ch_nl

Could someone enlighten me on what happend to captain Koivu?

Now we will see which team had the hardest training camp. Some should feel fatigued after the OT in Carolina. Prediction for tonight's game: Montreal Canadiens 4 - Carolina Hurricanes 0 Montreal goals by: Kovalev Zednik Markov Bonk

Bonk Kovalev Sundström Zednik Perezhogin Boullion Plekanec ... The whole team has shift gears and are now aiming at the cup.

12 goals in two games. Wow. 2-0 and series going to Montreal. WOW! Who would have guessed? The Habs are in a great position. Win one of the following games at home and the series should be ours.

Some stuff happend since I went from home. Now hope the Habs can bite back and go to Montreal with a 2-0. Go Habs Go! Saku Koivu in OT.

Come on Habs. I don't wan't the score to be even when I tune in again!

Have to drive to work, but have to listen thru the PK...

9 unanswered goal on the Canes. I understand the kids tought they would run over Carolina. The veterans should know better and lead by example. I hope the Canadiens can manage the lead into the intermission and then regroup and win this game like a team should after a 3-0 lead. Go Habs Go!

Im starting to feel it. Cup crazy. Go Habs Go! Payback time.

Just read an aritcle in a Swedish newspaper about why the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs. It was a translation so the excuses where made from Toronto. It was the new rules fault! With the old system the Maple Leafs would have clinched the 8th spot in the east ahead of Tampa Bay. My eyes was wet since I cried after all the laughs but at the same time I feel sorry for them. They wan't so much but hasn't done much right in the last 30 years or so. Mats Sundin won't play in the World Championship. The first time ever he says no to Tre Kronor. It could mean two things. 1. Mattias Norström, captain of the LA Kings turned down the offer to play for Sweden in the world championship because he feels he needs to be in LA to sort things out after the Kings terrible play after the Olympics. Does Mats Sundin feel the same way about his Leafs? 2. He won't come back to the stinking Leafs until they have cleaned up. The can not afford to sign McCabe?! Why not? Because most of their players are overpaid? Mats Sundin has won it all but the Stanley Cup and his getting older. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes elsewhere.

Pittsburg with a top pick. Again.

The final rankings has arived. Swedish Niclas Backström tops the european rankings. He was the rookie of the year in Sweden and will play in LG Hockey Games next weak where he will be battling for a spot on Swedens World Championship team. I'd say he's the most promising rookie from Sweden since Henrik Zetterberg. Some people are allready comparing him with Peter Forsberg. Erik Johnsson is the top name from North America and Kessel is fifth. In my opinion a GM should try to get the best available player and if possible also picking a player that will fill a hole. Should Gainey use his first pick to get a defenceman? I think so. Here's the top defenceman: Erik Johnson, US National Team -18. Won't be available when it's time for the Habs. Bobby Sanguinetti, Owen Sound, OHL. Ranked 12th. Could be available. Nigel Williams, US National Team -18. 6'4.5''. Great size and ranked 13th. Yuri Alexandrov, Cherepovets, Russia.

Don't know if it's the age of mine or what but this playoffs is different to me. I won't get upset if the Habs lose in 4 staight games. I won't complaint much about Koivu. I don't expect anything from this team. I had hopes they would make the playoffs and they did. Next season... Then we're talking. The Canadiens has in my eyes improved a lot more then expected. Michael Ryder came from nowhere and is today a solid second line winger that scores 30 goals. Alex Kovalev came from New York in return for Josef Balej and in a blink the Habs had one of the most skilled players in the world. Chris Higgins, the rookie that I expected the least from turned out to be a player that could have won a Calder trophy if it hasn't been for Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great. Plays like a veteran. Plekanec, Perezhogin and Kostitsyn are where everybody expected them to be. None of them failed. Guillame Latendress. We all saw something in him at the camp. If the Habs get's half of it then the organization should be pleased. Andrei Markov has bloomed into a real number one defenceman. Craig Rivet actually works hard for his money. Steve Begin could be the most passionated player in the leauge. And finaly. Cristobal Huet. A throw in in a trade and he turns out to be the greatest goaltender in the NHL. What can you say? Was it a fluke or is he that great? Time will tell. The Theodore trade. I defended Theodore all the time. I still think high of him and I do believe that he's capable of bringing the cup to Denver this very season but the money the Habs freed up in the trade could be the key to making the Canadiens a contender. Im not sure on what should be prio one tough. An upgrade on defense or on offense? The defense is solid and underrated but still just in the middle of the pack without no real prospects. The offense in also solid but with lots of younger players on the farm but Montreal's first line isn't something the other teams are afraid of. Sure Koivu and Kovalev has the tools but that third link is missing. The one that makes the whole line more than just three great players. Is it possible to trade for chemistry? Jere Lehtinen? Ville Peltonen? I don't know. But I hope Zednik will have a great playoff.

I haven't atended a american school so maybe it's just me but I don't agree at all on Michael Ryder. Michael Ryder. He scored 30 goals in his second NHL season. A player that scores goals on a team that doesn't score much. I'd say he one of the most valuable players on this team. I would give him a B+. And Cristobal Huet is of course an A+.

I wasn't even close. I think I also predicted that the Penguins would be the winner of their division. Im a lousy person.

Joe Thornton is the MVP. Jagr? Come on... I would pick Cristoball Huet before Jagr. Ovechkin, Kiprusoff and Staal too. Jagr scores a lot of goals but the Rangers succes has a lot to do with their rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Jaromir Jagr is a great player and 123 points do say a lot but would the Rangers be where they are without him? Maybe not but maybe they would have another goalscorer instead. Rangers has played like a team this season for the first time in years and it has paid off. Huet stepped up when the starting Theodore hit his worst slump ever. And he did take the Habs all the way to the playoffs and has the best saving percentage and 7 shutouts in 36 games. Alexander Ovechkin is the only reason for the citizens in Washington to visit MCI Center. Without him the Caps would be so bad that they could have finish last in the AHL. Kiprusoff showed that he's not a one year wonder. The best goal against average and 10 shutouts. 42 wins for his Flames. Guess how many games the Flames won this year? 46. Eric Staal managed 100 points in his second season. The goalscorer the Canes have missed all the time. His -8 in the plus/minus is the only thing that prevent him from being a runner-up. Joe Thornton turned the tide almost all by himself when he came to San Jose. Just look at the stats on the Sharks pre- and post-Thornton. He made Cheecho a top goalscorer. 92 points in 58 games with the Sharks and +31 during the same period. Big Joe is the MVP!

His first year in Elitserien and he's got the gold. He played some in the finals but not much. He posted a shutout in his first game ever and Färjestad is happy with their backup. Still young. I doubt he ever will be a starter in the NHL but he is one of the most promising in Sweden bur one should know that Sweden is not a goalies country. Finland is years ahead but maybe Heino-Lindberg is a exeption.

Experience is always a factor in the playoffs. But the coin has two sides. You wan't the rookies to feel the heat but at the same time it's the veterans that knows what it is all about. I like the projected lineups but I think Perezhogin should play. I also think that Sundström is a guy that will peak his play in a playoff. Higgins Koivu Ryder Kovalev Riberio Zednik Bulis Plekanec Sundström Begin Bonk Perezhogin I don't expect the Habs to beat Carolina in seven and therefore I think it would be a good move to give the rookies all the experience they can get. And having Downey and Murray as extras is a good thing if the series get physical. Zednik has been great in the playoffs before and therefore I think he should be on the second line and Bulis on the third. Sundström and Bonk are the ones that should take care of Staal.

I was about to start this thread myself but decided to wait a see how long time it would take before someone else did. Here's the prediction. EAST Ottawa - Tampa Carolina - Montreal (Doesn't dare to jinx) New Jersey - New York Buffalo - Philadelphia (If Peter Forsberg stays healthy) Ottawa - Philadelphia Carolina - New York Philadelphia - Carolina WEST Detroit - Edmonton Dallas - Colorado (The Theodore effect) Calgary - Anaheim Nashville - San Jose Detroit - San Jose Calgary - Colorado Calgary - San Jose FINAL Carolina - San Jose

You are so right. My bad. ( I have been on vacation during the last weeks and with no Internet or teletext I haven't been able to follow.) But now I see. Canes or Sens it is. Well that's an easy one too if you ask me.

Rangers will face the Senators in their last game. If the win they will have 112 points and Ottawa will have 111. And if Montreal finnish 7th shouldn't they play the team finnish 2nd? Or have I missed something?

Is it going to be the Ottawa Senators or the Carolina Hurricanes? Senators Oct 11 2005, Tue HOME Senators 4 - 2 Lost Oct 27 2005, Thu AWAY Senators 3 - 4 Lost OT Nov 29 2005, Tue AWAY Senators 0 - 4 Lost Dec 20 2005, Tue HOME Senators 3 - 4 Won SO Jan 7 2006, Sat HOME Senators 1 - 4 Won Jan 26 2006, Thu AWAY Senators 0 - 3 Lost Apr 6 2006, Thu AWAY Senators 5 - 3 Won Apr 10 2006, Mon HOME Senators 2 - 3 Won Total score this season: 17-23 Hurricanes Dec 31 2005, Sat AWAY Hurricanes 3 - 5 Lost Jan 23 2006, Mon AWAY Hurricanes 3 - 7 Lost Jan 31 2006, Tue HOME Hurricanes 8 - 2 Lost Mar 16 2006, Thu HOME Hurricanes 5 - 1 Lost Total score this season: 9-25 I want the Habs to face Ottawa Senators and not the Canes. Anyone have a different opinion? * Edited the post after I made a clumsy misstake...

Just saw that Montreal is 4th in the leauge since the Olympic break. With that said I think the Habs are the team that most of the others in the eastern conference would like to avoid. Ottawa is first right now but due to injuries they doesn't look as scary as they did earlier. With the recent results I think the Habs could knock Ottawa. Carolina has won big time this season. Still, Canes play in the weakest division. It's still possible that they are the only team from the southeast division that makes the playoffs. Not saying that they're bad just maybe not as good as the standings says. Rangers has Lundqvist and Jagr. Enough to wanting avoid them. Lundqvist won the gold medal in Turin and even if he never has been in a stanley cup playoff I don't see him choking. Buffalo. The team. I agree with an earlier post that Habs seems to have a problem with them. They have nothing to lose and this is the team that I don't want the Habs to play.

Because the question about the playoffs in Sweden was asked during the game in the game thread and polite as I am, I answered. Anyway, my bad, the game was 3-2 with one minute left just as Dalhab pointed.

Färjestad is always a candidate for the finals. Hockey in Sweden has been about Färjestad, HV71 and Frölunda for almost 10 years. Linköping is on their way up.