Metal Reviews

Yeah well, I'm not to brag about my hockey knowledge. Because I barely got some. But it's much fun to watch. Isn't Carolina a pretty young team? Or is the orther teams young too? And can somebody explain to me what points and statistics that players get during a match? except scoring?

There are a few other teams that are young. My favorite team, the Blackhawks , for example (who love trading with the Canes this season by the way, enjoy Samsonov and Ruutu). Another team that comes to mind are the Penguins.

As for the stats, goals and assists are pretty self-explanatory. Points are a combination of the two. +/- is kind of a gauge for a player's all-around ability. For example, if he is on the ice for none of his teams goals and two goals for the opposition, he is -2 for that game. If he is on the ice for three goals by his team and two by the opposition, he is +1. PIM are penalty minutes, no explanation needed there. Any others you need to know?

Since a team on the power play has an automatic advantage, power-play goals do not factor into plus/minus calculation. As a result, a player who scores two power-play goals in a 2-0 victory has a plus/minus of zero (even) for the game. Players are also not charged with a -1 when allowing a goal on the power play.

When a short-handed goal is scored, all players on the ice for the scoring team are a +1 and all players on the power-play team are a -1.

Doh! I always forget about that part.

Okay. I just wondered because at the game we went to, the speaker suddenly started babbling on about points, and I had no idea. Other than that i pretty well-informed I think, and some of the stuff spoke for itself. I didn't understand why the team got their expelled player back after a score during powerplay, but I got it after a while. That doesn't happen after a major foul, right?

Right, if a player is serving a 5-minute major, the other team keeps on the PP until he gets out, regardless of how many goals they score. Of course, this doesn't happen real often because the most frequent major (fighting) is usually assessed to a player from each team, canceling each other out.

During the Blackhawks/Ducks game the other night, Parros jumped Eager and started fighting him, but Eager never engaged him or dropped his gloves, so the Hawks were on a 7 minute PP, 2 were for a minor (instigator) and 5 for a major (fighting). For the last five minutes of that PP, the Ducks were going to be a man down regardless of goals scored.

I see, because Capitals got a major foul against the canes, and he suffered a 4 minute or something which is a doubleminor, right?

Yes 4 minutes is a double minor. if a goal is scored against the team serving the 4 minute penalty before the first 2 minutes has been played the first minor is canceled turning it into a simple 2 minute penalty. Then if the score again within that two minutes the penalty is over.

Only Major penalties have to be played for the whole length of time even if a power-play goal is scored.

Seems like Samsonov and Ruutu had a good game back in Chicago last night, with an assist each.

Season over in a week. Playoffs begin in two. Predictions?

Toronto will get another excellent chance to improve their golf skills.

For the west I'm thinking Sharks. They have been going damn strong lately... I think I read somewhere they haven't had a regulation loss for the last 19 games? But they might run out of steam in which case my guess would be the Ducks.
East I'm not so sure. It seems wide open really, Canadiens and Penguins doesn't have proven playoff goaltending. But if they get it, they'll go far. And if Cam Ward has a similar playoff rampage as earlier the Hurricanes will be hard to stop as well. Devils always seem strong during playoffs as well... Man like I said, to me East can go so many different ways. I'm gonna go with Montreal Canadiens, that power play gives me nightmares.

Well, hopefully us Habs will kick some ass, but to be honest, unless we really turn over a new leaf, I don't think we'll make it past third round- we're just too inconsistent, nearly every game having at least one period where we do shitall. We're lucky to have good goaltending and occasionally good defense for those periods, but Price can't stop everything and our best defenceman (and the number one in blocked shots) Komisarek is injured... and so is Koivu now, perhaps for the whole playoffs. Then again, if other teams are stupid enough to give us power plays, we can really stick it to them.

But ya, my bet for the cup this year is the Sharks. Damn their solid. Say, the Sharks vs. The Penguins for the final, though please please please let me be proven wrong and it be the Habs, who win the cup. Pretty please.

Well I guess we can scratch Carolina now, lol

I'd like to see Anahiem repeat.

San Jose loves to flop come playoff time.

Detroit, see above.

I'd love to see Ottawa be swept.

If I had to pick an eastern team, as blasphemous as this could be coming from a Leafs fan, I'd like to see the Habs prevail.

But whichever east team makes it to the finals, I see the Western team winning it all.

Just my 2 cents.

Montreal wins game one 4-1!

Who didn't see that coming though, Bruins fans probably saw it coming.

Ottawa swept.

You have got to love it. Seeing those Sens flop in the playoffs again.

The Bruins tied it up, didn't see that coming. If the Canadiens end up losing the series it would be quite an upset.

Avalanche and Rangers move on, nice. I like both teams. Hopefully the Stars eliminate the Ducks tonight too.

watched Minnesota - Colorado. The Avalanche goaltender seems pretty solid.

Anaheim is out....