Ottawa Senators vs Anaheim Ducks - Stanley Cup Final

[SRsez]

I predicted that Detroit would beat Anaheim because there are many things not to like about the Ducks game in these playoffs. They lack depth. Nediermayer and Pronger are not playing like Neidermayer and Pronger. They rarely have two offensive lines going in a game.

None of that has changed. I think they were fortunate to beat Detroit. They won two games where they were clearly outplayed thanks to goaltending of Giguere.

While Detroit is a deep team they were a bit beat up on the blueline (no Schneider is a huge loss). They haven't met a team like Ottawa who can roll four very effective lines and 6 effective D-men. They haven't met a trio up front like Alfredson-Spezza-Heatley. They haven't met a team that has all key players fully healthy (indeed Ottawa has no one injured).

They haven't met a team that has only lost 10 games in regulation (or proper playoff OT) since December 21.

They haven't met a team that is clicking on all cylinders like Ottawa is.

Ottawa in 6.

Okay T, time for you to take your medication. The pretenders from Detroit? With their shitty goaltender? The Canucks would have beaten them.

Anaheim. Senators easy ride through the crappy east hasn't prepared them for anything.

[Cornuck]

I'd like to see Ottawa take it, but if the Ducks get away with more bad calls and run Emery all night - they'll take the series quickly.

Ottawa in 7 (hopefully)

[rockalt]

Well I'm a bit late getting here, again, but I'm I agree with Tant and Jyrki (er... aside from the Ducks never leading the series). Ottawa has been my horse this year and I'm sticking with them.

Sens in 6.

As for them not facing any real challenges, I'd say Crosby & co., the Devils, & the Sabres are pretty quality teams. They have not had an easy road to the finals and what's most impressive is how good they have looked disposing of those teams. Knocking off the Devils was particularly impressive, given their history in the playoffs and the history of the Sens "choking." The Sens are different team this year - far less talented than last year but seemingly have a lot more heart! The Sens deserve this for years of quality drafting & trading and I will be rooting wholeheartedly for them (sorry Burkie).

Having said that, I have underestimated the Ducks and have predicted against them in every series only to be proven wrong (jerks! ). I don't care though. I'm not about to switch ship, though maybe I should just root for them out of spite in an attempt to curse their luck!

[SRsez]

As for them not facing any real challenges, I'd say Crosby & co., the Devils, & the Sabres are pretty quality teams.

Then I'd say your definition of quality needs calibration.

The (L)Eastern Conference is like the Central Division on steroids. A couple decent teams, but so much crap you expect the top teams to have shit loads of points. Look at how many teams in the East would have made the playoffs in the West, and then tell me all about this supposed "quality" you're speaking of.

Agreed, beating the Devils was the most impressive, but only because they have Marty & the Sens have that penchant for choking. Devils are not nearly as difficult as they were even the previous year, when they had Niedermayer, much less the powerhouse teams of Scott Steven's captaincy.

I will admit that Buffalo surprised me, but only in a good (great?) way. Lindy Ruff is world class puke. Maybe the real surprise was that Emery isn't a total flake.

Anyone that called Pittsburgh even a dark horse in this year's playoffs was so ridiculously stupid as to rival the Idiot(tm). Could they have beaten Ottawa? Maybe, but the real question was: who in the West wouldn't beat them?

It seems onlly fitting that with the lame product produced this year that the champion would be named "Ducks".

[whistler]

I thought Ottawa looked good until they ran out of gas.

If they can find their legs and play a full 60 minutes I don't see the Ducks having an easy time of it.

[rockalt]

As for them not facing any real challenges, I'd say Crosby & co., the Devils, & the Sabres are pretty quality teams.

Then I'd say your definition of quality needs calibration.

The (L)Eastern Conference is like the Central Division on steroids. A couple decent teams, but so much crap you expect the top teams to have shit loads of points. Look at how many teams in the East would have made the playoffs in the West, and then tell me all about this supposed "quality" you're speaking of.

Agreed, beating the Devils was the most impressive, but only because they have Marty & the Sens have that penchant for choking. Devils are not nearly as difficult as they were even the previous year, when they had Niedermayer, much less the powerhouse teams of Scott Steven's captaincy.

I will admit that Buffalo surprised me, but only in a good (great?) way. Lindy Ruff is world class puke. Maybe the real surprise was that Emery isn't a total flake.

Anyone that called Pittsburgh even a dark horse in this year's playoffs was so ridiculously stupid as to rival the Idiot(tm). Could they have beaten Ottawa? Maybe, but the real question was: who in the West wouldn't beat them?

It seems onlly fitting that with the lame product produced this year that the champion would be named "Ducks".

I don't disagree that the Western Conference is stronger than the Eastern Conference. Regardless, I don't think it's fair to say that the Senators road to the final has been easy. In my opinion they played the toughest teams possible out of the conference. Sure the Pens were untested but they posed a legitimate wild card in the form of Crosby. Not to mention they possessed an uncanny ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable leads throughout the last half of the season. They will be a contender in the future but were schooled by the Senators. Still, I think they could have made it out of the first round if they played anyone else (hey, like you said, the East isn't particularly strong!)

As for the Devils, you're right they are not the same team sans Niedermayer & Stevens. Regardless they still have Marty and a group of pretty good players who have won and know what it takes. Again, the series wasn't even close.

Sabres. President's Trophy winners. They looked terrible throughout the playoffs but how can you overlook that lethal offense? I didn't expect the Sabres to win the cup this year but I have to give props to the Sens for making beating them look so easy.

The fact is the Senators played the best teams they could have faced and beat them each CONVINCINGLY. The Sens were clearly the cream of the crop in the East and for that, I think they have a very legit chance at beating Anaheim, albeit it will be a tougher challenge and probably longer series. The Sens are no pushovers.

I think it will be quite a good series.

[SRsez]

The fact is the Senators played the best teams they could have faced and beat them each CONVINCINGLY. The Sens were clearly the cream of the crop in the East and for that, I think they have a very legit chance at beating Anaheim, albeit it will be a tougher challenge and probably longer series. The Sens are no pushovers.

I think it will be quite a good series.

They beat the best teams they could, but those teams come from a crappy conference. Being the cream of the crap doesn't say much.

So far, they look every bit the pushovers you claim they aren't. Things have to change tomorrow night, or the Sens will be proclaimed best team ever to continuously choke, year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year.

[tantalum]

To be honest this is some of the worst hockey I've witnessed in the Stanley Cup finals for a long time. Neither team is playing well. Ottawa is just plain crapping the bed.

Terrible hockey. Brutal giveaways from both teams. Only a handful of players showing up to play the game. Sloppy sloppy sloppy. Just dreadful.

First time i've actaully considered not watching anymore of the final since the Devils won the cup in the lockout shortened season.

[mattola]

To be honest this is some of the worst hockey I've witnessed in the Stanley Cup finals for a long time. Neither team is playing well. Ottawa is just plain crapping the bed.

Terrible hockey. Brutal giveaways from both teams. Only a handful of players showing up to play the game. Sloppy sloppy sloppy. Just dreadful.

First time i've actaully considered not watching anymore of the final since the Devils won the cup in the lockout shortened season.

yeah I agree with this. its garbage. you would think these two teams would be balls out. its almost not watchable. my sens friends are just stunned at how bad they are playing. Ill watch only because I have never missed a Final in my life and never will. Ottawa has to win the next 3 games or I believe Anaheim will win it for sure. I dont think they can win a 2 out of 3 against them.

[Jyrki21]

Things have to change tomorrow night, or the Sens will be proclaimed best team ever to continuously choke, year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year.

It's not exactly "choking" if you're beaten by arguably the league's best team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

[mattola]

Things have to change tomorrow night, or the Sens will be proclaimed best team ever to continuously choke, year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year.

It's not exactly "choking" if you're beaten by arguably the league's best team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

There is no choke here if the Sens lose. and to me I believe they should be cleared of the choke label. Making the Finals through the teams they went through proved that. They are as SRez indicated losing to a better team. But that can change starting Saturday.

[Farhan Lalji]

Things have to change tomorrow night, or the Sens will be proclaimed best team ever to continuously choke, year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year.

It's not exactly "choking" if you're beaten by arguably the league's best team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

There is no choke here if the Sens lose. and to me I believe they should be cleared of the choke label. Making the Finals through the teams they went through proved that. They are as SRez indicated losing to a better team. But that can change starting Saturday.

Couldn't agree anymore. In my opinion, the Ducks are just a flat out better team than The Sens. The Western Conference as a whole, is superior to the East in my opinion.

Although Eastern Conference teams have won the cup the past 2 season (well.....actually 3!), I think this has far more to do with the fact that there were more upsets in the West.

The best teams (or close to the best) always came out of the East (i.e. N.J., Tampa Bay, Carolina). In the West - "cinderalla" teams would often come out on top by causing upsets (i.e. Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton). By the time the finals hit, none of these teams played at the level that they did when the caused their respective upsets.

[SRsez]

Things have to change tomorrow night, or the Sens will be proclaimed best team ever to continuously choke, year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year.

It's not exactly "choking" if you're beaten by arguably the league's best team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yeah okay, but if they lost to any of the 6 best teams in the league? Because I don't really see them beating SJ, Detroit, Vancouver, Dallas, Minnesota or Calgary either, had one of those teams been there. Would one of them constitute more "choking" for you?

Anaheim certainly had a tougher time in it's first two games against the Canucks.

The idiots on radio talk about how the Sens are a "speed" team. What that leaves out is the simple fact that Getzlaf, Perry, S. Niedermayer, Selanne & Pronger are faster than average. Even Rob Niedermayer's no slug. Anaheim can skate, hit, & score throughout their lineup, all traits which you need to win in the West. You don't in the East, and there's the mis-match.

[Jyrki21]

Yeah okay, but if they lost to any of the 6 best teams in the league? Because I don't really see them beating SJ, Detroit, Vancouver, Dallas, Minnesota or Calgary either, had one of those teams been there. Would one of them constitute more "choking" for you?

Not if you think all those teams are better than Ottawa. Choking is buckling under pressure when you're expected to win -- the Senators definitely haven't done that this year, and I don't think it would be seen that way if they had lost to any of the opponents you name, either (except maybe Calgary), because they were all very good teams this year.

On to more important things:

The street parties on Saturday night were fun, but very Ottawa-ish: that is to say, controlled, moderate, no really bad incidents (from what I saw, anyway). Just a lot of high-fiving and shouting.

But get this: no boobies. Not one. I thought the precedent was set by Calgary and Edmonton? I thought we had rules in our society about women taking their tops off when there is a celebratory excuse and even a smidgen of alcohol is involved. It wasn't the warmest night on Saturday, but a little Mardi Gras action wouldn't have frozen anyone. What the hell?

It's raining today in Ottawa... I have no idea what happens to hockey street parties in inclement weather. If I recall in '94, the weather was awesome through most of the Canucks' run (and street parties never really came until the Finals anyway).

[SRsez]

So is it choking yet? Is showing up for 1 game out of 4 what you were envisioning when you watched them win their first 3 series?

Or is it just that the East was so pathetic this year that it's not really a choke?

I can't wait for the answer.