NHL 2016-17

[mcanadiens]

I only just realized that a certain problem exists. My dear brother has become a CBJ fan this year. We're going to have a fight over the remote this evening. 

[DaveP043]

No fights here, my wife is as big a Caps fan as I am.  Watching playoff hockey in Pinehurst, what a great weekend!

[Warren Zevon]

I think the Caps have their best chance at going all the way this year.  

I'm hoping the Oilers come out flying against the Sharks tonight.  If they start out playing physical I think they've got a real shot at taking them out.  

[onthehunt526]

3 hours ago, Warren Zevon said:

I think the Caps have their best chance at going all the way this year.  

I'm hoping the Oilers come out flying against the Sharks tonight.  If they start out playing physical I think they've got a real shot at taking them out.  

@Warren Zevon do you know of the curse of winning the President's Trophy? 

I joked with @iacas about my Flames meeting his Pens in the finals. IMHO I don't know if Calgary has enough to beat Anaheim in a seven-game series. We do, but then again we don't. Edmonton will probably defeat San Jose, though that is a coin-flip series. I would just be happy with us not looking too far forward and taking the series as it comes, one game at a time, one period at a time, one shift at a time.

In the Wales Conference, Washington definitely has the edge winning the President's Trophy. I think the defending champs will have something to say about that. The Atlantic will probably be won by the Rangers, I don't know why I just have that feeling. 

In this wild year of chaotic parity, you more than likely will see at least one Wild Card advance to the semifinals (conference finals), and I'm not necessarily say it will be Calgary or Nashville or The Rangers or Toronto, But the possibility is there, especially in the Campbell (Western Conference).

[Warren Zevon]

3 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

@Warren Zevon do you know of the curse of winning the President's Trophy? 

 

  Sure do. But  I also think the Caps are ready for an extended playoff run.  

   No Jumbo Joe for the Sharks  tonight.  Sweet.  

[BamaWade]

LET'S-go-BRU-ins...  LET'S-go-BRU-ins !!!

Super pleased with a big Game 1 win over the Senators and their #@*&! 1-3-1 system, despite missing 2 of our top 4 D & Krejci, and then CM6 being knocked out of the game on a knee-to-knee by that s---head Borowiecki.  Get 'em again in the next one, boys!  And get healthy!

@mcanadiens, I'd love to see us meet up in round 2...regardless of the outcome, would love the storyline of the rivalry w/Julien at the Hab's helm.  Gonna take a lot of work by both teams to make that happen, though.

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, BamaWade said:

LET'S-go-BRU-ins...  LET'S-go-BRU-ins !!!

Super pleased with a big Game 1 win over the Senators and their #@*&! 1-3-1 system, despite missing 2 of our top 4 D & Krejci, and then CM6 being knocked out of the game on a knee-to-knee by that s---head Borowiecki.  Get 'em again in the next one, boys!  And get healthy!

@mcanadiens, I'd love to see us meet up in round 2...regardless of the outcome, would love the storyline of the rivalry w/Julien at the Hab's helm.  Gonna take a lot of work by both teams to make that happen, though.

Did you see this?

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-bruins/2017/04/12/senators-twitter-account-takes-shot-at-bruins-who-get-last-laugh

Quote

In the third period, however, the Bruins came alive, tying the game on a Frank Vatrano goal and taking the lead on Brad Marchand’s goal with 2:33 remaining.

The B’s would hold on for a 2-1 win and give their fans the easiest Twitter comeback ever:

“Can someone in the advanced stat community tell us if that is good?”

 

[mcanadiens]

8 hours ago, BamaWade said:

@mcanadiens, I'd love to see us meet up in round 2...regardless of the outcome, would love the storyline of the rivalry w/Julien at the Hab's helm.  Gonna take a lot of work by both teams to make that happen, though.

Tough ones for both my Habs and my bruv's CBJ.

Lose one little face off in your end and that Glass guy caught every bit of that backhand. Can't fault Price or the team's effort. Old Henry looked every bit the king. Try again Friday. 

Luckily I got my 16-hour shifts on the days between Habs' playoff games. It was really good to see something that resembled real hockey instead of the 82 games of pure crapola we've experienced this past year.

[BamaWade]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

Did you see this?

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-bruins/2017/04/12/senators-twitter-account-takes-shot-at-bruins-who-get-last-laugh

Ha - yes I did, and had the same thought.  They did totally dominate the B's in the 2nd, though.  Could've easily been 2-0, or even 3-0.  Tuukka kept it in reach for the comeback.

26 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Tough ones for both my Habs and my bruv's CBJ.

Hey, as we've all learned, one game does not a series make.  You guys will get going against NYR, though that's a tough draw for finishing first.  Though Torts burned me in the World Cup, I'd love to see CBJ make a deep run.  Lots of my wife's family lives in Ohio (and she's from there).  They've mystified me this year...my eyes just didn't see the talent to build that record...especially in the Metro.

[mcanadiens]

22 hours ago, BamaWade said:

 They've mystified me this year...my eyes just didn't see the talent to build that record...especially in the Metro.

Safe to say, I didn't see it coming at the beginning of the season.

The big talent is goalie Bob. Him being healthy all year is massive. Young defenseman Zach Werenski is a guy I think may develop into a big star. Other than that its more about depth than any single star player. There are a lot of guys that are capable (Atkinson, Saad, Wennberg, Foligno Dubinsky). Torts has them playing a solid cohesive game and they haven't had too many off nights this season.

That said, Pittsburgh in the playoffs is something else entirely. 

[mcanadiens]

I know the commentators made a big thing about NYR's struggles at home, but that was a bit of a surprising effort. Two nip-and-tuck games in Montreal, back at MSG and, at the risk of a jinx, a tepid effort by the Blueshirts. Can't remember the last time the Habs had such an easy time in transition. Obviously a long way from done anyway. 

The Canadiens are my focus, but I do feel badly for my brother's CBJ. For a team down 3-0, they seem to have played a lot of stretches fairly solid hockey. It will be a tough deal if their reward for the club's best regular season is a first-round brooming to the defending champs.

Edited April 17, 2017 by mcanadiens

[billchao]

On 4/14/2017 at 7:53 AM, mcanadiens said:

Other than that its more about depth than any single star player. There are a lot of guys that are capable (Atkinson, Saad, Wennberg, Foligno Dubinsky). Torts has them playing a solid cohesive game and they haven't had too many off nights this season.

Tortorella works best without stars. His system tends to hold back their talent and ability to create. 

Your boys better get their game together, I want to see the Rangers go home in 6.

[mcanadiens]

21 hours ago, billchao said:

Your boys better get their game together, I want to see the Rangers go home in 6.

Had to know that the NYR was going to put together a better effort after that clunker Game 3. 

It always looked like a 50-50 sort of series to me and I don't think the Canadiens have played badly in any of the first four. Getting pucks past that #30 isn't easy. 

[bostonboy9416]

9 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

Had to know that the NYR was going to put together a better effort after that clunker Game 3. 

It always looked like a 50-50 sort of series to me and I don't think the Canadiens have played badly in any of the first four. Getting pucks past that #30 isn't easy. 

I could say the same about #31. I see it going 6 but that could change on a dime.

[iacas]

On 4/17/2017 at 8:01 AM, mcanadiens said:

The Canadiens are my focus, but I do feel badly for my brother's CBJ. For a team down 3-0, they seem to have played a lot of stretches fairly solid hockey. It will be a tough deal if their reward for the club's best regular season is a first-round brooming to the defending champs.

They didn't play many good stretches. Just most of the first periods of all five games… But Bobrovsky, woof. Pens put up 21 goals in five games against the guy who will win the Vezina? Ouch.

The Pens played like poo, though, really, and need to play a HELL of a lot better in every series after that, or "series" won't be plural.

Columbus has never given up fewer than 3 goals in all their playoff games. And they're 3-12 now, IIRC.

[mcanadiens]

10 hours ago, iacas said:

They didn't play many good stretches. Just most of the first periods of all five games… But Bobrovsky, woof. Pens put up 21 goals in five games against the guy who will win the Vezina? Ouch.

The Pens played like poo, though, really, and need to play a HELL of a lot better in every series after that, or "series" won't be plural.

Columbus has never given up fewer than 3 goals in all their playoff games. And they're 3-12 now, IIRC.

I'll take your word for it. Naturally, there's only so much that fits between commercials and intermissions. What I did see didn't look that bad, but you are right that it definitely wasn't the best of show for Goalie Bob.

It seems harsh that the CBJ had to start off against the defending champs and at least they didn't get swept. 

 

[iacas]

7 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

It seems harsh that the CBJ had to start off against the defending champs and at least they didn't get swept. 

That's the NHL's new playoff seeding for you. Three of the top four teams in the league were guaranteed to be reduced to one before the conference finals.

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

That's the NHL's new playoff seeding for you. Three of the top four teams in the league were guaranteed to be reduced to one before the conference finals.

Honestly, I preferred the old way, not this Mickey Mouse system they have now. 

The conference system was good, even the original divisional system was better than this. And they only did it because they felt the 7 team divisions had an advantage over the 8 team divisions. But both 8 team divisions are in the East and both 7 team divisions are in the West (well till Vegas starts play next year). Why does it matter?