Stanley Cup Finals

[Santacapper]

Well the last round was my own fault as I shouldnt have jumped in after missing a week.

Anyways, a series play right now.

Ottawa Series +110

I think this sets up real well for the cup to come back to Canada. I dont think the Ducks have seen a team yet in these playoffs who can move the puck from the blueline as the Sens can with Redden etc with the same skill that the Ducks can. The teams haven't played each other this season and that bodes well for the Sens IMO who are playing the best hockey of their season and have gone a whopping 43-10-8 in their last 61 games including the playoff run to the cup finals. Awfully nice price on the best team in the league during that time IMO. They have met every challenge this season, beating Sid the Kid, Martin Brodeur and the Presidents Trophy winner. Bryan Murray knows the Ducks personnel, and should be able to prepare for them better than Carlyle, he was the Ducks GM before Burke stepped in. Oh and speaking of BUrke, Id like nothing more than to see him lose,:wacka wacka: I also like the fact that the Ducks have to play their home games at 5 PM local time

 

[mogo]

i like the sens as well!!! GL!

 

[Joe Public]

I think the Sens take one of two out here. I already have them for the series, (I thought you did too, no?) I'll probably play 'em for the split.

 

[Santacapper]

Mogo - lets get it man. GL

Joe - no, was 'talking' about it, mostly typing through my thoughts for the most part. Im looking at either playing the Sens, the price sure is right or the under, surprised to see a 5 in all honesty... and at plus money to boot. I will more than likely watch the game and go from there in game 1... lesson learned last round, lol gl

 

[TheCannon]

I agree Santa, I think the Sens take this series. I hope they don't. I have a futures bet on Anaheim at 8 to 1. I hedged a little with Ottawa.

 

[Joe Public]

I can't play the under in Game One because these teams haven't played each other this season and because I'm not comfortable as to how they'll come out.

They may come out aggressive, or they may take two periods to feel each other out before they start taking chances.

Normally I would play a series between two teams not very familiar with each other for an over early as that lack of familiarity will almost certainly lead to some mistakes and an odd-man chance or two. But because this is the Finals, who knows how tight they're going to be to start. Which is always bad for the over.

I do like the number, though. That it's a flat five makes it more interesting. I wouldn't touch 4.5 here. Not yet.

 

[Santacapper]

Cannon - nice spot to be sitting in no doubt. Thanks man, GL

Joe - I'm going on more style of plays matching up... I probably won't play it but like I said was surprised to see a 5 with the way JS had been playing prior to the 3rd last night, the way the Sens have been failing to produce on the PP, the way Emery has been playing, the time off for both teams, etc et.

Time off is one of the reasons I wont play a side in game 2 either... too much 'guess work' right now

 

[Toronto_Mike]

4-2 Sens. I think Giggy will be cracked this series. Sens are just playing UNREAL. Sens are also a lot more versatile, they'll slow it down and increase the pace at a given notice. Sens are also very physically tough which will be huge down the stretch.

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

i'm waivering, bud.
i was ready to anoint the Sens too. but then the ducks didn't play scared in game six.

here are my two main issues...
first, anaheim has a tremendous advantage in net. the fucker could lose hius 2nd Cup, and still end up with his 2nd conn smythe. it's possible.
second, size. buff is a very small team overall. ducks have similar speed and talent...but what the sens might not be ready for is the size and strength.

otherwise...it's a pretty even series to me right now. i'll get into it more over the course of the week, but the hot goalie could easily be the key.

 

[Santacapper]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblthbody1 align=middle><TD align=left height=18> Name
</TD><TD align=left height=18>Team</TD><TD>GP</TD><TD> </TD><TD>GS</TD><TD> </TD><TD>MIN</TD><TD> </TD><TD class=ysptblclbg7>W</TD><TD> </TD><TD>L</TD><TD> </TD><TD>OTL</TD><TD> </TD><TD>EGA</TD><TD> </TD><TD>GA</TD><TD> </TD><TD>GAA</TD><TD> </TD><TD>SA</TD><TD> </TD><TD>SV</TD><TD> </TD><TD>SV%</TD><TD> </TD><TD>SO</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=middle><TD class=yspscores align=left> Ray Emery</TD><TD class=yspscores align=left>OTT</TD><TD class=yspscores>15</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>15</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>952</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=ysptblclbg6>12</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>3</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>31</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>1.95</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>381</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>350</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>.919</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysprow2 align=middle><TD class=yspscores align=left>Jean-Sebastien Giguere</TD><TD class=yspscores align=left>ANA</TD><TD class=yspscores>13</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>12</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>769</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=ysptblclbg6>9</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>3</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>24</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>1.87</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>350</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>326</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>.931</TD><TD class=yspscores> </TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


I dunno Yanks I dont think it can be so cut and dry with the goalie situation in the series. Sens never had one playoff SO until this year... and they have 3 in 07. The Sens have only played 15 gmes in what people thought was an impossible journey.

I guess what Im saying is yeah, the Ducks didnt play scared in Game 6... the Sens IMO havent played scared for 5 months. 3 games they lost in the postseason have all been by 1 goal, etc etc...

 

[catfood]

The goalie and the muscle advantage goes slightly to the Ducks. The muscle aspect worries me, muscle dictates the game and thats why these 2 teams are in the finals, theyre the 2 most physical teams in the playoffs. But the sens record over the last 50-60 games or so is absolutely unreal and the sens other lines will have to pick it up vs the ducks and I think they will, so I cant bail on them now. GL SC

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

stats are what they are...but there's no way in hell i'd put Emery in Giguere's class...no way, not yet...unless we were talking about fighting ability.

it'll be interesting. & i'm still undecided. but the Sens have one big line. makes me think they'll have issues on the road, where the ducks can control the matchups...and have pronger and niedermayer going against this line.
not sure what forward line they'll use...but Andy McDonald is the fastest skater on the ice, regardless of who the ducks are playing. though you'd be hard pressed to find a better defensive forward then Sammy Pahlsson.

i'm just talking out loud, cuz i'm not as sold on the sens to take the cup as i was a week ago. truthfully, it's very up for grabs imo.

 

[Joe Public]

I completely agree with Yanks' first post.

The difference on Giggy is size. He's huge. I will say, however, there were times in that Detroit series where he looked like he got tired and started to lumber a little.

I think the longer this series goes on the more it benefits Ottawa, even if that does give Giggy more chances to steal a game.

Despite the fact that I just really want the Cup to go back to Canada--and what a win this would be for Ottawa, by the way, to get it back to Ontario before Toronto--I think there were times in that Detroit series where Anaheim's offense just dried up almost completely. Now I give a lot of credit to Detroit for that, but that film is going to help Ottawa in spots in this series--and I think Ottawa is much healthier than Detroit.

It's all about Giggy, if he stands on his head, the Ducks can do it. If not, I think Lord Stanley returns to the Great White North.

 

[BetCrimes1984]

If Schneider had been healthy, I'm guessing at a best the Ducks have to win a game 7 in Detroit to be in the SC finals. At worst, they dont steal game's 2 or 5, and arent here before Detroit at all.

So even with Giggy standing on his head as he did, 1 player for the other team being absent still arguably made the difference.

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

arguably...
but then again, one of the games they stole was w/out pronger...which is a bigger loss.

don't know though. i'm making decent cases for both sides in my head, and still not sure which way i'm going yet.

 

[Santacapper]

No doubt about the stats Yanks, more just saying I would classify Emery as being just as 'hot' as Giggy. Skill set, no doubt who is where, but right now, in these playoffs its relatively even in my minds eye.

What I have been impressed with is the Sens ability to point out a glaring weakness in the goalie they play for a 7 game series, so far IMO they have done it to everybody. Everything I have read (and seen) of Giggy is he is weak to the glove side, I totally expect Ottawa to pick this or whatever weakness they perceive and take advantage of it.

I dont think a team has played a more complete cup run in the last 15 years or so... maybe MTL in the early 90's.

Joe, I have a yearly golf tournament in Ottawa / Toronto. Last year I hosted in Toronto and the shirts we wore were Leafs blue and white... I can just imagine the ribbing Im going to get should the Sens take the cup back, lol.

 

[c.r.e.a.m.]

Already placed a bet on the Ducks for them to win it all before the playoffs began so I'll be rooting for the Ducks.

Looking to bet on the Sens on the first game and if it loses double up on them in the 2nd but haven't played anything yet.

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

because i'm wavering on this series so much, i wonder if that's jsut not the way to go here. play the road dog (ott) in the first two in anaheim, get a split...then switch it up for the next to up north, staying on the dog.

you know, on the other side of my Ducks argument, i hear ya Santa. it definitely has been an impressive run. i thought the pitt series would be a classic, and i thought the buff series would go 7. yet the Sens made fairly easy work of both opponents.
and if they can handle all that talent on the Pens, it makes ya think...

 

[Joe Public]

That's the thing that has impressed me, Yanks.

As a Pens fan I thought that was going to be a much better series, in fact, I thought Pittsburgh would win it based on the way they won the season series from Ottawa. But Ottawa out thought the Pens in that series, they played much smarter and found a way to push all that talent to the walls.

That's what impresses me, in each series they've been able to adjust their style to their opponent. Sometimes they're more physical, sometimes they're smarter, sometimes they run a little more. Instead of just being incredibly good at one thing and forcing the other team to adjust, they adapt to their opponent and it's been working really, really well.

That's why Anaheim's lack of consistency worries me in this series. If they go cold for more than a game or so, this series might be over pretty quickly.

 

[Santacapper]

Something else about the Sens is it kind of seems fitting for them to win it, and prove everybody wrong.

In years past they were chokers, Alfie disappeared, Spezza was a scratch etc etc. Murray has some good hockey.

Hell, when Buffalo won game 4 in Ottawa down 3-0 all you read about was 'here we go again', they already handed the series to Buffalo more or less, still down 3-1 because the Sens of old had done it time and time again. THen they go out and come back after going down early, take the lead, only to lose that lead then dominate OT. Very resilient team this year, nothing like Sens of old

 

[Santacapper]

Game 2

Ottawa / Anaheim over 5

Just watched game 1, I was impressed with Ottawa for the first 30 minutes or so, then looked tired. Its for the same reason I won't play a side tonight, Ottawa should bounce back and I will certainly be cheering for that. When it's all said and done, Ducks thrived at even strength and there were alot of shots going through the blue ice, off posts. both goalies made some huge saves and it still landed on 5 for the game. I'll take a shot.

GL everyone

 

[Rug Rat]

Game 2

Ottawa / Anaheim over 5

Just watched game 1, I was impressed with Ottawa for the first 30 minutes or so, then looked tired. Its for the same reason I won't play a side tonight, Ottawa should bounce back and I will certainly be cheering for that. When it's all said and done, Ducks thrived at even strength and there were alot of shots going through the blue ice, off posts. both goalies made some huge saves and it still landed on 5 for the game. I'll take a shot.
GL everyone

By the same token, I thought the Ducks looked sluggish for the 1st period and a half and then got their legs churning, particularly in the final 20 minutes.