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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on May 2, 2022 19:10:39 GMT -5
Ok folks, today is Christmas Day in May, let's roll out the predictions. So the East is incredibly tough to pick this year, isn't it? A whole bunch of 100+ point teams, so there are no easy outs here. I'm pretty sure I don't have any of these series pegged for fewer than 6 games, but even if one of them goes only 5 or whatever I imagine most of the games will be tight. -Feel like Washington has it in them to upset Florida, but I'll say the Panthers finally break their drought and win a series for the first time since their Cinderella run in '96. Panthers in 6. -Very torn on Tampa vs. Toronto; like with Florida this feels like the year the Leafs finally get a big monkey off their back, but it's hard to bet against Tampa once things get serious. Still, maybe I'm just feeling generous, so what the hell: Leafs...in 7! That's right, let's say they finally do it, but only after subjecting their fans to a home game that's razor close the whole time, leading to a province-wide wave of cardiac arrest. Maybe blow a late lead to let the Bolts tie it for good measure. -I think the winner of Carolina vs. Boston is going to go to the conference final, I really, really like the ways both these teams are playing. Carolina's goaltending health creates juuuuust enough of a question mark that I'll lean upset and pick Boston, but I could definitely see this one going 6 or 7, so let's just call it Boston in 7. -I don't really have it in me to say anything nice about the Rangers...but whenever I try to formulate the mental image of Pittsburgh knocking them out early, I can't quite get the picture to come together. Fine, Rangers in 6. That felt gross. There's at least a bit more separation between the best teams in the West and the clubs who backed into the playoffs, so this might be a bit more straightforward: -Colorado wants blood; they have to make a deep run this year. I'm surprised at how well Nashville played for long stretches this season, but the Avalanche won't be denied, Colorado in 5. -I'm picking Minnesota/St. Louis as the potential best series of the first round. No clue who's in a better position to win, just want them to go at it hard and heavy for as long as possible. Give me Minnesota in 7, hopefully with plenty of overtime along the way. -Calgary just looks good this year, man. Weak Pacific, sure, but the Flames are legit. Dallas...well, they're not bad, but they're not on that level. Flames in 5. -Now THIS could prove very interesting. I see Edmonton as the superior team to LA, as the Kings feel like they're "one year early", as it were. On the one hand things like that and a not so great goal differential make the Kings feel vulnerable, but...well, it's the Oilers, and we're always waiting for the next shoe to drop. But hey, they should at least be able to take this one, Oilers in 6, even without Nurse on the blue line for a little bit. It's cute that you think everyone in Ontario is a Leafs fan
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Post by sfvega on May 2, 2022 19:16:52 GMT -5
Toronto draws first blood in what is sure to be a series win for them....
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Post by HMARK Center on May 2, 2022 20:49:07 GMT -5
Ok folks, today is Christmas Day in May, let's roll out the predictions. So the East is incredibly tough to pick this year, isn't it? A whole bunch of 100+ point teams, so there are no easy outs here. I'm pretty sure I don't have any of these series pegged for fewer than 6 games, but even if one of them goes only 5 or whatever I imagine most of the games will be tight. -Feel like Washington has it in them to upset Florida, but I'll say the Panthers finally break their drought and win a series for the first time since their Cinderella run in '96. Panthers in 6. -Very torn on Tampa vs. Toronto; like with Florida this feels like the year the Leafs finally get a big monkey off their back, but it's hard to bet against Tampa once things get serious. Still, maybe I'm just feeling generous, so what the hell: Leafs...in 7! That's right, let's say they finally do it, but only after subjecting their fans to a home game that's razor close the whole time, leading to a province-wide wave of cardiac arrest. Maybe blow a late lead to let the Bolts tie it for good measure. -I think the winner of Carolina vs. Boston is going to go to the conference final, I really, really like the ways both these teams are playing. Carolina's goaltending health creates juuuuust enough of a question mark that I'll lean upset and pick Boston, but I could definitely see this one going 6 or 7, so let's just call it Boston in 7. -I don't really have it in me to say anything nice about the Rangers...but whenever I try to formulate the mental image of Pittsburgh knocking them out early, I can't quite get the picture to come together. Fine, Rangers in 6. That felt gross. There's at least a bit more separation between the best teams in the West and the clubs who backed into the playoffs, so this might be a bit more straightforward: -Colorado wants blood; they have to make a deep run this year. I'm surprised at how well Nashville played for long stretches this season, but the Avalanche won't be denied, Colorado in 5. -I'm picking Minnesota/St. Louis as the potential best series of the first round. No clue who's in a better position to win, just want them to go at it hard and heavy for as long as possible. Give me Minnesota in 7, hopefully with plenty of overtime along the way. -Calgary just looks good this year, man. Weak Pacific, sure, but the Flames are legit. Dallas...well, they're not bad, but they're not on that level. Flames in 5. -Now THIS could prove very interesting. I see Edmonton as the superior team to LA, as the Kings feel like they're "one year early", as it were. On the one hand things like that and a not so great goal differential make the Kings feel vulnerable, but...well, it's the Oilers, and we're always waiting for the next shoe to drop. But hey, they should at least be able to take this one, Oilers in 6, even without Nurse on the blue line for a little bit. It's cute that you think everyone in Ontario is a Leafs fan Oh, not everyone in Ontario is a Leafs fan, but the butt clenching by Leafs fans in the province will range from Niagara Falls to, uh, </checks Google Maps> ...Fort Severn. Meantime, though, real squeakers so far tonight, eh?
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on May 2, 2022 20:54:17 GMT -5
It's cute that you think everyone in Ontario is a Leafs fan Oh, not everyone in Ontario is a Leafs fan, but the butt clenching by Leafs fans in the province will range from Niagara Falls to, uh, </checks Google Maps> ...Fort Severn. Meantime, though, real squeakers so far tonight, eh? Haha yeah you're not wrong. As an aside one time I was on a trip home from Toronto with my mom and sister and we got lost because we had to take a scenic route due to weather and the GPS kept getting confused between Severn and Fort Severn, which are 2 different places in opposite directions. Turned what should have been a 4 hour drive into 7.
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Post by Ishmeal Loves Kaseyhausen on May 3, 2022 23:18:17 GMT -5
Nothing like a 4 OT game to kick things off, eh?
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Post by HMARK Center on May 4, 2022 6:08:50 GMT -5
Good God, I turned off the Pens/Rags game when I thought the Rangers had gone up 4-3, ended up laying down in bed around 10:30 or so, and, uh...I missed a bit, huh?
I said the Caps have it in them to beat Florida, and they just showed why; no surprise in Colorado, but credit to Dallas for keeping it close against Calgary.
Btw, looking at the numbers? Pitt smoked the Rangers last night. It going as long as it did was 100% Igor's work. He needs to be 100% or New York is dog meat.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2022 22:37:02 GMT -5
2-0, Jerks up on Bruins.
We shall see how things go once we go to Boston and how the crowd responds to the greatness that is Svechnikov.
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HeyYo
Trap-Jaw
Posts: 447
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Post by HeyYo on May 5, 2022 5:47:09 GMT -5
Old news now but Michael Misa was granted exceptional status for the CHL and was drafted #1 in the OHL. Kid was breaking Connor McDavid's records.
Jeff Marek said that apparently both Jack Hughes and Owen Power applied and were denied exceptional status, and because of the money the CHL lost out on those two that they're now more likely to grant the status going forward (although Misa clearly deserved this regardless).
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Post by HMARK Center on May 6, 2022 6:27:20 GMT -5
Welp, Dallas has already done more to make that series competitive than I expected them to.
Nashville, too, to some degree, but that was their chance last night, I don't think they're getting another one.
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Post by HMARK Center on May 7, 2022 21:51:49 GMT -5
And now, let us all sing the legend of LOUIS DOMINGUE!
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Post by sfvega on May 7, 2022 21:53:14 GMT -5
I can't believe the Pens ran the best goalie in the playoffs (IMO, no offense Vasi) in 1 period. That's insane.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 41,949
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on May 8, 2022 18:35:50 GMT -5
Leafs busy shitting the bed.
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Post by HMARK Center on May 8, 2022 18:55:17 GMT -5
There's been a shocking dearth of close games so far. Got my hopes up that Minny/St. Louis would be tight to the end, but nope. Very un-playoffs-like.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 41,949
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on May 8, 2022 19:19:32 GMT -5
There's been a shocking dearth of close games so far. Got my hopes up that Minny/St. Louis would be tight to the end, but nope. Very un-playoffs-like. Refs are calling tons of penalties. Not usual playoff hockey.
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Post by HMARK Center on May 9, 2022 6:31:01 GMT -5
There's been a shocking dearth of close games so far. Got my hopes up that Minny/St. Louis would be tight to the end, but nope. Very un-playoffs-like. Refs are calling tons of penalties. Not usual playoff hockey. Colin Campbell gave an interview on NHL radio where he was asked about penalties in the playoffs right before the first round got underway, and he made a big deal of pointing out that, statistically, refs have been calling as many penalties in the playoffs as in regular season games the last few years or something. If the aim is to reduce the amount of pushing/shoving/clutching during the postseason and allow the more high-flying teams a better chance of advancing then whatever, but I've never liked the abundance of power plays, just feels like such an artificial way to jack up goal totals.
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Post by sfvega on May 9, 2022 19:26:57 GMT -5
There is something to be said for "learning how to win." But having said that, the Rangers are f***ing blowing it against a Pittsburgh team that is painfully average, but to their credit, very experienced.
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Allie Kitsune
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Always Feelin' Foxy.
HaHa U FaLL 4 LaVa TriK
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Member is Online
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Post by Allie Kitsune on May 9, 2022 20:49:17 GMT -5
Shesterkin is just not the same dude right now that he was in the regular season.
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r.
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Bye
Posts: 16,480
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Post by r. on May 9, 2022 21:29:32 GMT -5
The Rangers fail again. NY Sports teams are a joke. Tide goes in, Tide Goes Out
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HeyYo
Trap-Jaw
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Post by HeyYo on May 9, 2022 23:41:54 GMT -5
Mika Zibanejad's new nickname of Invisi-bad has gained some steam with the fanbase.
He has a couple of phantom assists but man, he's been a ghost. He's looking more and more like one of those players that's great on the powerplay in the regular season and helps you get to the playoffs and then disappears when the intensity gets high. There was a play last night early in the game where he could have hit Crosby who was right next to him and he just shied away. Same thing happened the next shift. #1C and doesn't even want to throw a basic body check in the playoffs. Could give a dozen examples like that from each game and he's not hurt. Someone also posted his stats from playing against good teams compared to bad ones and I never realized how much he pads his stats against bad teams.
His ass should have been on the bench for the third period.
Hated the contract extension he signed, will hate it more over the next 8 years. You don't win anything that matters without heart and guts.
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Post by HMARK Center on May 10, 2022 7:50:08 GMT -5
I know I said I had a hard time imagining the Rangers losing to the Pens, but I really had myself convinced that their trade deadline acquisitions would make the difference for them since it addressed some badly needed depth; plus I just thought Pitt's play down the stretch felt kind of uninspired. However, judging by how they've played so far in every game except game 2 (and yes, this includes the triple OT game, the Pens dominated them in that and only Sheshterkin kept it close), combined with watching them fairly regularly during the season, they are not that good, and it really appears their post-deadline run was greatly helped by a fairly soft schedule.
It's easy for a salty Devils fan to say that, I realize, but 2/3rds of this season was the Rangers getting absolutely dragged 5-on-5, but hanging on to win games thanks to a top-level power play and Igor giving them elite goaltending to the tune of a .935 save percentage. They are painfully lacking in depth at center, and outside of Fox their blue line is insanely suspect; again their deadline deals helped cover some of that for a bit, but getting in against a battle-tested playoff team like Pitt is exposing it all in a very bad way.
I mean, holy shit, look at this: It's actually kind of remarkable how the Devils were the dark mirror universe version of the Rangers this year: very strong 5-on-5, but absolutely wrecked and thrown down into the depths of the draft lotto by league-worst goaltending and poor as hell special teams.
This doesn't mean I'm writing the Rangers off long-term, mind: they still have some very interesting prospects on the way, so some of their glaring depth issues at center and on D can get addressed, I'm sure. But the whole "gotta get tougher, need more sandpaper!" mentality has done literally nothing for them, and in honor of them trying that tact I'm going to play their unofficial theme song, as ascribed to them this past year by UrinatingTree on YouTube:
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