First of all, in case there was any question, McDavid is the best player on the planet and is really getting himself into the discussion of ATGs IMO. He just needs a ring.
Second, down to the final 20 games or so for almost every team, some less.
Playoff positioning is pretty solid other than some seeding and a couple WC races.
As of this morning:
EAST
Atlantic:
BOS (103 points, 20 games left)
TOR (84 points, 19 games left)
TBL (79 points, 19 games left)
In the WC hunt:
BUF (68 points, 20 games left)
OTT (68 points, 19 games left)
FLA (68 points, 18 games left)
Metro:
CAR (90 points, 21 games left)
NJD (88 points, 20 games left)
NYR (79 points, 19 games left)
In the WC hunt:
NYI (72 points, 17 games left)
PIT (71 points, 20 games left)
WAS (68 points, 17 games left)
WEST
Central
DAL (81 points, 18 games left)
MIN (78 points, 19 games left)
WIN (75 points, 18 games left)
In the WC hunt:
COL (74 points, 21 games left)
NSH (69 points, 21 games left)
Pacific
LVG (82 points, 19 games left)
LAK (81 points, 17 games left)
SEA (78 points, 19 games left)
In the WC hunt:
EDM (78 points, 17 games left)
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Pussy Rangers cannot even beat the fucking Sabres!! Unbelievable
Rangers aren't catching Carolina and home ice in a series vs the Devils doesn't matter (lots of Rangers fans will be in Newark)
Bingo. And Carolina games are home games anyway. Sorry JIC
In the NHL all you have to do is get in and if you have a goalie who starts standing on his head you can make a run
Getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs and getting hot >>>> home ice advantage
a bunch of teams can still win the 1 seed (Vegas is in the drivers seat right now), but I believe Dallas is the most complete team in the West. Also, EDM caught fire at the right time, but same thing IMO will plague them as last year.
I think EDM set the record last year in the playoffs for most games scoring 5 goals and losing. Maybe even this regular season too.
tatsCentre
@StatsCentre
·
1h
Defencemen to have a 100+ point season in NHL history:
@SanJoseSharks
Erik Karlsson (2022-23 via 2 goals so far tonight against the Jets)
Brian Leetch (1991-92)
Al MacInnis (1990-91)
Paul Coffey (4 times: 1983-86, 1988-89)
Denis Potvin (1978-79)
Bobby Orr (6 times from 1969-75)
Have you seen the Habs roster? It is 3/4 an AHL team. I felt so bad for St Louis when my boys (Leafs) destroyed them this past Saturday. I don’t see how they could beat the Isles at home unless Isles players play fearfully and Habs goalie is playing like Carey Price.
CAR, NJD, and NYR all within 2 points of each other. NYR playing the best of the three - they have one game left and need to win it and have CAR lose their last two, and NJD only get one point in their last two to have a shot at the 2 seed.
Now no one wants the two seed because it looks like you could be playing FLA. What a prize for the Bruins if someone FLA winds up WC2. A 7 game series vs Tkachuk and Barkov as the prize for President's Trophy?
Ouch.
Atlantic locked in.
Wild card still wide open. NYI and FLA failed to pull away. Pens (and even the Sabres) on life support.
West seeding is still in the air.
Today's meaningful games:
BUF @NJD (Luke Hughes debut?, not to mention playoff seeding implications)
DET @CAR
CHI @PIT
WIN @MIN
EDM @COL
SEA @LVG
CAR, NJD, and NYR all within 2 points of each other. NYR playing the best of the three - they have one game left and need to win it and have CAR lose their last two, and NJD only get one point in their last two to have a shot at the 2 seed.
Now no one wants the two seed because it looks like you could be playing FLA. What a prize for the Bruins if someone FLA winds up WC2. A 7 game series vs Tkachuk and Barkov as the prize for President's Trophy?
Ouch.
Atlantic locked in.
Wild card still wide open. NYI and FLA failed to pull away. Pens (and even the Sabres) on life support.
West seeding is still in the air.
Today's meaningful games:
BUF @NJD (Luke Hughes debut?, not to mention playoff seeding implications)
DET @CAR
CHI @PIT
WIN @MIN
EDM @COL
SEA @LVG
why are pens on life support? they just need to beat the 2 worst teams in the NHL to beat the isles.
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somehow the pens will lose 2morrow and then the canadiens will have 2 busloads of fans at UBS weds and beat the isles.
Have you seen the Habs roster? It is 3/4 an AHL team. I felt so bad for St Louis when my boys (Leafs) destroyed them this past Saturday. I don’t see how they could beat the Isles at home unless Isles players play fearfully and Habs goalie is playing like Carey Price.
Just being an isles fan. I expect the worst. They crapped the bed last night against the caps with no Ovi or Oshie. And I just have nightmares of past Habs games at the Coliseum where they had like 2-3 busloads of fans there and they got to celebrate many a victory
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In comment 16085627 KDubbs said:
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somehow the pens will lose 2morrow and then the canadiens will have 2 busloads of fans at UBS weds and beat the isles.
Have you seen the Habs roster? It is 3/4 an AHL team. I felt so bad for St Louis when my boys (Leafs) destroyed them this past Saturday. I don’t see how they could beat the Isles at home unless Isles players play fearfully and Habs goalie is playing like Carey Price.
Just being an isles fan. I expect the worst. They crapped the bed last night against the caps with no Ovi or Oshie. And I just have nightmares of past Habs games at the Coliseum where they had like 2-3 busloads of fans there and they got to celebrate many a victory
I think you can relax a bit today…it won’t happen…..but if it does happen, do you really want to see your boys in the playoffs playing the Bruins? Let the Bruins beat up the Penguins or Panthers instead.
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In comment 16085681 5BowlsSoon said:
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In comment 16085627 KDubbs said:
Quote:
somehow the pens will lose 2morrow and then the canadiens will have 2 busloads of fans at UBS weds and beat the isles.
Have you seen the Habs roster? It is 3/4 an AHL team. I felt so bad for St Louis when my boys (Leafs) destroyed them this past Saturday. I don’t see how they could beat the Isles at home unless Isles players play fearfully and Habs goalie is playing like Carey Price.
Just being an isles fan. I expect the worst. They crapped the bed last night against the caps with no Ovi or Oshie. And I just have nightmares of past Habs games at the Coliseum where they had like 2-3 busloads of fans there and they got to celebrate many a victory
I think you can relax a bit today…it won’t happen…..but if it does happen, do you really want to see your boys in the playoffs playing the Bruins? Let the Bruins beat up the Penguins or Panthers instead.
Would it be likely that Bruins steamroll their first round opponent? Of course. Getting Sorokin into the playoffs though is dangerous and anything can happen
I know the "no one wants to play them" phrase is cliched but I really think no one wants either FLA or NYI.
Now that's not to say the other playoff teams someone wants to face, it's just a testament to how loaded the East is.
You expect to be rewarded for the 1 or 2 seed with a hugely favorable matchup and that will not be the case this year in the East. Unless PIT gets in and then I think they get swept or lose in 5, they are gassed, old and top heavy.
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In comment 16085681 5BowlsSoon said:
Quote:
In comment 16085627 KDubbs said:
Quote:
somehow the pens will lose 2morrow and then the canadiens will have 2 busloads of fans at UBS weds and beat the isles.
Have you seen the Habs roster? It is 3/4 an AHL team. I felt so bad for St Louis when my boys (Leafs) destroyed them this past Saturday. I don’t see how they could beat the Isles at home unless Isles players play fearfully and Habs goalie is playing like Carey Price.
Just being an isles fan. I expect the worst. They crapped the bed last night against the caps with no Ovi or Oshie. And I just have nightmares of past Habs games at the Coliseum where they had like 2-3 busloads of fans there and they got to celebrate many a victory
I think you can relax a bit today…it won’t happen…..but if it does happen, do you really want to see your boys in the playoffs playing the Bruins? Let the Bruins beat up the Penguins or Panthers instead.
If Barzal was able to play and Sorokin on top of his game, I'd like at least the opportunity to see what happens. I love a lot of these isles players and its coming time where they are gonna be gone so I'd like at least a shot for them
I think they can beat the Metro division winner, though.
I’m definitely recording this one. I wonder if they are going to bench Bahl or go with an 11-7 lineup. I’d prefer 11-7 with Wood sitting because Bahl has really improved this season and deserves to play.
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I’m definitely recording this one. I wonder if they are going to bench Bahl or go with an 11-7 lineup. I’d prefer 11-7 with Wood sitting because Bahl has really improved this season and deserves to play.
I agree about Bahl. He is really showing he is a legit NHL regular. I feel that Foote can be the same if given the opportunity. Man both ends of the Taylor Hall trade really paid off for us. First we stole him for Larsen and he gave us our only playoff trip in 10 years with a Hart winning performance, then we traded him for Bahl and what turns out to be Dawson Mercer.
I agree about Bahl. He is really showing he is a legit NHL regular. I feel that Foote can be the same if given the opportunity. Man both ends of the Taylor Hall trade really paid off for us. First we stole him for Larsen and he gave us our only playoff trip in 10 years with a Hart winning performance, then we traded him for Bahl and what turns out to be Dawson Mercer.
From what I read the plan is for Foote to become a regular next season replacing Wood on the roster. I pray that’s the case because I don’t want Wood back even for the league minimum. The Devils need to open up spots for Foote, Holtz, and Clarke.
Sidney Crosby (35 years old) recently recorded his 1500th, which is even more awesome.
for some perspective, Wayne Gretzky was 23 years old when he recorded his 1,000th point and he was 26 years old when he recorded his 1,500th point.
And that does not include the 220 points Wayne scored in the WHA before EDM joined the NHL.
got to be this week, but probably need to wait and see who has home ice in each series.
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Anyone have any idea when the schedule for the playoffs comes out?
got to be this week, but probably need to wait and see who has home ice in each series.
Yeah probably tomorrow night or later Friday during the day we'll get the schedule.
still some seeding to be determined in the final 3 days, but here is what we know for both conferences:
EAST
Atlantic (all locked up)
BOS #1 overall seed
TOR ATL #2, home ice vs TBL
TBL ATL #2,
Metro
NYR #3, road team vs Metro #2
CAR 111pts with 1 left, NJD 110pts with 1 left. NJD owns tiebreakers with CAR, so if they wind up tied in pts NJD wins the division.
Wild card
FLA 92pts 1 left. clinched playoff spot, could still be WC1 or WC2
NYI 91pts 1 left (vs MTL tonight). NYI need just to get to OT to clinch the final WC because they own the tiebreakers with PIT - MTL team has 3 NHL players on it, so it should be easy for NYI, but nothing in hockey is easy.
PIT 90pts 1 left, does not control their destiny
West - basically all the seedings are up for grabs - close races in both divisions except we know WIN is WC2 and MIN is Central #3. I don't think anything else is definite yet because SEA and LAK could flip flop on WC1 and Pacific #3 and then the rest of the teams are within striking distance of each other with 1 or 2 left to play.
Only consequential game(s) tonight:
MTL @NYI
DAL @STL but that's really just possible seeding since DAL can still catch COL.
I hate playing against the CAR style of play, but NJD are a wagon.
Gun to my head maybe I prefer to eliminate travel entirely and have maybe a 50/50 crowd or 60/40 advantage at Prudential?
Feels like it's an absolute dog-fight either way.
I went to one last year where the Devils won like 7-3 or something against the Rangers. Didn't seem like there were that many Rangers fans compared to the Meadowlands days.
I hope they have a better attendance showing than they did when they were by Giants Stadium. I went to some Devils games deep into the playoffs in 2003 and it was a sad showing lol
Say you are the Rangers for example. You (may) need to knock off Carolina in the 1st round. then they play the Devils/Panthers winner (possibly) then the Bruins (if they hold serve).
of course we know there will be upsets, but the East is going to be a battle this year.
Not to say the West won't be, but they don't have the goalies IMO, so it will be a more free-wheeling style, last year EDM set the all-time NHL record for the most playoff losses in a single playoff when you score 5 or more goals.
I think this year could be similar.
DAL (and finally I'll admit LVG) have very complete teams though. DAL is the only one I think has a goalie who can elevate enough to steal games.
It's going to be like surviving a war zone.
It's going to be like surviving a war zone.
No, off the top of my head I don't remember a tougher conference.
I can see all 8 teams from the East (assuming NYI not PIT for the other WC spot) win the cup.
Maybe the Maple Leafs would be my 8 seed if I ranked them due to being mentally weak and not winning a playoff series in decades.
but even by that standard, TOR is a great team who will probably lose to TBL, but if they do it's also a commentary on how good TBL is vs how weak TOR is.