THE 2022 FINAL: COLORADO AGAINST TAMPA

[KC Scouts]

Very good series…Congrats to Colorado

Not a big fan of season ending nearly in July. Here’s to getting back to the way it used to be.

[SABRES 0311]

No Bettman?

[Huckleberry]

Colorado was best team this year, they deserve it,  made key additions in Lehkonen and Manson.

[Gatorman0519]

It feels like mission impossible ever seeing the Sabres host the Cup. 

[OverPowerYou]

3 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

No Bettman?

I think I equally enjoy the booing of Bettman as I do the Stanley cup being hoisted. It’s a bummer the lightning fans didn’t get to boo him 

Edited June 27, 2022 by OverPowerYou

[Zamboni]

Awesome! She always has been, and always will be a beautiful trophy.

 

Congrats Avs!!!

Edited June 27, 2022 by Zamboni

[Wyldnwoody44]

Norris and Conn Smythe for Makar, impressive! 

[Huckleberry]

10 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

No Bettman?

Covid

[French Collection]

I’m very happy for MacKinnon. Joe Sakic was a great player and now adds to his legacy with solid management skills.

Congratulations Avalanche.

[Porous Five Hole]

In reflection, 11 consecutive series wins by Tampa in the salary cap era is incredible.  The better team won this series, but the former champs didn’t make it easy on the Aves. 
 

Colorado’s rise gives me hope the Sabres can follow the blueprint of draft and develop from awful to champion.  

Edited June 27, 2022 by Porous Five Hole

[Brawndo]

And they already dented the Cup..Oops

 

 

[PerreaultForever]

I almost feel sorry for Corey Perry. But I don't. 

[North Buffalo]

8 hours ago, Brawndo said:

And they already dented the Cup..Oops

 

 

Oops

[FogBat]

9 hours ago, Taro T said:

Any idea what it would take to pry Perry away from TB?  

If they can get him to waive his NTC, Stanley Cup Final loss, here we come!  (After 11 years in the desert will take it. 😉 )

 

Guess his juju was stronger than Maroon's.  The Sabres could use that.

 

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I almost feel sorry for Corey Perry. But I don't. 

He’s being viscerally roasted on SM:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/corey-perry-stanley-cup-final-losses-lightning-nhl

[FogBat]

Nazem Kadri made history last night. First ever Muslim to win the Stanley Cup.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Didn't think Keumper would beat out Big V from Tampa, but he played adequate enough to allow them to take the prize. 

Sad now that there is no more hockey until September.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Didn't think Keumper would beat out Big V from Tampa, but he played adequate enough to allow them to take the prize. 

Sad now that there is no more hockey until September.

Last year's junior tournament will be restarted/resumed in August, so there's that.

[French Collection]

As Bieksa said last night on HNIC, it is a copycat league so expect some deeper analysis of the Avs roster from the media.

The Avs we’re the 31st place team in the NHL six years ago. Only 5 guys remain from that roster.

My quick takes:

6 of their own first round picks. Big part of their core ( Makar, MacKinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen) and 2 emerging players (Byram & Newhook).

7 of other teams’ first round picks. Kadri, Nichushkin, Burakovsky, Johnson &Johnson, Cogliano, Murray

4 second rounders, all by other teams. Girard, Compher, Lehkonen, Aubrey-Kubel

7 UFAs, Nichushkin, Francouz, J.Johnson and Helm being the most important.

Trades bringing in Kadri, Toews, Kuemper, Girard, Lehkonen, E.Johnson, Burakovsky, Manson, Sturm and Compher. Most of those deals were won by the Avs.

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by French Collection

[North Buffalo]

7 minutes ago, French Collection said:

As Bieksa said last night on HNIC, it is a copycat league so expect some deeper analysis of the Avs roster from the media.

The Avs we’re the 31st place team in the NHL six years ago. Only 5 guys remain from that roster.

My quick takes:

6 of their own first round picks. Big part of their core ( Makar, MacKinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen) and 2 emerging players (Byram & Newhook).

7 of other teams’ first round picks. Kadri, Nichushkin, Burakovsky, Johnson &Johnson, Cogliano, Murray

4 second rounders, all by other teams. Girard, Compher, Lehkonen, Aubrey-Kubel

7 UFAs, Nichushkin, Francouz, J.Johnson and Helm being the most important.

Trades bringing in Kadri, Toews, Kuemper, Girard, Lehkonen, E.Johnson, Burakovsky, Manson, Sturm and Compher. Most of those deals were won by the Avs.

 

Johnson being there a long time feels home grown... Girard despite injury and Toews made backend depth impressive... forward additions were insane.

[That Aud Smell]

13 minutes ago, French Collection said:

As Bieksa said last night on HNIC, it is a copycat league

One of my main takeaways is that, if you have enough really really (really) good skaters, you can win the whole thing with goaltending that's just okay.

[French Collection]

17 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

One of my main takeaways is that, if you have enough really really (really) good skaters, you can win the whole thing with goaltending that's just okay.

Red Wings won a few this way.

[Zamboni]

3 hours ago, French Collection said:

Red Wings won a few this way.

My thoughts exactly

[That Aud Smell]

Sounds like MacKinnon led his team to a Cup with a style of leadership that harkens to Drury's days as a Sabre in 05-07. (Spoiler alert: By being an a*sshole -- but an a*shole with a purpose -- a singular purpose.)

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34143958/how-nathan-mackinnon-molded-colorado-avalanche-stanley-cup-champions

[Weave]

56 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Sounds like MacKinnon led his team to a Cup with a style of leadership that harkens to Drury's days as a Sabre in 05-07. (Spoiler alert: By being an a*sshole -- but an a*shole with a purpose -- a singular purpose.)

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34143958/how-nathan-mackinnon-molded-colorado-avalanche-stanley-cup-champions

I’ve heard rumblings that sounded very Drury-esque.  
 

He puts alot of pressure even on the rooks.  That is what concerns me about the way our kids are being handled.  Not afraid to make mistakes sounds good and all, but the guys driven to win big have a different mindset. Hold high standards and demand change when they aren’t met.

[Taro T]

50 minutes ago, Weave said:

I’ve heard rumblings that sounded very Drury-esque.  
 

He puts alot of pressure even on the rooks.  That is what concerns me about the way our kids are being handled.  Not afraid to make mistakes sounds good and all, but the guys driven to win big have a different mindset. Hold high standards and demand change when they aren’t met.

Which is where having someone other than Okposo as captain sooner rather than later may be a good thing.  Haven't been in the room, but Okposo seems way more Pominville than Drury.  And the team really needed a Pomms rather than a Drury this last year.  Drury would've made the room miserable.  Hoping we're ready for them having a Drury soon.  Why not now if he's here?  (Not positive he's here.)

Edited June 27, 2022 by Taro T