Post-Game Talk: WCQF - (WC1) Nashville Predators vs. (P1) Anaheim Ducks - Series Talk (Preds win 4-3)

[Cashville]

Great article by Jen Neale on Murray, Boudreau, and the Ducks goaltending pickle:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...udreau-s-goaltending-nightmare-002910192.html

 

[Scoresberg]

Actually, a retaliation is not the way to go. Well, maybe to an extent but we don't want to mess with what we have going on right now. Let the Ducks do the dumb stuff and get penaltilized for that. We don't want any injuries and certainly any penalties, we want to keep it 5 on 5 or PP.

 

[Scoresberg]

Did some research on the Ducks' past playoff success starting 2011-2012 the season after we eliminated them.

2012-2013: Loss in the 1st round to the Red Wings

2013-2014: Loss in the 2nd round to the Kings. Eliminated the Stars who weren't very good that year and barely got to the playoffs being the 2nd Wild Card. So, not a very huge victory there for the Ducks, actually the Stars made it a pretty close series.

2014-2015: Loss to the Hawks in WCF. Lot of people think this was a huge success story for the Ducks but really they had a ridiciluously easy way to the WCF. They took down the very weak Jets and the Flames, neither made it to the postseason this year. Surprised that they even got to the playoffs that year.

So basically, they haven't beaten a legit contender in a long time. They've just beaten these bubble teams who have barely made it to the postseason without any hope of actually succeeding. When the competition gets tough, the Ducks don't seem to flourish.

As this series progresses, we'll see if we are a Stars, Jets, Flames type of team or the Hawks, Kings, Red Wings type.

 

[NSH615]

Did some research on the Ducks' past playoff success starting 2011-2012 the season after we eliminated them.

2012-2013: Loss in the 1st round to the Red Wings

2013-2014: Loss in the 2nd round to the Kings. Eliminated the Stars who weren't very good that year and barely got to the playoffs being the 2nd Wild Card. So, not a very huge victory there for the Ducks, actually the Stars made it a pretty close series.

2014-2015: Loss to the Hawks in WCF. Lot of people think this was a huge success story for the Ducks but really they had a ridiciluously easy way to the WCF. They took down the very weak Jets and the Flames, neither made it to the postseason this year. Surprised that they even got to the playoffs that year.

So basically, they haven't beaten a legit contender in a long time. They've just beaten these bubble teams who have barely made it to the postseason without any hope of actually succeeding. When the competition gets tough, the Ducks don't seem to flourish.

As this series progresses, we'll see if we are a Stars, Jets, Flames type of team or the Hawks, Kings, Red Wings type.

That's all good, but one could argue that we were a bubble team since we got a wild card spot. I know we are probably slightly above a bubble team, but that would be the outside perspective.

 

[klt2001]

I would say we are in between a bubble team and a legit contender. Only until we get far into the playoffs and beat a legit top team can we say we are truly a contender. Right now we just need to focus and worry about getting past Anaheim.

 

[drwpreds]

That's all good, but one could argue that we were a bubble team since we got a wild card spot. I know we are probably slightly above a bubble team, but that would be the outside perspective.

Just my own opinion but we are much, much closer to a legit contender to being a bubble team. Not even close

 

[drwpreds]

Did some research on the Ducks' past playoff success starting 2011-2012 the season after we eliminated them.

2012-2013: Loss in the 1st round to the Red Wings

2013-2014: Loss in the 2nd round to the Kings. Eliminated the Stars who weren't very good that year and barely got to the playoffs being the 2nd Wild Card. So, not a very huge victory there for the Ducks, actually the Stars made it a pretty close series.

2014-2015: Loss to the Hawks in WCF. Lot of people think this was a huge success story for the Ducks but really they had a ridiciluously easy way to the WCF. They took down the very weak Jets and the Flames, neither made it to the postseason this year. Surprised that they even got to the playoffs that year.

So basically, they haven't beaten a legit contender in a long time. They've just beaten these bubble teams who have barely made it to the postseason without any hope of actually succeeding. When the competition gets tough, the Ducks don't seem to flourish.

As this series progresses, we'll see if we are a Stars, Jets, Flames type of team or the Hawks, Kings, Red Wings type.

I was going to make a post about this very subject. Not taking anything away from them- making the conference finals is a big deal and it is something we have never been able to do- but last year that may have been the easiest first 2 round path to the WCF in playoff history. Had we had that path last year, 100% we would have made the WCF as well...........

 

[NSH615]

Just my own opinion but we are much, much closer to a legit contender to being a bubble team. Not even close

I didn't said we were one, just said that one may call us that and I can see an outsider thinking that simply because of the wild card status.

 

[drwpreds]

I didn't said we were close to one, just said that one may call us that and I can see an outsider thinking that simply because of the wild card status.

Oh, there is no doubt about that. The rest of the (ignorant) hockey world is treating this series like its a 2 vs. 15 first round matchup in the NCAA basketball tournament.

 

[NSH615]

I was going to make a post about this very subject. Not taking anything away from them- making the conference finals is a big deal and it is something we have never been able to do- but last year that may have been the easiest first 2 round path to the WCF in playoff history. Had we had that path last year, 100% we would have made the WCF as well...........

The only reason it would have been a struggle is because the Flames seem to have this team's number.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Oh, there is no doubt about that. The rest of the (ignorant) hockey world is treating this series like its a 2 vs. 15 first round matchup in the NCAA basketball tournament.

There were plenty of those types that post on this board too.....

The only reason it would have been a struggle is because the Flames seem to have this team's number.

Isn't that what you said about the Ducks?

 

[Jonesey]

We've done well against the Ducks in recent years I believe but for some reason we struggle against Calgary.

 

[NSH615]

Isn't that what you said about the Ducks?

If you are talking about my comments about the Ducks in regards to this series. My thought was we struggle at Anaheim and it is true (other than this playoff series).

Past 4 years we are a combined 3-9 in 12 regular season games against them. 2 of the 3 wins were at home this year, and the other win was at Anaheim 2 years ago. They swept us last year.

 

[Paranoid Android]

If you are talking about my comments about the Ducks in regards to this series. My thought was we struggle at Anaheim and it is true (other than this playoff series).

Past 4 years we are a combined 3-9 in 12 regular season games against them. 2 of the 3 wins were at home this year, and the other win was at Anaheim 2 years ago. They swept us last year.

Or you could say we're 7-6-3 over the past 5 years. Not to mention our 4-2 playoff record against them.

Just skimming numbers from small sample sizes doesn't tell us much.

 

[NSH615]

It's awesome that the team has jumped on the Hunt theme.

 

[jstreet]

I just know that Bridgestone will be rocking tonight. I cant wait to see all of that beautiful gold on my tv

 

[PredsV82]

I really wish I could be there... I suspect the atmosphere tonight will rival the first two Detroit playoff games back in 04.

 

[golfmade]

Those Duck Hunt themed shirts are so awesome.

 

[PredsV82]

lucky coffee cup used this morning

fresh baby puke on 06 playoff shirt.

lets do this...

 

[jstreet]

Man, I want one of those duck hunt shirts, that warms my child of the 80s heart

 

[hockey diva]

Well that was a stinker no doubt. 0/5 on the pp and we couldn't get anything going all night. Andersen was barely tested. And Bitetto with a huge gaff that led to the first goal. Had feeling after that it was not our night.

 

[Scoresberg]

Fix the damn PP. Our PK is playing very good against the best PP in the league and I don't see why it would stop doing that. Looks like we're getting a lot of calls to our favor and we have to capitalize on them. One PP goal per game would be sweet.

The Ducks looked a lot better but not unbeatable. They came to play hockey at their best level and forgot everything else. That is the Ducks we'll have to face as this series progresses we just have to adjust and find ways to beat them.

Rinne stopped everything he could. Nothing he could on those goals.

Just an awful turnover by Bitetto on that 1st goal. Made us chase them the whole night. Not a good start and I believe without that, we would've made it a lot more closer.

Why is it that when teams change goalies in a series we can't score on them? We didn't even test Andersen properly, we had some looks but horrible, sloppy finishing. Andersen didn't look all that great in last year's playoffs, either.

I liked our defensive game despite giving up 3 goals. The 1st, well you all know what happened there. The 2nd, lucky and a crazy deflection, no one's fault. The 3rd well.. pretty bad defensive coverage. Overall we did a good job of limiting their chances. They just were able to capitalize their few chances unlike us.

A lot of things have to change for us come Thursday. The Ducks seem a hell of a lot stronger now when they're concentrating on just playing hockey. The winner of Game 4 will win the whole series. Let's see what kind of Predators team shows up Thursday. It's not looking good for us now.

 

[Scoresberg]

Do we see Granberg in place of Bitetto Thursday?

 

[NoNecksCurse]

didn't get to watch the game but we just need to win one of the next two games and we have every chance to win this series. a chance to win it at home in game 6 or game 7 in Anaheim where we've shown we can win. i like our chances. we just have to be mentally prepared from the big names to role guys.

 

[deanwormer]

Do we see Granberg in place of Bitetto Thursday?

Nope. If you do that, you break up Ellis and Ekholm, and we're not doing that. You cannot roll Jackman and Granberg as a pair - that just won't work.

As bad as Potato's turnover was, I'm not sure that Jackman was any better than Potato. No, he didn't give them a goal quite like that, but the rest of his game was pretty meh, and he threw his share of half-ass clearing attempts into the neutral zone for the clucks to pickup.