League News: 2016-17 General NHL Fan Talk - Part the Second (News n' Scores n' Stuff)

[txpd]

I am saying that they want to beat the Caps in the season standings. To do that they needed to win one of the two games. Now to do that they have win the much harder to win game of the two. The Caps were always going to have the advantage in this game. Now they have presented the best conditions for wasting a good game by their best goaltender.

 

[Sam Spade]

They are going to be super pissed tonight for sure. With Bob in net, who is always otherworldly against the Caps, this may be a tough game.

 

[ovikovy817]

We need to beat them in OT, because I want them to finish 2nd and get the home ice instead of Pit.

 

[troyerlaw]

We need to beat them in OT, because I want them to finish 2nd and get the home ice instead of Pit.

Now you're getting greedy

 

[troyerlaw]

Torts did not choose wisely. He saved Bob for the Caps on tired legs and lost at home to TO with the backup. Oops

Just looks that way because hindsight is 20/20. In truth, the game against us is the more important game because it represents a 4-pt swing. And I hardly think tonight's game against us is unwinnable for CBJ, even though it is on the road and a B2B.

Starting Bob gives them their best chance of winning tonight, and I give them a good chance of pulling it off, too, especially if Bob outplays 70. It will be an interesting game, for sure.

 

[Tweedsuitcase]

On the post-game coverage of that NYR/NYI game last night, Millbury scolded them for talking about the top end of the standings, said people only care about the race for 8th. What an idiot. I think how the Metro shakes out is much more important and intriguing. Maybe he forgot how the playoff brackets work now.

 

[txpd]

Just looks that way because hindsight is 20/20. In truth, the game against us is the more important game because it represents a 4-pt swing. And I hardly think tonight's game against us is unwinnable for CBJ, even though it is on the road and a B2B.

Starting Bob gives them their best chance of winning tonight, and I give them a good chance of pulling it off, too, especially if Bob outplays 70. It will be an interesting game, for sure.

The Caps have a 2pt lead. If CBJ wins last night and lose tonight, the Caps have a 2pt lead.

Unwinnable? Who said its unwinnable. There is no question that they are less likely to win a road game back end of a back to back no matter who you are playing.

I'll say this. CBJ did play last night like the game didn't matter to them

 

[RandyHolt]

If we don't finish 1st, is it maybe better to finish 4th vs say 2nd or 3rd?

There must be some way to beat the current flawed system. Like the Isles losing its last game last year to avoid Pitt.

 

[4thTierSport]

If we don't finish 1st, is it maybe better to finish 4th vs say 2nd or 3rd?

There must be some way to beat the current flawed system. Like the Isles losing its last game last year to avoid Pitt.

Rangers are too far behind Caps and too far ahead of the Bruins for the Caps to tank past them if the Ranger don't want them to.

 

[crazy8888]

If we don't finish 1st, is it maybe better to finish 4th vs say 2nd or 3rd?

There must be some way to beat the current flawed system. Like the Isles losing its last game last year to avoid Pitt.

Don't we have to loose almost every remaining game in order to finish 4th?

 

[4thTierSport]

Don't we have to loose almost every remaining game in order to finish 4th?

.500 or less in points in the last 10 games.

 

[troyerlaw]

The Caps have a 2pt lead. If CBJ wins last night and lose tonight, the Caps have a 2pt lead.

Unwinnable? Who said its unwinnable. There is no question that they are less likely to win a road game back end of a back to back no matter who you are playing.

I'll say this. CBJ did play last night like the game didn't matter to them

So if CBJ wins tonight, did he still choose unwisely?

Unless you are suggesting he should have started Bob for both games, I don't see how saving your stronger goalie for the tougher opponent (and the opponent you have a good chance of soon facing in first or second round of playoffs) is a bad move.

Anyway, it's not like the Toronto game at home was a gimme. The maple leafs are 6-1-1 in their last eight games, including 5-0 dismantling of Tampa and a hard fought win against the Bruins. Putting Bob in net against the leafs hardly guaranteed a win there either. And then playing your back-up on the road against us on the back end of B2B almost looks like throwing in the towel.

CBJ has had some success against us. I think they will give us all we can handle tonight

 

[Langway]

The Caps have a 2pt lead. If CBJ wins last night and lose tonight, the Caps have a 2pt lead.

What you're not factoring in is the value of denying a ROW to Washington and the head-to-head tie-breaker impact. Both could be important down the stretch.

Ideally maybe they should have started Bobrovsky both games but if they absolutely wanted to win one game it would be this head-to-head game. Beyond the points and all that it's about gearing up for a potential playoff opponent and icing their best team for it.

 

[txpd]

What you're not factoring in is the value of denying a ROW to Washington and the head-to-head tie-breaker impact. Both could be important down the stretch.

Ideally maybe they should have started Bobrovsky both games but if they absolutely wanted to win one game it would be this head-to-head game. Beyond the points and all that it's about gearing up for a potential playoff opponent and icing their best team for it.

I am not, not factoring that in. Gotta be tied before it makes a difference.
If they(cbj) win tonight, is it a mistake? no. they came out squared. If they lose tonight and odds are that they will, it will be a mistake.

and...I don't accept that idea of gearing up for a playoff opponent either. its a back to back. They got beat up pretty good last night. If the Caps lose this game, we here are going to feel like they should have won.

 

[troyerlaw]

Went over and creeped in their injury thread and holy **** their lines are horrendous.

LOL I'm a Pen thread creeper myself.

Their current lineup blows, and ... they keep winning anyway.

Pessimist in me says they will be utterly unbeatable once Malkin and all the others return.

I really hope we don't wind up playing them in 1st round w/o home-ice advantage. That's a tough 1st-rnd matchup.

I know it's anomalous to have 4 of league's 5 best teams all coming from same division, but it sure makes for an inequitable playoff draw this time around.

 

[sycamore]

I would actually relish facing Pittsburgh in the first round (with Home Ice advantage). "They're injured but they keep winning" yeah but that isn't going to last. They are injured to the point of being crippled now. Might as well face them while they are still staggering.

 

[Langway]

I am not, not factoring that in. Gotta be tied before it makes a difference.
If they(cbj) win tonight, is it a mistake? no. they came out squared. If they lose tonight and odds are that they will, it will be a mistake.

and...I don't accept that idea of gearing up for a playoff opponent either. its a back to back. They got beat up pretty good last night. If the Caps lose this game, we here are going to feel like they should have won.

Columbus is 9-4-3 in the second half of back-to-backs this season, including an 0-1-3 stretch back in November. Given the circumstances they likely don't perceive it to be an impediment.

And, yes, a Torts team will most certainly have this game circled regardless of the schedule.

 

[troyerlaw]

If the Caps lose this game, we here are going to feel like they should have won.

You are more confident than i am, i guess.

I see it as more of a toss-up.

We are 1-1-1 against them this year. Even with their loss to Leafs last night, the Blue Jax have won four of their last five, and have a very good goalie in net tonight.

To me, this game looks 2-1 either way. (Or 3-2 hopefully, given the obligatory Foligno and werenski goals.)

I'll be watching Holtby closely these next ten games. As much as anyone else, he holds the key to our playoff dreams. I want to see how he is moving, how he's tracking the puck, what his body language is, how aggressive he plays v. shooters coming down wing.

Of course, we could help him out considerably by playing some lock-down D and setting him for success. That would be fine too.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I would actually relish facing Pittsburgh in the first round (with Home Ice advantage). "They're injured but they keep winning" yeah but that isn't going to last. They are injured to the point of being crippled now. Might as well face them while they are still staggering.

That's a good point.

Best case scenario: We finish first, we get Toronto in the first round and CBJ in the second.
Worst case scenario: We finish third, we get CBJ in the first round and Pittsburgh with fresh players back from injury in the second.

 

[RandyHolt]

@Art That lock down D is the scary part. Largely throughout the Holtby playoff greatness, he has had pretty stellar overall team D. Which points towards my hot goalie / cold goalie theories.

I too will be watching him closely down the stretch.

Recent playoff history shows the great save %'s he generates, his opposition counterpart is posting great numbers as well. Yet of course we just blame our offensive woes on our offense, and don't credit their G (Halak aside). The offenses we face are just as woeful.

I think all cup teams need a few goalie stolen victories to get there.

 

[txpd]

You are more confident than i am, i guess.

I see it as more of a toss-up.

We are 1-1-1 against them this year..

well...that one reg loss was a gift.

He doesn't really touch him and then his head pops up when Backy's stick is already on the way down," Trotz said. "The league will look at that and we have fines for that. . . . I wouldn't be too happy if I was the referee."

 

[Jags]

If they(cbj) win tonight, is it a mistake? no. they came out squared. If they lose tonight and odds are that they will, it will be a mistake.

The bottom line is that a team as good as they've been all year should expect to be able to win with their backup goaltender. I think most coaches would have done exactly what Torts did here.

When you're that good, you start your backup versus the lesser team.

 

[Hivemind]

That's a good point.

Best case scenario: We finish first, we get Toronto in the first round and CBJ in the second.
Worst case scenario: We finish third, we get CBJ in the first round and Pittsburgh with fresh players back from injury in the second.

Best case - Toronto in the first round. Rangers in the 2nd round after they get beat up by CBJ for 7 games. Ottawa in the 3rd.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Best case - Toronto in the first round. Rangers in the 2nd round after they get beat up by CBJ for 7 games. Ottawa in the 3rd.

Impossible. No way the Rangers catch up to the Pens or any of the other Metro teams at this point. They tanked their way to the WC1 spot and they're better off being in the Atlantic bracket.

 

[Hivemind]

Impossible. No way the Rangers catch up to the Pens or any of the other Metro teams at this point. They tanked their way to the WC1 spot and they're better off being in the Atlantic bracket.

6 points back with 8 games to play isn't likely, but it also isn't impossible. Especially with the injuries that have happened to both Pittsburgh and Columbus. I certainly wouldn't bet on it happening and have no expectation that it does happen, but if we're discussing hypothetical "best case scenarios" it fits the description.