As expected, the third Dallas vs/ Canuck game is another close one. Only 1-1 through 2 full periods. Bulis scored the equilizer, giving Hanson an assist and his first NHL point. I can never tell who will come out victorious in this matchup.

I think California wants the Stanley Cup.

Thank god for pretty boy Taylor Pyatt!

He's been piss-poor, getting demoted from the twin line to play with Smoke and Linden...and then he scores the winner.

I was beginning to become scared of Dallas and their shutdown type of play, simply outworking us and pouncing on mistakes. Suddenly things changed in the third...the Canucks just began to dominate.

Hansen is looking good, he should be kept with Morrison and Bulis...he's making Bulis look pretty good.

Naslund is proving to be a true captain so far...I've been impressed by his play the most. He should be kept with the Sedins for game 4...

Lou, Lou, Lou, what can I say about you...

I'm pumped after game three!

haha.

HAHAH.

HAHAHAHA.

No way that Carlyle is going to pull Bryzgalov from goal is if he seriously starts to let pucks past him. But this could be an interesting post-season for Giguere who is UFA after this run ends for Anaheim.
But are you feeling the little reminder of 2003? While I would love to see it happen again, I almost don't want it to happen again because the other teams seem to be fighting it out until the end (unless you're in the Detroit-Calgary series) and Anaheim would be stuck sitting around for about a week.


damn right we want the Stanley Cup in California... the mockery of California hockey teams has to end. We might not have the greatest environment for kids to grow up loving hockey, but we do happen to have a couple of rather decent teams in the league right now.

This was the only acceptable response to that statement.

HEY. The Wild set a record as a come back team during the playoffs in 2003. We will set it AGAIN. I hope, anyways. I don't really know the history behind Giguere and why he's a backup right now, but I do know that he only let in like 1 goal that whole round 4 years ago.

I don't even know what is happening to us right now. We were on such a hot streak right before playoffs, and we now have Marion Gaborik, one of our top scorers, back from his half season injury (who was absent from our two losses against the ducks, mind you). I mean, we should be crushing you! Shouldn't we?

And somebody tell me why California has not one, not two, but three hockey teams. Or why any state has multiple teams, for that matter. I just don't understand it.

Giguere is backup goaltender because he was out with the birth of his son at the end of the regular season and some complications with his son (something to do with his eyesight). And since Bryzgalov has been playing so well down the stretch and into the playoffs Carlyle doesn't want to break that hot streak. Why mess with something that seems to be working? ^_^

As for why multiple teams in one state? I don't understand why we have one in Anaheim and another just 30 minutes away, but I can understand why there would be one in San Jose and on in SoCal... there's a few hundred miles between locations.
It could be worse, the California Golden Seals could still be around ^_~

I don't see why states shouldn't have multiple teams. As long as they have multiple major cities what's the big deal? Actually it creates awesome rivalries if anything. Like how we share the same state with those douche bag Flyers.

California has three teams because it is awesome.

Now I just hope the Sharks can come back so both teams can move on.

Wow, Lecavalier must be the luckiest SOB in the NHL. He just throws shit at the net and it goes in; no wonder he had a 52 goal season. NJ needs to stop with the lazy play and play with at least a little bit of urgency; they cycle more in their own zone than they do in the offensive zone.

Well what do you expect? Devils play the trap.

He caught Brodeur trying to cheat over to cover a pass, and he fit it through with a fantastic shot. The star goaltender has allowed 9 goals here in the first three games. The Devils have clicked on the power play, which is good for them considering thats been really the only place they have.

Brodeur and the Devils defense need to get their shit together Wednesday, or they may dig a pretty deep hole for themselves. Luckily for them, I'll be headed to the forum on Wednesday, which typically means a Lightning loss.

The Islanders/Sabres game was intense, but I have to admit, the referees had a real problem at the end with the hook on the Islanders break and no call and then three seconds later they call tripping on an Islanders guy who barely (if even), touched the Sabre player.... Like.... MY GOD!

Yeah, that was grade A bullcrap, Vivi. Complete embellishment by the Sabre. DId you see Robataille (The Islander who took the penalty) blow a gasket right in the referee's grill when the whistle blew? :twitch: And then there was the Islander who slashed his stick on the glass when the whistle blew, and he did it pretty hard too, shaking the glass.

I figured there would be at least one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty out of the two players...or hell, I at least figured the guy's stick would break when he slashed the glass. :p

Should be interesting to see what happens of Vanek and Afinogenov next game after being benched for basically thw whole third period. Afinogenov has always been criticized for his consistency and heart while Vanek had trouble playing in the playoffs last year, too.

Does Marty Brodeur seem awfully human to anyone else? (To sharply change the subject)

My Bruins are perfect so far in the playoffs; not a single loss. UNDEFEATED.

I was blown away at the refereeing throughout the game, as well as in the Lightning/Devils series. The calls, at best, have been inconsistent and really borderline. The ones at the end of Game 3 (the tripping call and the non-call just prior) of the NYI/BUF game was just more icing on the massive cake. Some days you'll get the calls, others you won't. Its part of life in sports.

And yes, Brodeur has descended from his lofty status, at least for now. Hopefully, it'll continue and the Bolts will move on in the playoffs. We've had lots of success against this team not just this year and this series, but over the last 4-5 years. We've had the Devils number, and right now all we have to do is not make a lot of bad passes in the neutral zone and limit our penalties and turnovers -- both areas in which the Devils have been making us pay.


Yeah, Tim Thomas looks as if he's turning the corner and playing consistently well for a change. :twitch:

If the Penguins lose this game, they're done.

If only the Rangers had this much energy every night.

Too bad they don't need it against the Trashers.

Tell me about it, I still don't understand why they put "Lettin' in" in goal tonight, but hey no complaints from me.

They're done. I'm about to kill someone. Unbelievably pissed off right now.

Sass and I were going to go out for dinner after the Sens went up 2-1, be we stood around and waited for the period to end. I was trying to push her out the door, knowing they'd lose, but NOOOOOO.

If you're a MN fan, then that was one of the greatest games of hockey. Evar.

Even with all of the terrible, terrible calls from the refs, the Wild fucking delivered. And jesus, you Californians need to cool it.

I like how they waved off Skoula's ONLY GOAL THIS SEASON. And we still won.

Holy shit. Mitchell just saved Luongo's ass today. Third period, the Canucks have a 2-1 lead with 4 minutes left, and the puck managed to beat Luongo, and roll along the goalline before Mitchell came and batted it away. With that badass play, the Noodeheads won the game 2-1, and have a 3-1 series lead over the stars.