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

[TAC]

I don't exactly love it either! 

[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.

We indeed saw just what kind of goalie Georgiev is.  Man, that was bad.  The Jets defence wasn't much better, but I've got more confidence that the #1 defensive team in the league can improve on that.  Not sure how many more goals the Avs offence needs to get in order to out-score their defence/goal-tending woes - I mean, if 6 wasn't enough then wth??

[billboy73]

I'm sticking with my beginning of season pick of Hurricanes v Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.

That Jets Avs game was wild!  I will definitely be glued to watching that series.  The atmosphere in Winnipeg was awesome too.

[TAC]

I thought the Rangers looked good yesterday. Really physical.

[jingle.boy]

I thought the Rangers looked good yesterday. Really physical.

Well, it was Washington, who were down 2 (and likely 3 now) D-men.

[pg1067]

Yesterday was kinda glorious.  Hockey from basically 10am to 10pm.  I didn't sit down and watch every minute of it, but I had it on all day and sat down several times.

TB v. FL is going to be a battle.

I'd like to see TOR make a series of it, but they seemed to no-show in game 1.

NYR v. WAS should be an easy one.

Didn't see any of the CAR/NYI game.

The WIN/COL game was a bit of a joke.  Defense anyone?

The VAN comeback was interesting.  They seemed pretty lifeless, then 2 goals in 12 seconds, and they took a stranglehold.  I hope it's a long and difficult series in the unlikely event my Kings pull off the upset against Edmonton.  The Kings need to have video of the February 10 game on a loop.

Vegas can go fuck themselves.

[jingle.boy]

I think there was only one goal by the Avs (Nate's shot thru the 50 - hole) that is on Helle.  One deflection, one screen, one a perfect shot off the post, and one fluke that bounced of 3 or 4 different sticks/body-parts before falling in behind him.

As opposed to Georgiev ... he should've had like 3-4 of the Jets goals.

[Anguyen92]

There was this one really weird goal where Adam Lowry of the Jets had a shot, the puck went off the post, went floating across the red line of the net, hit the other post, and it curved completely over the line and then out.  The refs initially called it no goal until play stopped and they reviewed it and it was good.

Jets' Adam Lowry Awarded Second Goal After Review Shows Puck Goes Post-Post And In

[pg1067]

There was this one really weird goal where Adam Lowry of the Jets had a shot, the puck went off the post, went floating across the red line of the net, hit the other post, and it curved completely over the line and then out.  The refs initially called it no goal until play stopped and they reviewed it and it was good.

Jets' Adam Lowry Awarded Second Goal After Review Shows Puck Goes Post-Post And In

Shades of game 6 of the 2004 SCF.

[Anguyen92]

I hope it's a long and difficult series in the unlikely event my Kings pull off the upset against Edmonton.  The Kings need to have video of the February 10 game on a loop.

Looking back at that game.  There were two key guys that were the difference makers that night.  Byfield and PLD.  Those two guys have had uneven periods of not being productive and these are the two guys that, if the Kings are going to be in this series, they need to be X factor difference makers.  This series may live or die on how well these particular guys produce.

[jingle.boy]

There was this one really weird goal where Adam Lowry of the Jets had a shot, the puck went off the post, went floating across the red line of the net, hit the other post, and it curved completely over the line and then out.  The refs initially called it no goal until play stopped and they reviewed it and it was good.

Jets' Adam Lowry Awarded Second Goal After Review Shows Puck Goes Post-Post And In

I don't think it "curved" ... I think it's mostly an optical illusion of how the puck was spinning and ended up bouncing JUST over the line when in reality after it went post-to-post, it was ostensibly riding along the line the whole way.

Basically, curling with a puck.  The ultimate Canadian goal.   

[gmillerdrake]

I did see where the AVs have engaged Calgary in a one game rental agreement for Kadri so he can suit up and take out Hellebuyck in a completely uncalled for effort towards the net that defies physics. They're trying to spark some of that cup run magic they had when they faced a team that the goalie had their number.

[jingle.boy]

I did see where the AVs have engaged Calgary in a one game rental agreement for Kadri so he can suit up and take out Hellebuyck in a completely uncalled for effort towards the net that defies physics. They're trying to spark some of that cup run magic they had when they faced a team that the goalie had their number.

Why not Kypper? 

Jeez man, get over it already!!

[gmillerdrake]

Kyppers was way worse and more intentional….for sure. But Kadri is a way bigger POS than Kiprios.  And nah….Ill hold on to both and complain about them sporadically throughout the future. 

[King Postwhore]

Well, Chad.  The Leafs deserved this game tonight.  They outplayed the B's.

[gmillerdrake]

Mr. LTIR scores a deflection goal twenty something seconds into the game. 

[TAC]

Mr. LTIR scores a deflection goal twenty something seconds into the game. 

The rehab served him well. Can't rush an injury.

[gmillerdrake]

The rehab served him well. Can't rush an injury.

Especially when it’d put your organization over the cap

I get the rules weren’t broken……but that loophole needs to be addressed. It’s a whole lot of BS

[Anguyen92]

A player recovering from a lacerated spleen probably shouldn't even be playing at all this soon.  Either the Golden Knights doctors are miracle workers and some tomfoolery is happening there.  I am all for this patch rule where if a player is on LTIR at Game 82 of the season, they should not play in the first round.

[jingle.boy]

A player recovering from a lacerated spleen probably shouldn't even be playing at all this soon.  Either the Golden Knights doctors are miracle workers and some tomfoolery is happening there.  I am all for this patch rule where if a player is on LTIR at Game 82 of the season, they should not play in the first round.

Along those lines, if a player is on LTIR for the entirety of the period from the trade deadline, and the end of the season, they should be ineligible for Round 1.  I mean, if a player is legit on LTIR towards the end of the season, then the team hasn't had the opportunity to manipulate the cap at the deadline.  Like, if Marner's ankle sprain had him out until the end of the season, I don't think that situation should be penalized with Round 1 ineligibility.  But if a team can wilfully and intentionally put themselves over the cap at the deadline, and keep a player out for the rest of the season ... said player should be ineligible for Round 1.

And yeah, the Leafs were the better team ... but still only squeaked by.  Matthews played probably his best game of the season - most ice time by any Leaf; 1G 2A; 70% on faceoffs, and saved a game-tying goal towards the end of the game.

[jingle.boy]

LA has no answers for the Oil (they just scored their 4th as I type this).

Edit ... apparently I typed too soon (it's 4-2 now).

Err.... 4-1.

[Anguyen92]

Well, the 2nd started as 2-0.  It's now 4-2.  I was ready to give up on the game, but the Kings scoring the last two goals has given me some hope and delusion.

[jingle.boy]

That Isles/Canes game was bonkers.  What determination by the Canes.

[Anguyen92]

This was a very fugly played game by the Kings and the Oilers just ran over them left and right.  McDavid with 5 assists and Hyman just needs to stand in his area to pick off the passes and get a hat trick.