I wonder how many cups those "American" teams would've won if you removed all of the Canadian players from their rosters...
- Pat1993

If that helps you sleep at night.

If that helps you sleep at night.
- mickel25

right...

I wonder how many cups those "American" teams would've won if you removed all of the Canadian players from their rosters...
- Pat1993

John LeClair and his 2 SCF OT goals say hi

John LeClair and his 2 SCF OT goals say hi
- jmatchett383

oh there are good 'Murican players out there for sure, can't deny that....

oh there are good 'Murican players out there for sure, can't deny that....
- Pat1993

Right.

But it's like saying, "I wonder how many World Series the Blue Jays would have won without US players." Baseball, at least at that time, had most of its best players coming from the USA due to its long, storied tradition as America's past time. So sure, every team made made up of primarily USA-born players, including Toronto and Montreal. That doesn't take away from the fact that those teams were located in a Canadian city.

Growing up watching Mario I can say I never hated him like I hate Crosby. Not even close. Mario never offered a reason to hate him. He was an amazing player and they almost literally never beat the Flyers.

I respect Crosby's game. He is a great player. I agree with on you the Rangers. I hate the jersey. Doesn't matter who is wearing it. I think the Devils hate was based on the Brodeur teams. I don't hate them right now because they stink.

I also hate the Canadiens. At least this series we won't be subjected to "Montreal rules" for the road games. I also love that no Canadian team has won the cup since 1993. I just think it is funny that Canada hasn't won the cup for so long. It's like the US not winning a football title for 27 years.
- mickel25

I also hate the habs More than any other Canadian team. Re the Canadian teams not winning a cup, it’s not like they represent Canada as a whole. There are teams in the us that have more Canadians on the team than Canadian teams. To me, only team canada represents us. I mean, the last team comprised of all Canadians to win was the flyers haha

Right.

But it's like saying, "I wonder how many World Series the Blue Jays would have won without US players." Baseball, at least at that time, had most of its best players coming from the USA due to its long, storied tradition as America's past time. So sure, every team made made up of primarily USA-born players, including Toronto and Montreal. That doesn't take away from the fact that those teams were located in a Canadian city.
- jmatchett383

so then I think we agree nationality has nothing to do with American cities having success in the NHL...

Can’t wait for the real playoffs to start. One thing they have to be careful about is matching the intensity from Montreal. I think some of these qualifying teams have a leg up on the intensity aspect so the flyers need to make sure they are ready to come out hard out of the gate.

Penguins are an arch rival. It doesn’t matter when it began, what matters is that it’s current. Giroux touched on it during his interview on Spitting Chiclets.

Look at this way. If you talk to any die hard Red Wings, they’ll tell you Chicago is number one, Toronto two and than it’s a toss up between Boston and Montreal. With this said, for ten years Colorado took stop spot because of their recent history. Detroit never forgot this, even though things have obviously died down.

so then I think we agree nationality has nothing to do with American cities having success in the NHL...
- Pat1993

Right. That's not really what I was getting at in my original post though.

Can’t wait for the real playoffs to start. One thing they have to be careful about is matching the intensity from Montreal. I think some of these qualifying teams have a leg up on the intensity aspect so the flyers need to make sure they are ready to come out hard out of the gate.
- funmaster18

Montreal hasn’t faced a real contender yet. They saw the Leafs and they saw the Pens, who both exit the the qualifying rounds in pathetic fashion. I worry about Weber and Price but for the most part, we’ve had Montreal’s number for the last few years.

Montreal hasn’t faced a real contender yet. They saw the Leafs and they saw the Pens, who both exit the the qualifying rounds in pathetic fashion. I worry about Weber and Price but for the most part, we’ve had Montreal’s number for the last few years.
- SuperSchennBros

Yeah Price is capable of stealing a game or two. Weber is playing great right now. They have a good team.

The Flyers have the advantage in depth and overall talent. The Flyers are a really good team defensively. I won't wager money or anything but I am confident the Flyers win this series in 5 or 6 games.

Montreal hasn’t faced a real contender yet. They saw the Leafs and they saw the Pens, who both exit the the qualifying rounds in pathetic fashion. I worry about Weber and Price but for the most part, we’ve had Montreal’s number for the last few years.
- SuperSchennBros

I’m not worried about them as a team, just about the fact they’ve already had to play in an elimination environment. Just want to see the flyers come out and take care of business right away.

Who givea a (frank) what country the team that wins the cup resides in

Who givea a (frank) what country the team that wins the cup resides in
- KINGKENZO

I do. I hope it’s the US. Specifically Philadelphia.

so then I think we agree nationality has nothing to do with American cities having success in the NHL...
- Pat1993

Yes, if we can agree that the same applies to success, or lack thereof, in Canadian cities in the NHL. Please keep in mind that you were the one who brought up the nationality aspect.

SO here are my picks. Probably will be wrong but .......

Flyers in 6
Tampa in 6
Canes in 6
Isles in 7


Vegas in 5
Colorado in 6
Calgary in 7
St. Louis in 6

Backreading through the game comments of the last 2 days, just wanted to add something about the Ghost/Hagg issue.

Undoubtedly Ghost bought his A game. That was a great pass to Farabee. If he does play, it would be interesting to see him at the point in the first pp unit. He does this thing where he gets down on his knees to keep the puck in, and he is also a far quicker lateral skater, and far quicker with his slap shot then Provy. At their best, I think Ghost is better there than Provy.

Now for the 'minuses'. Ghost played 15:24 TOI. He had the most pp time of of any D man.

Take away that pp time aof everyone and every D man played at least 5 minutes more than he did, including Braun, who does not play pp.

In particular, guess who saw the least TOI in the 3rd period when 75% of the play was in our zone? Less than JVR, Bunnaman, Pitlick or anyone else? Ghost did. He saw 3 min 47 second in the 3rd. His partner, Braun, saw many more shifts where he played with Myers, Sanheim and Niskanen.

Going back to the first 2 games, since we were ahead in all 3 games, I don't see such sheltering of Hagg in the 3rd at all. His shifts are quite evenly dispersed.

I am not leaning one way or the other, I am just putting this out there to illustrate how the coaches see Ghost: his strength and his perceived weaknesses.

I'm not going to disagree with this, but I will say that I don't think that's him any more. Earlier in his career, even up until the 2012 playoff series, he was this guy (although B Schenn turned down an offer from him). I think he's matured to where he doesn't need to do that any more after he saw how the Bruins goaded him in 2013.

Not saying he's a modern-day Jean beliveau, I just don't think he's the whiny cheap player he once was.
- jmatchett383

The key, I think, was from when Mario took him in. Literally.

Yes, if we can agree that the same applies to success, or lack thereof, in Canadian cities in the NHL. Please keep in mind that you were the one who brought up the nationality aspect.
- jmatchett383

oh I was simply replying to a comment saying that "no Canadian team has won a cup in 27 years"

Backreading through the game comments of the last 2 days, just wanted to add something about the Ghost/Hagg issue.

Undoubtedly Ghost bought his A game. That was a great pass to Farabee. If he does play, it would be interesting to see him at the point in the first pp unit. He does this thing where he gets down on his knees to keep the puck in, and he is also a far quicker lateral skater, and far quicker with his slap shot then Provy. At their best, I think Ghost is better there than Provy.

Now for the 'minuses'. Ghost played 15:24 TOI. He had the most pp time of of any D man.

Take away that pp time aof everyone and every D man played at least 5 minutes more than he did, including Braun, who does not play pp.

In particular, guess who saw the least TOI in the 3rd period when 75% of the play was in our zone? Less than JVR, Bunnaman, Pitlick or anyone else? Ghost did. He saw 3 min 47 second in the 3rd. His partner, Braun, saw many more shifts where he played with Myers, Sanheim and Niskanen.

Going back to the first 2 games, since we were ahead in all 3 games, I don't see such sheltering of Hagg in the 3rd at all. His shifts are quite evenly dispersed.

I am not leaning one way or the other, I am just putting this out there to illustrate how the coaches see Ghost: his strength and his perceived weaknesses.
- PT21

Game situations are always going to dictate ice time. This is nothing new. If Gostisbehere continues to play well, in tight games, his ice time is going to increase.

oh I was simply replying to a comment saying that "no Canadian team has won a cup in 27 years"
- Pat1993

Its a silly argument under the circumstances, as others have pointed out, when nationality has nothing to do with how a team is composed.

Unless we are talking about the World Cup, where a Canadian team has won 2 of he 3 cups awarded in the same period.

The Pens hate did not start until Crosby arrived because they never beat the Flyers until Crosby arrived. Mario was awesome. You got to watch him be amazing and the Flyers would still always win. Win-Win

I will always hate the Rangers. I oddly somewhat respected the Devils. I still do not understand it.
- mickel25

The Flyers would easily my most hated rival. It all goes way back to the early Mario days when the Pens went something like 0-400-2 at the spectrum and got their asses handed to them every game. Sadly the hatred is only at a simmer now since the rivalry has lost its intensity.

SO here are my picks. Probably will be wrong but .......

Flyers in 6
Tampa in 6
Canes in 6
Isles in 7


Vegas in 5
Colorado in 6
Calgary in 7
St. Louis in 6
- J35Bacher

I mixed up the bracket last night in my excitement, which has me going back on a couple picks.

Flyers in 5
Tampa in 6
Canes in 5
Caps 7

Hawks in 7
Aves in 4
Flames in 6
Blues in 6

Flyers/Aves Final

Here is a blog about why the business geese "deserve" Alex laf
https://hockeybuzz.com/bl...an-anyone-else/177/106865