Monday, May 29, 2006

 

Next round

We've all got a week off to actually get things accomplished at work in order to make up for all the time we have wasted spent over the last three weeks sending scathing letters to CBC, cruching spreadsheets to show that Dvorak kicks ass, frantically analyzing shift charts, recovering from hangovers, lighting bonfires in shopping carts, getting treated for electrical burns on our hands, etc.

But in the meantime, anyone know anything at all about either Carolina or Buffalo? This unbalanced schedule has ensured that I know next to nothing about either of them.

On paper it looks like the Oil matchup best against Buffalo, because then we can employ the taunting animal metaphors that have worked so well in the last two series -- three if you count octopus.

On the other hand, I really like those Hurricanes bloggers (Red and Black Hockey, Cason, Sweet Tea, Barbecue, and Body Checks, Hokejowy Blog, and, naturally, Ronnie Franchise.

I get the sense that those folks can give it as well as they can take it. Especially that Acid Queen -- she frightens me a little bit.

I'm going to spend the week reading those guys so that I can exploit their weaknesses come Saturday, or whenever this shindig actually kicks off.

Comments:

Sac,

Its looking like its going to be Carolina given that their up 3-1 and Buffalo is icing 3 NHL defensemen and the rest are AHL call ups. At the moment their D corps is fragile as a pane of glass on Whyte ave.

Carolina's weakness? Cole is out till next year, and Gerber and Ward have each had a some shakey starts. The Huricane's D isn't going to impress anyone, on the other hand they have some very good forwards, notably Staal, Stillman, Rod Brendamour, Doug Weight and Rechi. They can roll 3 pretty good lines, which is troublesome.

I think they'll be the best team we've played since Detriot.
 


They're up 3-1? Did the league take a game away from Buffalo for some reason?
 


I like our odds against Carolina better. Though with Buffalo limping out of the East, it really seems more even. The thing that scares me about Buffalo is that they have more consistent goaltending in Miller, and greater overall speed. I think the thing with Carolina is that on average they lack that speed, meaning that MacT can clog the middle and staple Pronger/Smith to Staal's line, effectively shutting down most of their offense.
 


Yea, my bad Colby its a 3-2 series. For some reason I didn't recall the Sabers winning a second game. Truthfully I haven't paid a great deal of attention to that series. Then tend to be on the "Oh my bloody head, I hope I didn't stab anyone." days.
 


I've seen a lot of Buffalo and Carolina this year. They're very close. Buffalo has their well-documented injuries. Carolina has been red-hot on the PP, and the Oilers have been shorthanded more than anyone in the playoffs. That's a bad combination if the refs decide to have a special teams final. I think Cam Ward has been better than Miller, too.

Both teams have three good scoring lines, so it won't be a matter of "shut down Teemu and win."

I like the Oilers' chances versus the Sabres, but not so much w/ the 'Canes.
 


I'm the reverse... I think we have a much better chance against Carolina than Buffalo... Buffalo isn't as powerful a team on paper, but their speed is unbelievable, and they are cut from the same mold as the Oilers - they just don't quit. That scares me somewhat.

I think Carolina, on the other hand, is much more like the teams we have already dispatched, and hence much more favourable...

Interesting verification "hlplein"
 


I gotta be honest, her trash talk kinda turns me on.

I can't see her being a problem. Consider me your Essa Tikanen, and Cosh your Kenny Linseman. Or vice versa. I don't care. We. Will. Shut. Shit. Down.

My only concern is that the Whale are my 2nd favorite team. I am gonna be Sophie's Choice conflicted if the Canes advance. I may need the occasional slap in the face, to remind me that I love my first born above all others.
 


A little fun math for the stats geeks on the site :P

Anaheim > Calgary
Anaheim > Colorado
Edmonton > Anaheim, therefore
Edmonton > Calgary, Colorado

QED :P
 


My math tells me:

Edmonton > Every other team in the NHL besides possibly one.

Tom Benjamin and the rest of the "worst playoffs ever" bunch can suck on that. The equation is tatooed relatively close to my rectum.

Ah, it's good to be back!
 


This is from an earlier post:

Interestingly, the Sun seems to go with 'Rolie' to fit with goalie.

Am I the only one that notices that when it is spelled 'Rolie' it is a jumblemajig for 'Oiler'?
 


I wonder when the Stanley Cup playoffs became suddenly so devalued; maybe Bettman will decree that the Stanley Cup will be rewarded to the team which has the highest regular season finish plus number of future hall of famers multiplied by how good they are on paper plus number of media people to predict them as Stanley Cup Champions. That would eliminate all of the meaningless hockey being played now that was only good enough to determine the Stanley Cup champion EVERY OTHER YEAR.

Ok, I am done now.
 


IF the Canes make the Finals, you have nothing to worry about from me as long as you remember the following:

1) The bulk of the Hurricanes' fanbase is blue-collar and got priced out of Rounds 3 and 4 thanks to the Canes' management deciding "Ahh, the fans don't need to budget for playoff tickets! Rent? Food? Who needs it?" Our tix are cheap, but they ain't *that* cheap.

2) NASCAR hasn't had a race in Raleigh since before I was born....in 1970. If you want NASCAR madness, go 2 hours' down the road to Charlotte (or Toronto--apparently they like it so much there that Sportsnet East almost pre-empted a Leafs game for a race).

3) Contrary to what the Sabres fans say, there are quite a few of us that know hockey quite well down here--we're trying to help the n00bs along and build a fanbase here.

4) I'm from North Dakota--so calling me a "Dumb Southerner" won't work. If you want to take a shot at the fact that I was born in Los Angeles, well...I guess I can't stop that.

5) To be revealed at a later date...if at all.

AQ
 


North Dakota's still south from here, lady.
 


So's Winnipeg--your point?
 


Are you sure there are any Canes fans outside of Hartford and Canada? This ESPN story seems to show otherwise.

And Black Dog, I couldn't agree more. Between the Lupul/Selanne/Carlyle alliance, who seem to think having a 1-8 record against an opposing team for the year means you are better than them, and Chicken Little and his gang, who you so eloquently decimated above, I have been barely holding back the rage. Seriously, I would rather read the Chewbacca blog than read Tom Benjamin.
 


That Page2 article is a crock. Guy goes to two sportsbars, one in a shopping mall in Durham, on a day when the team is actually playing in Raleigh, and wonders why he doesn't stumble onto a scene from Whyte Ave?

He's just daft.

We'll be fine, and there's plenty of us around to make a hell of a lot of noise.

Should we get by an impressive, gutsy Buffalo team (do you hear me hockey gods?) I look forward to the umpteenth recycling of the "you rednecks shouldn't have hockey go back to NASCAR and basketball you ignorant sister loving morons" smack that we seem to always get from cities with more established hockey traditions.

And I look forward to depositing that smack in the same line with the Montreal, New Jersey and (knock on wood) Buffalo smack - you know the line, the one for the Prozac prescription to end the depression.

Let's Go Canes.


Now, I have to actually get some work done. See ya.
 


Everyone else was thinking it, but I'll say it: bullshit.

You doubt me?

Tsk tsk.

http://www.hurricanes.com/news/news.asp?articleid=1091

There.
 

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