Division Winners or the Field

[Kingfan1967]

Divisions almost set

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[Codez]

STARS !!!

 

[Golden_Jet]

Took Dallas and Florida final before season started, so not changing yet, we’ll see before the weekend hits.

 

[1specter]

Field. Aside from Dallas don't see the rest of those teams going far, maybe Rangers ECF as their ceiling.

 

[StreetHawk]

Field. Aside from Dallas don't see the rest of those teams going far, maybe Rangers ECF as their ceiling.

Field is Edm, LV, LA, Col, Win, Nas in the West or Dal/Van. One of Col/Win is out in round 1.

NYR/FLA. or it's Bos, Tor, TB, Car, NYI, and the last WC2 team. Boston, a boatload of extra time wins, so not as confident in them. A healthy TB with Serg would be a tough test. Think Car has the goaltender I least trust of the home ice teams, save for maybe Edm due to limited track record.

I'd probably take the division winner over the field to win the Cup.

I look at goaltending. Demko coming off injury, Oettinger, hasn't been top level this season. Bob can play well, same with Shesh.

Helly, Vasi and Sorokin probably the best of the Field goalies. Not sure the field has the goaltending to go all the way.

 

[JKG33]

Dallas is the only one I really like in the division winners section, but I'd take Florida, Vegas, and possibly the Avs over them so id go with the field

 

[1specter]

Field is Edm, LV, LA, Col, Win, Nas in the West or Dal/Van. One of Col/Win is out in round 1.

NYR/FLA. or it's Bos, Tor, TB, Car, NYI, and the last WC2 team. Boston, a boatload of extra time wins, so not as confident in them. A healthy TB with Serg would be a tough test. Think Car has the goaltender I least trust of the home ice teams, save for maybe Edm due to limited track record.

I'd probably take the division winner over the field to win the Cup.

I look at goaltending. Demko coming off injury, Oettinger, hasn't been top level this season. Bob can play well, same with Shesh.

Helly, Vasi and Sorokin probably the best of the Field goalies. Not sure the field has the goaltending to go all the way.

You're assuming Florida is winning the division but as of now it's more likely that it's Boston as they'd clinch with 2/4 pts remaining. If Florida is in the pack then I would think about it more as I favour them coming out of the East.

Regarding goaltending, don't think any of us pegged Adin Hill and Bob last year to be the ones going all the way. It's an important factor but goalies are very volatile, Helle for example has been mediocre in the playoffs recently despite his regular season success. Even the year before Kuemper was pretty mid for Colorado and I'd argue they won in spite of him.

 

[vancityluongo]

the nhl is just too random to bet on 4 teams against 12 others.

hell, i'd be super curious to see the odds around this question at the beginning of the season, framed as top-4 expected teams vs bottom-16 expected teams

https://theathletic.com/4937676/2023/10/10/nhl-season-predictions-2023-24/

division winners based on the above: devils, leafs, stars, oilers
non-playoff teams in the playoffs: canucks, jets, preds, up to two of isles/caps/flyers

hell, i'd even put that as a coin flip right now.

 

[StreetHawk]

You're assuming Florida is winning the division but as of now it's more likely that it's Boston as they'd clinch with 2/4 pts remaining. If Florida is in the pack then I would think about it more as I favour them coming out of the East.

Regarding goaltending, don't think any of us pegged Adin Hill and Bob last year to be the ones going all the way. It's an important factor but goalies are very volatile, Helle for example has been mediocre in the playoffs recently despite his regular season success. Even the year before Kuemper was pretty mid for Colorado and I'd argue they won in spite of him.

Not sure a see another team that is as good as LV/Col to get by with just avg. goaltending. But, it's either take 1/4 of the teams vs 3/4

 

[eviohh26]

Took Dallas and Florida final before season started, so not changing yet, we’ll see before the weekend hits.

I told my buddy like 2 months ago that either Dallas or Florida will win. Bettmans wet dream.

 

[Three On Zero]

Pretty weak group of division winners

 

[ricky0034]

easily the field

honestly if you take the 2nd place teams in all of those divisions a hypothetical series between them and the division winners would basically be a toss-up

and then the field still has another 8 teams some of which are pretty good teams in their own right like Vegas

 

[PROUD PAPA]

I do like Dallas to go all the way but the other division winners make the field the better option.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

In the east I think Florida and Carolina are better teams than Boston and NYR. Dallas has to deal with Winnipeg and Colorado, and Vancouver with Edmonton. I'd be pretty surprised if a division winner won the cup actually.

 

[jcs0218]

I am not sure why the original poster posted this thread yesterday, considering at the time 3 of the 4 divisions hadn't been decided yet.

As for now?

The Boston Bruins are in the middle of choking the division title away by finishing their season with 2 pathetic performances.

It is too bad for them, because Toronto will murder them in the 1st round.

 

[boredmale]

Play the odds and take 12 over 4

 

[Rowlet]

I'll take the field, NYR and BOS don't have very good ES stats. Dallas and Vancouver do, but so does Edmonton, Carolina, Florida, Colorado, and Nashville.

 

[syz]

Field. Most of the teams in the playoffs have a shot this year and most of the division winners barely won the division. The Canucks and Bruins could still end up in the "field" part, too. The Hurricanes would have home ice over everybody but NYR.