The Playoffs...bring em on.

[Skook]

Woo - hoo, I'm happier than a pig in poo. 5 Canadian Teams make it into the playoffs! Oh, please, please, please don't have them paired off against each other in the first round!!!! I better post my brains out in the next week because after that I will be busy, busy, busy.

My final dream match: Winnipeg vs Ottawa - just for the sheer fun it. The best part - the majority of team owners would be apoplectic

Rogers might be ecstatic given how much they've likely lost already this year in this new deal of theirs. My question is will bars and pubs be able to show play off games? Will they have to pay extra somehow to Rogers. I wonder what the deal is there?

What's your final dream match-up?

What do you think - will the playoffs impact interest rates? Will they impact the price of oil? Will they impact SDH prices in Vancouver or Toronto? I figured it was my duty to connect to real estate and/or the economy somehow.

Hope those who love hockey enjoy every minute of the games

[Skook]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
Ottawa plays Montreal and Winnipeg plays Vancouver in the the first round!!!
It's an American conspiracy...Bettman is behind it...Putin has his hand in this...it's a slapshot in the face from the grassy knoll. Damn.

Okay, I predict Ottawa over Montreal - the Hamburgler over Price.
With Vancouver vs Winnipeg...oh, this is tough...gotta go with Vancouver. As one commentator said last night, Vancouver is playing like they're having fun now and that has been missing these past few years.

That's the key this year...which team is having the most fun. That's why LA and Boston are out. They sure didn't look like that were enjoying themselves at all especially the last half of the regular season.

[Philpout]

So it looks like the Canucks are up against the dirty Flames. Besides the Bruins, who are thankfully out, the Flames are my most hated team. Hopefully we wipe the floor with them.

Now to answer your question, my dream match up in the final would the Vancouver against Montreal. Then I would be in a true win-win situation.

[Skook]

Oops, you're right Philpout, it's the Canucks against the Flames. Not sure, why I thought is was Winnipeg. Yeah, the Flames are a scrappy bunch this year...sorta like the Flyers of old, eh?

Dream match - west vs east. Yep, that would be a good one.

Here's the first round sched for anyone interested (courtesy of the CBC).

EASTERN CONFERENCE

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Division winner No. 1 vs. wild card No. 2
Rangers: 53-22-7, 113 points
Penguins: 43-27-12, 98 points
Series opener: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC TV)
Regular-season series: Rangers won 3-0-1 (Penguins 1-2-1)

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
Division winner No. 2 vs. wild card No. 1
Canadiens: 50-22-10, 110 points
Senators: 43-26-13, 99 points
Series opener: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC TV)
Regular-season series: Ottawa won 3-1-0 (Canadiens1-3-0)

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings
Atlantic Division No. 2 vs. Atlantic Division No. 3
Lightning: 50-24-8, 108 points
Red Wings: 43-25-14, 100 points
Series opener: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET
Regular-season series: Lightning won 3-1-0 (Red Wings 1-2-1)

Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders
Metropolitan Division No. 2 vs. Metropolitan Division No. 3
Capitals: 45-26-11, 101 points
Islanders: 47-28-7, 101 points
Series opener: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET
Regular-season series: Capitals won 2-0-2 (Islanders 2-1-1)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets
Division leader No. 1 vs. wild card No. 2
Ducks: 51-24-7, 109 points
Jets: 43-26-13, 99 points
Series opener: Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET
Regular-season series: Ducks won 3-0-0 (Winnipeg (0-1-2)

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild
Division leader No. 2 vs. wild card No. 1
Blues: 51-24-7, 109 points
Wild: 46-28-8, 100 points
Series opener: Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET
Regular-season series: Wild won 2-1-1 (Blues 2-2-0)

Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Central Division No. 2 vs. Central Division No. 3
Predators: 47-24-10, 104 points
Blackhawks: 48-28-6, 102 points
Series opener: Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET
Regular-season series: Blackhawks won 3-1-0 (Predators 1-1-2)

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames
Pacific Division No. 2 vs. Pacific Division No. 3
Canucks: 48-29-5, 101 points
Flames: 45-30-7, 97 points
Series opener: Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (CBC TV)
Regular-season series: Flames won 2-1-1 (Canucks 2-2-0)

The Globe & Mail reports today that this 1st playoff round will be financially deadly for CBC because of the deal it struck with Rogers. Rogers is getting all the ad revenue from each playoff game broadcast - brutal.

[Skook]

Don't I know how to pick them...LOL. Winnipeg and Ottawa, you're both breaking my heart. WO, WO, WO is me.

There is a plus if it ends tonight for the two of them - their home crowd gets to cheer and thank them for the great run at the end.

I, actually, think I jinxed them. I shouldn't have come out publicly and announced my support. So, if they're gone after tonight, let me know what teams you want booted in this round and I'll get behind them (first come, first served). Yep, lost due to the "SKOD" factor: Skook's-kiss-of-death. I should get paid for this...

[Skook]

Bye, bye, Jets.

I have to agree with NHL correspondent, Patrick Williams, on this one - the Jets just didn't have the depth...

Quote:Anaheim swept Winnipeg in part because of a well-balanced offensive attack that allowed Boudreau to use four lines. Corey Perry had two assists for the Ducks and seven points (three goals, four assists) in the series. Silfverberg finished with two goals and three assists. Getzlaf had a goal and three assists.

"Good teams, they have to get scoring not just from their top line, but from all four lines, and we did tonight," said [Ryan] Kesler, who had three goals and two assists in the series. "We're going to need that the rest of the way."

Now, Philpout, about those Canucks...tick tock, tick tock...