2021 NHL Playoff Semi Finals

[Thorner]

12 hours ago, Billznut said:

Sooo many “experts” wrong on this one. Love it. Team over talent. 

Vegas is kind of a "team" team too, though. Pretty balanced. 

That's why they'll go hunting for Jack - change that up. 

11 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

If I performed at my job the way Staal did at his for 3 months, I'd be fired on day 2. 

He gets rewarded with this.

If he had showed up and merely been bad, then whatever. But he was mentally checked out before he ever got here, and instead of leading kids, he helped create a festering situation that lost people their jobs. He never bothered trying here, and it was evident from period 1 of game 1

This seems fair and I agree. 

Is that on Adams or Krueger for bringing him in, then, and not figuring out this is the Staal you were going to get?  Or are they blameless? It's certainly a relevant question: if Adams is going to preach bringing in the "right" guys as foundational idea of his rebuild, he better get good at identifying those players. That's literally half the battle. 

[LabattBlue]

I don’t like the Habs and their fans who invade KBC to begin with, but after the ***** effort Staal gave in his short time here, no friggin’ way will I cheer for them. 
 

I will even cheer for the Tampa cheaters over them. 

[Randall Flagg]

58 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Vegas is kind of a "team" team too, though. Pretty balanced. 

That's why they'll go hunting for Jack - change that up. 

This seems fair and I agree. 

Is that on Adams or Krueger for bringing him in, then, and not figuring out this is the Staal you were going to get?  Or are they blameless? It's certainly a relevant question: if Adams is going to preach bringing in the "right" guys as foundational idea of his rebuild, he better get good at identifying those players. That's literally half the battle. 

To be fair to adams, no nhl player should ever be assumed to be capable of what Staal did here, much less a guy with his track record.

[Thorner]

7 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

To be fair to adams, no nhl player should ever be assumed to be capable of what Staal did here, much less a guy with his track record.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

It is fantastic that Montreal won again.

It is great that the Cup will be contested for in Canada again.

I really do feel that the Cup will be back home in Canada.  To be honest, the only US based team that I want to win the Cup is Buffalo.

The only Canadian based team that I never want to win the Cup ever is The Great Satan, but that should go without saying.

[Mustache of God]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

To be fair to adams, no nhl player should ever be assumed to be capable of what Staal did here, much less a guy with his track record.

To me this is just another indictment of just how bad Kruger was as a coach. Clearly Staal was going through the motions because there was no buy-in and no leadership in the locker room.

[SDS]

On 6/25/2021 at 11:47 AM, Thorny said:

Vegas is kind of a "team" team too, though. Pretty balanced. 

That's why they'll go hunting for Jack - change that up. 

This seems fair and I agree. 

Is that on Adams or Krueger for bringing him in, then, and not figuring out this is the Staal you were going to get?  Or are they blameless? It's certainly a relevant question: if Adams is going to preach bringing in the "right" guys as foundational idea of his rebuild, he better get good at identifying those players. That's literally half the battle. 

What is Staal going to say? “Don’t do it - I’m a dog...”?

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, SDS said:

What is Stahl going to say? “Don’t do it - I’m a dog...”?

Well that's what I am trying to point out. We would term Staal's character here as the exact opposite of what Adams preaches to want, right? This shows how hard it is to identify something like that pre-acquisition 

Targeting players with the right mentality and "character" is much harder than people think. Harder than looking for talent, IMO

This is one example of why Adams' stated focuses give me so much pause. Apparently Staal's recent play suggests Adams was at least a bit more on point with his talent evaluation, than the character one. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Thorny

[Pimlach]

I think you guys are off base a little bit on Staal.  I thought he started out ok for a center in his last legs; then he got Krugerized and he lost interest.  I don’t think he is playing great for Montreal either.  He knows he has to play hard just to see ice.  In Buffalo, the talent is very thin so that is not the case.  
 

I Blame this past season on RK.  Worst coach in the league last year, by far.  Look at what he did to Dahlin and Joker.  
 

I don’t understand why everyone who comes here dies, then once they leave their game comes back.  ??  

[Zamboni]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I think you guys are off base a little bit on Staal.  I thought he started out ok for a center in his last legs; then he got Krugerized and he lost interest.  I don’t think he is playing great for Montreal either.  He knows he has to play hard just to see ice.  In Buffalo, the talent is very thin so that is not the case.  
 

I Blame this past season on RK.  Worst coach in the league last year, by far.  Look at what he did to Dahlin and Joker.  
 

I don’t understand why everyone who comes here dies, then once they leave their game comes back.  ??  

After leaving Sabres …

So Staal has “found his game”?

So Lazar “found his game”?

So Hall “found his game”?

So Bogosian “found his game”?

So Nylander “found his game”?

So Sheary “found his game”?

So Rodriguez “found his game”?

So Scandella  “found his game”?

So Montour “found his game”?

 

I’ll stop there. And say, I don’t know if that’s completely accurate.

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, Zamboni said:

After leaving Sabres …

So Staal has “found his game”?

So Lazar “found his game”?

So Hall “found his game”?

So Bogosian “found his game”?

So Nylander “found his game”?

So Sheary “found his game”?

So Rodriguez “found his game”?

So Scandella  “found his game”?

So Montour “found his game”?

 

I’ll stop there. And say, I don’t know if that’s completely accurate.

Don’t worry.   It’s not accurate.  It’s just another over reaction.  

[bob_sauve28]

Islanders have to put that one behind them quick 

[Pimlach]

Agree. Islanders need the next score.  Must keep composure.  

[Claude Balls]

Islanders just getting outworked all over the place. Without Varlamov it's a blowout.

[Thorner]

Quite often we see a Cinderella team like Montreal make it to the final, but winning is unusual. They remind me a lot of Dallas last year, a lower-standings, scrappy team that rode good goaltending and team D to the finals. I expect them to similarly be dispatched by Tampa Bay.

Provided they win this game, of course 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Thorny

[Claude Balls]

The only thing that could keep Tampa from going back to back is Carey Price. And I don't see that happening. Islanders with 12 shots on goal in 2 and half periods. Pretty pathetic effort for a game 7.

[pastajoe]

Thankfully they’ll now be a team in the final I can root for. 

[Stads]

Oh goody the Lighthing made it. How original

[Claude Balls]

So Eddie Olcyzc throws a tantrum on the air when the Islanders fans litter the ice with beer cans, but barely says a work when the Tampa fans do it. Such a douchebag.

[Pimlach]

Tampa just out gritted them today.   Not that I like them but Tampa looks like the best team in the tournament.  
 

oh, it’s time to scold the fans for littering the ice. 

[Eleven]

I loved the "Vegas in 3" memes on reddit about two weeks ago.

The final is going to be one heck of a series.  We kind of need this right now; it's been a rough year-plus.

[LGR4GM]

2 Atlantic division teams... interesting. 

[thewookie1]

Hopefully they break each other to an extent they just let us in the playoffs

[Wyldnwoody44]

The isles just didn't have it tonight. 

[Zamboni]

ZOMG they touched the Wales trophy!!

 

awwrrrrrrrrr

 

 

 

 

 

(castle of)