2013 Playoffs
 

So, the Capitals have cinched the last ever Southeast Division title with last night's win over Winnipeg. (Yes, Winnipeg, a city in Manitoba, Canada is in the Southeast Division. And yes, the National Hockey League's divisions are generally geographical. It makes sense, honestly. Has to do with the history of the NHL). It still leaves one to wonder if they: a) would have done this without the stupid lockout crap on the part of the NHL owners, and consequently shortened season; and b) if the Caps are going to end up choking in the playoffs, as usual.

:hockey:

You know who I'm rooting for ;)

Yeah, but we'll have to see what the outcome of today's Boston-Ottawa makeup game is before we find out who the Habs play first.

Ottawa 4, Boston 2 (on an empty-net goal by Ottawa).

So, Ottawa (7) gets Montreal (2) in the first round, Pittsburgh (1) gets the NY Islanders (8), Washington (3) gets the NY Rangers (6), and Boston (4) faces Toronto (5)..

Oh, and in the "other" conference it's Chicago (1, and best record int he NHL this season) vs Minnesota (8), Anaheim (2) & Detroit (7), Vancouver (3) against San Jose (6) and St. Louis (4) facing Los Angeles (5).

Yes! Caps take game 1, 3-1 over the rangers.

Sorry Neige, Ottawa over Montreal, 4-2 for game 1. Further (excerpt from press release): The NHL has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba on Friday for his hit on Lars Eller of the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series. The following grounds for potential supplemental discipline are being considered: Illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to these infractions accordingly upon further review.
Gryba was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct on the play.

3-1 Montreal tonight though, and that's with 3 major players absent!!!

Go Blue's

Well, Scarecrow, they do have LA up by a game still, despite yesterday's loss.

But Mike Green's goal in OT...perfect set up, perfect shot. Hockey doesn't get any better.


And Neige gets more Canuck-on-Canuck action tonight.

Lucky Neige.

Holy crap, that Ottawa-Montreal game.

Montreal alone had 129 penalty minutes-more than double the nominal playing time.

Between them, the two teams had something like 13 different penalties called during the first two periods.

And FORTY during the third.

In the East:
Rangers took game 4 byt eh same score they took game 3, so the series is tied at 2 games each. Penguins & Islanders are also tied at 2 games. Ottawa has Montreal by the neck, 3 games to 1. And Boston is up two games to 1 against the Maple leafs, with the fourth game of that series going into overtime at the moment, tied at 3.

And in the West:
My former favorite team, the Chicago Blackhawks are all over the Minnesota Wild, 3 games to 1, Detroit and Anaheim are tied at 2 games each, as are Los Angeles & ST Louis: both of these series have game 5 tonight.

And the only round 1 series that has been decided is the San Jose/Vancouver, : San Jose swept Vancouver off the ice.

Well, that answers that question.

Choke, big-time, in game 7, as usual.

And as Neige will no doubt bitch about, the Canadiens are also out of the playoffs.

Ah, well, I can go back to my second favorites, the Chicago Blackhawks.

GG, at least your teams still exist. I found out the Hartford Whalers are no more, and haven't been for a few years now. Makes me sad.