NHLB - National Hockey League of Baseball

[jg2977]

San Jose easily sweeps Minnesota.

[jg2977]

There were two Game 7's in the first round, and the away team won both games.

In the East, the #1 through #4 seeds were eliminated, including the defending Stanley Cup Champion Whalers. So we will see a rarity, with #5 vs. #8, and #6 vs. #7.

In the West, it looks like San Jose and Vancouver are on the trail to the Conference Finals.

[Afino]

Is that Rocky Balboa, the ERA leader for the Leafs???

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Afino

Is that Rocky Balboa, the ERA leader for the Leafs???

Yes, it is. I put quite a few famous people into the game.

Rocky's an underdog, and so are the Maple Leafs, so it works out perfectly. I'm hoping that Balboa can lead the Leafs to their first Stanley Cup Finals.

Also among the league leaders are Creed Bratton (from The Office), Ted Danson, Leon Black (from Curb Your Enthusiasm), Franco Rivera (from Rescue Me), Leonard Bernstein, and Mel Brooks.

Here's the Toronto Maple Leafs' pitching staff:

1. C.C. Sabathia
2. Rocky Balboa
3. Ivan Drago
4. Felix Heredia
5. Andy Pettitte
CL: Joba Chamberlain

Not only that, their catcher is Apollo Creed.

[jg2977]

San Jose sweeps their second series in a row, and for the second straight year, they are 8-0 in the playoffs.

[jg2977]

There was one really big surprise. Phoenix (100-62) upset Vancouver (135-27) in six games. The Coyotes have a lot of really good pitchers, and they were able to hold the Canucks' powerful hitting in check.

So the Conference Finals will be:

East: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
West: Phoenix Coyotes vs. San Jose Sharks

[jg2977]

Montreal and San Jose lead 1-0

[jg2977]

Boston evens their series with Montreal at 1 win apiece.
San Jose wins an amazing game to go up 2 games to 0.

[jg2977]

Montreal takes a 2-1 series lead.
Phoenix wins to end San Jose's 10-game postseason win streak. The Sharks lead 2-1.

[jg2977]

Montreal leads 3-1; Phoenix pulls even 2-2.

[jg2977]

For the 2nd time in 3 years, and the third time since 1967, the Canadiens are going to the Stanley Cup Finals!

San Jose blew out Phoenix to take a 3-2 series lead.

[jg2977]

San Jose eliminates Phoenix in convincing fashion. The Sharks are in the Stanley Cup Finals for the 3rd straight year!

[jg2977]

Montreal Canadiens (106-57) vs. San Jose Sharks (142-20)

This series is a rematch of two years ago in 1971, when San Jose took home their 3rd Stanley Cup. The Sharks also won the Cup in 1958 and 1964. Montreal is the winners of the Stanley Cup in 1931 and 1967.

[jg2977]

Shockingly, Montreal has won both games on the West Coast to take a 2-0 series lead.

[jg2977]

The Canadiens are one win away from clinching their 3rd title. For the second year in a row, the Sharks have dropped the first three games of the Finals. Last year, they rallied back to force Game 7, but lost the finale. What will the Sharks do this year?

[jg2977]

1973 Stanley Cup Champions: Montreal Canadiens

1931, 1967, 1973

[jg2977]

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[jg2977]

The Dallas Stars have qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 22 years (1952).

[jg2977]

The Sharks won, 4 games to 1.

[jg2977]

There were two Game 7's. Montreal won at home, and Vancouver stunned Minnesota.