Around the league: Playoffs II | Did I mention Calgary sucks? And also Winnipeg?

[Grumbler]

We are no longer the most embarrassing president trophy winners.

 

[RandV]

I don't think it's random odds but I'd find it very hard to believe that 18 skaters all of a sudden forgot how to play winning hockey. There must be something else behind it, whether injuries or plain being out-coached.

I'd say they just got caught flat footed against a team that with deadline additions was much better than your typical #8 seed. Playoffs can come down to a combination of lucky bounces and momentum, sometimes shit like this happens and a series just runs away from a team. It would absolutely be the wrong move to think Tampa needs to make big changes after this one sweep, this is where you need to be patient stick with the plan and regroup for next season.

I gotta say though I may have said it at the deadline but I absolutely love what Columbus did at the deadline. Fans on places like here can get to obsessed over min/maxing value, in which case their best course of action would have been to be sellers. It's easier to say now that they moved on to the 2nd round but even if they lost or missed the playoffs sometimes you just have to go for it and this was a perfect example of when to do so. You've spent all this time building up this good team, so even if you're going to be crippled next season by two stars walking away for nothing when you're a franchise who's never even won a playoff series you owe it to your fans to hold your hand and go all in.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Looking forward to another Calgary Flames beatdown this evening...Make it happen Av's.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

i don't think i've ever seen the acquisition of multiple mature star players a work out as well as it has for vegas in this series since the pens in the early 90s with guys like coffey, murphy, mullen and francis.

typically grabbing even one of those kind of guys is risky. having all three work out and click together is amazing.

The Red Wings added Hull, Robitaille, Hasek in one offseason, but yeah, I agree. These kind of moves don't work out more often than not.

 

[PM]

Columbus made some solid deadline additions that if they had all season would have likely boosted them above the 8th spot in the East. Similar to LA acquiring Carter when they beat us in 2012.

Every team who didn’t pony up enough to get Stone should be kicking themselves. The Flames especially who weren’t willing to give a top prospect for the best two-way winger in the league. Stone is the Kawhi Leonard of the NHL and he’s just entering his prime.

 

[StreetHawk]

Columbus made some solid deadline additions that if they had all season would have likely boosted them above the 8th spot in the East. Similar to LA acquiring Carter when they beat us in 2012.

Every team who didn’t pony up enough to get Stone should be kicking themselves. The Flames especially who weren’t willing to give a top prospect for the best two-way winger in the league. Stone is the Kawhi Leonard of the NHL and he’s just entering his prime.

Flames have D depth with hanifin, Brodie, Gio, Haminic, Anderson, Kylingron.

Cap is tight for next season but they should be able to move frolik giving them enough to extend Tkachuk and extend Stone and sign a goalie. Neal contract sucks with him not producing.

 

[VanillaCoke]

honestly though, stamkos is a shell of his former self and i’d try moving him to a team that values him insanely high.

Come again?!?!

 

[Hit the post]

We are no longer the most embarrassing president trophy winners.

Would it have been embarrassing has say Marchand given a blow to the head of Stamkos or Kucherov with an elbow near the end of the regular season (causing him to miss some of the series and obviously not be at 100% health)? That's what effectively happened to us.

 

[StreetHawk]

Would it have been embarrassing has say Marchand given a blow to the head of Stamkos or Kucherov with an elbow near the end of the regular season (causing him to miss some of the series and obviously not be at 100% health)? That's what effectively happened to us.

Not a dirty play but pretty much sums up Hedman who went to hit Hagelin but hit his face into his helmet and got a concussion. Not the same player when he returned.

 

[Hit the post]

Not a dirty play but pretty much sums up Hedman who went to hit Hagelin but hit his face into his helmet and got a concussion. Not the same player when he returned.

Fair counterpoint.

Still, let's see if the Blue Jackets are able to win the Cup TWICE in next three seasons like the Kings did. That's how good our opponent was then.

 

[Jay Cee]

Come again?!?!

Are you like a Stamkos super Fan or something? I know a lot of Lightning fans from spending so much time there. 3/4 of the team fans want to strip him of the C, and his lacklustre play in the playoffs had been a thing for years. Heck, go to their forum on here. You will scarcely find someone who agrees with your sentiment.

 

[Superlative Soup]

Rangers are adding Kravtsov, Sheshtyorkin and Kakko in one off season. Their rebuild is looking tight.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Rangers are adding Kravtsov, Sheshtyorkin and Kakko in one off season. Their rebuild is looking tight.

Kakko is going to be great but they still don’t have a legit 1C,or a 1D

Also,Lundquist isn’t going to be around forever.

 

[StreetHawk]

Kakko is going to be great but they still don’t have a legit 1C,or a 1D

Also,Lundquist isn’t going to be around forever.

The second player Shesh is a goalie they drafted back in 2014. They have time to develop him. 23 years old.

Kakko has played some C before. Rangers long term might move him there.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Rangers dont need Lundqvist to be around forever, they have a future number one already and will probably be closer to a 1a 1b situation next year.

 

[I am toxic]

Rangers are adding Kravtsov, Sheshtyorkin and Kakko in one off season. Their rebuild is looking tight.

That's a word?

In the English language?

What does it mean?

 

[Jay Cee]

Nice. Bruins dominating this game.

 

[Hit the post]

Nice. Bruins dominating this game.

Kind of feel like I know how Churchill felt having to choose between two despots. Yeah Godwin’s law.

 

[Fire Benning]

Fook the bruins

 

[Jay Cee]

Kind of feel like I know how Churchill felt having to choose between two despots. Yeah Godwin’s law.

Yeah, one of them has to win and lose. I dislike both very equally but I give the edge to Toronto slightly today. A long hard series is optimal.

 

[just22]

Play your first line right after an underwhelming power play and score a goal. Pretty good coaching. Something tells me Travis Green would’ve thrown out the 4th line to “energize” the team.

 

[me2]

Yeah, one of them has to win and lose. I dislike both very equally but I give the edge to Toronto slightly today. A long hard series is optimal.

I think the optimal would have been the Leafs sweeping the Bruins in round 1, getting overhyped, then getting swept in round two.

 

[Fire Benning]

Yeah was hoping that whoever won this Boston/Toronto series would get beat by Tampa but alas.

Columbus in a conference final over either team is a nightmare scenario for the league so it’s very possible the winner of this series goes to the final, disgusting

 

[me2]

Yeah was hoping that whoever won this Boston/Toronto series would get beat by Tampa but alas.

Columbus in a conference final over either team is a nightmare scenario for the league so it’s very possible the winner of this series goes to the final, disgusting

Columbus would still be a good story for the league if they win the SC. Strengthen that market.

 

[mriswith]

Yeah was hoping that whoever won this Boston/Toronto series would get beat by Tampa but alas.

Columbus in a conference final over either team is a nightmare scenario for the league so it’s very possible the winner of this series goes to the final, disgusting

Is it really? Toronto will watch no matter what, they don't need to be appeased. I'd have thought they'd want their U.S markets to get the exposure and growth, Columbus would be a boon.

I think the optimal would have been the Leafs sweeping the Bruins in round 1, getting overhyped, then getting swept in round two.

I felt the opposite, Bruins sweep the Leafs in round 1 and get knocked out of round 2 would be ideal.

If the leafs win the series they feel good about themselves and think they're on the upswing even if they lose in the second round. If they lose in the first round it cements their learned helplessness against Boston and they can't spam the main board with how they're going to contend next year. Plus Boston losing in the second round isn't a feel good story for them, just another disappointment.

So yeah, Leafs lose first round, Boston second round, seems like the best way to maximize the respective fanbases unhappiness.