Stanley Cup Playoffs 2020 Thread

[SwampD]

I hate Tampa, but they are a much tougher team that they have been in the past.

if they win this year, which I think they will, it won’t be because of their skill (they’ve been skilled for a long time.) it will be because of their toughness.
 

I hate the team I love.

[Andrew Amerk]

Pretty interesting to hear Steve Weekes advocating for NYI to go attack the top TBL players next game. 

Thought that was something that the NHL was trying to get away from, maybe?

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Pretty interesting to hear Steve Weekes advocating for NYI to go attack the top TBL players next game. 

Thought that was something that the NHL was trying to get away from, maybe?

What would make you think that?

It’s called playoff hockey.

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

The trade of a 1st round pick for him did no good either: he had to be the 2nd coming of Dominik Hasek to quiet some of the boo-birds.  That had to weigh on the team in general and him in particular.  I can imagine him thinking that he was never going to get mentally healthy in Buffalo.

the way he's playing now it also kind of shows that Murray was not wrong about assessing his talent and potential as a #1 goalie, but obviously he failed to assess his character (at the time) and his issues. 

 

2 hours ago, SwampD said:

I hate Tampa, but they are a much tougher team that they have been in the past.

if they win this year, which I think they will, it won’t be because of their skill (they’ve been skilled for a long time.) it will be because of their toughness.
 

I hate the team I love.

Definitely, and proving the old point I tend to harp on that you need a balanced hockey team to be really good. We need talent, a 2C most definitely, but also size and toughness down the roster. 

[sabremike]

2 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Pretty interesting to hear Steve Weekes advocating for NYI to go attack the top TBL players next game. 

Thought that was something that the NHL was trying to get away from, maybe?

The Sabres players and coaching staff seeing Dahlin laying in a pool of his own blood after being hit with an elbow by some troglodyte punk that would've been illegal in MMA and doing ***** all about it was just about the single most shameful moment in franchise history. That was the point where I really turned on Kreuger and want him to piss off back to that third rate league in Europe where he belongs.

[bunomatic]

One could argue that the final four all play a heavy style. I likey.

[Claude Balls]

1 hour ago, bunomatic said:

One could argue that the final four all play a heavy style. I likey.

Hopefully Kevyn Adams is paying attention and not asleep at the wheel. Sabres have been the pantywaist of the NHL for quite a few years now. I'll take a Tom Wilson, Matt Martin or Ryan Reeves any day. 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Claude Balls

[Stoner]

I feel like the recent iterations of the Lightning are the 1990-1993 Bills. The Bills were magical and pulled off stuff like that all the time  — until it really mattered.

[LTS]

21 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

It's the details I'm questioning and there is no answer so we can let it go. The WHEN is important as is the depth of understanding. Also, did the organization really try to help or did they prefer the easier path of just a handshake and a best wishes goodbye. 

I can understand why they might prefer the goodbye approach (and Lehner was not JBot's guy) but a team that chooses to stick by their people and help them, keep them, bring them closer in, that might be a team with a better culture. More of a family feeling than a corporate one. 

I would agree that I would have liked Buffalo to shown some support by keeping him around.

[Trettioåtta]

8 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

Hopefully Kevyn Adams is paying attention and not asleep at the wheel. Sabres have been the pantywaist of the NHL for quite a few years now. I'll take a Tom Wilson, Matt Martin or Ryan Reeves any day. 

This is the classic failing of seeing what the winners do one year and trying to copy them the following year. A couple years back everyone was talking about getting faster and quicker (because the Pens were that and had won back to backs).

I strongly believe you win through a combination of luck (players getting hot) and having a strong team identity - i.e. the team knows what sort of hockey they can play to win games and have the confidence to stick to their game when behind.

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Trettioåtta said:

This is the classic failing of seeing what the winners do one year and trying to copy them the following year. A couple years back everyone was talking about getting faster and quicker (because the Pens were that and had won back to backs).

Not everyone 🙂

In general Stanley Cup winners are teams with great goaltending first and foremost,  then very good specialty teams (both), and then a deep balanced lineup that can overcome injuries and has the ability to endure or adjust to an opponent. So a talented fast team doesn't have to be super tough or anything, but if they are facing a physical team they need enough toughness to counter that and vice versa. 

This year is slightly different in the depth department since everyone came in pretty much rested and healthy. Usually the playoffs are after the long grind and depth is more important. 

Trends come and go, as you said, but one dimensional teams rarely win it all (if ever). 

[Andrew Amerk]

When did SUH-KARA become SEK-ARUH?

 

[Marvin]

36 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:

When did SUH-KARA become SEK-ARUH?

When he went to Edmonton.

[Andrew Amerk]

Well at least the hockey game is more interesting than the Mahomes game. 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Andrew Amerk

[Thorner]

That was a bit of a bad goal from Lehner. 

This playoffs has made me realize I still hate Dallas 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Thorny

[BagBoy]

1 hour ago, Andrew Amerk said:

When did SUH-KARA become SEK-ARUH?

 

For the same reason we North Americans are not very good at accepting cultures that are foreign to us.  For example, Kucherov is not pronounced KOO-cher-ov in Russian,  It is pronounced koo-CHAIR-ov.  And the Russian president's name is not pronounced PU-tin, but rather poo-TINE, just like the wonderful Quebecois snack!

[sabremike]

Me at the thought of a Tampa-Dallas final:

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, sabremike said:

Me at the thought of a Tampa-Dallas final:

I pretty much feel that way about all 4. If I have to pick I prefer Vegas, but really don't care. 

[Doohicksie]

 

[Zamboni]

Niiiiice 

 

Isles are looking good this game.

[Claude Balls]

Nikita Kucherov is a scumbag

[SwampD]

5 minutes ago, Claude Balls said:

Nikita Kucherov is a scumbag

Yeah. That hack had a little extra on it.

 

I’d love him on the Sabres.

[Huckleberry]

3 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

Nikita Kucherov is a scumbag

That entire lightning team plays dirty, hope Islanders win this series.

[spndnchz]

Lehner 5 for 5

[Wyldnwoody44]

Meanwhile we need a seeing eye dog