Observations V

[Pred303]

have no idea what happens tonight of course. which team, which rinne shows up. i do know it's the most critical game we've played since the PHO disaster though. win tonight and we take back home ice. win tonight and head home for game 5 in a tie series.

wish i were more confident in tonight's result. want badly to be. maybe the puck bounces our way two or three times.

 

[predfan24]

I feel like this is the game Pekka has to uphold his part of the bargain and steal one. Chicago is going to get 30-35 shots. If Pekka can hold them to two or less goals we win. If not we lose.

 

[LCPreds]

Yep, tonight is basically it I think. We need to win as I just don't see us reeling off 3 straight against anyone at this point, much less Chicago.

 

[Drake744]

I feel like this is the game Pekka has to uphold his part of the bargain and steal one. Chicago is going to get 30-35 shots. If Pekka can hold them to two or less goals we win. If not we lose.

I tend to think that game was Sunday. We did things like immediately tie it up after their first two goals, which is something winning teams do, but Pekka just wasn't good enough to help us out when we needed it.

I feel now like I did when Hutton was playing. I never know how to feel about a game because of goaltending, which is sad.

 

[jstreet]

Bold prediction

Rinne lets in 4 goals on 5 shots to start the second period. Takes off his pads and retires on the spot as the 5 goal whizzes into a half empty net. Leaves the arena never to be seen again.

#Heythanksforhavingmeguys comes into the game and Preds manage a surge ultimately to lose by one goal.

Optimism rains supreme. Maybe Hutton can lead us to the Cup. Maybe he will pull a Darling. We played lights out when he came in.

Hutton starts the next game and gets shelled in the first perios. Lavy pulls him and makes Gaustad suit up. Gaustad gets tossed for punching everyone who skates into the crease. Toronto calls in to have the game halted, Preds disqualified from contention.

Hawks win the Cup, add 549,023,227 seats to the bandwagon, trade for McDavid in the off season and win the next 8 cups.

HFboards implode.

 

[Drake744]

Rinne lets in 4 goals on 5 shots to start the second period. Takes off his pads and retires on the spot as the 5 goal whizzes into a half empty net. Leaves the arena never to be seen again.

#Heythanksforhavingmeguys comes into the game and Preds manage a surge ultimately to lose by one goal.

Optimism rains supreme. Maybe Hutton can lead us to the Cup. Maybe he will pull a Darling. We played lights out when he came in.

Hutton starts the next game and gets shelled in the first perios. Lavy pulls him and makes Gaustad suit up. Gaustad gets tossed for punching everyone who skates into the crease. Toronto calls in to have the game halted, Preds disqualified from contention.

Hawks win the Cup, add 549,023,227 seats to the bandwagon, trade for McDavid in the off season and win the next 8 cups.

HFboards implode.

Edmonton wins every lottery for the forseeable future, forcing the NHL to re-vamp it's lottery process. Edmonton then proceeds to be eliminated from the playoffs on the final day of the 2021 season through the 3rd tiebreaker scenario, and manages to win the lottery anyway. #Heythanksforhavingmeguys reunites with the Hawks during this process, and leads all 8 of Chicago's consecutive Cup runs in net.

 

[Yukon Cornellis]

Rinne lets in 4 goals on 5 shots to start the second period. Takes off his pads and retires on the spot as the 5 goal whizzes into a half empty net. Leaves the arena never to be seen again.

#Heythanksforhavingmeguys comes into the game and Preds manage a surge ultimately to lose by one goal.

Optimism rains supreme. Maybe Hutton can lead us to the Cup. Maybe he will pull a Darling. We played lights out when he came in.

Hutton starts the next game and gets shelled in the first perios. Lavy pulls him and makes Gaustad suit up. Gaustad gets tossed for punching everyone who skates into the crease. Toronto calls in to have the game halted, Preds disqualified from contention.

Hawks win the Cup, add 549,023,227 seats to the bandwagon, trade for McDavid in the off season and win the next 8 cups.

HFboards implode.

Edmonton wins every lottery for the forseeable future, forcing the NHL to re-vamp it's lottery process. Edmonton then proceeds to be eliminated from the playoffs on the final day of the 2021 season through the 3rd tiebreaker scenario, and manages to win the lottery anyway. #Heythanksforhavingmeguys reunites with the Hawks during this process, and leads all 8 of Chicago's consecutive Cup runs in net.

I always knew Hut had it in 'em...

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

We (Pred Fandom) really have self-confidence issues. We're down 2-1 in a tough series where one win can bring back home-ice advantage and we're discussing "re-tooling". Geez.

Why do we "re-tool"? Why do we debate trades and draft choices and line combos and coaching philosophy? We do it to hopefully get us to the point we're at RIGHT NOW. We're in am exciting playoff series with a chance to to win the Cup. But instead of living in-the-moment and enjoying the rewards of having a team at this point (versus the 14 loser teams who's fans have nothing but draft talk to look forward to), we proclaim our chances slim (cuz I guess that somehow protects us from the pending reality of a series loss) and almost dread the upcoming games cuz we've lost confidence and believe we don't have what it takes to win. Using this formula, how are we ever happy? You think the Kings fans were happy when they went down 3-0 in the opening round last year? You think they knew they were coming back? Of course not. They were tearing into each other about how badly they were playing and talked about "re-tooling". Then they won 4 straight and everything changed.

As Pred303 always says, it's hockey so you never know. So why assume the worst and squeeze the fun out of the hope of winning?

Approach tonight's game like you KNOW we're gonna win. That we'll be talking about an even series tomorrow and home ice. Think how AWESOME Thursday night will be for Game 5!! Could be another Game 2 Environment. That's what we're living for. The Cup is a by-product of a series of great and memorable games and experiences as fans. Game 2 was one of them. Hopefully we'll have a dozen more. If we don't, I'm still thrilled I was able to be thrilled. I pay money and put my heart behind this team because I love being thrilled. The next best thing to being thrilled is the anticipation of being thrilled.

Don't piss away that anticipation and let your disappointment that we're not up 2-1 or 3-0 rob you of why we're so invested. There are no life-points for predicting doom before it actually happens. All it does is prematurely start the doom.

I know our recent track record doesn't inspire great confidence. So what. We're down one friggin' game. We've had many winning streaks this year. You know we're capable. So just opt for believing Pekka rises instead of wilts. If he ends up wilting, then when it's over we'll deal with the actual reality of that.

Until then, enjoy the fruits of being a fan of a playoff team. Re-open yourself up to not only being thrilled but anticipating that great feeling that will come from winning tonight.

It's why we're here.

 

[PredsV82]

have no idea what happens tonight of course. which team, which rinne shows up. i do know it's the most critical game we've played since the PHO disaster though. win tonight and we take back home ice. win tonight and head home for game 5 in a tie series.

wish i were more confident in tonight's result. want badly to be. maybe the puck bounces our way two or three times.

was just coming to say basically the whole season boils down to tonight. Win tonight, and I think at worst the series goes 7 games, and if we lose in 7, to Chicago, thats really nothing to hang your head about, although you can certainly look back on the season and think what might have been.

lose tonight and we probably lose thursday, and this season will rank right there with 2007 and 2012 as far as completely unsatisfying results, despite 100+ point regular seasons...

 

[Drake744]

was just coming to say basically the whole season boils down to tonight. Win tonight, and I think at worst the series goes 7 games, and if we lose in 7, to Chicago, thats really nothing to hang your head about, although you can certainly look back on the season and think what might have been.

lose tonight and we probably lose thursday, and this season will rank right there with 2007 and 2012 as far as completely unsatisfying results, despite 100+ point regular seasons...

I believe 2006 also falls in this category.

 

[PredsV82]

I believe 2006 also falls in this category.

2006 we lost Vokoun right before the playoffs and so I don't think as much was expected, but its close.

2007 was the Forsberg trade, Vokoun was healthy, Rads was playing.... and the series basically went just like these first three have gone

 

[Byrddog]

We (Pred Fandom) really have self-confidence issues. We're down 2-1 in a tough series where one win can bring back home-ice advantage and we're discussing "re-tooling". Geez.

Why do we "re-tool"? Why do we debate trades and draft choices and line combos and coaching philosophy? We do it to hopefully get us to the point we're at RIGHT NOW. We're in am exciting playoff series with a chance to to win the Cup. But instead of living in-the-moment and enjoying the rewards of having a team at this point (versus the 14 loser teams who's fans have nothing but draft talk to look forward to), we proclaim our chances slim (cuz I guess that somehow protects us from the pending reality of a series loss) and almost dread the upcoming games cuz we've lost confidence and believe we don't have what it takes to win. Using this formula, how are we ever happy? You think the Kings fans were happy when they went down 3-0 in the opening round last year? You think they knew they were coming back? Of course not. They were tearing into each other about how badly they were playing and talked about "re-tooling". Then they won 4 straight and everything changed.

As Pred303 always says, it's hockey so you never know. So why assume the worst and squeeze the fun out of the hope of winning?

Approach tonight's game like you KNOW we're gonna win. That we'll be talking about an even series tomorrow and home ice. Think how AWESOME Thursday night will be for Game 5!! Could be another Game 2 Environment. That's what we're living for. The Cup is a by-product of a series of great and memorable games and experiences as fans. Game 2 was one of them. Hopefully we'll have a dozen more. If we don't, I'm still thrilled I was able to be thrilled. I pay money and put my heart behind this team because I love being thrilled. The next best thing to being thrilled is the anticipation of being thrilled.

Don't piss away that anticipation and let your disappointment that we're not up 2-1 or 3-0 rob you of why we're so invested. There are no life-points for predicting doom before it actually happens. All it does is prematurely start the doom.

I know our recent track record doesn't inspire great confidence. So what. We're down one friggin' game. We've had many winning streaks this year. You know we're capable. So just opt for believing Pekka rises instead of wilts. If he ends up wilting, then when it's over we'll deal with the actual reality of that.

Until then, enjoy the fruits of being a fan of a playoff team. Re-open yourself up to not only being thrilled but anticipating that great feeling that will come from winning tonight.

It's why we're here.

Why do we re-tool? Pretty simple this team is not competitive without Rinne that can stand on his head every night. The ownership made the decision to bring in a coach to turn the team in another direction. The Trotz retreads can't get that done. Theres hope for Fiala and Moses but like Jarnkrok theres no guarantee.

One and done in the playoffs has grown old to alot of the fanbase. Outside Rinne. Forsberg and 4 defensemen this is not a very good hockey team. The one or two player tweek ensures at best a 1st round appearance. How long does anyone really think Weber is going to wait to have a chance at lifing the cup?

 

[Drake744]

Why do we re-tool? Pretty simple this team is not competitive without Rinne that can stand on his head every night. The ownership made the decision to bring in a coach to turn the team in another direction. The Trotz retreads can't get that done. Theres hope for Fiala and Moses but like Jarnkrok theres no guarantee.

One and done in the playoffs has grown old to alot of the fanbase. Outside Rinne. Forsberg and 4 defensemen this is not a very good hockey team. The one or two player tweek ensures at best a 1st round appearance. How long does anyone really think Weber is going to wait to have a chance at lifing the cup?

This season was largely supposed to be a wash. Whatever run we had for the first four months was unexpected. We don't need to "re-tool" IMO because we're kind of in that process already.

We have guys like Fiala (in theory) Forsberg, Josi, Ellis and Jones already here who are still quite young...and for some of them still growing up and physically turning into men rather than boys. With this evolution comes increased production more often than not. This is why there was very little hope for this season to begin with. I'm sure if we went back to the off-season we were saying a lot about how we'd hope to compete for the playoffs this season but 2015-16 is where we really start to shine. That's not even bringing guys like Kamenev, Aberg and Moses into the equation.

My point is I feel that this year is a total overacheivement in most aspects rather than a reason to blow up what will be a good thing. I don't think anyone can look at our young guys and upcoming prospects, especially the forwards, and say we don't have hope after this year. It'll suck when we get knocked out this year but I say it's just the beginning for us and the roster we're putting together.

 

[drwpreds]

My point is I feel that this year is a total overacheivement in most aspects rather than a reason to blow up what will be a good thing. I don't think anyone can look at our young guys and upcoming prospects, especially the forwards, and say we don't have hope after this year. It'll suck when we get knocked out this year but I say it's just the beginning for us and the roster we're putting together.

This is pretty much exactly the way I feel- the thought that we need to blow it up is completely ridiculous.

 

[drwpreds]

Why do we re-tool? Pretty simple this team is not competitive without Rinne that can stand on his head every night.

I think you are going way overboard with how bad you think we are. This team is talented enough that it can still win without a Vezina winning goaltender. Win a Cup? No. But to say not competitive is way overstating it. (And yes, I know we slumped down the stretch but that wasn't JUST because of goaltending)

If anything, to me this playoff series has strenghtened my belief that this is a really good hockey team. Rinne has not been good in this series at all- it could be argued that he has been terrible- and yet we have still overall outplayed the Chicago Blackhawks in the series- should be up 2-1 but at worst it is an even series. I would say that is pretty competitive, even though we have had bad goaltending......

 

[roseyc]

We (Pred Fandom) really have self-confidence issues. We're down 2-1 in a tough series where one win can bring back home-ice advantage and we're discussing "re-tooling". Geez.

Why do we "re-tool"? Why do we debate trades and draft choices and line combos and coaching philosophy? We do it to hopefully get us to the point we're at RIGHT NOW. We're in am exciting playoff series with a chance to to win the Cup. But instead of living in-the-moment and enjoying the rewards of having a team at this point (versus the 14 loser teams who's fans have nothing but draft talk to look forward to), we proclaim our chances slim (cuz I guess that somehow protects us from the pending reality of a series loss) and almost dread the upcoming games cuz we've lost confidence and believe we don't have what it takes to win. Using this formula, how are we ever happy? You think the Kings fans were happy when they went down 3-0 in the opening round last year? You think they knew they were coming back? Of course not. They were tearing into each other about how badly they were playing and talked about "re-tooling". Then they won 4 straight and everything changed.

As Pred303 always says, it's hockey so you never know. So why assume the worst and squeeze the fun out of the hope of winning?

Approach tonight's game like you KNOW we're gonna win. That we'll be talking about an even series tomorrow and home ice. Think how AWESOME Thursday night will be for Game 5!! Could be another Game 2 Environment. That's what we're living for. The Cup is a by-product of a series of great and memorable games and experiences as fans. Game 2 was one of them. Hopefully we'll have a dozen more. If we don't, I'm still thrilled I was able to be thrilled. I pay money and put my heart behind this team because I love being thrilled. The next best thing to being thrilled is the anticipation of being thrilled.

Don't piss away that anticipation and let your disappointment that we're not up 2-1 or 3-0 rob you of why we're so invested. There are no life-points for predicting doom before it actually happens. All it does is prematurely start the doom.

I know our recent track record doesn't inspire great confidence. So what. We're down one friggin' game. We've had many winning streaks this year. You know we're capable. So just opt for believing Pekka rises instead of wilts. If he ends up wilting, then when it's over we'll deal with the actual reality of that.

Until then, enjoy the fruits of being a fan of a playoff team. Re-open yourself up to not only being thrilled but anticipating that great feeling that will come from winning tonight.

It's why we're here.

very good post.....history is the next game

 

[handtrick]

this teams has holes to fill to reach their full potential, as all teams always do
1)a true top line center
2)upgrades on third line (from top down preferably, pushing smith or wilson down a line with a fiala and fisher down because of a center add)
3)a better backup goalie.
4)a left handed stay at home guy defenseman, thats a level above volchenkov/bartley

that center needs to come from free agency (obviously the ideal scenario) or a rh defenseman trade.

so i think we are really only 2-3 players away for the next couple years. then admittedly we have to find rinne's replacement. hopefully he's already in our system. if we could improve enough up front that goalie won't have to be superman to be good enough.

I agree with this 100%.
I think all the talk about 're-tooling' is pretty comical given the season we have had and the expectations that were there at the beginning of the season.

 

[Armourboy]

I understand people having expectations adjusted during the season and being unhappy about the end of the season, but this idea of blowing stuff up because of that is stupid. We were a team that was expected to barely make the playoffs by riding the back of Rinne. Yes we did better than that, sooo doing better than expected is suddenly a reason to go full on nuclear? Really?

I've been as disappointed as anyone about the end of the season, but ready to push the bus off the cliff disappointed? How could you be knowing what this team was expected to do? This is a team that is ahead of where it should of been. This was a throw away season that didn't get completely thrown away.

Yeah yeah wasted chance blah blah blah. This team didn't even have a chance going into the season if you asked anyone else. We exceeded expectations and now suddenly we need to change course?

Yes some changes need to be made, but those are the same changes that needed to be made before the season started.

Sheesh.

 

[glenngineer]

I said re-tool not rebuild. Secondly what center are we going to get in free agency to fill the number 1 slot. Have realistic expectations for what's out there and what we can sign. There isn't anyone available better than Ribeiro.

We lose Weber and Fisher and have no physical presence right now. We need more physically complete players, not one trick ponies.

 

[Armourboy]

I said re-tool not rebuild. Secondly what center are we going to get in free agency to fill the number 1 slot. Have realistic expectations for what's out there and what we can sign. There isn't anyone available better than Ribeiro.

We lose Weber and Fisher and have no physical presence right now. We need more physically complete players, not one trick ponies.

No doubt, but that was the exact same thing that was said at the start of this season. It's obvious Poile is going to need to pull off a meaningful trade to get that 1C, just like we have said all season.

It's not going to be an easy off season by any stretch, but it also isn't impossible either. Granted I think this is essentially Poile's last shot. If he fails to bring in a true 1C and upgrade the third this off season then he has failed once again and it's time to move on. Heck I'm ok if it's not him and someone else but whoever it is has to get it done.

 

[Dave is a killer]

I said re-tool not rebuild. Secondly what center are we going to get in free agency to fill the number 1 slot. Have realistic expectations for what's out there and what we can sign. There isn't anyone available better than Ribeiro.

We lose Weber and Fisher and have no physical presence right now. We need more physically complete players, not one trick ponies.

Ding ding ding ding

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

To re-tool or not re-tool is a matter of degree and timing. Once the season is over, we'll decide who we're resigning, who we'll let go, and then who we'll try to bring in as FAs or trades, all designed to build off of this year and put us in a position next year where we're playing somebody in the 1st round of the playoffs again.

My only point is, don't give up on this year even though we're facing adversity. Lets discuss what Lavy can do to change the Game 3 flow. Who is the best line mate for Josi with Weber out? Should Bartley or Vol be the 6th d-man? Is breaking up Ribs and Neal working or should they be reunited? Would Fiala shake things up? What adjustments can Rinne make at this stage to offset the way the Hawks are shooting at him? What's the key to solving Darling? Shoot high? Get him moving?

This thing is not done. Looking forward to going home tonight to match a near must-win game in the playoffs in late April, followed by another huge home game on Thursday. This is GREAT STUFF.

No matter how well we re-tool, the best end result is exactly where we are now. In a playoff series with a chance to advance. No amount of pre-success down the stretch guarantees you success in the playoffs. Look at the Caps. The Isles limped in worse than us. The Caps were supposed to be built for the playoffs because of the great "re-tooling" they did. The mighty Blues, poster boys for "tooling" a playoff ready team, are exactly where we are right now.

As they say in that locker room scene from Mystery, Alaska: "We can beat these guys ....... they're not that good!"

Stay real-time and leave-it-all-out-there emotionally. If we win, it's euphoric. If we lose, it hurts and turns us temporary bitter. We're Pred fans, we can take it.

 

[Enoch]

It is such a shame that the NHL has such convoluted playoff structure. We shouldn't be playing the Blackhawks. We should be playing Vancouver or Calgary.

 

[Drake744]

It is such a shame that the NHL has such convoluted playoff structure. We shouldn't be playing the Blackhawks. We should be playing Vancouver or Calgary.

If the NHL did the simple and logical 1-8 seeding process that the NBA uses, the matchups would be:

-(1) Anaheim vs (8) Calgary
-(2) St. Louis vs (7) Winnipeg
-(3) Nashville vs (6) Minnesota
-(4) Chicago vs (5) Vancouver


To my understanding, if I'm doing it right, if the league just would've kept it the way it was the matchups would be:

-(1) Anaheim vs (8) Calgary
-(2) St. Louis vs (7) Winnipeg
-(3) Vancouver vs (6) Minnesota
-(4) Nashville vs (5) Chicago

 

[PredsV82]

It is such a shame that the NHL has such convoluted playoff structure. We shouldn't be playing the Blackhawks. We should be playing Vancouver or Calgary.

this is true but even under the old system we would have drawn chicago as a 4-5 matchup because we didnt win the division, just like we drew San jose two years in a row despite having the second highest points in the west or something like that