EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Buffalo vs. 6. NY Rangers
2. New Jersey vs. 4. Ottawa

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Detroit vs. 5. San Jose
2. Anaheim vs. 3. Vancouver

Here are my picks -- shockingly I went 8 for 8 in the first round!

Buffalo in 6
New Jersey in 7
Detroit in 7
Anaheim in 6

So, each series is one game in. The two games last night weren't all that competitive, with Buffalo scoring three swift goals and then not allowing the Rangers to get back within two, and Anaheim easily defeating Vancouver. Tonight's games featured a 2-0 San Jose win at Detroit and Ottawa rolled to a 4-0 lead 16 minutes into the first period and hung on to win 5-4 at New Jersey. So the home teams won last night and the visitors won tonight.

I actually didn't see much of any of them, in part because I fell asleep tonight in front of the TV. So feel free to chime in with details of what I missed.

Sharks didn't look great, but they were good enough to upset the Red Wings in Hockey Town, U.S.A. They got a couple of quick goals in the first period and then just shut the door.

Detroit is going to have to come up with something to combat the Shark's size and speed. Go Sharks!

This really sucks.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Ar2z...p&type=lgns

Sabres basically steal game 2 from the Rangers. Buffalo was outplayed and outshot 22-9 through the first two periods before turning on the jets with a pair of goals to take a 3-2 lead late in the third. Then they held off a Ranger power play in the final two minutes with the net empty for the win.

Up 2-0 heading to NY, things are looking good right about now in this round.

Some random thoughts...

Sean Avery....talk, talk, talk. And no action. How about spending four minutes in the box in game 1 with a -3 for the night. And nothing on the scoresheet as well...

Want a monster hitter? How 'bout Dainius Zubrus. Yep, this guy is actually playing to his actual size recording nine hits last night and nailing Jagr with a nice hip check in the second. He was critical last night for the Sabres.

Jagr says"I bet they think this series is over"...no...sounds like you think it is though......

Couldn't make the end of the Ducks/Nucks matchup. I hate multi OT games....how about going 4 on 4 after regulation like in the regular season and continue play till someone scores?

Hey Blueraider. Miller saved your Sabres' bacon last night. Rangers outplayed Buffalo all night and if they keep playing that way this still could be a long and interesting series. Of course Sunday is an absolutely must-win for the Rangers though.

Good to see the boisterous sell-out crowd at the HSBC. Not the same in either New Jersey or Detroit the night before with the Devils 4,000 short of a sell-out and the Wings - who have yet to sell-out a playoff game - about 1500 short of a sell-out. I assume it is almost impossible to get Sabres playoff tickets - just like it is here trying to land Raptor playoff tickets. I lucked out and got a ticket for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Nets - but the game completely sold out within 10 minutes of public sale. Whereas the Nets game last night - just like the Devils - was well short of a sell-out with 3,000 empty seats.

I say good luck to the teams that are getting the best fan support, so I'd be happy to see teams like the Sabres and Senators move on in the East. Buffalo is a small community that has been very hard hit economically - and yet the fans are still selling out every game at the HSBC - unlike Hockeytown USA a.k.a Detroit. Interesting to see what the tickets are getting on ticket broker websites too. Because Detroit is not sold out - tickets for today's game were going for between $55.00 - $270.00 on one ticket broker site. The same site had Game 5 Sabre tickets for betwen $170.00 - $1090.00 per ticket! Is it actually people from Buffalo paying those kinds of prices or is it us hockey mad Canadians just across the border who are paying those kind of rates?

Well...if you're paying over a grand for any ticket in Buffalo you're being taken to the cleaners....

Tickets on the street are beginning to go for near or below face value, either the market has been tapped out or maybe confident fans are packing their cash away for a visit to a finals game.(If Ottawa gets past Jersey I'd be very skeptical of that.)

They had no public sale of tickets and probably won't later as season ticket holders(about 14.5 k) bought the rest through presale.

The season ticket base has skyrocketed since last season because they dropped the season ticket rate to far below the window price. Want season tix in sec 113 row 18?(corner behind net where sabres shoot twice)...29$ a game....window was 80 I believe for premium games....

This was done in part to reach the season ticket threshold(13k I think?) to qualify for revenue sharing qualifiers in the CBA.

Of course the winning helps. Now there's a waiting list of 6k and plans are to abolish the mini-pack plans.

16,15,14,13,12,11,10 wins to go......

I believe there should be a minimal amount of tickets available for indidivual-game sales. Even if they sell out immediately, there should be at least a chance for a person who doesn't want/can't afford a full season plan (or even a six-pack of games) to be able to buy tickets for a single game. It isn't right that the playoff tickets are going only to season-ticket customers who, presumably, already have their own tickets for those games.

And NO to any change in playoff format. Not even going to 4-on-4. Vancouver's win over Anaheim last night only came in double-OT. It's not like it went 4 or 5 overtimes. C'mon, suck it up. Be a man.

Okay I feel better now that the Wings beat the Sharks despite not having Holmstrem and Lebda to help out.
Onward and upward!

And another double-OT game tonight (woo-hoo! ) with the Devils beating Ottawa to tie their series. All the series are 1-1 except for the Sabres up 2-0.

Yet another double-OT game! Rangers beat Sabres and now trail 2-1. In the two overtime periods there were 5 power plays between the two teams. Now that's unusual, even now in the "new" NHL.

Anaheim leads Vancouver 2-1, as the Ducks managed to win in regulation tonight.

Come onnnnnnnnnnnn,Red Wings!!!

SHARKS!!!

Great home win for the Sharks last night. I'm liking how they're matching up against Detroit -- bigger, faster and younger.

Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom has been cleared by doctors to play in game four on Wednesday.

Ottawa shut out New Jersey last night to take a 2-1 series lead. So, the Senators and Sharks are trying to ruin my perfect postseason prognostication.

I think Tomas will make a tremendous difference!

Sabres and Rangers are now tied at 2 games each. It looked like Buffalo tied the game in the closing seconds but the video reviewers ruled otherwise. The above-net camera didn't have a view of the puck being fully over the line before Lundqvist's pad kicked it out, but based on the frame-by-frame look and the fact that the camera isn't directly above the goal line but at a slight angle, it seems to me that the puck couldn't have not gone in. They didn't show any other angles during the review on the broadcast, though presumably they had multiple replays in the review booth.

I see Anaheim beat the Canucks again and are now up 3 games to 1 in that series.I would have expected that series to be tied,can't wait to see what happens next.

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Tough one to swallow for the Sabres. I agree with you Joe - when I saw the replay when I got home from the Raptors play-off game last night that it looked like the puck had to be across the line - by about 1/8 of an inch only though. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back at home.

I did notice the one story earlier this week that Sabres coach Lindy Ruff spoke in favour of making overtimes 4 on 4. He says too many overtime games are going too long and often entire periods are being played with practically no scoring chances. He counted only 5 good scoring chances in the overtime of the Sabres - Rangers game that went double overtime. He said as a result hundreds of people - if not thousands have headed home from the arenas in some of the marathon overtimes that have taken place this year and he argues that is not good for hockey to have that many people leave before there is a result. And with so many games going at least to double overtime I assume likewise they have lost the interest of thousands - if not hundreds of thousands of viewers before they get a result. I know i have not made it to the end of any double overtime or longer games yet this year.

I think it would cheapen the game if you go to 4-on-4 overtime in the playoffs. Plus, it would likely open the door to someone calling for shootouts in the playoffs. I just know it would. I could live with 4-on-4 if they ever do that, but I won't like it. And I've already stated so many times that I'm done for good if they ever go to playoff shootouts.

I think hockey gets much more attention from the media merely because of the length of these long games.

I'm sure people leave early, but people do that anyway, even in games that end in regulation. Lindy Ruff should stop looking in the stands for people leaving and worry more about why his team isn't scoring more goals against the Rangers.

One Canadian team (Vancouver) is in trouble, but the other (Ottawa) is now a win away from advancing.

Detroit 3, San Jose 2, OT....LOVIN' IT!!!

ugh! that one hurt...

Despite the best efforts of Roberto Luongo, the Canucks were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks in 5 games thanks to tonight's double-OT win. It's the 12 OT game of the postseason. Of those 12, 7 have gone to at least double-OT.

Is it just me or are more OT games going longer in OT than usual. I don't know if there are stats on this - but a few years ago wasn't it a rarity for an overtime to go beyond the first overtime period? Instead as Joe has pointed out over half of this year's overtime games have gone 2OT or more. And it seems most of those have been in the West - meaning those of us in the East are not watching by the time they finally end in the wee hours of the morning back here.

And I don't think that is good for generating interest in the NHL. Plus I'm sure the networks covering the games are not thrilled since they do not make any commercial revenue - as there are no commercials during the overtimes.

These OT games on the west coast are killing me!!

Buffalo was close to becoming an endangered species. The Rangers were eight seconds away from taking a 3-2 series lead, but Chris Drury scored on a rebound to tie the game and Maxim Afinogenov (after being benched for game 4) won it in OT.

Oh yes!!! Wings 4 Sharks 1!!!

Just caught the final period of the Senators and Devils game.Ottawa looked great but New Jersey looked tired and sluggish.Ottawa almost looks unstoppable! Congrats to Ottawa fans.

Congrats to Blueraider and all Buffalo fans.However,Ottawa will be no walk in the park!

Phew, what a game.

Your boy Jochen Hecht helped the cause with a pair of goals . Deustchland forever!!!

Ottawa will be the toughest challenge....personally I don't think Buffalo gets by them....maybe that's just my pessimistic Buffalo attitude speaking...

I'm not one to look at nationality. But I'll take the (tiny) amout of publicity that he gives the Sabres over here.

In Austria, ORF (public broadcast station) broadcasts the Sabres playoff games because of Vanek.



Yes, Bills or Sabres, I believe it when I see it. Ottawa had the edge in the regular season.

Funny you mention Austria...I ran into someone in the Sabre locker room who was covering the series for some Austrian news outlet. He had no video equipment so I assumed he was a writer. Simply there to cover Vanek...

WOO-HOO....RED ALERT....Wings 2 Sharks 0.Next up,Anaheim!! GO WINGS!!!!!!

Awesome, JiP. 11 for 12 now. Dayuum.

...and then came THE SABRES VS. SENATORS. And then, God rested.

Tough to decide who I should cheer for in the Ottawa - Sabres series. Both teams are big rivals of my Leafs so in some ways it is tough to cheer for either one. Buffalo is only about 60 miles away as the crow flies - and I am a Bills fan - since Buffalo is the closest city with an NFL team - so maybe I should cheer for the Sabres. Then again - they are across that border - so should I be a 'good Canadian' and cheer for the lone Canadian team left in the playoffs like the vast majority of other Canadians will?

Boy - tough call - but I think I'm leaning towards Buffalo. Their sports teams are one of the few things Buffalo have going for them as of late and between the Bills losing 4 consecutive Super Bowls in the early 90's and the Sabres loss to Dallas on Brett Hull's foot in the crease overtime goal in 1999 - I don't think I could handle watching the depressed reaction that would undoubtedly be all over all the Buffalo newscasts were the Sabres to lose.

Unfortunately for Leaf fans the Leafs - continue to show an uncanny ability to make money - but still show no signs of how to put a winning team out on the ice. Reports today are that John Ferguson is going to be signed to a multiyear deal to continue as GM. I'm not sure he is up to the job. But the money keeps pouring in. Reports out today have the Leafs getting up to $700,000 a game for their regional television deal with TSN and Rogers Sportsnet - up 57% from $450,000 a game last year. Plus 20 games will be available on Leafs TV only - up from just 12 games last year. So the TSN/Sportsnet deal will boost the regional contract revenue up to $19 million dollars - $3.2 million more than last year - for fewer games! Add to that - the approx. $11 million the Leafs will get as their share of the new CBC deal and the TV money is pouring in. The 8 additional games on Leafs TV will substantially increase the value of Leafs TV - which of course MLSE owns!

And of course - the incoming money does not stop there. Leafs have announced price increases of about 6% for tickets next year. With Raptors on the upswing and the incredible success of the launch of the soccer team Toronto FC setting all kinds of MLS records, MLSE are just rolling in the money. But will we ever win?

[quote name='Travelpat' date='May 9 2007, 07:23 PM' post='327216']
Tough to decide who I should cheer for in the Ottawa - Sabres series.[quote]

More importantly,who would you cheer for in the Wings/Ducks series?

Pat....you NEVER root for your arch rival in the postseason. (Assuming that it's Ottawa)

That should make things easier

btw...I still can't stand the idea of "we gotta root for the Canadian team" schtick.

I went to a Raps game this season and vocally supported the Sonics(opposition) simply because they were an American team. Some people got ticked but by the end of the night my point on that topic and its silliness was driven home. (I really wanted the Raps to win and generally cheer for them when at the ACC)

Just hoping this is the year....the boys in blue in gold are fully healthy right now, something that couldn't be said last season. I have no prediction....


Eddie....a Wings/Sabres series would be sweet....that way I could catch a road game in that series

Uhh..that would be very bad indeed. Ducks vs Sabres or Senators would be okay with me!

Both of the conference finals are tough to pick as I think any of the teams can win.

Go Ducks! Bring home Lord Stanley's cup to Southern California!

I have to say I am very worried about Anaheim but hopefully the Wings will put my fears to rest!

Hey Blueraider - I agree with you about that rather silly cheer for the Canadian team thing. But I am in the minority up here on that. Usually once 'my' team is gone - in any sport - I have a tendancy to cheer for an underdog regardless of where they are from. In the case of the Sabres they have almost always been sort of a second choice team for me dating back to when I used to live in the Hamilton area and we would go to 5-6 Sabre games a year. So even though they have always been a rival of my Leafs, I've never developed a dislike for them as I have to a degree for Ottawa. And sorry Eddie - dating back to the days when the Wings used to be in the same divison as the Leafs - I did develop a dislike for the Wings - so I find I just can't bring myself to cheer for them now - so Go Ducks Go!

And speaking of who do you cheer for once your team is gone - I have to admit sometimes I'll be watching a game - in any sport - and I'll find myself really cheering for one team over the other - without really being able to state why if somebody asked. Sometimes there is just something about one team or the other that I like or I get a bad vibe from and that determines who I cheer for. For example for some reason I have a hard time cheering for any team from Philly in any sport. Maybe it is because of the old Broad Street Bully days of the Flyers when they brutalized Borje Salming with my Leafs. But I can be watching an Eagles game against almost anybody - and I'll be cheering for the other team. Or when I watch US College Football - there are certain teams that I just can't cheer for and I have no idea why. So I always find myself cheering against Ohio State. Is that because I like the colour blue better than red and as a kid I remember watching Michigan - Ohio State games and cheered for Michigan because they wore blue? Come to think of it - I almost never find myself routing for Nebraska or Oklahoma either. Is that because they wear red too? Will that change now that the Raptors have gone to red and Toronto FC are red? Will i suddenly start to cheer for teams wearing red?

I'm sure some psychologist could have a field day with me on stuff like that. ;-)

It doesn't bother me if Canadians want to cheer for the 'Canadian team' in the NHL playoffs. I don't really see it as being any different than the natural tendency of Americans (or any other nationality) to support their own country at the Olympics. Keep in mind that there are only six Canadian-based teams versus 24 US-based teams, so the odds are stacked against a Canadian team actually winning the Stanley Cup (the last time was 14 years ago), and coupled with the fact that hockey is much more embedded into our culture than it is in the US, I think it's completely understandable why most Canadians are probably cheering for the Ottawa Senators, just as most supported the Edmonton Oilers last year. Having said all that, nobody should be accused of being 'unpatriotic' if they cheer for a US team, as I did for the Carolina Hurricanes last season (mainly because the Oilers are not well-liked in these parts, for obvious reasons). After all, many of the players on US teams are Canadians anyway. I'm sure the family and friends of a Canadian playing for a US playoff team usually place their loyalties with that player's team rather than a Canadian playoff team, even if the Canadian team is based in their own city.

But this year I really do want the Senators to beat the Sabres and then go on to defeat either the Red Wings or Ducks. However, it has more to do with the fact that I was born and lived in Ottawa for many years (even though that was before they had an NHL team) and still have lots of family and friends there, not because the Senators are the only remaining Canadian team. And I can understand why Canadians living in the Niagara Falls-St Catharines region might be cheering for Buffalo, and those in the Windsor-Sarnia area may be rooting for Detroit.

Anyway, the Sens are off to a good start with a 5-2 win over the Sabres in game one. Unfortunately I missed most of the game as I had a class to attend. From what I've seen, it was a rather tame affair penalty-wise compared to how these teams fought in the regular season.

Tidbit #1: Last week when Ottawa defeated New Jersey, one of the CBC announcers described Senators' Jason Spezza as a 'lovely young man'. I certainly agree, although I was kind of amused to hear that coming from the mouth of a (presumably) straight sports announcer.

Tidbit #2: I don't think anyone mentioned it here, but recently the Stanley Cup made a rare visit outside North America. It's made a few stops in Europe in the past, but this time the destination was the hockey-crazed country of Afghanistan. The Cup was there as a morale-building event for the Canadian troops stationed in Kandahar. Several former NHL players were there as well, and they played a game of 'ball hockey' with the soldiers.

Actually there was a somewhat funny story on CTV National news last night about whether or not Ottawa would become 'Canada's Team' since they are the only Canadian team left. The gist of the story was that it was not likely happen to the extent it has in the past like it did for the Flames and Oilers in recent Stanley Cups.

Two reasons. One - because it is Ottawa - and with that being the political capital of Canada - where all our hated politicians hang out and decisions are made about raising our taxes - there is just too much negative baggage associated with Ottawa and as a result some Canadians just won't cheer for a team from there.

The other reason the story mentioned - and likely the bigger reason the repoorter said - is because there are way too many Leaf fans in the country and most of them could never cheer for their hated provincial rival - Ottawa. And Marc - I guess that corresponds with you cheering for Carolina last year because somebody who was a Flames fan could just not bring themselves to cheer for their hated rival - the Oilers. With there being SO MANY Leafs fans in the country - who for similar reasons could not bring themselves to cheer for the Senators - it will be very tough for the Sens ever to get the level of support required to be called 'Canada's team' in this year's playoffs.

I'm not a psychologist but I play one on the Internet. I think you need to be slapped around a little.

I'm sure everyone has their own rules for cheering for teams other than your own. There are certain teams/players that I can never ever ever root for. No rooting for any team from New York, for example. In 2001 (after 9/11) I did actually root for the Yankees in the World Series, but in part that was because they were playing Arizona, with Curt Schilling. Naturally, the Yankees blew it. I could have enjoyed the Red Sox win in 2004 except for their having Curt Schilling and Terry Francona.

Generally, if there's no team or player I have to root against, what I do is cheer for the underdogs, because the occasional upset win is more fun.