Just Venting .. Sorry But I need To Let It out

Western Conference ...

Kings, Blues, Coyotes, Predators

This has got to be the worst 4 in a conference playoff that I have witnessed in years!! Boring boring hockey is to be expected and if we are lucky, we will see 40 shots ... IN ALL THE GAMES COMBINED (joking of course but you get my point)

At the very least, for the first time in years, I will have much more spare time in late April and early May as I will clearly not be watching some of the worst hockey I've seen and will see in years.  Heck, if trapping, no forechecking and masters of un-called obstruction is your thing, knock yourselves out.  I will be watching the remainder of the Eastern Conference, hoping for Boston (seems the Caps like to trap more recently) and hoping for an Ottawa win.  Ottawa, Philly and Boston give us the best chance at enjoyable hockey.

I know this topic has been debated before, but in looking ahead, I can't continue to keep my silence on the disgusting look of the playoffs.  If the NHL wanted ratings they sure as hell aren't going to get them from any team in the Western Conference.  I cringe at the thought of a potential St, Louis v Florida final. (Unlikely but in today's game you never know)

The league takes 2 steps forward and 1 step back all the time.  It starts with officiating (back to whistles in the pockets and turning a blind eye to obvious infractions) and speaks as well to the lack of talent in the league.  You see, to make up for horrible overall team talent like the Blues, Kings and Coyotes have, you are forced to rely on a great goaltender and trap the living shit out of your opponents.  Kudo's to coaching yes, but damn does it make for brutal hockey. 

Sorry, I can go on for ages but let's just leave it at that.  I think I've made my point.  I really do hope the ratings hit the gutter to teach the NHL that they need to really take a look at their game.  Get used to one forechecker deep and a game that relies on clogging the neutral zone "hoping" for a turnover on which a team can capitalize.

The positive thing to all this though is that, like I mentioned, I get to have more free time to spend with my family and doing spring things ... because I sure as heck am not wasting 3 hours out of my life to watch shitty hockey that these teams will most undoubtedly produce.

Then again, I may be proved wrong but I highly doubt it.

Ahhh it feels good to vent.

Cheers....off tonight's game looking for in game betting to see how the first part of the game shapes up.

I watched every game (if not live then replays) of the STL/SJS and LAK/VAN series and thought that the games were very well played... There was no lack of effort.

Too much of the same ole crap becomes quite boring in my opinion. It's good to see different styles of games. As for officials... They are humans also and like the rest of us they are no where near perfect. You win some... You lose some with officials... in every sport and every league in the world.

I've also seen many of the Kings games this season and have enjoyed what I've seen. Since getting Carter the Kings have been at the top end of scoring GPG in the NHL.

I do agree that an STL/FLA final would not be the greatest but I'd watch to see what the Blues can accomplish.

FLA vs PHX would be almost unbearable to me... I have ZERO interest in either team winning and don't feel that either would be an honored champion by most fans. Niether has paid it's dues and are more of a flash in the pan anyways.

I don't see how FLA could possibly get past any team in a 7 game series except New Jersey who is letting Brodeur cash in his I.O.U's by carrying him throughout these playoffs.

If the playoffs always went to the so-called "better" teams... then why are the "popular" public teams like Pittsburgh, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago with all thier flash and dash.... sitting home...??? There is something to be said about outlasting you opponent and actually WINNING the games. Afterall... That... my friend is what it's all about in the playoffs.

If it's scoring you like by the buckets... Try the NBA.

Good Luck with your selections

Guys this wasn't a bitch thread ... I was just venting.  If 2-1 or 1-0 games with 30 total shots are your thing then by all means.  Heck, they might surprise us and be entertaining games but for the most part, teams aren't going to adopt new styles at this time of year.  They are going to go with the system that got them here and by in large, the western teams that advanced are defensive minded teams.   You can't deny that.  1 or 2 good players surrounded by a system.

The regular season saw some good hockey but you can't say that the West offerred any real exciting hockey.  You are not looking at it correctly if you are.

Now, 3 game 7's in the East and an amazing Penguins/Flyers series is what I'm talking about.  and by the way, I don't want to prejudge, but on paper, the West looks like a booooooring round coming up.

TDD, Phx allowed a ton of shots because for the most part they sat back and defended.....teams like that normally wait for their breaks.  Chicago offerred some offensive risk taking....Coyotes capitalized on that.

My intent wasn't to piss anyone off ... I could care less who wins the cup and could care more about having a good 3 hours of entertainment and I just don't see it coming from any of the Western conference games. That's my opinion of course, and you may disagree fellas but in large part ... I'm not looking forward to it.

Skubishack... it's not all about seeing scoring.  It's the 1 forechecker mentality that irks me.  Flyers/Pens games 5 and 6 didn't go over the total but it made for good hockey because you had two teams going for it and not waiting for another team to make a mistake. 

I just can't say I enjoyed this season or playoff all that much.  Much has to do, and I'm sincere in this, is that I see the old clutch, grab, interference shit back into the game.  Remember the stame stuff that Brett Hull complained about that led to the rule changes ... errr ENFORCEMENT .... well they are gone now and we are back to watching blatant picks, interference, hooks etc get called and it makes for very boring hockey.  There should have been 8 or 9 penalties last night ... if the game was called by the book, players would learn and we would see better hockey .. but two years of going by the book and then slowly reverting back to this crap is just ... well, crap!