Tag: playoffs

As if Five Overtimes Wasn’t Enough

Last night’s Bruins game was postponed because the Tampa Bay/Columbus game took five overtimes to finish. Instead of playing game one at 8:00pm on 8/11, they started it at 11:00am on 8/12.

The third period just ended.

The game is tied.

As if last night’s five overtimes weren’t enough, we’re going to overtime in this game too.

The Bruins have been a little better than what we saw during the three round robin games… a little better. They blew two leads, including a 3-2 lead half way through the third.

It’s 3-3 heading into the fourth period. Please beat the Whalers, Bruins. Pretty please.

4th Overtime, Still Going

3:20 left in the 4th overtime period. Tampa Bay has taken 84 shots on goal.

It’s a weird combination of players being overly cautious, players trying to win the game all by themselves, and everyone being too tired to function at 100%.

Less than two minutes left now. It’s probably going to end on a total bonehead move.

They Didn’t Think of That, Did They?

So, as hinted at by the previous post, the National Hockey League’s official playoff tournament started today. The games they’ve been playing for the last two weeks are official post season games, but they aren’t official playoff games… or something like that, whatever.

As mentioned in previous posts, the NHL has put each conference into it’s own bubble. All of the western conference teams are playing all of their games in Edmonton and all of the eastern conference teams are playing in Toronto. Each conference had two games scheduled for today. In Toronto, there was the Blue Jackets and the Lightning at 3:00pm, and then the Bruins and the Whalers at 8:00pm.

Or so they thought.

Here we are at 8:02pm and there is no sign of the Bruins. Why? Because the 3:00 Columbus vs Tampa Bay game is still going. The score is 2-2 at the intermission between the 3rd and 4th overtimes.

Remember, kids, in the playoffs there is no shootout. There is no stupid 3 on 3 garbage. In the playoffs, the games keep going until someone wins. It’s still sudden death, but the overtime periods are full 20 minute periods of 5 on 5 instead of the lame ass little five minute 3 on 3’s they have in the regular season. Columbus and Tampa Bay have played the literal equivalent of two full games, and it’s still going.

So the start of the Bruins game is delayed until someone actually wins.

I’m guessing no one at the head office who planned out the bubblized post season saw this one coming.

Go Bruins… eventually.

(also, go Blue Jackets. I hate the friggin’ Lightning)

NHL Quarterfinals Predictions

I tried to watch or listen to as much prelim round hockey as I could, and I caught a lot of it. Unfortunately I didn’t retain any of it. I’m going to make quarterfinal picks, but they are all blind and consist only of gut guesses.

In the East:

Flyers vs Canadiens: I hate the Canadiens. I pick the Flyers… even though I also hate the Flyers.

Lightning vs Blue Jackets: I’m picking the Blue Jackets. I don’t like them, but I really don’t like the Lightning.

Capitals vs Islanders: Tough one. I really hate the Capitals, but the Islanders are from New York and I hate all New York teams. I think I have to pick the Islanders though.

Bruins vs Hurricanes: Bruins. Like I’d ever pick the Whalers. Duh.

In the West:

Golden Knights vs Blackhawks: I’m ambivalent toward Vegas and I hate Chicago. I pick the Golden Knights.

Avalanche vs Coyotes: This is tough. I don’t hate either one of them. In fact, when I follow the West I tend to support both of them. I’m picking the Avalanche. They are the higher seed, and they gave Ray Bourque a Cup.

Stars vs Flames: Flames all the way. I hate Dallas.

Blues vs Canucks. I hate them both. I hate them both a lot. Canucks because they didn’t beat us in the finals last year and the Blues did. Pricks.

Game 1 in the Books

After losing all four games against the Ottawa Senators this season, the Bruins heroically took game one of their first round playoff series against the Senators.

The post season is underway and somehow, magically, the Bruins are part of it… and they won’t get swept!

This has been a pretty good night, right?

Go Bruins!

 

I will post my first round predictions eventually.  Or I won’t.  I don’t know.

What the Hell, Tuukka?

Last year the Bruins needed to win their last game to have a shot at making the playoffs.  Their #1 goalie, Tuukka Rask, however was sick that day and couldn’t play.  They lost that last game and didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

This year the Bruins had already qualified for the playoffs but needed a win in their last game to avoid getting stuck with a first round match up against the #1 seeded Washington Capitals.  Tuukka didn’t call in sick this time, but the team did give him the day off.  The Bruins lost, the Maple Leafs won, the Bruins dropped to the bottom seed in the Eastern Conference and will now face Washington in the first round.

Awesome.

I don’t really blame Tuukka, but what the hell, Tuukka?!  When we are down three games to none against the Caps are you going to take a day off for game four too?

 

ADDENDUM:

Okay, I guess there still is one way that the Bruins could jump back up to third in the division and not have to face Washington.  Something along the lines of Toronto losing today in regulation.  I guess that would make us even in the first tie breaker, which Toronto currently wins, and the Bruins have the second tie breaker.  Something stupid like that.  It doesn’t matter.  They still gave Tuukka the day off for a must win game, and Tuukka still accepted it.  Dude should have gone to the coach and said screw you, I’m playing.

NHL Stanley Cup Predictions

You are all really impressed with my hockey playoff predicting skills. Six of eight in the first round, two of four in the second round (boo), and now two of two in the third round!

I picked the Penguins over the Lightning even though I hate the damn Penguins and I was right. I picked the Sharks over the Blues because Joe Thornton is winning the cup this year.

That’s 10 out of 14, I think. Let me do the math again… 6+2+2=10 and 8+4+2=14. Yes, 10/14. That’s 71.4%.

Now for the Stanley Cup finals. I think I gave my prediction away two paragraphs ago. When the playoffs started I said the Sharks were going to win the cup. Then after the first round I backed off a little and said they’d get to the Cup but they might lost to Washington. After the second round I doubled down on the original prediction. San Jose, Stanley Cup or Bust!

Joe Thornton was the first overall pick of the Boston Bruins in 1997 and then they traded him away to San Jose in the middle of his MVP season. It’s the second worst trade in Bruins history. At least the second worst that I know of. Only the Seguin for a bag of pucks trade was worse.

Then in San Jose Thornton played for a string of great teams that I always picked to win it but who choked their seasons away during the early rounds. I vowed never to pick them again. Then the Bruins puked away their season yet again and I was pissed off enough to pick San Jose.

And now here we are, with Joe Thornton and the Sharks poised to play against the Penguins. I hate the Penguins. I loathe the Penguins. Last round I picked with my head instead of my heart and I felt scummy every second of every game. Now my head and my heart are in sync and I get to pick against the effin’ Penguins again, and it feels good.

So I say the Sharks win it all, and Jumbo Joe Thornton finally gets his drink from the Stanley Cup.

Game one is tomorrow.

GO SHARKS!

Baseball Playoffs

After picking both wild card games correctly, and then picking the first three Division Series’ correctly, it was probably too much to ask that the Dodgers win and let me run the table for a second round in a row. Jerks.

I picked the Cubs, the Royals, and the Blue Jays, but I failed to pick the Mets. That makes me 5-1 this playoffs.

Now, for the League Championship Series’, both of my favorites are still alive so I will pick them.

I’ve always liked the Royals, and I try to never pick American League East teams unless they are from Boston. This year though, I’m going with the Blue Jays, and after the way game five ended, how can you pick against them?

In the National League I am sticking with the Back to the Future prediction and going with the Cubs. If it works for Marty McFly, it works for me. Also, the Mets are from New York. Screw New York. Go Cubs.

So my prediction is for a Toronto vs Chicago World Series. Let us see how things unfold.

Epic Bat Flip

When it comes to home run show boating and bat flips… this is pretty close to the best ever.

The game was tied in the top of the seventh. The Rangers had a runner on third. After a pitch, the catcher went to throw the ball back to the pitcher and the throw hit the batter’s bat and rolled down the third base line. The runner on third scored to give the Rangers the lead. Weirdest thing I’ve ever heard of in a baseball game.

Then in the bottom of the seventh one Ranger’s player (sorry for not being up on the names, I’m doing this from the slightest bit of memory) made three (3) THREE! errors to load the bases. A single brought in the tying run. Then…

Jose Bautista destroyed the ball and drove it into next month, stood at home plate to watch it go out, then gave the meanest, angriest, most pissed off bat flip ever in the history of ever. Obviously the Rangers were pissed and the benches cleared.

Normally I am on the side of act like you’ve been there before and don’t show boat, but in this case? Following the dumbest play in the history of the playoffs? You flip that bat, Jose, and you suck it up and deal, Rangers.

Now, to change the subject, I should probably wait until tomorrow to mention this, but three of the division series have ended and the team I picked won all three. If the Dodgers win tonight I will be perfect in picks for the post season.

Obviously I just jinxed it though, so if you’re a Met’s fan… you’re welcome.

Oh yeah, and the Bruins won last night! Can you believe it? The standings as of this moment: The Patriots have four wins with 12 games to go, and the Bruins have one win with 78 games to go. It’s gonna be close!