NHL Master Thread

[keemster26]

Also nice to see I got the Oilers pick right so far.

my ducks better win game 7...

[yuneeq]

my ducks better win game 7...

You know what they say about the Ducks and game 7? Well, just ignore it, because it's absolutely terrible. Just remember "Lundqvist has never lost an elimination game at home." Well, until he did vs the Lightning.

Anyways here's my full picks from before the 2nd round:
NSH-STL - NSH in 7
ANA-EDM - EDM in 7
NYR-OTT - NYR in 6
PIT-WSH - PIT in 6

So far I can get all the winners right but I'm wrong on the games for NSH and NYR so far. I still wouldn't change any winners.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

and I said they were only a goal away from elimination

You said that when it was 1-1 so what does it mean? Most would take that to mean they give up a goal and they are done. As I stated correctly they were a game away from elimination.

[yuneeq]

You said that when it was 1-1 so what does it mean? Most would take that to mean they give up a goal and they are done. As I stated correctly they were a game away from elimination.

It means - don't be confident in the Blues despite the fact that they're a good team.  With a half a game left they put themselves in a position where they can lose due to a fluke/lucky goal. In hockey luck can decide a game but a great team won't let luck decide a series. In retrospect they lost on a regular goal so they weren't good enough to negate that either.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

It means - don't be confident in the Blues despite the fact that they're a good team.  With a half a game left they put themselves in a position where they can lose due to a fluke/lucky goal.

They were also in a position where they could win due to a fluke/lucky goal. So that statement makes no sense. Like I said before no matter what we say or think who was going to win they were a game away from elimination not a goal.

[yuneeq]

I guess the Hawks are not a great team. 

I'm starting to think that the Hawks aren't built for the playoffs with their current roster. They need better depth, and Toews isn't the difference maker he once was.
But either way, it wasn't luck that made them lose, they were simply completely outplayed by a better, hotter team.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

I'm starting to think that the Hawks aren't built for the playoffs with their current roster. They need better depth, and Toews isn't the difference maker he once was.

So they win three SC's and are the most consistent team the last few years and now they are not built for the playoffs? You are to funny!
You wish your Rangers had the talent the Hawks do starting with their goalies. 

[yuneeq]

They were also in a position where they could win due to a fluke/lucky goal. So that statement makes no sense. Like I said before no matter what we say or think who was going to win they were a game away from elimination not a goal.

Would you would put your chances to win up to a spin of the die? I know I wouldn't. (Yeh, I'm sure the Hawks would rather replay the series with dice instead). I want to see my team playing to win, not playing good enough to let luck decide their fate. Because all you need is one spin to go against you and that could wipe you out.

[yuneeq]

So they win three SC's and are the most consistent team the last few years and now they are not built for the playoffs? You are to funny!
You wish your Rangers had the talent the Hawks do starting with their goalies. 

I wish the Rangers had the Hawks success but in the cap world it's a miracle the Hawks lasted 6 years with a top team but that was also due to getting top talent in the draft a few years. Once they had to pay their top players it became much, much more difficult to compete, hence the first round exit last year and the first round sweep this year. Re-tooling the team to get over the hump is far harder than it looks. Look at the Kings, how fast they faded. Look at the Oilers/Leafs how fast they rose with good draft picks. The Rangers have been stuck in a spot where they're almost good enough to win a cup but too good to blow up the team. I would probably put the Hawks in a similar spot right now despite the vast differences in roster makeup.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Would you would put your chances to win up to a spin of the die? I know I wouldn't. (Yeh, I'm sure the Hawks would rather replay the series with dice instead). I want to see my team playing to win, not playing good enough to let luck decide their fate. Because all you need is one spin to go against you and that could wipe you out.

What game were you watching. The Blues were playing to win and playing hard. Things don't go your way sometimes. That is life.

My only beef was with your comment about being one goal away from elimination. It made no sense then or now but nothing I or anyone else says will change your mind. Here is one for you. The Rangers are one goal away from elimination. 

[yuneeq]

What game were you watching. The Blues were playing to win and playing hard. Things don't go your way sometimes. That is life.

My only beef was with your comment about being one goal away from elimination. It made no sense then or now but nothing I or anyone else says will change your mind. Here is one for you. The Rangers are one goal away from elimination. 

Blues were playing vs a smoking hot Pekka Rinne and a top 4-D that is way better than any other teams. OTOH the Rangers have scored a billion goals vs Ottawa (if I hear about the OTT trap one more time!!), the Rangers defeat will come from their defense/goaltending.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

I wish the Rangers had the Hawks success but in the cap world it's a miracle the Hawks lasted 6 years with a top team but that was also due to getting top talent in the draft a few years. Once they had to pay their top players it became much, much more difficult to compete, hence the first round exit last year and the first round sweep this year. Re-tooling the team to get over the hump is far harder than it looks. Look at the Kings, how fast they faded. Look at the Oilers/Leafs how fast they rose with good draft picks. The Rangers have been stuck in a spot where they're almost good enough to win a cup but too good to blow up the team. I would probably put the Hawks in a similar spot right now despite the vast differences in roster makeup.

The main difference with the Hawks and the Rangers is the coaching but at least the Rangers were smart enough to get rid of that idiot. Last year the Hawks lost to a better team not just one that played better than them. This year if anyone has answer to what happened I like to hear it because none of the experts even know.

Rising to the top quickly doesn't mean squat. They can be one and done like Dallas/Minn and so many others.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Blues were playing vs a smoking hot Pekka Rinne and a top 4-D that is way better than any other teams.

I will give their defense one thing. Subban has finally learned to stay home were he belongs. That is were he is at his best.

[yuneeq]

The main difference with the Hawks and the Rangers is the coaching

Besides what I said before, look at all the cup winners in the past 6-7 years maybe longer.
They all had something in common.

Top 5 center. Top 5 D-man. And at least good goaltending.
Kings - Kopitar, Doughty, Gaborik, Carter, Quick. Hawks- Toews, Keith, Kane, Crawford, Niemi. Penguins- Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Letang, Murray. And Etc.

Rangers in all their contending years have had great goaltending, but no other game changing players.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

If the Rangers lose this round, it comes down to terrible coaching mistakes.

Nothing to do with the two bad games Lundquist had?

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Oilers aren't one and done even if they lose next game, and I only expect them to get better.

Everyone expects them to get better just like everyone expected Tampa to get better after losing the SC to the Hawks. You need organizational approach to building a championship caliber team. Love watching the Oilers but they are not a championship caliber team at this point.

[yuneeq]

Nothing to do with the two bad games Lundquist had?

Hank deserves blame, but the coach deserves more than he does.
Worth noting the Rangers don't advance to 2nd round with any other goalie.
And this chart visualizes how badly the D is playing in front of him (this is from before last game): https://twitter.com/ChartingHockey/status/860208964440641536
And also from before last game:
https://public.tableau.com/profile/sean.tierney#!/vizhome/GSAA-playoffs/Dashboard1

(Keep in mind that this is not an excuse for playing badly in 2 games.)

Everyone expects them to get better just like everyone expected Tampa to get better after losing the SC to the Hawks. You need organizational approach to building a championship caliber team. Love watching the Oilers but they are not a championship caliber team at this point.

No one thinks the Oilers gonna win the cup this year. But as I said, with good management they can fill in the holes on D and they're a real contender for the next few years.

[springles]

Nothing to do with the two bad games Lundquist had?

I assume you mean games 2 and 5. In game 2 he gave up 1 bad goal, i would not categorize it as a bad game at all. Game 5 was definitely not what I expect from him and I cant argue with it being called a bad game. Other than that he has been great though, you cant pin this series on him.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

I assume you mean games 2 and 5. In game 2 he gave up 1 bad goal, i would not categorize it as a bad game at all. Game 5 was definitely not what I expect from him and I cant argue with it being called a bad game. Other than that he has been great though, you cant pin this series on him.

I am not pinning the series on anyone. When you give up 6 and 5 goals it is pretty hard to blame the defense. It is 3-2 with Rangers at home. I would call that pretty even.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Worth noting the Rangers don't advance to 2nd round with any other goalie.

There is no way to predict how another goalie will do. Just look at the Hawks when Darling came out of no where. If that didn't happen they would have one less ring.