Stanley Cup finals start Wednesday night!

[jerseydevil]

Finally, 9 months after the season started, the moment of truth: the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup. I know, I'm probably the only one who cares...well, some of the Canadians too, I'm sure. But it ought to be a great series, can't wait for it to start. My prediction? The Cup goes back home to Canada for the first time since 1993. Canucks in 7.

[PyroJames]

Finally, 9 months after the season started, the moment of truth: the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup. I know, I'm probably the only one who cares...well, some of the Canadians too, I'm sure. But it ought to be a great series, can't wait for it to start. My prediction? The Cup goes back home to Canada for the first time since 1993. Canucks in 7.

Yes!!!!!!!!    However, I'm predicting Vancouver takes it in 6.

On a side note, another NHL team came back to Canada today!  Congrats to Winnipeg!  (and condolences to Atlanta.  )

[gunga]

Canucks in 5 or 6 for me!

[J-sews]

Red Wings in 4!!






Oh wait....

[Whoey]

Canucks in 5 or 6 sounds about right...

and indeed congrats to Winnipeg... although it seems it's possible they may not be called the Jets? 

[WhichDawg]

the Cans have been great all year, and now that they finally got my Blackhawks off their back, they are playing great again and Lou is riding high.

I think it's a great matchup and it will be fun to watch, I predict the Canucks in 7 (they just have to make it heart-stopping for their fans! lol )

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm glad a team is coming back to Winnipeg but it just won't be the same if they aren't the Jets.  I was raised just outside of Winnipeg, and the Jets were always my team and I wasn't too happy when they moved.  I never really did find a new team after that, and contented myself with supporting whichever team was playing against my friends' teams that night! 

As for the playoffs this year, I hope the Canucks get it, but I have a feeling Boston is going to take it.

Def

[jerseydevil]

Yeah, I think it's pretty cool that Winnipeg is getting a team again. That's the second team that Atlanta's lost to a Canadian city!

[Mr. Whippy]

I'm glad a team is coming back to Winnipeg but it just won't be the same if they aren't the Jets.  I was raised just outside of Winnipeg, and the Jets were always my team and I wasn't too happy when they moved.  I never really did find a new team after that, and contented myself with supporting whichever team was playing against my friends' teams that night! 

As for the playoffs this year, I hope the Canucks get it, but I have a feeling Boston is going to take it.

Def

The Washington Capitals are here for you!

I'm sorta rooting for Boston.  It's hard for me to support a team of smurfs.    (Even if they have the Sedin bros)

[PyroJames]

I'm glad a team is coming back to Winnipeg but it just won't be the same if they aren't the Jets.

Def

Even if they don't keep the Jets name, we can be sure that the Winnipeg "white out" will be back. 

[jekostas]

Go Canucks!

[gunga]

Game 1 down!  3 more wins to go!!!

[WhichDawg]

that was a good game, great goal minding on both sides

the Canucks always win the first one...

and what's with this spacing between games?!

[jekostas]

that was a good game, great goal minding on both sides

the Canucks always win the first one...

and what's with this spacing between games?!

8 straight Game 1s...

Two concerts at GM place on Thursday and Friday, otherwise the series would've started Thursday.  Saturday Game is for Hockey Night in Canada.

[Grant Lamontagne]

that was a good game, great goal minding on both sides

the Canucks always win the first one...

and what's with this spacing between games?!

Amazing goaltending on both sides.  If it wasn't a really good game I'd suggest both goalies get checked for performance enhancing substances, or have his midichlorian count looked into.

Def

[jerseydevil]

Well, it looks like this series might be over much quicker than I expected! Nothing wrong with a sweep, one of my favorite hockey moments is when the Red Wings forgot they were supposed to be playing hockey in '95  . That OT goal last night was a beaut!

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's actually been a couple of great games with both teams playing well- or at least the goalies are playing well!  There's a lot of back and forth and it's been very close both games, what with the Canucks only scoring at the end of the third period in Game 1 and trailing Boston for half of Game 2 before tying it up at the end and winning in overtime.  Regardless of who wins, it's been a great series.

Def

[jerseydevil]

Yeah, they both have been great games, very tight. I have to agree that the goaltending has been incredible, what you'd expect with two Vezina finalists facing each other.

[WhichDawg]

I'm really enjoying this series, 2 great teams who really want to cry on Lord Stanley.

and...Mike/Doc Emrick is actually doing some "play-by-play" and not telling too many "other" stories during the game!

[jekostas]

I'm really enjoying this series, 2 great teams who really want to cry on Lord Stanley.

and...Mike/Doc Emrick is actually doing some "play-by-play" and not telling too many "other" stories during the game!

Good god, you need to find a decent anonymous Canadian VPN and get on the CBC stream.  It's night and day listening to Jim Hughson over Emrick.

[jerseydevil]

and...Mike/Doc Emrick is actually doing some "play-by-play" and not telling too many "other" stories during the game!

Doc is the regular play-by-play guy for the Devils, so I'm quite used to his style. He's one of the best in the biz IMO. At least for the finals you guys can hear him without Chico Resch next to him trying to do the color commentary.......

[Whoey]

The two games of the final so far were CBC on ESPN Player... I suspect in Boston it will be Versus or something else. It's rather painful watching games with American announcers... they tend to be very biased where the Canadian ones just seem to be excited about the game, no matter who is playing/scoring etc.

[WhichDawg]

ohh yeah the Canadian announcers are great! once in awhile I catch em or hear them on highlights,

Real Announcers talking about the game going on!

[jerseydevil]

WOW! I was expecting another nice tight game, not a rout! 8-1? Damn! Much rougher game than the last two as well. Hopefully Nathan Horton will be OK, that was a scary-looking hit!

[WhichDawg]

wicked hit! when torres hit seabrook and took him out, it really motivated the blackhawks and they won 3 in a roll after.

[jekostas]

wicked hit! when torres hit seabrook and took him out, it really motivated the blackhawks and they won 3 in a roll after.

Scary, scary hit.  Horton's gone for the series.  Look up "fencing response" and then replay the video of the hit, you'll know what I mean.

I hope he's okay long term.

[gunga]

Ugh. What an ugly game. Hope the nucks win and Horton is okay.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The game should have only been 5-1, but the Canucks just gave up.  There was something seriously off about them last night, while Boston was playing a much more aggressive game than usual.  Whether the Bruins were reacting to Horton's injury or not remains to be seen.  Either way, they played a hell of a game, and the fact that the Canucks were obviously having issues (jet lag, food poisoning or some other issue) shouldn't detract from that.  But, looking at some of the goals (early on- later ones were a result of him giving up), Luongo was missing some really easy ones that he should have stopped.  The whole team was sloppy, and I imagine they are getting their hineys chewed out this morning about it. 

Thomas played a great game last night, but you'll see what I mean about Vancouver having an "off night" since Luongo was pretty well his equal in the previous two games.  Still, seeing him nail Sedin last night was great too! 

I just wasn't certain whether either side would have had enough players to finish the game, considering how many were being thrown out, carted out or sent to the penalty box!

Jekostas- I've seen that happen before but I didn't know there was a name for it.

Def

[Mr. Whippy]

wicked hit! when torres hit seabrook and took him out, it really motivated the blackhawks and they won 3 in a roll after.

Scary, scary hit.  Horton's gone for the series.  Look up "fencing response" and then replay the video of the hit, you'll know what I mean.

I hope he's okay long term.

Wow!  I saw that, but didn't realize the significance.  This place is a wealth of knowledge!  Hoping for the best for Nathan Horton...

[jekostas]

wicked hit! when torres hit seabrook and took him out, it really motivated the blackhawks and they won 3 in a roll after.

Scary, scary hit.  Horton's gone for the series.  Look up "fencing response" and then replay the video of the hit, you'll know what I mean.

I hope he's okay long term.

Wow!  I saw that, but didn't realize the significance.  This place is a wealth of knowledge!  Hoping for the best for Nathan Horton...

Horton's gone for the series.  Rome's been suspended for 4 games for the hit.