TO has #2,3,4 right?

NCAA Players won't make a difference. They've got a few great players like Hull, Kariya and Parise come out of decent NCAA programs but first round draft picks alone the CHL dominates the NCAA by a wide margin. Stick to basketball and football.

Whoa, the wagon’s moving faster today...must have less people on it. Put down the children, before you jump!
Yes that was a terrible loss to a terrible team that the Vancouver Giants could probably beat. Sure you want to go into the playoffs on a hot streak, and sure you may want to play Chicago in the first round more so than CBJ or Ducks. I get that. But we have an experienced team with some veteran guys who have had playoff experience. Sundin’s and Mitchell have been to the conference finals before.

I think getting 3rd place is vital, and will only help the team who gets that position advance. With that being said, the only team I’m fearful of is the Ducks. They’re stacked and have won the cup recently, so that in itself is something to worry about. With CBJ having a game in hand I think the Ducks won’t catch them. The Wings have to worry about the Ducks. As for the Jackets, ya they have a goalie standing on his head some nights and a player who can take over a game in Nash. But should we forget about the fact that we have this guy in net who didn’t allow a goal in 5 straight games? Advantage – Canucks. Having both teams play to their potential – you have to take the Canucks. Relax people. IF the Canucks pull lame in the next 3...then yes I would consider that a FLOP! I think they will bring it vs the Flames..they have to. That’s a statement game if there ever was one..because they shit the bed that game, then there not contender...only pretenders.

Ultimately, the real pretenders vs. contenders will be decided starting around April 16th... anything up until then will be just as quickly forgotten.

oh noes, we lost a few games and we're gonna lose

all you bitches that believe that need to calm the fuck down. we clinched in playoffs, who cares how we finish in the regular season, we're gonna tear it up in the playoffs.

not a fan of the juggled lines

Yah you're right I totally agree..All these teams that are pushing late in the season are hot right now - but the playoffs are a totally different beast.

While it looks like the Detroits , San Joses and Bostons of the world may be slipping or faultering....they are simply coasting into the playoff...they know the real season begins here..

Can't wait until ppl start throwing out predictions for the first round! Can't wait until we have hockey here in late April and the fricken suns still out after the 1st period!!

Toronto has Bozak and Hanson, but that is a different John Mitchell

NCAA players not making a difference really isn't true, some talented kids these days are opting for NCAA over CHL these days and have in the past, Vanek, Toews, Turris, Heatley, Kesler, Umberger, Kessel, Miller, Turco, DiPietro, Wheeler, Thomas, J.Johnson, E.Johnson, Van Riemsdyk, Ballard, Komisarek, Guerin, Drury, Whitney, Liles, Wilson, Sterling, Blake, Gilbert, Gionta, Madden, Rafalski, Martin, Higgins, Leopold, Comrie, Kunitz, Penner, Schneider, St. Louis, Knuble, Morrison, Malone, Oates, Weight, Nieuwedyk, etc.... Keep in mind that some guys choose NCAA so that they can get some of their college credits out of the way to prepare for a life after hockey. Also NCAA competition puts these kids against other players into their mid 20's who are bigger and stronger than the kids in the CHL, so it gives scouts a better idea of how they would compete against tougher competition.

Not saying CHL isn't still greater than NCAA, but taking a shot at a highly ranked FA NCAA player is basically like getting a free 2nd round pick without giving up any assets. It's never a bad thing for a GM to be pro-active and keep your prospect pool stocked.

Might as well for Burke since he lost a draft pick with the Frogren situation which wasn't even his fault.

Not knocking all NCAA players, just the undrafted ones. You look at those NCAA players mentioned and they were all draft picks who played with their NHL clubs shortly after getting drafted and not some 23 year old who just signed his first pro contract. Expect the Fabian Brunnstrom syndrome with these kids. Can't live up to the hype.

St.Louis, Kunitz, Mullen, Oates, Rafalski, Penner, Thomas, Belfour, J. Blake, Greg Adams, Renee Bourque, Dan Boyle, Roloson and Rucchin are just a few examples of undrafted NCAA players that went on to have regular roles in the NHL. Not expecting a miracle for Walsky or Oberg, but Oberg I would say right now would rank only behind Sauve on the Canucks D prospects depth. Walsky is 24 yrs old and has now been assigned to the Moose on an ATO, Oberg is 21 years old and will be expected to join the Moose as well on a ATO.

On the topic of NCAA, why don't more parents who have kids with a real shot convince their kids that it might be the better route. You play less games which may hinder development but at least your getting an education paid for by the school in case it doesn't work out which is the case in most situations.

can't believe we lost to the worst team in the west ... lets just hope we do better tomorrow against calgary

I think the majority of parents want their kids to make the NHL and sign that lucrative contract so they opt for the CHL because the CHL still gets more scouting attention. One thing I have been noticing is that in the last few years, more and more high end talent have been opting for the NCAA like Turris,Toews, Oshie and Okposo and more scouts are paying attention to the NCAA.

Just look at the upcoming draft, 4 NCAA players are ranked to go in the 1st round Drew Shore, Kyle Palmieri, Jordan Schroeder and Jeremy Morin, whereas in the 90s there might have only been 4 NCAA players drafted the entire draft.

I think the reason that Burke is stalk piling these young prospects is to sweeten the potential deal to move up in the draft..He wants to move up to get a high pick and his team ain't helping him cause they've been winning some games recently...not lately though but they moved themselves out of contention for that 1st pick.

The more young prospects he has at his disposal, the more of them he can throw into a deal to move up..draft lottlery for the 1st pick is coming up next week or so..

Just to add to that Chris Kreider, John Moore, A.Louis Leblanc and Dylan Olsen also ranked to go in the 1st round of this years draft are all expected to be in the NCAA next year.

I'm not pissed that they're losing, it's how (almost getting shut out?) and who we're losing to (Edmonton ended our season last year, wouldn't it be nice to return the favour this year?) that's ridiculous. Besides, you want to enter the playoffs on a winning note and not on a slump.

Can anyone name the last 3rd seed to win a stanley cup?

1996-1997 Detroit Redwings Finished 3rd in the West.

Since then every single team who has won the cup finished either 1st or 2nd in their conference except for New Jersey who finished 4th in the East and won the cup in 1999-2000

Do you guys think Burke can revive the Laffs...?

nope.

unless he can pull of some draft day magic like back in 1999

can someone find out what he did to snag the 2nd and 3rd pick ?

Okay sure, we clinched a playoff spot. Last night we ALMOST got shutout by Budaj, who isn't that "good" of a goalie anyways. I rather go into the playoffs with some "momentum" rather than a pile of losses against shitty teams we're supposed to win against.

with the injury depleted Avs last night,they were pretty much a BCHL team. Yet, the canucks could only muster up 1 measly goal.

:)

wow Pavel Brendl from the Calgary hitmen...i wonder where he is now

Here is a link to the 99 draft

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1999e.html


Taylor Pyatt was 8th overall!

Ryan Malone went in the 4th round that year.

Henrik Zetterberg in the 7th round