I told ya we'd be underdogs again...

[BlackMetalNinja]

Conference finals breakdown: Hurricanes vs. Sabres (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2448988)

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By Scott Burnside
ESPN.com
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Forget the small-market/miniscule television ratings angle of this series. If ever there was a series designed to sell the new NHL, this is it. Even the most casual of fans can expect to be blown away by the speed and derring-do of the Buffalo Sabres (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=buf) and Carolina Hurricanes (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=car).


</photo1></p> Don't even think of getting up from the TV to change the direction of the water sprinkler for fear of missing something dramatic. The Senators did that and look where it got them.

[don137]

I rather be an underdog than a favorite going into the series. Carolina is a very good team and will not be taken lightly. I think Ottawa was a better team defensively and offensively than Carolina but Carolina has much better goaltending plus Ottawa's top guns were misfiring like a Jay Fielder throw...

[Ingtar33]

just look at their forwards... that's a stacked team.

I love how people call Carolina "nobodies". Are you kidding me? Their first three lines are nothing but all-stars and former all-stars.

That team's scarred me all season long.

And the one person who could be called a nobody, Eric Staal, is a 100+ point guy, and is doubleshifted 24/7

[casdhf]

I agree.

[Bufftp]

It is good to be the underdog!

[RockStar36]

It will be a good series. I think both teams don't get the respect they deserve. When Carolina started the series w/ NJ I didn't hear a whole lot of people saying that Carolina would plow them over the way they did. Same thing w/ Buffalo and Ottawa. I'm willing to bet that the winner of the East takes the cup though.

[Bill Brasky]

Did we mention we really, really liked Buffalo against Ottawa but just couldn't pull the trigger on the upset? Well, it's a little bit of d&#233;j&#224; vu all over again in the conference final.

Yeah, I'm sure that's the case :rolleyes:

[LABillsFan]

I read that article too. I think I'll rant for a moment

First of all Montreal and NJ, were on a roll. As good as they got all season but true to form couldn't hold up for the long haul.

Jersey beating the Rangers? Who here actually thought anything of the Rangers heading into the playoffs? I thought more of Atl. They couldn't hold off Philly for crying out loud.

Since the Olympic break they went 9-11-4 including 5 in a row at the end. I picked the Devils I confess, not of how they were doing but of how I remembered them. The point I'm making is that I can't fault the experts for picking Philly or at least Ottawa. I knew Buffalo would win the Philly series, but not Ottawa.

Carolina is a team that had their ups and downs like Buffalo. However,

Carolina PP can only go down.
Buffalo's PK, consistent all year. Can someone say Shorthanders?

Buffalo's PP can only go UP
Carolina's PK modest at best

The quote "Simply put, Carolina has the rare ability to get better as the game goes on and that's something the Sabres will not be able to match."

Well when you score 3-6 goals in periods 1 and 2 like in Philly and get them out of the game early, you don't have to score all that much if any in the 3rd. Ahem, who leads the playoffs in scoring?????

If you want to trade scoring throughout the game, all I have to say is 7-6 OT winners. How many 1 goal games were there? You have 2 ways of winning, not letting the other team score to tie and win or trade goals and take your chances. Seems Buffalo did both.

If you want to play D, well playing the top scoring team getting out shot, out hit, out muscled, being at a complete disadvantage in PP's and still winning the series, doesn't mean all that much I guess.

I'm not predicting a Buffalo win, but I can see how they may have a hard time picking Buffalo. Let 'em

[PUCKER]

Id rather be the underdog anyway.