HFBoards 2018 Stanley Cup Favourites 1-31

[haveandare]

You realize you’re talking about a team that’s best player was a rookie last season, right? I thought they looked great against us in the first round and they’re only going to be better this season. Babcock is the best coach in the league.

I get that it’s fashionable to hate on them because of how obnoxious the fanbase can be on here but they’re clearly one of the best teams in the East.

I don't hate them, I'm just not drunk on the Kool aid with them. We've heard the same story a million times with a million teams that had a lot of exciting young players and didn't pan out as a whole group.

They're not one of the best teams in the east until they prove themselves to be exactly that based on the actual results of their actual play.

 

[Carlzner]

Did those other teams have Babcock?

Last season was the first playoffs for their young core which has a ton of potential, and they played a very good Washington team. They looked great and I honestly believe the results will start to come this season.

 

[TGWL]

You realize there is a difference between taking out 16 random games and taking out a clear exception right? In 2012 the Rangers got a boost from an eight game win streak. Without it, they would have been on pace for 103 points, which was around the Flyers and Devils. Guess what? They were much closer to those two teams than to the best in the east. Guess what happened when they faced a team that was actually good in the playoffs?

They got completely outcoached?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Lol no, the others are not debatable. Toronto, Ottawa, and Minny are very clearly ahead of SJ.

Allow me to question Ottawa being ahead of SJ at least. They're missing Karlsson until November at least.

 

[haveandare]

Did those other teams have Babcock?

Last season was the first playoffs for their young core which has a ton of potential, and they played a very good Washington team. They looked great and I honestly believe the results will start to come this season.

Did a bunch of Detroit iterations that didn't win or come close have Babcock?

I believe it's likely that they will be better this year but I think it's a bit much to rank them so highly based on what they're actually done.

 

[Carlzner]

I didn’t say they’ll win the cup this season. But I think they’re definitely a better team than a few of the ones in front of them on this list.

 

[mashedpotato]

Did a bunch of Detroit iterations that didn't win or come close have Babcock?

I believe it's likely that they will be better this year but I think it's a bit much to rank them so highly based on what they're actually done.

You're missing the point of a Ranking list. It's meant to describe team projections based not only on what they've actually done, but what they have the potential to do....

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Nashville and Columbus are way too high. What's with this site and propping up small markets? Hipsterdom? Pity?

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Nashville and Columbus are way too high. What's with this site and propping up small markets? Hipsterdom? Pity?

Where were you last year when Nashville made the cup finals and Columbus put it all together? In hipsterdom?

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Where were you last year when Nashville made the cup finals and Columbus put it all together? In hipsterdom?

Nashville went on a fluke run in a very weak west last year, Columbus also had a fluke season which promptly ended in 5 games.

Edm, stl, and anaheim are clearly better than Nashville.

And in the metro alone, Pitt, wsh, and nyr are better than Columbus.

 

[Machinehead]

You talk as if what youre saying is a certainty but it isnt.

New York has old Lunqvist, Mcdonagh, and then nothing. Theyre best forward might be Zibanejad. Count me unimpressed.

Minnesota also has painfully average forwards (with Granlund and Koivu as youre best centers theyre not going anywhere anyway).
Their strength is defense but theyre best D-man Suter has been as disappointing in the playoffs the last few years as a franchise D can be.
Oh, and their coach is Boudreau whose allergic to the big games.

St. Louis/Ottawa are even with CBJ and even that's not cut and dry.

Ottawa rode Karlsson's brilliance to the conference finals, when he was off the ice they were pretty unimpressive.
St. Louis is a deeper team but they have the same issues as CBJ (lack of high forwards) and they dont have a goalie the quality of Bob.

This is all nice conjecture, but again, I'm still waiting for Columbus to win a series.

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah... Rangers are barely even gonna make the playoffs. Toronto behind them is hilarious.

The demise of the Rangers is another one I've been waiting like five years for.

You'll be right eventually!!

 

[Riptide]

Well, they rode a ridiculous, unsustainable hot streak to a good record last year. Outside of the streak they were mediocre. They were awful at the end of the season and in the playoffs. Plus Torts.

Yeah I could see the argument that they're a little high... but I think they're solidly in that 2nd tier of teams below Pittsburgh... and they have the skill and depth that they could win a championship.

 

[bigbuffalo313]

Its funny the Jackets would be getting more respect if they lost a game in the middle of that stretch.

And to answer your question, no I don't think it's appropriate to cut out only one teams best stretch and not others. Teams generally have stretches of play that deviate from their average performance in the rest of the year. If you're going to do it for one team, do it for every team.

I'd be more sympathetic to your argument if the Jackets had a poor record after all teams had their best 20 game stretch cut out. Instead they still have one of the best records.

No, it would be more respectable if it was spread out more. Most teams best stretch in a season is about 5 wins in a row on average (I'm completely guessing here, but I don't recall longer streaks happening very often). 16 in a row is a clear outlier

 

[major major]

No, it would be more respectable if it was spread out more. Most teams best stretch in a season is about 5 wins in a row on average (I'm completely guessing here, but I don't recall longer streaks happening very often). 16 in a row is a clear outlier

When I'm going through data and cutting out outliers I don't cut out the best 20% of it for one team/thing. That's just biasing my own sample. What you can do is take out the bottom 20% and the top 20% of the season for every team, though even that risks biasing the sample.

Since being spread out is important to you, though, I'm sure you would appreciate that the Jackets didn't lose three straight games until April. No other team made it that far.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Why is Washington always so high?

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Why is Washington always so high?

Back to back president trophies and some of the best players in the league.

 

[Cawz]

curious how these rank vs the vegas odds

They are the same for the #1 and #2. Both Vegas and these boards have the Pens at #1 and the Oilers at #2.

 

[bigbuffalo313]

When I'm going through data and cutting out outliers I don't cut out the best 20% of it for one team/thing. That's just biasing my own sample. What you can do is take out the bottom 20% and the top 20% of the season for every team, though even that risks biasing the sample.

Since being spread out is important to you, though, I'm sure you would appreciate that the Jackets didn't lose three straight games until April. No other team made it that far.

1) There's a difference between taking out random games and acknowledging something that's a clear outlier

2) If a team has 16 losses in a row that tanked their season, I would acknowledge it as an outlier as well. Besides I don't remember the Jackets having an equally bad streak that would essentially cancel out the 16 win streak and make them even

3) A team could win one game than lose the next for the entire season. They would never have a two game losing streak but still wouldn't be good. When I say spread it out, I mean basically be consistenty good throughout the entire season. Not be fantastic for a few weeks and on pace to miss the playoffs the rest of the season