Armchair GM Playoffs- Rd 1- Thicc Johnsons (5) vs Hab Haters (12)

[Winger for Hire]

Thicc Johnsons

Forwards
Ilya Kovalchuk - Wayne Gretzky - Teemu Selanne
Dany Heatley - Adam Oates - Alex Kovalev
Markus Naslund - Pierre Turgeon - Todd Bertuzzi
Martin Straka - Marc Savard - Milan Hejduk

Defense
Sergei Gonchar - Kris Letang
Mathieu Schneider - John Carlson
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Kimmo Timonen

Goalies
Henrik Lundqvist
Sean Burke

Press Box
Daniel Briere - Robert Lang - Oleg Tverdovsky - Joe Pavelski

vs

Hab Haters

Forwards
Nieuwendyk - Pastrnak - Hall
Mullen - Tavares - Nash
Carpenter - Nolan - Axelsson
Ryan - Otto - Samsonov

Defense
Chara - McInnis
Suter - Seabrook
Dahlin - Grzelck

Goalies
Fuhr
Thomas

Press Box
Lapointe - Boychuk - Eriksson - Couture

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[Winger for Hire]

I think that bottom pairing of the Haters is going to get abused in this series, even if they're rarely on the ice. The other pairings are uber solid, but it's a huge drop off and asking those 4 to shoulder a big, big minutes. Thankfully, Fuhr is on of the best and should be able to soak up shots.

 

[Shady Machine]

The top end talent of Thicc Johnsons will be tough to stop and matchups could dictate this series. If Thicc can get Gretzky time against the 3rd pairing, it could be a short series. That said, Chare McInnis could be a nightmare to play against. Fuhr could steal a series, but so could Lundqvist so I don't see a huge advantage there for Hab Haters.

Outside of 3rd pair, I question whether Hab Haters' forwards can stack up over a series.

 

[Winger for Hire]

The series started off as a tight checking, back and forth affair. The breakthrough, in game one, came midway through the first period when the Haters threw the Dahlin/Grzelck pairing over the boards for their first shift. In an offensive zone face off, Pastrnak won the draw back to Dahlin who seemed to freeze when Bertuzzi closed him down fast and let the puck jump over his stick letting Naslund skate in all alone and go forehand, backhand top shelf on Fuhr.

Disaster struck again on the pair's second shift when Grzelck double clutched and allowed Savard time to get into his shooting lane and the resulting block resulted in Straka, Hejduk, and Letang making Dahlin's head spin on a slick passing 3 on 1 ending in a Straka tap in.

Unfortunately for the Haters, this broke their confidence in the young pairing and turned to an almost 4 man defensive rotation the rest of the game and series. It held up OK for the rest of the game, 3-1 loss and game two, 2-0 loss, but game three is where the damn broke.

Showing some fatigue, the Seabrook/Suter pairing was tortured by Wayne's line. Thicc's first line exploded in game three- Gretzky with 2 goals and 3 assists; Teemu 3 goals and 1 assist; Ilya with 2 goals and 2 assists- and Dany and AK27 adding a goal each in a 9-2 romp.

For game 4, the Haters rotated Boychuk in for Grzleck, but it was too little too late. Mullen/Tarvares/Nash led an early charge with 2 goals in the first period, but the Johnson's firepower and the Hater's defensive fatigue was too much. Lazy tired penalties where the final nail in the coffin and allowed Gonchar to show his PP mastery, collecting three PP assists before handing the role over to OEL late in the 3rd and seeing him rack up a goal and assist on the PP after Bobby Ryan took the dreaded 4 minute high stick.

Thicc Johnsons advance 4-0