Round Three:2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs The Conference Finals

[#freejame]

12 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Out of 42 goalies who started at least 20 games, Ullmark is tied for 40th with Copley and Bishop. Hutton is tied for 33rd with Domingue, Nilsson, and Crawford. Those are some atrocious save percentages. Again I think Phil Housley had one of the worst defensive zone structures in the league but still that is basement level gt and even mildly competent GT would have helped. 

Binnington ranked 4th while Allen was tied for 40th. That's how you get the Blues from basement to Conference Finals. Granted why the GT is good is more nuanced but still interesting to see. 

Bishop as in Ben type? He’s such a stud against Buffalo that I just assume he’s always on. 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Out of 42 goalies who started at least 20 games, Ullmark is tied for 40th with Copley and Bishop. Hutton is tied for 33rd with Domingue, Nilsson, and Crawford. Those are some atrocious save percentages. Again I think Phil Housley had one of the worst defensive zone structures in the league but still that is basement level gt and even mildly competent GT would have helped. 

Binnington ranked 4th while Allen was tied for 40th. That's how you get the Blues from basement to Conference Finals. Granted why the GT is good is more nuanced but still interesting to see. 

I don't believe that GT would have made as big a difference with us. It was our bottom 9 and D-zone play moreso the problem. The Blues on the other hand had much more talent and depth that a GT could make that difference. Or same for a coaching change. Our GT may have been better if we had more upfront talent to support them and better D-zone play by both Dmen and support from forwards. I think the 10g streak shows that. Having confidence in your goalies works if you have the talent in front of them. 

[Doohicksie]

25 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Out of 42 goalies who started at least 20 games, Ullmark is tied for 40th with Copley and Bishop. Hutton is tied for 33rd with Domingue, Nilsson, and Crawford. Those are some atrocious save percentages. Again I think Phil Housley had one of the worst defensive zone structures in the league but still that is basement level gt and even mildly competent GT would have helped. 

Binnington ranked 4th while Allen was tied for 40th. That's how you get the Blues from basement to Conference Finals. Granted why the GT is good is more nuanced but still interesting to see. 

Not that I disagree with you, but you mention Bishop:  He was a fluky overtime goal away from being that Conference Finals goalie, and the only reason the Stars even had a shot was because of his heroics up to, and including, Game 7 (in which he made 51 saves on 53 shots for a .962 save percentage).

[LGR4GM]

20 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Bishop as in Ben type? He’s such a stud against Buffalo that I just assume he’s always on. 

Wait, sorry sorry. I had a typo. Jake Allen not Ben Bishop. Bishop is at a .934% sorry again. Will fix.

5 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Not that I disagree with you, but you mention Bishop:  He was a fluky overtime goal away from being that Conference Finals goalie, and the only reason the Stars even had a shot was because of his heroics up to, and including, Game 7 (in which he made 51 saves on 53 shots for a .962 save percentage).

Bishop was a typo, sorry about that. I ***** that up. 

[Doohicksie]

Oopsie.  ?

[Wyldnwoody44]

It really really sucks watching Boston/Carolina and having to try and root for one. 

I'm torn, Carolina already has a cup and they beat us doing it. 

Boston has cups and Boston fans are early insufferable.... Also... Milbury. 

I don't like them at all, so my only hope is to wish for the better team out west to smack them around (I don't mind st Louis or SJ) I own both teams jerseys. 

Someone from the west please win. 

 

 

Also then we'll get to gripe about ROR or Kane winning a cup ?

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Poor system = bad coach.

And I did some reading on the Blues forum.  The fan base clearly felt that Jake Allen's time had come and gone.  He was viewed much the same as we viewed Lehner. 

True.  Binington was the key to the turnaround.  He won a lot of games during their big win streak, he had a bunch of shutouts and one goal games. 

Berube came in and really pushed the young guys.  He gave ice time to whoever deserved it.  All of a sudden everyone wants to play is fighting for ice time and  playing good hockey.  Now the coach has 4 good lines to roll.  Big advantage in playoffs - 4 lines and a stud goalie.  

[Doohicksie]

46 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

He gave ice time to whoever deserved it.  All of a sudden everyone wants to play is fighting for ice time and  playing good hockey.

This is what the Sabres have been lacking for years.

[North Buffalo]

Oof, no playoff hockey tonight... feeling a little joansey tonight... it is going to be a looong off season.  How soon to rookie training camp?  Oh yeh and the draft... sigh... October til real games is a long time.

[Eleven]

23 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

 

 

 

Also then we'll get to gripe about ROR or Kane winning a cup ?

I'm rooting for Saint Louis just to watch this site burn.

[Zamboni]

27 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I'm rooting for Saint Louis just to watch this site burn.

I won’t mind STL winning because I’ve always liked ROR since he was drafted. And it’s a cool story of a team going from 31st to cup contenders.

I won’t mind SJS winning because i’d Like to see Thornton raise a cup. And I’ve always liked Pavelski since he was drafted.

I don’t want to see BOS or CAR win it. 

[dudacek]

St. Louis has always been my West team; I think it’s the blue and gold. And San Jose has always been another franchise I kinda like.

Now that the draft pick issue is moot, I’ll be actively rooting for one of them to win it all.

[Weave]

Just now, dudacek said:

St. Louis has always been my West team; I think it’s the blue and gold. And San Jose has always been another franchise I kinda like.

Now that the draft pick issue is moot, I’ll be actively rooting for one of them to win it all.

I’ve always had a soft spot for StL as well.  I’m good with them being the next 1st time winner.

[Stoner]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

St. Louis has always been my West team; I think it’s the blue and gold. And San Jose has always been another franchise I kinda like.

Now that the draft pick issue is moot, I’ll be actively rooting for one of them to win it all.

There are many parallels with Buffalo. I'd almost say the Blues crowd is very Buffalo-esque. Focused, tense, dare I say quiet? Old-school.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I'm annoyed that the sharks were gifted the first round still, I think Colorado would have taken the knights and we'd be looking at a different situation now. 

Alas, Tis hockey, but still, that call completely changed the landscape of the west. 

Let's go Blues. Let's go ROR even though you love the sauce a bit more than most, I still want ya to win. 

[Pimlach]

Nice goal for Blues. Corture crushed on the play.  

[Pimlach]

Two man advantage for Sharks.  Damm

Pavelski with shot and two more rebounds shots with puck in air.  

[Wyldnwoody44]

I think the stripes are terrible, there was a clear penalty on the sharks before that slash. 

Sharks really getting some luck in these playoffs 

[SwampD]

That was a fun first period.

[...]

I understand it's the playoffs, but I can't get over how dirty of a game the Blues play.

Also, according to my eyes, either the Blues are a larger than average team, or the Sharks are a smaller than average team.

[PromoTheRobot]

Do you consider this series a battle of Expansion 6 franchises? I do.

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I'm annoyed that the sharks were gifted the first round still, I think Colorado would have taken the knights and we'd be looking at a different situation now. 

Alas, Tis hockey, but still, that call completely changed the landscape of the west. 

Let's go Blues. Let's go ROR even though you love the sauce a bit more than most, I still want ya to win. 

Ya, it honestly annoys me a bit too. They have an asterisk, to me. 

There's no doubt the entire situation still required a Vegas collapse to happen, so in that sense Vegas still blew it, but there's no question that without that botched call, the Sharks don't win that series. It was over. 

Maybe it ultimately comes down to, "well, SOMEONE has to win it", and they've been winning since, but still. They should have been eliminated in the first round. 

[Wyldnwoody44]

16 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Ya, it honestly annoys me a bit too. They have an asterisk, to me. 

There's no doubt the entire situation still required a Vegas collapse to happen, so in that sense Vegas still blew it, but there's no question that without that botched call, the Sharks don't win that series. It was over. 

Maybe it ultimately comes down to, "well, SOMEONE has to win it", and they've been winning since, but still. They should have been eliminated in the first round. 

The thing is, the sharks have looked good since, so is Vegas really that good? Or did they just match up well?

 

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

The thing is, the sharks have looked good since, so is Vegas really that good? Or did they just match up well?

 

I thought Vegas was going to the final before they lost. I think the Sharks are a really good team. And Vegas should have beat them. 

Meier is such a good player. SJ have gotta be happy they turned down that "deal that could have been" that CBC just mentioned, where they'd have lost that Meier pick and Hertl to STL for Shattenkirk and Oshie. 

---

Ralph Krueger in mix for Sabres coaching job, per Friedman. Don't really know who that is. 

Says Tippett is "still around". 

Edited May 12, 2019 by Thorny

[PromoTheRobot]

42 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I thought Vegas was going to the final before they lost. I think the Sharks are a really good team. And Vegas should have beat them. 

Meier is such a good player. SJ have gotta be happy they turned down that "deal that could have been" that CBC just mentioned, where they'd have lost that Meier pick and Hertl to STL for Shattenkirk and Oshie. 

---

Ralph Krueger in mix for Sabres coaching job, per Friedman. Don't really know who that is. 

Says Tippett is "still around". 

Isn't Krueger a British soccer guy?