How would you feel about a Wild/Jackets SCF?

[MuckOG]

The Central isn't amazing anymore but the Wild are a mediocre team propped up by fantastic, unsustainable goaltending right now. They're not a better team than Nashville and St. Louis and will very likely lose to either of them in the playoffs.

Wait, everyone else is saying the Wild are a mediocre team with an overrated goaltender propped up by fantastic defense.

Which is it?

 

[Drewcifer]

The Central isn't amazing anymore but the Wild are a mediocre team propped up by fantastic, unsustainable goaltending right now. They're not a better team than Nashville and St. Louis and will very likely lose to either of them in the playoffs.

Carried by goaltending:

 

[thepoeticgoblin]

Would be exciting and I'd have no problems whatsoever with it. No team make it to the SCF on luck or hot streaks - if they end up as the final 2, they've deserved it.

 

[CanadienShark]

Meh. Not really. Blue Jackets, sure. I just don't find the Wild an entertaining team to watch, though they're certainly a good, deep team with talent at all positions.

 

[the_fan]

Would be the worst finals ever

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'd laugh and laugh at all the so called hockey fans *****ing and complaining.

Then I would enjoy a great finals.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Teams who make the playoffs don't get there with pure luck.

if they make it, I'm sure it'll be fantastic hockey to watch.

 

[ThirdManIn]

I wouldn't care to see it, personally, but I'd definitely root for Columbus.

 

[NickLidstrom]

I wouldn't hate it but it wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[HarryLime]

probs wouldn't watch

 

[MNRube]

Better than watching Chicago or LA eviscerate a soft Eastern team like every other year

 

[Ceremony]

I'd find the thought of the Wild losing a Cup final to Columbus hilarious so yes, I'm all for it.

 

[Victorious Secret]

I'm a Wild fan, but first I'm a hockey fan. I don't care who is in the final, I'm going to watch.

 

[SoupNazi]

I'd watch it, like every other Cup Final, but I wouldn't feel strongly one way or the other as to who would win and who would lose.

 

[Sideshow Raheem]

Wait, everyone else is saying the Wild are a mediocre team with an overrated goaltender propped up by fantastic defense.

Which is it?

Anyone saying that doesn't know what they're talking about. Dubnyk is a career .917 goalie with a .948 SV% right now. I've got a bridge to sell you if you think he'll be able to sustain anything close to that over the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.

Carried by goaltending:

None of those stats are as predictive as score-adjusted possession, which has the Wild at 15th in the league so basically an average team. Which makes sense based on their roster.

 

[57special]

Wait, everyone else is saying the Wild are a mediocre team with an overrated goaltender propped up by fantastic defense.

Which is it?

They're a mediocre team propped up by elite fans.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Anyone saying that doesn't know what they're talking about. Dubnyk is a career .917 goalie with a .948 SV% right now. I've got a bridge to sell you if you think he'll be able to sustain anything close to that over the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.



None of those stats are as predictive as score-adjusted possession, which has the Wild at 15th in the league so basically an average team. Which makes sense based on their roster.

You can have your shot attempts; we'll take our quality shots.

 

[67Cup]

To get back to the original question...

Surprised, mainly, but also OK with it.

 

[Sideshow Raheem]

You can have your shot attempts; we'll take our quality shots.

We'll see how that works out for you guys in April.

 

[Nharris31]

Anyone saying that doesn't know what they're talking about. Dubnyk is a career .917 goalie with a .948 SV% right now. I've got a bridge to sell you if you think he'll be able to sustain anything close to that over the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.



None of those stats are as predictive as score-adjusted possession, which has the Wild at 15th in the league so basically an average team. Which makes sense based on their roster.

They're also not as bad as everyone seems to think they are on this board either also not carried by goaltending they lead the league on scoring chances for and give up the least amount of scoring chances in the league. All the stats people I follow on Twitter say they are in a good spot.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

14th and 24th in CF%. Based on advanced stats historical data, this match-up is extremely unlikely. Finalists last year were 2nd and 9th, year before were 2nd and 4th, year before that 1st and 7th. Common theme is you need to be a top 10 Corsi team to be a finalist, top 5 to win the cup.

 

[Leafs87]

Don't wanna be that guy but CBJ is definetly overachieving ATM

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Would barely be able to watch. Would be too nervous.

Though I would watch but I'd have to be 6 Windsors deep by the anthem.

 

[Drewcifer]

14th and 24th in CF%. Based on advanced stats historical data, this match-up is extremely unlikely. Finalists last year were 2nd and 9th, year before were 2nd and 4th, year before that 1st and 7th. Common theme is you need to be a top 10 Corsi team to be a finalist, top 5 to win the cup.

Corsi is not the be all and end all of hockey. It is probably becoming less meaningful because some people in hockey are drawing the wrong lesson from it. Back when Corsi was a byproduct of good hockey it had meaning. Now some coaches are coaching to try to have high Corsi just for the sake of Corsi, thinking that alone is going to win them games. Making lots of pointless shot attempts just to have a good Corsi is different than attempting lots of shots that make sense within the flow of the game, but Corsi measures them as equal. It is the hockey version of the Observer Effect in physics. Once you measure it, the act of measuring it changes the behavior of the thing being measured.

Russo was just talking about this on KFAN:

Stevens/Boudreau want the team in our own end to let Dubnyk see the puck, don't leave their feet to block shots, let them shoot from the perimeter (i.e. don't really block the shooting lanes) but clog/hold the middle/high-scoring areas. Says that's something Stevens preaches from his days playing on the Devils with Lemaire.

This is a good way to have a mediocre Corsi, but it also makes it hard for the other team to score.

 

[Nharris31]

14th and 24th in CF%. Based on advanced stats historical data, this match-up is extremely unlikely. Finalists last year were 2nd and 9th, year before were 2nd and 4th, year before that 1st and 7th. Common theme is you need to be a top 10 Corsi team to be a finalist, top 5 to win the cup.

Again their is still this and this

Also that means Chicago if very unlikely to be a finalist also