Ongoing NHL thread - Part III

[elocomotive]

Is it just me or is the league wide open this year? Sure Washington's 1st overall but I don't see it with them. If you ask me the Blues might be a team to watch.

As opposed to all those other years when the NHL playoffs are totally predictable and one team just cruises through exactly like the experts thought.

 

[elocomotive]

Is it just me or is the league wide open this year? Sure Washington's 1st overall but I don't see it with them. If you ask me the Blues might be a team to watch.

Also, 2nd in goals for, 2nd in goals against, 2nd in PP, and 4th in PK.

I don't see it with them there, too many weaknesses. Why not 1st in anything?!?

 

[puckhead]

Zero help on the OOTS tonight.
Good thing the canucks will lose their next 5 anyway.

 

[dash]

Zero help on the OOTS tonight.
Good thing the canucks will lose their next 5 anyway.

Calgary joins the Oilers and Canucks with an "e - " prefix after tonight's action.

 

[puckhead]

Kyle Connor *WPG) matches Jack Eichel's 71 points from last season, tied for second highest total by a freshman since Paul Kariya 1992-93.

on the Canuck side of things....
Boeser (BC) and Demko(ND both make it to Frozen4
Demko with a massive save

 

[puckhead]

Calgary joins the Oilers and Canucks with an "e - " prefix after tonight's action.

Winnipeg, Buffalo, and Montreal join the lottery today as well

 

[forty_three]

Winnipeg, Buffalo, and Montreal join the lottery today as well

Welcome guys!

 

[tducey]

Washington is slowing down though the past little while. Lost 4-0 last night to St.Louis. Ovechkin's not scoring so much. Poor time to go cold.

 

[dare2be]

Washington is slowing down though the past little while. Lost 4-0 last night to St.Louis. Ovechkin's not scoring so much. Poor time to go cold.

I see it as the calm before the storm. They're playoff ready.

 

[dare2be]

Tonight's Pens-Rags comes down to being able to solve Lundqvist. As it always does.

 

[elocomotive]

Washington is slowing down though the past little while. Lost 4-0 last night to St.Louis. Ovechkin's not scoring so much. Poor time to go cold.

Going "cold" is a relative term. They haven't been as hot in February and March as they were from the start through January for sure. But they were on a historic pace at that point.

Trotz and Holtby both had recent quotes about the team needing to play better, but Trotz put it well when he said "We haven't had much to play for for a couple months now."

But they've still gone 18-8-1 in the last two months. And they were missing their player most likely to be nominated for a Norris and a key cog on the PP in John Carlson for much of that span. This team still hasn't lost back-to-back games in regulation all year. I'd venture if they can do that in the playoffs, they're probably going to do pretty well.

I'm not as sure we are going to maraud our way to the Cup as I was in January, but I still think this is a complete team, I think Trotz knows when and how to go to the whip, and I think this team is going to break some hearts other than its own fans this postseason. They've shown the ability to fight through adversity and to remain level-headed this year. There is a great blend of leadership, talented youth, experience, and balance that looks familiar to other championship teams I've seen in my life.

 

[dare2be]

"Look at the closing speed of Kessel"

Yeah.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Eric Staal is having a huge game, 2 goals, he's looked great tonight.

 

[DragonfromTO]

"Look at the closing speed of Kessel"

Yeah.

I know it's not a trendy opinion these days but the guy is still a mighty fine player.

 

[dare2be]

3 point game. but I'll take it. Looking more like a 4-5 seed matchup with Tampa again. That would make me happy.

 

[dare2be]

I know it's not a trendy opinion these days but the guy is still a mighty fine player.

It must be a combination of the Primanti sandwich and the poutine.

 

[Dacks]

3 point game. but I'll take it. Looking more like a 4-5 seed matchup with Tampa again. That would make me happy.

Huh? Right now our most likely opponents, assuming we make it, would be the Rangers (possibly even with home ice) or the Panthers. Maybe you're thinking of the old format?

 

[dare2be]

Shoot, you're right, forgot about the divisional tie-ins.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

Washington is slowing down though the past little while. Lost 4-0 last night to St.Louis. Ovechkin's not scoring so much. Poor time to go cold.

LOL. They are still 6-3-1 in last 10 games. Also - they have already clinched best record in East & pretty much the best record in the NHL. Most teams in that situation will slow down since motivation is tough in that situation. What they do for the remainder of the regular season doesn't mean much except trying to avoid injuries.

As for Ovechkin - last I checked there is a lot more to this team than just him, and he is doing fine. No NHL player in this era is going to score all of the time. Not sure how far the Caps will go in the postseason, but this team is a lot different than those past chokers - time will tell.

 

[BGDave]

It must be a combination of the Primanti sandwich and the poutine.

And a mighty fine combination it is !