Western Conference Round Robin (Blues, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Stars)

[Stupendous Yappi]

Although the Blues could mathematically still get the 1st seed, I think Colorado is the best team in this bubble right now. Most likely that the Blues and Vegas will have to go through one another to get to the WCF (if they both win the first round series). Today’s game is probably a preview of what would probably be a great and brutal series.

I haven’t seen anything from Dallas that makes me think they’ll even win their first round matchup. I think they lost something critical to their identity when they made the coaching change.

 

[Lemonlimey]

Although the Blues could mathematically still get the 1st seed, I think Colorado is the best team in this bubble right now.

Tampa Bay is probably more talented on paper, there’s just a buy in happening it’s hard not to believe in.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Tampa Bay is probably more talented on paper, there’s just a buy in happening it’s hard not to believe in.

That’s a different bubble.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Although the Blues could mathematically still get the 1st seed, I think Colorado is the best team in this bubble right now. Most likely that the Blues and Vegas will have to go through one another to get to the WCF (if they both win the first round series). Today’s game is probably a preview of what would probably be a great and brutal series.

I haven’t seen anything from Dallas that makes me think they’ll even win their first round matchup. I think they lost something critical to their identity when they made the coaching change.

Sure seems that way. Top line has been invisible, and Dallas has not won a game since February 25th.

The way they're playing, it's a gimme for whichever team comes out of the play-in round as the "top" seed.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Calm down. It's literally 2 posters. I've already posted multiple times about the respect I have for the Avs this year and view them as a top contender in the west and I'm pretty sure it's the matchup most want to avoid.

If you're being reasonable in here, then I'm not referring to you.

You, I respect quite a bit.

 

[TheGoldenGod]

Calm down. It's literally 2 posters. I've already posted multiple times about the respect I have for the Avs this year and view them as a top contender in the west and I'm pretty sure it's the matchup most want to avoid.

Yeah I think this post right here is going to have to be bumped every two pages because of the piping hot takes made by a single Blues fan in this thread (and several other threads for that matter). His opinions are not a representation of our fanbase as a whole.

 

[Papa Francouz]

Yeah I think this post right here is going to have to be bumped every two pages because of the piping hot takes made by a single Blues fan in this thread (and several other threads for that matter). His opinions are not a representation of our fanbase as a whole.

Off-topic question, but did the Blues peak last year? I certainly felt it, but I'm not sure if Philadelphia felt it.

 

[TheGoldenGod]

Haven't even begun to peak bro

 

[Ararana]

So who had St Louis as the 4th seed?

 

[Trap Jesus]

So if the 2-1 series leads hold you're looking at:

St. Louis/Dallas vs. Vancouver
St. Louis/Dallas vs. Calgary
Colorado/Vegas vs. Chicago
Colorado/Vegas vs. Arizona

Other 4 teams in the West are all still in play though, the only series that can't happen are:

Colorado/Vegas vs. Edmonton/Nashville
St. Louis/Dallas vs. Arizona/Chicago

 

[tucker3434]

That was an atrocious game from St. Louis.

 

[MoPucks]

So who had St Louis as the 4th seed?

I had them 3rd but the way they've played so far, they aren't beating anyone in the first round. Holy hell they look slow and out of sync.

 

[BlueOil]

i love watching people hype the preseason. see you boys when the games count.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Excellent performance from Vegas tonight. They look ready to roll for round one.

 

[Kegsey]

i love watching people hype the preseason. see you boys when the games count.

If you think the players don’t care that they’ve lost 3 in a row while allowing that many goals you’re insane.

 

[BlueOil]

If you think the players don’t care that they’ve lost 3 in a row while allowing that many goals you’re insane.

i could be insane, but i think we'll reserve that for all the tarot card reading that doesn't pan out when round 1 actually begins.

 

[catters078]

Dallas needs to avoid Edmonton at any costs should they advance. McDavid and Draisatl will skate rings around the stars.

Of course if Chicago hold form and eliminate the Oilers then any remaining opponents are probably even from a matchup view so the only purpose from the Stars vs Blues matchup will be for Dallas to find some offensive chemsitry, and St louis to re establish a better defensive game.

By the time Dallas and St Louis play (final day) edmontons series would be completed, so the Stars will need to know if they need to win to avoid McDavid, or if their final Round Robin game is a genuine dead rubber match, where they can trial things to fix their chemistry issues.

 

[Devonator]

Vegas continues to impress....all they do is win....and from such a young franchise....truly astounding!

 

[Kale Makar]

I'm not sure what to feel, because I'd rather see the Hawks in round 1 but also realllllyyy don't want Edmonton to even have a chance to sniff at the idea of getting Lafreniere....

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

The Blues are a mess. Where is the shot suppression they were known for last postseason? The new formula seems to be to get goals off of mediocre goaltending and then let Binnington stand on his head. I don’t think that’s a winning formula. The sad truth is that they were outplayed in both the Colorado and the Vegas games worse than the scores indicated.

Apparently, they don’t know what their defensive pairings are going to be. Berube mixed up the pairs tonight. The problem is that although Scandella looked like a good approximation of Bouwmeester when he first arrived, he looks terrible now. He’s slow to react and not fast even when he does. Bouwmeester played some of the best hockey of his career last post-season. I don’t see Parayko/Scandella as being able to reproduce that kind of shut-down prowess.

So now Faulk gets moved AGAIN to try the left side on Pietro’s pairing. There hasn’t been one day since that trade where I felt clear about where Faulk is supposed to fit in.

You don’t piddle around a game before the playoffs and tinker with finding an identity. I don’t believe teams can just flip the switch.The Blues may be able to win a first round series like this, but I don’t see any indication they are a legit threat this year.

The only silver lining is that they are obviously not taking the round robin games as seriously as some other teams. Allen is supposed to start the Dallas game. Against Vegas, Tarasenko and Thomas took maintenance days. Berube is making sure all the backups play at different points in these three games.

So now we get a nice clean Vegas vs Colorado for 1/2 and St Louis vs Dallas for 3/4.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

So if the 2-1 series leads hold you're looking at:

St. Louis/Dallas vs. Vancouver
St. Louis/Dallas vs. Calgary
Colorado/Vegas vs. Chicago
Colorado/Vegas vs. Arizona

Other 4 teams in the West are all still in play though, the only series that can't happen are:

Colorado/Vegas vs. Edmonton/Nashville
St. Louis/Dallas vs. Arizona/Chicago

Im pretty happy to not have to play edmonton or nashville. Edmonton's PP feast against us and Nashville just seems like they are such underachievers right now who have the talent. No disrepect to what Chicago and Arizona is doing, NHL is all about upsets, but I don't think they upset twice and this time in a 7 game series. Edmonton/Nashville, if they make it, would be pretty confident to pull off the come back.

 

[Super Cake]

The Blues are a mess. Where is the shot suppression they were known for last postseason? The new formula seems to be to get goals off of mediocre goaltending and then let Binnington stand on his head. I don’t think that’s a winning formula. The sad truth is that they were outplayed in both the Colorado and the Vegas games worse than the scores indicated.

Apparently, they don’t know what their defensive pairings are going to be. Berube mixed up the pairs tonight. The problem is that although Scandella looked like a good approximation of Bouwmeester when he first arrived, he looks terrible now. He’s slow to react and not fast even when he does. Bouwmeester played some of the best hockey of his career last post-season. I don’t see Parayko/Scandella as being able to reproduce that kind of shut-down prowess.

So now Faulk gets moved AGAIN to try the left side on Pietro’s pairing. There hasn’t been one day since that trade where I felt clear about where Faulk is supposed to fit in.

You don’t piddle around a game before the playoffs and tinker with finding an identity. I don’t believe teams can just flip the switch.The Blues may be able to win a first round series like this, but I don’t see any indication they are a legit threat this year.

The only silver lining is that they are obviously not taking the round robin games as seriously as some other teams. Allen is supposed to start the Dallas game. Against Vegas, Tarasenko and Thomas took maintenance days. Berube is making sure all the backups play at different points in these three games.

So now we get a nice clean Vegas vs Colorado for 1/2 and St Louis vs Dallas for 3/4.

Blues will be fine.

I still think they will turn it on when the games actually matter.

I mean these round robin games matter, but not as much as the play ins. The round robin teams still make the playoffs even if they lose all 3 games.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

COL vs. VGK for the #1 seed is going to be a hell of a game tomorrow.

 

[The Note]

As a Blues fan who went into these round robin games not caring much about where they ended up -- I am not buying that they can just flip a switch and go from a roaring tire fire to the team we saw from December on this season. Maybe they can, but there is a lot that needs to be cleaned up in a pretty limited amount of time.

 

[MoPucks]

As a Blues fan who went into these round robin games not caring much about where they ended up -- I am not buying that they can just flip a switch and go from a roaring tire fire to the team we saw from December on this season. Maybe they can, but there is a lot that needs to be cleaned up in a pretty limited amount of time.

I agree. There is a difference between a lack of effort and just getting flat out beaten. They looked like the team that got Yeo fired last night.