Colorado's domination

[Puckstop40]

Until they get over there game 7 demons, none of this means shit honestly. They need to stay healthy and do this when it matters.

 

[Ncit3]

I am still amazed at this team's speed and I have been watching them since the very beginning. Every team comes in thinking they can hang and then get punched in the mouth with speed. Gets them chasing. Frustrates and makes them take penalties. Stops any momentum any other team can get.

Just absolutely a blast to watch this team. Can't wait to go to more games in the future.

 

[Hornstar]

It's not that the Avs defense hasn't been playing well, because they have been. Even without Makar, Bednar has had a really tight system in place to integrate the young guys like Byram and Timmins, and it's paid off in the shortened season. I just think that when the postseason comes around, a group of elite, prime-age defensemen that's played together for a long time like the one that Carolina's developed is going to have the upper hand.[/QUOTE




yeah no

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

I am still amazed at this team's speed and I have been watching them since the very beginning. Every team comes in thinking they can hang and then get punched in the mouth with speed. Gets them chasing. Frustrates and makes them take penalties. Stops any momentum any other team can get.

Just absolutely a blast to watch this team. Can't wait to go to more games in the future.

If your best guys are healthy. That's the key.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Yeah no

Have you ever seen what Jaccob Slavin can do to Connor McDavid? Go ahead and watch some clips. He may be the only defender in the NHL with the skating chops to defend him or MacKinnon.

 

[Adamantoise]

I would like to see Avs vs Oilers playoff series. I understand Oil would be massive underdog, but have matched against Avs very well in the past few years. McDrai are the only players in the league that can bully the Avs offensively.

 

[the_fan]

The Lightning of the last two years are better.

That's not meant as a criticism of the Avs at all, but to say you've been dreaming of it when we've *been* watching legitimately one of the best teams ever seems strange.

Lightning vs Avs is the only SCF. It needs to happen. It would be the first "big fight feel" SCF in a very long time.

The same Lightning that got swept in the 1st round by Columbus 2 years ago? At least say the Lightning of last year, not last two years

 

[SoundAndFury]

Have you ever seen what Jaccob Slavin can do to Connor McDavid? Go ahead and watch some clips. He may be the only defender in the NHL with the skating chops to defend him or MacKinnon.

And what does this 1v1 matchup comparison have to do with those two teams as a whole? I don't really get the point you are making. That Carolina might be the better team defensively in the playoffs? Yeah, well, maybe. So what?

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

Current lightning is close on defense but they still have way more two-way defenseman than offensive guys. And neither of those teams dominated stats like Colorado does now. Pittsburgh were 1st in xG but the gap to second was less than 0.5%. Tampa has never been dominating stats.

Lol, Tampa doesn't dominate stats? I don't know nor care where Tampa stands on xG or Corsi or Loose Puck Retrievals/60. Want to know a stat they dominate in? Goals. Not expected goals, real goals. They're on pace to be the top scoring team for the 4th straight season (while being 3rd best in GA in that span).

Also Wins. 31 more wins than anyone in that span. I'll take that over xG any day.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

And what does this 1v1 matchup comparison have to do with those two teams as a whole? I don't really get the point you are making. That Carolina might be the better team defensively in the playoffs? Yeah, well, maybe. So what?

My argument is that I still think that Tampa, Carolina, and the Islanders are better than the Avs. I think that the Canes, in particular, are a mismatch for Colorado because of how built up they are on the back end.

 

[SoundAndFury]

My argument is that I still think that Tampa, Carolina, and the Islanders are better than the Avs. I think that the Canes, in particular, are a mismatch for Colorado because of how built up they are on the back end.

Now see, saying that Canes are a mismatch or might be better defensively is fine. Saying that Carolina or Islanders are better than the Avs, on the other hand, is crazy talk. But at the end of the day, people are gonna believe what they want to believe so there is probably no reason to go any deeper than "yeah no" at this point. But yeah, no.

 

[S3rkie]

If your best guys are healthy. That's the key.

isnt that the key for every team in every sport

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Now see, saying that Canes are a mismatch or might be better defensively is fine. Saying that Carolina or Islanders are better than the Avs, on the other hand, is crazy talk. But at the end of the day, people are gonna believe what they want to believe so there is probably no reason to go any deeper than "yeah no" at this point. But yeah, no.

How is that some sort of crazy talk? Carolina is 2nd in points percentage in the entire NHL, only behind Tampa and ahead of Vegas. They own the #1 power play, have one of the best all-around forward and defense groups in the NHL, and now (potentially) a good goalie in Nedeljkovic that's emerging. Yes, I think they're better than Colorado.

 

[syz]

I feel like there's like 6 teams in the west that most teams would look fast against.

 

[Mac Attack]

I would like to see Avs vs Oilers playoff series. I understand Oil would be massive underdog, but have matched against Avs very well in the past few years. McDrai are the only players in the league that can bully the Avs offensively.

Colorado's defence skates too well and their team possession is to good. But if Colorado got into penalty trouble those Edmonton boys can wreck havoc on anyone.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

And I need to point this out: I'm not saying that Colorado isn't a great team. They ARE a great team. They have a lot of flaws, however, particularly when it comes to the bottom half of their roster. Tyson Jost and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are their third and fourth line centers. Not bad players by any stretch, but compared to a team like Tampa that can throw Yanni Gourde in as the 3C or Carolina, who can throw Jordan Staal into the 3C spot? No comparison. Also, I think that a top-4 defense of Slavin, Hamilton, Skjei, and Pesce has the kind of skating chops that can keep up tit-for-tat with Colorado's group of Makar, Toews, Girard, and Graves (Slavin and Skjei, in particular, are excellent skaters), and Hamilton produces offense at an equally prolific rate to Makar. Throw in the fact that Necas and Svechnikov are emerging winger talents, Aho is an elite offensive centerman, and Trocheck was producing at a 1C rate as a 2C before his injury? There's a lot behind why Carolina has a better winning percentage than Colorado.

 

[Islay1989]

And I need to point this out: I'm not saying that Colorado isn't a great team. They ARE a great team. They have a lot of flaws, however, particularly when it comes to the bottom half of their roster. Tyson Jost and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are their third and fourth line centers. Not bad players by any stretch, but compared to a team like Tampa that can throw Yanni Gourde in as the 3C or Carolina, who can throw Jordan Staal into the 3C spot? No comparison. Also, I think that a top-4 defense of Slavin, Hamilton, Skjei, and Pesce has the kind of skating chops that can keep up tit-for-tat with Colorado's group of Makar, Toews, Girard, and Graves (Slavin and Skjei, in particular, are excellent skaters), and Hamilton produces offense at an equally prolific rate to Makar. Throw in the fact that Necas and Svechnikov are emerging winger talents, Aho is an elite offensive centerman, and Trocheck was producing at a 1C rate as a 2C before his injury? There's a lot behind why Carolina has a better winning percentage than Colorado.

Yes there is, mostly that Avs missed three of the four defenders you mentioned for some time and that they have iced Hunter Miska between the pipes. He and JJ started 6 games, the Avs have won two of those.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Yes there is, mostly that Avs missed three of the four defenders you mentioned for some time and that they have iced Hunter Miska between the pipes. He and JJ started 6 games, the Avs have won two of those.

And the Canes have missed Mrazek for a large chunk of the season, as well, who was someone that was performing really well before his thumb injury. Guess what happened after that? They went on an 8 game winning streak, that's all. You can only excuse injuries for so long and to a certain extent.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

And I need to point this out: I'm not saying that Colorado isn't a great team. They ARE a great team. They have a lot of flaws, however, particularly when it comes to the bottom half of their roster. Tyson Jost and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are their third and fourth line centers. Not bad players by any stretch, but compared to a team like Tampa that can throw Yanni Gourde in as the 3C or Carolina, who can throw Jordan Staal into the 3C spot? No comparison. Also, I think that a top-4 defense of Slavin, Hamilton, Skjei, and Pesce has the kind of skating chops that can keep up tit-for-tat with Colorado's group of Makar, Toews, Girard, and Graves (Slavin and Skjei, in particular, are excellent skaters), and Hamilton produces offense at an equally prolific rate to Makar. Throw in the fact that Necas and Svechnikov are emerging winger talents, Aho is an elite offensive centerman, and Trocheck was producing at a 1C rate as a 2C before his injury? There's a lot behind why Carolina has a better winning percentage than Colorado.

You're like a Toronto fan on these boards but for the Canes, give it a rest.

 

[Islay1989]

And the Canes have missed Mrazek for a large chunk of the season, as well, who was someone that was performing really well before his thumb injury. Guess what happened after that? They went on an 8 game winning streak, that's all.

Cool. The Canes are better, are you ok now?

I just love how people talk about the Avs not knowing a damn thing about them. For a time they had a defense of Toews and complete nobodies yet still kept playing great. Nate missed 3 games for concussion, backups have a save percentage lower than 85%, but zomg they are overrated, one line team etc

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

You're like a Toronto fan on these boards but for the Canes, give it a rest.

I can admit that there are teams better than Carolina, though. IMO, Tampa and the Islanders are better. The Islanders have even better center depth than the Canes do (particularly with Cizikas at the 4C spot, which our team can't even come close to competing), they have elite goaltending, and they run an immaculate defensive system over there. Tampa has a roster that's built like Carolina's but to an even greater extent, especially on the wings (Stamkos, Palat, Killorn, Coleman, Johnson, and Goodrow) and in goal (Vasilevskiy). I'm simply making a statement that I see the Cup race as pretty clear-cut this season, as far as the favorites are concerned. To me, any one of Tampa, the Islanders, Carolina, Vegas, or Colorado could come home with the prize.

 

[PAZ]

My argument is that I still think that Tampa, Carolina, and the Islanders are better than the Avs. I think that the Canes, in particular, are a mismatch for Colorado because of how built up they are on the back end.

The same Carolina team that got bounced in the 1st round by a Bruins team missing Rask?

It's ridiculous to make these type of arguments that Carolina is better than the Avs, or vice versa. Hockey isn't played on paper. The only argument there is that Tampa is the team to beat.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

So all teams that would normally be in the Eastern Conference are better than Colorado. Got it, cool.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I mean,..they can win even with a MacKinnon off night.

 

[Grigowski]

But if Colorado got into penalty trouble those Edmonton boys can wreck havoc on anyone.

Wont happen. It´s funny to watch McDavid and Draisaitl go to work. no doubt. But i would say the rest of this Edmonton-Squad, especially D and G wont be able to hold the Fort against a healthy AVS-Team, Tampa or even Vegas in a 7-game-series.