21 replies to this topic

[Dark Knight]

Please post your thoughts, pictures and comments on tonight's games in this thread.

Boston at Montreal
Washington at Philadelphia
Colorado at Minnesota
Calgary at SJS

[UltraDavid]

Huge game for the Caps. It really sucks that they and the Ducks are playing at basically the same time two games in a row. Obviously I'll watch the Ducks, but I'd really like to see the Caps play too.

Word is that Boudreau is really gonna mess with the lineup tonight. Ovechkin and Kozlov have been paired with Backstrom almost the whole season, but tonight it'll be Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov on the top line. Thomas Fleischmann will be scratched, Eric Fehr will be on the third line, Matt Bradley will be on the fourth line, and Brooks Laich will be on the second line with Backstrom and Semin. Boudreau's also probably gonna go with Huet over Kolzig, which I have mixed feelings about. Through three games, Huet has the worst save percentage of any goalie in the playoffs (.884!). Over three games, that's pretty consistently inconsistent. But at the same time, I don't know how much better Kolzig could do, and I don't want the team to feel like their coach is panicking. With all the lineup changes, including changes to things that have been steady most of the season, I'm already worried that they'll think that.

[ladiesandgentlemen]

I hear what you're saying about the appearance of panic by the coach, but I'd definitely prioritize Ollie the goalie. I'd use him first and reconsider the other line changes to throttle down the fear factor.

They need to stop goals, and the best place to do it is in net. Kolzig has proven himself over a long period and has been the most steady influence on that club for a long time. He'd be a shot in the arm.

[UltraDavid]

Kolzig isn't the same awesome goalie he's been in years past, he really fell off this year (hence their pickup of Huet). He played better after Huet arrived, but I'm really not sure how he'd play now. I guess neither situation is ideal, you're starting a goalie you're not sure can win in either case.

[ladiesandgentlemen]

... He played better after Huet arrived...

Which is an indication that will bear down after Huet has been given the nod in the playoffs, too, and even more so. A proven veteran like him knows the stakes are even higher now. For Ollie, he knows in his heart of hearts that it's Now or Never.

Huet was good in game 2 and gave the Caps a chance to win, but not thorough enough in the other two games.

[UltraDavid]

Certainly if Huet plays poorly and loses this game or the next, I think they'll go with Kolzig the game after. But yeah, honestly I'm not thrilled about either option.

[Still MIGHTY]

0 - 1 End of 1st

2 - 2 End of 1st
Huet in net for the Caps

[GLOVESAVE35]

Washington up 3-2 after 2. Go Caps!!

[GLOVESAVE35]

1-1 Avs/Wild after one.

Caps and Flyers going to OT (3-3 tie).

Boston 5 Montreal 1 last I saw. EDIT: It's final.

[GLOVESAVE35]

Mike Knuble scores in the 2nd OT for the Flyers. Series is 3-1 Flyers.

[adamrice23]

What an ending... fun game to watch.. took my mind on the mess I just saw

[UltraDavid]

Come on... the Caps dominated OT, and end up losing? Both of my teams are down 3-1, this really, really blows.

[GLOVESAVE35]

3-1 Colorado over Minnesota in the 3rd.

[EdDucks916]

Calgary-San Jose game is 1-1 midway of 2nd period.

[Dark Knight]

FINAL SCORE: Colorado at Minnesota 3-2 (Colorado also leads series 3-2)...

[GLOVESAVE35]

FINAL SCORE: Colorado at Minnesota 3-2 (Colorado also leads series 3-2)...

There's that 3-2 score again. What a strangely symmetrical series.

Cheechoo scores to make it 3-1 SJ.

[GLOVESAVE35]

4-1 Sharks on a goal by Cheechoo.

Langkow scores on PP goal and it's 4-2 SJ now.

[GLOVESAVE35]

Iginla scores! 4-3 SJ now.

EDIT: David Moss got his stick on it. It's Moss' goal.

[DropThePuck]

5 - Kessel, P. (PPG, 07:45 in 2nd), Metropolit, G. (03:31 in 3rd), Chara, Z. (PPG, 05:49 in 3rd), Sturm, M. (SHG, 15:13 in 3rd), Sobotka, V. (17:48 in 3rd)
1 - Kovalev, A. (09:47 in 1st)

Price gloved a puck at the side of his net and dropped it in front of him, but Petteri Nokelainen got his stick on it before Montreal's Maxim Lapierre and Metropolit batted the puck into an open net 3:31 into the third to put the Bruins up 2-1.

"When a team gets a break like that, they're going to come harder," Price said. "I won't think about it again after I leave this dressing room."

<NHL.com recap>



Montreal Canadiens' Maxime Lapierre goes into the net head-first behind Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas during the second period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Thursday, April 17, 2008, in Montreal.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)


Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins runs Alex Kovalev #27 of the Montreal Canadiens into the far boards knocking his helmet off in the process during game five of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals on April 17, 2008 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
(Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)


Glen Metropolit #13 of the Boston Bruins gets his gloves up into the face of Andrei Markov #79 of the Montreal Canadiens during a scrum after the whistle during game five of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals on April 17, 2008 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
(Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)


Tim Thomas #30 of Boston Bruins kicks out a rebound with Tom Kostopoulos #6 of the Montreal Canadiens cutting hard across the top of the crease looking for a loose puck during game five of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals on April 17, 2008 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
(Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)

[DropThePuck]

3 - Backstrom, N. (PPG, 02:41 in 1st), Semin, A. (PPG, 12:59 in 1st), Eminger, S. (05:56 in 2nd)
4 - Carter, J. (00:42 in 1st), Carter, J. (18:33 in 1st), Briere, D. (PPG, 10:01 in 3rd), Knuble, M. (06:40 in 2nd OT)

"Bing-bang, a rebound and goal," Huet said.

<NHL.com recap>



Goalie Martin Biron #43 of the Philadelphia Flyers makes a stick save as Jason Smith #21 and Brooks Laich #21 of the Washington Capitals look for the rebound during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 17, 2007 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)


Sami Kapanen #24 of the Philadelphia Flyers hits Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals into the boards during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 17, 2007 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)


Jaroslav Modry #26 of the Philadelphia Flyers slides on the ice and block the shoot of Donald Brashear #87 of the Washington Capitals during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 17, 2007 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)


Derian Hatcher #2 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals battle for the puck in front of the net during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 17, 2007 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Flyers defeat the Capitals 4-3 (2OT)
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

[DropThePuck]

3 - Brunette, A. (PPG, 12:24 in 1st), Wolski, W. (PPG, 05:06 in 3rd), Stastny, P. (06:25 in 3rd)
2 - Bouchard, P. (PPG, 19:20 in 1st), Rolston, B. (19:57 in 3rd)

"He made quite a few saves, obviously," Rolston said. "We outshot them pretty good. I think more traffic is needed, obviously, all the cliches I'll throw at you. But he played well. He played very well. This is the playoffs, and sometimes it takes a little bit more to score in the playoffs."

<NHL.com recap>



Colorado Avalanche's goalie Jose Theodore (60) makes a glove save as Adam Foote (52) fights for position against Minnesota Wild's Todd Fedoruk (17) during the first period in a first-round NHL playoff hockey game, Thursday, April 17, 2008, in St. Paul, Minn.
(AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)


Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny (26) scores past Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom, of Sweden, in the third period of a first-round NHL hockey playoff game in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, April 17, 2008. Colorado won 3-2, and leads the series 3-2.
(AP Photo/Andy King)


Todd Fedoruk #17 of the Minnesota Wild and Peter Forsberg #21 of the Colorado Avalanche collide during game five of the 2008 NHL Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 17, 2008 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Colorado won, 3-2.
(Photo by Scott A. Schneider/Getty Images)


Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild and Kurt Sauer #34 of the Colorado Avalanche watch a shot from Pierre-Marc Bouchard of the Wild beat Jose Theodore #60 of the Avalanche in the first period of game five of the 2008 NHL Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 17, 2008 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Colorado won, 3-2.
(Photo by Scott A. Schneider/Getty Images)

[DropThePuck]

3 - Iginla, J. (PPG, 04:03 in 2nd), Langkow, D. (PPG, 09:06 in 3rd), Moss, D. (18:43 in 3rd)
4 - Pavelski, J. (PPG, 11:32 in 2nd), Marleau, P. (18:07 in 2nd), Cheechoo, J. (04:52 in 3rd), Cheechoo, J. (08:22 in 3rd)

The Flames were still smarting from the Game 4 loss in which Cheechoo tied it with 4:52 to go and Thornton scored the winner with 9.2 seconds left.

Iginla and assistant coach Rich Preston got into a heated argument in the locker room the day after the loss, and defenseman Robyn Regher called out some of his teammates for not showing enough effort.

The Flames responded by putting one more shot on goal (11) in the first period than they had in the entire game Tuesday.

<NHL.com recap>



Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, right, of Finland, takes a break in the first period against the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of an NHL Western Conference hockey playoff series, Thursday, April 17, 2008, in San Jose, Calif.
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)


San Jose Sharks defenseman Brian Campbell (51) pushes over Calgary Flames right wing Jarome Iginla (12) in the first period in Game 5 of an NHL Western Conference hockey playoff series, Thursday, April 17, 2008, in San Jose, Calif.
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)


San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) scores past Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, of Finland, in the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Western Conference playoff series, Thursday, April 17, 2008, in San Jose, Calif.
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)


San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov (20), of Kazakhstan, block a puck from a Calgary Flames player in the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Western Conference playoff series, Thursday, April 17, 2008, in San Jose, Calif. The Sharks defeated the Flames 4-3.
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)