Rebooted Around the League - 23/24

[Cornuck]

A new thread for General (non-Canuck) hockey topics.

[Strangelove]

Bruins and Panthers both trying to lose tonight to avoid having to play the Lightning in the first round.

Both teams would much rather play the Leaves.

[Megaterio Llamas]

And speaking of the Bruins

[Carl Yagro]

First round exit for Jack would be nice... unless they're facing the Leaves. Then second round.

[Hockey Widow]

Washington locks up a playoff spot. Flyers, Pens and Wings done for the season.

[Strangelove]

First round matchup: Leaves vs Bruins

[Lancer]

First round matchup: Leaves vs Bruins

One of the few exceptions where I will park my hatred of all things Bruins, just to cheer for them to stomp on the Leaves.

[Cornuck]

One of the few exceptions where I will park my hatred of all things Bruins, just to cheer for them to stomp on the Leaves.

It's almost an annual tradition.

[Lancer]

One of the few exceptions where I will park my hatred of all things Bruins, just to cheer for them to stomp on the Leaves.

It's almost an annual tradition.

Actually, the Eastern Conference is going to be perhaps the most entertaining in the first round. Florida/Tampa is going to be a good one. Rangers/Caps likely won't be too competitive, but watch Washington pull an upset as soon as I say that. Hurricanes/Islanders will be a snooze-fest between two defensively-oriented squads, though.

As for the Western Conference, Vancouver/Nashville may be the most entertaining. Colorado/Winnipeg will offer some rock'em-sock'em entertainment, but otherwise may make for a boring series. LA/Edmonton will only be worth watching to see if the Oilers can break down LA's structure or if LA gets Edmonton's number this time. Dallas/Vegas just seems meh.

[UWSaint]

One of the few exceptions where I will park my hatred of all things Bruins, just to cheer for them to stomp on the Leaves.

It's almost an annual tradition.

Actually, the Eastern Conference is going to be perhaps the most entertaining in the first round. Florida/Tampa is going to be a good one. Rangers/Caps likely won't be too competitive, but watch Washington pull an upset as soon as I say that. Hurricanes/Islanders will be a snooze-fest between two defensively-oriented squads, though.

As for the Western Conference, Vancouver/Nashville may be the most entertaining. Colorado/Winnipeg will offer some rock'em-sock'em entertainment, but otherwise may make for a boring series. LA/Edmonton will only be worth watching to see if the Oilers can break down LA's structure or if LA gets Edmonton's number this time. Dallas/Vegas just seems meh.

I'll take the presumed western conference matchups, I think.

Dallas and Vegas seems meh to you but I think there's a very good argument these are the teams best built to win the Cup in the whole league. They are both deep and capable 200 feet. Vegas hasn't had that impressive of a season after their hot start, but they just adding Stone and Hertl into the mix, and Hanafin's been good too. Dallas has done what it's done this year without Oettinger standing on his head -- but he certainly can.

People have slept on Winnipeg, and I'm not sure why outside of a couple years where they simply seemed to underperform (and therefore be losers). Sound familiar? This year? They've been pretty consistent throughout the year (like the Canucks) and Hellebuyck is probably the best goalie in the game. They've added considerable forward depth. They have more regulation wins than any other team in the league -- i.e., have the most points in games decided by rules that apply NHL playoff games. I think Colorado and Winnipeg will be a great series.

Edmonton v. LA is a perfect series, IMO. Edmonton specializes in being explosive, LA specializes in neutralizing explosives. If the games are dull, LA wins. But if the games are dull, it will still be entertaining. McDavid will be fuming and Edmonton will be losing....

Vancouver v. Nashville is sort of the worst series from a non-fan of either club's perspective. Nashville isn't built in a way that is most effective to neutralize Vancouver, and it isn't better than Vancouver from a personnel standpoint. Every team in the west in the playoffs is a good team, and anything can happen. But there's a reason why Vancouver fans were hoping for this matchup, because it seems Nashville is a team the Canucks match up well against.

But I am not sure that's going to be the matchup. Dallas/St. Louis is not a given. First, St. Louis has played Dallas well this year, earning 5 of a possible 6 points (while Dallas has earned 3). Second, unlike many teams outside the playoffs, St. Louis didn't slack after the deadline. They kept playing hard and have been 11-5-2. Third, Dallas has nothing to play for, and can surely be expected to rest some players and get their press box depth some game time before the playoffs.

In contrast, one might say that neither Winnipeg nor Vancouver have anything to play for -- though its not exactly true. Vancouver probably doesn't want to win and play Vegas, but its hockey. They will try, Tockey won't want bad habits, and they need Demko to see a structured game. And there is something else at stake with a win. A win or a tie for Winnipeg and they'd have home ice if they survive the divisional rounds (Vancouver must win to have home ice against either Dallas or Winnipeg).

I think there's a 50/50 chance St. Louis wins in regulation and a 50/50 chance Vancouver earns 2 points tomorrow.

[Strangelove]

Hundred Apples Club welcomes Kuch...

[Cornuck]

So... who ya rooting for in the Blues/Stars game?

A Dallas win makes it easy for us to rest a couple of players tomorrow and gives us our preferred matchup. This is the least stressful choice.

If STL wins, then do we shoot for the West title? If I were in charge, I would let the players decide how important that is vs some rest - but I can't see this franchise taking the easy way out. Home ice for the first 3 rounds (at least). I say go for it. Good luck Blues!

[Picker of Cherries]

If I were Tocchet, I’d put a piece of paper on the bulletin board and kindly tell anyone who wants to take the Winnipeg game off to write their names on the paper.

I’d put a title on that piece of paper - LOSERS!

[Meds]

Well, Matthews finishes the season with 69.

Toronto finishes by being blown out by Tampa.

Gotta think big changes coming when they exit stage left in the first round again.

Though not sure what they’ll do… all 4 of their big ticket forwards have full NTCs.….and Tree really screwed them over because he gave Nylander a NMC for the last year of his current deal as part of the extension signed this January. And he has scored at just under 1.0ppg since signing the contract that was rewarding him for early production of around 1.25 ppg.

As an aside, somewhere in Abbotsford there is a Doktor with a world record shit eating grin on his face tonight.

[Carl Yagro]

So... who ya rooting for in the Blues/Stars game?

A Dallas win makes it easy for us to rest a couple of players tomorrow and gives us our preferred matchup. This is the least stressful choice.

^This. Why make it difficult? Don't let ego get in the way. Take the path of least resistance. No one can say shit when you draft 32nd in June.