Pre-Game Talk: Who would you like to or avoid in the 1st round of the playoffs?

[mondo3]

Assuming we make it into the playoffs (looking good so far), which team(s) would you rather we not face in the first round? Some teams historically have had our number (so to speak), but is that a factor? Would we want to play someone tough to see how good we actually are and to set the tone for future series?

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[Howard Chuck]

Part of me thinks that it would be best to play the toughest competition first while we are still fresh and healthy (of course, so would the other team). I think we can beat anyone if we are healthy.

So probably go right for Nashville and knock them out. They are probably our toughest team to beat right now.

Then there is the other school of thought, where we play easier teams, get more experience in playoff games.

 

[robertocarlos]

Who said anything about playoffs? The Jets are 6 points out of last place.

 

[Ducky10]

Who said anything about playoffs? The Jets are 6 points out of last place.

Note the word "assuming".

 

[TheDeuce]

Who said anything about playoffs? The Jets are 6 points out of last place.

And everyone else has games in hand - how did that happen?

Back to the OP: I'd want to avoid Nashville. I'd rather win a round against a less challenging team to get some playoff experience under our belts.



m.

 

[Neuf]

Nashville

 

[Duke749]

Who said anything about playoffs? The Jets are 6 points out of last place.

No we’re not. We’re 31 points out of last place.

 

[Jets 31]

The Ducks , just to return the favor . Since this is sort of a pre-game thread , we get to be streak breakers on Saturday . Calgary has won 7 games in a row but it won't be 8 .

 

[ATLbound]

Everyone keeps winning. Everyone in the central minus the Blackhawks is having a good year. And the Hawks are still in the middle of everything just for them it is a bad year.

Assuming we continue our play (knock on wood) I would prefer to avoid Nashville first round and that is it. My ideal matchup would be Stars, Blues, or Flames(if we got 1st and they had a WC spot) either way if we want to make an actual run we have to play the Preds, and likely the Kings or Sharks at some point. So it doesn't really matter

 

[10Ducky10]

The Ducks .,. pay back is a biotch.

 

[Romang67]

Everyone keeps winning. Everyone in the central minus the Blackhawks is having a good year. And the Hawks are still in the middle of everything just for them it is a bad year.

Assuming we continue our play (knock on wood) I would prefer to avoid Nashville first round and that is it. My ideal matchup would be Stars, Blues, or Flames(if we got 1st and they had a WC spot) either way if we want to make an actual run we have to play the Preds, and likely the Kings or Sharks at some point. So it doesn't really matter

Honestly, with Crawford out for the season, I think the Hawks are done.

 

[jefferoni]

I'd want to avoid Nashville. I'd rather win a round against a less challenging team to get some playoff experience under our belts.

Yep, 100% this!

 

[ATLbound]

Honestly, with Crawford out for the season, I think the Hawks are done.

You would think. Every other team is firing on all cylinders in our division too.

If we fall to a WC spot and play Vegas round 1. That would be pretty funny actually. I actually think the 2 teams that scare me most in a playoff series is Nashville and LA

 

[Guffman]

I don’t want to avoid anyone. The Jets will trample any and all infidels that try to oppose us.

If we’re healthy and on our game, we will do very well this post season.

Edit: BTW, we do have a heavy home schedule this next part and our 1C will be back. We should finish the rgular season fine.

 

[nobody important]

The Wild. I don't want the Wild to make the playoffs period, but if they do, I especially don't want to play them. If we lost to the stinking Wild in the first round, I swear I would have a John Cleese moment.

 

[Huffer]

I think Nashville is the best team, so if I had a choice I would prefer to avoid them in round 1. Have to beat everyone though so I'll just be happy for the Jets to be in the playoffs and see what happens.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Nashville.

Nashville.

Nashville.

And Nasville.

Their D core is soooooo good.

 

[Aavco Cup]

I fear nobody. The Jets are quite capable of beating anyone in the west

 

[Howard Chuck]

I fear nobody. The Jets are quite capable of beating anyone in the west

When we're healthy, I feel the same way.

 

[AlphaLackey]

Who said anything about playoffs? The Jets are 6 points out of last place.

The Jets are likelier to win the Stanley Cup than to miss the playoffs.

 

[Aavco Cup]

When we're healthy, I feel the same way.

I think this thread title has it wrong. It should be " who fears playing the Jets in the 1st round"

Was watching a bit of McCowen yesterday and after their obligatory Leaf talk the switched to the west and he asked his panel about the Knights and the Jets. Specifically "are the Jets for real" and it was unanimous that they are. Someone said "nobody wants to face them in the first round."

 

[AlphaLackey]

Normally I would defer to my Universal Theory of Single Elimination Tournaments, and that is you'd want to play the #1 seed in the first round, because
A) if you were going to win, you'd have to play them at some point ANYWAYS, and
B) if you win, you gain a massive psychological edge; the only thing people fear more than a giant is a giant-slayer.

HOWEVER.

I think this franchise deserves and in fact NEEDS some playoff victories, hopefully a couple round's worth, to show they've turned a corner. So I'd be hoping for a soft underbelly.

I would love to play Vegas in the first round, especially if the creaky planks of their unsustainable goaltending finally started showing leaks in the last month of so.

 

[Maukkis]

The more I think about it, the more I want to face Nashville.

It's not like we are a one-and-done team, when it comes to the playoffs. With the core we have, I'd assume we have a decade's worth of playoff runs in front of us. (RIGHT?!)

I want us to be put in the deep end now. That is called learning; we do not know the playoffs yet, whereas a lot of other teams do. I want us to learn what it takes to succeed in the postseason; heck, if that involves coming up against a team with four top pairing defensemen and two Finnish voodoo practitioners in net, so be it. Eventually, we will need to solve them to reach the top. Why not measure our level of play now?

But, in the spirit of this thread, I will answer the question in the OP: I'd like to avoid Anaheim if possible, but it is not like you get much of a say in how things go.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Normally I would defer to my Universal Theory of Single Elimination Tournaments, and that is you'd want to play the #1 seed in the first round, because
A) if you were going to win, you'd have to play them at some point ANYWAYS, and
B) if you win, you gain a massive psychological edge; the only thing people fear more than a giant is a giant-slayer.

HOWEVER.

I think this franchise deserves and in fact NEEDS some playoff victories, hopefully a couple round's worth, to show they've turned a corner. So I'd be hoping for a soft underbelly.

I would love to play Vegas in the first round, especially if the creaky planks of their unsustainable goaltending finally started showing leaks in the last month of so.

If you pass through any round there is the chance that you will avoid some tough team. There will be some upsets. Of course that puts a giant-slayer into the mix. But we might avoid Nashville and/or LAK, for example.

I would prefer to avoid the teams that play a particularly heavy game. I just don't want a beat up team moving on to the next opponent in no shape to win.

I would prefer a weaker opponent at every stage. Why not? I would prefer the teams that get beat up by beating a physical team. I would prefer a weaker team fluke their way through the Eastern Conf and meet us in the final. Why not? I'll accept every advantage chance gives us.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Maybe Nashville because they're the other stronger team if anything. Anaheim is another because of Kesler being such a prick. Maybe Tampa Bay because they're full of experience and firepower.

Otherwise, I feel there's no competition for us, we're cup bound this season. All we need is a tad bit of playoff veterans and we have our ticket booked for the finals.