The Great Pacific Playoff Race

[azvgk]

8-2 is still technically possible but after watching our whole team get absolutely bodied by the Canucks for five periods in a row I'm less hopeful they can pull off two more four game win streaks.

I was at the game, I thought we had very few real good Grade A scoring chances. It is just so frustrating to watch this plodding perimeter style, with all the overhandling the puck, reluctance to shoot (Karlsson has what, two goals in 30 games, one of which was an empty netter?) and the power play makes me want to tear my hair out. And what good is it to make the playoffs anyway with Lehner in goal. He flops around like a beached whale, never so such an unathletic goalkeeper.

Frankly, with all the games in hand, our only real team we can catch is LA, and that's becoming increasingly unlikely as their toughest games are in the rear view mirror after tonight.

 

[willy702]

I was at the game, I thought we had very few real good Grade A scoring chances. It is just so frustrating to watch this plodding perimeter style, with all the overhandling the puck, reluctance to shoot (Karlsson has what, two goals in 30 games, one of which was an empty netter?) and the power play makes me want to tear my hair out. And what good is it to make the playoffs anyway with Lehner in goal. He flops around like a beached whale, never so such an unathletic goalkeeper.

Frankly, with all the games in hand, our only real team we can catch is LA, and that's becoming increasingly unlikely as their toughest games are in the rear view mirror after tonight.

PDB power at its best. But oh its the injuries, not the system I hear.

 

[willy702]

Knights just handed another chance. Kings have a lot of road games to finish off the season and look like they are running on fumes with all the injuries and young guys hitting the wall. Enough with the lame half ass efforts, the door is open.

 

[mundyc3]

Think they have Dallas and the Kings well in their sights. As long as they don't pull a stretch like the road trip from hell there is a fair chance.

 

[azvgk]

Think they have Dallas and the Kings well in their sights. As long as they don't pull a stretch like the road trip from hell there is a fair chance.

We have Edmonton and Calgary back to back next week, then 3 home games finishing with at Dallas, at Chicago, at St. Louis. Kings play mostly on road, but mostly bottom feeders. Still 50/50, unlikely we'll catch Dallas, more likely Kings, which would mean Edmonton first round instead of Colorado.

 

[Vegan Knight]

We have Edmonton and Calgary back to back next week, then 3 home games finishing with at Dallas, at Chicago, at St. Louis. Kings play mostly on road, but mostly bottom feeders. Still 50/50, unlikely we'll catch Dallas, more likely Kings, which would mean Edmonton first round instead of Colorado.

I think it's trickier than you might think because two in a row are against the Ducks, who would love to cost LA a playoff spot and those games are Getzlaf's last two against LA and third and second last overall games.

The Ducks should be motivated to make those both tricky for LA.

On our end, by the time we play Washington and St. Louis they might not have much to play for so we may have a chance to be the hungrier team those nights.

 

[azvgk]

I think it's trickier than you might think because two in a row are against the Ducks, who would love to cost LA a playoff spot and those games are Getzlaf's last two against LA and third and second last overall games.

The Ducks should be motivated to make those both tricky for LA.

On our end, by the time we play Washington and St. Louis they might not have much to play for so we may have a chance to be the hungrier team those nights.

I agree, and Washington has not played well in awhile, but we just can't go on the road and go o for 3 in Canada, it's there I believe our chances lie.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Besides Edmonton going to OT I think every game since our loss to the Canucks has gone the way we would have liked.

 

[sabresfan65]

3 on watch today: Nashville at Pittsburgh 1PM, LA at Minnesota 2PM, and Dallas at Chicago 4PM.

 

[willy702]

I think the Oilers are pretty much off the watch list up 6 points and having a manageable schedule to come. Besides, that's probably the team you hope to play in the first round, although a wounded LA team would be nice too but just doesn't seem like that is in the cards.

 

[azvgk]

I think the Oilers are pretty much off the watch list up 6 points and having a manageable schedule to come. Besides, that's probably the team you hope to play in the first round, although a wounded LA team would be nice too but just doesn't seem like that is in the cards.

Let's see what happens this week on the road trip of 12th-15th. After yesterday, I'd rate us a 60-70% chance to make the playoffs and we'll be playing either Oilers or Colorado. Anything else is a long shot. I think 1st wild card is too far away and they have (Preds) 7 home games left.

 

[The Duck Knight]

With the Kings loss today we now control our own destiny. Win out and we're guaranteed either 2 or 3 in the Pacific.

 

[azvgk]

LA schedule is notably easier than ours, although mostly on the road. They play home and home (separated) with Anaheim and Chicago, Seattle and Canucks on the road. Toughest is at Avs, also play CBJ. Doubt we could catch Oilers unless we run the table.

 

[willy702]

LA schedule is notably easier than ours, although mostly on the road. They play home and home (separated) with Anaheim and Chicago, Seattle and Canucks on the road. Toughest is at Avs, also play CBJ. Doubt we could catch Oilers unless we run the table.

Weighing schedules at this point is deceiving because some teams could be in rest mode, while teams like the Ducks will still want to beat them. Besides its hockey, upsets happen. How else to explain NJ winning over the Stars in Dallas?

I am more a believer in how teams are running and how that impacts their finish. Kings are running bad right now, no other way to put it. Running like VGK was during that brutal road trip. It doesn't matter if it's deemed a good team or not. I think Seattle is still trying, CBJ still getting some wins, and Chicago who knows. Will just be a question of if they right the ship with enough time to recover some points and get to the playoffs.

 

[LadyStanley]

Better than Vancouver, but ....

 

[Vegas07]

The math changes a lot with a Dallas loss (they play at Edmonton) and a Vegas win tonight. Not an easy game for Dallas. HUGE if though. Obviously any other scenario is bad for the playoff chances.

 

[hail2skins]

Really shouldn't give up hope until they are officially eliminated, but VGK are done for this season. And apparently Lehner is back in goal tonight.

 

[azvgk]

Really shouldn't give up hope until they are officially eliminated, but VGK are done for this season. And apparently Lehner is back in goal tonight.

Living and dying with Lehner, almost certainly the latter. Did everyone see the third goal for NJD Monday??

As I'm not a capologist, does Thompson not burn a year off his ELC if he plays less than 10 game,s and if so, is that one reason they're not playing him? Not sure how many games he's dressed for this season.

 

[Vegas07]

Thompson has played in 14 games.

I used to think Lehner was so solid and made fewer big mistakes than Fleury but lately he has been painful to watch.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

The math changes a lot with a Dallas loss (they play at Edmonton) and a Vegas win tonight. Not an easy game for Dallas. HUGE if though. Obviously any other scenario is bad for the playoff chances.

Sens fan coming in peace.

I think the "easiest" path for Vegas to make the playoffs is Vegas winning out and Dallas losing 2 other games. They play EDM and Calgary, so there's a chance.

 

[azvgk]

Sens fan coming in peace.

I think the "easiest" path for Vegas to make the playoffs is Vegas winning out and Dallas losing 2 other games. They play EDM and Calgary, so there's a chance.

 

[azvgk]

And we play Washington (who beat Avs in Colorado) as well as St. Louis on the road (11-0-2 in last 13 games) though they may rest people, though so might Calgary. Not impossible yet to make the playoffs, but what for with Lehner in net and Avs as first opponent. I'd rather miss the playoffs so we can revamp the team and move forward. We have lots of talent both on offense and defense, we need to change the management and the style of play and develop some kids on ELC's to help with the cap.

 

[The Duck Knight]

With the Dallas loss tonight we once again control our destiny. Win out and we're in.

 

[hail2skins]

Would the win against Dallas have to be in regulation if the Stars win out as well (except against VGK)? A few weeks ago I remember that teams we were chasing would play each other, but the games would wind up going to OT and thus both teams would get at least a point. I can see us beating the Stars in OT, but falling on point short at the end.

 

[The Duck Knight]

Would the win against Dallas have to be in regulation if the Stars win out as well (except against VGK)? A few weeks ago I remember that teams we were chasing would play each other, but the games would wind up going to OT and thus both teams would get at least a point. I can see us beating the Stars in OT, but falling on point short at the end.

Yeah we do need to win the Stars game in regulation because I doubt they drop any points to SEA/AZ/ANA.