Top Shelf: It’s Playoff Time
NHL April 7th. 2008, 10:30am
The Beastie Boys rock eight days a week? So does Lee Diekemper, who offers some early thoughts on the playoff matchups. The map of Europe? Detroit is one of the favorites to win the title, yet has just four Americans, and 12 players from Europe.
Eastern Conference
Montreal vs. Boston: Thanks to the Flyers thumping the Pens yesterday, the Habs secured home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa: While history doesn’t bear it out, there is a rule of thought that the top seed is jinxed to come up short – which will give the Pens some comfort. Will the Senators recent playoff frustrations continue?
Washington vs. Philadelphia: An example of how playoff fever has gripped The District: on this morning’s Tony Kornheiser Show, TK the bandwagon jumper spent the first half-hour talking Caps. The noted NHL savant of PTI even vowed to Caps owner Ted Leonsis that he will attend Friday’s playoff opener at the Verizon Center. (We kid TK because we love.)
New Jersey vs. New York Rangers: The Rangers only lost to their Atlantic Division foe once this season. That was last week.
Western Conference
Detroit vs. Nashville: The way all the displaced Detroit autoworkers now living in Tennessee flock to the Sommet Center, it’s likely the Preds won’t have a home game.
San Jose vs. Calgary: Few teams were any hotter down the stretch than the Sharks. Can Jerome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff get the Flames an upset?
Minnesota vs. Colorado: This should be the best of the opening-round series. The two foes battled in the Northwest Division that was tighter than Kim Kardashian’s jeans.
Anaheim vs. Dallas: The defending Stanley Cup champions get an opponent that limped into the postseason.
32 Responses to “Top Shelf: It’s Playoff Time”
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April 7th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Most importantly, the draft lottery is on TSN tonight.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:41 am
The Rangers only lost to their Atlantic Division foe once this season. That was last yesterday.
Shootout loss right after Lundqvist was named player of the game.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:41 am
When the heck do the playoffs start?
April 7th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Jibble: How many games you think this series goes? I am thinking Wild take it in 6 games.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:44 am
they thumped the pens? really? because i watched it and i couldve swore that both goalies were standing on their head the entire game and the winning goal was from one moment of busted coverage, the other was an empty netter. joke.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:46 am
wednesday.
the caps dont play til friday. week off for a hot team = bad.
id like to hear the crosby bashers justify how nbc currently has zero penguins games slated while they have two caps games and two detroit games
April 7th, 2008 at 10:48 am
entire first round schedule here
April 7th, 2008 at 10:51 am
@pki: I think 6 games is right, not sure who will win though. I’m obviously going to take the Avs, but they have struggled with the Wild this season so I’m not confident. Either way I wanted the Wild over the Sharks so I’m not disappointed at all.
@Everyone: Playoff Hockey Pool run by me… Details here
April 7th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Yeah…when two of the three stars of the game were the goalies one could hardly say there was “thumping” going on.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:54 am
@Moleman….Don’t know if it’s a justification, but I think it might have something to do with Pittsburgh playing small market Ottawa, whereas a Philly-Washington series covers two markets larger than either Pitt or Ottawa, plus includes Ovechkin.
Pittsburgh will get their NBC exposure in the 2nd round against either NYR or NJD.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:57 am
oh it doesnt particularily bother me that they dont have games it just doesnt help the whole theory that the league just cares about crosby. i get fsnp so for the first rounda t least i dont have to deal with nbc/versus
April 7th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Jeez, the Caps don’t start until Friday?
April 7th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Can I be annoyed that I’m going to miss the first period (possibly more) of game 2 Friday (And you will too Wild Fans) because they scheduled the Caps-Flyers game 2 hours earlier and decide to join the Avs game in progress?
April 7th, 2008 at 11:04 am
well you cant schedule playoff games at five in the afternoon on a weekday. sucks though
April 7th, 2008 at 11:07 am
@jibble – Yep, I do believe we can both be annoyed. I’d rather they just have the games on Fox sports and be done with it. I’m also annoyed the games are starting at 8pm local time. That’ll make work painful the next day.
Does anyone know how the Center Ice package works for times like this?
April 7th, 2008 at 11:08 am
@Hawkeye: Luckily I am on the West coast so it’s not too late, but game 2 is on a Friday night, it’s the only day they could move the game back an hour and I think everyone would be okay with it.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:12 am
@jibble – Friday won’t be too bad, games 3 & 4 in Denver will suck for us here in CST (Or even worse for pki). I wish those games were at 8pm local start time instead of 9pm.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I’m officially on the Caps bandwagon.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Here we go Red Wings, here we go (clap clap)!
April 7th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Break out the octopi!!
April 7th, 2008 at 11:32 am
@Hawkeye: It’ll be especially bad for you guys considering you’ll probably be tired and grumpy after the game
(I’ll throw the first stone)
April 7th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Thursday night should be fun, with the Wings and Michigan basically playing back-to-back on TV. It’s a shame I’m not 13 and giddy about staying up late on a school night to catch all the action, though.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:43 am
@jibble – If I get to see Boogard vs. Laperiere (sp?), I won’t be too grumpy. Especially after Theodore gets peppered with shots.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:46 am
@Hawkeye: I’d like to see how Lappy holds up (and I just write Lappy cause I forget how to spell it). Even though Parker is more in Boogard’s wheelhouse.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:50 am
@83 – Is Michigan playing Notre Dame in the Frozen Four? Thursday is going to be epic, Wings AND Michigan playing at the same time. Will definitely hit up one of the Michigan bars in the city!
April 7th, 2008 at 11:51 am
As am I Sean Jean.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
@ Sportsgal: Yes Michigan is playing Notre Dame for the right to finish second to North Dakota.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Nothing grips DC harder than bandwagon fever. To hear Kornheiser talking pucks is just further validation of that, since any other time he has nothing but contempt for hockey.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
just want to say fuck you to all of you for bitching about start times etc. at least you will get to SEE your team in action at some point and aren’t stuck hitting refresh on gamecast. fuck being a rangers fan in the boston area and not having access to versus, TSN, MSG, and screw NBC not picking up any nyr/nj games (like I need to see detroit on national TV for the 8 millionth time and have announcers blow their loads to that franchise). if anyone knows of a free online service or has some NHL tv subscription password feel free to pass that on.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
29Recc4:
channelsurfing.net
of course, you can give the finger to cable and get directv and not have to worry about not getting specific channels.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
jimmy, im currently giving the finger to college as they supply us with only the basic cable BS, i’m sure you understand. channelsurfing.net will have NHL playoffs? im looking around and keep hitting next but dont see anything.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I didn’t have the hockey package, but now that I have baseball, I get hockey too! The GF is going to really love this.