PENS vs Montreal Canadiens Round 1 (Best Of Five)

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Deczola73

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Dec 23, 2017
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It looks like this series is set in stone.

I see this as a easy series for the Penguins (unless Murray is really poor).

What I have noticed that in closed door sporting events over the past years (almost exclusively in soccer), the team with the superior talent wins almost every time. In watching some games it almost gives a feel that the home team fans add a bit of pressure on their team. An example of this is the biggest match in Germany being Schalke vs Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund is a vastly better squad the past few years but rarely win vs them at home......last week they played in front of no fans and Dortmund blew them off the field.

I'm expecting to see many one sided series with 4 goal victories as the norm starting with a Penguims romp over the Canadiens.

Your thoughts fellas?
 

Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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This is not going to be an "easy series", even with the Habs being a mediocre team. A rested Carey Price has the potential to absolutely steal a series. The Penguins may dominate the series, but still lose due to goaltending (both on their side and Montreal's side).
 

Shady Machine

Registered User
Aug 6, 2010
36,691
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Someone was going to get hosed in this proposed format (which is no where near set in stone by the way as the NHLPA still has to opine), but sucks that the Pens were that team. 5th in the conference and 7th in the whole league but have to have a play in series with a team 15 points below them in the standings and 1% chance of making the playoffs.

Garbage.
 

Shady Machine

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Aug 6, 2010
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eh, win the games they put in front of you. Format isn't great, but if we lose it isn't the formats fault.

I'm not building in excuses, but it's a garbage format if you wanted to treat the regular season like it mattered. The only teams in the East they don't make the playoffs are teams that intentionally tanked and the tire fire that is Buffalo.

Unless re-seeding is coming into play (which it currently isn't), Montreal could beat Pittsburgh and then play the 4th seed even though they are the 12th. It makes no sense.

Yes the Pens need to beat the teams put in front of them, but the league has had 2 months to dream things up and this is what they came up with?
 

BHD

Vejmelka for Vezina
Dec 27, 2009
38,124
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I dunno, man... I’d like the Pens to win, but I’m not crazy about the format. Even though I want to see ‘playoff’ hockey, the 24 team bracket (lol) doesn’t do the reg season justice (see: @Shady Machine).

As for the matchup... Even if the Canadiens are average, they have enough scoring to make the most of some good games from Price and bad games from Murray/Jarry. Not saying that’s going to happen. However, that’s how I see it playing out if the Habs win.
 
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Ogrezilla

Nerf Herder
Jul 5, 2009
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Pittsburgh
I'm not building in excuses, but it's a garbage format if you wanted to treat the regular season like it mattered. The only teams in the East they don't make the playoffs are teams that intentionally tanked and the tire fire that is Buffalo.

Unless re-seeding is coming into play (which it currently isn't), Montreal could beat Pittsburgh and then play the 4th seed even though they are the 12th. It makes no sense.

Yes the Pens need to beat the teams put in front of them, but the league has had 2 months to dream things up and this is what they came up with?
Yeah that's fair. I guess I'm just happy they are playing at all.
 
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Ogrezilla

Nerf Herder
Jul 5, 2009
75,534
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Pittsburgh
Oh shit we have to do this without Simon. What's guentzel's situation? I straight up stopped paying attention to hockey stuff.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,407
78,003
Redmond, WA
Oh shit we have to do this without Simon. What's guentzel's situation? I straight up stopped paying attention to hockey stuff.

Penguins F Guentzel on track for possible return

His timeline was 4 to 6 months and July 1st would be exactly 6 months from the surgery. It sounds like the playoffs wouldn't start back up until then, so I think the expectation should be that Guentzel is back.
 

ziggyjoe212

Registered User
Oct 2, 2017
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I'm not building in excuses, but it's a garbage format if you wanted to treat the regular season like it mattered. The only teams in the East they don't make the playoffs are teams that intentionally tanked and the tire fire that is Buffalo.

Unless re-seeding is coming into play (which it currently isn't), Montreal could beat Pittsburgh and then play the 4th seed even though they are the 12th. It makes no sense.

Yes the Pens need to beat the teams put in front of them, but the league has had 2 months to dream things up and this is what they came up with?
The regular season doesn't matter. Especially for the Penguins.

I think the 24 team tournament is weird but in no way does it dimish the playoffs.
 

Shady Machine

Registered User
Aug 6, 2010
36,691
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The regular season doesn't matter. Especially for the Penguins.

I think the 24 team tournament is weird but in no way does it dimish the playoffs.

The regular season determines who gets to the playoffs. This format essentially throws that out the window as nearly everyone who wasn't trying to lose gets to the playoffs. Not sure how your post is relevant to mine.
 
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Al Smith

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Apr 28, 2012
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At least when the Hawks won the Cup in a shortened season there was some connection to a regular season. This is essentially starting a new season - with little connection to a regular season - with the Stanley Cup and deciding it with October-quality hockey.

I don’t like it but the league needs the revenue I guess and with the Tour de France postponed at least there will be something to watch.
 
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ziggyjoe212

Registered User
Oct 2, 2017
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The regular season determines who gets to the playoffs. This format essentially throws that out the window as nearly everyone who wasn't trying to lose gets to the playoffs. Not sure how your post is relevant to mine.
I think they made it 24 instead of 16 is to appease the bubble teams.

If it was up to me I would have skipped the season and went straight into the 16 team playoffs, but then the bubble teams would have upset. You can't please everyone. This 24 team tourney is at least a little fair. It excludes the 7 worst teams, and no one really cares about the worst teams anyway.
 
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BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
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Is Montreal even really a bubble team, though? Didn't they sell at the TDL?

Like I said yesterday I get that they were HYPOTHETICALLY still eligible. But so are a just about every team these days until like the last ten-ish games of the season.

It just seems so f***ing Penguins to have to get stuck with this horseshit.
 
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