NHL (2021-2022) v. Congrats Avs. Jack Johnson is a Stanley Cup Champion.

[gmillerdrake]

I’m somewhere in between. Just because someone doesn’t do something dirty, doesn’t mean it’s classy. And Maroon is a greasy player. I’m not sure he’s dirty, but he sure ain’t in the conversation around the Lady Byng.

He’s a 4th line player who plays the role of shithead. He’s far from ‘dirty’.

[KevShmev]

I’m somewhere in between. Just because someone doesn’t do something dirty, doesn’t mean it’s classy. And Maroon is a greasy player. I’m not sure he’s dirty, but he sure ain’t in the conversation around the Lady Byng.

He’s a 4th line player who plays the role of shithead. He’s far from ‘dirty’.

Yep, but if you had never watched hockey before and just read this thread in the last month, you'd think Maroon is a classless piece of shit and Kadri is a great guy who is just a bit reckless on occasion.

[KevShmev]

If this ends 1-0 (or 2-0 with an ENG), this will be a bad break for Shesterkin.  He has played great tonight, but probably should have stopped the one that got past him.  That's playoff hockey.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Pain.

[gmillerdrake]

Pain.

Feel for ya buddy. That’s a heck of a run. I think the Rangers just got out-experienced honestly. TB knows how to win.


Now I’ll be rooting for them to throttle the AVs

[KevShmev]

After posting shutouts in all four close-out wins last posteason, Vasilevskiy has allowed two goals so far in this postseason's three close-out wins.

Sounds like he is slipping.

[TheCountOfNYC]

The Rangers were gassed. After 20 playoff games with no breaks, injuries and exhaustion caught up with them against a juggernaut. While it’s disappointing to see them run out of steam after being two wins away from the Finals, and there were some coaching decisions made that I didn’t agree with (benching Kakko, one of the few guys who played well this series, was asinine), the Rangers went further than anyone expected them to this year.

With that said…pain…

[Anguyen92]

Tampa Bay just keep finding ways to win games in critical situations.  Won against the Leafs in 7 after being down 3-2 in the series.  Swept the Panthers without having Point.  Won against the Rangers in solid fashion despite being down two games at the start of the series in an elite Russian goalie battle, again without Point.

Now for some fun facts.

This series will be the first time someone from the 2010s Draft drafted #1 overall will make a Stanley Cup finals appearance, Nathan MacKinnon.
This will be the 4th time in a row Pat Maroon has made it to the Stanley Cup finals.  He has been with teams that have won the last three.
This is Corey Perry's 3rd time in a row at a Stanley Cup finals and doing it with a 3rd different team and the 3rd team he's doing it with is the team that have beaten his team in the last two cups.

[jingle.boy]

I’m somewhere in between. Just because someone doesn’t do something dirty, doesn’t mean it’s classy. And Maroon is a greasy player. I’m not sure he’s dirty, but he sure ain’t in the conversation around the Lady Byng.

He’s a 4th line player who plays the role of shithead. He’s far from ‘dirty’.

Yep, but if you had never watched hockey before and just read this thread in the last month, you'd think Maroon is a classless piece of shit and Kadri is a great guy who is just a bit reckless on occasion.

You two are incorrigible.

Tampa is a force. Putting in Strome over Kakko is certainly a head scratcher. Oh, and Ladrienerre will start the season next year from the press box for a couple of games.

Did finals gonna be good for the first time in a couple of years.

[pg1067]

Bleh...go Avs.

[gmillerdrake]

TB in 6.

The AV's are certainly no pushovers and are exciting to watch and so on and so forth....but TB has beaten three TOUGH teams to get to the Finals. Colorado walked all over the Preds and Oilers and got their toughest competition out of the Blues who took them to OT and beat them twice at home. They've yet to face a good goaltender (for a whole series) Binnington nearly stole game one, looked great in the G2 win and was looking great leading game 3 when....well....no need to beat that horse anymore.

Bottom line is the series is going to come down to the AVs offense and TB's defense and team play and well....I'll take the best goaltender on the planet right now over some swift skating players....especially since we've seen those players can be and have been shut down. I don't think the secondary players for the AV's can beat TB like they were able to do against the Blues.

[jingle.boy]

TB in 6.

The AV's are certainly no pushovers and are exciting to watch and so on and so forth....but TB has beaten three TOUGH teams to get to the Finals. Colorado walked all over the Preds and Oilers and got their toughest competition out of the Blues who took them to OT and beat them twice at home. They've yet to face a good goaltender (for a whole series) Binnington nearly stole game one, looked great in the G2 win and was looking great leading game 3 when....well....no need to beat that horse anymore.

Bottom line is the series is going to come down to the AVs offense and TB's defense and team play and well....I'll take the best goaltender on the planet right now over some swift skating players....especially since we've seen those players can be and have been shut down. I don't think the secondary players for the AV's can beat TB like they were able to do against the Blues.

Bolded is an understatement.  If they pull off the win, they will have beaten 3 of the top 4 teams in the league, and NYR was 7th - with a Vezina and Hart candidate in goal.  Could be one of the greatest Cup runs in recent memory.

Colorado hasn't played a team with a top tier goalie yet (sorry ... trigger alert for Gary and Kev).  This will be interesting to see how they fare against Vasi.

[gmillerdrake]

TB in 6.

The AV's are certainly no pushovers and are exciting to watch and so on and so forth....but TB has beaten three TOUGH teams to get to the Finals. Colorado walked all over the Preds and Oilers and got their toughest competition out of the Blues who took them to OT and beat them twice at home. They've yet to face a good goaltender (for a whole series) Binnington nearly stole game one, looked great in the G2 win and was looking great leading game 3 when....well....no need to beat that horse anymore.

Bottom line is the series is going to come down to the AVs offense and TB's defense and team play and well....I'll take the best goaltender on the planet right now over some swift skating players....especially since we've seen those players can be and have been shut down. I don't think the secondary players for the AV's can beat TB like they were able to do against the Blues.

Bolded is an understatement.  If they pull off the win, they will have beaten 3 of the top 4 teams in the league, and NYR was 7th - with a Vezina and Hart candidate in goal.  Could be one of the greatest Cup runs in recent memory.

Colorado hasn't played a team with a top tier goalie yet (sorry ... trigger alert for Gary and Kev).  This will be interesting to see how they fare against Vasi.

No trigger at all. Binnington was playing really good.....4-1 with a .947 save percentage and a 1.72 GAA. Like I said...he damn near stole game one and G2 he he played pretty lights out and was rolling in G3. And he wasn't playing near as 'big' as Vasilevskiy. That dude is just remarkable....and it's not like he's going to crap the bed for multiple games. Colorado might get to him in one game.....maybe two and that's a HUGE maybe.....but, when it comes down to it the only reason the last two games vs New York were even close was because of Shesterkin and how insane he was playing.

Neither of the AVs goaltenders can come close to that. Not to mention, a solid dozen of the goals that Colorado scored vs Edmonton were EXTREMELY savable goals. None of it bodes well for the AVs but hey....you gotta play the games.

[KevShmev]

The Avs are a prohibitive favorite to win the series in Vegas (-190), and Vegas always knows more than we do, so get ready for the defending champs to go down, if for no other reason than to make this sucky 2022 that much worse. 

[gmillerdrake]

The Avs are a prohibitive favorite to win the series in Vegas (-190), and Vegas always knows more than we do, so get ready for the defending champs to go down, if for no other reason than to make this sucky 2022 that much worse. 

Well…..the AVs are stacked….except in goal. It’ll be a fun series to watch

[Anguyen92]

Fudge, man.  Bruce Cassidy is now the head coach for the Vegas Golden Knights.  I was hoping that they would take another huge step back, but obviously that's not going to happen with this guy on the bench.  This is a L for the rest of the Pacific Division.

Per Kevin Weekes (from the Tampa Bay dressing room, apparently).

https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/1536814336206848007

[TAC]

He's a good coach.

Eichel better be prepared.

[jingle.boy]

I can’t help but think that franchise is a tranwreck.  I’d sooner go to Philly. But they’ll be stuck with Torts.

[crazy climber dude]

Far be it from me to know what's going to happen. But I think the Avs goaltending will be better than what they've shown at times during these playoffs. In the two games they played in the regular season, Kuemper beat them twice.

Also, I think Colorado will find a way to score some goals against Vasilevskiy. Look for Landeskog to be hanging around the net.....looking to tip or find a loose puck somewhere. I think that guy is prepared to sell his soul to win a Stanley Cup.

 

[gmillerdrake]

But I think the Avs goaltending will be better than what they've shown at times during these playoffs.

I don't know man....both AV's goalies have looked pretty average at best. Maybe they'll step up their game and rise to the occasion but there's no indications out there to lead one to believe that could or would happen. I don't think the AV's can keep the front of the net clear against TB like they were able to against the teams they've played thus far....Kuemper hands out rebounds like candy and that's not a fix that just happens....that's who he is.

In the two games they played in the regular season Kuemper beat them twice

Ehhh.....that means nothing at this point honestly.


It's going to be a fun series to watch....two great teams. You have the AVs who are just steamrolling along but DO have weaknesses that were exposed in the Blues series....and you can bet that TB noticed that and will utilize the info. Then you have TB who has the confidence and experience to know how to handle any situation they will see. They have the players that can compete with the AVs as well....it's going to be fun.

The difference maker will be the goaltending....that's not prophetic that's just a fact of playoff hockey. I don't see Kuemper outperforming Vasilevskiy in any scenario....and TB has faced and beat three goalies in a row that were far superior.

[jingle.boy]

Tampa in 5.  Thus they have one series each that go 4-5-6-7 games.   

Seriously though.   TB in 6 is my true prediction.  They'll split the first 2; TB will hold at home, lose game 5, and win the cup at home again.

[gmillerdrake]

Seriously though.   TB in 6 is my true prediction.  They'll split the first 2; TB will hold at home, lose game 5, and win the cup at home again.

This is how I was thinking it'd go down as well when I said TB in 6.

[SchecterShredder]

I'm rooting for TB, personally. I like dynasties when they don't interfere with my own team's success, and I would think 3 cups in a row (not to mention another finals appearance in '15) would qualify for that title.

[Nick]

Well, if reports are to be believed the Flyers are in final discussion to bring on Tortorella as the next coach.

I've stood by the organization through a LOT of bad decisions, but I will not support a Torts coached team. So I'm accepting offers on who to root for in the next few years.

Straight out are Penguins, Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Capitals, and Bruins. Just too big of longtime rivals for me.

Canadian teams are out because I want at least some shot at a cup.

Tampa is out because that would feel like way too much of a bandwagon jump.

West coast teams are tough just because of time difference.

Some favorites are:
Florida, especially if Giroux resigns there. That said their disappointing play against Tampa and lame fanbase make that tough.
Carolina, a strong choice especially with a Flyers legend behind the bench.
Las Vegas, hard not to root for such a successful expansion team, though the way they treated Galant and some players gives me pause.
Detroit, before moving into the East they were always the Western team I rooted for, but not sure they are ready to take many strides forward yet.
Nashville, Flyers have always made a lot of moves with them and they seem like a great steady organization.
Avalanche, not a lot to dislike about them, but if they win the cup it would feel again a little like hopping on a bandwagon.

[jingle.boy]

Canadian teams are out because I want at least some shot at a cup.

Why don't you just switch to the AHL?

Vegas is a trainwreck of a franchise (imo).

Go with Arizona, you can get their merch on the cheap, and it doubles as ASU merch too!

[jingle.boy]

Las Vegas, hard not to root for such a successful expansion team,

Actually, it's not hard at all.

[romdrums]

Well, if reports are to be believed the Flyers are in final discussion to bring on Tortorella as the next coach.

I've stood by the organization through a LOT of bad decisions, but I will not support a Torts coached team. So I'm accepting offers on who to root for in the next few years.

Straight out are Penguins, Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Capitals, and Bruins. Just too big of longtime rivals for me.

Switching allegiances to any of those teams would be a beautiful heel turn, though, especially the Rags or the Penguins!

Carolina, a strong choice especially with a Flyers legend behind the bench.

Detroit, before moving into the East they were always the Western team I rooted for, but not sure they are ready to take many strides forward yet.

I hear the Canes are just a bunch of jerks. 

As for the Wings, now may not be the best time, because Detroit media is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Red Wings' Cup Win against the Flyers.  However, if you get in now, you can get in before the bandwagon rush when they get back into their winning ways.  GM Steve Yzerman is slowly building a team similar to his previous team now that he's got all of the bloat and detritus of the last few years of the Ken Holland regime off the books.  This offseason will be key to the future direction of the team.  Yzerman needs to nail the coaching hire, and he needs to continue to hit in the draft.  His first two top picks, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, are two exciting young players who stepped in to top line roles in their rookie seasons and have exciting futures ahead of them.  Last year's first round pick, Simon Edvinsson, is poised to make the team this fall, and he plays a similar game to Seider.  If he's anywhere close to how Seider performed last year, that gives the Wings two pillars to build their D around.  They've got a possible stud in goalie Sebastian Cossa, who has backstopped his WHL team to the Memorial Cup tourney.  They also signed 2019 6th round pick Elmer Soderblom, who has really elevated his game in Frolunda prior to coming over, and could be a late round steal a la Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.  He's 6'8" and 250 lbs, and has developed into a skilled center who has the potential to be monstrous at net front on the power play.  I think they will be back in the playoffs within the next couple of years, even in a tough Atlantic Division.

[LudwigVan]

Coaches come and go like the wind. If I were you, I’d grit my teeth and stick with the Flyers. Who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

[Anguyen92]

The way I see it is this.  Torts may overachieve with this Flyers' roster within year 1 or 2 and maybe make it to the playoffs.  Maybe do the unlikely and win a round.  In the later years, that's when people tune out on his voice and speeches and then the team collapses and then management will be back to square one where they are currently.  Hopefully for them, by then, Flyers management will have a different look and think, "We had Torts as our coach the entire time?  WTF?"

I personally think he's a good fit for the Flyers where they are at right now (like Cassidy is a great fit for Vegas given where they are at right now).  I just don't know if it's the right move that the Flyers need right now to be taken seriously in the future.

[pg1067]

Actually, it's not hard at all.

After seeing that Jessica Biel gif, I'm not sure I agree. 


As for Vegas, not rooting for them is possibly the easiest thing in all of professional sports (next to hating the SF Giants and the Astros).

[Nick]

My upcoming lack of support has nothing to do with how I think the Flyers will do on the ice. I think there is a good chance they will do better in the next year or two because of hiring Torts.

That said, he's an absolute garbage human being which I have no intention of supporting.

[SchecterShredder]

My upcoming lack of support has nothing to do with how I think the Flyers will do on the ice. I think there is a good chance they will do better in the next year or two because of hiring Torts.

That said, he's an absolute garbage human being which I have no intention of supporting.

He really likes dogs though.

[Anguyen92]

My upcoming lack of support has nothing to do with how I think the Flyers will do on the ice. I think there is a good chance they will do better in the next year or two because of hiring Torts.

That said, he's an absolute garbage human being which I have no intention of supporting.

He really likes dogs though.

But he doesn't care too much about flashy plays like what Trevor Zegras of the Ducks did and the 1 on 4 goals that McDavid did.  Which is honestly expected since he cares about players giving everything they got defensively, and he did complement the Bolts on their adjustments after their 2019 sweep and stated that "we" created a monster after the Blue Jackets swept the Bolts.

[LudwigVan]

Torts may be a piece of shit, as more than just a few NHL coaches may be. But he has won a Cup. That said, the Flyers have much bigger issues than the identity of their head coach.

[TAC]

The way coaches live and die, it's not like any other guy is going to be there any longer than Tortorella's shelf life anyway.