Stanley Cup Playoffs 2020 Thread

[Gabrielor]

I'll likely be cheering for the leafs in game 5.

That'll equate to a 0% chance at Lafreniere shenanigans, and very-very likely a first round matchup vs. Tampa Bay. Gimme.

[ubkev]

Warning: Hockey players having fun.

 

[Gabrielor]

4 hours ago, Gabrielor said:

I'll likely be cheering for the leafs in game 5.

That'll equate to a 0% chance at Lafreniere shenanigans, and very-very likely a first round matchup vs. Tampa Bay. Gimme.

I miscalculated, but not by much.

 

The loser of the Tampa Philly game tonight will play either Columbus or Toronto.

 

Go Flyers. (either Tampa eats Toronto, or I get to watch Tampa/Jackets again. Win win)

Edited August 9, 2020 by Gabrielor

[bob_sauve28]

Flyers look real good 

[bob_sauve28]

Victor Hedman out, Tampa is screwed 

[WildCard]

56 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Victor Hedman out, Tampa is screwed 

Feed me Cirelli

[Wyldnwoody44]

Flyers went into turtle mode and still dominated 

[FogBat]

On 8/6/2020 at 8:18 PM, Andrew Amerk said:

Nah, seemed more of an observation of the NHL trying to keep the wound purposely in a tomb. 
 

Bettman will never come out and directly say a mistake was made 20 years ago, but it seems like he consciously knows it was one. 

An admission that he’ll probably take with him to the grave.

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Flyers look real good 

They really do don't they. Solid and deep. They could go far.

I cannot cheer for Toronto under any circumstances so I hope the Jackets still knock them off and let Nashville win the lottery. Not that I like Nashville, just less relevant to us.

[sabresparaavida]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

They really do don't they. Solid and deep. They could go far.

I cannot cheer for Toronto under any circumstances so I hope the Jackets still knock them off and let Nashville win the lottery. Not that I like Nashville, just less relevant to us.

I'm kind of rooting for Winnipeg- they're already stacked at wing, and that might free up someone to get sent out.

[LTS]

On 8/7/2020 at 10:39 PM, Andrew Amerk said:

Yes, but this isn’t 24 teams making the playoffs, only 16/31. 
 

This is more of an extension of the regular season to determine which of the teams 9-24 in a best of 5 series deserve to battle 1-8 for the Cup in actual playoffs. 
 

Seeing seeds 23 and 24 advance in this current experiment has me wondering if the NHL actually accidentally stumbled upon something. 

Hockey didn't stumble upon this.  The NCAA began the concept of a play-in game a few years ago. It's just another way of pulling in more money and it's garbage. 

It's a playoff because the team that loses is done for good. But 16 teams from the middle playing each other is just too much variance. It makes the regular season damn near meaningless and it extends the overall season when the overall season is probably too long already.

In any elimination series or game the lower seed has a chance to knock out the higher seed by getting hot, a few lucky bounces, an injury here or there.  The reason you play the whole regular season is to allow those teams that deserve a shot at the championship to prove that while overcoming a hot opponent, a lucky bounce, or an injury here or there.

As it stands now the top 16 provides enough of a chance for the lower seed to make a significant impact and win (ask the Kings). It's why teams shouldn't go all out to be the top seed because it usually means expending too much energy in the regular season and ultimately getting bounced in the playoffs.  There's no advantage in the NHL for being the best team in the conference.  You want to talk about giving byes to the top seeds, that would be a place to start.  Have the lower seeds play for a shot to continue on while the top seeds rest up. Not sure I like that idea either.. but it's a damn sight better than the top 24 making it.

 

[pastajoe]

17 hours ago, dudacek said:

Lehner is Tim Murray for me in a nutshell: he had an eye for spotting talent, but not a clue how to nourish or blend it.

It’s not Murray’s fault that Lehner had a drug and drinking problem.

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, pastajoe said:

It’s not Murray’s fault that Lehner had a drug and drinking problem.

Surely part of Murray's job was to find this out and either nip it in the bud of not trade for him in the first place.

9 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

They really do don't they. Solid and deep. They could go far.

And here is why I opposed the tank and then the premature trades to accelerate the rebuild.

We did not need to have good play rewarded with a trade while, by negative inference, bad play was punished with a place in Buffalo.  (According to Gionta, Foligno, Zemgus, and Larry, that was how players joked about it on the bench.)

We have not had organisational depth nor good ensemble play starting with the tank year -- regardless of the GM and Coach.

I believe that high expectations, ensemble play, good centers, chemistry on defence, gritty depth, and good goaltending can make a team a Cup threat for years.  The tank violated the first two.  The aftermath with our GM's has been violating those two and at least two of the other four each season.

[Andrew Amerk]

8 hours ago, LTS said:

Hockey didn't stumble upon this.  The NCAA began the concept of a play-in game a few years ago. It's just another way of pulling in more money and it's garbage. 

It's a playoff because the team that loses is done for good. But 16 teams from the middle playing each other is just too much variance. It makes the regular season damn near meaningless and it extends the overall season when the overall season is probably too long already.

In any elimination series or game the lower seed has a chance to knock out the higher seed by getting hot, a few lucky bounces, an injury here or there.  The reason you play the whole regular season is to allow those teams that deserve a shot at the championship to prove that while overcoming a hot opponent, a lucky bounce, or an injury here or there.

As it stands now the top 16 provides enough of a chance for the lower seed to make a significant impact and win (ask the Kings). It's why teams shouldn't go all out to be the top seed because it usually means expending too much energy in the regular season and ultimately getting bounced in the playoffs.  There's no advantage in the NHL for being the best team in the conference.  You want to talk about giving byes to the top seeds, that would be a place to start.  Have the lower seeds play for a shot to continue on while the top seeds rest up. Not sure I like that idea either.. but it's a damn sight better than the top 24 making it.

 

The regular season is already damn near meaningless, no harm in extending it another 3-5 games for the 9-24 qualifiers. 
 

We all know Bettman would enjoy the extra income from it - it’s why we are doing it this season. 

[Randall Flagg]

Kinda bummed, not feeling great about the Stars being able to crush the Flames 

[Wyldnwoody44]

I'm so torn on this game right now 

[Andrew Amerk]

Toronto is gonna get smoked and I can only pray they don’t land that top pick. 

[Wyldnwoody44]

Bye bye Leaves 

[DarthEbriate]

And another team of offensive stars is down. The Leafs drop.

[Andrew Amerk]

2 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Toronto is gonna get smoked and I can only pray they don’t land that top pick. 

Told y’all. 

[carpandean]

Just to clarify ... we can say that the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs, right?

[BagBoy]

Wow.  Korpisalo was great tonight.  CBJ in general was great actually.  I will be horrified if TOR gets the top pick due to this loss, but I'm absolutely loving it right now!

 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

Just now, carpandean said:

Just to clarify ... we can say that the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs, right?

You can say that but I'm sure someone will argue with you.

[Zamboni]

[Marvin]

2 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

And another team of offensive stars is down. The Leafs drop.

It's a paradoxical cliche, but: all other things equal, offence can win games but defence can win championships.