Stanley Cup Finals!: New Jersey vs. Anaheim

[nccanes]

I presume Guyute, who is off in some tropical locale, won't mind me starting this thread....

From WayMoreSports....

Devils, Ducks prepare to dance
May. 25, 2003. 01:00 AM
Clubs try out Psychology 101

New Jersey would miss Nieuwendyk
Ken Campbell
Sports Reporter

Twenty years ago, Wayne Gretzky referred to the New Jersey Devils as a "Mickey Mouse organization." Ten years ago Mickey Mouse got an organization of his own when the Disney-owned Mighty Ducks of Anaheim joined the NHL.

Starting Tuesday, the two will meet in one of the most unlikely and potentially eye-glazing Stanley Cup finals in league history.

While there was no shortage of chatter that strongly suggested the Devils had ostensibly won the Cup Friday night when they defeated the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final, the New Jersey players were certainly not buying that notion — not for public consumption anyway.

Devils centre Scott Gomez compared the Mighty Ducks to the last season's Carolina Hurricanes, a team that knocked off the Devils in the first round of the playoffs.

"They've proved everyone wrong and we learned last year from Carolina," Gomez said. "Everyone loves a Cinderella story and who better to play that part than a team owned by Disney? We're going to have to be the big-bad Devils and play the way we're capable of playing. They deserve to be there and if we even think of taking them lightly, we're going to get our asses handed to us."

But there is little doubt that the Devils are the prohibitive favourite to win, not only because they finished 13 points ahead of the Ducks in the standings, but also because they are entering such familiar territory.

Twelve players on the Devils roster are playing in their third Stanley Cup final in the past four years and 15 players have Stanley Cup rings. The Ducks have just three players — Petr Sykora, Sandis Ozolinsh and Fredrik Olausson — who have won a Stanley Cup and just one other in Rob Niedermayer who has even been to a Stanley Cup final.

Devils coach Pat Burns, who makes his second trip to the final and his first since coaching the Montreal Canadiens in 1989, was intent on putting as much pressure as possible on Anaheim.

"The team we are going to play against is a team that has accomplished so much," Burns said. "We haven't won nothing. If people say, `You are the favourite,' I am going to have to say, `Excuse me.' So was Detroit, so was Dallas, they were all favourites, too. So I don't think anybody is the favourite."

Burns showed a great deal of coaching acumen against Ottawa. Even when the Devils were on the road, he always managed to get the line of John Madden between Jay Pandolfo and Jamie Langenbrunner on the ice against Marian Hossa.

And when Joe Nieuwendyk went down two shifts into Game 7, his instincts told him to press journeyman Pascal Rheaume into service and Rheaume responded by winning faceoff after faceoff and turning in the performance of his career.

The 10 days off will undoubtedly be a boon for the 40-year-old Adam Oates and almost-40 former Leaf Steve Thomas, but it also might dull the Ducks' edge.

The Devils will have a huge hole to fill if Nieuwendyk's injury is worse than they're saying. The Devils will likely have a hard enough time solving the mystery that is Ducks goalie J.S. Giguere without missing one of their best scorers.

"I don't think anyone in our dressing room is going to buy that (the Devils are favourites)," Nieuwendyk said. "They have an unbelievable goaltender who is on an incredible run right now and they have some veterans who have solidified their team. I mean, they have it all right now."

[Jeff O Rocks]

Thanks for getting this started Eileen....Go Ducks!

[mikus]

Ducks 4-2

[folgersnyourcup]

I say Ducks in 6 as well.

Interesting that the article says that Neidermayer is the only Duck that has been to the finals besides Olausson, Sykora, and Ozolinsh.

Oates was there too with the Capitals in '99!

[tommy]

Yeah he was (but wasn't it 1998?)... hmm...

I say Devils in 7... Giguere is STILL going to have to be great, AND the offense is going to start scoring regularly on Brodeur, who is better than Lalime.

This ought to be an INCREDIBLE series!

[Alicia]

Ducks in a long, hard-fought 7 game series.

[talkingcanes]

Devils in 6

[StormShaman]

The Craps went in 98. :p

In any case--Drivels in 7. :(

[Stormbringer]

As I said in the playoff bracket thread...

As much as I want the Ducks to sweep/flush those blasted Devils, gotta go with the Ducks doing it in seven. Prove me wrong in a positive manner mighty ones...

[nccanes]

The Schedule:

1. Tue, May 27 -- at New Jersey, 8:00 pm EDT (ESPN, CBC)
2. Thu, May 29 -- at New Jersey, 8:00 pm EDT (ESPN, CBC)
3. Sat, May 31 -- at Anaheim, 8:00 pm EDT (ABC, CBC)
4. Mon, Jun 2 -- at Anaheim, 8:00 pm EDT (ABC, CBC)
5.* Thu, Jun 5 -- at New Jersey, 8:00 pm EDT (ABC, CBC)
6.* Sat, Jun 7 -- at Anaheim, 8:00 pm EDT (ABC, CBC)
7.* Mon, Jun 9 -- at New Jersey, 8:00 pm EDT (ABC, CBC)


Boy Anaheim gets stuck with those 5pm local games - at least 2 are on Saturdays. But I guess we won't be losing as much sleep. :)

[tommy]

I never understood what they were thinking when ESPN got games 1 and 2, and ABC got the rest of the series. For some reason, I'm partial to ESPN... I don't know why, though.

[HockeyFan]

QUACK QUACK in 7 games!

[nccanes]

I never understood what they were thinking when ESPN got games 1 and 2, and ABC got the rest of the series. For some reason, I'm partial to ESPN... I don't know why, though.

Strange Tommy. Don't the for the most part, use the same gang? Oh yeah, they threw Al Michaels ("Raw-leigh") into the pre-game stuff I suppose.

[nccanes]

JSG article from the Hartford Courant:

A Long, Winding Road For Giguere
May 22, 2003

Sean Burke and his wife Leslie had driven 80 minutes from their summer home to Edmonton for the NHL entry draft in 1995. With little else to do, Leslie decided to pick out a few well-groomed teenagers in the coliseum stands and, together, the Burkes sat back and watched the emotional journeys unfold.

Young faces grow tense with anticipation on draft day. Some break into huge first-round smiles. Others droop in undrafted chagrin. It is a case study in hopes and dreams.

How could the Burkes have known that one of the faces Leslie picked belonged to the goalie predicted to one day succeed Sean as the Whalers' kingpin? How could the Burkes have known that one day the young goalie would sit back and watch a hockey world react with the same teenage awe of him?

Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

ZHAWN-suh-BAS-tee-yeh ... ZHEE-gair!

Say his name once and you start to feel the way Gomez did when Morticia spoke French on "The Addams Family." Say his name twice and you will follow Gomez's passionate lead and plant kisses up the arm of the nearest hockey fan.

Keep saying his name and brass will blare, kettle drums will sound and cannons will explode as if Tchaikovsky had commandeered the arena synthesizer. Guerre? Giguere? Isn't one of them the French word for war? ZHEE-gair! Can't you hear the "1812 Overture" reaching its climax?

It seems like 1812 was the last time they played NHL hockey in Hartford anyway. Our math may be a little fuzzy, but 1812 definitely was the last time Minnesota scored on Giguere before they got one on him in the Western Conference finals.

The one goal Giguere allowed was the fewest ever in a best-of-seven series. He led the Anaheim Mighty Ducks over Detroit. He had led them over Dallas. He quieted teams that were supposed to steamroll him. Minnesota never had a chance. His playoff goals-against average is 1.23. His save percentage is .960. In December, Giguere went 237:07 without giving up a goal, the longest shutout sequence since 1950. His 217:54 playoff string was the longest since 1951.

These are not numbers of mortal men.

"I always thought he'd be a good NHL goalie and he probably has been underrated the past two years," said Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford, a former goalie who drafted Giguere 13th overall. "But to have gone to this level? Sure, I'm somewhat surprised. Wouldn't anybody be? He has been phenomenal."

Have you ever seen a goalie play better in the playoffs?

"I don't think so," Rutherford said.

Giguere's dad, a prison guard when the Whalers drafted him, now drives a Quebec school bus. His mom has shown the first stages of Alzheimer's disease and Jean-Sebastien's play is her small window to a happy world. Heck, Disney's "Mighty Ducks" movie is a cold Swedish documentary filmed in black-and-white compared to the real story of their rise to the Stanley Cup finals.

Whalers fans now can see why they once wished upon this star.

Former Rangers GM Neil Smith, who brought minor league hockey to Hartford, reminded Rutherford recently that he traded his 1995 No. 1 pick to the Whalers for Pat Verbeek. Central Scouting had Martin Biron rated the No. 1 goalie and Giguere No. 2 that year. So did most teams. The Whalers scouts insisted Giguere was better and when it was their turn, the only debate was Giguere or forward Petr Sykora.

"We went for position," Rutherford said.

Defenseman Chris Pronger drafted in 1993, forward Jeff O'Neill in 1994 and Giguere in 1995. If things had been different ...

"Yes, those are great building blocks," Rutherford said, "but it also has taken seven years. That's a long wait for all the pieces of the puzzle to fit."

Giguere played only eight games in Hartford and the truth is the only Jean-Sebastien show during that period was Whalers broadcaster John Forslund's humorous appearances with Sebastian on local radio. Giguere was the future.

Shortly after the Whalers moved to Carolina in 1997, however, Rutherford traded Giguere and Andrew Cassels to Calgary for Gary Roberts and goalie Trevor Kidd.

The Hurricanes needed Roberts' character.

The Flames coveted Giguere's future.

"Al had to have Giguere," Rutherford said. "Al loved him."

Al is former Wolf Pack general manager Al Coates. Hartford's fingerprints are all over the Giguere story.

"When I traded Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas, did I know Jarome Iginla would become an Art Ross [NHL leading scoring] winner? No, but I felt he couldn't miss in the NHL. The same with Giguere."

A disciple of Francois and Benoit Allaire and a student at their goalie school since age 12, Giguere blossomed as a butterfly goalie. Yet through his early pro years, he started guessing, charging out of his crease, flopping around. Getting jiggy was not helping "Jiggy." There were nights when he came to the Civic Center, playing for the Flames' AHL affiliate, when you wondered if he had the goods. Now it's impossible to find any bad.

"He has gotten exceptional coaching in Anaheim," Rutherford said. "He has simplified his movements."

Francois Allaire, his old master, is the Anaheim goalie consultant. Angles are sharp again. He is square to the shooter. The bottom of the net is sealed. Rebounds controlled.

"Giguere is physically and mentally matured," said Coates, fired by the Flames in 2000.

Coates' successor Craig Button's first move was to trade Giguere to Anaheim for a second-round pick. Coates had signed Grant Fuhr to a one-year extension at the NHL minimum and tried to make Fuhr his unprotected goalie for the 2000 expansion draft. Sensing Fuhr's retirement, the NHL negated it. Brought in late from Dallas, Button had to scramble. He protected popular starter Fred Brathwaite over Giguere.

"There were five goalies available who would have qualified [to be exposed] and given the time I would have acquired one of them," Coates said. "If it had come down to Fred and Giguere, I would have said, `Sorry, Fred. The kid's my building block.' But it never would have come down to that."

"If [Button] shopped him around, he didn't call me," Rutherford said. "I would have wanted him."

Giguere turned 26 Friday and Coates was there to wish him a happy birthday. After three seasons as Wolf Pack general manager, Coates left in April to become Mighty Ducks senior vice president of business operations. He doesn't acquire hockey dreams any more. His job is to sell them to the public and none is a better sale than ZHEE-gair.

Who knew The Next Whalers goalie would some day be the next Mickey Mouse?

E-mail: jjacobs@courant.com

[Jeff O Rocks]

Wonder if NJ will be able to sell out these home games??? and if their fans will sit there in a stupor again??? The playoffs are wasted on the wrong fans!! :cry: I know the Ducks fans will be rocking! :spin:

[Romney]

nccanes, thanks for the schedule. This makes things quite convenient for me. :spin:

[folgersnyourcup]

Hehe, yep Jeff O they actually sold out these games! I have to admit I was surprised at first that they all sold out in NJ but then again these are the Stanley Cup Finals and I think it's a golden opportunity for people living somewhere remotely close to the Meadowlands to get tickets relatively easily to a Stanley Cup Finals game regardless of whether or not they give a damn about the Devils team. I'm assuming game 7 is sold out now, I was able to get three tickets to that game upon seeing that games 1,2, and 5 were sold out. If there's a game 7, I'm going cheering for the Ducks though. It's honestly sort of sad to see the lack of support for the team in terms of fans. One of my roommates' this past year lives in the area and he said that for most of the games during the regular season they give away TONS of free tickets.

[Turbulence]

This has the potential to be an awesome series....but it certainly will be a defensive battle. I say Ducks in 6 because they have monentum and an unstoppable goalie...that, and everyone likes an underdog. If the Devils can figure out JSG, their small offense should be able to win them the series with their ever-present tight defense and infallible Brodeur...problem is, Jiggy is unstoppable at this point. Anaheim has the momentum, the goaltending, and the scoring to be able to raise the Cup..New Jersey has all of that except the scoring. Not that the Ducks are an offensive dynamo...but you get guys like Mike LeClerc and Jason Krog throwing in goals just when you need them. I don't think the Devils have that.
But what do I know? :spin:

Go Ducks.

[1Irbegirlforever]

GO DUCKS!!!!!! Please beat the devils!!!! :crazy:

[folgersnyourcup]

Ducks fans REALLY hate Friesen. He was part of the trade to the Devils that brought Skyora to Anaheim. During his time with the Ducks he apparently did nothing but whine that he did not want to be there (he was traded from San Jose where he considered himself to be a franchise player) and chose to put forth little to no effort during last year's season. He also (according to the Ducks fans over on mightyducks.com) was quoted at one point insulting the Ducks' teammate. I tried to locate the exact quote but could not. They also decided to get the word out to those attending games 3,4, and 6 to boo Friesen whenever he touches the puck.

Just thought I would throw this out there in case he is booed whenever he touches the puck and you guys are wondering why.

I believe what he did was a bit like Shanahan on Hartford. Didn't want to play for a bottom-feeder team and wanted to be on a real cup contender. How ironic that they meet in the finals....

GO DUCKS!

[nccanes]

Thanks for the background Folg!

Here's an article about the Sykora/Elias friendship from the NY Times:

Elias Waits for Sykora to Drop Him a Line
By JASON DIAMOS


AST RUTHERFORD, N.J., May 26 - If the Niedermayer brothers - Scott of the Devils and Rob of the Ducks - have the closest relationship of any participants in the Stanley Cup finals, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora might be a close second.

Elias and Sykora were practically inseparable as linemates on the Devils. After Sykora was traded last summer to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Elias said he and Sykora spoke by phone at least once a week during the regular season. Elias, a left wing, said today that it would feel weird playing against Sykora in the Cup finals, which begin Tuesday night at Continental Arena.

Elias does not know how Sykora, who plays right wing, feels about the situation. "He hasn't returned my phone calls for four days," Elias said.

"It doesn't have to be about hockey," Elias said of a possible topic for a phone conversation. "But that's fine. I guess he's trying to focus. I'll try to get in his ear on the ice."

When Sykora was asked if he would try to phone Elias or have dinner with him during the finals, Sykora said, "You can't do that."

To which Elias replied, "He's been pretty true to his word."

Sykora, who broke into the N.H.L. with the Devils during the 1995-96 season, felt a little homesick early in the season.

Elias said: "We spoke a lot more on the phone during the regular season than we ever did when he was here. That probably shows he missed what we had here. I did, too."

For the better part of four seasons, Elias and Sykora helped form the A-Line - one of the league's best forward units - with Jason Arnott, who was later traded to Dallas. But it seems Sykora, who has a view of the Pacific Ocean from his home in Newport Beach, Calif., has put New Jersey behind him.

"Sykie has found a great place to play, where there's not much pressure on him with Paul Kariya and Adam Oates around," Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said of Sykora, who became the first player other than Kariya or Teemu Selanne to lead the Mighty Ducks in goals since Anaheim's inaugural season, 1993-94.

After a slow start, Sykora scored 34 goals, one off his career high in 2000-1. He scored only two goals in the first three rounds of the playoffs, but they were among the most important for the Ducks. Sykora's goal at 48 seconds of the fifth overtime gave visiting Anaheim a 4-3 victory over Dallas in Game 1 of the second-round series. It put an end to the second-longest game in the N.H.L.'s modern era and gave the Ducks the momentum they needed to win the series in six games. Sykora scored the only goal of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, which Anaheim won at 8 minutes 6 seconds of the second overtime. The Mighty Ducks went on to sweep the Minnesota Wild to advance to the Cup finals for the first time.

Scoring big goals is nothing new for Sykora. During the 2000 playoffs, he led the champion Devils with nine. In 2001, Sykora again led the Devils with 10 goals, as they reached the Cup finals for the second consecutive season.

But Sykora did not score a goal for the Devils during the playoffs last season, and he sat out two games with an ankle sprain. The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Devils in the first round. A few months later, the Ducks obtained Sykora by sending Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky to the Devils.

"I was kind of confused," Sykora said. "I didn't know what to think. But I feel like I have a brand-new life now. It's worked out great."

Sykora, who had nothing but praise for the Devils' organization today, still has plenty of friends on his former team. The Devils' captain, Scott Stevens, said over the weekend that he also wanted to say hello to Sykora on the ice. "Hopefully, it will be when he's on his back," Stevens said with a laugh.

[Jeff O Rocks]

The Devils' captain, Scott Stevens, said over the weekend that he also wanted to say hello to Sykora on the ice. "Hopefully, it will be when he's on his back," Stevens said with a laugh.[/quote]

And I hope Sykora and the rest of the Ducks have a hello for that as*hole...and he will need more than an ear protector to help him out of that fix!! :mad: GO DUCKS GO!!! :spin:

and my question is...Does ANYONE want the Devils to win???? Don't see too many of their fans in here!! ;)

[tommy]

I want the Devils to win... I have no clue why, though. Every series so far, I have found myself pulling for the Devils. So please don't hate me! It just seems like they have a total team effort. Anaheim has done awesome, don't get me wrong, but honestly, would they be here without Giguere? On the other hand, while Brodeur has been rock solid, there are many hard-working players on the Devils who regularly chip in and share the workload evenly... Pandolfo has started to contribute in big moments, Sergei Brylin, and of course Langenbrunner and Niewendyk have been awesome; Stevens and the defensive corps have been wondeful...

But honestly, I'll be happy for whoever wins once it's over.

[crazy4canes]

GO DUCKS GO!!!! Someone has to take the Devils down. :mad:

[StormShaman]

My money in the "Who Will Stevens Hospitalize" sweepstakes is on Stanislav Chistov.

Go Ducks!

[crazy4canes]

My money in the "Who Will Stevens Hospitalize" sweepstakes is on Stanislav Chistov.

Go Ducks!

Mwahahahahaha. :evil:

[Jeff O Rocks]

Good one Cam...and I am sure there will be at least one trip to the emergency room courtesy of Scott " I will kill your grandma AND MINE for the puck" Stevens!!!! :mad: He needs some serious clock cleaning..and I am hoping that there will be a tough Duck for such an occasion!! :D ...CLEAN AND LEGAL clock cleaning I might add!! :evil:

[StormShaman]

I vote for Keith Carney to take on that yob.

Or Ozo--how ironic would that be? :D

[tommy]

"I will kill your grandma and mine for the puck"?

I know it's not supposed to be that bad, but that should be the attitude every single player takes out onto the ice. Not illegaly, obviously, but that they will do what it takes to get the job done. This playoffs, Stevens has been a physical force as usual, but he has done nothing to break the rules.

And StormShaman, Chistov is too smart for Stevens to catch him off guard.

[StormShaman]

And StormShaman, Chistov is too smart for Stevens to catch him off guard.

Perhaps--but I won't be surprised in the least to see Stevens take a run at him.

[Jeff O Rocks]

"I will kill your grandma and mine for the puck"?

Stevens has been a physical force as usual, but he has done nothing to break the rules.



He has gotten a few shots in..luckily he hasn't hurt someone YET..and hopefully he won't...I still think of what he did to Ronnie and to Shane Willis...I will NEVER forget how Shane and Ronnie looked when he performed his "handy work" on them!! :mad:

[JaroFan]

Anybody catch what that was the Devils fans were yelling after each Mighty Ducks' introduction? It sounded so synchronized.

[Shell]

I was trying to figure that out myself.. was it just a sarcastic "rah" or something? Can't believe anyone who likes hockey can boo at the introduction of Jiggy :roll: I think the NJ 'fans' are worried heh

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Anybody catch what that was the Devils fans were yelling after each Mighty Ducks' introduction? It sounded so synchronized.
As each player's name was announced they followed it with a hardy and classy "sucks". Love those Jersey fans. :roll: Especially since they haven't bothered to show up until now.

[Shell]

yeah I rewound and listened again and it was definitely 'sucks' :roll:

[JaroFan]

Oh so classy. I'm sure Neidermayer appreciated that about his brother.

[StormShaman]

So classy, those Joisey fans--but then, we *are* talking about the state that gave us the tards that decided to climb the glass and yell crap at the camera after the Drivels won Game 7 of the Conference Finals.

[Turbulence]

I guess it was sucks....sounded like DUCK! at first listen...was mighty confused about that one...

This has been a fun game to watch...lots of action up and down the ice. Devils do seem a bit more prepared to play than the Ducks...I do think they are a bit rusty. I'm sure it'll wear off...

Quack.

[Alicia]

...and the goalie battle continues... :beatup: :D

[StormShaman]

Aaaaaaand Barry's hopped off the Ducks bandwagon already.

[talkingcanes]

Aaaaaaand Barry's hopped off the Ducks bandwagon already.


Barry.......a bandwagoner.........I'm shocked, I tell you :D :eek:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

HUGE moral victory for the Ducks to come out of the 2nd only down by 1. Come on Ducks!!! Beat these guys!!

[Shell]

Aaaaaaand Barry's hopped off the Ducks bandwagon already.

http://d21c.com/sombra5/jpgs3/offwagon.jpg
I don't want to have to agree with him!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Ohhhhh...I'm getting nervous. :crazy: Both the Devils' goals so far were in part due to mistakes by Giguere. The first one he read a pass wrong and the second he thought he had the puck and didn't.

I sure hope the Ducks settle in and get back to their game....even if they drop this one.

Farily rough game overall....and the refs sure haven't been calling much. :roll:

GO DUCKS!!!

[1Irbegirlforever]

Man, i hope Giguere is just having a bad game tonight! :sad: I feel so bad for the ducks, but hey..at least it's not a game at the pond.

[1Irbegirlforever]

Could it get any worse? :cry: 3-0 headed for a shutout....

[tommy]

Way to go Friesen! They just said he's scored 4 of the Devs' last 5 goals! Broduer was solid... for all 15 shots he faced, lol... Great defensive game for Jersey... it took Kariya 57 minutes to get his first shot off...

This could be a quick one...

But remember Colorado/NJ a few years back: looked like it could be over quick, and well all remember that series!

[hyena]

well, that sucked. :mad: nj manages to make yet another team's offense look pathetic. i'm hoping it's due to the long layoff the ducks had. with all the stupid mistakes anaheim made and all the freaking rebounds giggy gave up, i'm surprised the score wasn't 10-0.

go ducks!

quack quack quack

[SouthernHockeyChick]

It's just Game 1. I'm pretty confident the Ducks (and Giguere) will find their game again....I sure hope so anyway. :sad:

[Alicia]

Well, I'm not all that mad at the outcome of this first game. I firmly believe the Ducks had too much time off, but will soon revert back to form.

[StormShaman]

I.

HATE.

THE.

DEVILS.

Thank you, that is all.

[tommy]

Well, I'm not all that mad at the outcome of this first game. I firmly believe the Ducks had too much time off, but will soon revert back to form.

They mentioned (not sure if anybody saw it), that the 10-day layoff was the second longest in NHL history, with the longest being 12 days to Montreal way back in the day.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I DESPISE the Devils.... :mad: and where was the Ducks defense..they hung Jiggy out to dry!!!!!!!!

and the comments from the commentators......talking about how clean Stevens plays and hits....and then talking about all the extra equipment that Jiggy looks like he is wearing!!!!!!!! MAKE ME PUKE!!!!!!!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

The Ducks HAVE to win...I can't stand it if the as*holes win it!! :mad:

[hyena]

I.

HATE.

THE.

DEVILS.

^^ what she said.

and the comments from the commentators......talking about how clean Stevens plays and hits....and then talking about all the extra equipment that Jiggy looks like he is wearing!!!!!!!! MAKE ME PUKE!!!!!!!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:


i almost snorted diet coke out my nose when they started that BS about stevens. i hope all of them jump on the devils bandwagon so when it crashes they all get thrown off into the pile of BS they created. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif

[Jeff O Rocks]

i hope all of them jump on the devils bandwagon so when it crashes they all get thrown off into the pile of BS they created. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif

Me too hyena...and if Melrose goes first...the oil slick will be so bad...they may slide for days before hitting the pile of steaming BS!! :D :evil: ;)

[Stormbringer]

I.

HATE.

THE.

DEVILS.

Thank you, that is all.

:mad: What you said...plus, about the comment regarding Barry jumping off the Ducks' bandwagon and onto the Devils, I'm surprised that ESPN wasn't already on the Devils bandwagon when it was down to the ones who defeated their precious Wings and Avs, and the "nobodies" alias the Sens. Glad I missed tonight's game...sounds like ESPN/ABC's notorious "announcing" would have made me even more furious than the outcome. Jiggy "having extra equipment" my tough nylon covered rear...he has on the same amount of equipment as the dude in the crease on the opposite side of the rink. And Stevens "hitting clean"...anyone who hits Ronnie and Willis in ways that send them to hospital beds IS NOT HITTING CLEAN. Grrrrr... :mad:

I believe it was Billy Preston who sang "Let the bad guy win every once in a while."...well, I hope that tonight was that every once in a while. Please Ducks, make history, shut up ESPN/ABC, defeat the Devils, and hoist the Cup for the first time in the team's existence of a decade. (That's right folks, this was the Ducks' tenth anniversary season...quite a time to have a nice Stanley Cup run, eh?) And regarding the cup, the bad guy already won in the once in a while that was last year...please don't let it happen twice Ducks...

:mad: Can you tell I'm just a little angry? ;)

[1Irbegirlforever]

I.

HATE.

THE.

DEVILS.

Thank you, that is all.

I.

ALSO.

HATE.

THE.

DEVILS.

I know exactly how you feel Storm... :roll: Bad night, huh?

[folgersnyourcup]

I recorded that game but now feel a strange desire to destroy the tape. Or at least let my cat pee on the inside. To explain why, here we go:
It all started with me coming home from work to find my home theater reciever that I had purchased just recently from approximately 750 dollars (got it on sale!) on my front porch with circuit boards here and there. I come in and learn that the reciever, which had been placed back in the box after I had taken it out (I was waiting to get speakers before using it) had been peed on by one of my cats.

The box lid was closed except for a small place in the middle. The cat apparently decided to use the box as a littler box despite the fact that there was no litter in it and the actual litter box was no more than 2 feet away from this box. The pee SOAKED through the box lid, down through the vents on top of the reciever and all over the boards inside. They are now all corroded, ruined, and I am basically out of luck.

Just now I found out my dog ate about 2 pounds of chocolate candy my brother left under his bed and may have to be taken to the animal hospital. Oh, and in between that there was an ugly, ugly hockey game.

I was afraid the long layoff would affect the Ducks but I had no idea it would be like this. Kudos to Rucchin for downplaying it and saying he wouldn't make excuses but I have to figure that played some factor. Aside from the Sykora post hit in the first period and one more good chance I'd say that's about all the Ducks were able to master tonight. They generated a TON of positive energy from what I saw in the final minutes of the game with the Oates/Kariya/Skyora line out there but obviously no goals.

The Scott Stevens crap made me sick as others have mentioned. I also wasn't accustomed to such brutalizations having followed the Ducks more closely than the Devils but I expected they would come. I didn't like the jab before the opening faceoff on Kariya at all. And I really felt sorry for the Anaheim players during the player announcements at the beginning. That's horrible to yell "Sucks" after each players' name. What the heck.

Giguere unfortunately was not in position for the goals, passes looked dare i say it "Canes-like", (circa late 2003 season) and there just seemed to be one element that is CRUCIAL in a Stanley Cup Finals game: intensity. Anaheim must bring that to the next game.

Hoping the Ducks will win the series I did not enjoy this game. But I honestly can't say I lay the unenjoyment at the hands of the Ducks' players. Something that really distracted me throughout the game was just how little the New Jersey fans cared. We really had something special here last year in the finals, the intensity and excitement level of the fans was unbelievable. Tonight they were non-existent except after goals. There were huge bunches of empty seats during the final 10 minutes of the game.

Don't get me wrong, NJ deserved to win this game. Heck, they deserved to win at least 9-0. But I certainly hope that game 2 brings what this game was sorely lacking on both sides: intensity and excitement.

I love low-scoring games and hope for more but not like this Devils win or not.

Oh well. So a bad day finally comes to a close. I don't like the Devils. My cat owes them a good piss.

[JaroFan]

It was so nice to see Stevens on the cover of the Hockey News - NOT. I don't need to read an article on how he's a tough "warrior". I can not stand the guy and he won't go away!!!!!! :mad:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

It was so nice to see Stevens on the cover of the Hockey News - NOT. I don't need to read an article on how he's a tough "warrior". I can not stand the guy and he won't go away!!!!!! :mad:

I hate him too (though apparantly not as much as most since I did find myself pulling for the Devs until now) but it really was a good article. :beatup:

[talkingcanes]

It was so nice to see Stevens on the cover of the Hockey News - NOT. I don't need to read an article on how he's a tough "warrior". I can not stand the guy and he won't go away!!!!!! :mad:

I hate him too (though apparantly not as much as most since I did find myself pulling for the Devs until now) but it really was a good article. :beatup:

It was a good article. The Devils play hard and they played well.

[nccanes]

Anybody catch what that was the Devils fans were yelling after each Mighty Ducks' introduction? It sounded so synchronized.
As each player's name was announced they followed it with a hardy and classy "sucks".

My kids figured it out immediately. And when you've got elementary school aged kids that are saying "that's stupid", then you've sunk pretty low. :sick:

After the playoffs are done, I want to start a thread titled "things I'm glad we don't do at our arena" and this will be on the list. I know we don't announce starting lineups for visitors, but did do it during the cup finals? - I'm drawing a blank.

[nccanes]

Anyone else underwhelmed by the addition of Berman? I wish they would have added a current player that is no longer in the playoffs - Roenick or someone - wouldn't that be more fun!?

[Jeff O Rocks]

Anyone else underwhelmed by the addition of Berman? I wish they would have added a current player that is no longer in the playoffs - Roenick or someone - wouldn't that be more fun!?

They did announce the starting lineups for the Finals here Eileen..if memory serves correctly!!

..and a player would have been a nice addition....or maybe Ronnie or Rod?? kind of get the angle of being there last season?? :sad: :roll:

[nccanes]

They did announce the starting lineups for the Finals here Eileen..if memory serves correctly!!



Thanks - I just couldn't remember - or maybe had a little too much fun at the tailgate prior to the game. ;) :evil:

[Jeff O Rocks]

They did announce the starting lineups for the Finals here Eileen..if memory serves correctly!!



Thanks - I just couldn't remember - or maybe had a little too much fun at the tailgate prior to the game. ;) :evil:

you are welcome...now where did I put that "Otis Campbell" smiley?? :D ;)

[Canesluver]

Anyone else underwhelmed by the addition of Berman?

Yeah, he kind of seemed like an afterthought.

And who was he the guy doing some of the player interviews during Intermissions? The little short guy, who I didn't recognize -- HE SUCKED!! That guy looked like a deer caught in the headlights-- he looked really uncomfortable and didn't really know what he was doing. I said outloud, "Who's this joker?" I swear, I could do a better job than that!!!!!!

(He sucked. . . . . the game sucked. . . . . NJ fans sucked. . . . . . and surely, 'Canes fans can't be the only ones who hate Stevens, right? -- 'cause according to ESPN, he's some kind of god. . . . . sheesh!)

[Captain Slack]

(He sucked. . . . . the game sucked. . . . . NJ fans sucked. . . . . . and surely, 'Canes fans can't be the only ones who hate Stevens, right? -- 'cause according to ESPN, he's some kind of god. . . . . sheesh!)

Guy I work with went to the All-Star game this year. He found it amusing that the fans there booed Stevens everytime he touched the puck, just like we do here. Did he hospitalize someone from the Panthers, too?

[Jeff O Rocks]

Did he hospitalize someone from the Panthers, too?

If he was living and breathing and on the ice during the game, my bet would be YES at some time he hurt one of their players OR tried to! :mad: I will have to try to find something on that.. :roll:

[crazy4canes]

(He sucked. . . . . the game sucked. . . . . NJ fans sucked. . . . . . and surely, 'Canes fans can't be the only ones who hate Stevens, right? -- 'cause according to ESPN, he's some kind of god. . . . . sheesh!)

Guy I work with went to the All-Star game this year. He found it amusing that the fans there booed Stevens everytime he touched the puck, just like we do here. Did he hospitalize someone from the Panthers, too?

Scott Stevens has left a path of carnage in pretty much every NHL city. He's probably booed on the golf course. Maybe at a few New York restaurants, too. His wife probably boos him when he comes home. My point is the man is hated. Yeah, you could call his hits "clean" in the sense that he can't be penalized for them. There's a few players that have lingering headaches who might disagree though.

[Kat]

I must admit I was afraid to click on this link... afraid that people would be rooting for the Devs over here too. I agree with all the negative things that have been said about them.

I find it interesting that the announcers call them a "classy" team. They have had a dirty rep for *years*. Their own fans didn't even sell out their 1st round matchup, for a team that has made the finals how many times in the past 10 years?

And finally, I had to mute ESPN in the 3rd period. If I saw one more Devs glamour shot sequence or heard one more thing about Friesen's 3 game winners or the "incredible" 7th game win (not mentioning that they gave up a 3-1 lead!), I was going to throw up. And down 2-0, the only thing they have to say about the Ducks is a jibe at Jiggy's pads. No mention of the 2 SWEEPS they did to get in the SCF. ****ers. I hated ESPN before, but it is turning into a serious deep-down loathing.

-Kat

[nccanes]

And finally, I had to mute ESPN in the 3rd period. If I saw one more Devs glamour shot sequence or heard one more thing about Friesen's 3 game winners or the "incredible" 7th game win (not mentioning that they gave up a 3-1 lead!), I was going to throw up. And down 2-0, the only thing they have to say about the Ducks is a jibe at Jiggy's pads. No mention of the 2 SWEEPS they did to get in the SCF. ****ers. I hated ESPN before, but it is turning into a serious deep-down loathing.

-Kat

I guess it's good I snoozed thru part of the game. I did here the JSG pad-innuendo tho. I got the sense that Clement didn't know how to respond to Thorne, seemed like he was uncomfortable about the comments. Or maybe it was my sleepiness. :crazy:

[Jeff O Rocks]

I guess it's good I snoozed thru part of the game. I did here the JSG pad-innuendo tho. I got the sense that Clement didn't know how to respond to Thorne, seemed like he was uncomfortable about the comments. Or maybe it was my sleepiness. :crazy:

I actually thought it sounded like Clement's voice that talked about his pads being too big...was I wrong?? :roll:

[Turbulence]

Even Pat Burns said Anaheim had rust on the skates last night...I'm hoping it's worn of by now...It was a sad performance (the 2 periods I watched, anyway)

But, it's only one game. Anything can happen. Go Ducks!

Anyone hear the Brass Bonanza played during the 1st intermission? Talking about Jiggy and his roots...pretty neat.

[nccanes]

I actually thought it sounded like Clement's voice that talked about his pads being too big...was I wrong?? :roll:

See maybe I was too sleepy, LOL. Perhaps it was the other way around, but the "other" guy didn't seem to add much.

[nccanes]

Anyone hear the Brass Bonanza played during the 1st intermission? Talking about Jiggy and his roots...pretty neat.

That's probably how Berman got the gig - he was dying to use the Brass Bonanzo again and saw his opportunity. ;)

[Guyute]

first off- Folgers, my condolences man. I can't even imagine the carnage I'd cause if one of our cats would've ruined my shiny new Marantz before I had a chance to get it out of the box. wow. I probably would've had an embolism.

as for the game... jersey played a solid game. the ducks look like paté.
I'm pretty confident they'll be much more together tomorrow night though. at least........ they better be.

damn devils. argh. :sick:

[Canesluver]

the ducks look like paté.

Excellent, Guy! You win the quote of the day! :D

LOL

[Jeff O Rocks]

See maybe I was too sleepy, LOL. Perhaps it was the other way around, but the "other" guy didn't seem to add much.

I agree Eileen...it was like a "Devil Ass Kissing Fiesta".. :sick: :mad:

and I like Chris Burman, be he just doesn't seem like a "hockey guy" to me!! :roll:

[folgersnyourcup]

I'll agree with that. Berman didn't seem like a hockey guy at all, kinda like that sportscenter lady. When she talks about hockey she looks like she just doesn't give a damn. Berman just sits there and reads exactly what he's told to, you can follow his eyes looking up and down the whole time. At least Saunders and Melrose do a good bit of improvisation or at least do a damn good job at masking their reading like any good anchor should.

That being said, I've got no problem with Berman though. He does seem like he's enjoying what he's doing even though he obviously is quite new to it. Maybe he'll stick around for a while now though. He seems like he's a pretty good fit with Saunders and Melrose so maybe they will gel more but Buccigrass is still king.

Game two is a must win game for the Ducks. If they come out and get 16 shots or less on goal, don't score, and turn in a performance similar to game one, this will be a short series. It won't necessarily be OVER at that point but I would say just about.

[nccanes]

That being said, I've got no problem with Berman though. He does seem like he's enjoying what he's doing even though he obviously is quite new to it. Maybe he'll stick around for a while now though. He seems like he's a pretty good fit with Saunders and Melrose so maybe they will gel more but Buccigrass is still king.


Oh, I wasn't suggesting Berman isn't a hockey guy, he's been around ESPN from the beginning. I don't think you can anchor SportsCenter and cover sports for over 20 years and not be able to talk just about any sport with some authority.

I just thought his addition was unnecessary. I know ABC adds Al Michaels during the finals, and while Al will forever be linked to hockey ("Do you believe in miracles?"), I would rather see an active player added to the panel for the "studio chat" (which is now going on at the rinks instead of the studio).

I still contend that Berman saw his chance to crank up the old Brass Bonanza and lobbied to be added to the broadcast team. ;)

[tommy]

Here's a funny article about playoff beards from NHL.com

Finals a hairy deal for Devils, Ducks
By Pete Iorizzo | Special to NHL.com
May 28, 2003



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim held their Stanley Cup Finals media day here Monday. Too bad no one shaved for the occasion.
When the Devils marched into their press conference, it looked like an Amish parade. The Ducks, meanwhile, flew west but saw their appearances go south.

Such a facial-hair fiasco has become an NHL tradition. Players stop shaving in the Playoffs, hoping to grab Lady Luck by the short hairs while growing a few of their own. The follicley challenged rookies quickly become distinguishable from the grizzled veterans. And clearly without mirrors. A dark, thick beard covers most of Krog's face, but he trims the hairs on his neck to stave off itchiness. The resulting mismatch earned him a couple votes for the ugliest beard award.


That honor later went to teammate Stanislav Chistov, whose nickname, "Cheesee," suits his visage well. Save a few patches of curly fur on his neck, Chistov, 20, has failed to sprout even a hamster's worth of hair.

"I shave after every round," the fair-haired forward claimed.

"It's usually the young, blonde-haired guys who have trouble," said Ray Ferraro, who played 18 years in the NHL and now works as an ESPN analyst.

As a player, Ferraro dodged the playoff-beard tradition, but he once grew one accidentally with the Hartford Whalers. Mired in a slump, Ferraro pledged not to shave until he scored. When his drought stretched into the Playoffs, so did his beard.

"I ended up never scoring," Ferraro said.

Others have shunned the tradition, too. Anaheim's Adam Oates, an 18-year veteran, never grows a playoff beard. Statistics show, he said, that the playoff-beard tradition is nothing more than a harebrained scheme.

"You've got 16 teams who start the playoffs," Oates said. "Everybody grows a beard. But 15 of the teams lose, so for most guys it doesn't work."


Scott (left) and Rob (right) Niedermayer show that their family firmly believes in the Playoff facial hair tradition.
For other guys, it's too much work. Players who opt for a full beard - including Anaheim's J.S. Giguere and Steve Rucchin, along with New Jersey's Scott Niedermayer, Jay Pandolfo and John Madden - contend with itchiness, and sometimes beard grooming becomes more time consuming than shaving. That's why some guys go for the Chihuahua look.

"The first month is terrible," said Anaheim's Dan Bylsma, who dyed part of his dark beard red. "Now it's not so itchy anymore. Although, my wife can't wait for it to be off."

The same can safely be said for the wife of New Jersey's Jim McKenzie, because McKenzie looks like an alien shaved crop circles into his face. McKenzie's sideburns extend 2 or 3 inches. His handlebars moustache flows around his lips and cheeks. A bit more stubble flourishes on his chin.

The facial do came about after the first round, when a few teammates encouraged McKenzie to make something more of his then-full beard. Soon McKenzie admittedly looked part farmer, part truck driver and part adult-film star.


Jim McKenzie looks like an alien shaved crop circles into his face.
"I could see him driving a tractor or riding around in an 18-wheeler," said Brian Gionta, New Jersey's black-bearded forward.

"It's just wacky," McKenzie said before pointing out worse beards. "We've got a couple guys in a dead heat. I'd say Turner Stevenson and Jamie Langenbrunner. They've got about 14 hairs on their chins. Depending on how strong the wind is blowing, they're clean shaven after they go for a walk outside."

Langenbrunner sports a few tufts of black hair on his chin and upper lip. Stevenson has some patchy blonde growth around his face.

"It's the best I could do," Langenbrunner said sheepishly.

"I'm by far the worst on the team," Stevenson said. "I might be the worst in the League."

Not one player could pinpoint the tradition's origin. Even Bill Fitsell, founding president of the Society for International Hockey Research, was left scratching his whiskers when asked about the playoff beard's birth.


Devils captain Scott Stevens goes with the stylish --but menacing-- goatee during the Playoffs.
"I certainly remember it," Fitsell said. "It's probably within the last 10 or 15 years. It's a pretty recent thing. Before that, some guys just had goatees or something."

Reports have traced the tradition as far back as the early 1970s, to a short-lived movement in the now-defunct World Hockey Association. Others mention the Philadelphia Flyers growing playoff beards in the mid-1970s. Most players remember the New York Islanders of the early 1980s growing postseason facial hair, and the superstition gained credibility when the New York won four consecutive Stanley Cups.

Though the playoff beard's origin has been lost in a maze of moustaches, manes and muttonchops, the tradition continues to find new followers.

"It's your honor to do it," Bylsma said. "It's your right to do it. It's exciting to do it. Even though it itches."

[nccanes]

Great article. My fave quotes:

"You've got 16 teams who start the playoffs," Oates said. "Everybody grows a beard. But 15 of the teams lose, so for most guys it doesn't work."

...

Jim McKenzie looks like an alien shaved crop circles into his face.
"I could see him driving a tractor or riding around in an 18-wheeler," said Brian Gionta, New Jersey's black-bearded forward.

"It's just wacky," McKenzie said before pointing out worse beards. "We've got a couple guys in a dead heat. I'd say Turner Stevenson and Jamie Langenbrunner. They've got about 14 hairs on their chins. Depending on how strong the wind is blowing, they're clean shaven after they go for a walk outside."

...

"It's the best I could do," Langenbrunner said sheepishly.

...

"I'm by far the worst on the team," Stevenson said. "I might be the worst in the League."

[crazy4canes]

Depending on how strong the wind is blowing, they're clean shaven after they go for a walk outside."

Oh that's bad. :eek2: Poor pitiful Devils, can't even grow a good beard. :beatup:

[Jeff O Rocks]

Stevens should have NO problem....doesn't Satan have a natural, pointy little beard??? :mad: ;)

I liked our Canes with playoff beards....most were nice looking.. some were not so good...poor Josef!! :spin:

[Stormbringer]

Stevens should have NO problem....doesn't Satan have a natural, pointy little beard??? :mad: ;)

Yes he does Mona...scary that that is the beard style of Stevens' choice... :crazy:

[Jeff O Rocks]

Kind of off-topic, but has anyone besides me noticed how much Satan looks like the devil??? Does he grow his beard like that on purpose?? :crazy: :roll:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Did you guys see them interview Giggy's brother at the game? He looks JUST like him!!!

The Ducks are getting some chances. They look better so far tonight than they did in Tuesday's fiasco. They aren't getting great bounces or great calls IMO.

GO DUCKS!!!!

[Turbulence]

Thankfully tha Ducks have worn away the rust they had on their skates...it was a fairly even period, though it seemed sometimes that the Devils had more puck-posession time. Hey, if they can keep it up anything can happen...

And Stephane Giguere does look strikingly like J-S...it's almost freaky.

Go Ducks!

[SouthernCaniac]

The jiggy brothers do look like twins...and I swear, Satan has got to TRY to look like the devil. The combination of that goatee and those pointy eyebrows gives me the creeps. I'd be horrified to have him on my team.LOL!
DAMMIT, the Devs just scored:(

[SouthernHockeyChick]

DAMMIT, the Devs just scored:(

What she said. :sad:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Did you hear them just say that Ronnie himself called and corrected their lame-a**es on that comment they made about Adam Oates being the ONLY NHL player older than his coach? Way to go Ronnie!!!! :spin:

[Canesluver]

Hey, what do you say! ESPN just FINALLY corrected themselves to mention that Ronnie is another player older than his couch. Wonder if he himself actually called them, as Panger said?

Edited: Okay I meant COACH!!! :roll: And -- UGGG another NJ goal :mad: C'mon guys-- help out Jiggy!!!

[talkingcanes]

I'm glad they got that corrected ;) They were good natured about the correction at least.

2-0 Devils

[Stormbringer]

Did you hear them just say that Ronnie himself called and corrected their lame-a**es on that comment they made about Adam Oates being the ONLY NHL player older than his coach? Way to go Ronnie!!!! :spin:

:spin: THAT is too awesome...you go Ronnie! http://www.freeadpower.org/~mrsmiles/otn/wink/thumb.gif

[tommy]

That is hilarious.... think about it... Ronnie CALLED IN and corrected them!! sweet!

Nice game through 2 periods. The Ducks need more chances though... same deal as last game. Brodeur is sharp.

Keep it up!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

3-0. Damn Devils. If this turns into a sweep I'm gonna be REALLY upset. :sad:

Can I change my pick? ;)

[Canesluver]

This is too depressing and giving me a headache.

These two games have been like watching our 'Canes during any one of their losing streaks. I thought the Cup games were supposed to be fun. . . . . I'm so disappointed. . . . . . :cry:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I really don't know if the Ducks can recover from this. :sad:

The most puzzling thing for me so far....the Ducks D-men are just flat out being out-skated. Every single time a Devil is skating up the ice he is able to just handily skate right around the Ducks D-man. Are they putting too much attention on hanging with the Devs physically and forgetting their skating? I don't get it.

At the end of the regular season I thought that the Devils would take the Cup this year. And I've picked against the Ducks in every round so far....but then they convinced me. I guess I should have stuck with the formula that worked. Maybe they are losing because I picked them. Sorry guys. :sad:

[1Irbegirlforever]

I can't stand the devils or the media for making it sound like the devs took the Cup home tonight...it's ridiculous...


and oh yeah...

Go Ronnie! :)

[tommy]

The last team to get shut out the first 2 games of the Finals was Detroit in '45, but wasn't that the year they came back from down 3-0 and beat the Maple Leafs?

Either way, I think that the Ducks MUST win both games at home to have a shot. And you're right. It's the Ducks D-men that are losing them the game. They aren't supposed to rely on offense, but on good defensive positioning, which isn't happening. I REALLY think that rest hurt them before the series started... But Clement reminded me of '95... When the Wings cruised through the West, only to get swept by the Devils in the Finals... The Ducks this year, had never lost the first game, never gone down 2-0, never lost two in a row... and never even faced elimination... but if they don't step it up, they will face it soon.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I am sooooooo disgusted!! :sick: :mad: I think I will move to Siberia until this series is over!!! :sad: Where is that smiley that bangs it's head against the wall??????? :roll: I missed the 3rd goal....what happened and who scored it?? and PLEASE don't tell me that Friesen did it!!!!!!! :mad:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I missed the 3rd goal....what happened and who scored it?? and PLEASE don't tell me that Friesen did it!!!!!!! :mad:

Well, then I'll just have to keep my mouth shut. :crazy:

[Jeff O Rocks]

I missed the 3rd goal....what happened and who scored it?? and PLEASE don't tell me that Friesen did it!!!!!!! :mad:

Well, then I'll just have to keep my mouth shut. :crazy:

@##$@$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#^%%^%^%&&%&&*%^% :mad: :mad: :sick:

[Alicia]

Well guys, this is only game 2 of 7, let's not give up so soon. Although I was looking forward to this goalie battle, it hasn't quite panned out that way. Surely the next two games at home, the entire Ducks team will show up ready to play, please?

[hyena]

[insert frustrated emoticon here]

:sad:

[folgersnyourcup]

This stinks. And Friesen DID say that he was he glad he was glad to be traded because he was being traded to a "good" team. The Ducks' boards found the exact quote a bit ago. His argument with GM Murray is no argument. He is a liar.

There's no doubt in my mind Anaheim could've beaten Ottawa, perhaps in 5. They would be so very similar to Dallas/Detroit in their playing style and they don't play the way the Devils do. Of course that doesn't mean a damn thing. I didn't want to finish watching last night's game. Particularly after how strong of a first period the Ducks had. It just depressed me when the first two goals are scored.

Yeah, they were stupid goals, especially the second one but it doesn't really matter. Even if neither of those were scored, Friesen's still goes in making it a 1-0 Devils win. They've been outscored 6-0 in games one and two.

During game one, I made the Canes' analogy several times to my father. I mentioned the way they were missing passes, unable to do absolutely anything reminded me of several Canes' games this season.

I had high hopes for game two but they were shattered. The Ducks' played excellently during the first period of which I thought was one of their best periods in the playoffs.

But then it deteriorated into back-to-back shutouts, another painful reminder from this year's Canes.

This stinks, stinks, stinks. It just has to be the Devils doesn't it? How absolutely absurd would it be if Anaheim one-ups the record set by the Wild in the conference finals and scores no goals in a four game series sweep.

All this buildup for absolutely nothing......at least yet.

:(

Anaheim must win both games 3 and 4. They are capable of doing it but things are slipping away fast.

[nccanes]

Yesterday afternoon as I was leaving the RBC after I'd done the STH thing, I was happy to hear Chuck Kaiton's voice on 850 with Adam Gold. They were talking about the series and Chuck was basically saying what everyone here who has watched the games has said (about the Ducks performance).

One interesting thing is that I think he said he didn't think that the Anaheim Pond (do they still call it that?) was going to intimidate the Devils ONE BIT. He said that the building just isn't that way and the home ice for the Ducks would be basically meaningless :sad: . He talked about how the Devils couldn't believe the difference between the ESA from '01 to '02 and how loud the place was - the loudest they'd played in (according to Chuck).

As an aside, it was SO great to hear Chuck's voice and he said he was really hoping the series goes long because he was already in hockey withdrawals and did not want it to end. He said "I love to talk hockey" :D . So Adam said he'd have him back to talk about the draft. I think he was also going to be on with Morgan Patrick later yesterday evening. :)

[Jeff O Rocks]

Yesterday afternoon as I was leaving the RBC after I'd done the STH thing, I was happy to hear Chuck Kaiton's voice on 850 with Adam Gold. They were talking about the series and Chuck was basically saying what everyone here who has watched the games has said (about the Ducks performance).

One interesting thing is that I think he said he didn't think that the Anaheim Pond (do they still call it that?) was going to intimidate the Devils ONE BIT. He said that the building just isn't that way and the home ice for the Ducks would be basically meaningless :sad: . He talked about how the Devils couldn't believe the difference between the ESA from '01 to '02 and how loud the place was - the loudest they'd played in (according to Chuck).

As an aside, it was SO great to hear Chuck's voice and he said he was really hoping the series goes long because he was already in hockey withdrawals and did not want it to end. He said "I love to talk hockey" :D . So Adam said he'd have him back to talk about the draft. I think he was also going to be on with Morgan Patrick later yesterday evening. :)

I hope the Ducks fans hear more of this and they raise the roof off the building....I haven't been impressed at all with the Devils fans...they are sold out but the noise level is just not there...last night the NJ butt-kissers, I mean the announcers were talking about how wild the fans were getting, and the whole endzone behind the net was just sitting there....not doing anything.... :roll:

Whether or not NJ wins the Cup..and I so hope they don't, we will all remember their comments about how loud the ESA is and we will not disappoint them when they return, right guys!?? :evil: ;)

I would love to hear Chuck's voice on the radio again..ahhhhh!! :sad:

[tommy]

talked about how the Devils couldn't believe the difference between the ESA from '01 to '02 and how loud the place was - the loudest they'd played in (according to Chuck).

Remembering how loud our place was last year just brings shivers down my spine...

I seriously don't know how any arena could be much more intimidating than THAT.

[Jeff O Rocks]

...and I swear, Satan has got to TRY to look like the devil. The combination of that goatee and those pointy eyebrows gives me the creeps. (

It is creepy isn't it??? :crazy: :eek2: I was wondering myself if he did the eyebrows and goatee on purpose!!

Of course Scott Stevens has the corner market on Satan's personality!! :mad:

[StormShaman]

What I loved were all the Drivels fans yelling "SWEEP! SWEEP!" after only two games.

Wouldn't it be amusing if the Ducks wound up dispensing a little karmic justice? :)

[Jeff O Rocks]

What I loved were all the Drivels fans yelling "SWEEP! SWEEP!" after only two games.

Wouldn't it be amusing if the Ducks wound up dispensing a little karmic justice? :)

That WOULD be sweet Cam....and as the Ducks won the Cup, their fans could say....We won the Cup and YOU SUCK!! ;) (after the intros of Game 1)

[StormShaman]

And I would laugh and laugh and laugh....

[MeanGene]

Good Omen:

Tonight at 8:00 ABC Game 3 Mighty Ducks vs. Devils

Tonight at 8:00 Disney Channel D3 Mighty Ducks vs. Another team in red

Coincidence? I think not! :D

[Turbulence]

You're right MG....it must be destiny. :spin:

Go Ducks!

[Jeff O Rocks]

Ok Jiggy and Company...tonight you have the home crowd behind you..and the whole country with the exception of NJ!! Time to play YOUR hockey game!! Go Ducks Go!!

My prediction...the Ducks 3-1 **crosses fingers AND toes**

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Well, again, a good first period for the Ducks. I hope they can maintain that this game. They need to keep that pressure that they had at the end of the first on. Still some muffed passes but they didn't look AS bad as the last two periods of game 2. Come on guys!!! Win this game! Give your fans something to be screaming about!! Take back the momentum!!

GO DUCKS!!!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ducks SCORE!!! FINALLY!! 1-0!!

Come on DUCKS!!

[Bridgestreetrun]

Ducks 2-1

End of 2nd

[tommy]

What an embarrassing goal to give up by Brodeur... off the stick when he dropped it!

anywho, very exciting game!!!!!

[Turbulence]

I'd hate to be Marty after that goal...sheesh.

Anaheim has picked up their game....they could be making this a series after all. Great game...

Quack!

[tommy]

Nice Gomez deflection a while ago...

OT here we come...

I've been having to use the intermissions for studying, so I hope this one doesn't go too long.

P.S. Isn't it cool that Emilio Estevez is there? lol!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Did you guys see White try to kiss Rucchin? ;)

Ducks are looking more like the team I've grown to love these playoffs! Even as that team they were gonna have a tough road to get by Jersey but they'd certainly have a better shot than whoever that team was Tuesday and Thursday night. :sick:

Come on Ducks! Just one more goal!!!

[folgersnyourcup]

Since the Ducks got that enermous break with Brodeur scoring on himself, perhaps it was fair they would have a break go against them. Unless my memory serves me wrong, the puck was definitely got out of the Ducks' zone before it was brought back in offsides and the game was tied up.....

I'll have to watch my recording to make sure. But it looks AWESOME in HD! The sky-cam looks a bit odd, it doesn't seem to be as good of a camera as the one in the ice, and the penalty box-camera isn't widescreen but besides that it's awesome.

But wow, another OT game...... Obviously, if the Ducks lose this game, the series is pretty much over.

[Stormbringer]

Since the Ducks got that enermous break with Brodeur scoring on himself, perhaps it was fair they would have a break go against them. Unless my memory serves me wrong, the puck was definitely got out of the Ducks' zone before it was brought back in offsides and the game was tied up.....

Nice to know I'm not the only one who thought that New Joy-sey game-tying goal looked a little offside... :roll: :mad:

Oh well...GO DUCKS!

[Turbulence]

Salei scores in OT! Ducks win!
Great game and a beautiful winning goal....Ducks are back in it.
Quack!

[folgersnyourcup]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH YES YES YES YES YES!!!! GREAT GAME!!!!!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

OH MY GOD!!! What a beautiful freakin' goal!!! Way to go Salei!!!

WOOOO DUCKS!!

[StormShaman]

DUDE!

That was a Nicky Wallin goal! That was like in Game 2 of the Conference Finals for us last season! OMG!

GO DUCKS! QUACK QUACK!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

And after THAT game....I dare anyone to say the finals are boring this year!!! That game was awesome!!

That was a Nicky Wallin goal!


Yes, yes it was. What a beauty!!!

[folgersnyourcup]

Two years running, game three of the finals was a classic in more ways than one. This had it all including a little bit of karmic revenge exacted by Brodeur's ex-wife.

[Stormbringer]

No sweep for you Devils!! Man, how it feels so good to say that... :D :spin:

GO DUCKS!!

[Captain Slack]

This says it all!!!! :D :D :beatup: :beatup:

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030531/capt.1054435525stanley_cup_ana114.jpg

[hyena]

wahahaha, what a great game! :D

i must admit, i was laughing my arse off when brodeur let in that 2nd goal -- but i knew that it wouldn't end up being the game-winning one... :roll: and what a freaking beautiful goal by salei to win it.

...and don't forget jiggy setting a new OT shutout record :D:D

quack quack quack

[Turbulence]

That pic's goin' in the ol' My Pictures folder....classic!
Remember that goal if the Ducks win the Cup this year...

[Bridgestreetrun]

Great picture

thanks for sharing

:)

[Captain Slack]

Great picture

thanks for sharing

:)

Anytime. :spin:

[folgersnyourcup]

That's right, remember that goal on Brodeur and remember the goal from Center Ice by Lidstrom in game three of the first round of last year's playoffs on Cloutier that turned that tide of that series. One could say that could perhaps be the turning point but honestly if the Ducks end up winning the Stanley Cup the turning point would have to be Salei's goal.

After that goal on Brodeur, Brodeur played absolutely AMAZING for the remainder of the game. He returned to form, somehow kept the Devils in the game, and then because of that ended up earning Giguere the OT playoff shutout record. (hehe)

I'll be looking forward to seeing the Ducks bring the same game they brought tonight to game four.

Update, I got tickets to game 6. Win one more Ducks!

[Stormbringer]

Great picture

thanks for sharing

:)

Anytime. :spin:

And a second "Thanks for sharing." right here, Captain Slack! :)

[nccanes]

wahahaha, what a great game! :D

i must admit, i was laughing my arse off when brodeur let in that 2nd goal -- but i knew that it wouldn't end up being the game-winning one... :roll: and what a freaking beautiful goal by salei to win it.



Okay. I was at a concert and missed the whole shebang. Can someone tell me where Marty's stick is? :eek2:

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030531/capt.1054434253stanley_cup_ana115.jpg

Must watch Sportscenter... :evil:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Okay. I was at a concert and missed the whole shebang. Can someone tell me where Marty's stick is? :eek2:



Yeah. Um....that would be round about the face-off circle. :angel:

[folgersnyourcup]

Ozolinsh barely got off a weak shot as he was about to go off on a line changed, in fact Ozolinsh tried to shoot, had it blocked, then gave a little push on the puck. That puck then went towards Brodeur who dropped his goalstick, somehow got himself tied up, and watched helplessly as the puck went past him. I couldd not believe what I was seeing when it was played live. Unbelievable. Kudos for Ozolinsh for just throwing the damn thing towards the net.

[Kat]

Gotta agree with whoever said watching the game in HD rocked... all I gotta say is WOW. :eek2:

And that goal that Brodeur let in... geez. That actually looked a bit like the goal I scored on Thursday (my first goal, btw)... a dump in from the blue line that the goalie totally missed. :D

-Kat

[folgersnyourcup]

That was me Kat. Did you have periodic black flashes though? It probably happened once every 15 minutes or so, the screen would flash black for about half a second with the audio still being there and then the video would return. I had that happen when I was watching Leno on HD last summer. Did you experience the same thing or should I go out and get a replacement HD box?

When my dad walked in with the game already on he said: "What the heck? I can SEE the puck!"

[Stormbringer]

When my dad walked in with the game already on he said: "What the heck? I can SEE the puck!"

Heh...if only everyone had HDTV, then there would be no need for a glowing puck (http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=567). God, I hope the NHL doesn't decide to do that... :roll:

[Kat]

That was me Kat. Did you have periodic black flashes though? It probably happened once every 15 minutes or so, the screen would flash black for about half a second with the audio still being there and then the video would return. I had that happen when I was watching Leno on HD last summer. Did you experience the same thing or should I go out and get a replacement HD box?


We had the same issues. My fiance thinks that it is the ABC broadcast and not TW or the HD box. We don't have any of the artifacts with HBO HD, so I am pretty sure that is the case.

-Kat

[folgersnyourcup]

Hehe, the glowing puck was great. If this use it again though, this time around it should be brighter, perhaps hot pink or an odd shade of orange. In addition, they should add an enormous halo to the puck that many times would cover the entire lower body of the player in possession of it. That way, the NHL can generate extra revenue by putting advertisements on the halo surrounding the puck and bring more people into the arenas who can't stand to watch the games televised!

[Stormbringer]

That was me Kat. Did you have periodic black flashes though? It probably happened once every 15 minutes or so, the screen would flash black for about half a second with the audio still being there and then the video would return. I had that happen when I was watching Leno on HD last summer. Did you experience the same thing or should I go out and get a replacement HD box?


We had the same issues. My fiance thinks that it is the ABC broadcast and not TW or the HD box. We don't have any of the artifacts with HBO HD, so I am pretty sure that is the case.

It may be the ABC broadcast...but maybe not.

Folgers, are you using DirecTV or Time Warner Digital Cable (or something similar) on your HDTV? If you're using satellite, it could simply be reception issues. My family and I were experiencing problems similar to what you were describing here on our HDTV all during last fall and winter. Those problems were finally fixed a few weeks ago when we got a new satellite dish installed for the TVs on the first two floors of our house. The old dish was hogging the HDTV's reception of certain channels, and would cause reception to be a little delayed (Or worst, completely out.) every now and then.

[Stormbringer]

Hehe, the glowing puck was great. If this use it again though, this time around it should be brighter, perhaps hot pink or an odd shade of orange. In addition, they should add an enormous halo to the puck that many times would cover the entire lower body of the player in possession of it. That way, the NHL can generate extra revenue by putting advertisements on the halo surrounding the puck and bring more people into the arenas who can't stand to watch the games televised!

LOL!

And the scary thing? What you said Folgers might be *the only way* to bring more people to games. I know I'll be trying my darndest to scrape up as much moolah as I can so I can get tickets for more games if they decide to incorporate that glowing puck. (Not that I wasn't going to try to go to more games anyway...) Speaking of which, I hope this isn't an omen regarding the glowing puck's return...tonight, my folks went out to dinner with a couple of family friends. And, the very first thing one of those friends ask me when they came back was...

"Hey Caroline, how would you like some coupons for Hurricane tickets?"

Here's the weird part: Right before my folks and friends came back, I had been brooding about how I wanted to try to find ways to attend more games, especially if the NHL goes through with the glowing puck. (insert Twilight Zone theme here) :eek2: But hey, bad omen or not, I'll definitely take the coupons... :D

[Jeff O Rocks]

Thank God!! :spin: and Marty...try to hold on to your stick and stay in the crease!!! HAHAHA!!!!!!! :evil: That goal was awesome..and so was the game winner....I was yelling and screaming..and scaring my dogs!! :crazy:

Is it my imagination or do the announcers have to take their mouths off of New Jersey's asses to start talking again in between comments??? :mad:

Go Ducks Go....awesome game...awesome home crowd!! :D

[Stormbringer]

Is it my imagination or do the announcers have to take their mouths off of New Jersey's asses to start talking again in between comments??? :mad:

Oh, I know...tonight's along with the overall announcing AND presentation is very, VERY reminiscent of the announcing and presentation for last year's Stanley Cup Finals. The two said things last year were so inclined toward the Red Wings that it was absolutely nauseating. I saw and heard maybe one or two things complimentive towards the Canes and that was it. The only difference between this year and last year are the teams...if I didn't know better, I would swear that they took the voiceover work from last year's Finals and replaced the Red Wings' names with the Devils' names. :sick: :mad: :roll:

Go Ducks Go....awesome game...awesome home crowd!! :D

Awesome can't even begin to describe that crowd. Not to mention how they absolutely blow the Devs' crowd out of the water big time...

GO DUCKS! :spin:

[mikus]

what the hell did brodeur do there?

[Turbulence]

He was playing a dump in by Osolinsh and he let it get away from him when he dropped his stick...cost his team the game and what ultimately could lead to the series. No pressure or worries on Brodeur, though.
:beatup:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Hey mikus...IMO Ozolinsh had a GREAT game last night!! Really, he's had a great playoff run but last night especially he played really well! Looks like he may have finally found the team who knows how to maximize his talents...I'm very happy for him! :spin:

[mikus]

Hey mikus...IMO Ozolinsh had a GREAT game last night!! Really, he's had a great playoff run but last night especially he played really well! Looks like he may have finally found the team who knows how to maximize his talents...I'm very happy for him! :spin:
and the shot was great, too...unstoppable for brodeur :D:D:D :angel: :beatup:

[Jeff O Rocks]

Hey mikus...IMO Ozolinsh had a GREAT game last night!! Really, he's had a great playoff run but last night especially he played really well! Looks like he may have finally found the team who knows how to maximize his talents...I'm very happy for him! :spin:

I TOTALLY agree SHC...it seemed like everywhere the puck was, Ozo was...did he play the entire game!!?? :crazy:

Now on to Monday night...repeat performance from the Ducks AND the fans!! ;)

[folgersnyourcup]

I recall earlier in the game the commentators mentioning that Babcock seemed to be playing Ozolinsh a lot more looking for an offensive spark. Without him, neither of the regulation goals happen. He pinched on Brodeur's attempted clear and the first one and it ended up bouncing a bit and then on to Choinard's stick he tapped it in and then there is obviously the second one. Unbelievable that it the dump-in that was wide left actually hit Brodeur's dropped stick and then went right through his legs and into the net......

Ozo is playing outstanding and I hope he and the rest of the Ducks are able to do the same come Monday.

Ozolinsh was asked if he had scored a stranger goal in his career and he said yes but in his own net. It was 1998 when he was on the Colorado Avalanche on a delayed penalty and passed the back to Roy who had already gone to the bench for the 6th attacker. It went right in the net.

Glad to see him get a bounce the other way this time!

[Alicia]

Too tired last night to comment, but great game...Go Ducks!! Let's just hope they can hang on for the rest of this bumpy ride.

[tommy]

Keep in mind, though, that the Ducks did not dominate this game. If Brodeur didn't let that fluke in, it could have been the Devils game.

They also showed a stat where some ridiculous percentage of teams who win the first game win the series (it was toward 70 percent of all Cup Finals series)... Wish it coulda been that way last year...

[StormShaman]

But keep this in mind:

The last team to come back from losing Game 3 was the '91 Pens.

[tommy]

I know, all I'm saying is that one game does not a series make.

I still like the Devils chances better. A lot better.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Yeah, that Ducks goal was a fluke goal....but the Devils' tying goal should have been called dead....it was off-sides. It evened out pretty nicely.

That being said...you are probably right. The Devils do have a better chance at taking the series. Oh...and the Ducks are never gonna sweep the Red Wings in the 1st round, either. ;)

[Stormbringer]

That being said...you are probably right. The Devils do have a better chance at taking the series. Oh...and the Ducks are never gonna sweep the Red Wings in the 1st round, either. ;)

Or never gonna beat the Stars in the second round, either. ;)

[StormShaman]

That being said...you are probably right. The Devils do have a better chance at taking the series. Oh...and the Ducks are never gonna sweep the Red Wings in the 1st round, either. ;)

Or never gonna beat the Stars in the second round, either. ;)

And Minnesota of Borg will assimilate them in the Conference Finals.

[Shell]

wwaaahhhhhh, awwww da poor babies!! (and whooohoooo Ducks!!!)

New Jersey Devils crying foul over Anaheim Mighty Ducks' faceoffs
Jun. 1, 2003. 09:10 PM
Neil Stevens


ANAHEIM, Calif. (CP) — The Mighty Ducks are cheating on faceoffs, says New Jersey Devils coach Pat Burns.

``They get a lot of our guys kicked out (of faceoffs) because they cheat,'' Burns said on Sunday.

Anaheim won 51 of the 81 faceoffs (63 per cent) during their 3-2 overtime win Saturday night to cut the Devils' championship series lead to 2-1. The Ducks also won 63 per cent of the faceoffs in a 3-0 loss in Game 2.

Game 4 is Monday night (CBC, ABC, 8 p.m. EDT).

How do the Mighty Ducks cheat? A variety of ways, said Burns.

``Their stick sometimes won't be on the ice at the proper time, they have their skates turned a little bit, they'll fake a little bit to get our guy to move (and get tossed out),'' said Burns. ``They do it well.''

It's not as if he's making a finger-wagging accusation. He's making what he considers a statement of fact because players use whatever means they can to gain an edge, and the Mighty Ducks work on faceoffs a lot.

``I can't say it's something wrong they're doing because you can do anything you want,'' said Burns. ``Just don't get caught.''

The visiting centre has to set himself for the faceoff first.

``We have to get our stick in first and we're sitting there still as can be and all of a sudden a guy comes in, his stick never touches the ice and he uses his momentum to come across the circle,'' said Devils centre John Madden. ``That's what they were doing all night.

``It's cheating in my eyes.''

The Game 3 faceoffs ``were a joke,'' said Madden.

``It's like if some guy was going to race you and you're standing still at the blue-line and he's gliding a little bit,'' he said. ``He's going to get the jump on you and beat you.

``That's what's kind of happening. They're getting the jump on us because they're not coming to a complete stop like we are. We've just got to find ways to stop it.''

Madden said he's not blaming the linesmen because they've got a tough job.

``Guys are moving all over the circle, he's got to drop the puck, there are lots of things going on so I'm not blaming them,'' he said. ``But if you're going to call one side, just call the other.''

The absence of injured centre Joe Nieuwendyk is hurting the Devils at the faceoff dot, said Burns.

``They have an extremely talented faceoff team,'' he said. ``Adam Oates is probably one of the all-time best and Steve Rucchin is not far behind and they have this kid (Jason) Krog who comes in for faceoffs in the defensive zone.''

[Guyute]

oh my god.

for fook's sake, you Lost a game. DEAL WITH IT. :sick:

[Stormbringer]

Oh. My. God.

Can we say the Eastern Conference version of the Red Wings and/or Stars?! :roll: :sick:

[Turbulence]

Boo freakin' hoo. Faceoffs don't win a game. (Well, technically, the last one in the game did, but still)
Real compeditors grit their teeth, forget it, and go out and play hard the next night with no excuses. That's quite pitiful...

[Shell]

Not to mention that it may as well be in the rule book that all teams must try to cheat on the face-off. That's part of the game. Ask Rod!

[Jeff O Rocks]

Cheating in the faceoff's?????? He forgot to mention all their own dirty hits they get away with and the fact that the Ducks keep someone in the penalty box while they get away with murder....Shut up Burns... :mad:

I agree with guyute...you lost...deal with it.. :mad: I hope he gets another dose of it tonight!! GO DUCKS!!

[hyena]

gah! there is no limit to the whining of burns and the devils. it's amazing how every team that loses a game to the ducks has to make up some kind of ridiculous excuse. :roll: no cheating in faceoffs? :roll: burns is a freaking crybaby. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/mecry.gif

quack

[Jeff O Rocks]

gah! there is no limit to the whining of burns and the devils. it's amazing how every team that loses a game to the ducks has to make up some kind of ridiculous excuse. :roll: no cheating in faceoffs? :roll: burns is a freaking crybaby. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/mecry.gif

quack

I agree hyena...tell Burns to get in line and whine behind...

the Wings
the Stars
and the Wild..although Minnesota wasn't such a pain as the other two teams..

Jiggy's pads are too big, they cheat in the faceoffs, Carney's looking at me..make him stop, they swept us!! http://www.electrichyena.com/other/mecry.gif :D

[tommy]

This is a really good article on why both teams need to win tonight.

Two teams in trouble in Game 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Eric Adelson
ESPN The Magazine


Game 4 always means one thing: time to get nervous. If a team is down 3-0 going into a fourth game, the reasons for worry are obvious. But in these Stanley Cup finals, in which New Jersey leads Anaheim 2-1, every fan has reason to fear. If the Ducks lose Game 4 on Monday at home, they have to win three straight and two on the opposite coast. Not pretty. If the Devils lose Game 4, it's a best of three and Anaheim has all the momentum. Trouble.

Still feeling fearless? Well here are some more reasons to start sweating, tailor-made to which side (or coast) you're on:


Why the Ducks are in trouble
First, Anaheim came within a hair on Jean-Sebastien Giguere's playoff beard of going down three games. Sure, the playoffs are full of what ifs and close calls and timely breaks, but the fact is the Devils crushed the Ducks in Games 1 and 2 and barely lost in Game 3. That's not to mention Martin Brodeur's goal-costing blooper (or is it bleupre?) on Saturday night, which almost certainly won't happen again on Monday. This is not to say a better Ducks team did not show up for Game 3, but rather that a better Ducks team was almost not good enough.

Let's look a little deeper. Here are the Devils who have scored in this series: Jeff Friesen (3), Patrik Elias (2), Scott Gomez (2), Grant Marshall. Now here are the Ducks who have scored in this series: Marc Chouinard, Sandis Ozolinsh, Ruslan Salei. That's two defensemen and a guy who played 5:31 in Game 3. Where are Paul Kariya, Petr Sykora and the kids (Stanislav Chistov, Jason Krog, Mike LeClerc)? Shut down. Almost invisible. It's credible to say that Anaheim will get back to playing "its game" as the team has in past playoff series, but Kariya hasn't been a major factor at all during the playoffs (save the overtime game winner in Game 1 vs. Detroit). Yes, the Ducks had far more chances on home ice than they did in Jersey, but the best shots did not always come from the best shooters. No offense to those in Detroit, Dallas and St. Paul, but Martin Brodeur is better than any goaltender the Ducks have faced so far. Ozolinsh played marvelously on Saturday, but he's no Conn Smythe candidate. Anaheim must get scoring from its best offensive players or Brodeur will end this series as soon as Thursday.

And at the other end of the ice, the Devils' snipers got their opportunities even in defeat. Credit Anaheim for skating better and managing the puck better, but don't credit them for suffocating New Jersey's best players. "I had a couple chances," said Friesen. "It wasn't too much different (from Games 1 and 2). They just found a way to get the win."

And that's the scariest part of all for Ducks fans. New Jersey lost Saturday night, but not because of anything the Ducks threw at them. Anaheim certainly played well enough to win -- they deserved the victory -- but there was and is no sense of concern in the Devils' locker room about how to handle anything they've seen so far. Asked if the Ducks threw any surprises at the Devils in Game 3, Scott Stevens answered simply: "No. Not really."

It's been said that Giguere is a younger version of Brodeur. Well, the analogy can be extended: the Ducks are a younger version of the Devils. Both play great team defense in front of an all-world goaltender under a no-nonsense but charismatic coach. So the difference is experience. Most of the Devils have been to this point before, and most of the Ducks have not. Anaheim's opponent is not Dallas or Detroit -- teams that the Ducks can slow down and frustrate. Nor is it Minnesota, which is basically a poor man's Anaheim. The Ducks face a team that is better at what Anaheim does best: sticking to its game plan, killing power plays, relying on its goalie and waiting patiently for opportunities. Unfortunately for the Ducks, New Jersey is a devil they know. Asked if a Game 4 win would put Anaheim away, Gomez said it's never over with "a team as dangerous as the Ducks." Nice cliché, but sorry. The Ducks are simply not dangerous enough to come back from a 3-1 deficit against the best goaltender in the league -- not when it would mean beating the best playoff home team twice in a hostile barn.


Why the Devils are in trouble:
Anaheim coach Mike Babcock hates excuses, but he gave one Sunday for his team's 2-1 deficit: "We did have a vacation there for quite a chunk of time. We came back and didn't skate." Babcock was referring to the Ducks' record 10-day layoff before the finals, and he's absolutely right to mention it. Anybody who saw the Ducks play Detroit, Dallas or Minnesota knows we haven't seen the best the Pond-dwellers have to offer in this series. And anybody who has seen the Ducks prior series knows the team is just about unbeatable when it plays the way it can.

Start with Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who admitted halfway through the Dallas series that he hates layoffs. He would rather play every day than once every three or four days (this is why goaltending tandems never work in the playoffs). So we knew when we saw Giguere give up a backhanded on-ice goal to Jeff Friesen in Game 2 (and then have a John McEnroe wood-smashing fit) that something was amiss. Giguere looked back to normal (if not paranormal) in Game 3, with 29 saves and enough OT blocks to set the all-time extra time shutout mark.

Giguere's teammates followed his lead. After shooting less than an ambivalent Iraqi soldier in New Jersey, the Ducks sent 33 salvos at Martin Brodeur on Saturday. They skated a lot better, forechecked a lot earlier, and won a majority of the puck battles that coaches always love to talk about. "We can feel our game coming back," said Steve Thomas. And there is still plenty of room for improvement. Mike LeClerc -- who, mark my words, will be a superstar one day -- had as many shots in Game 3 as he had in Games 1 and 2 combined. That suggests that the layoff combined with finals nerves -- this is a young team, remember -- may have set the Ducks back double in Jersey. "Last night was more indicative of the way we can play," said Keith Carney, "but we know we can raise it to a new level." Not even the Devils believe they have seen the best of the Ducks, and Anaheim has shown that once they attain a level of performance in a series, they don't regress. In other words, expect even more out of the home team on Monday and beyond.

This is all reflective of last year's Stanley Cup champions. Remember? Detroit basically took the last chunk of the regular season off. The Red Wings rested their veterans and goaltender Dominik Hasek. Then, in the first two games of the playoffs, Vancouver swooped into Hockeytown and slammed the Wings. The doubts began to surface like Jayson Blair fact errors: Detroit is too old; Hasek is not what he used to be; Bertuzzi is unstoppable. But in Game 3, the Wings got their legs back, won (on a flukey goal, no less), and made sure Vancouver never recovered. Sure, the '03 Devils are much better than the '02 Canucks, but the moral of the story remains: layoffs can mean losses, but not defeat.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Best playoff sign EVER (in Anaheim):

Jerseys=$200
Sticks=$100
Barry Melrose's Comments=Worthless

http://websmileys.bei.t-online.de/lachen70.gif

[SouthernHockeyChick]

And one more Hotel California reference from Chris Berman and I may explode. :roll:

[Turbulence]

There hasn't been that much spirit in Arrowhead Pond since 1969!
:crazy:

[Stormbringer]

Best playoff sign EVER (in Anaheim):

Jerseys=$200
Sticks=$100
Barry Melrose's Comments=Worthless

http://websmileys.bei.t-online.de/lachen70.gif

Aw man...now why couldn't have someone come up with that here last year?! That's genius! :D

[Stormbringer]

And one more Hotel California reference from Chris Berman and I may explode. :roll:

Or how about his saying "about" like "a-boot"? Berman, take my advice...get a Prelude and stick to football.

(How on Earth did Berman land a Stanley Cup coverage job? :crazy:)

[SouthernCaniac]

I know this has been mentioned, but could Melrose kiss devil anus any more than he already has?! He was downright defensive about the fluke goal Brodeur allowed the other night...must espn be so blatant in their bias? I don't care what they say, though, the Ducks are looking hot tonight. And Madden is going to earn his team some penalties if he can't get his emotions under control. I don't know how anyone can call this series boring!

[folgersnyourcup]

This game has been amazing! I can't believe that post hit by Oates.... I thought for sure that was in. Some stunning saves by both goalies, Giguere was awesome with 4.2 seconds left in the second period. As the commentators said, I think it's almost certain that the first goal will stand up as the game winner whether it comes in OT or in the 3rd period. What a game! A hell of a lot of tension is building up in this series.

[Captain Slack]

(How on Earth did Berman land a Stanley Cup coverage job? :crazy:)

I'd like to know how the guy keeps a job in sports at all! His voice is irritating and his stupid comments make my head want to explode!!! :mad:

[Turbulence]

Maybe Barry Melrose will be on Monday Night Football next year... :roll:

Anywho, it's been a fun game to watch. Tha Ducks have had some good chances...especially the Oates bell-ringer. Should be a good 3rd period...

Quack.

[JaroFan]

I know this should be in off-topic, but did you guys see the coaster they showed when they returned from one of the commercial breaks in the 2nd period? That's California Screamin', the one i wrote about in the coaster thread. It's awesome!!!! We get to go back again this year.

Go Ducks!

[folgersnyourcup]

OMG!!!! How can Anaheim win this game???? They keep controlling the play and New Jersey seems to be getting all the bounces in terms of keeping the puck out of their net! Good grief, Brodeur nearly put it in his own net! Watching it live, I thought it was in.

[nccanes]

(How on Earth did Berman land a Stanley Cup coverage job? :crazy:)

I'd like to know how the guy keeps a job in sports at all! His voice is irritating and his stupid comments make my head want to explode!!! :mad:

Like I said after Game 1 - I would much prefer that seat and airtime be given to a player from a team no longer in the playoffs. There are enough "experts" on the panel and in the booth - how about an active player!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I agree Eileen.....and Berman wasn't bugging me at first but he is about to drive me absolutely batty now!! I'd much rather have Jeremy Roenick in there. We know he's got the mouth for it and I guarantee he'd have something interesting to add....without the fake Canadian accent and Eagles references. :roll:

Oh...and back on topic....this game is awesome!!! You'd have to hate hockey to think this one was boring!

GO DUCKS!!

[Lady J]

I agree Eileen.....and Berman wasn't bugging me at first but he is about to drive me absolutely batty now!! I'd much rather have Jeremy Roenick in there. We know he's got the mouth for it and I guarantee he'd have something interesting to add....without the fake Canadian accent and Eagles references. :roll:

Oh...and back on topic....this game is awesome!!! You'd have to hate hockey to think this one was boring!

GO DUCKS!!


Berman is about to drive Rio insane ~ he shouts A LOT. She said he reminded her of the Chris farley character on SNL ~ the motivational speaker " you'll live in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!" :p

[SouthernHockeyChick]

And we're goin' to OT! I've already chewed off all my fingernails!!! The Ducks better score quickly or I'll have chewed down past the first knuckle!! :crazy: ;)

[tommy]

I agree Eileen.....and Berman wasn't bugging me at first but he is about to drive me absolutely batty now!! I'd much rather have Jeremy Roenick in there. We know he's got the mouth for it and I guarantee he'd have something interesting to add....without the fake Canadian accent and Eagles references. :roll:

Oh...and back on topic....this game is awesome!!! You'd have to hate hockey to think this one was boring!

GO DUCKS!!


Berman is about to drive Rio insane ~ he shouts A LOT. She said he reminded her of the Chris farley character on SNL ~ the motivational speaker " you'll live in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!" :p

Hiiiiii... my name is Maaaat Foley, and I'm a motivATIONAL sPEAKer!

Anywho... Berman doesn't bug me that much, but then again, I'm like the only one here who is rooting for the Devils, so maybe I was just born stupid... :P

But this game better get over soon... I have my English exam tomorrow... it was hard to study with the anticipation of tonight's game...

And that time Brodeur almost put it in... That was scary... I could have sworn it was gonna go in... nice save.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

ANOTHER HOTEL CALIFORNIA REFERENCE!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Maybe if we tied Berman's hands down he couldn't speak! :evil:

Brodeur is one helluva Zen master to not freak out and knock that puck in his own goal. Mr SHC's (a Devils hater) response after that save: "Brodeur is my new god!"

The Ducks just need to keep up what they've been doing! Their D has made a complete turn-around from the first 2 games. And hopefully the offense will start getting some bounces here in the OT!

[Stormbringer]

(How on Earth did Berman land a Stanley Cup coverage job? :crazy:)

I'd like to know how the guy keeps a job in sports at all! His voice is irritating and his stupid comments make my head want to explode!!! :mad:

Like I said after Game 1 - I would much prefer that seat and airtime be given to a player from a team no longer in the playoffs. There are enough "experts" on the panel and in the booth - how about an active player!

I agree Eileen.....and Berman wasn't bugging me at first but he is about to drive me absolutely batty now!! I'd much rather have Jeremy Roenick in there. We know he's got the mouth for it and I guarantee he'd have something interesting to add....without the fake Canadian accent and Eagles references.

Or heck, get Brindy in there...I thought he did a fine job as a color announcer during the later part of last season. It would be interesting to hear his and/or other Canes' takes on these Finals. Berman's presence is certainly not helping the Finals nor hockey itself...like ESPN really cares. :roll: Wait a minute, perhaps Berman *is* the reason for the Finals' ratings being so low... :crazy:

[Alicia]

OK, this game is driving me absolutely INSANE!!! :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[Stormbringer]

ANOTHER HOTEL CALIFORNIA REFERENCE!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Maybe if we tied Berman's hands down he couldn't speak! :evil:

We can tie Berman's hands and tape his mouth with...what else? Duct tape! :D Looks like I got a new suggestion for those guys with that book... ;)

[tommy]

The Ducks just need to keep up what they've been doing!

What they've been doing in game 3, that is... seriously, they have not had many great chances up until late in the game... They need to keep THAT up... I still think that they played better in game 3; and they hit more in game 3 also... Stevens has gone practically untouched tonight.

And how about Mike Rupp! Nice playoff debut! Earned enough credit to take the faceoff in the Ducks zone with 5 seconds left! I'd expect to see him stay in the lineup!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

ANOTHER HOTEL CALIFORNIA REFERENCE!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Maybe if we tied Berman's hands down he couldn't speak! :evil:

We can tie Berman's hands and tape his mouth with...what else? Duct tape! :D Looks like I got a new suggestion for those guys with that book... ;)

Don't you mean Duck tape? ;) :p

What they've been doing in game 3, that is... seriously, they have not had many great chances up until late in the game... They need to keep THAT up... I still think that they played better in game 3; and they hit more in game 3 also... Stevens has gone practically untouched tonight.



I was actually thinking what they'd been doing in the third period. Although, come to think of it, they won three previous series by appearing to be out-played for the majority of the game.

I still maintain that part of their problem in the 1st two games may have been that they were trying TOO hard to trade hit for hit with the Devils....and in the process their D forgot how to skate.

They've gone 0-0 for 3 periods....score one now and I don't care what the rest of the game looked like. LOL.

[Lady J]

Hiiiiii... my name is Maaaat Foley, and I'm a motivATIONAL sPEAKer!

Anywho... Berman doesn't bug me that much, but then again, I'm like the only one here who is rooting for the Devils, so maybe I was just born stupid... :P

But this game better get over soon... I have my English exam tomorrow... it was hard to study with the anticipation of tonight's game...

And that time Brodeur almost put it in... That was scary... I could have sworn it was gonna go in... nice save.

lol... Matt Foley. That was it.

youre not the only one going for the Devs. :) GO MARTY!

[tommy]

Damn. Nice goal by Thomas.

[Turbulence]

Steve Thomas! 2-2! OT! Go Ducks!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I said score one....just like that!!!

WOOOOOOO!!!!!!

And it's a 2-2 series!! Take THAT Devs!!

[Alicia]

WOOHOO!! Can you tell me why I'm in tears now?? Sheesh! GO DUCKS!!

[tommy]

Again, nice play by Ozolinsh... he was the main reason that play developed.

Can't believe the D didn't clear the zone, but whatever.

Both teams are now 10-0 when scoring first, 11-0 is the record. Ducks are 7-0 in OT in the playoffs, the first time any team won their first 7 playoff OT games. And Giggy gets another 29 seconds tacked on to his OT shutout streak.

pssh.

But hey, this is what happened in Canes vs. Devs 2002... Canes go up 2-0, Devils tie it, then Canes win in 6.

So we'll see what happens.

[hyena]

YESSSSSSSSSSS!

oh my god. how freaking AWESOME was that? :D 2-2, baby. :smoke:

[Canesluver]

Woooo! Woooo!
That was a great game. Yay! There'll be 6 games at least, now!! More hockey!! :D

edited to add: I'm w/you SHC-- I'm ready to kill Berman with my steely knives!!! :mad:

[Turbulence]

Another Hotel California quote! :mad:

[Stormbringer]

QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!

And just like that, the Ducks are BACK ON THE QUACK ATTACK! :D

(As cheesy as that sounds, that's from their theme song... :sick: ;))

GO DUCKS!!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Another Hotel California quote! :mad:

THAT'S what I was thinking!!! :mad: :mad:

Get some new material!

And Go Ducks!!! :spin:

[folgersnyourcup]

THOMAS SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OZOLINSH HAD A BIT OF A HAND IN THAT GOAL!!!!

AND IT'S STRANGE BUT TRUE FOLKS! FOLGERSNYOURCUP.......IS GOING......TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 6!!!! WHOOHOO!!!!

I got one ticket off E-bay a couple nights ago and was waiting to make plane reservations till I saw the ending of this game but oh my god. I just can't believe this Stanley Cup Finals! Shutout games one and two only to come back and win games 3 and 4 in OT! Wow.......This is shaping up to have an unbelievable finish.

What a game.......

[Kat]

WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Ducks!!

-Kat

[Stormbringer]

Another Hotel California quote! :mad:

THAT'S what I was thinking!!! :mad: :mad:

Get some new material!

And Go Ducks!!! :spin:

:mad: BERMAN...STOP...THE...HOTEL...CALIFORNIA...REFEREN CES!!!! :mad:

Thanks to that "announcer", I now absolutely HATE that song...at least until the Cup Finals end.

Again, GO DUCKS!!

[Captain Slack]

Another Hotel California quote! :mad:

THAT'S what I was thinking!!! :mad: :mad:

Get some new material!

Oh, no! He can't do that! He has to take a joke and RUN IT INTO THE FREAKIN' GROUND!!! :mad:

[Turbulence]

You're going Folg? That's awesome! Represent Caniac Nation well!
Wish I were you...

[hyena]

*whew* ok....now that i've calmed down a bit, i want to add a couple more things..

jiggy is still THE MAN. for once i agreed with the announcers -- he looked like he did through the first 3 series. he'll keep it up too, i'd bet on it. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/redthumb.gif. i love seeing thomas get the goal, too.

props to brodeur for not making an ass of himself twice in a row. ;) seriously, the guy either has ice down his pants or he just got damn lucky. he was calm as ever when he kept that misplayed puck from going in. he's on a downward spiral, though...it's written all over him. ;)

and what about the announcers saying that friesen laughed at the ducks' bench during game 2? i didn't know that. come ON guys, i don't need ANOTHER reason to hate you. i have so many as it is. :roll:

i can't wait to see what excuse burns (or whoever) comes up with tomorrow to explain the ducks' win. :roll:

quack

[folgersnyourcup]

You're right Tommy. BUT, it took a mindbending, insane, deal with the devil-esque save by Weekes to make it happen. :D

I'm very confident ni the Ducks' chances now. Had the Ducks lost this game, I think it was all but over. This win gives them unbelievable momentum and confidence. The Ducks certainly deserved to win this game. Had they lost it I think it may have almost copmletely crushed their spirits.

Steve Thomas is the perfect person to get that goal. The two long-suffering players, Oates and Thomas, have now taken charge of their destiny with these two wins. Oates with the faceoff win in game three and Thomas with the goal here in game four.

Without Ozolinsh though, who knows where this Ducks team would be. Hell, change even ONE of the Ducks' players and I certainly don't think they would be this far in the postseason. I know Kjellberg is watching this with pride, he had to leave the team after the Dallas series for personal reasons but said he would be watching.

As others on this board have said Mikus, you can certainly be proud of Ozolinsh. What a turnaround he has made! Absolutely amazing play.

And Kudos to the Ducks for denying Brodeur the record setting 7th playoff shutout. :angel:

Amazing game.

[Jeff O Rocks]

ONE WORD.......SCHWEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!! If the Ducks aren't playing like Stanley Cup Champions right now, nobody EVER has....what a great victory...I love those guys!!!!!!!!! :spin: :D Something in my mind kept telling me that Adam Oates would win the game..but Steve Thomas' goal was just fine.....the look on his face when they were interviewing him at the end was priceless!! :D

GO DUCKS GO!! :spin:

(did you guys hear the Rock You Like A Hurricane commercial?? :cry: )

[nccanes]

edited to add: I'm w/you SHC-- I'm ready to kill Berman with my steely knives!!! :mad:

LOL Shawn! :kiss:

[Stormbringer]

(did you guys hear the Rock You Like A Hurricane commercial?? :cry: )

Yup...banging my head to it too. :cool:

Wouldn't it be cool if they played that version at the Canes games next season? :spin:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

edited to add: I'm w/you SHC-- I'm ready to kill Berman with my steely knives!!! :mad:

LOL Shawn! :kiss:

LMFAO!!! I missed that the first time....glad you quoted it Eileen!!

[StormShaman]

and what about the announcers saying that friesen laughed at the ducks' bench during game 2?

We need some Instant Karma on Aisle 6!

Go Ducks! QUACK!

[Jeff O Rocks]

One thing I have to add...did you guys love it when the commentators had just finished kissing the Devils ass ...one more time..and no sooner had taken their lips off when Steve Thomas scored....They just can't stop this love affair with them about how good they are..well I got news for you guys...the Ducks are better!! :spin: I loved it... :D what was it like 29 seconds??

[Stormbringer]

One thing I have to add...did you guys love it when the commentators had just finished kissing the Devils ass ...one more time..and no sooner had taken their lips off when Steve Thomas scored....They just can't stop this love affair with them about how good they are..well I got news for you guys...the Ducks are better!! :spin: I loved it... :D what was it like 29 seconds??

29-30 seconds into the period. I believe it was quicker than Ronnie's GWG in game one last year... :spin:

[StormShaman]

Yep! :)

I yelled so loud that my downstairs neighbor called me to ask me to keep the noise down. :)

[nccanes]

Anaheim 0:39, Steve Thomas 3 (Samuel Pahlsson, Sandis Ozolinsh)

[Canesluver]

Since I loved to bash Ozo when he wore a 'Canes uniform, I want to go on record saying that I think he's finally found his game. This trade to the West seems to be working for him. He's played quite well these last 2 games -- 3 pts. in 2 games -- impressive, especially considering he's a D-man, too. He still makes me hold my breath sometimes (like when he's behind the net. :eek2:) but I'll give him kudos when he's playing well.

(Okay-- eating that crow didn't taste too bad -- a little Tabasco and cilantro does wonders! ;) )

[Shell]

WHOOOOHOOOO!!!! Go Ducks!!!!!!

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030603/capt.1054614785stanley_cup_xpch114.jpg

[Jeff O Rocks]

Great picture Shell...thanks for posting....and what Shawn said...I think Ozo has been playing better than anyone on the Ducks team....I hope they win for many reasons, but I would love to see him get the MVP for the finals!! I hope Sykora and Kariya can find their games before the series is over! :roll:

Go Ducks!! :D

[Turbulence]

Good picture, Shell. The celebration lasted longer than the overtime!

http://nhl.speedera.net/onthefly/photogallery/2002_2003/finals4/images/devils_ducks10.jpg
Must be a great feeling...

[Logansfrog]

What an awesome game last night! The Ducks just keep getting better and better and clearly aren't too worried about the mystique of the Devils. Of course, maybe that's because they're playing the game and can't hear Barry Melrose et. al. shaking their pompoms for the Devils. :roll:

The overtime winner was so sweet! They had just finished saying how tough the Devs are, when the Ducks won it!! :D I told my hubby that clearly Boomer was doing the broadcast wrap-up because Melrose was incapable of coherent speech. Talk about rocking his world...how will he understand the universe if the Devs lose?? :smoke:

[ausoleil]

In case you don't know, the "Hotel California" is actually the now-closed Esmeralda State Mental Institution located out in the desert of SoCal. It really makes the words to that song make sense once you know that...

Anyway, gotta agree with you about Berman. He's like the drunk guy down at the end of the bar who not one thing about what you're talking about, but has an opinion anyway. The "Hotel California" references are about as old as the toupee he used to wear. And from what it is that he has had to say, well, let's just say he needs to watch more hockey.....

I keep getting the feeling, though, that last year's Canes would have beaten either of this year's Finalists. Seems like we had a similar style in many senses, but a lot more balance.[/i]

[Canesluver]

Anyway, gotta agree with you about Berman. He's like the drunk guy down at the end of the bar who not one thing about what you're talking about, but has an opinion anyway.

He's also like that guy in the Bud commercial last night. He was wearing a cowboy hat, sitting in the backseat of the care jibber-jabbering about how good the popcorn was at the bar, and then he gets dropped off first! :D

And yes, the Hotel California references are this old: That song came out when I was in high school, and in my 10th grade Algebra I class, all the words to that song were written/carved into the top of the desk I sat at. So, everytime I'd look down, I'd see . . . . warm smell of colitus. . . just can't kill the beast. . . . :roll: (sorry -- not trying to get OT)

[Stormbringer]

And yes, the Hotel California references are this old: That song came out when I was in high school, and in my 10th grade Algebra I class, all the words to that song were written/carved into the top of the desk I sat at. So, everytime I'd look down, I'd see . . . . warm smell of colitus. . . just can't kill the beast. . . . :roll: (sorry -- not trying to get OT)

At the risk of somewhat going OT, I'm going to predict what Berman's (god forbid) next Hotel California reference will be...probably something about Cool Whip in somebody's hair (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_001.html). :roll:

[nccanes]

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030602/capt.1054611187stanley_cup_ana116.jpg

[talkingcanes]

I found out this afternoon that I will be going to game 5 in NJ on Thursday. I am VERY excited :spin: :spin: The friend who got the tickets is a huge Ducks fan so we'll probably get killed ;)

[nccanes]

I found out this afternoon that I will be going to game 5 in NJ on Thursday. I am VERY excited :spin: :spin: The friend who got the tickets is a huge Ducks fan so we'll probably get killed ;)

Congrats TC!! Yes, please be careful. IMO, if a visiting fan isn't taunting the home fans, everything should be cool! Safe travels and give us the full report on your return!! :smoke:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Way to go Cindy!!! I wanna go too....I can hide in your purse! Yeah right! Have a great time! Hope you don't run into any idiots!

[tommy]

Re: the Jiggy picture!

Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! No... it's... A lumberjack-bearded Canadian-Conn-Smythe-candidate-with-an-infinitessmal-GAA-and-a-small-ego !!!

[talkingcanes]

I found out this afternoon that I will be going to game 5 in NJ on Thursday. I am VERY excited :spin: :spin: The friend who got the tickets is a huge Ducks fan so we'll probably get killed ;)

Congrats TC!! Yes, please be careful. IMO, if a visiting fan isn't taunting the home fans, everything should be cool! Safe travels and give us the full report on your return!! :smoke:


"Way to go Cindy!!! I wanna go too....I can hide in your purse! Yeah right! Have a great time! Hope you don't run into any idiots!"


Thanks ladies. I am really excited! A friend called this afternoon and said she found 2 "affordable" tickets on eBay and could I get off work Thursday and Friday. approximately 30 seconds later I was agreeing to pay for a ticket and make hotel reservations :D She is a big Ducks fan, but she is friendly so I'm sure we'll be fine ;) I'll report back on all the details.

We need to plan a road trip next season. What a blast that would be and it would be even more exciting to see our Canes play on the road!

[folgersnyourcup]

Have fun at game 5! Hopefully you'll get to see a Ducks win so it would set up a potential cup clincher for the Ducks in game 6 that I'm attending!

I've definitely missed the playoffs and though it won't be the Canes I'm sure these games will be a good filler while I wait for next years' Canes cup run! :D

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of anything that I think you guys might find interesting. I'm hoping on being able to run down to the lower level and get shots up close of the Ducks parading around with the cup.

Here's hoping! There's still a ton of hockey left to be played in these finals but I'm hoping for a Ducks win.

[Turbulence]

Move over Lou Gehrig.....you two are the luckiest people alive. Have fun!

[Alicia]

Move over Lou Gehrig.....you two are the luckiest people alive. Have fun!

Not quite sure what you mean by that...

[tommy]

from the sporting news... here's the background story (sorry for the OT)
The Luckiest Man Alive

THE DATE
July 4, 1939.

THE PLACE
Yankee Stadium, New York.

THE SITUATION
A ceremony to honor Lou Gehrig between games of a doubleheader between the New York Yankees and Washington Senators.

THE KEY PLAYER
New York's Lou Gehrig.

THE MOMENT
In 1939, less than a month after ending a streak of 2,130 games played, the baseball world was shocked to learn Lou Gehrig was stricken with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disorder for which there is no cure.

The Yankees held a Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day on July 4. The 40-minute ceremony to honor Gehrig began with a parade led by the Seventh Regiment Band, which escorted such former stars as Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Mark Koenig, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock and Wally Pipp to the center field flagpole for the raising of a banner saluting the 1927 Yankees, a team that featured Gehrig as its cleanup hitter.

The group, dressed in street clothes, was then led to a position, standing shoulder to shoulder, near the pitcher's mound. The current Yankees and Senators joined the festivities, forming a semicircle around a microphone at home plate. As the crowd began chanting, "We want Lou, we want Lou," Gehrig was led out of the dugout by Yankees president Ed Barrow to a thunderous ovation. Gehrig doffed his cap, wrung it in his hands and bowed his head, fighting back tears for the first of many times.

Gehrig received several tributes and gifts, including a two-foot silver trophy donated by his teammates and inscribed with the players' names on one side and a sentimental poem penned by writer John Kieran on the other. As the preliminaries were complete, Gehrig gazed at his friends and admirers, bowed his head again and fought back the tears as an awkward silence enveloped Yankee Stadium. Master of ceremonies Sid Mercer stepped over to Gehrig, who whispered something in his ear. Mercer stepped back to the microphone and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, Lou Gehrig has asked me to thank you all for him. He is too moved to speak."

The fans refused his apology, beginning another "We want Lou!" chant. The painfully-modest Gehrig, with a prod from Yankees manager Joe McCarthy, finally obliged, wiping his eyes, blowing his nose and advancing unsteadily to the microphone for what would become known as one of the most gallant and heart-felt speeches ever delivered.

The speech, as penned by Gehrig the night before, was short and sweet:

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?

"Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert; also the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow; to have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins; then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology -- the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Who wouldn't feel honored to have roomed with such a grand guy as Bill Dickey?

"Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift -- that's something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies -- that's something!

"When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter -- that's something! When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body -- it's a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed -- that's the finest I know!

"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for! Thank you."

With the conclusion of the speech, Ruth walked over to this former teammate, threw his arms around Gehrig's neck and embraced him warmly -- the first contact between the once-feuding stars since 1934. As cameras snapped the magic moment for posterity, Yankee Stadium almost rocked off its foundation.


IN THEIR WORDS
"Lou Gehrig was a guy who could really hit the ball, was dependable and seemed so durable that many of us thought he could have played forever." -- Yankees outfielder George Selkirk.

"After so many years, Ruth and Gehrig got together and it was very meaningful the way Babe -- the great Babe -- put his arms around Lou. You know that came from the heart. That meant a lot to me because they were on the outs for a couple of years." -- Yankees outfielder Tommy Henrich.


AFTERMATH
Gehrig died June 2, 1941, and the disease that killed him, ALS, became known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Gehrig is considered one of the game's greatest players. He had 110-plus RBIs each season from 1926 to 1938 and in eight of those seasons had at least 150 RBIs. In 1934, he won the AL Triple Crown, hitting .363 with 49 homers and 165 RBIs. His 184 RBIs in 1931 still is an American League record. On June 3,1932, he became the first modern day player to hit four home runs in a game. Gehrig hit .361 in World Series play, averaging an RBI per game for 34 games with 43 hits, 10 of the homers. Gehrig entered the Hall of Fame in 1939.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Move over Lou Gehrig.....you two are the luckiest people alive. Have fun!

Not quite sure what you mean by that...
That was my thought exactly Alicia....and I figured it would be your thought as well. So I asked Mr SHC....the fount of baseball knowledge that he is ;) ....and he told me this:
When Lou was retiring (he thinks that's when it was) he gave his little "see you later speech" in which he said "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth"....deadly, degenerative disease not withstanding I suppose.

Mr SHC says it's a reference most of us chicks probably wouldn't get unless we just happened to be baseball fanatics. So Turby....about the baseball references....knock it off!! ;) ;)

edited to add that tommy beat me to it

[Alicia]

Thanks tommy & SHC...don't think I could say I feel the same way, but I guess I'm luckier than most.

Sorry for going OT! :)

[Jeff O Rocks]

Great pic of Jiggy!! I didn't even think about him down there in the net all alone when Thomas won the game....so that's how he looked, huh?? :D

Have fun talking..and I wish you safe travels as well...I hope you guys are quacking really loud when you leave...of course be prepared to run really fast too!! :spin: ;)

Go Ducks!!

[Canesluver]

Sorry to continue the OT, but Gary Cooper is amazing as Lou Gherig in Pride of the Yankees, my favorite baseball flick. They recreate his famous speech there -- and SHC, tell your hubby "I get it."

And one piece of trivia about that movie. Gherig batted as a lefty, and Gary Cooper, being right-handed, just couldn't make the swing look believeable -- so. . . . the filmakers had all the names, numbers, etc. printed in mirror images on the uniforms, and had the players run from home to 3rd base, 2nd, etc., then flipped over the film, just to make Cooper look left-handed.

Okay -- back ON topic: GO DUCKS!!! Enjoy your extra day off!

[folgersnyourcup]

Hahaha, anyone else see the sign that said something like:

Jersey=$200
Stick=$100
Melrose's comments=Worthless

They even saw it and Saunders said something like "Well that's not very nice" and they all laughed. I remember it being before the game, I think on the pregame ESPN sportcenter feed.

[Stormbringer]

Hahaha, anyone else see the sign that said something like:

Jersey=$200
Stick=$100
Melrose's comments=Worthless

They even saw it and Saunders said something like "Well that's not very nice" and they all laughed. I remember it being before the game, I think on the pregame ESPN sportcenter feed.

Yup, it was mentioned before here (http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=18749#18749). But the sign's so brilliant that there is certainly no harm in bringing it up again. :)

[folgersnyourcup]

Hehe, oopsy. Missed her post. Thanks!

[nccanes]

Sorry to continue the OT, but Gary Cooper is amazing as Lou Gherig in Pride of the Yankees, my favorite baseball flick. They recreate his famous speech there -- and SHC, tell your hubby "I get it."


I loved that movie too - and got the reference. So tell Mr. SHC I got it too! (Can't be one-upped by Shawn ;)). Now, I must say I'm impressed that Turby - one of our pups knew it! But we've go the smartest teens on the planet here at lgc.com.

So, yes - TC is a lucky gal. Have a blast in NJ! Can't wait to hear the report!

[Turbulence]

I love causing mass confusion... :D