Morning Free Association: Conference Finals

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Both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals have begun! The Eastern Conference teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders, have moved three provinces over from the comfort of the Toronto bubble to Edmonton. Each series has one game down, with the Dallas Stars and the Tampa Bay Lightning striking first. The two series after the first game couldn’t be any different.

The Stars (and not the Tsars as I originally typed) scored the game winning goal early in the first, at 2:36 from defenseman John Klingsberg. Anton Khudobin seems to have the hot glove and must be loving this playoff run. His teammates must also love him because not only is he pure joy personified, he also likes to be helpful.

I chalk that helpfulness up to be a Taurean trait as I also like to be helpful; Dobby and I have birthdays a day apart.

Anyway, he stopped all the shots (25) and he’ll likely be in net again tonight.

As for the NYI – TBL series, that first game was a doozy. It started off alright with each team swapping a goal. Then, it got ugly. Any self-respecting hockey fan turned off that game after the first period when the Isles went down 3-1. Thomas Greiss left the game after 10:46, allowing 3 goals on 9 shots. Semyon Varlamov wasn’t much better, allowing the 5 goals on 25 shots. Well, yeah, .800 > .667 but really the Lightning were slaughtering the Isles. Also, producing only 2 goals for (Jordan Eberle, Nick Leddy) doesn’t help your goalie, guys.

While I want the Lightning to fail and return home sad and beaten, I’m not sure that’s in the cards.  The Isles need to find their physical game again. The Stars – Golden Knights series may turn out to be the more interesting one to watch even if the score is low. either way, I have only 1 of the 4 teams in my bracket at this point so let chaos reign!

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Satan 81's Sister
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Satan 81's Sister

So far today I’ve banged my knee on my end table and spilled my cup of tea.

Stripes
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Stripes
IntentionallyWidenberg
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IntentionallyWidenberg

Our Pups & Pucks calendar tells me that it is National Hug Your Hound Day.
I can’t help but think it may be biased. Not taking any chances.

Stripes
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Stripes

I only have a puck.. sad

Satan 81's Sister
Editor
Satan 81's Sister

Morning all. Boo, back to work after a nice two days of doing next to nothing. Dream last night involved parking lots, Formula 1 cars, and baby elephants.

I love Dobby.

IntentionallyWidenberg
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IntentionallyWidenberg

I dig his embrace of the nickname:

(LOL at the guy who doesn’t get it)

Stripes
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Stripes

Hey Pals!
Conference Finals! Allright! We did the self respecting hockey fan thing at 3 – 1. I thought the Flyers would match up with TB better than the Isles….. Barry Trotz may have something to say about that, we’ll have to wait and see.
I love Dobby and am over disliking Seguin, but the Stars have Corey Perry…. very hard to like that guy. Radulov is not on my Christmas card list, either.
Boatercross next Saturday. I did a test run in my secret weapon – a 90’s era boat that is long and fast. Waited until most boaters were well down the river so they didn’t see Big Blue. Looks like as many as 40 boaters participating this year. Also, a separate class for rafts this year…. that should be spectacular!!! Oh the carnage!!!

Satan 81's Sister
Editor
Satan 81's Sister

Can’t wait to see Boatercross footage! Good luck with Big Blue!

IntentionallyWidenberg
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IntentionallyWidenberg

Go Big Blue!

BagelBruin
Member
BagelBruin

I’m rooting for the Stars now. I have a friend who’s endured a lot and he likes the Stars.

Stripes
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Stripes

Khudobin is the one player I can really root for among those still playing….. so maybe look past Corey Perry?? Grrrr, maybe. grin

IntentionallyWidenberg
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IntentionallyWidenberg

I want to like the Stars – I’m well over the Seguin thing, have been pro-dobby for a while, but then I remember Radulov, and have a seed of discontent and Perry pushes me into “FFS!”

I’m still rooting for them to win it all (cuz screw Tampa)