2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions

I guess you only see the plays that you want, what about the play that should have been icing at the end of the first that resulted in a goal. Thats ok tho huh.

LOL, look that's all subjective. Being way offside isn't - it's black and white. Briere was way off side and it was a blown call.

I predict the RED SOXX. lol

...they have two goalies that have put up amazing numbers this year.

Halak and Elliott.

Halak who has more experience is the starter. Goaltending doesn't seem to be an issue.

Chicago, who you're calling for finals, has a much bigger issue in nets if that's something you're concerned about.

Rangers win it all...

you realize 14 teams missed the playoffs right

Yep it was a blown call as was the blown icing call at end of first so it all evened out. Philly wins , Crosby cries. Good day in hockey.

Canucks are a bunch of losers...maybe try and play hockey next game instead of diving all over the ice

To be honest I didn't see the last five minutes of the first period. I saw the goal replayed during the intermission, but they didn't show anything about the icing call (or lack thereof) so I was unaware of it.

In the end, the Pens really brought this loss on themselves. They went up 3-0 fast and it looked like it was boys against men. They got lazy and entitled and the Flyers kept grinding away. In the playoffs you can never let up and the Pens did.

There's no evening out. A blown call is a blown call. Also, its a good PR push for everyone to get on Crosby and start this whole he's crying to the refs junk.

Crosby openly admits he was tough on refs in the early going but I played hockey for 18 years at a pretty damn decent level. If you're as good as he is, you're going to get hacked and its a piss off. I'm not going to get into comparisons but if you open the game up that kid crushes everyone.

Crosby said something pretty accurate as well, he said mic me up and mic up Callahan then follow us the whole game, see who's chirping the refs more.

I love the Rangers and I actually go to enough games. There are WAY more guys who spend WAY more time crying to the refs. But lol, coaches need to find SOME way to shut Crosby down so this big campaign to label him a whiner is being pushed by a few of the big mouths who are trying to push their own agenda.

LOL though, he used to whine a lot 5 years ago and NOW you slam him? Also, Laviolette (big mouth) Tortorella (biggest mouth of any coach who constantly whines and gets fined) then Milbury (horrible GM, big mouth, just got charged for attacking a child at his kid's hockey game)

These are the guys leading the way on the propaganda you're buying? C'mon, lol don't follow all the talk. Least of all don't start telling me what you see, we all see it - he complains but its nothing compared to a LOT of guys you never hear about.

Offsides are black and white btw. With an icing, there's a bit more grey - you have guys who chase it down, then you have to worry about who touched what and when. Get ready for more of this since the league just picked up the new rule.

True, some bad bounces last night in general really.

I mean, I'm picking the Preds to go deep (finals) but watching their game, they scored 2 out of 3 with a bit of luck. Stuart knocked one into his own net and there was a wild deflection.

Tough bounces but that's why it's a 7 game series. There's every opportunity to make sure that luck isn't the deciding factor.

Ive been involved in hockey my whole life, from playing to coaching to referee. The one thing I always teach and the most important thing:

NEVER PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE A BAD CALL OR A BAD BOUNCE WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME

yeah, and 4 overtimes in 7 matches ... lol what a fucking joke ...

Shark bite in 2OT... fist pump. I hope they kill the blues 4-0.

How much fun was it re-visiting this thread?

It goes to show you that NOBODY knew their shit going into the playoffs this year. If, back in November last year I had said "NJ and LA" in the finals, everyone would have laughed.

And all these CANUCKS fans!?! hahaha... biggest joke of a team ever!

Rangers are out, I lost interest

Uh, I think you're forgetting the team based out of Toronto. THAT would be the biggest joke of a team ever.

Go Devils Go!!!

no it proves that the nhl playoffs have become a total crap shoot meat grinder where better teams don't advance. its survive grind survive.. get into overtime and chip in a winner.

why else would 6th to 8th seeds make it to the finals and even win the last 5 years or so?

predicting these teams into the finals wouldn't make you a genius, it would make you a fool who guessed right.

No, what it proves is that teams aren't always playing to their potential during the regular season. Or maybe mid-season movement of players actually works very well for a lot of teams. Or maybe... just maybe, when it's all on the line for the Cup, players go to another level to win those little battles in the corners, or block those shots like they might not on a regular Saturday night in November.

I'm sure it's a combination of all that.

Hockey is also a game of infinite deflections from certainties of anything... the best team in the league can lose on a few juicy rebounds, a garbage goal bouncing off some players ass into the net, etc. Anything can happen, and if the hockey gods choose not to smile on on a team any given night then no matter how good the team they might lose.

Yessir. Luck does play an integral part too. Some nights more than others.

I had predicted a final pittsburgh - det before the playoff
After 1st round my new final was phi vs st-louis
After 2nd round. LA - nyr

So hard to be worst than that !

Now i predict los angeles cup.. For what it worth :-)