The Playoff Picture

[Meds]

To me the playoffs start tonight. One game for top spot in the West, maybe top spot overall. This game means something dam it. It means something to the owner who allows MG to spend to the cap and who pays salaries in the minors so we have depth. It means something to all the fans who buy the tickets to make sure we keep setting records on consecutive sell outs. It means something to the fans who watch every game no matter where they are. It means something to the guy sitting next to each player who sacrifices a nut, leg, hip, eye and whatever else to win at all costs. It means something to those Flame fans who right now are enjoying the thought that they had something to do with us NOT finishing 1st.

If you told the players at the beginning of the year that you get to play one game, game 82, and it means top spot would they have taken that at the start of the year? This game shows me that they can flip a switch and get serious, or not. This game means something to me. So tonight I want, I expect, I demand they play if like a playoff game.

Can they flip the switch?

Well a 3-0 win should have answered that.

For me it didn't. Had it been against any team other than the Oilers than it would have.

[Zamboni Driver]

Can they flip the switch?

Well a 3-0 win should have answered that.

For me it didn't. Had it been against any team other than the Oilers than it would have.

Well, they did go 8-1-1 in the last 10, of which all but the last 3 were against teams desperate to make the playoffs.
The Flames & Oilers were out of the playoffs, but looking to prove something.

[Hockey Widow]

Only 17 of a possible 20 points. Talk about backing into the playoffs eh!

[tantalum]

8-1-1 down the stretch and it wasn't just a 3-0 win it was a 3-0 win where they out shot the opposition 42-17 and dominated from the opening whistle. Oilers got some chances to be sure but the guys who got the chances are arguably better than how any LA King is playing this year.

[Madcombinepilot]

Speaking of the playoffs, it looks like the Pens will be this year's most hated, despised, arrogant, whinny, diving hockey team. Torts has a head start at making sure thats how everyone sees them. Listening to him brought back memories of last year's playoffs and how all the Canuck hate started by a few lead to the whole media joining in on the hate on.

The press here in Canada has been a little contrite when discussing the Canucks this year and I think that they will get equal billing as Canada's darling.

We were just talking about this and how the media abuse can affect a team. Not media pressure, but media abuse. As much as Torts seems to think that media abuse can give him an edge, and as glad as I am that its starting over there, there is no way that the Canucks become the darling of the media in Canada. If Ottawa gets to the second round, they will be it.

[CFP!]

The playoff picture will hopefully not involve this Zach.

[wafflecombine]

We were just talking about this and how the media abuse can affect a team. Not media pressure, but media abuse. As much as Torts seems to think that media abuse can give him an edge, and as glad as I am that its starting over there, there is no way that the Canucks become the darling of the media in Canada. If Ottawa gets to the second round, they will be it.

Gotta agree. Even though Van has played a much more disciplined game during the last year, fewer blow out, less chirping at reffs, more answering the bell and not hiding behind reffs and the like, we will still get the most hated team moniker. For now, Ottawa will be labelled "Canada's team" and once they are eliminated, the Toronto media will look for an American team with high CDN content to re-tread as "Canada's psuedo team".

Canucks are filled with dirty swedes and petulant americans supposedly.

With luck we go about our business and eliminate the Kings without injury or significant exertion. then Doughty can complain all he wants from the 6th tee.