NFT: NHL Thread - the stretch run

Yes, it'll be a fun final few games. Buffalo is a tough team.

I think Paul Maurice sucks, by the way.

another epitome of an NHL retread with no brilliant track record of success.

25 years coaching, 1 SC finals, 2 1st place finishes.

I think he's won like 2 or 3 playoff series other than the EC champs year with CAR.

yet he keeps getting jobs.

But it's super tight. Also I wouldn't completely count out Buffalo. At 81 points they've only played 75 games and they're on a roll suddenly. They've been very streaky all year. Huge game at Florida for them tomorrow. It's a must win because next week they play the Canes, Rangers, Devs 3 in a row which is brutal. Will bringing Levi up give them a sudden boost in net?

today.

East
PIT @NJD
BUF @FLA

PIT holds a point lead on FLA and 4 pt lead on BUF (who has 2 games in hand on both)

West
CHI @CAL
LVS @NSH

WIN has a 2pt lead on CAL for WC2 and a 5 pt lead on NSH (NSH has 1 game in hand)

COL can clinch tonight and if they do then the only playoff spots not clinched yet are the WCs. Still some jockeying for position

getting smoked by NJD and FLA just took the lead over BUF in the 3rd.

if this stands, FLA leap frogs PIT and the Pens will be on life support.

they are not a good team.

In comment 16082048 pjcas18 said:

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getting smoked by NJD and FLA just took the lead over BUF in the 3rd. if this stands, FLA leap frogs PIT and the Pens will be on life support. they are not a good team.

Pittsburgh brought absolutely nothing tonight. Florida looks real tough right now. Journeyman jag goalie Alex Lyon has had the 4 game run of his life and no way does Boston want to see them. They leapfrogged Pitt and are now tied with the Isles for WC1 spot. Dawson Mercer with a hatrick now has 27 goals. If he gets 30 that would make 5 30 goal scorers for the Devs- Jack, Bratt,Timo, Nico being the other 4. That's fire power.

letang has been playing almost 30 mpg for a few weeks now. i dont know if they have enough beyond those top handful of guys to scare anyone in the playoffs but their last 4 games are all winnable.

isles got smoked by tampa and then lost a tough one on the b2b vs carolina but they need to get locked back in. they have to win the tampa game with them on the back end of a road b2b. barzal skating again but not sure when he'll be back on the ice, but they need him esp on pp.

panthers have the toughest 4 games left but obviously on the winning streak.

i think nyi/fl are the 2 best teams but wouldn't be surprised with any outcome.

EAST
I think the Atlantic is all but locked:
Atlantic
1. BOS 125pts (5 games left)
2. TOR 102pts (5 games left)
3. TBL 96pts (5 games left)

TBL can catch TOR, but that just flips home ice and it's unlikely they catch them.

Metro
1. CAR 109pts (5 games left)
2. NJD 106pts (4 games left)
3. NYR 101pts (5 games left)

All 6 teams have clinched playoff spots, Bruins clinched President's Trophy

WC:
1. FLA 87pts (4 games left)
2. NYI 87pts (4 games left)
3. PIT 86pts (4 games left)

BUF and OTT on life support 6pts back of FLA/NYI though BUF does have 6 games left

WEST:
Central is f-ing wild, all three times locked up at 98pts (COL more games left)

1. COL 98pts (6 games left)
2. DAL 98pts (5 games left)
3. MIN 98pts (5 games left)

I think when I started this thread a month ago COL was fighting for a WC spot 7 points behind DAL.

Pacific
1. LVG 104pts (4 games left)
2. EDM 101pts (4 games left)
3. LAK 100pts (4 games left)

All 6 teams have clinched playoff spots, seeding still TBD

WC:
1. SEA 94pts (5 games left)
2. WIN 89pts (5 games left)
3. CAL 87pts (4 games left)
4. NSH 86pts (5 games left)

Should be great battles down the stretch for seeding and WC's.

One thing FLA now has going against them is the races have tightened and CAR now may need to win to keep the 2 seed, though not sure anyone wants to play FLA or NYI. The East is insane, 8 - 10 good teams, no cupcakes for the 1/2 seeds.

Beat either Bruins or Carolina in round 1….dislike them both.

hard to believe MacKinnon reached 100 points.

He missed the first couple weeks with injury.

And Draisaitl doesn't get talked about enough. He's not a Kurri to Gretzky, he's more like a Messier.

Matthew Tkachuk to the list of players who would be considered for Hart trophy if McDavid was not in the league.

I have to look it up but he has a shot at 100 points and 100 PIMs. Not sure that's been done. Probably, but not sure.

Still a throwback player even if he's not the first.

Ok, I looked it up, and if I read it right the last time it's been done was 1991-1992 Kevin Stevens. 123 points and a whopping 254 PIMs.

Messier did it a few times.

Fleury, Coffey, Clarke Ciccarelli, Orr, Barber and a few others.

He needs 8 PIMs the rest of the way to do it.

CAL @WIN (just two pts separate them in WC2 standings - WIN has a game in hand) Should be like a playoff game

EDD @ANA, EDM can still be a WC so they can't take ANA lightly

TBL @NYR should be a walk through

In comment 16082319 pjcas18 said:

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Matthew Tkachuk to the list of players who would be considered for Hart trophy if McDavid was not in the league. I have to look it up but he has a shot at 100 points and 100 PIMs. Not sure that's been done. Probably, but not sure. Still a throwback player even if he's not the first. Ok, I looked it up, and if I read it right the last time it's been done was 1991-1992 Kevin Stevens. 123 points and a whopping 254 PIMs. Messier did it a few times. Fleury, Coffey, Clarke Ciccarelli, Orr, Barber and a few others. He needs 8 PIMs the rest of the way to do it.

That trade is a fascinating one that we could hash over for years. Obviously in the long run it's a solid deal for Florida as Tkatchuk is elite and so young. However in the short term they are definitely worse than last year as Huberdeau was a 100 PT guy and Weegar is a top pairing dman. Going forward who knows what Huberdeau will be as he has been absolutely awful this year.

set back in 2000 (111). They are also 2 wins away from the franchise high of 51 back in 2008.

And they probably won't even win the division which is crazy.

games (there were only 3).

I doubt the NYR or NJD will catch CAR so basically they're playing for home ice.

NYR 3pts back with 4 to play.

In the West CAL tied up WIN with 89pts for WC2, WIN has a game in hand and owns the tiebreaker I believe (it's RW then ROW).

NSH still pulling a new kids 3pts back with two games in hand on both CAL and WIN.

It's basically 2 spots for 3 teams in each conference.

Todays consequential games:

MIN @PIT It's basically do or die for PIT.
OTT @FLA
TBL @NYI
CAR @NSH

Three way tie at the bottom (56 pts) for CBJ, ANA and CHI - ANA has played 1 more game. SJS 4 pts back and I doubt can catch them for "top 3" and MTL in a "battle" for 5th with ARI. Both have 4 games left, MTL has 66pts, ARI has 67.

Coming in last I think just gives that team a 25.5% shot at top pick. Which are the best odds obviously, but no way guarantees it.

resumes tonight in Tampa.

Minnesota vs BU (5pm)
Michigan vs Quinnipiac (8:30)

Both games on ESPN2.

Minnesota and Michigan should be heavily favored IMO.

I like watching Lane Hutson (MTL) from BU. They claim he grew two inches and is now 5' 9" (says 5' 10" on the BU wensite), I'm skeptical, but that changes a lot IMO. I felt like at 5' 7" it's just too small to be an NHL D. Even if he had off the charts IQ and great hands/moves, but those two inches matter IMO.

BU also has Luke Tuch ((Alex's brother, also a habs prospect) and more, but nothing like MINN or MICH

Minnesota is loaded with Knies, Cooley, Faber, Chesley, Snuggerud, Pitlick, the Mittelstadt twins, etc.

Michigan is loaded too.

Hughes, Fantilli, McGroarty, Brindley, Samoskevich, Casey, Duke, Nazar

these are basically all-star teams (much more so than Quinnipiac or BU)

In comment 16082319 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

Matthew Tkachuk to the list of players who would be considered for Hart trophy if McDavid was not in the league. I have to look it up but he has a shot at 100 points and 100 PIMs. Not sure that's been done. Probably, but not sure. Still a throwback player even if he's not the first. Ok, I looked it up, and if I read it right the last time it's been done was 1991-1992 Kevin Stevens. 123 points and a whopping 254 PIMs. Messier did it a few times. Fleury, Coffey, Clarke Ciccarelli, Orr, Barber and a few others. He needs 8 PIMs the rest of the way to do it.

Rick Tocchet had 109 points and 252 PIMs in 1993. Shanahan is the only other guy I could find with 100 pts/200 PIMs (102 and 211).

Lindros did it once, 116 points and 163 PIMs. Forsberg came close once (three points short), so did Bernie Nicholls (four PIMs short). Gilmour did it a couple of times, as did Dave Taylor. Jeremy Roenick once. Gordie Howe scored 100 multiple times and racked up over 100 PIMs multiple times, but never in the same season.

It's not quite as uncommon as I would have assumed, although virtually all of them came in a span of about 20 seasons from 1975 to 1995.

doesn't get enough credit these days IMO because of his off-field issues, but he was a real "old time hockey" guy.

And may be the most famous player I played against (in squirts or pee wees I forget - so U10 or U12 - where talent doesn't always stay with you - what i mean is the best kids at 10 or 12 often wash out).

He is a year ahead of me in sports and he played for Ridgefield, CT for a few years.

He played defense. He was the best player I'd ever seen. it was fun to watch (lol).

I missed Leetch, Janney, and a couple more New England guys by a year or two.

I had on Game 6 from 2010 of the SCF playing on my TV the other night. Jeremy Roenick crying over the Blackhawks winning the cup lol

In comment 16083242 Route 9 said:

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I had on Game 6 from 2010 of the SCF playing on my TV the other night. Jeremy Roenick crying over the Blackhawks winning the cup lol

I loved that. Shows how much it means to some of these players. I think it was both tears of joy and tears of frustration showing how much pressure these players put on themselves. When he was talking about the kid who was crying when Roenick's team lost and now he can celebrate (or whatever he said) that's deep stuff and it's real and I loved it.

In comment 16083251 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

In comment 16083242 Route 9 said: Quote: I had on Game 6 from 2010 of the SCF playing on my TV the other night. Jeremy Roenick crying over the Blackhawks winning the cup lol I loved that. Shows how much it means to some of these players. I think it was both tears of joy and tears of frustration showing how much pressure these players put on themselves. When he was talking about the kid who was crying when Roenick's team lost and now he can celebrate (or whatever he said) that's deep stuff and it's real and I loved it.

It really means so much to hockey players. Not so much for "their legacy" or how it will change their perception on ESPN first take the next day. It truly means so much to them. It's the holy grail. When the Devils won their 1st one in '95 Mike Peluso was openly sobbing on the bench like a baby while the last few minutes of the game was going on. I've never seen anything like it.

Cringe

Now I got the 2009 playoffs on the screen. Penguins vs Red Wings game 6.


Hope the Penguins do not make the playoffs this year. They can the Capitals are cry together.

They can go cry with the Capitals LOL

In comment 16083316 Route 9 said:

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Now I got the 2009 playoffs on the screen. Penguins vs Red Wings game 6. Hope the Penguins do not make the playoffs this year. They can the Capitals are cry together.

I was a year late with my Caps and Pens predictions - I had them both missing the playoffs last year too. I think they are both going to be in rebuild mode.

No clue why PIT thought it made sense to extend Crosby, Malkin and Letang.

WAS will have to hang on to Ovi until he breaks Gretzky's record, so they have less baggage, but not a ton of talent other than a handful of players.

In comment 16083307 Route 9 said:

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Cringe

I don't find honest emotion to be cringe, maybe looking back he would have wished that moment was private. But unless you think he was faking for the cameras or to get "clicks" why is that cringe? it's human emotion. Not typical of a broadcaster on a national crew.

I found the Nagano Olympics a Roenick cringe moment. This, I found to be raw human emotion and no issue from me.

all over BU to start - the first half of the first period was a barrage, BU goalie keeps the gophers off the board and as you would expect a BU goal off a shot/rebound.

MIN picking up their barrage now, but down 1 - 0

PP goals by MIN - the second one pretty slick.

MIN 2 - 1, under 4 in the 1st.

You've got to keep up a certain level of professionalism, no? I'm not saying he made it about himself or anything, but it did look a tad silly on my end. Not really my thing.

In comment 16083407 Route 9 said:

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You've got to keep up a certain level of professionalism, no? I'm not saying he made it about himself or anything, but it did look a tad silly on my end. Not really my thing.

Of course, like I said, I think in hindsight he wishes it was private or he was more composed, but I just think it was emotions. and I have no issue with it. It wasn't homerism, spite, vindictiveness, or other stuff you sometimes get from a former player or fan/broadcaster, it was just raw emotion.

But if people do find it cringe or unprofessional, that's their right.

and maybe Pittsburgh is doing that old Red Wings thing? Keeping around the old timers for 20 years?

had a goal called back for goalie interference (weak IMO) and BU with a PP goal, we're tied halfway through.

BU pushing back, now leads in shots, but MIN still has better chances - a couple posts, a couple missed empty nets and they let BU hang around.

Luke Mittlestadt put MIN up by 2 with 8 left.

MIN pulling away, BU needs a miracle.

(who cares at this point) Savard out for the season with groin surgery.

MTL set a record for most man games lost in one season.

Players lost for the season or significant time
Carey Price (missed all 82)
Paul Byron (missed all 82)
Sean Monahan (missed 57 games)
Brendan Gallagher (missed 49 games)
Juraj Slafkovsky (missed 44 games)
Joel Armia (missed 43 games)
Mike Matheson (missed 40 games)
Cole Caufield (missed 38 games)
Kaiden Guhle (missed 38 games)
Arber Xhekaj (missed 31 games)
Jonathan Drouin (missed 28 games)
Joel Edmundsomn (missed 25 games)
Kirby Dach (missed 25 games)
David Savard (missed 20 games)
Christian Dvorak (missed 18 games)
Jordan Harris (missed 18 games)
Josh Anderson (missed 15 games)

None of those guys were backups/replacements - they all made the team out of camp - many of the backups were injured too.

this is NY Giants like. I wonder if its the ice surface. (/sarcasm)

Only 3 players on the opening day roster played over 65 games (80% of the season). Nick Suzuki, Josh Anderson, Jonathan Kovacevik (3rd pair D)

that's it.

For reference, the Rangers were one of the healthiest teams and they had 13 players play over 75 games.

on the board first.

1 - 0 over Michigan

90 seconds when Seamus Casey got behind the D to tie it up

used their veteran presence to own the puck, got a breakaway to take the lead 2 - 1.

Seamus Casey Michigan's best player.

Quinnipiac playing like they do - defense first.

Michigan just tied it up on a great pass from Luke Hughes to Fantilli.

The game is free on espn.com to those interested.

tied up heading to the 3rd.

teams "held serve" in the WC race.

PIT, NYI, FLA all won, BUF even won in a SO.

3 games left and 1 point separates three teams

like another Quinnipiac goal off the back of the Michigan goalie.

3 - 2 Quinnipiac

both those off the goalie goals were intentional.

I wonder if they saw him creeping out to the edge of the blue paint and noticed the space there.

Rangers tie it just to blow it in OT

is a FA after the end of the tournament. He has already spoken to several teams according to the announcers. He is impressive and I hope that the Devils attempt to sign him to add to the goalie pipeline.

up 2, looked like a softie. 7 min left.

will be a Devil tomorrow.

In comment 16083517 Jay on the Island said:

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is a FA after the end of the tournament. He has already spoken to several teams according to the announcers. He is impressive and I hope that the Devils attempt to sign him to add to the goalie pipeline.

So many people feel the need to qualify his stats with "he plays an ECAC schedule" and "Quinnipiac plays a defensive system" - so I don't know how good he is from a next level standpoint, but he's been great at Quinnipiac other than last year vs Michigan - that soft first goal set the tone.

could be a huge blow to the Avs

pulls off the upset - they're going to the title game.

Just basically iced it with an ENG

If the devils can beat Boston on Saturday, Carolina becomes even in games on Monday. If they are still within a point after Monday, they have a shot at the Metro, IMO.