League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - 2020 Bubble Hockey Edition - Vol. 9

[shtorm2005]

Wow, 3 teams I don't hate could possibly make comebacks. But, it won't happen. Life always finds a way to screw it.

 

[Lobodomy]

Avs & Nucks & Philly please

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Wow, 3 teams I don't hate could possibly make comebacks. But, it won't happen. Life always finds a way to screw it.

The odds are in favour of at least one of them making it through. Unfortunately it will probably be Philly which would be my last preference.

I would really like to see the Avs and Vancouver make it through. Avs have quite a list of injured players though which is a concern if they make it to the next round. Hopefully some of them make it back into the lineup.

This is the kind of year where I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Vancouver go all the way and win a Cup. It's the kind of crazy thing that could happen

 

[Melkor]

By the way, if Canucks get past Blues they gonna win it all. You've heard it here first.

Let's go, boys. Nucks - Avs WCF. Give the people what they want. On the other hand, I feel Vigneault is ready to school Barry again. Man some things never change.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Avs, Nucks, Philly, and Tampa would be a real fun final four.

Also, re: Trotz and the Isles, I wish Barry well and want him to succeed but I'd like them to complete the choke this year so that we stop hearing about how great of a coach he is and how dumb the Caps were for letting him go.

 

[Melkor]

I look at Philly as a more skilled, evolved version of CBJ. They play with a pace, they have a good goalie, solid D and an offense with some nice weapons. Giroux is not the same anymore and will never be but if he puts on his 'big boy pants' as Vigneault put it for one last run they can give a lot of trouble to Tampa. That's assuming they complete the comeback against the Isles which I believe they will.

 

[HecticGlow]

I can see Vancouver progressing purely from the play of Demko. If Vegas aren't studying the playbook on TD right now they don't stand a chance. I imagine his play is also complicating (or making easier) the decisions on Markstrom's future with the club, too.

What I like about Colorado is their ability to keep fighting and keep winning despite all the injuries. That's often a difference-maker in the playoffs – the teams that are so dialled-in they can make adjustments and truly adopt the next-guy-up mentality. Happy for Hutchinson, too. He's had such an up-and-down career, he's doing a really solid job in tandem with team D.

 

[Melkor]

Andre is f***in clutch

 

[ovikovy817]

Bura new mister game 7

 

[Coldplay619]

Should have promised Bura a spot and bumped down Oshie or Wilson.

UGH

 

[pman25]

He’s got such a sick shot, he’s really killing it with the Avs

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Why couldn’t Buracudda so that here ffs

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Let’s not forget it’s a contract year for him. Be prepared to be underwhelmed in 2022 at about $6 mil per!!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Why couldn’t Buracudda so that here ffs

Must have been completely his fault because I’m told we had a coach who could do no wrong from 2015-2018.

 

[caps4cup]

Must have been completely his fault because I’m told we had a coach who could do no wrong from 2015-2018.

And yet, Burakovsky had the worst season of his career last year under Reirden.

 

[Melkor]

The Caps play a completely different style of hockey. Burakovsky just wasn't a fit there. Not skilled and smart enough to keep up with Kuzy and Nick in the offensive zone but fast enough and has a good shot to complement the Avs up tempo style. Also always been looked at by big boys in DC as a baby brother rather than a equal one. In Colorado they have a whole bunch of young lions of more or less the same age who're just having fun out there.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

And yet, Burakovsky had the worst season of his career last year under Reirden.

And? No one is saying Rierden was a good head coach or glossing over the issues players had under his leadership. I always disliked the way Burakovsky was deployed here and thought we were wasting his talent. Obviously there’s a certain portion of responsibility that falls on him but it was frustrating to see him join the list of young guys with tons of talent who looked like they had more to contribute.

 

[g00n]

If it ends up being Avs vs Isles in the Finals this board will melt into a puddle of "we shoulda". More than usual.

 

[caps4cup]

The Caps play a completely different style of hockey. Burakovsky just wasn't a fit there. Not skilled and smart enough to keep up with Kuzy and Nick in the offensive zone but fast enough and has a good shot to complement the Avs up tempo style. Also always been looked at by big boys in DC as a baby brother rather than a equal one. In Colorado they have a whole bunch of young lions of more or less the same age who're just having fun out there.

I’m not so sure he wasn’t a fit with the Capitals play style as much as he just was lacking in confidence. He got plenty of chances here in Washington to take that next step and he just couldn’t do it, culminating in him being outplayed by Vrana last year and asking for his trade. Look at his most common line mates:

14-15 : Mojo, Ovi, Backstrom
15-16: Kuzy, Williams
16-17: Eller, Connolly
17-18: Backstrom, Eller, Connolly, Oshie (split almost exactly even)
18-19: Eller, Connolly

He had his chances with top 6 guys and just didn’t take advantage of it (save for the 16/17 team which was absolutely stacked). I’m a big fan of his but he wasn’t gonna succeed like this in Washington, he clearly needed a change of scenery (and is also benefitting from a very high shooting percentage).

 

[caps4cup]

And? No one is saying Rierden was a good head coach or glossing over the issues players had under his leadership. I always disliked the way Burakovsky was deployed here and thought we were wasting his talent. Obviously there’s a certain portion of responsibility that falls on him but it was frustrating to see him join the list of young guys with tons of talent who looked like they had more to contribute.

See my last post.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If it ends up being Avs vs Isles in the Finals this board will melt into a puddle of "we shoulda". More than usual.

omg will be sad and pathetic for a few lol....

 

[g00n]

Burky giveth and Burky taketh away

 

[Langway]

If it ends up being Avs vs Isles in the Finals this board will melt into a puddle of "we shoulda". More than usual.

If only Grubauer were in net. Otherwise there's still Beagle or Niskanen or Cooper or Stephenson/Schmidt to fall back on. Only Dallas is immune unless one stretches to draft hindsight.

Good teams in the cap era lose players. The bigger issue is not replenishing the system enough, which results in overpaying for the likes of Hagelin/Panik over home-grown options (which then inevitably leads to weaker rosters and less resources for more crucial positions).

 

[Melkor]

I’m not so sure he wasn’t a fit with the Capitals play style as much as he just was lacking in confidence. He got plenty of chances here in Washington to take that next step and he just couldn’t do it, culminating in him being outplayed by Vrana last year and asking for his trade. Look at his most common line mates:

14-15 : Mojo, Ovi, Backstrom
15-16: Kuzy, Williams
16-17: Eller, Connolly
17-18: Backstrom, Eller, Connolly, Oshie (split almost exactly even)
18-19: Eller, Connolly

He had his chances with top 6 guys and just didn’t take advantage of it (save for the 16/17 team which was absolutely stacked). I’m a big fan of his but he wasn’t gonna succeed like this in Washington, he clearly needed a change of scenery (and is also benefitting from a very high shooting percentage).

Oshie, Eller, Connolly are as wrong of a linemate for him as you could imagine really. Eller has some good traits to his game but got average to below average speed and doesn't know what a good pass is. Connolly is a pure shooter with otherwise stone hands. Two pure shooters on the same line? Sorry but no. Oshie is slow as f***, they have no business playing together. Williams. Ovi...bruh they all slow, not nearly as dynamic as this Avs team. Williams liked to settle the pace a bit, gain some puck possession, Ovi is even less of a fit because he's rarely involved in puck possession stuff. He just picks his spots to shoot it or deflect it, occassionally hits. Otherwise he's just skating around waiting for someone to turn the puck over for him.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Should have promised Bura a spot and bumped down Oshie or Wilson.

UGH

Buttt we got Gudas and Panik with the cap savings