NFT: NHL Playoffs Thread

If he is anywhere near full strength the Hawks are going to be a tough out.

I assume it is Kreider's fault. I dont like the Habs to win that series if Patches misses 3+ games. He is their only stud forward.

In comment 12234442 Deej said:

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I assume it is Kreider's fault.

Everything is Kreider's fault, including the weakness of the Canadian dollar.

Linked below is a comic-strip history of the Stanley Cup. Purty cool.
Link - ( New Window )

Vermette a healthy scratch for the Hawks. Pacioretty still out for MTL.

still waiting..... :-(

Can't wait. Looking forward to enjoying tonight's games before the Rangers get going and the nerves set in.

I think OTT wins that series in 7.

Predictions?

StL/MIN : Blues in 7
CHI/NSH : Blackhawks in 6
ANA/WPG : Ducks in 5
VAN/CGY : Flames in 6

MTL/OTT : Senators in 7
TB/DET : Lightning in 6
WSH/NYI : Capitals in 7
NYR/PIT : Rangers in 5

even if your favorite team isn't playing.

NHL Rules

1. Pick a team.
2. Take a drink when:
a. Your team registers a shot on goal
b. A player from your team aside from the goalie is off his skates (ie gets knocked down, slides to block a shot, etc).
3. Take a shot when:
a. Your team scores a goal.
b. Your team's opponent has a goal disallowed on review.
4. Stand and finish your beer when a fight occurs (group social).
5. If your team is called for icing, you must stand up and spin around 3 times.

6 or 7 games.

West:
Blues in 6
Blackhawks in 6
Ducks in 7
Flames in 7

East:
Habs in 7
Lightning in 5
Caps in 6
Rangers in 5

In comment 12234467 YAJ2112 said:

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even if your favorite team isn't playing. NHL Rules 1. Pick a team. 2. Take a drink when: a. Your team registers a shot on goal b. A player from your team aside from the goalie is off his skates (ie gets knocked down, slides to block a shot, etc). 3. Take a shot when: a. Your team scores a goal. b. Your team's opponent has a goal disallowed on review. 4. Stand and finish your beer when a fight occurs (group social). 5. If your team is called for icing, you must stand up and spin around 3 times.

As a Bruins fan I fully endorse this game!! Good luck to everyone this post season!!

Everyone can't be right

He's a HUGE threat to score, but without him I don't know if they can put enough pucks in to win. Sens are deep up front, Habs need MP to balance things out.

Agree that it has the look of a long series.

GO SENS GO

Price was kind of human the last couple weeks of the season. 20 goals allowed his last 7 games, .895 sv%

He's going to have to be a brick wall that entire series for Montreal to win because they don't score and the one solitary guy who was consistent in that regard for them is out.

In comment 12234476 Greg from LI said:

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6 or 7 games.

I think it really depends on how long Pacioretty is out. Let's hope they burn Subban out like they did against us in the ECF last year.

.

In comment 12234481 Fish said:

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Everyone can't be right

Truthfully, being as objective as I can.. I think losing Hamonic and home ice (especially in that fashion) are why this series slid into the Caps favor and is why I am picking them to win a hard fought, long series. With Hamonic I'd probably lean closer to a pick 'em and if the Isles hadn't flubbed home ice away, I would have had them in 7 instead of Washington.

Home ice isn't a huge deal but in this series, I do think it mattered and was important to get.

Rangers in 4 - the Yinz barely beat the goddamned Sabres with their playoff lives on the line. They're complete garbage right now, and having one more nothing defenseman won't change that.

Islanders in 7 - The Caps just don't have a lot of skill beyond Ovie/Backstrom, they're way too dependent on PP goals that will be much harder to come by in the playoffs, and I wonder how much Holtby has left in the tank after making 70-some starts.

Bolts in 6 - Detroit's goaltending is a mess, and they're beat up.

Blues in 7 - Another team with major goaltending questions. They'll move on but it will be a tense series.

Hawks in 5 - Kaner's return gives them a shot in the arm and Nashville stumbled to the finish line.

Jets in 6 - Bruce Boudreau sucks in the playoffs, full stop. Yet another team doomed by shitty goaltending.

Canucks in 7 - don't really have a strong opinion, this one could go either way. I'll go with the Canucks due to their veteraness.

Because the Isles played like hot garbage down the stretch. I won't be surprised if the Isles prevail, but I think the Caps are a better team top to bottom and they have home ice.

cant do it since I really like the Rangers this year. But for the other East series (dont know the West well enough):

WASH over NYI: I'd vote Ovie for the Hart (Price will win). Slight preference for WASH goalie. On the other hand, playoffs are 5 on 5, and over the season the Isles were much better than WASH at ES. Close, close call, but I dont like how the Isles played down the stretch so the Caps it is.

OTT over MTL: Basically betting that Patches is too hurt to go. You already dont have to respect the MTL forwards; without Patches, Karlsson can pinch the whole game. Karlsson-Subban is one hell of a matchup.

TB over DET: TB might be the best team in the East. Red Wings are a mirage to me. 70 PPG (10 more than #2 team), based on 294 PPs (~50 more than median). I dont think you can count on PP offense in the playoffs. I think it will be over in 4-5 games (so of course DET will win and make me look dumb).

But as one of you pointed out, they lean on Ovie and Backstrom. The Isles have a full team.

Rangers in 6 - There are a handful of measurable that show the Pens have been underachieving and our bound to improve. I think they will, but not enough to take the series.

Capitals in 6 - This one stings, but with the Hamonic injury to a back 6 that is already inexplicably featuring Brian Strait, I don't see the Islanders cooling off the Caps

Senators in 7 - As arc alluded to, Price has been human, and the Habs need him to be inhuman in order to keep doing what they're doing. There is no team that believes in themselves more than the Senators now. I think they pull off the upset... hopefully Montreal doesn't do what they always do and lose their shit.

Lightning in 5 - I don't think Detroit's swoon down the stretch is an aberration. For now, they have the best coach in the league for my money. They play a disciplined game, but ultimately, they just aren't even close to as talented as Tampa, IMO.

West

Preds in 7

Canucks in 5

Ducks in 6

Blues in 7

Washington will get by NY in 7.
Rangers sweep Yins

St Louis over Minnesota in 7
Nashville over Chicago in 6
Calgary over Vancouver in 6
Winnipeg over Anaheim in 6

Washington will be Washington. Only variable on them is how dumb the penalties are, and whether they can get on the PP. Isles good at staying out the box.

Isles played two seasons. All was well until sometime in January or February. From afar it seemed like it was timed w/o the Okposo injury, but their fans can probably put a precise finger on it. If the Isles play like they did in the first 41, they'll skate the Caps out of the building; if they play like they did in March/April, they have no chance.

I said Ducks over the Peg in 5 but it'll probably be closer to 6 or 7. The Winnipeg fans are going to be nuts.. they haven't seen a playoff series there since '96.

I still think the Ducks win the series, though. They'll save their underachieving for one of the following 2 rounds (I think CHI eventually takes them out in the WCF)

have much easier roads to get to the Conference Finals than the Rangers do, and certainly any of the Central teams.

I think any team in the Central would win a series against any team in the West. NHL needs to tweak this model.

Pitt-NYR is going to be a much closer series than many here assume. Caps Isles is definitely going 7.

Final 4 prediction: Tampa-NYR; StL-Anaheim... but who the fuck knows when it comes to that Central. Dubnyk is capable of stealing a series and you dont know at what % Kane will be at in this first round.

Finals: Tampa vs St Louis
Cup: Tampa

Bishop has never started a Cup playoff game.

Winnipeg is going to go all goon and beat the piss out of every team in front of them.

In comment 12234522 Deej said:

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Washington will be Washington. Only variable on them is how dumb the penalties are, and whether they can get on the PP. Isles good at staying out the box. Isles played two seasons. All was well until sometime in January or February. From afar it seemed like it was timed w/o the Okposo injury, but their fans can probably put a precise finger on it. If the Isles play like they did in the first 41, they'll skate the Caps out of the building; if they play like they did in March/April, they have no chance.

That's one way to look at it -- but its also the league's best powerplay against one of the league's worst kill units. And before you tell me the PP means less in the postseason because refs swallow their whistles, ... refs are swallowing their whistles more often in the regular season now too. Powerplay opportunities are down.

I think Washington securing home ice in this series and their playoff experience will help them here -- but its a series that is likely going 7, and regardless, the Islanders will take a shitload of positives out of their season this year that they can build on. It's one of those rosters where you know if they can secure a guy like Babcock or Julien, can make some serious runs down the line.

In comment 12234539 Greg from LI said:

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Bishop has never started a Cup playoff game.

That means they can't win? He's unproven in the playoffs but he's a good goalie. They can win a cup

but it might be Pens in 6-7. I dont know how you could ever count out a team with Crosby and Malkin. However, the Pens' depth is horrific, and their back 6 is in injury-hell.

In the bracket I filled out with a bunch of dudes I know I have TB beating NYR in the ECF and losing to CHI in the Finals.

I know Bishop is unproven but guys like Fleury or Crawford didn't have a ton of playoff experience when they won Cups, either. I'll admit I'm hedging a little bit here but I do think Tampa is good enough to get to the SCF. Winning it? I don't know. Probably not.. but if they're there anything's possible.

In comment 12234546 MookGiants said:

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In comment 12234539 Greg from LI said: Quote: Bishop has never started a Cup playoff game. That means they can't win? He's unproven in the playoffs but he's a good goalie. They can win a cup

I believe Cam Ward and Corey Crawford won the Cup in their rookie seasons.

Niemi.

lots of excitement down here about this squad.

I'm expecting a TB-NYR conference final.

But there's no real reason to expect the Penguins to suddenly rebound. Kris Letang ain't walking through that door. They haven't beaten a playoff team since Anaheim on March 6. Their only wins since then were:

1-0 over the Kings in OT
6-4 over Edmonton in a game that was tied at 4 late in the third
3-1 over Arizona
3-2 over Arizona
3-2 over the Sharks in a shootout
2-0 over the Sabres, a game that was 1-0 midway through the third in a game the Penguins absolutely had to win.

Those shiny possession numbers some people are bandying about as a reason to think they sudden pull a 180 were mostly compiled earlier in the season when they were dominating. Has fuck-all to do with the team the Penguins are right now. With Letang out, their 4th and 5th leading scorers are the clearly forked Kunitz and Brandon fucking Sutter. David Perron hasn't scored in 12 games.

In comment 12234539 Greg from LI said:

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Bishop has never started a Cup playoff game.

Every team has some question marks.


And he's like 6' 7" with the largest goalie pads I've ever seen. Doesnt have to do as much as others with that frame - he also has several regular seasons of data now that give you confidence he can do his part.

He'll give up some goals... everyone but Price does... but Tampa can put pucks in the net too. They may be deeper at Center than the Kings.

It's funny how Minnesota is a popular darkhorse... with a guy who has played well for 35-40 games.. but St Louis and Tampa have "goalie questions"

IF we play them in the ECF.... we're going to need some puck luck.

Anyway- since I always lose at gambling, I put decent money on Tampa (12:1) and Washington (18:1) going all the way, and NYI (18:1) winning the East (NYI cant win the Cup, no way).

So you can cross those teams off the list of East teams. I guess we just need to worry about Pittsburgh and Montreal.

And honestly Bishop hasn't been anything special this year anyway. Beyond Bishop, their top three scorers after Stamkos (Johnson, Kucherov and Palat) have played in a combined grand total of 9 playoff games between them. They're a good team and they'll be a contender for years, but this isn't the year.

The Pens are a pretty crappy team right now and I maintain that Malkin isn't right. Between that, no Letang and the depth issues they had without even mentioning those things, it's hard to envision the Rangers needing more than 5 games to dispose of them.

If I wasn't a Ranger fan, I'd probably even pick them to sweep the series.

The Rangers are just a much, much better team than Pittsburgh is right now. But.. it is the playoffs and there's puck luck and some teams do get bounces so you never know. I'd be absolutely stunned if the Rangers lost the series or even needed 7 games to win it.

I didn't say Tampa has goalie problems, but I think it's reasonable to be mildly skeptical given Bishop's lack of a track record. He wouldn't be the first goalie to shine in the regular season and bomb in the playoffs like the aforementioned Roman Turek.

Tampa is incredibly deep down the middle, can roll 4 lines, and can put pucks in the net.

The reason they have to be considered one of the Cup favorites too is i dont think they'll be particularly challenged in the first 2 rounds. I think they beat Detroit in 5 and i dont trust Ottawa (speaking of goalie questions) or Montreal (can't score enough goals) to give them a particularly long series either.

A team as young as the Bolts is likely to hit some bumps in the road. I don't think Detroit beats them, but even given their goalie nightmare they're still a team that consistently brings it in the postseason. They won't be a pushover. I picked 6 games but 7 wouldn't surprise me either.

in the first round. I actually thought they made some good deadline deals, but then Cole got hurt and apparently Datsyuk has been playing with a bad injury for a while now.

Throw in some goaltender issues while you're set to get up against one of the best offenses in the NHL... i'd be surprised if it went more than 5.

Babcock is as good a coach as there is in the NHL though, no question there. Hope they can pull an upset or at least wear down TBL, but not likely.

I will give you though that the East bracket - top to bottom - has never been this good. 6 one hundred+ point teams, a 99 point team, and a 98 point team. Most years the #8 seed is a 93 point team. It's pretty wide open - i'm just assuming the Lightning and Rangers, who are a cut above others IMO, will prevail.

As we know, anything can happen... there was more of a gap between the Bruins and the rest of the field last year.... than there is Lightning/Rangers this year. Just have to hope for some breaks along the way i guess.

Haven't played them since early December, before the team got hot.

even when we're hot... i dunno why... always seem to give us fits.

I think - guessing - its because Tampa is so good down the middle and Bishop is tough to score against.

Isles - not sure why. Yes, they have talent but the way we got our shit pushed in the first three games and then, while we won the last two, in both we did get some fortuitous bounces... one of our players said it was because "they didnt have much structure to their game ... so tough to (read)" (I'm paraphrasing)... dont really understand that reasoning but ok.

I think we are better off facing the Caps in round 2, but who knows. All the teams in the East present some opportunities and some challenges to play against.

The Bruins and the Kings play a similar style and the Rangers struggle with them, too. Don't think Tampa really plays that way, can't say I see them all that often. They don't get on national TV very much.

Rangers in 4
Capitals in 5
Ottawa in 6
Detroit in 6

St. Louis in 6
Chicago in 6
Vancouver in 5
Ducks in 7

.

probably a good move - though I did pick Montreal in the ECF last year (a broken clock is right twice a day, but it was a monumental upset over Boston)

I cant remember the last time only one first round series went 7 games though. Usually get at least 3 of them going 7.

If Brett's right... Wash-NYR and Ott-Detroit East semifinals? Holy shit sign me up for that.

In comment 12234639 MetsAreBack said:

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I will give you though that the East bracket - top to bottom - has never been this good. 6 one hundred+ point teams, a 99 point team, and a 98 point team. Most years the #8 seed is a 93 point team. It's pretty wide open - i'm just assuming the Lightning and Rangers, who are a cut above others IMO, will prevail.

This is a real interesting question to me. The top 8 in the East are a better group than they've been in years, I have little doubt. I still think the West is better.

I have a really hard time comparing today's NHL to the league of 10 and 20 years ago (let alone the 1980s). From everything I've seen and heard/read, the league has never been deeper with talent than it is right now (in the expansion era). The quality of play is so high on all but a handful of sad-sack teams. The "marginal" NHLer is way, way better than at any time I've been watching, My working theory is that the stars are as good as ever, but with better goalie play and technique (you really need to lift the puck in the post-standup-goalie era to score, and that take longer), and rosters bereft of goons and other guys who cant hang, there just arent the easy goals that used to fuel 60 goal and 125 point seasons. So the 8 East teams are really good; but I just think the whole league has really elevated its game too.