2021 NHL Playoffs 1st Round

[LabattBlue]

22 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Refs screwed Florida. Listening to these league friendly announcers makes it all seem rigged for Tampa. It's such an obvious cheat on the cap. There is absolutely no way Kucherov JUST came off injury. Guy is in peak form. He must have been ready a month ago or more. Total cheat. 

Tampa for me is officially the Patriots of the NHL. ANYBODY but Tampa that's my choice for the cup. 

and Montour looked decent.  wtf?

Why no cap in the playoffs?  Fix the loophole Bettman! 😡

[Curt]

39 minutes ago, SwampD said:

It is delusional, though. Fancy stats don’t mean dick in the playoffs when someone is smashing your face. There is no one currently on the Sabres better at tying up an opposing forward going into the corner to retrieve a puck (even if it’s a teammate that eventually gets it.) No stat for that. Let’s trade him.

That play actually will have a positive impact on “fancy stats”.

[PerreaultForever]

36 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Why no cap in the playoffs?  Fix the loophole Bettman! 😡

At the very least you should have to have cap compliance for your game roster. So maybe your taxi squad puts you over but the guys on the ice have to fit in the cap. So if you dress Kucherov suddenly you have to sit out Stamkos or somebody. 

No way that team should have been able to add Savard to that line up and then bring in the long term injury guys as well.  Ridiculous abuse of the rules and overtly obvious. This is worse than when Chicago cheated with the Hossa contract. 

[SwampD]

32 minutes ago, Curt said:

That play actually will have a positive impact on “fancy stats”.

Link?

[Curt]

13 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Link?

[Zamboni]

Funny how all the information that’s easily available nowadays …  fans still ignorantly think any “issues” regarding the league rules, league punishments, league salary cap, and other things are the sole fault of Bettman. 😂

[Hoss]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Funny how all the information that’s easily available nowadays …  fans still ignorantly think any “issues” regarding the league rules, league punishments, league salary cap, and other things are the sole fault of Bettman. 😂

He’s the one you can point to pretty easily, though. He’s in charge of the whole league so inconsistencies fall on him.

[Thorner]

9 hours ago, SwampD said:

I won’t be holding my breath.
 

For any of it.

Everything I've seen with Ristolainen leads me to believe they are setting it up to deal him at the deadline next season to the highest bidder for that team's playoff run, when his cap hit is less of a concern

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Everything I've seen with Ristolainen leads me to believe they are setting it up to deal him at the deadline next season to the highest bidder for that team's playoff run, when his cap hit is less of a concern

I agree this is the most likely situation. It also may max his value.

The expansion draft may create a situation where we can trade him to a team with blueline space and a forward squeeze, but I haven't seen one presented.

Right now it stands in the way of most teams wanting to add a blue liner.

Also, don't shut the door on him being included in an Eichel or Renihart package. He seems like a potentially attractive option to teams like LA and Calgary

[inkman]

On 5/15/2021 at 9:07 PM, DarthEbriate said:

I can hypocritically state that although I don't want to wish ill-health upon anyone, I also wouldn't mind if Marchand and Wilson licked and punched each other into injuries that resulted in lost time from both the hurt as well as the suspensions and ridicule.

I will always wish ill will on Brad Marchand.  He’s a terrible person.  I don’t care about any acts of kindness he performs, his on ice antics are the bed he made.  Now go to sleep Brad Marchand.  

[Flashsabre]

Bennett needs to sit for a long time. That hit was disgusting and could have ended a career if not worse.

 

And I hate TB for the cap b.s. and Kucherov miraculously coming back for game 1 in prime form.

[spndnchz]

That Panthers/lightning game was Awesome. 

[Kruppstahl]

Who else watched the Battle of Florida?

Pure excitement and intensity for 60 minutes; the gap between now and the regular season is a gigantic problem for the NHL IMO.  Regular season = unwatchable; playoffs = epic; they should try to balance it out a bit.

3 good games tonight! 

 

 

 

[thewookie1]

50 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Who else watched the Battle of Florida?

Pure excitement and intensity for 60 minutes; the gap between now and the regular season is a gigantic problem for the NHL IMO.  Regular season = unwatchable; playoffs = epic; they should try to balance it out a bit.

3 good games tonight! 

 

 

 

Sadly that really isn't possible. Playoff hockey isn't something teams could handle for 82 games, they can barely make it 28. The regular season is a jog where as the playoffs are a sprint the finish.

Also I'd disagree the regular season is unwatchable, while the Sabres have been bad I have found plenty of entertainment bouncing around on the hockey package watching an odd assortment of games. (My father is a Blackhawks fan hence the need.) There are typically a couple snoozers but also a couple fun games as well most nights.

Edited May 17, 2021 by thewookie1

[steveoath]

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Even on our ex-players squad they're trying to make MoJo a center again...  And Lazar can't beat Staal out of the lineup???

[DarthEbriate]

Didn't get a chance to watch FLA-TB game 1, so just doing a quick look today....  This is why our team needs desperately to make the playoffs. To understand the passion, the craziness, the physicality of every shift and shot. The last half decade when other teams want to, they take it up another gear against us. And we almost never have had a response. I would say sometime the Granato team did, and sometimes the Byslma-Eichel-rookie year did, particularly in the second half of the season when there were some comeback wins. But --- this FLA-TB game 1 --- this is two gears above anything the Sabres saw in the regular season. And they need to make the playoffs so they can experience this and learn from it and become comfortable with it.

[Slack_in_MA]

Anyone see our old friend Curtis Lazar get launched over the boards into the bench by Tom Wilson? What a hit.

[bob_sauve28]

Face off win = goal 

[bob_sauve28]

I noticed Sheary doesn’t get knocked down on the ice as much as he did with Sabres 

[LabattBlue]

3 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I noticed Sheary doesn’t get knocked down on the ice as much as he did with Sabres 

Double runners?

[darksabre]

The Canes look a lot like they did last year: a team that plays the game right but seems to be missing one crucial something or other that would put them over the top. We'll see how the series plays out but I wouldn't be surprised if they get bounced again.

[Andrew Amerk]

Not really a fair call there against Wilson. 

Now Mantha is getting a penalty for taking a high stick to the head from that dirty Marchand? 

Refs favoring the Bruins is beyond old. 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Andrew Amerk

[Andrew Amerk]

And Bruins get away with a couple more sticks to the head, courtesy of Smith. 

[Hoss]

14 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Not really a fair call there against Wilson. 

Now Mantha is getting a penalty for taking a high stick to the head from that dirty Marchand? 

Refs favoring the Bruins is beyond old. 

There have been multiple weird calls to get the Bruins out of going a man down here.