2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (NHL) N/V: Stuck In The Past In Every Way

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (NHL) N/V: Stuck In The Past In Every Way

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Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

I feel like the Bruins are gonna lose early or not at all. No way that team blows it if they get to the conference finals or finals. But I could see them choking in the first two rounds

# ¿ Apr 18, 2023 00:09

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 18:33

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Levitate posted:

quick thoughts Rangers V Devils

Devils weren't ready to play playoff hockey...it's a weird distinction but even though I'm sure they thought they were, they didn't really have the mindset you could see the Rangers had. In addition, a lot of their chances and offense coming off the rush comes from having to make exceptional individual plays a lot of the time, and while they certainly have the players to do that, it's just hard to rely on that over and over and over in the playoffs. They also got a bit unlucky, missed some good chances, Shesterkin made some good timely saves, Vanecek was a bit shaky.
Even though they got that PS goal, they didn't score at 5v5 and their PP was bad and they've gotta have some frustration that creeps in there. They weren't technically shutout but again, didn't muster a 5v5 goal.

On the Rangers end, I felt like they were playing with fire a bit by playing a more methodical game but if you're going to do it against the Devils, that's how you do it. Forwards came back to help out the D, not a lot of really egregious turnovers, their gaps were pretty good and they closed quick on players, and took the body every chance they could. Hischier seemed like he got knocked around a lot. They took advantage of their chances and stayed with their gameplan and made it work. Whether they can keep that going another game, we'll see. It might just take the Devils getting a goal or a bounce their way to get things scrambling on the Rangers end.
Shesterkin was real good but didn't exactly have to carry them, just come up with big saves when needed. 3rd and 4th lines were good, Panarin was actually great I thought, moving his legs and doing a lot. Tarasenko and Trocheck worked hard but seemed a step behind Panarin at times. Zibanejad's line was bad...Kane was outright horrible and the only time he looked like he had some life was that powerplay in the 3rd and then their line got a little bit going.
Seemed like the Devils were definitely targeting the Rangers third pair and they were hanging on by the skin of their teeth at times.

Fox was amazing. Not much you can say about that performance other than wow.

Good win, I wish they'd got the attack going better but at least if they were playing the patient and methodical game they did it well.

I thought the Rangers blocked shots and did a great job preventing the Devils from getting to the inside of the ice in the defensive zone.

The Rangers also spent like two periods just icing the puck and doing a dump + no chase. It worked I guess but man they totally gave up on even trying to do offense 5v5 after getting up 2-0. If they keep doing that all series that could bite them in the rear end. I don't think it's a good idea to let the Devils just attack you at will for two periods.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2023 06:07

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Vegas fans leaving with three minutes left in a 3-1 game was hugely shameful.

Can't imagine leaving with a game that close and especially not a playoff game.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2023 22:24

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Good Soldier Svejk posted:

that 4th line will never score a goal but I bet every coach in the league is envious of it

That's the most Mike Sullivan 4th line

# ¿ Apr 19, 2023 22:41

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

ThinkTank posted:

Honestly there's probably something to resting a guy who played over a game and a half 48 hours ago.

Playoff Maf on the other hand is quite the wild card

# ¿ Apr 20, 2023 02:54

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Carver posted:

Just lol

Not gonna act brilliant for calling this. It's just, y'know, Maf is either gonna give you an amazing performance or....this.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2023 04:22

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Expected goals in that series by game were:

7.58 Pens - 3.75 Rangers

4.34 Pens - 3.19 Rangers

5.36 Pens - 4.05 Rangers

5.29 Pens - 0.88 Rangers

3.93 Pens - 3.49 Rangers

4.98 Rangers - 2.81 Pens

4.86 Pens - 1.71 Rangers

Imo the Rangers started to play better as the series went along and I think the numbers bear that out. Also goaltending is a thing and even aside from the Pens having bad goalies in there it's obvious that Shesterkin was going to make a big difference there and he despite a few rough performances he did.

I think the Pens did two things well last year:

1) Were great around the net with tips. Devils did a bad job in game 1 of getting to the net. Rangers boxed them out well and kept them to the outside. Devils gotta be better there tonight.

2) Sullivan had the Pens defense aggressively stepping up in the neutral zone to stop the Rangers rush game and that really flustered the Rangers early on in that series.

Anyways, I'm gonna go beat the traffic now and get back to the lottery thread before there's a log jam of Bruins and Golden Knights fans trying to get there

# ¿ Apr 20, 2023 20:32

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Matt Zerella posted:

Lol we just can't escape it can we?

Boxc brought up the Penguins which is basically like a bat signal for Penguins poo poo posting.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2023 21:35

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

ThinkTank posted:

They haven't surrendered a single goal so far this playoffs.

We beat the traffic early

# ¿ Apr 20, 2023 21:35

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

How'd the Rangers finish again last year? 28th year in a row with no cup? Yeah they had a great season though

# ¿ Apr 20, 2023 23:42

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Hand Knit posted:

It�s pretty usual for young teams to get killed the first time they make the playoffs. Check out how the 07 Penguins did.

Yeah. I remember the first ten minutes of game 1 that Sens team was flying around dominating and the Pens were very much deer in the headlights.

Of course sometimes all that vaunted playoff experience doesn't do poo poo for you. See the Penguins from 2010-2015 or Toronto from 2016-now.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2023 18:28

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

The Islanders playing Carolina evenly is not something I would have expected.

The Rangers also have some weird super power where they do better the worse their analytics are

# ¿ Apr 21, 2023 18:38

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Levitate posted:

It's called above average finishing and goaltending

and powerplay. Their powerplay is loving amazing.

It's still funny though how consistently they give the middle finger to strong 5v5 analytics. They were 22nd in 5v5 xgoals this year but put up a 54% goals for anyways because their finishing is amazing and they've got Igor.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2023 18:45

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Levitate posted:

yeah, again a lucky bounce here or a missed save there and game 1 is much closer, maybe even a win, and they have confidence. That said I do think they were still frustrated by the Rangers defense, especially not getting many second chances, which fed into the "need to change things up" narrative

e: funny thing about the Rangers power play is that it struggled a lot at times this season. Kreider got unlucky on those kind of tip goals during the regular season, Zibanejad wasn't really bombing one timers as much, it seemed like they were frustrated and trying to figure out how to handle the new looks teams threw at them on the PK because they knew about the one timer and all. They were still 7th in the league but it seemed like a struggle.

but in this series they've been great at creating movement and opening lanes. I expect that if the Devils do start marking Kreider hard then the Rangers will start rotating things to get the one timer off more often

The Rangers PP has so much movement and so many weapons it's hard to totally shut down. It's genuinely the most impressive thing about them whenever I watch them. It always looks good even when it's not scoring.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2023 19:05

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

fawning deference posted:

Yup. I know we are emotionally invested but it's odd to see such finality in the doom and gloom of SAS considering we all have experienced many playoff seasons. The fact remains that it's not a particularly uncommon thing for teams to go down in a series and then roar back. You win the netx game, flip the momentum, and go on a nice run.

This "the Oilers are garbage, it worked in the regular season but won't work in the playoffs" stuff because they're down 2-1 in a series against a solid and competitive team is insane. The Oilers are as capable as any team in the playoffs of waking up and going on a ridiculous run at any time.

Even the Devils. It's been embarrassing so far, but if they can find a way to win Game 3 and turn the momentum, it's still possible for them to tie it up and then take the series. For the record, I expected the Rangers to win from the start and don't think NJ is going to win the series, but crazier things have happened. Just ask the 2022 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Unfortunately the Rangers aren't running a third string goalie. Timo should run Igor a few times and get the backup in there.

But yeah comebacks are quite possible. Devils looked like poo poo in game 2 though. Need to get to their game. I thought they played alright in game 1 and just couldn't score, but in game 2 they had some real bad habits.

As for the Oilers, they're carrying the play but they're not putting LA away in these games. Letting them hang around a bit. They need to turn their superior 5v5 play into bigger leads

# ¿ Apr 22, 2023 22:24

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Hand Knit posted:

Criminal that the Leafs got away with winning a game where they were somewhere between bad and disastrous for >60 minutes of game time. But I like crime so Go Leafs.

Here's Dubas getting into it with Bolts fans after the Rielly hit on Point. Apparently the fight between Matthews and Stamkos was in fact called a fight, which made it the first fight between 60 goal scorers in NHL history.

https://twitter.com/thekirkentobers/status/1649948535238930432?s=20

This rules.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2023 04:36

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Jamwad Hilder posted:

Adults who are still emotionally invested in sports are losers. Obviously it's fine to enjoy the games and the spectacle and all that, because sports are cool, but unfortunately a lot of adult fans are immature babies who can't handle their emotions.

It's fine to emotionally enjoy sports. I dunno how one could just sit and watch a game robotically.

But there's a difference between oh drat I'm a little bummed my team lost and oh I need to go smash my tv or spit on an opposing fan or whatever

# ¿ Apr 26, 2023 00:53

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

I'm not too concerned about who wins this playoffs but man I hope Toronto doesn't go out like this again. That's just too depressing.

# ¿ Apr 28, 2023 03:34

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Congrats, LAS. Long time coming.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2023 03:54

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

It really does feel like McDavid's year. Carolina is decimated. Toronto won but looked like poo poo doing it. The Devils are young and the Rangers haven't looked that great. Florida is rolling but I thought they looked gassed as gently caress tonight and had to gut that one out. We'll see what they have left for Toronto.

If Colorado loses...that door is wide fuckin open.

# ¿ May 1, 2023 03:49

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Koopa Kid posted:

https://twitter.com/TSN1200/status/1652995391757991937?s=20

lmao

Not as unusual as you might think. The Caps used to limit ticket sales to people with Pittsburgh area codes, and so did Columbus.

# ¿ May 1, 2023 18:15

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Matt Zerella posted:

It's bad enough we have to deal with the diaspora. This just makes sense.

Me and Rex sidling into DC or Columbus to effort post about the Penguins and getting escorted out by security

# ¿ May 1, 2023 20:06

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

One of my favorite bits when good teams choke is people saying that the regular season is meaningless and it's a moronic bit because generally speaking you do have to be a top tier team to actually win the cup. Like no poo poo chokes happen, but go back and look at the cup winners over the past 10 years. The worst one in terms of overall points was St. Louis (12th overall in point percentage league-wide).

Cup winners by overall points percentage league-wide, past 10 years. Col (2nd), TB (8th), TB (4th), STL (12th), Wsh (6th), Pit (2nd), Pit (4th), Chi (7th), La (10th), Chi (1st).

The President's Trophy winner is on a bad run recently but I'm also pretty sure that that seed still wins the cup more often than any other seed historically.

# ¿ May 1, 2023 21:16

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

I'm fine with anybody left winning.

Oilers: Cool to see the best player in the league win a cup.
Leafs: SAS Leafs fans are nice people. It'd be annoying hearing about it for the next 80 years and hearing about how all of Canada is pulling for them or whatever though.
Panthers: Would be funny
Hurricanes: Not too interested in seeing their dump and chase grindy rear end hockey rewarded. They're probably my least favorite pick left. But I wouldn't hate it.
Devils: Fine with it
Stars: Fine with it
Kraken: It'd be kinda cruel for an expansion team to win this early and for someone like McDavid or Toronto to still be chasing cups. That also makes it funny I guess
Vegas: They're kind of an rear end in a top hat team with rear end in a top hat management but I do like Eichel and Stone.

# ¿ May 2, 2023 04:07

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the final 8 teams win the cup. Never seen the final 8 be this wide open.

# ¿ May 2, 2023 22:37

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

The Dirty Burger posted:

That was a rough game to watch, Carolina won like 90% of the puck battles and they seemed to always catch the Devils D flat footed leading to an odd-man rush or a partial breakaway

After giving up that much for Timo Meier him having 0 points and 20 PIMs is fuckin brutal, Curtis Lazar had 5 points all season long and even he�s contributed a goal

He's second on the Devils in shots with 32. You'd think one will eventually go in.

# ¿ May 6, 2023 07:08

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Toronto is weird for me. There's been cores that you'd think should win cups that struggled to do so, but usually that was an issue of team depth or goaltending. Like Washington and Pittsburgh's cores produced for years even when their teams weren't winning cups. The failures in the playoffs for those teams were typically not on their best players.

But you look at Toronto and it's Matthews at under a PPG in the playoffs for his career. Marner under a PPG in the playoffs for his career. Nylander under a PPG in the playoffs for his career (in fairness he isn't a PPG in the regular season either career-wise). Their best players just haven't elevated or even reached their regular season play in the playoffs. Matthews at least is producing this year so far in the playoffs.

I think I'd still be patient and commit to that core were a Leafs gm just because what the hell else do you do? You aren't getting better by shipping any of those players out. You keep changing the pieces around them and probably the coach too and hope it eventually clicks. All you can really do.

# ¿ May 8, 2023 03:49

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Darude - Adam Sandstorm posted:

It's gonna be funny when wunderkid and super analytics friendly Kyle Dubas gets fired cause his team kept trading for penalty killers while old as poo poo dinosaur Ken Holland filled his team with dudes that can skate with Leon and Connor to make match ups super loving tough on the opposition and wins the cup with super offence fun time hockey.

Skinner isn't inspiring a lot of confidence in me but other than that Edmonton looks pretty good

# ¿ May 8, 2023 04:20

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Dubas made the classic Ray Shero mistake where he thought having an overwhelmingly good top six was enough to just put together a bottom six of grinders but you actually do need your bottom six to score goals on occasion if you want to win in the playoffs

# ¿ May 9, 2023 20:09

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Draisaitl seems like he talks trash a lot too. Not surprised someone would try to whack him.

He's not a pure hockey robot like McDavid.

# ¿ May 11, 2023 21:32

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Is it just me or does Dallas play bizarrely low shot games? Half the time I click a box score on a Dallas game and it's like 20 shots a piece for both teams.

# ¿ May 12, 2023 07:01

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Sid had a great finals and particularly a great game 6 which matters a lot to voters as well. I think you could argue for Kessel as well but I don't think Crosby winning it was a steal.

You know who low key had a great playoffs that year and could have been a legit candidate as well is Letang. 15 points, 59% 5v5 xgoals. Good in the finals. He was totally dominant.

# ¿ May 23, 2023 22:22

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Mind_Taker posted:

2016 was the most disheartened I felt as a Caps fan because even when Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie, and Carlson outplayed Crosby and Malkin they still lost in 6.

2017 oddly enough didn�t sting me as much despite Pittsburgh being weaker than the prior year. Ovechkin was playing hurt after Kadri took out his knee in Round 1 and it was his worst postseason to date so the loss felt more warranted I guess.

Nobody was beating that 2016 Pens team imo. They were on an incredible tear after Sullivan took over.

2017 they were vulnerable with no Letang but their goaltending was great that playoffs and they were finishing like crazy.

# ¿ May 23, 2023 23:50

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Eric the Mauve posted:

The Lightning had them down 3-2 and could very easily have beaten them with a few different bounces. The Pens, Caps, and Lightning were all tremendous teams that year. The Pens-Caps and Pens-Lightning series were some of the best hockey that has ever been played.

In 2017 the Pens were insanely lucky to win the Cup without Letang.

The Lightning were lucky to be in that series. The Pens outplayed them in like 5 out of 7 of those games. They lost game 5 because Sullivan lost his mind and decided to play Maf.

On the whole that playoffs the Lightning put up a 44% xgoals at 5v5. Pens were at 56%

# ¿ May 23, 2023 23:58

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Was Dennis Wideman also the Blues defenseman who infamously crashed head first into the boards/cameraman?

Or was that someone else

# ¿ May 24, 2023 19:46

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Pungry posted:

Carlo Colaiacovo.

Never gets old

# ¿ May 24, 2023 20:00

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

I predicted Florida because of the way Bob looks and they have a team of destiny feel about them (moreso than Vegas imo) and I feel like those destiny teams often win.

Or maybe Bob comes hurtling back to earth and Vegas wins in like five or six.

# ¿ May 31, 2023 16:38

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Eric the Mauve posted:

Exactly which 'destiny teams' have won the Cup? I'm not sure what you even mean by that. The 2012 Kings? Yes they were 8th in the West but they were also the hottest team in the league going into the playoffs (and the best team if you believed the fancystats). 2016 Penguins? See 2012 Kings. I don't even know who else you'd even be thinking of tbh.

If 'destiny team' means a mediocre team with good health and a scorching hot goalie, those teams have always lost in the Finals. Doesn't mean the Panthers have to lose, but if they win, they'll be the first.

Teams with that those bullshit magic vibes but who also have good underlying numbers. 2012 Kings and 2016 Pens definitely fit that bill. 2018 Caps. 2009 Pens.

The Habs recent finals run I think doesn't fit that bill because they were never actually all that great, they just snuck into the finals. This Panthers team has been pretty good analytically all year, so despite the poor record I think they're actually legit. I guess you could argue some of those teams that lost also had vibes but the 2016 Sharks were kinda past their prime at that point.

The 2017 Preds maybe fit that bill. Strong analytic team that didn't finish with a great record but then went on a run in the playoffs. Pens vibed their way by them though with ridiculous pdo that playoffs.

# ¿ May 31, 2023 16:57

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

eXXon posted:

Nuge - McDavid - Hyman
Skinner - MacKinnon - Marner
Crosby - Stamkos - Point
Benn - Tavares - Giroux

idgaf about the rest

Giving McDavid those wingers on Team Canada is a good bit

# ¿ Jun 7, 2023 20:15

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 18:33

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

Mr. Kite posted:

I'm confused. Kessel was officially scratched but he dressed in full gear?

Are you really confused or just trolling? Everyone gets dressed and on standby when it looks like their team is about to win the cup. Not just the scratches.

e: beaten but yeah ^. I'm sure the Kings did it as well if you go back and look at who came out when they won their cups

# ¿ Jun 14, 2023 06:21

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (NHL) N/V: Stuck In The Past In Every Way

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