Choke.

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Best regular season record and blow a 3-1 first round lead.

Where does that rank in the all time choke jobs in the four major sports?

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Probably at the top. Most points in NHL history, blowing a 3-1 lead. Yeah, I’d put it at the top.

As a Chicagoan the biggest choke job will always be the Hawks 90-91 Presidents Trophy winners losing the the 1st round to the fucking North Stars

Didn't they blow a 3-0 lead to the Flyers in 2010 as a 2 seed? Very close.

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I was ten at the time. I still remember sitting by the radio (Fuck you Bill Wirtz), listening to them get destroyed in game 5.

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Just looked that up and you are correct. Boston was a 3 seed and Philly a 7.

Had to look that one up and yeah, that was a huge choke. North Stars were horrible.

I am Team Kraken! Love their uniforms. Picked me up a shirt last May in Seattle.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

It's obviously a massive choke job, but honestly, the run away president's trophy winner losing in the first round is becoming as predictable as anything in sports.


It's the same problem a lot of great teams have. They clinch their spot so early that they end up trying to invent ways to stay interested the last month of the season. While at the same time, their eventual playoff oppponent is in a dog fight down to the final tgame of the season just trying to make the playoffs. Then once the playoffs start the lower seed comes in alreasdy with the needed intensity while the top team is left trying to regain the swagger that got them the gaudy point total.

It's often a recipe for an upset and not just in hockey.

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they really do have phenomenal colors and uniforms. Not even sure if I like the white or the dark better, they're both great.

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27-39-14 (ties back then) good enough for fourth in the Norris Division. Back then the playoffs were split by division, so you had two interdivisional rounds before conference and then SCF. North Stars ended up in the SCF and lost to Pittsburgh.

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An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

Upsets happen all the time in the NHL playoffs, can you even call them choke jobs?

went to the home playoff games back then and yes, that was hard to take. it was a learning experience and the next year the club was playing in late may and june. remember dirk graham losing all poise.

to that point since the year 2000 there are 7 President Trophy winners who lost in the first round. it happens nearly 1/3 of the time.

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That's one of the things Bernsie used to hate about the NHL vs. NBA playoffs...couldn't stand how "puck luck" could cause a team like the Bruins lose.

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An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

The next year they lost in the SCF to the Pens after winning a bunch of games in a row.

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An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

The Panthers won the Presidents Trophy last year and got swept in the 2nd round so they know a little bit about how little regular season records matter.

Devils skated the Rangers out of the building last night. Gotta give some props to Kaner though as he was the only Ranger who had any sort of jump last night.


Next round should be great....

Vegas vs Edmonton
Dallas vs Seattle

Carolina vs New Jersey
Florida vs Toronto



Looking forward to all of those.

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True....but as I mentioned before, once the playoffs start, teams often play a different defensive game. Regular season wins mean jack shit.

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Devils were impressive. Sad for Kaner was hoping he could get another cup.

Definitely looking forward to next round.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

It kind of works both ways though as the uncertainty ups the interest level and it's hard to argue against the tension of a tight game/series that can go anyway vs sweeps or blowouts. That payoff hockey sometimes gets mucked up and an a bit ugly with the clutching and stuff isn't always great but it doesn't bother me as much when my team isn't there.

Great bounce back performance by the Devils yesterday. And great continued domination by Florida.

Didn't stay up for the Seattle game.


Luke Hughes made his playoff debut and aside from one terrible teenaged turnover he had a phenomenal game all things considered.


Fired up for tonight's east coast and midwest friendly 7:30 cst start time for Edmonton vs Vegas.

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it's so leafs for them to basically have the 1st round victory be their Stanley Cup.

I'd like to see them at least take this home game.

This start time of 9 for this Vegas Edmonton game is fuggin stupid.

agree 100%. They had all day to put that game on and waited till 9pm. I boycotted as a protest.

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What the fuck is the climate pledge and what the fuck is it doing on the hockey helmets?

Hockey turning into a sport for snowflakes

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A great beginning to the playoffs ends with a final four whose most northern team is Las Vegas

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.