NHL 2022-2023: FA July 13th - LET IT BEGIN

[Nick]

I had a hockey game of my own last night, so didn't really get to watch the replays from that game till this afternoon. That's a fucking awful play by Benn. I hope he gets more games, not less, for that bullshit response.

[KevShmev]

Especially Petro. Armstrong did him wrong by not signing him and that was the beginning of the 'downfall' of what was a very reliable defense for years.....because of how freaking good and reliable Petro is.

I never understood this. And then to sign Krug to the contract he did...WTF? That made even less sense.

No one understands it. He signed Krug BEFORE Petro even signed with Vegas....while he was still supposedly negotiating with Petro. Petrangelo was never an ultimate top tier Defenseman but he crossed into that bottom section of 'top tier' in that Stanley Cup run and victory. What he was and still remains is a D Man that will log over 30 minutes a game, smart...and is positionally perfect and a really good defender. Oh yeah, good on PP's and PK's also and universally loved  by any teammate he's ever had.

It made no sense not to give the First Captain of the Blues ever to hoist the Cup what he wanted. A NMC and some guaranteed $$$. The way he takes care of himself, even the back end of his contract he'll be a very serviceable third line D man and great to have in the locker room.

Wait, what? I could have swore we were both in agreement at the time that letting Petro go elsewhere was the right move.

Pertaining to the guaranteed money....yes. Still don't know if he's worth it.....But I think that could have been negotiated more were Armstrong more receptive to the NMC. Even back then Petro was always going to give you a solid 3-4 years.....it was always the back end that was questionable.

Fair enough.

[pg1067]

Jamie Benn on the cross-check that led to his game misconduct:

"The game happens fast, emotions are high. Obviously I would have liked to not fall on him and use my stick as a landing point."

I understand in the moment when emotions are high, but you can't even own up to it after the fact? What a colossal prick.

So...what is he saying?  That he fell and the whole thing was an unfortunate accident?  If so, what does it matter if "emotions are high."  Or is he saying that he made a dumb decision because his "emotions [were running] high"?  Seems like a mixed message.  Given that he got two games, I'm guessing either he abandoned the whole "oops...I fell into him" argument or DPS didn't buy it (now reading that DPS "emphasized that Benn was in complete control of the play and deliberately chose to execute the dangerous cross-check on a prone player," so I guess it's the latter).

[TheCountOfNYC]

Jamie Benn on the cross-check that led to his game misconduct:

"The game happens fast, emotions are high. Obviously I would have liked to not fall on him and use my stick as a landing point."

I understand in the moment when emotions are high, but you can't even own up to it after the fact? What a colossal prick.

So...what is he saying?  That he fell and the whole thing was an unfortunate accident?  If so, what does it matter if "emotions are high."  Or is he saying that he made a dumb decision because his "emotions [were running] high"?  Seems like a mixed message.  Given that he got two games, I'm guessing either he abandoned the whole "oops...I fell into him" argument or DPS didn't buy it (now reading that DPS "emphasized that Benn was in complete control of the play and deliberately chose to execute the dangerous cross-check on a prone player," so I guess it's the latter).

The lack of accountability is disgusting, and I personally think that should have played a factor in his suspension. He skipped the post game interviews which means he had an entire day to cool off and reflect on the situation, but he still refused to admit he was wrong. That's dirtbag behavior and a more severe punishment should have been handed out to him.

[gmillerdrake]

Tkachuk. Unreal. Kid comes to play.

[Anguyen92]

Frik dude.  He did it again.  Another game-winning goal for Matthew Tkachuk with 4 seconds left to sweep the series.  Three game-winning goals this series.

[KevShmev]

Carolina probably deserved a better fate than being swept, but deserve's got nothing to do with it.  There is no stopping the Panthers.

[gmillerdrake]

Carolina probably deserved a better fate than being swept, but deserve's got nothing to do with it.  There is no stopping the Panthers.

If Vegas is smart they lose the next game intentionally to let Florida sit around longer and cool down. They're on a roll.

[jammindude]

I just think it's wild that they were the lowest point team in the entire league to make the playoffs. They *barely* eeked out the Sabres for Pete's sake!

[jingle.boy]

I just think it's wild that they were the lowest point team in the entire league to make the playoffs. They *barely* eeked out the Sabres for Pete's sake!

And the last team to qualify for the playoffs.

As Friedman repeated a couple of times last night, NONE of this is happening if the Penguins beat the Blackhawks - IN PITTSBURGH!! - on the 3rd last day of the regular season.

And as Calgary fans are quick to point out, Florida finished with less points than the Flames.

[KevShmev]

I still think it is wild that if Marchand had scored on the breakaway at the end of Game 5 in the 1st round (which literally would have been with 1-2 seconds left), the Panthers are eliminated.  Instead, the save is made, they go on to win that game, and have only lost one game since.  Just crazy.

[jingle.boy]

Or if Ullmark doesn't make that bonehead play, maybe Boston wins that game in OT.  I know there are a lot of "ifs" involved (for any team, win or lose), and I'm not diminishing the performance this team is putting on ... but as I mentioned earlier, the Panthers seem to have been the beneficiary of more than their fair share of good fortune over the last 7 weeks.  Some of it they made themselves (eg, Game 5 vs the Bs); some of it had nothing to do with them (eg, Pitt losing to Chi).

Playoff hockey is amazing!

[Stadler]

It's all part of the fabric of playing sports.   I know as a B's fan, there were more than a couple questionable calls (Radko Gudas committed enough felonies to have bail be on the table) but that's the way the game goes.  "If's" don't matter a bit once it happens.  Tkachuk is playing lights out, no question, but it's really the goaltending that's doing it.  In 2023 this is a politically incorrect thing to say, but I'm a VERY big fan of "Russian goaltenders" in the playoffs; those guys are - or can be - ice, and Sergei is certainly that over the last couple weeks.

And as I've said, "Paul Maurice".  It's never "one" or even "two" guys, else the Bruins and the Oilers would still be in it.   Maurice has his guys from Line 1 to Line 4 playing like their lives depend on it.

[gmillerdrake]

I still think it is wild that if Marchand had scored on the breakaway at the end of Game 5 in the 1st round (which literally would have been with 1-2 seconds left), the Panthers are eliminated.  Instead, the save is made, they go on to win that game, and have only lost one game since.  Just crazy.

Which is great     But seriously, yeah....he buries that and the entire playoff landscape is changed.

[billboy73]

What a game last night!  Tkachuk got the last laugh after taking that stick to the nards at the end of the 1st period.  Paul Maurice definitely has the Panthers locker room loose and playing well.  It's always nice motivation when you squeak in the playoffs and no one has you doing anything.  They really are playing well though, especially considering the teams they have taken out.

[pg1067]

What a game last night!  Tkachuk got the last laugh after taking that stick to the nards at the end of the 1st period.  Paul Maurice definitely has the Panthers locker room loose and playing well.  It's always nice motivation when you squeak in the playoffs and no one has you doing anything.  They really are playing well though, especially considering the teams they have taken out.

I was all set for overtime.  I walked out of the room just before Carolina got the power play, and I walked back in to see the flurry in front of the net that preceded the goal.  Crazy stuff.  And I know one of the broadcasters made the comparison to the 2012 Kings, which I've seen a lot of.

Carolina probably deserved a better fate than being swept, but deserve's got nothing to do with it.  There is no stopping the Panthers.

If Vegas is smart they lose the next game intentionally to let Florida sit around longer and cool down. They're on a roll.

SCF starts on June 3 regardless.  Vegas can decide if they prefer rest or rust, but it will have zero impact on how long the Panthers sit around.

[ReaperKK]

Watching the post-game interview with Bobs made me chuckle

Bukaskis: "Was this the loudest you've ever heard this arena?"
Bobs: "Of course it was, it's never been sold out since I came here".

Naturally, that wasn't his answer, but he dodged around it by saying something like 'we have great support from our fans'

I get how fans can be 'fair weather', but that fucking arena looks barely 1/2 full during the regular season, and there were even a lot of empty seats in rounds 1 and 2.  Those fans don't deserve the team that Florida has become this playoff season.

As an ex-floridian and someone who lived in Miami for a stint everything in that area is about as fair weather as it gets with the possible exception of University of Miami football.

Lightning was a different story. I had season tickets for a couple of years and that arena was always at least 3/4 packed and IMO the crowd was more into it than the couple of Leaf's games I've been to.

[gmillerdrake]

SCF starts on June 3 regardless.  Vegas can decide if they prefer rest or rust, but it will have zero impact on how long the Panthers sit around.

Ahh....yeah, I guess it doesn't matter. But, that being said.....Florida waiting until 6/3 to play again only benefits the Knights. I don't see how Florida sitting around and not continuing to ride that momentum while it's fresh helps them at all.

[Anguyen92]

The Panthers on average had about 16,700 people per game for the regular season per hockey-references.  The 7th lowest average attendance in the league.  I'm surprised the Devils are on the lower end of that list.  The team was really good throughout the season, but that building surprisingly does not have a huge capacity.

https://www.hockey-reference.com/friv/attendance.cgi

[SchecterShredder]

SCF starts on June 3 regardless.  Vegas can decide if they prefer rest or rust, but it will have zero impact on how long the Panthers sit around.

Ahh....yeah, I guess it doesn't matter. But, that being said.....Florida waiting until 6/3 to play again only benefits the Knights. I don't see how Florida sitting around and not continuing to ride that momentum while it's fresh helps them at all.

NHL released the SCF schedule today,  and it looks like they'll start on May 31st if Dallas is eliminated after game 5. Otherwise,  they start on June 3rd.

[axeman90210]

The Panthers on average had about 16,700 people per game for the regular season per hockey-references.  The 7th lowest average attendance in the league.  I'm surprised the Devils are on the lower end of that list.  The team was really good throughout the season, but that building surprisingly does not have a huge capacity.

https://www.hockey-reference.com/friv/attendance.cgi

The Devils also got off to a slow start attendance-wise because the team basically hasn't been good for a decade and wasn't expected to be good this year. Toom a while for the ticket sales to catch up with performance.

[pg1067]

SCF starts on June 3 regardless.  Vegas can decide if they prefer rest or rust, but it will have zero impact on how long the Panthers sit around.

Ahh....yeah, I guess it doesn't matter. But, that being said.....Florida waiting until 6/3 to play again only benefits the Knights. I don't see how Florida sitting around and not continuing to ride that momentum while it's fresh helps them at all.

NHL released the SCF schedule today,  and it looks like they'll start on May 31st if Dallas is eliminated after game 5. Otherwise,  they start on June 3rd.

Interesting.  That's a surprisingly smart move by the league.


Also, I'm guessing those attendance numbers are tickets sold and not actual attendance.

[SchecterShredder]

SCF starts on June 3 regardless.  Vegas can decide if they prefer rest or rust, but it will have zero impact on how long the Panthers sit around.

Ahh....yeah, I guess it doesn't matter. But, that being said.....Florida waiting until 6/3 to play again only benefits the Knights. I don't see how Florida sitting around and not continuing to ride that momentum while it's fresh helps them at all.

NHL released the SCF schedule today,  and it looks like they'll start on May 31st if Dallas is eliminated after game 5. Otherwise,  they start on June 3rd.

Interesting.  That's a surprisingly smart move by the league.


Also, I'm guessing those attendance numbers are tickets sold and not actual attendance.

That was the very first thought i had after reading about it.

[jingle.boy]

SCF starts on June 3 regardless.  Vegas can decide if they prefer rest or rust, but it will have zero impact on how long the Panthers sit around.

Ahh....yeah, I guess it doesn't matter. But, that being said.....Florida waiting until 6/3 to play again only benefits the Knights. I don't see how Florida sitting around and not continuing to ride that momentum while it's fresh helps them at all.

NHL released the SCF schedule today,  and it looks like they'll start on May 31st if Dallas is eliminated after game 5. Otherwise,  they start on June 3rd.

Interesting.  That's a surprisingly smart move by the league.


Also, I'm guessing those attendance numbers are tickets sold and not actual attendance.

Came in here to post this exactly.

[Anguyen92]

Here we are thinking, Benn got ejected two minutes in Game three, Stars get clobbered, Benn gets suspended for two games, Stars is going to lose one of the two and the series is over right?  Nope, there will be a Game 6, meaning that no matter what, the Cup Finals starts on June 3rd.  Now the intriguing question would be with the suspension over, will the Stars scratch Jamie Benn or not?  Finally got some pep in their step after winning two games this series.

[gmillerdrake]

It's crap he's getting a chance to keep playing anyway.

[jingle.boy]

Here we are thinking, Benn got ejected two minutes in Game three, Stars get clobbered, Benn gets suspended for two games, Stars is going to lose one of the two and the series is over right?  Nope, there will be a Game 6, meaning that no matter what, the Cup Finals starts on June 3rd.  Now the intriguing question would be with the suspension over, will the Stars scratch Jamie Benn or not?  Finally got some pep in their step after winning two games this series.

There is precisely 0% chance of scratching a $9.5M player.  There's an equal chance that Vegas scratches Stone since they've lost the last 2 in a row.

[KevShmev]

It is hard to root for Dallas after that nonsense by both Benn and their fans in Game 3, but this will be hilarious if Vegas somehow totally collapses and loses the series.

[Stadler]

Loving that Dallas win; playoff hockey is playoff hockey.  I can't stand Butch Cassidy and the whole idea of "Vegas" as a sports Mecca bugs me (I'm still not at all comfortable with the explosion of on-line gambling and the way so many ACTIVE athletes are cashing in on it.  Mark my words, trouble is a-brewin'!). 

Florida-Dallas ALL THE WAY!!!!!!

[TAC]

  I can't stand Butch Cassidy

[KevShmev]

Nice work by the Stars last night.

And the Finals really don't start till Saturday?? WTF?

[billboy73]

Ugh, of course the finals don't start till June 3rd...

Besides the long wait, I am excited for this series.  I'll take Panthers in 6.

[pg1067]

I guess the NHL drew the short straw and didn't want to compete with the NBA Finals starting on Thursday, but why not Friday?  There isn't anything else scheduled at T-Mobile Arena that day.  Maybe they knew I was going to see Helloween on Friday and wanted to make sure I could watch game 1.  The league built in extra travel days between games 2/3, 4/5, 5/6 and 6/7, so a potential game 7 won't be until June 19.

[TAC]

The Bruins made damn sure I had no conflicts for my Helloween show.

[KevShmev]

The Bruins made damn sure I had no conflicts for my Helloween show.

Did you send them a thank you card?