Link from Puck and Punk joins Brandon and Peter to discuss the second round of the NHL playoffs along with recapping the events of the first round. Other topics discussed in this episode include the changes in the predominant punk sound over the last decade and Brokencyde’s alleged assault on Punchline’s drummer.
Listen Now:
Article source: http://www.upthepucks.com
UPDATE 5/12/2011: ROUND TWO VOTING IS OVER! SEE ROUND 3 VOTING HERE
ROUND TWO: FIGHT!
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed that we’ve been running our own little bracket challenge to coincide with the NHL Playoffs. While they’re battling it out on the ice to find out who has the best hockey team, we’ve been battling it out here on the internet to see which NHL city/region has the best punk scene.
For more background, see our first post about it here (because I hate repeating myself). Round 1 voting is all over, and you can find the Western Conference resuts here, or the Eastern Conference results here.
The original post explains how we picked the cities, and why they don’t match the current NHL playoff brackets. I won’t explain that again, as I assume you have red the old post.
Once again, DO NOT vote based on your team loyalty, but vote based on what city/region you find has the more enjoyable music! We’ve provided some sample bands for each region (click on the links to listen to music), but don’t limit your perception of the region based on the samples. If you know other bands from that area, take them into consideration.
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL
| LOS ANGELES SAMPLE BANDS Black Flag Fear The Briggs Bad Religion Fiction Reform |
ANAHEIM SAMPLE BANDS Agent Orange Pennywise Social Distortion Slick Shoes Guttermouth The Adolescents |
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| CHICAGO SAMPLE BANDSFlatfoot 56 The Lawrence Arms Shot Baker Alkaline Trio Naked Raygun |
DETROIT SAMPLE BANDSWe Are The Union The Swellers La Dispute The Suicide Machines Hellmouth Mustard Plug |
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
| PHILADELPHIA SAMPLE BANDS Kid Dynamite The Loved Ones The Boils |
WASHINGTON D.C. SAMPLE BANDS Gray Matter Good Clean Fun The Max Levine Ensemble Trial By Fire Minor Threat Bad Brains |
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| LONG ISLAND SAMPLE BANDSThis Is Hell Kill Your Idols The Movielife Bomb The Music Industry Crime In Stereo Glassjaw Two Man Advantage Latterman |
NEW YORK CITY SAMPLE BANDSSick Of It All The Ramones |
Jen from Fear The Puck joins the guys as they discuss the current playoff series, the Punk Rock Playoffs and why the Westboro Baptist Church seems to hate Less Than Jake.
Listen Now:
Article source: http://www.upthepucks.com
Look, I have no dog in this fight; I’m not Canadian, and I’m not a Coyotes fan.
But after seeing what is likely to be the Yotes’ last season in Phoenix, I can’t help but wonder if moving them back to Winnipeg (as everyone expects will happen) is really all that wise of a move. For all the shit talk targeted at the ability of the Phoenix fans to support an NHL team, Winnipeg didn’t do much better when they had the chance… They did worse:
Granted, there are a thousand variables that go into all of this. Winnipeg Arena was no where near the caliber of a modern NHL arena. I have no clue what the Manitoban economy of ’79-’96 looked like (could it have been much worse than modern-day Phoenix’s?). Dwayne “The Rock“ Johnson had not yet starred in Tooth Fairy, thus a surge of interest in the sport of hockey had not yet swept the continent.
But, all that important-stuff-that-could-easily-disprove-any-point-I-have aside, clearly Phoenix one-upped Winnipeg as far as showing up to support their team.
Truth be told, if they move back to Winnipeg next season, their building will likely be sold out for years. They’ll have a bigger and better arena, every one’s hunger and nostalgia for the return of the Jets will create a ticket-selling mania, the city has grown since 1996, and I’m assuming (but too lazy to verify) that the arena will be located in an area easier for the rest of Manitoba to get to. But what happens in, say, 10 years when (presumably) the US economy has recovered from the devastation of the Bush administration; when the US dollar once again trumps the Canadian dollar; when the novelty of having their team “back” wears off; once the popularity of hockey in the US has continued (hopefully) to soar upwards?
Let’s say that perfect storm happens, and Winnipeg has slipped back into it’s old ways, attendance has gone back to lackluster, and history repeats itself for a third time for this team. What then? Do we play ping pong with them and send them back to Phoenix for another decade or two until this perfect storm starts all over again and then send them back to Winnipeg? Or do we find the next non-traditional market in the US, or another starving Canadian market, or where ever the fuck else to ship them to?
I don’t have the answers, but it seems like things could be thought out a little more thoroughly. And shit, maybe they have been and all my points are moot, but (like I said), at least I got to make a dopey graph.
Ultimately, I really just wish Phoenix had started out with a competent owner that actually cared for the sport, as I think hockey could have and can work in Phoenix if managed the right way. The fans exist, and more could be cultivated. They even have an interesting history of hockey in Arizona (Phoenix Roadrunners, Arizona Icecats). I can’t imagine how this feels for them. And I hope I never have to find out how it feels to lose a team.
It’s unfortunate (and ironic) that so many Winnipeg supporters resort to vitriol and attacks on the fanbase of Phoenix. As Pension Plan Puppets tweeted last night after the Yotes’ playoff elimination and possible last game in Phoenix…
Feel free to come yell at me on our forums, Manitobans.
UPDATE 4/28/2011: ROUND ONE VOTING IS OVER! SEE ROUND 2 VOTING HERE
Yesterday, we explained a new bracket challenged powered by your votes that HockeyPunx and Up The Pucks are coordinating. In this challenge, we’re voting on the NHL city/region that has produced the best punk music. If you want the full explanation, you should really go read yesterday’s full post (and vote on the Western Conference NHL cities/regions immediately).
Yesterday’s Western Conference posting explains how we picked the cities, and why they don’t match the current NHL playoff brackets. I won’t explain that again, as I assume you have red the old post.
Once again, DO NOT vote based on your team loyalty, but vote based on what city/region you find has the more enjoyable music! We’ve provided some sample bands for each region (click on the links to listen to music), but don’t limit your perception of the region based on the samples. If you know other bands from that area, take them into consideration.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(Western Conference can be found here!)
| PHILADELPHIA SAMPLE BANDS Kid Dynamite The Loved Ones The Boils |
TORONTO SAMPLE BANDS Career Suicide The Creepshow The Flatliners Protest The Hero Cancer Bats |
|
| BOSTON SAMPLE BANDS Converge Big D And The Kids Table Dropkick Murphys A Wilhelm Scream Street Dogs |
WASHINGTON, DC SAMPLE BANDS Gray Matter Good Clean Fun The Max Levine Ensemble Trial By Fire Minor Threat Bad Brains |
|
| LONG ISLAND, NY SAMPLE BANDS This Is Hell Kill Your Idols The Movielife Bomb The Music Industry Crime In Stereo Glassjaw Two Man Advantage Latterman |
BUFFALO SAMPLE BANDS Dead Hearts Lemuria Marathon Everytime I Die Snapcase |
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| NEW YORK CITY SAMPLE BANDS Sick Of It All The Ramones. |
MONTREAL SAMPLE BANDS The Sainte Catherines The Nils Dig It Up Humanifesto |
The playoffs are here! Brandon and Peter with Neil from Russian Machine Never Breaks, discuss every playoff series along with San Francisco’s proposed new law that would effect concert venues. Also, Mr. Fancy reads his letter to Hurricanes’ GM Jim Rutherford.
Listen Now:
Article source: http://www.upthepucks.com
UPDATE 4/28/2011: ROUND ONE VOTING IS OVER! SEE ROUND 2 VOTING HERE
UPDATE 4/15/11: Easter Conference voting can be found here!
Need something to do to kill some time between now and the next playoff game? We’re here to help. We’re teaming up with the kids from Up The Pucks! (Peter and Brandon) who have created a few playoff series of their own, but we need your participation.
Based on your votes, we’re going to determine which NHL city has produced the best punk music. If you’ve been listening to Up The Pucks! (and you should be), then you’ll know they’ve been featuring a different NHL franchises and music from that franchise’s region every week. Based on the music that was showcased each week, Peter and Brandon have taken eight NHL cities/regions from each conference and seeded them in brackets, creating a number of exciting punk rock faceoffs. Now it’s time for YOU to decide who wins each series to advance to the next round. The next round of our voting starts when the next round of actual NHL playoff games start.
Today we’re starting with the NHL cities/regions from the WESTERN CONFERENCE. Please keep in mind that these brackets DO NOT reflect the current NHL Playoffs. DO NOT vote based on your team loyalty, but vote based on what city/region you find has the more enjoyable music!
We’ve provided some sample bands for each region (click on the links to listen to music), but don’t limit your perception of the region based on the samples. If you know other bands from that area, take them into consideration.
Here we go…
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(Eastern Conference can be found here!)
| LOS ANGELES SAMPLE BANDS Black Flag Fear The Briggs Bad Religion Fiction Reform |
VANCOUVER SAMPLE BANDS You Say Party, We Say Die! White Lung The Hanson Brothers D.O.A. Daggermouth |
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| CHICAGO SAMPLE BANDS Flatfoot 56 The Lawrence Arms Shot Baker Alkaline Trio Naked Raygun |
EDMONTON SAMPLE BANDS The Johnsons Wednesday Night Heroes |
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| SAN JOSE SAMPLE BANDS AFI Tsunami Bomb Dead Kennedys |
ANAHEIM SAMPLE BANDS Agent Orange Pennywise Social Distortion Slick Shoes Guttermouth The Adolescents |
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| MINNESOTA SAMPLE BANDS Dillinger Four Children 18:3 Off With Their Heads Husker Dü Banner Pilot |
DETROIT SAMPLE BANDS We Are The Union The Swellers La Dispute The Suicide Machines Hellmouth Mustard Plug |
Yesterday, Bryan graced us with his Eastern Conference playoff predictions. Today, I’ll answer back by taking you out West, where two days marks the difference between potentially being out of the playoffs, and securing the 4th seed.
Here we go!
Canucks vs. Blackhawks
Who I’m cheering for: Canucks
Yet another Vancouver/Chicago playoff rematch? You bet. The Blackhawks backed their way into a playoff spot, and now have the unfortunate task of taking on a hungry, president-trophy winning team out for blood. Chicago are the returning champs, but they are a shell of their former selves. You can’t say that the Blackhawks’ offense is not up to the challenge, however, as they can hold their own in comparison to Vancouver’s. Will Luongo’s regular season success for the ‘Nucks hold over for the playoffs this year, or will Chicago bounce them once again in the post season?
I say Chicago’s luck has run out, Vancouver in 6
Red Wings vs. Coyotes
Who I’m cheering for: Coyotes
Another rematch and chance for revenge out west. The Wings managed to take care of the ‘Yotes last year, but not for lack of effort from Phoenix. They managed to push Detroit to game 7 before seeing their way out. Dave Tippett’s coaching has done wonders for the Coyotes, but the Wing’s continous playoff success will be hard to overcome. Especially with Phoenix’s lack of solid offense. Phoenix has some impressive goaltending that will out perform Howard’s, but I don’t think it will be enough.
Red Wings in 6
Sharks vs. Kings
Who I’m cheering for: gun to head, Sharks
I’m sure every non-Canadian hockey outlet has already pointed this out to you, but California has more teams in the playoffs than does Canada. So it only makes sense that two of them would meet up. And in the first round none the less! Assuming the Ducks advance, it would be interesting to see either of these teams meet Anaheim down the road. Either a 2009 playoff rematch for the Sharks, or the first time the Kings meet up with their rivals from down the freeway in the post season.
Of course, it won’t be easy for San Jose or Los Angeles to get there. The teams split their wins over the six times they met this season. However, Los Angeles has lost a lot of its punch with Kopitar’s injury. And who knows when Justin Williams is coming back. On the other hand, known choke-artists San Jose don’t have much luck in the post season, now do they?
The series goes to game seven, and then the building collapses on both teams.
Or, more likely, Sharks in 7.
Ducks vs. Predators
Who I’m cheering for: Let’s Go Ducks!
Okay, obviously I have a bias here. But I will say this is definitely a first round matchup I would have rather my Ducks avoided. The teams met up twice this year, and Nashville took the regular season series 3-1. Pekka Rinne is an unsolved puzzle for Anaheim. In fact, the one game the Ducks were able to take from the Preds came against Rinne’s backup.
On the bright side for the Ducks, Nashville’s offense is almost non-existent. And even though they were able to solve Hiller during the regular season, they don’t know whether they’ll be seeing Emery or Ellis in goal for Anaheim, and might not have the same luck against either one. The Ducks clearly have the offensive advantage in league-leading goal scorer Corey Perry, along with other powerhouses like Selanne, Bobby Ryan, and Getlaf. If the Ducks can get some secondary (and even some tertiary) scoring, they might be able to overcome Rinne.
It certainly doesn’t hurt Anaheim however that the Preds have gone to the playoffs 5 times but have won exactly 0 series. That can’t rest easy on Nashville’s minds, I imagine.
Ducks in 5.
Agree? Disagree? Discuss it on the forums!
While the Capitals are on a tear, the Rangers seem to always have their number. If the Rangers can keep the games low scoring and more of a grinding type of game (y’know, playoff hockey) then I think they have a good chance to take the Capitals into a long series and beat them. I think the Capitals have learned somewhat how to play defensively. I don’t think they’ve done enough work, though. I also think their numbers are inflated by being in a weak division. I honestly think the Capitals have enough want and skill to make it past the first round, though.
Capitals in 5, Rangers shit the bed.
Flyers vs. Sabres
Who I’m cheering for: Sabres
Goaltending. Ryan Miller will play. He can steal a game by himself. Bobrovsky isn’t used to a season this long, let alone the playoffs. He also hasn’t achieved one shutout this year. I think this series goes to who can get to the goaltenders. Buffalo has great depth in scoring. They have small forwards that can get around defenders like Pronger (that’s even if he’s playing) and then the Flyers don’t have the goaltending to stop it. The Flyers crash the net but a goalie like Miller can handle that better than most. Buffalo is also playing great hockey right now. I think if there’s one big upset that comes in the first round in the East. This is it.
Sabres in 6, Flyers bring back Ron Hextall next year.
Bruins vs. Canadiens
Who I’m cheering for: Bruins
Man, I hate both of these teams. The Canadiens always seem to beat the Bruins. I really hate this Canadiens team and that doesn’t come from last year’s playoffs. I just can’t stand a lot of those players. I never thought I would ever hope for Tim Thomas to do something good… but I want the Bruins to win in four with no goals allowed.
Canadiens in 7.
Penguins vs. Lightning
Who I’m cheering for: The Pens, duh.
I can see the Lightning winning the first few games and scaring the Penguins’ fan base. St. Louis is a force and the Lightning should be rallying behind their assistant coach being diagnosed with a brain tumor. However, I think the Penguins’ defense is just too consistently good to lose a whole series to the Lightning. While the Lightning score a lot of goals, they also give up almost as many. Winning 6-5 games in the playoffs doesn’t work. The Penguins have the depth to get 2-3 goals a game while their tremendous depth on defense should be able to shut down St. Louis and Stamkos.
Another element of this is goaltending. Fleury wins games (36-20). Roloson went 24-25 this year.
Pens in 7.
if Crosby comes back, Pens in 5.
Agree? Disagree? Discuss it on the forums!
With the real playoffs just days away, let’s get our fantasy playoff results our of the way here to make way for (hopefully) more ineteresting articles soon to be posted.
After a few hundred dollars worth of bribes, I came out on top this year (after finishing 2nd last year). The Dirt Boxes (who, if remember correctly, is Drew/Drewcifer on our message boards). Becca came out third. Here is the breakdown of how it all played out:
There was also a consolation game (not pictured) between THE WILD CATS and The Wookies to determine 7th and 8th place — CATS took 7th.
Alright, good game, everyone. We’ll see you next Fantasy season!
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