Welcome to the most exciting event in sports and the hardest trophy to win. The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. I am sure NYR fans and NYI fans probably have game threads, but this thread for all hockey discussion. Including the playoffs, the U18s, World Championships, awards, predictions and draft lottery. Playoffs start Saturday with all series beginning either Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Most series are every other day with an occasional 2nd day for travel or other reasons. Schedule in link.
The playoff match ups are finally set with LAK win (and LVG loss).
Here they are:
East
NYR* (1M) vs WAS (WC2) (Starts Sunday)
CAR (2M) vs NYI (3M) (Starts Saturday)
FLA (1A) vs TBL (WC1) (Starts Sunday)
BOS (2A) vs TOR (3A) (Starts Saturday)
West
DAL (1C) vs LVG (WC2) (Starts Monday)
WIN (2C) vs COL (3C) (Starts Sunday)
VAN (1P) vs NSH (WC1) (Starts Sunday)
EDM (2P) vs LAK (3P) (Starts Monday)
* President's Trophy Winner
My Predictions:
NYR in 5
CAR in 6
FLA in 6
BOS in 7
DAL in 6
COL in 7
VAN in 5
EDM in 7
What am I rooting for? Game 7's and OT's.
On the other end? The lottery teams will be (order determined at draft lottery which is usually during the playoffs):
32. SJS
31. CHI
30. ANA
29. CBJ
28. MTL
27. ARI/UTA
26. OTT
25. SEA
24. CAL
23. NJD
22. BUF
21. PHI
20. MIN
19. PIT
18. DET
17. STL
Playoff Schedule - (
New Window )
USA has been dominating, but had not broken through until just now.
of course...Hagens with the assist.
1-0 USA 3 min left in the 1st.
Bedard
Faber
Hughes
No offense to Faber or Hughes who had very good rookie seasons.
One from Hagens - the other off a nice turnover Hagens forced.
3-0 USA
Finland takes their timeout.
At the halfway point.
Hagens given an assist on the 3rd Stiga goal, so he has 3 pts today.
Hagens is so good.
As I typed Hagens has a PP goal to stretch it to 6-2.
5-point game for Hagens (2G/3A) through 2 periods (34 second left)
6-3 USA.
It's always been a calling card of the Fins - solid fundamental hockey. USA Hockey re-built their development program after the Fins model maybe 10-15 years ago and the success has been evident.
McKenna and Martone 1 point each for Canada (A)
Iginla 1 too (G)
Eiserman and Hutson 1 point each for USA (A) in their game
USA 7-3 - headed to the PP.
6 points for Hagens (3G/3A)
USA had 51 shots on net.
Canada up 8-1 after 2. Martone and McKenna piling up points.
I'd say Hagens and Martone go 1/2 in 2025 at this point and no one is going to challenge McKenna IMO for 2026.
Thinking about trying to nab some of his cards.
Thinking about trying to nab some of his cards.
Hard to say, but he's not going to be far behind if he is far behind.
I think as a 16-year old at U18s, Bedard averaged 2ppg. McKenna is beyond that, just through the group play. It gets harder in the medal round, but he's absolutely "as advertised"
@Hockey_Robinson
·
Apr 28
I don't want to alarm anyone, but James Hagens (2025) is on pace to beat Nikita Kucherov's all-time mark of 21 points in 7 games at the U18 Worlds
McKenna had 5 pts.
After group play (USA A1, Canada B1 - both 4-0-0-0)
Hagens (USA) 16 points (7G/9A)
McKenna (Canada) 14 points (6G/8A)
Martone (Canada) 13 points (4G/9A)
Stiga (USA) 10 points (5G/5A)
Eiserman (USA) 9 points (6G/3A)
Connelly (USA) 9 points (4G/4A)
Hutson (USA) 8 points (2G/6A)
Ziemer (USA) 8 points (1G/7A)
If this is not a USA Canada final it will be an upset.
QF Match ups
USA (A1) vs Switzerland (B4)
Canada (B1) vs Latvia (A4)
Finland (A2) vs Sweden (B3)
Czechia (B2) vs Slovakia (A3)
QF's are Thursday
SF's are Saturday
Finals/3rd Place are Sunday
I believe times are still TBD.
Emily Kaplan
@emilymkaplan
No Auston Matthews tonight for the Maple Leafs.
Team is saying illness, feels like something more significant to keep a star player out of a potential elimination game.
If you stop moving forward they can blow it dead and consider it a miss. He moves so slow he comes close, but he out waits Varlamov and scores on the PS. Looked like Romanov closed his hand on the puck in the crease.
3-1 CAR.
talk about closing your hand on the puck in the crease. I did that in high school once and back then if the other team missed the penalty shot you went in the box for a penalty. Longest 2 min of my life. Angriest I have seen my coach in 4 years. He threw a water bottle at me before the penalty shot with spit/foam coming out of his mouth along with a stream of expletives that would have made the father in Christmas Story blush.
It was against Fairfield Prep and Ted Drury (Chris' older brother) took the shot. I didn't know the rule and I felt like I was saving a goal, so it was kind of his fault. lol.
TOR - BOS OT
Sorry, forces a game 6
Quote:
forces a game 5. Knies in OT.
Sorry, forces a game 6
Sway-man who?
Come back to Toronto Marchand and be prepared to get your arses kicked in again. The sleeping Giants have awaken…
BOS looked tired and slow.
I think they were smart to tank at the end, they could have lost to TBL. FLA will beat them if they escape TOR.
Hellebuyck no bueno. He’s going to have all offseason to think about this. Maybe he plays in the worlds to get right.
These 2 teams are the best in the West imo.
And if EDM/Skinner is going to put up 1-0 shutouts I'm not sure Vegas is better than them. Goalie and D have always been the EDM weakness in the McDavid era.
I don't think Vegas is an 8-seed, but they're not top 2 in the conference IMO.
USA vs Switzerland at 5:00 tomorrow.
Czechia vs Slovakia at 7:45
Finland vs Sweden at 10:00
Canada vs Latvia at 12:45
SF's:
7am and 11am Saturday
Gold Medal game Sunday at 11am
talk about closing your hand on the puck in the crease. I did that in high school once and back then if the other team missed the penalty shot you went in the box for a penalty. Longest 2 min of my life. Angriest I have seen my coach in 4 years. He threw a water bottle at me before the penalty shot with spit/foam coming out of his mouth along with a stream of expletives that would have made the father in Christmas Story blush.
It was against Fairfield Prep and Ted Drury (Chris' older brother) took the shot. I didn't know the rule and I felt like I was saving a goal, so it was kind of his fault. lol.
Made you the man you are today. lol. Who is that man? Cool story.
Can’t remember which game last night but a d-man came really close to closing hand on a puck in the crease while sweeping it out
22 to 20 in shots shows not much offense which is how the series has gone so far. a lot of hits, a lot of blocked shots.
I expected VAN to win at home.
I think that series has the best chance to go 7, since NSH is at home for game 6.
Same with TOR but I doubt they win game 6.
Two games tonight - one possible handshake game:
DAL vs LVG series tied at 2. 7:30 No home team has won yet.
EDM vs LAK, EDM leads 3-1. 10:00
I don't think anyone is breaking a rule in the NHL by going slow. The rule is only if you stop moving forward or if the puck stops moving (like what Marchand did when he just tapped the puck at center ice by accident).
My shootout move - which works once on any goalie - is speed as a righty (who was supposed to be lefty) I come in from the right side just below the right face off dot I cut across the net front and move the puck to my backhand (like I'm going to go five hole) and as I become even with the goalie I switch to forehand and go short side. Kind of like the Suzuki move, but he floats it to humiliate the goalie, my shot is heavier.
I don't have the hands to go as slow as some guys do.
Kind of like the picture below of Suzuki. In this image what you don't see if he floated that puck over the goalie's left shoulder (right side of the net if you're facing it). In my move I am probably 2 feet to the right of where Suzuki is and more parallel until I open up and I shoot short side while still crossing the net front.
lol, no one cares about my shootout move - it is gold though.
Makar
Hughes
Josi
I really want to pick Josi because I feel like he had to do more with less, but I think Hughes earned it.
Very close IMO.
I know I should be watching more Canucks but they're on so late and I never catch up with recordings
I know I should be watching more Canucks but they're on so late and I never catch up with recordings
Game 4. Makar didn't score last night. but his game 4 goal was ridiculous and way different and far more impressive than my shootout move lol (mostly because there were defenders on the ice and I could only do my "move" in a shootout or on a breakaway or in practice) and he beat Hellebuyck I think over left shoulder or left side at least (facing the net) from the right faceoff circle which I think is really hard to do.
That sequence between Nylander and Marchand was nuts
pj, dunno, but we're either thinking of different goals or different ways to describe the same goal, which wouldn't surprise me at all (:
link - ( New Window )
Otter was shaky in net.
2-2 after 1.
3-2 DAL under 10 left.
DAL wins 3-2 and leads in the series now 3-2.
on the live look it seemed Stephenson’s arm was lifted up by d-man’s stick as he trailed in the slot, thought it could be a PS; replay showed it was not so dire
Oetter was terrific in third period
I really like the energy and intensity from Stankoven. He is a tiny dude but plays much bigger.
pjcas18 said:
If you stop moving forward they can blow it dead and consider it a miss. He moves so slow he comes close, but he out waits Varlamov and scores on the PS. Looked like Romanov closed his hand on the puck in the crease.
3-1 CAR.
talk about closing your hand on the puck in the crease. I did that in high school once and back then if the other team missed the penalty shot you went in the box for a penalty. Longest 2 min of my life. Angriest I have seen my coach in 4 years. He threw a water bottle at me before the penalty shot with spit/foam coming out of his mouth along with a stream of expletives that would have made the father in Christmas Story blush.
It was against Fairfield Prep and Ted Drury (Chris' older brother) took the shot. I didn't know the rule and I felt like I was saving a goal, so it was kind of his fault. lol.
This reminds me of when I played club hockey (long ago) for a CUNY School (no varsity hockey) and we were playing a parochial college (St Francis?) and they were kinda dirty players and very foul-mouthed and after we would all be in the locker room changing and they would be putting on their clerical collars. Very weird. 🤣