NHL Playoffs Thread

[Psycho Penguin]

People who relies on "home ice advantage" to explain why things occur the way they occur shows an amazing lack of depth when it comes to analyzing things. Like Czech said, it's just a bunch of voodoo concepts out there to excuse yourself after a loss. At this point, the Stanley Cup finals, the series to decide the National Hockey League's champion, should always be contested between two teams that have proven they can win on their home ice, AND win on the road. This series isn't reflective on whether home ice matters or not. It seems to be one where the home team comes out to play hard for their own fans, but less hard going on the road. Detroit looks almost like they don't care about the series when they are in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh looks lost in Detroit. If that's what home ice advantage is, then this series sure has a lot of it.

So do you have any expert analysis WHY Detroit looks dominant at home and lost on the road, and Pittsburgh looks lost on the road and is completely fine at home? Maybe it's not "voodoo" (obviously), but hello, just watch Game 5 and Game 6 and tell me there was no difference.

 

[Next USC #55]

I never said there wasn't any difference. See, if it was not any different, the series would have been over by now. I'm saying that HOME ICE being the difference is wrong, lazy and just looking for an excuse. When you ask me to provide numbers or stats to back me up, it's when I lose interest in the argument, because as far as I've seen, there was no stats or anything like that to back up why home ice DOES matter. At least not credible statistics. It strikes me as an attempt to branch a counterargument against whatever numbers I might provide, and I'm not going to play THAT game. Not for hockey, anyways.

Call it copping out if you'd like. I don't care anymore.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

No it's not the difference, but it definitely matters. The point everyone is debating with me is "Home ice matters." I never once said it was the end all be all of who wins and loses.

 

[jimmy no nose]

Fun home field fact: The last time a team in any of the major sports won game 7 of a championship round on the road was in 1979 when the Pirates beat the Orioles in Baltimore.

 

[Star Ocean 2]

In a few years the Penguins will turn into the Red Wings, and everyone will be as tired of them as they are of Detroit now. I hope they keep it in the West.

 

[zio]

Detroit is just labeled as the West, but they're an East team. East rules ALL!!!!!

 

[Star Ocean 2]

That's why some teams should move to Portland or Seattle. Get this Detroit and Columbus in the Western Conference thing outta here.

 

[Tawren]

That's why some teams should move to Portland or Seattle. Get this Detroit and Columbus in the Western Conference thing outta here.

Minnesota too

 

[Czech]

Toronto was in the West and nobody seemed to mind because it made for lots of Wings-Leafs-Hawks brawls. From a meaningful game standpoint, I'd miss the Hawks-Wings tilts, but I wouldn't miss the series of shellackings (curious, given the even match a year before). The "divisional rivalry" with the Columbus Blue Jackets is fictitious. I can't get up for those.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

In a few years the Penguins will turn into the Red Wings, and everyone will be as tired of them as they are of Detroit now. I hope they keep it in the West.

pretty sure Detroit has been good for a lot longer than a few years

 

[Star Ocean 2]

What?

 

[Psycho Penguin]

The more I am thinking about this, the more confidence I have. I am fully prepared to accept whatever loss we get handed tonight, but I still have some confidence that, hey, it's one game, Osgood could be off, Fleury could turn into superman, this could happen. Will be a good game either way, I hope.

 

[stillnaive]

Pre-game with Ron MacLean Pens/Wings Game #6 Hockey Night in Canada Stanley Cup Finals 6/9/2009

 

[CanadianChris]

Sidney Crosby's playoff beard is historically bad.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

Outstanding first period, both goalies are on tonight.

 

[MFer]

Bad turnover by Stuart there. Pretty sure he's done this before...

EDIT: And Osgood saves the game for now.

EDIT 2: Fuck.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

Told you all home ice advantage didn't mean shit in game 7! WOOO PENGUINS!

(Yes, I am aware this game is not close to being over.. but wow. So much for the sweep, at least.)

 

[MFer]

Would've been nice if Detroit played with that sense of urgency for the entire period.

 

[Master Thrasher]

Man this game is going by fast.
So if Pittsburgh wins, Hossa going to be pretty upset I assume.

 

[wnyxmcneal]

Matt Cooke's going to win a Stanley Cup.

How about that.

 

[MFer]

And Marian Hossa has to be the sickest man in America right now (not that he helped his cause any).

 

[devo]

I feel bad about missing the first six games of this series because that was fucking fantastic.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

SUCK IT, HOSSA!

Whew. What an epic last few minutes. Intense as sports can get.

 

[Smues]

What were the fans chanting at Malkin? It kind of sounded like YOU SUCK, but I really couldn't make it out.

 

[wnyxmcneal]

Satan wins a Cup.

Well besides the won he one in 1994.

And nice of Staal to drop the F bomb

 

[Psycho Penguin]

You stay classy, Detroit. Dicks.

 

[wnyxmcneal]

Wait, Hal Gill won a Cup.

 

[bps21]

I wish my team wold tank a few seasons to get a Crosby and a Malkin and a Staal and a starting goalie and eventual championship.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

I wish my team wold tank a few seasons to get a Crosby and a Malkin and a starting goalie and eventual championship.

I keep hearing this, since it's clearly working for the Islanders, Phoenix, Dallas, Colorado, etc.

And the team ALMOST FUCKING MOVED when they were 'tanking' these seasons.

 

[bps21]

I edited mine to add Staal. I forgot how many years they refused to get out of the basement.