NHL 2023-2024: Playoff Time. Hello Darkness.....

[gmillerdrake]

Toronto fires Sheldon Keefe.........enter Craig Berube in say less than a week.......and I'll give a "big" trade between Toronto/StL about a 50% chance, most likely involving Binnington and whoever Toronto wants to scapegoat the most.

[SchecterShredder]

Well, the Oil vs. Canucks game last night hurt. Blowing a 3 goal lead is bad. Blowing it like that in the 3rd is worse. I'd like to say the Oilers deserved a better fate, but they really didn't. It was a pretty close game until the final 10 minutes when the Oilers started getting badly outplayed. Hoping for a win Friday to take a split going home. As they say: "it isn't a series until someone loses at home".

[pg1067]

First, kudos to the Canucks for a great comeback.  That said, for the first half of the game, I was thinking, "did they not watch any footage from the Oilers/Kings series?!"

Second, I despise singular team names.  Most of the names in that Tweet are downright stupid.  "Utah HC"?  WTF is that?  "Utah Hive"?  Go with "Bees" and call the building "The Hive"!  "Utah Ice?"  "The Ice ice the puck...."  "Utah Glaciers"?  If they lack team speed, that will make for a bunch of puns and jokes.  Honestly, the only name on that list worth a damn is "Outlaws."

[Anguyen92]

I was amazed that the Oilers in that 3rd period did not get a shot on goal until 16 minutes in.  I understand that Draisaitl had some cramping issues, but McDavid did not register a shot at all in this game.  You just hope it's a rare anomaly low shooting game for the Oilers and hope they'll force the offense the other way in the future games so that they do not need to play defense as much.

Utah HC, I presume, will be short for Utah Hockey Club (ala the Washington Football Team).

[Stadler]

WOW.  I turned off that Oil game about halfway through the first period not just thinking the game was over, but thinking "WOW, the Rangers (my pick in the East) is going to have their hands FULL with this team in the Finals."  I thought it was a foregone conclusion.

I guess I should know better.

[pg1067]

Utah HC, I presume, will be short for Utah Hockey Club (ala the Washington Football Team).

I thought Washington was going to change that, but that makes sense, but...BO-RING!

Honestly, the Utah Nomads would be great!   

[Anguyen92]

Well, Washington did change that.  To the Commanders.....  I'm just saying that the Utah HC suggestion seems to be something along the lines of the Washington Football Team era or what you see European football teams name their clubs (those that are named FC).

[axeman90210]

Toronto fires Sheldon Keefe.........enter Craig Berube in say less than a week.......and I'll give a "big" trade between Toronto/StL about a 50% chance, most likely involving Binnington and whoever Toronto wants to scapegoat the most.

I've heard Berube might end up in NJ.

[gmillerdrake]

I've heard Berube might end up in NJ.

Yep….heard that as well. I think either one is a good fit for him.

[TAC]

Trying not to be negative, but I have a bad feeling about last night's Bruins game.  They got shellacked in a way that I'm not sure they can recover.  That was a statement game, and the Panthers outplayed them at every position and in every way.  They were out-shot, out-hit, out-face-offed, out-coached, out-fought... even out-goaltended, if you want to be honest.

I meant to get back to this. I thought two things happened simultaneously. The Panthers found their legs and the Bruins lost theirs. I expect the energy level for G3 to be much more balanced.

I realize Tkachuk isn't technically a fighter, but him challenging Pasta is a pussy ass move. Good on Pasta to accept. Hopefully it inspires his teammates, as it should.

It was no more of a statement game than G1 was for the Bruins.

BUT....the Bruins will need to match the physicality and the energy to win this series. They'll need to play flawless though and not let any early chances escape them.