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 - (
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In comment 16478496 pjcas18 said:
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if you don't watch COL you will notice MacKinnon and Makar just play at a different speed than everyone else.
There are times I watch MacKinnon and I feel like he's as dominant as McDavid - and Makar sometimes I feel like is what Bobby Orr must have been like. Neither MacKinnon or Makar are as good as McDavid or Orr but you get the point.
This will be a fun series to watch.
Mackinnon is a totally different player than McDavid. Mac is a power skater and very physical, McDavid is a finesser.
lol
McDavid is not a "finesser" his style is closer to Crosby than Gretzky which is part of what makes him so unique, but where did I say they were the same player? I said at times I feel like MacKinnon is as dominant as McDavid. A finesse player is Panarin or Jack Hughes, Johnny Gaudreau but McDavid is not a finesse player.
2023 hit stats (not the perfect measure but as good a one as we have for this topic):
McDavid: 118
MacKinnon: 55
Jack Hughes: 10
Panarin: 18
Gaudreau: 2
Gaudreau has less hits in a 11 year career than McDavid had in 2023.
Not a finesse player.
I just mean their skating styles, nothing to do with hits.
At one point I used to share with the kids I was coaching, clips of Sidney Crosby because his tight turns, Mohawk turns, and edgework (just google "Sidney Crosby edge work") in general was the best in the league.
MacKinnon is similar to Crosby and so is McDavid.
What do you call Crosby in this clip?
I'm not sure how to differentiate a finesse skater from a power skater, but it doesn't matter.
link - ( New Window )
Elliotte Friedman
@FriedgeHNIC
Hearing momentum is building for Lindy Ruff to return to coach the Buffalo Sabres — @AdamBenigni
was on it too
4:59 PM · Apr 22, 2024
·
70K
Views
And you get the knee jerk reaction from fans "oh, you're just a fan it's why you're on your couch and not in a front office" - well if I were in the front office I'm sure as shit not hiring the epitome of a retread, Lindy Ruff to be my coach.
He went to a Stanley Cup as Buffalo's coach 25 years ago and hasn't been back since.
His teams have won 2 playoff series in the past 17 years.
Who sees him and says "that's my guy"?
I have been saying that for years. So many of these franchises are run by idiots.
(Like Gettleman)
At one point I used to share with the kids I was coaching, clips of Sidney Crosby because his tight turns, Mohawk turns, and edgework (just google "Sidney Crosby edge work") in general was the best in the league.
MacKinnon is similar to Crosby and so is McDavid.
What do you call Crosby in this clip?
I'm not sure how to differentiate a finesse skater from a power skater, but it doesn't matter. link - ( New Window )
I'd say that's more finesse style, you never see MacKinnon make moves like that. He tends to just blow by guys and make cuts. Those moves are unreal.
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not sure I agree I'd say one of them is a finesse skater and one is a power skater, but I guess something to think about.
At one point I used to share with the kids I was coaching, clips of Sidney Crosby because his tight turns, Mohawk turns, and edgework (just google "Sidney Crosby edge work") in general was the best in the league.
MacKinnon is similar to Crosby and so is McDavid.
What do you call Crosby in this clip?
I'm not sure how to differentiate a finesse skater from a power skater, but it doesn't matter. link - ( New Window )
I'd say that's more finesse style, you never see MacKinnon make moves like that. He tends to just blow by guys and make cuts. Those moves are unreal.
yeah, because he's so fast, but what makes players like MacKinnon and McDavid so dangerous is they don't slow down when they get the puck like most players and they can demonstrate the skill they do as high speeds.
Sometimes it seems like they speed up with the puck but we know that's not true. In either case MacKinnon I believe has the highest burst speed recorded at least this year I think since it's been recorded, but McDavid is the fastest player every year. they're more similar than you think.
2-2 2nd period winding down.
Gives TOR their first lead vs BOS all season. Not just in these two playoff games, but all season.
TOR up 3-2, just over 6 left.
both, Bertuzzi got the slash, but Coyle and Lyubushkin got matching minors. No idea what Coyle did there.
TOR kills the PP, 2:30 left
Swayman was undefeated vs TOR. I get they rotate goalies and Ullmark played well, but why?
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In comment 16479649 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
not sure I agree I'd say one of them is a finesse skater and one is a power skater, but I guess something to think about.
At one point I used to share with the kids I was coaching, clips of Sidney Crosby because his tight turns, Mohawk turns, and edgework (just google "Sidney Crosby edge work") in general was the best in the league.
MacKinnon is similar to Crosby and so is McDavid.
What do you call Crosby in this clip?
I'm not sure how to differentiate a finesse skater from a power skater, but it doesn't matter. link - ( New Window )
I'd say that's more finesse style, you never see MacKinnon make moves like that. He tends to just blow by guys and make cuts. Those moves are unreal.
yeah, because he's so fast, but what makes players like MacKinnon and McDavid so dangerous is they don't slow down when they get the puck like most players and they can demonstrate the skill they do as high speeds.
Sometimes it seems like they speed up with the puck but we know that's not true. In either case MacKinnon I believe has the highest burst speed recorded at least this year I think since it's been recorded, but McDavid is the fastest player every year. they're more similar than you think.
I personally feel like they're closer than most people think. MacKinnon has one of the most deadly one timers in the league.
no goal it was a high stick.
Swayman was undefeated vs TOR. I get they rotate goalies and Ullmark played well, but why?
Thank God they didn’t play Swayman….don’t like seeing him….glad he was on the sidelines….anyhow, we need AM to be the man…tonight he stepped up bigtime. Sammy too…..
But I don’t feel my boys (Leafs) have the upper hand. Either team could win on the road just as easily…it all depends on heart and your goalie….
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the first home team to lose in the playoffs (CAR on the way too)
Swayman was undefeated vs TOR. I get they rotate goalies and Ullmark played well, but why?
Thank God they didn’t play Swayman….don’t like seeing him….glad he was on the sidelines….anyhow, we need AM to be the man…tonight he stepped up bigtime. Sammy too…..
But I don’t feel my boys (Leafs) have the upper hand. Either team could win on the road just as easily…it all depends on heart and your goalie….
Toronto outplayed BOS most of the game, but that is often the case except when these two teams play...except on the scoreboard where BOS usually dominates.
TOR stole home ice which is always your goal as the road team to start a playoff series (at least a split). now they don't need to win another game in BOS and can win the series.
Shot attempts:
CAR 90
NYI 46
1-0 Vegas.
8 seed, lol.
1-0 Vegas.
So great to see him battle all the way back. /s
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gets a PP 26 seconds into the game and Mark Stone capitalizes.
1-0 Vegas.
So great to see him battle all the way back. /s
they're going to change that rule I think at some point.