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 )
McKenna (2026 draft eligible) 3 pts (1G/2A)
Porter Martone (2025 draft eligible probably Hagens top competition for #1) 3 pts (3G)
Iginla 1G
After 3 games
Hagens still leads the tourney in points: 10
Eiserman has 8
McKenna has 8
Martone has 8
Connelly has 7
Stiga has 7
USA Finland for top spot in group A.
USA 24:3 goal differential
Finland 14:1 goal differential
USA vs Finland Tuesday at 11ET
Seguin had chance to ice VGK in 1st and extend the lead to 4 - 0 but was thwarted twice on solo breakaways. Stars very active and fast in the 1st but Knights began to slow them down in 2nd and evened it at 2.
Jeff Paterson
@patersonjeff
Rick Tocchet says he has a line-up decision for #Canucks today for Game 4. Wouldn’t reveal more than that
I hated trading him, but he has no role on MTL given his age and their status as a team. he has really come into his own as a 2-way top 6 player.
Avs up 3-1
Another PP goal, 4-1 COL after 2.
another sneaky good play by Lehkonen.
Elliotte Friedman
@FriedgeHNIC
With Vancouver/Nashville, we should be prepared for the possibility Arturs Silovs starts for the Canucks. Not sure what happened here, though.
No idea what's going on.
No idea what's going on.
Who else would they have? Luongo lol? It's their two ahl guys and CDS.
Quote:
the announcers said that DeSmith is the EBUG.
No idea what's going on.
Who else would they have? Luongo lol? It's their two ahl guys and CDS.
If he's healthy enough to be the EBUG, why wasn't he healthy enough to start?
unless this was coaches decision and if it was, why not at least make him the backup?
Just seems weird to me. Especially since while I suggested Silovs a few days ago, DeSmith played good enough last game and I'd at least expect him to be backup over Tolopilo.
Tolopilo was just ok in the AHL and has never played in an NHL game.
Quote:
In comment 16498128 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
the announcers said that DeSmith is the EBUG.
No idea what's going on.
Who else would they have? Luongo lol? It's their two ahl guys and CDS.
If he's healthy enough to be the EBUG, why wasn't he healthy enough to start?
unless this was coaches decision and if it was, why not at least make him the backup?
Just seems weird to me. Especially since while I suggested Silovs a few days ago, DeSmith played good enough last game and I'd at least expect him to be backup over Tolopilo.
Tolopilo was just ok in the AHL and has never played in an NHL game.
the whole VAN offense is being smothered. They had three top 20 players - Miller, Hughes, and Pettersson. Pettersson has been invisible (other than his defensive miscues).
I don't remember seeing a team play D this way in the playoffs since the Devils popularized the neutral zone trap.
3-2 under 3 left in the game.
LAKvsEDM now.....
Couple that with his young, skill-less team vs a top 5 PK and this is what you get.
The Kings were all over the Oilers last night, outshooting, out-hitting and controlling play. they were physical with McDavid, not giving him any space.
Skinner played really well and EDM heads home up 3-1. He basically stole a game.
FLA vs TBL 7:00 FLA up 3-1 - see if the Sergachev bump can continue for TBL and make a series out of it.
DAL vs LVG 9:30 LVG up 2-1 as DAL somehow salvaged a game 3 win. They can steal back home ice if they pull off a win tonight and it would be a series where through 4 only road teams have won.
tomorrow night, 4 games, 4 possible handshakes, this is when you see some desperate hockey.
Hellebuyck
Bobrovsky
Demko
I had it as Demko prior to being injured, now I think it's Hellebuyck. Though he's having a rough go in the playoffs.
Agreed. I think playoffs considered it's Swayman (so far). Igor has benefited from the fewest expected goals due to competition, fairly or unfairly, and Swayman had a better regular season. Not that you mentioned Igor, but....I had a prop bet on him before the season to win Vezina.
Incoming coaching retread in 3.....2....1...
FLA vs TBL 7:00 FLA up 3-1 - see if the Sergachev bump can continue for TBL and make a series out of it.
DAL vs LVG 9:30 LVG up 2-1 as DAL somehow salvaged a game 3 win. They can steal back home ice if they pull off a win tonight and it would be a series where through 4 only road teams have won.
tomorrow night, 4 games, 4 possible handshakes, this is when you see some desperate hockey.
Nope, the league just apparently decided to give them an extra day off. There's no events scheduled at TD Garden tonight.
Pierre LeBrun
@PierreVLeBrun
Make it 17 head coaching changes now since the end of last season after Hakstol was let go in Seattle today.
Pierre LeBrun
@PierreVLeBrun
Make it 17 head coaching changes now since the end of last season after Hakstol was let go in Seattle today.
Rumor has Mike Sullivan may be interested in jumping from the Pens to the Devils. He's buddy buddy with Tom Fitzgerald. Sign me up!!
scoreless in the 1st
1-0 FLA
TBL goal waved off. fortunate for FLA.
that was a huge goal.
4-1 FLA
Maybe Stamkos final game for TBL.