[dhwilkin]

I've gotta congratulate the Carolina Hurricanes for making it to the Stanley Cup finals! Everybody was counting them out, except for the players themselves. Amazing game against Toronto tonight, they showed alot of guts. The Leafs might've won, if it weren't for one little fact... Carolina OWNS in overtime! The Hurricanes have proven they belong w/ the big boys.

 

[Satori]

Carolina has been amazing lucky so far in the playoffs. The teams they have faced weren't that tough of teams. I'm interested to see how they match up against Colorado or Detroit.

I know it doesn't sound like it but I do think its good to see the Whale make it to the finals. Aren't they a team that has never won a 7-game series?

 

[thomas]

How popular is hockey in carolina? watching on TV, it seemed that they were having trouble selling out the place, and there were tons of empty seats in the first game...

Here, tickets sold out in less than 15 minutes

good game, i'm impressed by irbe, never really thought of him as a top-notch goalie until now...

still, the west seems so much more competitive, going from the western finals to the east, the east seems like its almost on slow motion

 

[dhwilkin]

It's not that popular in NC, at least not yet. Let's face it, this will always be college basketball country. But awareness of the team has really taken off now. All the home games for the finals sold out in 30 minutes. And if the announcers comment on how loud our arena gets when it isn't full, you better wear some earplugs to watch the finals game down here when it is full!

As for the strength of the West... yeah, I think the West is stronger overall, but never rule out the underdog. Carolina does have some skill and never-say-die attitude to go along w/ their luck, ya know.

 

[john_jcb]

You can tell how strong hockey is in a town by the youth hockey programs and number of new rinks being built. My son played until he was 18 and had to choose between going to Canada to play juniors or go to college. I think he made the right choice, his chances of making it in the NHL were so small it is unbelievable. I still laugh at parents that think their kid will make it by watching them skate at 8 years old. It is good to see the Canes doing well as it opens up hockey to an entire new group of fans.

 

[Nezer]

Go Avs!

Here's my 2 cents...

Whoever wins the west will smoke Carolina. I think it's great that they made it. They have certainly earned it. However, the east was quite weak this year.

If the Avs move on I think it could be a good matchup given the way the Avs have been playing. I still think that series would end 4-2 Avs. If the wings make it I think it would be a 4-0 or 4-1 OT series. I can't stand the wings so if they make it in game 7 I'll be going for the Canes otherwise my loyality is with the Avs (even though I think Roy is somewhat of a primadonna).

 

[dhwilkin]

Ouch, 4-0 already... no offense, Nezer, but I think you'd better start practicing your "Go Canes!" chant.

 

[Nezer]

I can chant with any team playing the wings!

 

[john_jcb]

I will sit and wait patiently for Tuesday when the finals start. Then the Headroom show on Wednesday. It is going to be a good week. Saturday will be here again in no time. I actually like the first round when there are games everyday. I hope the Canes play with the same intensity that they have throughout the playoffs.

 

[jude]

[size=medium]....Go Wings![/size]

Hockey is life in Metro Detroit.

 

[Satori]

Being an Avs fan and all. I guess I have to go for the extreme underdog in this one.

 

[neil]

Yikes people. Go WINGS! How about that game 7 against the Avs? Yikes, Patrick Wahhh let in six goals before he skated to the bench -- if he were to say, "I'm outta here" to the mayor of Detroit (Kwame Kilpatrick) as he did in that famous game Montreal vs. Detroit, surely Mr. Kilpatrick would have simply said, "Then get gone girl!"

I've had some serious uncanny predictions of the Wings games -- I predict the Wings will win the cup in 5 games against the Hurricanes. Just FYI, this is truly a Hockeytown duel, in the sense that both owners (Ilitch [Redwings] Karmanos [Canes]) are both here in the Detroit area. In fact, both of their company headquarters are in Detroit now (Compuware is moving into downtown really soon).

So, anyhow, GO WINGS! And yes, as Jude said, hockey is life here in Detroit.

 

[neil]

Nezer, why can't you stand the Wings? Is it because they're unbelievably humble? I mean, 99.99% of hockey players are pretty humble, but man alive, Detroit sports figures have to be the least media-covered and underspoken of their kind. Steve Yzerman comes to mind. Isiah Thomas from the Pistons. Not to mention the Lions.. how much more humble can you get?

But seriously, there's nothing to not love about the Wings. They're a very consistent team that plays clean, non-trap-style hockey, mixes it up with skating it in and dump-n-chase, new lines all the time, and they never freakin' bitch and moan.

Wahh (Roy) is a goof. Great goalie, but man, he's an arrogant creampuff. I really love him for the way he holds up his glove when he thinks he has the puck, and gets it knocked in. (By the way, that was a total "Cloutier" series crusher for the Avs -- I'm referencing the Vancouver/Wings series when Cloutier let in a 50 footer with no screen -- that was the pivotal moment in the series)

Lidstrom, our defenseman had one or no pentalities in the seven game series against the Avs -- as opposed to the "children of the corn" defenseman with their scythes on the Avs (Foote and Darius K).

Damn it, you're in LA, and you love the Avs? Show some love for Luc Robataille!

 

[Satori]

Quote:

Damn it, you're in LA, and you love the Avs? Show some love for Luc Robataille!

I've only been in LA since October, and the Kings I have a growing hatred for, well after two years of them pushing the Avs to game 7s. That and LAs lack of support for sports teams unless they make the playoffs.

 

[Nezer]

Red Wings Suck! (Stars Swallow) Go Canes!!

I have my reasons... as you have yours.

Patty is a creampuff... I wish we could exchange goaltenders with Detroit.