NHL (2021-2022) v. Congrats Avs. Jack Johnson is a Stanley Cup Champion.

[KevShmev]

It's a good thing Parayko was part of the 2019 team that won the Cup, otherwise he'd be on my permanent shit list after two head up his ass plays led to the Avs first two goals tonight.

Ultimately though, it was a listless and gutless performance by most of the team tonight.  Where was the fire?  The energy? I just don't get sports sometimes, I suppose. 

[gmillerdrake]

I’m not really all that bummed. The top two teams in the West just played (I know the Wild had more points but only a couple….Blues were the better team) and I still stick by my prediction it’d be one of those two teams playing for the cup. The bracket that the Oil came out of just isn’t strong and I dont think there was a team in it that could hang with the Blues or AVs.

AVs may beat the Oil in 5 games….but it won’t go 7.

Blues need to tinker with a couple things but they’ll be in the hunt like this for the foreseeable future.

[KevShmev]

I’m not really all that bummed. The top two teams in the West just played (I know the Wild had more points but only a couple….Blues were the better team) and I still stick by my prediction it’d be one of those two teams playing for the cup. The bracket that the Oil came out of just isn’t strong and I dont think there was a team in it that could hang with the Blues or AVs.

AVs may beat the Oil in 5 games….but it won’t go 7.

Blues need to tinker with a couple things but they’ll be in the hunt like this for the foreseeable future.

Agreed.  The Avs might score 10 goals in a game against that Oilers defense.    Not talked about a lot is that Kuemper didn't play well that for a lot of this series, so he can be had, and I think the Oilers will get their fair share of goals, but I just see the Avs scoring at will against them early and often.

[Anguyen92]

Fun fact.  With the Avs/Oilers being set as the Western Conference finals, it guarantees that a #1 overall pick in the 2010s will make to the cup finals for the first time ever.  For the Oilers, it's Nugent-Hopkins (2011) and McDavid (2015).  For the Avs, it's MacKinnon (2013).

[gmillerdrake]

It's a good thing Parayko was part of the 2019 team that won the Cup, otherwise he'd be on my permanent shit list after two head up his ass plays led to the Avs first two goals tonight.

Ultimately though, it was a listless and gutless performance by most of the team tonight.  Where was the fire?  The energy? I just don't get sports sometimes, I suppose. 

Paryako sucked….yes. Horrible game that gifted them two goals.

But let’s be honest here…..the fire want there because the AVs wouldn’t allow them to start one. The AVs showed up to win and they did.

Kyrou had two chances to make that game a 3-1 game heading into the third and he blew it. I knew then they were in trouble because we weren’t getting chances and Husso could only play Superman for so long.

I am pissed that Kadri injured Binnington because I think it’s a different series had he not been ran and knocked out. Not a guaranteed series win but he was in a zone.

Oh well….seasons done……and that’s that.

[jingle.boy]

Chad, better to lose in the first round..

I see what you're saying, but not for 6 straight years.  Watching hockey for the enjoyment of the game has its benefits I suppose - I was in a VERY crabby mood watching the third period of the Bolts/Leafs game 7... cuz I knew the Leafs weren't going to pull it off.

The Blues played the 3rd period not to lose, and the crowd sure acted like it as well.  Sounded like I was watching a tennis match at times.  Brutal way to lose it though.

[KevShmev]

I think the crowd was quiet cause they knew the team was getting outplayed badly.  I went and watched the latter part of the game with my dad, and late in the 3rd period, I actually said to him, "Hear how the crowd is dead silent?  Not surprising because the team is playing terrible."  When the winning goal was scored, I was like, well, better to get it over now rather than delay the inevitable and have it happen in OT.   Once the Avs tied it up in the 3rd, then winning the game just felt inevitable.

Gary, sadly, we will never know what would have happened had Binnington not gotten hurt, but I like to think the Blues would have had a good chance to win it.

[TAC]

Chad, better to lose in the first round..

I see what you're saying, but not for 6 straight years.  Watching hockey for the enjoyment of the game has its benefits I suppose - I was in a VERY crabby mood watching the third period of the Bolts/Leafs game 7... cuz I knew the Leafs weren't going to pull it off.

Of course it's fine to make the 2nd round once in a while..

[KevShmev]

The later the loss in the playoffs, the deeper the cut, but if your team has not advanced in a while, you at least want that.

The Blues made the conference finals in both 2001 and 2016, and in both instances lost, but because it had been 15 years since the last time they had gotten that far, a little part of me did think both times, "Hey, it was nice to at least get to the 3rd round for a change."

[jingle.boy]

I think the Canes will finally win on the road tonight, and put the Rangers away.  Though, if it goes to seven, then we'll see a 'straight' from in series length this round - one series each going 4/5/6/7 games.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I think the Canes will finally win on the road tonight, and put the Rangers away.  Though, if it goes to seven, then we'll see a 'straight' from in series length this round - one series each going 4/5/6/7 games.

It’s nine thirty in the morning local time and I’m already stressed. Obviously I want the Rangers to pull it off again but a small part of me doesn’t know if I can handle another round or two of this, especially with the stakes exponentially higher after this round.

The later the loss in the playoffs, the deeper the cut, but if your team has not advanced in a while, you at least want that.

Oh see the fact that I was an infant the last time the Rangers won the Cup and therefore don’t remember it makes every deep playoff run hurt that much more when they inevitably come up short. I still haven’t forgiven the Kings for 2014, and the Lightning became a villain in my world one season later.

[KevShmev]

Yep, true hatred for a team really comes about as a result of playoff losses to them, especially crushing ones.  There really is no logical reason for me, a Blues fan, to dislike the Sharks, but they beat us in 2000 in the 1st round after we won the President's Trophy and then also in the conference finals in 2016, so while the hatred for them isn't deep like it is for the Red Wings or Hawks, it is there nonetheless.   

[TAC]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

[KevShmev]

Well, sports hate is different than real hate obviously. 

[TAC]

Well, sports hate is different than real hate obviously.

No I get it. I just don't have real sports hate against any team.

[SchecterShredder]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

[TAC]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

I don't know, I generally don't pay attention.

But I definitely root against whatever team that has fans gather outside the arena for a watch party. I love seeing those people go home losers.

[LudwigVan]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

I don't know, I generally don't pay attention.

But I definitely root against whatever team that has fans gather outside the arena for a watch party. I love seeing those people go home losers.

Lol I have no problem with the idea of a watch party.

I tend to hate certain players, which in turn leads me to hate their respective teams.

For instance, I hate Kucherov on the Bolts. In baseball I remember HATING Greg Madux on the Braves, and to a lesser extent, Chipper Jones. And then there was John Rocker.

[TAC]

How could you ever hate Greg Maddux?  The guy was a surgeon.

[LudwigVan]

How could you ever hate Greg Maddux?  The guy was a surgeon.

Maybe because he was a surgeon that routinely cut the Mets into pieces?  . Don’t get me wrong, I don’t question his talent… he was incredible. I just hate what he did my hometown team. There was also something about him that rubbed me the wrong way… that cocky little smirk.

It got so bad that I was a MET fan rooting for the Yankees to beat the Braves in the WS.

[SchecterShredder]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

I don't know, I generally don't pay attention.

But I definitely root against whatever team that has fans gather outside the arena for a watch party. I love seeing those people go home losers.

Well, you'd hate Edmonton lol. The oilers have 2 official watch parties:

• One for $5 or $10, although the money goes to charity, directly inside the arena on the jumbo tron
• One inside the building, but outside the paid area of the arena, in what's called Molson House (sponsored by Molson-Coors)

Both are packed with fans. They show molson house on the canadian broadcasts quite often after goals. Personally, I'm not a fan. But that's mostly just from a consumer perspective. The thought of packing into a standing room only place to wait an hour for beers is nauseating.

[LudwigVan]

One thing I think too that’s unique to New York City sports fans… is the existence of two baseball teams, two basketball teams, two football teams and three hockey teams (if you count the Devils, who are basically a train commute away from midtown Manhattan). This tends to  bring out that cross-town rivalry mentality, i.e. hatred, especially given the character of New Yorkers in general.

If you’re a Met fan, you’re expected to hate the Yankees. And if you’re Rangers fan, the chant has to be “Potvin sucks!”

[TAC]

That was a soft first goal, but that Dman has to smother that shot.

[Hyperplex]

I don't think I've ever hated a team or franchise. Had rivals? Absolutely. Disliked individual players? Definitely.

When I root heavily against a team, it's mainly because of a) a particular player or set of players, b) someone in management, or, most often, c) the general fanbase.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Game 7 here we come!

[jingle.boy]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

I don't know, I generally don't pay attention.

But I definitely root against whatever team that has fans gather outside the arena for a watch party. I love seeing those people go home losers.

That's pretty much every team nowadays.

Also, Boston franchises can suck it.

[jingle.boy]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

[SchecterShredder]

There's no team I've ever really hated.

I've definitely hated teams mostly due to their fanbases. Vancouver and Toronto easily come to mind for me.

These sentiments pre date my participation on DTF. Rest assured,  Chad, this has nothing to do with you.

Now, if Matthews decides to go to free agency and you suggest whichever team signs him should have to give the Leafs a 1st rd pick... then we might have a problem.  That was an actual comment from a Leafs fan that made the Score's on-air banner scroll when Mats Sundin went to market.

[jingle.boy]

That's just dumb.  Though, I don't know recall how "unrestricted" UFA's really were back in the early 2000s.

[Kwyjibo]

Out of curiosity, what's wrong about a watch party?

[axeman90210]

One thing I think too that’s unique to New York City sports fans… is the existence of two baseball teams, two basketball teams, two football teams and three hockey teams (if you count the Devils, who are basically a train commute away from midtown Manhattan). This tends to  bring out that cross-town rivalry mentality, i.e. hatred, especially given the character of New Yorkers in general.

If you’re a Met fan, you’re expected to hate the Yankees. And if you’re Rangers fan, the chant has to be “Potvin sucks!”

I'm kind of split on that, I only buy into it when the teams are rivals. I'm a Yankees fan but I don't hate the Mets and I'm a Jets fan but I don't hate the Giants. I don't root for them, but I don't care if they do well (unless it's at my team's expense). Hell, the Giants have endeared themselves to me greatly by denying the Patriots two Super Bowls. That said, I'm a Devils fan and I loathe the Rangers and I'm a Nets fan and I never want to see the Knicks do well.

[SchecterShredder]

Out of curiosity, what's wrong about a watch party?

Absolutely nothing lol. They just grind Tim's gears, apparently.

[romdrums]

Speaking of rivalries, and hating other teams, ESPN is doing an E60 doc on the Red Wings v. Avalanche rivalry:

https://youtu.be/YyuA_NetTv4

I cannot wait

[pg1067]

The Count's Rangers are now about the only team I'd really be happy to see hoist the Cup.

[KevShmev]

While I would have loved a Game 7 tonight, a big part of me, quite frankly, is glad the stress of Blues playoff hockey is over.  I feel a lot less edgy and crabby.