Around the NHL: Part III – Oilers Fire Chiarelli [Update: Still Suck]

[aufheben]

Stepan having himself a great game

OWWWWO0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

 

[nyrage]

Wow. the craziest final 2 minutes you will ever see in regulation of the Yotes/Cats game. Yotes hit 3 posts in the final minutes back and forth action. Good three point game.

That last save by Luongo was insane, too

 

[Bob Richards]

OWWWWO0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Also my favorite Warren Zevon song

 

[nyrage]

The problem with hoping to finish top 5 is who from below us will actually pass us? All these teams are terrible, too.

Forget (1) Ottawa and (2)Anaheim for sure.
Next we have
(3)Detroit: 8 points back and have played 2 extra games. 3-7 in the last ten. Doubt it.
(4) Anaheim at 6 points back and 1 extra game played. 3-7-1 in their last ten. Doubt it.
(5) NJ 5 points back and played 1 extra game. They're 5-5 with a bunch of scrubs in their line-up. They seem to beating the bad teams except us. I lean to doubtful over possible.
(6)Edmonton 4 points back. Same amount of games played. 3-5-2 in their last 10. They keep blowing winnable games. Maybe, but most likely not.
(7)Chicago 2 points back and 1 extra game played. I don't think they sold off and have been boosted by Strome. 6-4 in their last ten. They are one team that can pass us imo.
(8) Vancouver is 1 point back with 1 extra game played. 3-5-2 in their last ten. Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it.

(9) Rangers 63 points in 62 games. 5-4-1 in their last 10.

(10) Florida 2 points up and same games played. 6-3-1 in their last 10. They still have some nice firepower on offense and I think should hold us off.
(11) Buffalo is 3 points up and fading. 1 extra game played and 3-6-1 in their last 10. I would worry about them fading faster.
(12) Philly is 4 points up and played 1 extra game. 6-3-1 in their last 10. I think they hold us off.
(13) Dallas is 4 points up and played 1 extra game. Lost Zucc and not sure how long Benn is out. This team could fade, too.
(14) Minn is 5 points up and have played 2 extra games. 5-4-1 in their last 10. Just when you think they are flatlining, they have suddenly turned things around and should hold us off if this trend is a sign.

Top 3 is a pipe-dream.
For top 5, we need 4 teams to pass us. I can see maybe 2 of the four. 3 would be extremely lucky.
7th seems likely the most realistic target unless maybe Buffalo and Dallas fall apart and we keep winning games from effort.
11th seems like probably the worst case scenario

 

[Matt4776]

The problem with hoping to finish top 5 is who from below us will actually pass us? All these teams are terrible, too.

Forget (1) Ottawa and (2)Anaheim for sure.
Next we have
(3)Detroit: 8 points back and have played 2 extra games. 3-7 in the last ten. Doubt it.
(4) Anaheim at 6 points back and 1 extra game played. 3-7-1 in their last ten. Doubt it.
(5) NJ 5 points back and played 1 extra game. They're 5-5 with a bunch of scrubs in their line-up. They seem to beating the bad teams except us. I lean to doubtful over possible.
(6)Edmonton 4 points back. Same amount of games played. 3-5-2 in their last 10. They keep blowing winnable games. Maybe, but most likely not.
(7)Chicago 2 points back and 1 extra game played. I don't think they sold off and have been boosted by Strome. 6-4 in their last ten. They are one team that can pass us imo.
(8) Vancouver is 1 point back with 1 extra game played. 3-5-2 in their last ten. Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it.

(9) Rangers 63 points in 62 games. 5-4-1 in their last 10.

(10) Florida 2 points up and same games played. 6-3-1 in their last 10. They still have some nice firepower on offense and I think should hold us off.
(11) Buffalo is 3 points up and fading. 1 extra game played and 3-6-1 in their last 10. I would worry about them fading faster.
(12) Philly is 4 points up and played 1 extra game. 6-3-1 in their last 10. I think they hold us off.
(13) Dallas is 4 points up and played 1 extra game. Lost Zucc and not sure how long Benn is out. This team could fade, too.
(14) Minn is 5 points up and have played 2 extra games. 5-4-1 in their last 10. Just when you think they are flatlining, they have suddenly turned things around and should hold us off if this trend is a sign.

Top 3 is a pipe-dream.
For top 5, we need 4 teams to pass us. I can see maybe 2 of the four. 3 would be extremely lucky.
7th seems likely the most realistic target unless maybe Buffalo and Dallas fall apart and we keep winning games from effort.
11th seems like probably the worst case scenario

I think you're underestimating how hard our schedule is and how bad our roster is without Zucc and Hayes. We still have the fewest ROW in the league.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I think you're underestimating how hard our schedule is and how bad our roster is without Zucc and Hayes. We still have the fewest ROW in the league.

And yet we keep racking up meaningless points against quality teams. Quinn is just making them work really hard, which hopefully in the long run pays off. Short term, for the sake of the tank, it sucks.

 

[darko]

Lol for all the hype Buffalo received in the preseason they are only 3 points ahead of a team fair few predicted to be a traun wreck.

 

[Larrybiv]

I dont think anyone ever saw that move as more than a AHL move...

Just because you play in the NHL doesn't make you NHL caliber

Yeah Vinny, i hear ya'. Never said he was the 2nd coming of say Scott Stevens. Just shows how badly Colo needed somebody, anybody that can play a lick. Seems offensively talented a bit. Any team can use that, if.....

Graves was never seeing NHL ice here. That he spent another calender year in the AHL after being traded cements that. He's had a nice 20 games but he's getting 12 very sheltered minutes a night on a team with a tire fire defense. 6th defensemen are not really in short supply anyway.
I wish him luck

Couldn't agree more, i remember reading that HF was very disappointed in him NOT progressing, didn't even sniff a Rangers uni, now did he?

 

[Blue Blooded]

Lol for all the hype Buffalo received in the preseason they are only 3 points ahead of a team fair few predicted to be a traun wreck.

Their forward depth was pathetic before the Skinner injury, now it's just sad. Also, not playing Larry Pilut is a bad decision - has probably been their best defenceman behind Dahlin, even made Risto look good.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

Lol for all the hype Buffalo received in the preseason they are only 3 points ahead of a team fair few predicted to be a traun wreck.

Everyone also expected Alex Nylander to break in and Mittelstadt to be what pettersson is

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

LAK/OTT/DET is highly likely impassable.

ANA/EDM/NJD is unlikely passable.

VAN/CHI should be able to pass us.

The h2h with those teams will likely be the difference.

Assuming that Edm wins their lone game left with NYR, they only have to finish the season 1 win better than them in order to finish ahead of them in the standings. Unless we're going to see a bunch of Phoenix Copley's the rest of the season, I don't think thats too much to ask.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

If Hall comes back soon I think the Devils will pass the Rangers.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Everyone also expected Alex Nylander to break in and Mittelstadt to be what pettersson is

If anyone expected Mittelstadt to be Pettersson they’re “special”

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If anyone expected Mittelstadt to be Pettersson they’re “special”

Or they're the prospect guy for The Athletic.

 

[leetch99]

Maybe Lemieux goes 1993 ClaudeLike and Georgie goes RoyLike and we end up winning more than the Isles and steal the last spot ? LMAO....next to impossible but it would be fun to watch . We are bad but don't think as bad as some think . Zibs is a top 5 performer right now in the league . Get the PP hot and team meshing with the kids and the energy and with a break or two who knows.....this league is pretty tight these days . Whatever happens I am going to enjoy watching the last quarter and hope for the best . I trust our draft team has it all figured out by now . If picking outside the top 5 we might have to swing for the fence on a guy with one of our picks and hope for a home run .

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

If anyone expected Mittelstadt to be Pettersson they’re “special”

Everyone ranked him the top prospect in the world... They threw out terms like "Super Prospect" whatever that means

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Everyone ranked him the top prospect in the world... They threw out terms like "Super Prospect" whatever that means

and that’s why I don’t freak out when these “experts” tell me that Kravstov over Wahlstrom is crazy

 

[Lion Hound]

McQuiad absolutely crushed Rust into the boards in his first game as a Blue Jacket. He also crushed himself head first into the boards. Looked pretty bad.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

McQuiad absolutely crushed Rust into the boards in his first game as a Blue Jacket. He also crushed himself head first into the boards. Looked pretty bad.

I liked McQuaid and his toughness but f*** man the dude is made of glass

cant stay healthy for shit

 

[leetch99]

I liked McQuaid and his toughness but **** man the dude is made of glass

cant stay healthy for ****

He went all in on the hit . Rust left the ice with one leg working properly . Lucky he never broke his neck[McQuaid] Not sure how many games they have left against one another....but watching BJ's and Pens in an opening round would be fun fun fun especially if you hate the Pens like I do.

 

[Zibanejbread]

Palmieri out week to week for NJD now. Any slim chance they had of passing us is most likely gone.

 

[duhmetreE]

Dont forget these West teams are 'theoretically' still in the playoff hunt. Hopefully they play with some urgency

I forsee a 6 or 7OA

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Palmieri out week to week for NJD now. Any slim chance they had of passing us is most likely gone.

Phantom Injury?

NJD going Habs of 2018.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Isles have their best team in decades and they still can’t stop crying about Tavares Absolutely pathetic. Hope he pots a couple goals tomorrow and then flips off the crowd.

 

[Lion Hound]

He went all in on the hit . Rust left the ice with one leg working properly . Lucky he never broke his neck[McQuaid] Not sure how many games they have left against one another....but watching BJ's and Pens in an opening round would be fun fun fun especially if you hate the Pens like I do.

I used to watch McQuaid a lot in Boston. I don't know if there is another guy in the game that has crushed himself more then McQuaid has by crashing into the boards or the glass. Everytime the guy just shakes it off and skates to the bench. Tough SOB.

Gotta laugh at the difference between Hockey players and other sports. Guys like McQuaid will take a puck to the neck at 90 MPH, they get up, dust off and don't miss a shift. Then there's the soccer player, who completely embellishes fake collisions, and what not and lay on the ground kicking and screaming like they just broke their leg.