Fansided Friday: Conference SemiFinals

Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

The Conference Semifinals are just about half over, and there are surprises, mixed emotions, and runaways.  Here is a quick rundown of whats going on around the eight active NHL franchises per the Fansided Sports Network.

#8 Los Angeles (3) – #2 St. Louis (0)

#4 Nashville (1) – #3 Phoenix (1)

#1 New York (2) – #7 Washington (1)

#6 New Jersey (2) – #5 Philadelphia (1)

The New Jersey Devils get a bad rap about being the killers of offense and the reason the NHL was boring prior to the lockout.  As they lead the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in their second round series, Chris Palmer gives us insight on how the makeup of the Devils organization is shedding the neutral zone trap stigma and becoming a versatile team. 

Speaking of the Flyers, fear should be in the hearts of the orange and black, because they could be seeing their goaltending flame out like in years past.  Its early in the season and the Flyers should have enough talent to overcome, but thats what we said last year as well.  You might not have to fear the Devils, but you do have to fear your goaltending. 

Overtime is not necessarily a bad thing, just as the Montreal Canadiens – their last Stanley Cup was won on the heals of several playoff overtime games.  Seems it is working for the New York Rangers as well, as they faced off against the Capitals in the longest game of the 2012 playoffs to date, and the 20th longest game in NHL playoff history, as it took almost two complete games for the Rangers to win and take the series lead back. 

Normally you see the fans at an NFL game dressing up in weird styles to show off their fandom for the general public.  As more and more fan clubs pop up, more and more younger (and older) fans are taking that in game experience to the next level.  Check out Knubles Knights and some other pregame photos from the Caps game three tilt against the Rangers. 

We don’t just have some of the favorite players, we grew up in the same area of the world.  He remembers the era of Buffalo Sabres hockey a generation before my time, and he is one person that will tell you that its worth it to keep a hockey team in Phoenix, even if his hometown Blue and Gold don’t make it there all that often.   Jack tells the story of two real life hockey fans that follow the Nashville Predators across country on a West Coast trip, as part of their honeymoon. 

I had the Nashville Predators stomping a mud hole in the chest of the Phoenix Coyotes in the second round of the playoffs, through the first two games of the series, it seemed as if the Nashville Predators overspent at the trade deadline to pull a San Jose in the second round.  Just like that however, the team wins a game and looks like the team they need to be to comeback and knock the desert dogs out of the playoffs and into the realm of the unknown. 

Jonathan Quick is establishing himself as a premier superstar in Los Angeles, and with a commanding 3-0 lead in the conference semifinals over the Blues, the Los Angeles Kings are looking to be the lowest seeded team to ever win the Stanley Cup, and just might have the best odds of doing it. 

The St. Louis Blues are in a hole.  A big one.  Down three games to none, there is little hope that the they will see the Conference Finals.  The Missouri faithful are hoping to get back in a series that probably should have been a lot closer. 

Keep tuned in to Fansided for Stanley Cup coverage and beyond!