Tonight's Hockey Thread--Sorry all you Habs fans...

[strategery blunder]

I really thought Montreal had that game winner, but Tampa Bay scored with less than 20 sec in regulation. Oops.

Final: 4-3

Series status: Tampa leads three games to none.

Discuss.

[tridim]

1. I'm completely bummed

because I'm an Avs fan, and they should have won last night. The hockey gods are not Avs fans this year.

[ornotna]

2. Nuthin' to discuss

So far all the naysayers have been saying there's no way Tampa will take this series.This team is for real. See you in the finals. :hi:


















This should bring 'em out of the woodwork. :evilgrin:

[drumwolf]

3. I wudduna thunk it, but....

Sharks-Lightning Finals series, anyone?

[KamaAina]

4. Hockey in Tampa makes as much sense as...

...tarpon fishing in the St. Lawrence. In January.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBqczkwNTM4BF9TAzk1ODYxODgzBHNlYwNlY2w-?slug=dw-canadianclubs&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Edit: Software puts a space before the semicolon in the above URL; take it out. Why does it do that?

Bettman's reign of incompetence, marked by blind expansion into non-traditional, Sun Belt markets, has seen revenue disparity widen to such unhealthy levels that the league is facing a lockout that could kill next season. That would send Canadian fans into a complete funk – a long, cold winter without their national pastime.

Ed.: That means the Cup now faces the dread prospect of spending two full years in front of the guard shack at some retirement community. Go, uh, Philly, I guess!

"The fans look at it as the NHL chased big bucks in the United States and gave up on us," said Sara Buchan, who covers the Maple Leafs for Toronto radio station The Fan 590. "We're not big enough; our suits aren't expensive enough.

"The NHL thought they could jam square pegs into the round holes of markets that are not hockey interested," she continued. "Now they are paying the repercussions."

Under Bettman, out went franchises in hockey-crazed Quebec City (the Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche and won the Stanley Cup in their first season in Denver) and Winnipeg (the current Phoenix Coyotes). In came mid-market, often Southern U.S. towns where ice previously was considered best-suited for chilling sweet tea. As spending on players has skyrocketed, Canadian teams hampered by small markets and a weak dollar have floundered.

Should it come down to a slushy-ice Tampa Bay/San Jose final, we'll go with the Sharks, 'cause a) they seem be on TV every week out here, and b) lo and behold! They've developed a homegrown (well, up in SF)hockey snob!

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/fool/

By now, you've heard your Raiders buddy (the same one who thinks Warren Sapp will actually help the team) say something about "Bob" Marleau. Your girlfriend likes "Mark" Ricci's hair. Your granny wonders why they call the San Jose goalie "Scabby" and your aunt's 5-year-old kid is suddenly making train noises because of that "ChooChoo" guy....

Serious hockey fans are rolling their eyes at recent media coverage, knowing that their team was mostly ignored at the start of the season and throughout a terrific, unexpected run to the division title.

They cringe when the slick-haired TV sports anchor leans over to the giggly blonde anchorwoman and belts out: "Welllllll, a hot goalie can take you a long way in the Stanley Cup playoffs and Spunkella -- our Sharkies have that in one Yevjenny, NAB-o-Koff!"...

It's only gonna get worse. Go ahead and jump on the Sharks bandwagon. But don't be surprised if someone who knows a two-line pass from a wrister wants to smack you across the shins with his stick.

Could've come straight out of the Boston Herald. So I guess it IS possible for a (marginal) Sunbelt town to "get" hockey, after all.

[SmileyBoy]

5. This is why the NHL needs to return to Winnipeg.

I'd also like to see a Sun-Belt NHL team to relocate to Hamilton as well.

Go to this site:

http://www.jetsowner.com

[KamaAina]

6. There's an NHL-size arena in Hartford just sitting empty

even UConn hoops plays mostly at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs these days. In fact, the mall attached to the Civic Center is now empty as well. :( Not what the struggling state capital needs. Not at all.

And the Whalers, ah, er, Tropical Depressions or whatever, aren't drawing any more fans in hockey-mad Raleigh </sarcasm> than they ever were, so why not?

[strategery blunder]

7. I lived in Phoenix when the Jets moved

It was nice to have a team at the time, but in hindsight, I was one of three hockey fans in Arizona. I feel for Winnepeg--anything within Canada is bound to be full of die-hard hockey fans.

That said, why is it that an AMERICAN ends up posting the hockey thread every night? Why aren't you Canadians doing your jobs?}(

[HEyHEY]

8. I used to post the thread - but no one ever really cared - so I stopped

[strategery blunder]

9. Do you think the situation has improved a bit since I took over?

Of course, interest seems to perk up during the playoffs...

[ornotna]

19. Baseball in Montreal?

:shrug:
Golly and shazam we sure do feel lucky to "get" hockey down here in Mayberry.

[strategery blunder]

10. WOOO HOOOO!!!!!!!

Wrong Wings Lose!:bounce::bounce::bounce:

Take that, evil Detroit DUers!:evilgrin:

[strategery blunder]

11. Kick for Calgary fans

:kick:

[bubblesby2002]

12. Hey I missed this earlier or I would have posted on it

Every team I ever root for seems to lose. So don't know who to root for anymore. My yearly phrase is: Okay, we'll take it next season. Been a diehard Canucks fan forever it seems. It would burn my butt if the Cup final is between TB and SJ. That just sucks.

[strategery blunder]

13. Well, the Blues went out first round

They have the longest streak of any major sport in consecutive playoff appearances, but they just can't seem to do anything with it...I feel your pain.:hug:

That said, I firmly believe Detroit is the most evil team in the NHL. Now, I just want them to lose. Tonight, the Flames made me very happy.:)

Edit for evil grammar

[bubblesby2002]

14. I think the Flames are the evil team -

they knocked out the Canucks. And even though I'm not a big fan of Detroit, I love Stevie Y and Shanahan. HATE Chelios. But I'd like to see Yzerman retire on a high. My two favourite teams are the Canucks and the Bruins. How's that for winless streaks?

[strategery blunder]

15. Hey, I went to a regular season game where

the Flames beat the Blues. I paid good money to see that game, and the Flames took the fun out of it. So I'm no fan of the Flames, either.

But I have a BURNING HATRED of the Red Wings. :grr::mad: They must lose at all costs (edit after here), even if it takes San Jose (the team that knocked the Blues out) to defeat the evil entity.

[bubblesby2002]

16. You made me laugh out loud

I have that same burning hatred of Colorado. And I'm from Burnaby and so is Sakic and Kariya. But that doesn't make any difference. That suck Kariya when he went to the Avs for less money than the Canucks offered him - I decided to despise his creepy little guts. Just so he could play with Selanne, the big pussy. So I feel your pain too.

[strategery blunder]

17. Heh heh heh...you'll probably enjoy this

My trolling against a Wrong Wings fan.

Evil thoughts have I!:evilgrin:

[bubblesby2002]

18. Man, there is nothing so good as a hockey fight.

You did really good there - lol. So you know how I feel about traitors. Okay Kariya never played for the Cancucks, but he was freaking born there. So maybe technically it's not treason.....

Anyway, nice talking to ya. I'm off to bed. Work is early tomorrow.

:-)

[Sticky]

20. Check this out - LOL

The sign on the local Amish bakery yesterday.



Everybody has an opinion...

[Frederic Bastiat]

22. Probably some sour Bruins fans

You don't win 24 Stanley Cups without pissing someone.

[Frederic Bastiat]

21. As a Habs fan I am far from being dissapointed

This was a team that pundits did not expect to get to the playoffs, ask anybody that watches the NHL closely. Yeah we are dissapointed here in Montreal, especially at our defense and prima donna goaltender, but we are damn proud of our boys.

Hey we went further than New Jersey, Boston and Ottawa; teams with way more talent.