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Buffalo Sabres Blogger • Insider •
Before I give you my second round locks, I have to vent my spleen about the Masterton Trophy finalists that were announced today. The award is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The NHL is populated with dozens of guys who deserve this award each season.
Let me preface this by saying that I totally get the obvious love for Richard Zednik and Stevie Sullivan. Each player perservered through debilitating injuries to return to play the game that they love in the hearts. But, what the Hell is Chris Chelios doing in the top three for this award? Big deal, he's 73 years old and pounds Metamucil with Milk of Magnesia chasers. He's old, and he still plays the game--- yada yada yada! BFD! Enough already! AARP just called and your tricked out Lark Scooter is ready for pick up!
On the subject of hearts, how is it that Teppo Numminen is screwed over by the Masterton selection committee? Honestly. The guy is tough as leather, he's 40 years old, he underwent successful HEART SURGERY at the Cleveland Clinic after being suspended from the Sabres for all but one game in the 2007/2008 season. Teppo re-habbed like a beast, never complained, and returned to his signature graceful and effective form this past season.
***
Here we go:
THE “GREAT 8”, ACCORDING TO GARTH:
Second Round Matchups:
BOS vs. CAR:
The Bruins made mince meat of the defenceless Canadiens in Round 1. The one-seed Bruins deployed all of their assets against the depleted Habs, rendering the series over oonce it started. Even with Schneider and Markov in the lineup, Montreal would have had their hats handed to them by the B’s. Paul Maurice’s Hurricanes will not go quietly into that good night, as evidenced by their two goal outburst to “game, set, and match” the Devils inside “ The Rock” in Game 7 of their first round series.
I love former Vancouver Giant, Milan Lucic!
He, Kreci, Wheeler, Stephane "Rebel" Yelle, Kobasew and the gang will make Corvo, Gleason and the Canes D pay on the forecheck.
Thomas will outshine Ward.
Boston in 6.
DET vs. ANA:
This series will not be a cake walk in any sense of the word! detroit are well rested , having just disposed of young Mason and the Jax with relative ease.
I LOVE Holmstrom, Franzen, Hudler, Datsyuk, Zetterberg.
I also am enamoured with the Perry-Getzlaff-Ryan line.
I love the subplot of pronger vs. Holmstrom, as you'll recall Pronger was suspended two Springs ago for making the huge Swede eat glass.
Jonas Hiller has been inspirational, however, OZZY will bit the head off the Ducks.
Daytwa in 7
WAS vs. PIT:
Semin hates Sid. AO has "kissed and made up with Geno" (yeah, right!).
AO is the man!
This one is a four alarm burner! I'd go ahead and see the urologist now to install a catheter tube, just so you don't miss a millisecond of the live action!
I like the Caps' D better than The Pens blueline. Erskine, Poti and Jurcina will have their hands full, however, I feel like they will contain the likes of Sid, Guerin, Kunitz, Staal, and Kennedy.
This one is Geno Malkin's coming out party! We know already how great AO and Sid are. we have not seen 71's best performance-- until this series! Geno will run through walls and destroy everything in his path to the doorstep of Super Simeon Varlamov.
Fleury was brilliant vs. Philly, however, he's about to see more rubber than the Talladega 500! He'll be under siege by Semin, Alex The Great, Backstrom, Laich, and the rest of the opportunists who Rock The Red.
Caps in 7.
VAN vs. CHI:
Jonathon Freakin Toews. STUD!
Eager, Burish, Byflugien, Ladd, Walker are BADASSSES on blades.
Couver can only counter with Ryan Johnson, Hordichuk and Rypien in the knucklechuckin' department.
The Hawks blueline is too good and Seabrook and Keith will throw a quilt over Lenny and Squiggy Sedin in the down low game. Barker and Soupy are playing well and they will win the majority of loose pucks that will be quickly headmanned to Kane, Toews, Sharp, Bootsy Havlat and the lightning fast Hawks scorers.
I love Luongo, however, he'll need more than 2 pucks per game to beat the Nik Khabibulin.
In the end, the Hawks will have more left in their tank at the end.
Hawks in 6.
*****
Let me preface this by saying that I totally get the obvious love for Richard Zednik and Stevie Sullivan. Each player perservered through debilitating injuries to return to play the game that they love in the hearts. But, what the Hell is Chris Chelios doing in the top three for this award? Big deal, he's 73 years old and pounds Metamucil with Milk of Magnesia chasers. He's old, and he still plays the game--- yada yada yada! BFD! Enough already! AARP just called and your tricked out Lark Scooter is ready for pick up!
On the subject of hearts, how is it that Teppo Numminen is screwed over by the Masterton selection committee? Honestly. The guy is tough as leather, he's 40 years old, he underwent successful HEART SURGERY at the Cleveland Clinic after being suspended from the Sabres for all but one game in the 2007/2008 season. Teppo re-habbed like a beast, never complained, and returned to his signature graceful and effective form this past season.
***
Here we go:
THE “GREAT 8”, ACCORDING TO GARTH:
Second Round Matchups:
BOS vs. CAR:
The Bruins made mince meat of the defenceless Canadiens in Round 1. The one-seed Bruins deployed all of their assets against the depleted Habs, rendering the series over oonce it started. Even with Schneider and Markov in the lineup, Montreal would have had their hats handed to them by the B’s. Paul Maurice’s Hurricanes will not go quietly into that good night, as evidenced by their two goal outburst to “game, set, and match” the Devils inside “ The Rock” in Game 7 of their first round series.
I love former Vancouver Giant, Milan Lucic!
He, Kreci, Wheeler, Stephane "Rebel" Yelle, Kobasew and the gang will make Corvo, Gleason and the Canes D pay on the forecheck.
Thomas will outshine Ward.
Boston in 6.
DET vs. ANA:
This series will not be a cake walk in any sense of the word! detroit are well rested , having just disposed of young Mason and the Jax with relative ease.
I LOVE Holmstrom, Franzen, Hudler, Datsyuk, Zetterberg.
I also am enamoured with the Perry-Getzlaff-Ryan line.
I love the subplot of pronger vs. Holmstrom, as you'll recall Pronger was suspended two Springs ago for making the huge Swede eat glass.
Jonas Hiller has been inspirational, however, OZZY will bit the head off the Ducks.
Daytwa in 7
WAS vs. PIT:
Semin hates Sid. AO has "kissed and made up with Geno" (yeah, right!).
AO is the man!
This one is a four alarm burner! I'd go ahead and see the urologist now to install a catheter tube, just so you don't miss a millisecond of the live action!
I like the Caps' D better than The Pens blueline. Erskine, Poti and Jurcina will have their hands full, however, I feel like they will contain the likes of Sid, Guerin, Kunitz, Staal, and Kennedy.
This one is Geno Malkin's coming out party! We know already how great AO and Sid are. we have not seen 71's best performance-- until this series! Geno will run through walls and destroy everything in his path to the doorstep of Super Simeon Varlamov.
Fleury was brilliant vs. Philly, however, he's about to see more rubber than the Talladega 500! He'll be under siege by Semin, Alex The Great, Backstrom, Laich, and the rest of the opportunists who Rock The Red.
Caps in 7.
VAN vs. CHI:
Jonathon Freakin Toews. STUD!
Eager, Burish, Byflugien, Ladd, Walker are BADASSSES on blades.
Couver can only counter with Ryan Johnson, Hordichuk and Rypien in the knucklechuckin' department.
The Hawks blueline is too good and Seabrook and Keith will throw a quilt over Lenny and Squiggy Sedin in the down low game. Barker and Soupy are playing well and they will win the majority of loose pucks that will be quickly headmanned to Kane, Toews, Sharp, Bootsy Havlat and the lightning fast Hawks scorers.
I love Luongo, however, he'll need more than 2 pucks per game to beat the Nik Khabibulin.
In the end, the Hawks will have more left in their tank at the end.
Hawks in 6.
*****
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