)
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senna
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response 9 of 141:
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Apr 19 03:59 UTC 2002 |
Actually, I thought Detroit looked dangerous and solid in OT, except for that
last play (I knew that was a bad giveaway even before it wound up in the net).
Shows how these things go, I guess. Detroit isn't alone in the upset loss
department; Boston, our #1 seed counterpart in the East, lost to Montreal 5-2
and looked dreadful. I mean, the talent's there, but the things you need to
win the playoffs weren't. The Leafs came from behind in the third to win 3-1
over the Isles in a game that was, frankly, unpleasant to watch for most of
it.
And the Blackhawks upset the Blues. Home Ice? What's that? The Avs will
be lucky to escape tonight (I'm raucously enjoying the game at the moment,
2-2 in the second intermission).
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flem
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response 10 of 141:
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Apr 19 14:17 UTC 2002 |
Wow, the avs were up 2-0 when I caught a glimpse on a TV at the bar as I
passed by.
This may have just been a week for upsets. Consider: The Tigers won, the
Redwings lost, and my own crappy hockey team actually managed to win a game.
This can't be coincidence. :)
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buddy
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response 11 of 141:
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Apr 20 02:21 UTC 2002 |
Well the red wings lost again tonight. I was hoping that they would win, but
i guess i jinxed it by hoping to hard.
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senna
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response 12 of 141:
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Apr 20 03:44 UTC 2002 |
I jinxed it by being there. Very frustrating hockey game, with Detroit
solidly outshooting Vancouver (all this amidst the amusing crowd chant of
"shoot the puck.." this crowd knows what constitutes good playoff shooting
and bad) and still falling 5-2. Reactions to Detroit's play by analysts is
mixed; Many think Detroit played fairly well and got stoned and got the bad
breaks. Fans certainly aren't happy, though, and any team down 2-0 is going
to get that. Hasek certainly was *not* impressive. I'm naturally an
apologist for the "team that's out there," but we know he's capable of better.
If the Wings somehow, miraculously, manage to pull this series out, though,
I think he'll be fine. Patrick Roy looked miserable against the Canucks last
year, and utterly dominated everyone else. Once Hasek gets into rhythm, he'll
be fine... but he may not have time.
What can you do? Detroit got 36 shots, a healthy total, and when you get the
1 goal or so for every ten shots, that should theoretically be enough.
Vancouver got chances and made them count, though, and the entire team shares
responsibility. Naslund with an open look? Bertuzzi untouched on his way
into the net? Easy, uncontested deflections? For the scarcity of shots
Vancouver managed, I was nervous every time they looked like they'd get one.
It wasn't just that Hasek wasn't stopping everything (he had some solid saves
down the stretch before that Naslund rocket), but that they were having their
way with the puck around net whenever they wanted.
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jared
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response 13 of 141:
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Apr 21 14:27 UTC 2002 |
I found this article to be interesting/amusing analysis of what
is going on. Time to hope for a win tonight.
http://www.freep.com/sports/albom/mitch20_20020420.htm
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slynne
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response 14 of 141:
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Apr 21 19:04 UTC 2002 |
The Red Wings have the best shirts.
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senna
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response 15 of 141:
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Apr 22 05:00 UTC 2002 |
The Wings finally won one, tonight. Unfortunately, it's only one game, but
it's a whole lot better than a loss. Hasek answered all questions with a
brilliant performance, solidly outplaying the shakey Dan Cloutier (on awful
goal and one shaky one are the difference in the 3-1 game) and keeping the
Wings in it during an extended period of penalty killing in the second and
tremendous pressure and a penalty shot by Vancouver late in the third. The
team played much smarter hockey tonight, limiting giveaways and rushes and
only really breaking down once on the Bertuzzi goal. Steve Yzerman was
brilliant, as always, and it continually baffles me how guys elsewhere in the
league get so my excess hype, while Yzerman puts them all to shame quietly
in Detroit. He doesn't even get enough attention here.
Anyway, it was a tense, tense game, and it could easily have gone the other
way with a bounce or two here and there. Still, that's how you win hockey
games, and this has turned into a terrific series.
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buddy
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response 16 of 141:
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Apr 22 13:46 UTC 2002 |
Yes!!! they finally won a game! The red wings definately played smarter and
they were definately more effective defensively.
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flem
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response 17 of 141:
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Apr 22 15:42 UTC 2002 |
Great game last night. One question: wtf was up with the officiating? I
don't remember the last time I saw a game so unevenly called under any
conditions, let alone in the NHL playoffs.
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senna
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response 18 of 141:
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Apr 22 22:33 UTC 2002 |
I actually saw a game reffed worse just three hours prior. I'm not really
sure what the deal was, but it was pretty atrocious. Fortunately enough, it
screwed both teams.
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ea
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response 19 of 141:
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Apr 22 23:10 UTC 2002 |
Steve ... think "Wilkins at the Ice Breaker" last year.
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senna
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response 20 of 141:
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Apr 23 00:57 UTC 2002 |
Wilkins, period. We're talking about lower levels, though.
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senna
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response 21 of 141:
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Apr 24 05:33 UTC 2002 |
Well, it was another big day in the playoffs, with six games taking us from
the early evening into the late night. Not bad action, either. While there
were some duds (6-1 Isles over the Leafs? Too bad for NY it's only one game),
there were some barnburners, too. Montreal came back from 3-1 down with 12
minutes left in the third to beat the Bruins 5-3 (empty-net goal) on the
strength of Saku Koivu's terrific slot move past Dafoe for the winner. Koivu,
some might recall, just returned from stomach cancer at the end of the regular
season, and he's been huge in the playoffs. Best game of the playoffs so far.
The Wings gutted out another victory in Vancouver, a 4-2 barnburner that was
never over until Kris Draper landed an empty-netter in the last minute. Who
got the winner? Steve YzerMAN, again, on one leg, the best player on the ice.
It was tough, with the Wings losing a 2-goal lead in the second (the tying
goal with less than 30 second left in the period) before Shanahan and Fedorov
combined to set Steve up for his dirt-style tally early in the third.
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buddy
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response 22 of 141:
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Apr 24 13:06 UTC 2002 |
I am sooooo happy that the red wings won another game! It was really hard for
me to fall asleep because i was so excited, but eventually i did. Maybe it
helped a little bit last night because through the whole game i was wearing
my red mardi gras beads to show my support for the team.Steve Yzerman was
great last night. And as i usually say, "Yzerman is the man!"
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flem
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response 23 of 141:
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Apr 24 19:41 UTC 2002 |
Another wings game, another pile of complaints about the refs.
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senna
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response 24 of 141:
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Apr 25 01:19 UTC 2002 |
That's pretty much been true for all of the playoff series this year.
Vancouver's GM is flagrantly crazy, though, complaining about his own goalie
getting brushed on one night, and Hasek's dives when *he* gets brushed the
next. And Hasek got seriously run several times later in the game on uncalled
plays that you're not hearing whining about. Oh well.
Philly still can't score. 12 minutes to go in the third of game 4 and it's
3-0 Ottawa.
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