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

[billboy73]

I was hoping the Penguins would make it, but oh well...

Really hope that Matthews gets to 70 tonight.  Also, last game for the Coyotes tonight.

Bring on the playoffs!

[jingle.boy]

I imagine the Bolts will be resting a few players since there's nothing to be gained or lost on the outcome.  I think the Leafs would if they didn't have so many injuries - they literally only have 12 healthy forwards on the roster - they'd have to put a D-man up front to rest anyone.  I'm sure Tampa wants to get Kuch to 100 assists as well.  I think Keefe and Coop should just make a gentlemen's agreement, get those milestones over with early, then just play a little shinny for the rest of the evening.

[jingle.boy]

The Hockey Gods gave a solid FU to Matthews the past two games.  11 shots and a crossbar against a goalie playing just his 7th NHL game.  And some even better chances last night against the Panthers.

This is why Toronto fans can't have nice things!   

[TAC]

This is why Toronto fans can't have nice things!   

WTF? You'll just have to settle for a guy that scored 69 fucking goals. What an awful proposition.

[gmillerdrake]

So what are the side bets between Chad, Tim and Joe?

[TAC]

I don't bet.

[gmillerdrake]

What is the side bet between Chad and Joe?

[gmillerdrake]

I don't bet.

Not even for fun? Not money but like….change your avatar to “whatever” if you lose?

[jingle.boy]

WTF? You'll just have to settle for a guy that scored 69 fucking goals. What an awful proposition.

The laughing emote was an indication that I wasn't being entirely serious.

I'm making no side bet, as I have about 4% faith the Leafs can advance.  This team is A) banged up, and B) not as good as previous years - particularly on the blueline.  Four losses to finish the year, giving up 5+ goals in all of them.  I know they didn't give a rats ass about the last 2 games, but still.

[romdrums]

Something tells me that Mathews is perfectly okay with hitting 69 goals for the year.

[Stadler]

How many did he score against the Bruins this year, anyone know? 

[TAC]

Not even for fun? Not money but like….change your avatar to “whatever” if you lose?

Nope. That’s not fun. The games are stressful enough.

[jingle.boy]

How many did he score against the Bruins this year, anyone know?

1 in the Shootout loss on Nov 2nd; 2 in the OT loss on Dec 2nd;

[TAC]

1 in the Shootout loss on Nov 2nd; 2 in the OT loss on Dec 2nd;

So... are you rooting for him NOT to score this round?

[jingle.boy]

So... are you rooting for him NOT to score this round?

Well, he got 0 goals in the other 2 losses, so I'm rooting for whatever produces a W. 

[TAC]

Chad, how do you feel about the TB-Fla series? I feel like TB is peaking at the right time, and I'm leaning towards picking them in the series.

[Anguyen92]

All right, well.  It's now officially official.  The transactions are done.  The Coyotes are going to Utah.  Here are the names that were filed to be trademarked.  The last two are just generic names if they don't want to commit to a team name right now.  Blizzard, Venom, and Fury....  2 of those names are pants.  The Utah Venom could be ok.

https://twitter.com/wyshynski/status/1781077789027823671

[jingle.boy]

Chad, how do you feel about the TB-Fla series? I feel like TB is peaking at the right time, and I'm leaning towards picking them in the series.

Either way, it's gonna be a great series.  The way TBL's PP looks, and Vasilevsky between the pipes, Stamkos is on a tear, Hedman almost in Norris Trophy form. 

But ...

Florida has the lowest or 2nd lowest GAA in the league (depending how many the Jets give up tonight), and I think they're goaltenders are the best 1-2 tandem in the league (no disrespect to Swayman/Ullmark, or Hellebucyk/Broissot).  They're very deep up front as well.  And if Tkachuk comes anywhere close to how he played 12 months ago ...

I think that's going to be the series to watch.  Avs/Jets too.  And if the Oilers are playing the Knights ... damn, there's a lot of good hockey this round!

Predictions tomorrow before everything gets going on Saturday.

[pg1067]

This is what sucks about being on the east coast.  It's almost 10:30, and the Kings game hasn't even started yet.

So...Dallas clinched the #1 spot in the Western Conference.  Winnipeg and Colorado are locked in at C2 and C3.  Vancouver and Edmonton are locked into P1 and P2, and Nashville is locked in at WC1.  The Kings and Vegas are playing Chicago and Anaheim.  If both earn 2 points, the Kings get stuck with playing Dallas.  If the Kings win and Vegas doesn't, then we get Edmonton for the third year in a row.

Ugh.

And those names for Utah SUCK.  Blizzard is too much like Avalanche, and they all sound like Arena Football league names.

Now I wonder if the Kings will move the Frozen Fury to Phoenix....

[Anguyen92]

My emotions went through the ringer in that Kings/Blackhawks game.  First it was 1-0 Hawks, then it was 3-1 Kings and I was like, "All right, time to get into another 6-7 games of hell against the Oilers."  Then the Kings allowed 3 straight goals and then I had to adjust to, "All right, time to get swept by the Stars."  Then, a last minute PPG goal to tie the game and now it's official, Kings vs Oilers Round III.

Kempe made quick work in that OT goal.

[jingle.boy]

I'm lol'g hard that the Knights lost to the Ducks.  Kinda pissed too, cuz I was looking forward to an Oilers/Knights series.

[gmillerdrake]

I'm lol'g hard that the Knights lost to the Ducks.  Kinda pissed too, cuz I was looking forward to an Oilers/Knights series.

They 100% threw that game. No way they wanted to play the Oilers in Rd.1.

[Anguyen92]

Maybe they don't want to play the Oilers in round 1, but they got a pretty rough gauntlet to go through against the Central playoff teams.

[gmillerdrake]

Maybe they don't want to play the Oilers in round 1, but they got a pretty rough gauntlet to go through against the Central playoff teams.

Well yeah.....the Cup winner is coming from the Central IMO.....it's one of the three....AVs, Dallas or Vegas.

[jingle.boy]

Well yeah.....the Cup winner is coming from the Central IMO.....it's one of the three....AVs, Dallas or Vegas.

The Avs aren't getting thru the Jets, so that'll be a neat trick.  Georgiev has not proven to be a consistent goalie.  It's gonna be a great series, but I think the Jets take it.

[jingle.boy]

Ok... just to get this out in case I forget tomorrow morning.

Atlantic
Fla v TBL
Bos v Tor (Tim, you better not be picking Toronto - you jinx them every year!  )

Metro
NYR v Was
Car v NYI

Central
Dal v LVK
Wpg v Col

Pacific
Van v Nash
Edm v LAK

Atlantic Rd 1
Bos v TBL

Metro Rd 2
NYR v Car

Central Rd 2
Dal v Wpg

Pacific Rd 2
Edm v Nash

Eastern
Car v TBL

Western
Dal v Edm

Stanley Cup
Car v Edm

[gmillerdrake]

The Avs aren't getting thru the Jets, so that'll be a neat trick.  Georgiev has not proven to be a consistent goalie.  It's gonna be a great series, but I think the Jets take it.

We shall see.

[jingle.boy]

The Avs aren't getting thru the Jets, so that'll be a neat trick.  Georgiev has not proven to be a consistent goalie.  It's gonna be a great series, but I think the Jets take it.

We shall see.

Georgiev - .897/3.02
Hellebucyk - .921/2.39

Here's the bigger stat - Helle led the league in goals saved above expectation - almost 32; Georgiev? MINUS 12

Clearly the Avs can out-score their defensive weaknesses - they led the league in GF.  But can they do that solely against the best goalie in the league?  Oh, and for goalies with 20+ starts, Broissot LEADS the league in SV% - .927 (thus giving the Jets the Jennings trophy).  Though, a quick scan of the past 10 years shows more than a couple of Jennings Trophy winning teams were bounced in the first round.   

Still, they say defense wins championships.  I'll take the Jets defensive prowess over the Avs offense.

[SchecterShredder]

Ok... just to get this out in case I forget tomorrow morning.

Atlantic
Fla v TBL
Bos v Tor (Tim, you better not be picking Toronto - you jinx them every year!  )

Metro
NYR v Was
Car v NYI

Central
Dal v LVK
Wpg v Col

Pacific
Van v Nash
Edm v LAK

Atlantic Rd 1
Bos v TBL

Metro Rd 2
NYR v Car

Central Rd 2
Dal v Wpg

Pacific Rd 2
Edm v Nash

Eastern
Car v TBL

Western
Dal v Edm

Stanley Cup
Car v Edm

Swap carolina for florida. Otherwise, that's my playoff bracket, too. Oilers win the cup in mine,  of course 

Tampa will give them a run, but FLA is the better team.

[Stadler]

We shall see.


Georgiev - .897/3.02
Hellebucyk - .921/2.39

Here's the bigger stat - Helle led the league in goals saved above expectation - almost 32; Georgiev? MINUS 12

Clearly the Avs can out-score their defensive weaknesses - they led the league in GF.  But can they do that solely against the best goalie in the league?  Oh, and for goalies with 20+ starts, Broissot LEADS the league in SV% - .927 (thus giving the Jets the Jennings trophy).  Though, a quick scan of the past 10 years shows more than a couple of Jennings Trophy winning teams were bounced in the first round.   

Still, they say defense wins championships.  I'll take the Jets defensive prowess over the Avs offense.

Dumb stat.  Don't we expect them to save all of them?

[TAC]

Atlantic
Fla v TBL
Bos v Tor (Tim, you better not be picking Toronto - you jinx them every year!  )

I'm not picking Toronto. 

Seriously, before like the last 3 years or so, the Leafs were my preseason Cup pick.

[TAC]

Atlantic
Fla v TBL
Bos v Tor

Metro
NYR v Was
Car v NYI

Central
Dal v VGK
Wpg v Col

Pacific
Van v Nash
Edm v LAK

Atlantic Rd 1
Bos v TBL

Metro Rd 2
NYR v Car

Central Rd 2
Wpg v VGK

Pacific Rd 2
Van v Edm

Eastern
NYR v TBL

Western
Edm v VGK

Stanley Cup
NYR v VGK

[jingle.boy]

FML if Vegas makes the finals again.

[TAC]

FML if Vegas makes the finals again.

It will be whoever wins the Dallas-Vegas series in the Finals.

[Stadler]

Atlantic
Fla v TBL
Bos v Tor

Metro
NYR v Was
Car v NYI

Central
Dal v VGK
Wpg v Col

Pacific
Van v Nash
Edm v LAK

Atlantic Rd 1
Bos v TBL

Metro Rd 2
NYR v Car

Central Rd 2
Wpg v VGK

Pacific Rd 2
Van v Edm

Eastern
NYR v TBL

Western
Edm v VGK

Stanley Cup
NYR v VGK

I don't like it, personally (I want the Bruins to win it, and I don't really like Vegas, Tampa, or Edmonton), but that's a pretty realistic bracket right there.