League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition

[Hivemind]

Yeah firmy disagree. Karlsson was playing severely sheltered minutes, and he pissed away their season with woeful and untimely poor defense.

With Karlsson taking the favorable minutes, that thrust Letang into a more difficult defensive role.

Karlsson was simply not a good fit from day 1 IMO. Letang already played the role of PMD with offensive upside. Pens should have been seeking a shutdown defenseman IMO. It would have been a more valuable piece given that they already had Letang.

A lot of this is, objectively, simply not true. Karlsson was not sheltered, his deployments were almost perfectly in line with league averages in terms of opponents faced. Letang's match-ups were not out of line compared to his past career, and he's had previous seasons with tougher match-ups than he got this season. In terms of their shift locations, they're basically identical. Letang had 7.68 Def Zone Starts/60 while Karlsson had 7.49 Def Zone Starts/60. Letang had 8.59 Off Zone Starts/60 to Karlsson's 8.53 off Zone Starts/60. It was guys like Ruhwedel, Graves, and Ludwig (and to a lesser extent Pettersson) that Sullivan was burdening with D Zone starts.

Arguing that Karlsson wasn't the right fit for the Penguins is a fundamentally different argument, and has some defensible logic behind it (even if not everyone would agree). But that's a very different argument from claims that Karlsson is bad defensively.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Pittsburgh pick on its way to San Jose.

It’s a glorious night. It’s like an anti jinx. Even though our jinx had already been lifted.

That’s actually better for Pittsburgh. I’d wager they won’t be getting much better next season.

 

[Misery74]

That’s actually better for Pittsburgh. I’d wager they won’t be getting much better next season.

This is true. But losing the 13th/14th pick is really tough.

 

[DWGie26]

Kuznetsov has a paltry 2 points in his last 13 games.



As if 82 games isn't enough to establish this? lol

We will get better value from Kuzy contract next year than Canes!

 

[Ridley Simon]

This is true. But losing the 13th/14th pick is really tough.

Oh I’m sure that’s NOT what Dubas had in mind when he made the deal. Mid 20’s, in a weaker draft.

I was curious if they’d had punted it this year anyway, had they finished like 9th or 10th. To keep next years.

They are lucky that they do not have to face that decision. Either way, they’d be screwed.

 

[YippieKaey]

This.
Simultaneously eliminating PHI, PIT and DET in one shot is a ----ing chef's kiss to the power of Grayskull

The Oshbabe giveth

 

[Langway]

DAL/VGK/COL/WPG in one bracket. Opens shit up for everyone else at least but that's a murderer's row.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Was Mantha healthy scratched last night? He DNPed

 

[Hivemind]

Was Mantha healthy scratched last night? He DNPed

Injured - Golden Knights' Anthony Mantha: Practices without contact

(I'm also not convinced Vegas actually wanted to win that game. I know that they dropped into playing the #1 seed, Dallas, but I think they might have preferred that to Edmonton. They also seemed like they cared more about Marchessault getting goal #42, which would tie their franchise record, than they did about winning)

 

[Langway]

No way I buy VGK preferring DAL and either COL/WPG to EDM and then likely VAN. Better to get EDM out of the way early, even if they're fresher, than face them more confident in the CF potentially after having faced two tough opponents. EDM benefits most here I think. Can't say I'm a believer in VAN just yet.

I like Carolina over Edmonton in the final. But we'll see if Carolina's goaltending holds up (also Edmonton's). Who knows, though. Florida certainly could break through. All about who gets hot.

FWIW:

 

[Marshall]

I have Dallas & Carolina.

 

[Hivemind]

No way I buy VGK preferring DAL and either COL/WPG to EDM and then likely VAN. Better to get EDM out of the way early, even if they're fresher, than face them more confident in the CF potentially after having faced two tough opponents. EDM benefits most here I think. Can't say I'm a believer in VAN just yet.

I like Carolina over Edmonton in the final. But we'll see if Carolina's goaltending holds up (also Edmonton's). Who knows, though. Florida certainly could break through. All about who gets hot.

FWIW:

Vegas swept Dallas in their season series (as the graphic you posted alludes to, with the +6 goal differential for Vegas in their match-up). I think it's a match-up they're confident in. Sure, the second round may be harder, but Colorado isn't the unbeatable juggernaut they used to be, and if you can't get past a team like Winnepeg, you aren't a real contender.

I will say I'm bummed to not have the EDM vs VGK 1st round match-up, that was going to be a barn burner. But we could still get it in the WCF anyway.

 

[Langway]

Next stop: the bottom.

 

[crab]

Next stop: the bottom.

Best news I heard all day. They are going to waste assets to be mediocre for even longer.

 

[Midnight Judges]

A lot of this is, objectively, simply not true. Karlsson was not sheltered, his deployments were almost perfectly in line with league averages in terms of opponents faced. Letang's match-ups were not out of line compared to his past career, and he's had previous seasons with tougher match-ups than he got this season. In terms of their shift locations, they're basically identical. Letang had 7.68 Def Zone Starts/60 while Karlsson had 7.49 Def Zone Starts/60. Letang had 8.59 Off Zone Starts/60 to Karlsson's 8.53 off Zone Starts/60. It was guys like Ruhwedel, Graves, and Ludwig (and to a lesser extent Pettersson) that Sullivan was burdening with D Zone starts.

Arguing that Karlsson wasn't the right fit for the Penguins is a fundamentally different argument, and has some defensible logic behind it (even if not everyone would agree). But that's a very different argument from claims that Karlsson is bad defensively.

Eh, maybe you're right.

You brought good data rationale.

 

[PlushMinus]

Injured - Golden Knights' Anthony Mantha: Practices without contact

(I'm also not convinced Vegas actually wanted to win that game. I know that they dropped into playing the #1 seed, Dallas, but I think they might have preferred that to Edmonton. They also seemed like they cared more about Marchessault getting goal #42, which would tie their franchise record, than they did about winning)

I thought the same thing. Seemed awfully suspicious that Vegas couldn't beat Anaheim.

Having said that I don't think Vegas is going on a deep run anyway. They have looked pretty average since the trade deadline and I wonder if they've overplayed their hand. New guys trying to fit the system, etc. Could be some fatigue kicking in. People say they are a completely different team with Mark Stone so maybe he comes back and they are suddenly unbeatable. I guess we'll see.

Colorado / Winnipeg could be a real test for the Avs.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Not a deep draft by all accounts, however fwiw we do have Vegas's 2nd round pick (#51) courtesy of the Mantha trade.

 

[DWGie26]

Not a deep draft by all accounts, however fwiw we do have Vegas's 2nd round pick (#51) courtesy of the Mantha trade.

This will be a year of some savvy later picks that pan out in a few years. Nobody we pick will be washington ready for a while.

Floodgates opened this year for youth. Maybe some older prospects will get a chance this year. But overall, I think after Leonard and Miro, we’ll see Caps start cooking and overcooking prospects again. Just the nature of their lineup right now. But get ready for our prospects to jump at 23-25 and not 18-22.

 

[tycoonheart]

Kuzy with the first goal of the playoffs.

 

[Nice]

The screen + placement on that shot was so good

 

[Peeri]

Kuzy with the first goal of the playoffs.

Shades of Semin with that goal, that was wicked wrist shot.

 

[Carlzner]

Kotkaniemi is an underrated massive L for the analytics community.

 

[kicksavedave]

Kuzy with the first goal of the playoffs.

Bird celly also.

 

[tycoonheart]

Carolina has their hands full with the Islanders. I can see this series going 7 games.

 

[EroCaps]

Glad we’re paying Kuzy to score playoff goals for a rival. Twat.