Ottawa/Detroit/New Jersey/Buffalo: Which team will breakout first?

[nbwingsfan]

Nah, you said that Ottawa being 7-1-0 proves nothing because those are just other bad teams. But when shown Ottawa has the best record against the top teams in the league, all of a sudden those don't matter either now. The shifting goal posts are hilarious. So I guess only a team's standings is what determines the better team? That's it then huh? Why even have the playoffs then, just give the cup to the team that finishes 1st.

Even if you go by the standings, Ottawa's actually been significantly better than Detroit in the 2nd half of the season. In fact, both Ottawa and Buffalo managed to improve their play in the 2nd half of the season, while Detroit and New Jersey got significantly worse. That's really not a good sign for a young team. You would think a young team shows improvement over the course of the season. Ending stronger than you started is a great sign for a team looking to take the next step.

The Red Wings didn't even play the Habs last season, what are you even talking about?

You guys “showed improvement” last season at the end of the year and now you suck again. Don’t know how many times teams play well at the end of the year when playoff teams have little to play for anymore and garbage teams play well because they don’t have a care in the world. Always causes fans to scream next year is their year just to have them heart broken again. Guess we’ll see next year, but I expect very little separation between Ottawa and Detroit again

 

[SpezDispenser]

This is purely your opinion. It’s a fair opinion to have. But I am continually baffled how people on HF act like their opinion is fact.

Raymond and Stutzle have performed similarly in their careers so far. Larkin has similar career stats to Tkachuk, but has been better this year. Bertuzzi and Vrana are comparable statistically to the other two. Totally fair to take the OTT group but to act like it’s obvious is embarrassing.

Where did I say it wasn't my opinion?

 

[RedHawkDown]

So I present career stats and you refute that with a 33 game trend over 2 years? That makes little sense. For comparison just look at Seider. 42 pts in his first 55 games and 7 points in his last 23 games. What is he? A .8 pts a game guy or a .3 pts a game guy?
Oh and just like Kreider this year, Vrana's "50 goal" pace is highly unlikely to be duplicated in future years.

Genuinely could not give less of a shit about career stats or even whether Vrana will continue to score at this pace ever again. Even in the situation where he becomes a 5-goal scorer and gets sent to the KHL, it is irrelevant. The original point was that Detroit has been without our top scorer almost all year , because an Ottawa fan was arguing that only the Sens have missed key players to injury.
The point is that since playing for the Red Wings, Jakub Vrana has been our best goal scorer. Whether he keeps it up or whether he regresses is entirely irrelevant to what is happening NOW. So yes, we did lose our top scorer to injury. That’s a fact.

If Kreider gets injured in game 1 of the playoffs, NYR has lost their top scorer. Just because Laf or Kakko or someone else might score more goals for NYR in the future doesn’t change that fact now lol.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Raymond's rookie season would have been historic on Florida. Historic. Red Wing fans are in fantasy land right now, let's ignore em for now and hope to see their 50 goal pace in 33 games Vrana guide them to the promised land.

You guys are saying missing Pinto and his 1G/ 8pts in 17 games is somehow a big reason why you fell down the standings and THIS is what you think is crazy?

 

[RedHawkDown]

So Varana who is 26 years old and in his 6th NHL season and has 96 goals in 317 games (.30 goals per game) is significantly better than Larkin who has 147 goals in 504 games ( .29 GPG)???? And Larkin is younger and had 2, 30 goal seasons!!! OK then.

On the current red wings? The answer to your question is yes. Incredible that
you guys think you know our players relative to each other better than we do.

 

[nbwingsfan]

So I present career stats and you refute that with a 33 game trend over 2 years? That makes little sense. For comparison just look at Seider. 42 pts in his first 55 games and 7 points in his last 23 games. What is he? A .8 pts a game guy or a .3 pts a game guy?
Oh and just like Kreider this year, Vrana's "50 goal" pace is highly unlikely to be duplicated in future years.

When we’re talking about THIS season, yeah what they’re currently doing is a hell of a lot more relevant than what someone did at 21 while buried on another team.

 

[newfy]

And what about not being to practice for weeks? Does every team deal with that? That's not even related to injuries.

No the reality is they will be very close. A top 9 of Tkachuk, Norris, Joseph, Giroux/Fiala, Stützle, Batherson, Formenton, Pinto, C. Brown is excellent, certainly good enough to battle for a playoff spot. Chabot, Zub, Sanderson, Brannstrom, Holden, and Hamonic is a pretty decent blueline too. The big question mark is Forsberg, who while excellent this year, is still a little unproven, so it remains to be seen if he can continue his great play into next season.

So we get to just pencil in free agents to the lineup however we want to make these comparisons?

Giroux is the difference between being a bottom 7 team and the 22 points they would need to make playoffs right now lol? That seems like really not homerish analysis.

 

[RedHawkDown]

To actually answer the thread, I think Buffalo is showing recently that it’s them.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Buffalo AINEC

 

[SpezDispenser]

Buffalo AINEC

Oh, it's close lol

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Oh, it's close lol

Not really

 

[NyQuil]

Not really

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Sens fans are the only ones who are saying otherwise and quite insufferably at that.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

To actually answer the thread, I think Buffalo is showing recently that it’s them.

Agreed but it is close. Buf, Ott and NJ are close. And Arizona and Montreal could catch up quickly.

 

[SpezDispenser]

Not really

Good to know, thanks.

 

[NyQuil]

Sens fans are the only ones who are saying otherwise and quite insufferably at that.

Coming into a thread that has 569 posts in it, saying AINEC and providing no justification for it is the very definition of a pointless exercise.

Congratulations on your contribution.

For the record, about 79% of posters are saying otherwise.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Coming into a thread that has 569 posts in it, saying AINEC and providing no justification for it is the very definition of a pointless exercise.

Congratulations on your contribution.

For the record, about 79% of posters are saying otherwise.

I’m sorry that was so traumatic for all you Sens fans. You’re the only ones who have seemed to care.

Justification is Rasmus Dahlin. Then there’s Tage Thompson, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson. A bit deeper you’ve got Alex Tuch, Victor Olofsson, Jeff Skinner (yeah he’d be Ottawa’s leading scorer this year) and even a resurrected Kyle Okposo. Even further, there’s rising prospects Rasmus Asplund, Casey Mittelstadt, Henri Jokiharju, Dylan Cozens, and Peyton Krebs. And then… there’s the AHL’s most electrifying duo in Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. Oh and then there’s 4 more picks in the top 40 of this years draft.

Hope this helps.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

So we get to just pencil in free agents to the lineup however we want to make these comparisons?

Giroux is the difference between being a bottom 7 team and the 22 points they would need to make playoffs right now lol? That seems like really not homerish analysis.

Giroux alone? No, obviously not. Giroux, and Pinto, and Sanderson, and a full season of Joseph and Hamonic? Yes. At least compete for a wildcard spot.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Don’t think we’ll get Trocheck or Forsberg. But this rumor business happened to us with Werenski. Trouba. Suter. Parise. It really means nothing.

Regardless Ottawa knows they have to add a top 6 forward this offseason. They will likely do so one way or another.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

You guys “showed improvement” last season at the end of the year and now you suck again. Don’t know how many times teams play well at the end of the year when playoff teams have little to play for anymore and garbage teams play well because they don’t have a care in the world. Always causes fans to scream next year is their year just to have them heart broken again. Guess we’ll see next year, but I expect very little separation between Ottawa and Detroit again

Well it's a lot better than massively regressing in the 2nd half of the season. It would take some serious mental gymnastics to see improving your record and performance in the 2nd half of the season as a negative thing while somehow massively regressing isn't seen as a disappointment.

You can expect whatever you want, but I can guarantee you Ottawa will separate themselves from Detroit next season. Buffalo will separate from Detroit as well.

 

[Play]

Anyone who says the detroit red wings (not capitalizing their name until they reach the playoffs), needs to give their head a shake!

 

[GOALOFSSON]

So between players not being injured and new additions to the teams, what improvements are each team looking at currently?

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

So between players not being injured and new additions to the teams, what improvements are each team looking at currently?

I think more than anything NJ, Detroit and Buffalo need competent goaltending. Realistically Jersey was the only team of the 4 that averaged more shots for than against for the season so average goaltending would be a much bigger boost for them, though Detroit and Buffalo aren't far behind in how much they would benefit as well.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Sabres are currently 4-1-0 with Power. Sure they've beaten some bad teams (Philly twice and Jersey once) and got spanked hard by St. Louis, but still. They're not a doormat anymore. If one of their goalie prospects pan out and Quinn/Peterka can add juice up front, they'll be fighting for a wild card spot soon, because Boston and Washington are getting old.

Sabres and Jersey squared off at the Prudential yesterday and Jersey's defense looked suspect to say the least. They really need Luke Hughes to come in and salvage things here. Is he supposed to be good defensively?

Devils were missing Jack Hughes, their best 2 goalies, Jonas Siegenthaler (one of the best shutdown dmen in the league), and Miles Wood. Hammond put forth one of the worst goaltending performances of all time.

 

[newfy]

Giroux alone? No, obviously not. Giroux, and Pinto, and Sanderson, and a full season of Joseph and Hamonic? Yes. At least compete for a wildcard spot.

So you think 2 rookies, an imaginary UFA that hasnt signed yet, what should have been a cap dump trade and a career 4th liner are whats going to do it.

Not every rookie dman steps in and plays like Seider, and without that kind of contribution from Sanderson its just wishful thinking.

All of these teams can make a list of guys like that pretty easily, but it doesnt make any of these teams actual playoff teams at all