2021 NHL Playoffs 2nd Round

[Hawerchuk]

It was great to see Toronto lose last night in that game 7. Montreal beat those odds. Incredible.

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, Thorny said:

FTFY.

Also, Crosby and Malkin say "hello"

and FUVM.

Jeff Skinner waves back at you.

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Weave said:

I think what it proves is that there is more than 1 successful model in the league.

There is, but I think it definitely proves you won't get there relying on outscoring the opposition with a few big offensive stars. To win in the playoffs you also need great goaltending more than anything else, at least one and more likely two solid big minute D pairings and a shutdown center and/or line.   

If you give all your money to 4 forwards there's not enough left for the rest of that. 

[Norcal]

I love how teams get picked apart when they get eliminated from the playoffs. 

No depth, couldn't score, contracts, coaching, goaltending etc all need to be better. 

Isn't that the same things that are wrong with the non playoff teams? 

Such a thin line. 

Making the playoffs should never be the goal.

I hope when the Sabres get there they blow right through the first round and don't look back. 

 

[Norcal]

 

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Norcal said:

I love how teams get picked apart when they get eliminated from the playoffs. 

No depth, couldn't score, contracts, coaching, goaltending etc all need to be better. 

Isn't that the same things that are wrong with the non playoff teams? 

Such a thin line. 

Making the playoffs should never be the goal.

I hope when the Sabres get there they blow right through the first round and don't look back. 

 

This is what I'm trying to preach about culture and how to build this bottom to top instead of top down and thus why we should in fact trade all of Eichel, Reinhart and Risto, start over and do it right. 

Montreal was built for the playoffs rather than the regular season. They probably won't get past Winnipeg who can also play playoff hockey but it's a better approach than Toronto's. Babcock was not wrong. 

[Eleven]

46 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

This is what I'm trying to preach about culture and how to build this bottom to top instead of top down and thus why we should in fact trade all of Eichel, Reinhart and Risto, start over and do it right. 

Montreal was built for the playoffs rather than the regular season. They probably won't get past Winnipeg who can also play playoff hockey but it's a better approach than Toronto's. Babcock was not wrong. 

Montreal is not "built for the playoffs."  Montreal has Carey Price.  That team isn't going to beat freaking Winnipeg (as you say) because Hellebyuck is better than Price.  And that's it.  And whichever one comes out of it is going to face a reckoning from a team that IS built for the playoffs.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Eleven

[Gatorman0519]

Toronto is a Ferrari. Unfortunately for them the playoffs is more like a smash up derby than a race. 

[Eleven]

I don't know who is commenting the TB-CAR game, but she's better than most NBC color commenters and is a LOT better than Rob Ray.

[BagBoy]

10 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I don't know who is commenting the TB-CAR game, but she's better than most NBC color commenters and is a LOT better than Rob Ray.

I literally just came here to post the same thing.  I'm pretty sure it is AJ Mleczko.

[Eleven]

2 minutes ago, BagBoy said:

I literally just came here to post the same thing.  I'm pretty sure it is AJ Mleczko.

How does one pronounce that?

And her accent is harsh, but her comments are right on.  I do need a little more Canadian lilt in the accent, though.  Maybe we can get dudacek to work with her or something.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Eleven

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

How does one pronounce that?

And her accent is harsh, but her comments are right on.  I do need a little more Canadian lilt in the accent, though.  Maybe we can get dudacek to work with her or something.

mil-LETCH-ko?

[triumph_communes]

I don’t understand how any Buffalo fan doesn’t understand that hot goaltending 100% dictates playoff performance.  Every year. 

[Eleven]

6 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

I don’t understand how any Buffalo fan doesn’t understand that hot goaltending 100% dictates playoff performance.  Every year. 

There is a cadre here that thinks that building from the net out fell out of fashion.

It didn't.

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

mil-LETCH-ko?

If she can afford The Taft School and Harvard, she can afford a vowel.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Eleven

[Zamboni]

Nice job TB 👍🏼

[BagBoy]

I heard mil-Letch-ko, too.  She's from Mass.  Nantucket to be exact.

[PromoTheRobot]

11 minutes ago, Eleven said:

There is a cadre here that thinks that building from the net out fell out of fashion.

It didn't.

If she can afford The Taft School and Harvard, she can afford a vowel.

It's Russian for "milk."

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's Russian for "milk."

No it isn't.  Unless it's been changed via dialect.  I only know basic Russian, but I know that the word is moloko, and not "mi-LETCH-ko."

[BagBoy]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's Russian for "milk."

You haven't seen A Clockwork Orange.

Edited June 2, 2021 by BagBoy

[PromoTheRobot]

3 minutes ago, Eleven said:

No it isn't.  Unless it's been changed via dialect.  I only know basic Russian, but I know that the word is moloko, and not "mi-LETCH-ko."

 

2 minutes ago, BagBoy said:

You haven't seen Clockwork Orange.

Maybe it's a variation of Polish. MLECK-oh is Polish for milk. MLELTCH-ko is a diminutive tense, as in a "small" milk.  I used to speak it better but moving away from Buffalo I've lost most of it.

[#freejame]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

I don't know who is commenting the TB-CAR game, but she's better than most NBC color commenters and is a LOT better than Rob Ray.

Assuming she is an adult, she likely understands proper elevator etiquette as well. My Sabres fandom hangs by a thread so long as Rob Ray is still associated whatsoever. I think the best solution is to stop allowing South Buffalo to follow the Sabres and then there will be nobody left who likes Rob Ray.  

[LTS]

2 hours ago, Eleven said:

I don't know who is commenting the TB-CAR game, but she's better than most NBC color commenters and is a LOT better than Rob Ray.

 

2 hours ago, BagBoy said:

I literally just came here to post the same thing.  I'm pretty sure it is AJ Mleczko.

I remember catching one of her first games.  She wasn't very good and I think the twitterverse slammed NBC for using a female analyst (I know, I was SHOCKED too!). I didn't catch another game she did for awhile but it was later that season and at that point I noticed how much she had improved.  Frankly, I've really enjoyed her work when I catch it.

I'll take her analyst skills over the insanity that is Pierre... any day.

 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Eleven said:

Montreal is not "built for the playoffs."  Montreal has Carey Price.  That team isn't going to beat freaking Winnipeg (as you say) because Hellebyuck is better than Price.  And that's it.  And whichever one comes out of it is going to face a reckoning from a team that IS built for the playoffs.

If you say so. Many people, like me,  disagree.

https://theathletic.com/2320544/2021/01/13/canadiens-built-for-playoffs/

https://www.tsn.ca/montreal-canadiens-stun-toronto-maple-leafs-in-game-7-to-complete-series-comeback-1.1647947  (Dave Poulin in the video)

https://thehockeywriters.com/canadiens-3-takeaways-from-2021-round-1-win/

I believe the sentence in that one goes "it's been said the Canadians were built for the playoffs ad nauseum" 

Keep googling, you'll find lots more. 

Some people here simply seem to fail to grasp that there are 2 types of hockey and regular season stats mean nothing come playoff hockey time. 

 

[North Buffalo]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

If you say so. Many people, like me,  disagree.

https://theathletic.com/2320544/2021/01/13/canadiens-built-for-playoffs/

https://www.tsn.ca/montreal-canadiens-stun-toronto-maple-leafs-in-game-7-to-complete-series-comeback-1.1647947  (Dave Poulin in the video)

https://thehockeywriters.com/canadiens-3-takeaways-from-2021-round-1-win/

I believe the sentence in that one goes "it's been said the Canadians were built for the playoffs ad nauseum" 

Keep googling, you'll find lots more. 

Some people here simply seem to fail to grasp that there are 2 types of hockey and regular season stats mean nothing come playoff hockey time. 

 

I think the Habs are close but not on Winnipeg's level... both have good to great goalies... just think Jets have more talent up front... that being said anything can happen. 

[Thorner]

13 hours ago, Eleven said:

Montreal is not "built for the playoffs."  Montreal has Carey Price.  That team isn't going to beat freaking Winnipeg (as you say) because Hellebyuck is better than Price.  And that's it.  And whichever one comes out of it is going to face a reckoning from a team that IS built for the playoffs.

I actually think Montreal is built for the playoffs. They aren't a great team, but their overall game translates to the playoffs at least as well as it does the regular season, and probably better. If they aren't "built" for the playoffs at all, that would just be a mark of their overall talent level. But their game translates at an above-average rate I'd say and certainly better than Toronto. 

I think the Habs will probably beat the Jets. I can't stress this enough - the Jets are not good. Though it'll be difficult with them likely being in a 0-1 hole playing tonight on short rest. 

The series absolutely means nothing as the winner will lose to Colorado in 5 games or less, maybe even in 3. North division playoffs aren't real playoffs as far as I'm concerned - they are literally playing to see who gets to get their ass handed to them by their next opponent. 

Edited June 2, 2021 by Thorny