NHL Playoffs (First Round) discussion

[SwampD]

25 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

You are absolutely 100% spot on with all of those. Jack has learned to play a two way game under Cassidy. Game 7 should be a good one! So who has more pressure to win game 7? My personal feelings is that the pressure is on the Stars being the 1st seed and the home team.

His two way game was really good long before Cassidy.

[bunomatic]

13 hours ago, Pimlach said:

No. He was out there right to the end and he set up a good attempt at a tying goal.  Playing with two lifetime 3rd line grinders in Nyquist and Sissons.  All are 30+.  
 

It shows in the playoffs that having grown men on the team helps.  We need more.  

What’s wrong with Canada having teams alive?  It’s their top sport. 

Actually Punch I’ve been calling for an end to KAs moronic ‘ don’t block the kids ‘ rule for a couple seasons now. Its obvious when looking at any team that wins in this league that capable veterans are a staple of success. My comment about ROR didn’t have anything to do with his age. It was a shot at his comments when he left the Sabres. Actually I don’t blame him for wanting out of this shitshow.

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

You are absolutely 100% spot on with all of those. Jack has learned to play a two way game under Cassidy. Game 7 should be a good one! So who has more pressure to win game 7? My personal feelings is that the pressure is on the Stars being the 1st seed and the home team.

More on the stars for sure. For the reasons you said, and the fact Vegas just won the cup 

[mjd1001]

On 5/3/2024 at 12:24 PM, Weave said:

Yeah, I can’t really see a scenario where Im ever rooting for the Bruins to win anything.  And Sens are definitely higher than the Leafs on my hate meter.

I'm rooting for the Bruins for 2 reasons...first...I truly believe Leaf fans are overall more intolerable than Bruins fans. The leafs fans are sure they 1.) Live in the best city ever! 2.) Everyone wants to play for the Leafs simply because, well, its the Leafs.  3.)  The refs are against us, everyone hates us and they are just jealous because we are from Toronto but every game we need to play the other team AND the refs (yes, I know there are people in every fanbase that think this, but I clearly see/her it more from the leaf fans.  4.) When the Sabres 'tanked' for Eichel/McDavid...they said Buffalo deserves to be cursed, it was just wrong, that is not how hockey is meant to be played...but when the Leafs did basically the same thing the following year...it was a 'genius move' and the Leafs were 'playing chess when the rest of the league was playing checkers."

The other reason I want the Bruins to live is just to witness the meltdown in Toronto tomorrow if they lose. Not that I WANT people to feel bad, but the discussion, the arguments...its going to be some of the best theater to witness.  If Boston loses, there will be a bit there, but it will be a fraction of what you get in Toronto.

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, bunomatic said:

Actually Punch I’ve been calling for an end to KAs moronic ‘ don’t block the kids ‘ rule for a couple seasons now. Its obvious when looking at any team that wins in this league that capable veterans are a staple of success. My comment about ROR didn’t have anything to do with his age. It was a shot at his comments when he left the Sabres. Actually I don’t blame him for wanting out of this shitshow.

Yeah, I get that.  I too shook my head at the "blockers" concept.  

ROR never really said he wanted out did he?  Even though he probably did want out.  The Sabres did stupid, and got rid of a guy that hates losing.   

He was just sick of losing.  

[bunomatic]

54 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Yeah, I get that.  I too shook my head at the "blockers" concept.  

ROR never really said he wanted out did he?  Even though he probably did want out.  The Sabres did stupid, and got rid of a guy that hates losing.   

He was just sick of losing.  

We need more of that hate to lose energy for sure. But its a fine line. Not to the point of wanting out but to the point of wanting to be a part of the solution. Accountability , yada yada yada. 

[PerreaultForever]

14 hours ago, seer775 said:

As a Canadian, there ain't ***** going on anywhere other than Toronto.

I was at a food truck festival in Chilliwack today. It was pretty good. 

Toronto can go f itself. 

[PerreaultForever]

12 hours ago, French Collection said:

I’ve had two BC people say you’re from Onterrible to me lately. I had never heard that term, probably because I live here. Both had only been to Toronto and had never seen the rest of the province.

That is a term I've heard out here now and again. Mostly if you mention Toronto or Ontario you get eye rolls or some sort of sarcasm like "oh, it's Ontario, well then it must be good" with full on sarcastic tone and disdain. 

One thing I've heard multiple times from people who were born out here is they go visit Ontario in the summer and they are just not ready for the humidity. They come back hating the place for the experience they have with that weather. Just not ready for it. After 25 plus years out here I have issues with humidity now too. It's rare here. 

This is my favourite Toronto video

 

[dudacek]

I think it’s weird how some things fix themselves in people’s minds.

In it’s genesis, “don’t block the kids” was about force-feeding the Botterill leftovers Thompson, Cozens, Mittelstadt, Dahlin and Jokiharju key ice time to accelerate their development, build their confidence and see what the team had. By and large, it did what it was supposed to do. The team improved notably and those players pretty significantly.

Year 2, it was about giving the 2nd wave - Power, Quinn, Samuelsson, Krebs and Peterka - a similar opportunity, but in mid-roster roles.Those players were younger and predictably didn’t have the same impact. But they did show they belong, and the guys in front of them took big jumps. By and large people were happy with the improvement and were predicting good things ahead.

Year 3, “don’t block the kids” wasn’t really a thing. I mean, I guess it was in goal, but it also kinda worked in goal. Elsewhere, they didn’t hand jobs to Rousek and Rosen and Kulich and Ryan Johnson. Instead, they blocked the kids, re-signing Girgensons, and Okposo and Jost, and adding Robinson and Clifton and Greenway and Erik Johnson.

It wasn’t not blocking the kids that killed last year’s team, it was the fact that most of the above veterans sucked. And they sucked while Thompson, Tuch, Skinner and Cozens - all of whom all now count as vets - also sucked. The players who stepped up - UPL and Peterka - happened to be the kids who weren’t blocked.

This “not blocking” hasn’t been the problem for Adams some of you make it out to be.

Rather, it’s been putting together a consistent, focused and complete team.

[PerreaultForever]

"don't block the kids" is just a stupid concept plain and simple. 

You need a competitive environment where position has to be earned rather than being one of privilege. 

Sometimes coaches can be guilty of favouring veterans over young players because they trust them more and they are more predictable and reliable but that's a thing you go through on most teams as part of the process. Eventually you EARN the coach's trust and you take the job and if you aren't good enough to take it, you dont' deserve it. 

"not blocking": is just dumb. 

[dudacek]

26 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

"don't block the kids" is just a stupid concept plain and simple. 

You need a competitive environment where position has to be earned rather than being one of privilege. 

Sometimes coaches can be guilty of favouring veterans over young players because they trust them more and they are more predictable and reliable but that's a thing you go through on most teams as part of the process. Eventually you EARN the coach's trust and you take the job and if you aren't good enough to take it, you dont' deserve it. 

"not blocking": is just dumb. 

And how do you build that when you have no proven veterans in your organization and very few outside the organization want to play for you?

3 years ago, when this started, our "veterans" were Skinner, Okposo, Girgenson, Eakin, Coilin Miller, Pysyk, Hagg and Anderson.

And there was nobody for Mitts and Thompson and the rest of compete with for prime ice.

Now they are Skinner, Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Greenway, Dahlin, Jokiharju, Clifton

And there is plenty of bodies for Benson and Kulich and the rest to compete with.

I mean, you're not wrong with bold, but you also act like they haven't been trying to move toward that, and that it doesn't take time for the talent to be developed and acquired. I mean the year we just finished was probably the first time we could have reasonably expected to be close to that under this rebuild.

You can't snap your fingers and voila.

[bob_sauve28]

Seventh heaven! I guess I want Bruins to lose. That Leafs have to win for that to happen is an acceptable negative 

[mjd1001]

15 hours ago, seer775 said:

As a Canadian, there ain't ***** going on anywhere other than Toronto.

---

Leafs will win game 7 and get steamrolled by the Panthers. Canes will beat the Rags and lose to the Cats. Vegas will clutch the Stars and demolish the Oilers. Then the Cats will get their first cup in ever.

Now we have to deal with Florida 2.

We were in Toronto last weekend for the first time in years.  I was surprised how much things have changed.  We live in northern Niagara county, so every time you drive down 'the hill' on 18f toward Lewiston, you can see Downtown Toronto across the lake on any clear day, and we used to go almost ever year. But its' been 5 years....until last weekend. Not sure if we are going to go back anytime soon.

As far as Toronto being the 'attention center' of Canada....I mean I get that, it is the largest city and the largest metro area by far.  I just don't get it as the 'center of the hockey universe' as they like to say. I get much of the NHL media is there and the HOF and headquarters.....but as far as a 'team' and a 'rabid fanbase' and 'heritage and history', all my life growing up I put Montreal way ahead of Toronto.

Edited May 5 by mjd1001

[Indabuff]

Please let the leafs lose 

[Slack_in_MA]

Can we hope for a swarm of locusts to invade the building and leave nothing but a pile of skates, helmets and pads??

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I think it’s weird how some things fix themselves in people’s minds.

In it’s genesis, “don’t block the kids” was about force-feeding the Botterill leftovers Thompson, Cozens, Mittelstadt, Dahlin and Jokiharju key ice time to accelerate their development, build their confidence and see what the team had. By and large, it did what it was supposed to do. The team improved notably and those players pretty significantly.

Year 2, it was about giving the 2nd wave - Power, Quinn, Samuelsson, Krebs and Peterka - a similar opportunity, but in mid-roster roles.Those players were younger and predictably didn’t have the same impact. But they did show they belong, and the guys in front of them took big jumps. By and large people were happy with the improvement and were predicting good things ahead.

Year 3, “don’t block the kids” wasn’t really a thing. I mean, I guess it was in goal, but it also kinda worked in goal. Elsewhere, they didn’t hand jobs to Rousek and Rosen and Kulich and Ryan Johnson. Instead, they blocked the kids, re-signing Girgensons, and Okposo and Jost, and adding Robinson and Clifton and Greenway and Erik Johnson.

It wasn’t not blocking the kids that killed last year’s team, it was the fact that most of the above veterans sucked. And they sucked while Thompson, Tuch, Skinner and Cozens - all of whom all now count as vets - also sucked. The players who stepped up - UPL and Peterka - happened to be the kids who weren’t blocked.

This “not blocking” hasn’t been the problem for Adams some of you make it out to be.

Rather, it’s been putting together a consistent, focused and complete team.

So far, Adams has implemented some form of “don’t block the kids” for 3 straight years. You just said that yourself.    So it is a very real thing and of course it’s lessening with each year as more of his kids get inserted.  

My biggerst issue with “no blocking” is the handing of goaltending were he purposely left a huge door open for Levi   

But it was there last year and our goaltending was sub standard until UPL emerged.  The “not blocking” is a real reason why this team missed the playoff in each of the last two season.  History has been recordered, annd  Adam’s gets no quarter until it’s earned.  

Edited May 5 by Pimlach

[Thorner]

44 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Seventh heaven! I guess I want Bruins to lose. That Leafs have to win for that to happen is an acceptable negative 

[Thorner]

11 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

So far, Adams has implemented some form of “don’t block the kids” for 3 straight years. You just said that yourself.    So it is a very real thing and of course it’s lessening with each year as more of his kids get inserted.  

My biggerst issue with “no blocking” is the handing of goaltending were he purposely left a huge door open for Levi   

But it was there last year and our goaltending was sub standard until UPL emerged.  The “not blocking” is a real reason why this team missed the playoff in each of the last two season.  History has been recordered, annd  Adam’s gets no quarter until it’s earned.  

Exactly. We felt, and are still feeling the natural effects of employing that strategy. We make fun of it because it happened: it’s part of the reason we haven’t made the playoffs under this regime. 

[Huckleberry]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Seventh heaven! I guess I want Bruins to lose. That Leafs have to win for that to happen is an acceptable negative 

Yeah my hate towards the bruins is higher than the leafs.

[Goldseatsaud]

Both teams aren’t beating Florida 

[Thorner]

 

[...]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

 

Now we know it's Disney that owns him.

[JohninMinn.]

Man does it suck having to root for the Bruins.

[Second Line Center]

No idea how you go almost 2 games not scoring on the Leafs.  
 

 

Not sure how this debacle ends but congratulations to the Florida Panthers on their 4-0 sweep of whatever garbage moves on.

 

[Second Line Center]

There are 3 great teams in the East then everyone else.  
 

I’m done hearing about how far away we are.