Official 2007/08 NHL Play-offs Thread

[Operation Shutdown]

Originally Posted by ZiggyPop

Now, I love the Caps, but I hope the Flyers beat them so we face Philly, not those damn Rangers.

Likewise, I'm rooting for the Caps to win so the Pens face them instead of the Rangers. Lundqvist is the new Brodeur, nobody wants to face him in the playoffs.

[thevat]

The Bruins put up a heck of a fight against a superior Canadiens team. I'm very proud of the way my team played, albeit a little disappointed at the outcome. It was a nice revival in the New England area as well, a lot of media talk, a lot of casual fans taking notice. Several nice moments seeing that the team is not dead.

I thank the Canadiens fans partly for this, when they invaded Boston for games 3 & 4; I think they galvanized a community that was sort of blaise about the whole thing in the first place. I'd like to know if those fans (the one's that weren't getting in fights) were surprised by the lack of attitude they got from the Boston fans at the outset. I bet they got a lot of 'we don't even care about the Bruins' kind of responses. Lord knows, as Bruins fans we have heard them from the people and media in the area.

I knew they were playing on 'house money' the last couple of games, as they were expected out of there in 4 or 5 games in the first place. But after the huge game six victory, I was convinced they were going to pull off the upset (a la the Boston Red Sox beating the Yankees in '04). But it wasn't to be.

Luckily, I haven't encountered any obnixious Canadiens fans telling me how they knew it, and that they always beat us, etc. Everyone has been very cordial, and has recognized that the Bruins played very well.

I hope that this is just the start of these teams battling in the post-season again; although I really hope that the outcome favors us the next time!

[Kekkonen]

The Habs win a first round series, and there's rioting in Montreal? Sheesh.

PS. Go Flames!

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by thevat

The Bruins put up a heck of a fight against a superior Canadiens team. I'm very proud of the way my team played, albeit a little disappointed at the outcome. It was a nice revival in the New England area as well, a lot of media talk, a lot of casual fans taking notice. Several nice moments seeing that the team is not dead.

I thank the Canadiens fans partly for this, when they invaded Boston for games 3 & 4; I think they galvanized a community that was sort of blaise about the whole thing in the first place. I'd like to know if those fans (the one's that weren't getting in fights) were surprised by the lack of attitude they got from the Boston fans at the outset. I bet they got a lot of 'we don't even care about the Bruins' kind of responses. Lord knows, as Bruins fans we have heard them from the people and media in the area.

I knew they were playing on 'house money' the last couple of games, as they were expected out of there in 4 or 5 games in the first place. But after the huge game six victory, I was convinced they were going to pull off the upset (a la the Boston Red Sox beating the Yankees in '04). But it wasn't to be.

Luckily, I haven't encountered any obnixious Canadiens fans telling me how they knew it, and that they always beat us, etc. Everyone has been very cordial, and has recognized that the Bruins played very well.

I hope that this is just the start of these teams battling in the post-season again; although I really hope that the outcome favors us the next time!

It was a great series. Seeing the Bruins neutralize the Habs' ridiculously proficient PP was stunning, and seeing the best offensive elements being shut down for most of the series was impressive. The Bruins played well, and they were certainly worthy opponents. They impressed me.

The Bruins are my 3rd favourite NHL team (and I do enjoy the legacy of the Canadien beating the hell out of them in the playoffs ), but I, too, hope that they will continue to face off in the playoffs again. It's the 3rd series in what, 6-7 years, and I hope we do that more often.

As far as rioting goes, as the Canadien's tag line is, "la ville est hockey". It really is! I've heard three journalists' accounts that during the commercial break following Streit's goal, they'd never heard any hockey venue being so loud. Ever. I just came back from biking, and the bus' route indicator was saying "Go Canadiens Go". La ville est hockey, for better or for worse.

[Erik W.]

Originally Posted by Kekkonen

The Habs win a first round series, and there's rioting in Montreal? Sheesh.

PS. Go Flames!

Hardly rioting. Just a few jackasses using the celebration as a cover to be jackasses.

[ZiggyPop]

Originally Posted by Erik W.

Hardly rioting. Just a few jackasses using the celebration as a cover to be jackasses.

Well said.

[marc]

Crap like what took place in Montreal last night is the reason I roll my eyes every time people whine about Philly fans.

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by marc

Crap like what took place in Montreal last night is the reason I roll my eyes every time people whine about Philly fans.

We're talking about a handful of people. Millions of Québecers watch the Habs' game. They aren't really representative. More representative are the people who have little Habs flags on their cars. Also, the Habs fans cheer the hell out of their team at the venue.

NHL players have voted Montréal as the city with the best fans in the NHL, by a pretty huge margin - 32% with Minnesota ranking second at, like 11% I think. Since Habs players and most Western Conference players probably didn't vote for the Habs, that's not bad at all. You're comparing the documented best fans in the NHL with a city with an awful sports reputation. If they really compare, Philly must be a hell of a town .

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

We're talking about a handful of people. Millions of Québecers watch the Habs' game. They aren't really representative. More representative are the people who have little Habs flags on their cars. Also, the Habs fans cheer the hell out of their team at the venue.

NHL players have voted Montréal as the city with the best fans in the NHL, by a pretty huge margin - 32% with Minnesota ranking second at, like 11% I think. Since Habs players and most Western Conference players probably didn't vote for the Habs, that's not bad at all. You're comparing the documented best fans in the NHL with a city with an awful sports reputation. If they really compare, Philly must be a hell of a town .

It is an intresting palce I'll give it that. The women are pretty for one.

[gmo]

Poor Flames. It has just fallen apart for them here in the 2nd.

Now I have a good period plus to watch and rev up the Sharks-hate for the upcoming Stars series against them.

[marc]

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

We're talking about a handful of people.

Thank you for making my point.

This stuff doesn't just happen in Philly and the stuff that happens in Philly is usually only a "handful" of people.

I would be surprised if cars were set on fire over the Flyers thrilling victory this evening but if there were this would turn into an urban legend of epic proportions that people would still be talking about 40 years from now (see Santa Claus incident). Since it happened in Montreal, it will be forgotten by next week.

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by marc

Thank you for making my point.

This stuff doesn't just happen in Philly and the stuff that happens in Philly is usually only a "handful" of people.

I would be surprised if cars were set on fire over the Flyers thrilling victory this evening but if there were this would turn into an urban legend of epic proportions that people would still be talking about 40 years from now (see Santa Claus incident). Since it happened in Montreal, it will be forgotten by next week.

People still talk about the 1993 post-Stanley Cup riots. I don't really see your point.

[marc]

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

I don't really see your point.

It's not a hard point to grasp. Nobody in the United States talks about the 93 riots, it flat out never gets mentioned.

The point is that incidents happen in cities all over the country and that the only city where the incidents seem to "stick" with it is Philadelphia. I've seen some unreal things happen in Cleveland and Detroit and nothing is ever said about it. You never here about how brutal Cleveland fans are or how horrible Detroit fans are, it's always Philadelphia.

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by marc

It's not a hard point to grasp. Nobody in the United States talks about the 93 riots, it flat out never gets mentioned.

The point is that incidents happen in cities all over the country and that the only city where the incidents seem to "stick" with it is Philadelphia. I've seen some unreal things happen in Cleveland and Detroit and nothing is ever said about it. You never here about how brutal Cleveland fans are or how horrible Detroit fans are, it's always Philadelphia.

Well, I don't live in the USA, but the riots sure seem to have stuck here.

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by marc

It's not a hard point to grasp. Nobody in the United States talks about the 93 riots, it flat out never gets mentioned.

The point is that incidents happen in cities all over the country and that the only city where the incidents seem to "stick" with it is Philadelphia. I've seen some unreal things happen in Cleveland and Detroit and nothing is ever said about it. You never here about how brutal Cleveland fans are or how horrible Detroit fans are, it's always Philadelphia.

That's because when riots happen there no-one notices a difference between teh before and after pictures of the neighbourhoods

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

Well, I don't live in the USA, but the riots sure seem to have stuck here.

It is mentioned off and on, although not too often.

[Hurkman]

Originally Posted by marc

It's not a hard point to grasp. Nobody in the United States talks about the 93 riots, it flat out never gets mentioned.

The point is that incidents happen in cities all over the country and that the only city where the incidents seem to "stick" with it is Philadelphia. I've seen some unreal things happen in Cleveland and Detroit and nothing is ever said about it. You never here about how brutal Cleveland fans are or how horrible Detroit fans are, it's always Philadelphia.

QFE.

I remember Game 6 of the ALCS in 2004, when A-Rod knocked the ball out of Arroyo's glove and the Yankee fans threw enough stuff onto the field that the NYPD had to come out there and restore order. Does that ever get brought up? I remember the Giant fans throwing snowballs at San Diego Charger players and even knocking out one assistant coach with a shot to the head. Does that ever get brought up? When Cleveland fans assaulted referees with bottles after a game, does anyone remember that?

No. In America, all that gets brought up is the Philadelphia fans, and how they booed Santa Claus 40 years ago, and how awful all of us are. I follow hockey, but not like most Montreal fans do, so I don't completely understand your situation, though I know you've been waiting for a season like this, especially with all the tradition your team has. That being said, once again, in America, it seems like all that gets remembered are Philly fans, and how "horrible and classless" all of us are, when the majority of Philadelphia fans that I know can't stand the handful of idiots that make us all look bad. We didn't all boo when Donovan McNabb was drafted. We didn't all cheer when Michael Irvin broke his neck. That's just how it seems to be shown, though.

I know not everyone is responsible for anything that a fan base does, but most of the time, all Philly fans get thrown into a single, unified group. I know not all Montreal fans were out rioting after Game 7, but if it were Philly, it would have brought up mentions of everything that had ever happened before, trust me.

With that being said, now the Flyers get to face Montreal in the second round. I hope its a good series, and neither team has much to whine about after its over. May the better team win!

[Big Hugg]

I'll say this for the post-game shenanigans in Montreal, at least no Bruins fans were nearly fatally attacked.

[Kekkonen]

What I meant is this: when a city has the kind of hockey tradition Montreal has, you just don't riot after a first-round win. You win the cup and then you riot. But kids these days... meh.

[Starshadow]

As a Wings fan, let it be known that I hate the Avs will hope to see them physically punished the whole series (I can dream ) as well as on the scoreboard. Especially since Forsberg is back.

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by Starshadow

As a Wings fan, let it be known that I hate the Avs will hope to see them physically punished the whole series (I can dream ) as well as on the scoreboard. Especially since Forsberg is back.

WEll now that my preferred matchup in the finals is gone, I coudl handle a consolation prize of Detroit-Montreal