Miscellaneous NHL Talk XXIX - You Talkin' about PLAYOFFS!?

[LegionOfDoom91]

Continue here.

Prior thread: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1881911&page=40

Click to read more...

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Open.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Chiming in on the Kimmo talk last thread

He is done ,, Only reason he isn't being scratched is because Hawks don't have viable replacement option

Kyle Cumiskey has already failed as an NHL defender and Rundblad is an absolute disaster

It worries me to see Hawks only able to roll 5 defenders every night because I fear Rozy wont be able to hold up thru a deep playoff run

 

[YEM]

I thought Kimmo was sluggish last year and accordingly thought we'd see a drop-off in his game if/when he returned this year but his level of play has been shockingly bad for a player of his caliber...even with Chicago being able to shelter him with their top 2 units eating up all of the "hard" minutes

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Here is an example of why David Rundblad is not an option

He is an absolute joke defensively , his hockey IQ sucks , He is afraid of any contact and his skating sucks

I wouldn't mind Kyle Cumiskey getting a game. At least he can skate well

 

[Bernie Parent 1974]

please let TBL beat MTL ........

 

[Chinatown88]

Interesting.


Edit: Dang Twitter.

 

[Beef Invictus]

That is intriguing.

I suppose we shall see if he was a faulty GM, or if he just ran out of ideas in Pittsburgh. The situation there is one of building, not one of building a contender right this second. Very different.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Very interesting.

 

[Chinatown88]

Shero gets to make the decision on their next head coach.

 

[McNasty]

Maybe he'll hire Bylsma!

 

[YEM]

Shero inherited a team with the 2 soon-to-be best players in the world, with an organization that had absolutely nailed 6 1st round picks in a row [a couple of those were gimmies] and slowly dismantled the organization till it turned into the loose skeleton hanging onto the crosby/malkin/letang triumvirate that we know as the pens...

hence, great hire by NJ

 

[Chinatown88]

 

[PALE PWNR]

Shero inherited a team with the 2 soon-to-be best players in the world, with an organization that had absolutely nailed 6 1st round picks in a row [a couple of those were gimmies] and slowly dismantled the organization till it turned into the loose skeleton hanging onto the crosby/malkin/letang triumvirate that we know as the pens...

hence, great hire by NJ

 

[Beef Invictus]

Shero inherited a team with the 2 soon-to-be best players in the world, with an organization that had absolutely nailed 6 1st round picks in a row [a couple of those were gimmies] and slowly dismantled the organization till it turned into the loose skeleton hanging onto the crosby/malkin/letang triumvirate that we know as the pens...

hence, great hire by NJ

Beef approves.

 

[CodyTheHuman]

If you look at the last 20 cups winners, they all had elite players at defense or center, and for the majority of teams at both positions. Most of those teams had at least two hall of fame level players at either center or defense with Carolina and Tampa being the outliers. Based on that, you can pretty much predict how the rest of the playoffs goes.

No to montreal. No elite center. A team like New Jersey won multiple cups without an elite center but they had Niedermayer and Stevens, two hall of fame defensemen, to make up the difference. They also had Brodeur but having a hall of fame goalie hasn't really been a common denominator for teams in the last 20 years.

No to the Rangers because of lack of elite centers.

Capitals are interesting but no. i say they are interesting because Evgeny Kuznetsov looks like he is turning into a beast. Backstrom and Kuznetsov down the middle with Carlson on defense is something to watch for the future. They aren't hall of fame level but very comparable to Tampa's Stanley Cup setup with Lecavalier, Richards at center and Boyle on Defense.

Tampa Bay looks like the top team in the east with Stamkos and Johnson at center and Hedman as their #1 defender.

Out west it is either Chicago or Anaheim. Anaheim has a top notch 1-2 punch at center but nothing spectacular on defense. That's why Chicago will win the whole thing IMO. Keith is the best defenseman left in the playoffs and Toews is one of the best centers in the game.

Anaheim still has a good defense. Lindholm, Vatanen, Fowler and Beauchemin are all pretty good.


On the Devils: I hope he screws up there too so they stay irrelevant.

 

[Vikke]

Can't help but cheer for the Caps, I just want Ovechkin to win a Cup...

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Hopefully this means the Devils take one of the defensemen in the draft now.

 

[TCTC]

Can't help but cheer for the Caps, I just want Ovechkin to win a Cup...

It's against the Rangers, so it's not that hard to root for the Caps.

But I agree, Ovi deserves a Cup.

 

[Jtown]

keith yandle. What a trade.

 

[FLYERSG]

Shero inherited a team with the 2 soon-to-be best players in the world, with an organization that had absolutely nailed 6 1st round picks in a row [a couple of those were gimmies] and slowly dismantled the organization till it turned into the loose skeleton hanging onto the crosby/malkin/letang triumvirate that we know as the pens...

hence, great hire by NJ

I ****ing love it.

 

[Cyborg LeClair]

I don't like the Capitals, but I like watching Ovechkin when he's on his game. Especially if it's against the Rangers

 

[Embiid]

As long as the Rangers don't win a cup..I couldn't care less about who in the East could win it. Even TB is ok with me....but I think a Western team will win it again.

 

[Domino666]

Wilson is such a tool, as well as Orpik

 

[BernieParent]

I'm going for Washington, too. Holtby is one of my favourite non-Flyers.