I thought the leafs would hang in a period or two, but now.....

hasta la vista, baby.

2-0 Philly, end 2nd.

Think I'll watch SJ/Col as well.

Col gets nothing on the remaining PP, and the period ends 3-1.

Col almost scores at the buzzer, from a shot from the blue line- Boughner deflects it about 25 feet out, and Nabokov has to use the glove right before the horn.

Wow! Did Tucker nail that guy!

And then Roenick scores to put the Flyers in the Conference Finals!

edit: I think it was Sami Kapanen who got leveled, and it was a clean hit.

Under 7:00 left ......

ESPN says Wilson has Marleau checking Forsberg every shift now.

Under 3:00 left, after that strange no call.

I think this year's Conference Finals are going to be terrific matchups- SJ against the Flames, Flyers against TB.

TAK's SJ- TB Stanley Cup Finals is still alive!!!

But the Avs get a PP with 1:11 left...........

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Chris and I now become a house divided...of course, I'll be rooting for San Jose and he'll be rooting for Calgary.  I said I'd cheer for Calgary until they met San Jose and then all bets were off. 

Hey, does anyone know where the Sharks will stay in Calgary?  I gotta Todd Harvey card I'd love to get signed!

Based on the fact that San Jose can't seem to win in Calgary, and Calgary can't win at the Shark Tank, I'd say the Sharks have a true advantage with the home ice situation. 

About Calgary - having nothing to do with the fact that they're my new home team, or all the local hoopla over the playoff success, I do admit to being impressed with them.  I picked them as my Western Conference dark horse on Laney's thread at the beginning of the year.  They remind me somewhat of the old Caps I fell in love with - a bunch of mostly blue collar guys who got together, played with grit and heart, and often stole games against teams more talented on paper.  The guys on the team seem to be real class acts.  If you watch them at warm-ups, they always stop and sign autographs before heading back to the locker room.  They're friendly, accommodating, and best of all, modest.  I honestly can't pick anyone on the roster who I can point to with Bill Guerin-like disgust and yell EGO!

I've watched these guys all year focusing on their goal.  They didn't even look far enough ahead to the WC Final at first.  Their goal was eighth seed.  Anything more was great, but they just wanted to make it one step at a time.  They've stuck together, they've supported one another, they've never lost sight of what they wanted, and they respected every last game instead of taking an opponent for granted.  Sutter has done a phenomenal job behind the bench.  I am a huge fan of grinding, defensive style hockey.  The Flames surely deliver it.  At this point, I even collect more Flames cards than do current or ex-Capitals, so what am I fighting it for, right?

I won't be totally heartbroken if the Sharks go out to the Flames.  Why?  Because I feel like the Flames really deserve their success.  So do the Sharks, don't get me wrong.  I'm high on the list of those who didn't even expect them to make the playoffs this year.  They've also put together a phenomenal effort.  But, let's take a trip back for a moment to my birthday two years ago.  Chris got tickets to a Flames/Sharks game, and he ended up being afraid of me for the rest of the night.  The Sharks were up.  Regehr whacked Fahey and took him out in the first, then hit Ricci in the face with a clearing attempt and caused his second period exit, then wiped out Owen Nolan with cross checks in the third with only seconds left in the game that the Flames were already winning.  I hated the Flames that night (and especially Robyn Regehr).  But these days, they play a more solid overall effort that makes you feel like you lost to an equal team.  It's one thing to resent a loss to a team that basically removed your heart rather than beat you fairly.  It's another when that team does everything right, and makes me realize that if they were playing against any other team than one of my favorites, I'd be pretty damn impressed.  I am.

I know Chris is worried that I'll forever hate the Flames if the Sharks lose, but I won't.  Now, don't choke on your breakfast, dear, I really did say all that. 

Let us also not forget another very important concept - THE FLYERS MUST DIE!!!

As much as it pained me to do it, I was actually rooting for the Maple Leafs!

Wanna laugh?  Someone bothered to scan his BAP Golf Edition cards to a Beckett thread called Leafs Spotted This Morning... http://www.beckett.com/iforum/view.asp?mode=viewtopic&topicID=323402&forumID=13&catID=3