# NHL 2014-2015 Season: The Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 8, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767 "2014-10-08T16:18:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/281 "2015-03-24T22:27:44Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Today, Ottawa sits in a playoff spot with a game in hand over the Bruins. I still don’t understand how this is possible – 15-1-1 in their last 17 games! Robble robble! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/282 "2015-03-30T02:30:57Z")
We finally beat the Sharks!!! 😃 (ALMOST makes up for Kris Letang being out with a concussion. Almost.) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/283 "2015-03-30T02:50:21Z")
Nice win for the Blackhawks tonight, needed that one. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/284 "2015-03-30T04:31:11Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Check out what the standings looked like [on Feb 9](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAuIMnPUgAAzYUN.jpg). Today, Ottawa sits in a playoff spot with a game in hand over the Bruins. I still don’t understand how this is possible – 15-1-1 in their last 17 games! Slip slidin’ away. You know the nearer your destination The more you’re slip slidin’ away. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/285 "2015-03-30T13:42:50Z")
Yeah, that’s a pretty epic jinx post. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/286 "2015-04-01T20:06:28Z")
Busy day to end March - Drew Miller takes a skate to the face, J.T. Miller gets cross-checked to the neck by Dustin Byfuglien and Ovie scores his 50th but was most impressive on his pass to Joel Ward for the Caps fourth goal. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/287 "2015-04-02T03:14:56Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Ovie scores his 50th but was most impressive on his pass to Joel Ward for the Caps fourth goal. Speaking of impressive Ovi- he has scored [more goals than anyone else since the 2001-2002 season](http://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=2002&year_max=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&rookie=N&age_min=0&age_max=99&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=S&handed=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=goals) and he didn’t even begin to play in the NHL until 2005-2006. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/288 "2015-04-02T20:24:47Z")
For the third time (I think), the Caps go into a game where a victory would move them from wild card to an automatic qualifier. Previous times they’ve responded to that with two losses. Facing Carey Price tonight I am not optimistic. With a Montreal - Ottawa - Detroit road trip followed by Boston and the Rangers at home, nothing is certain. Can’t complain about that - the other teams played those tough games already. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/289 "2015-04-05T21:30:10Z")
From 2009 but the pros and cons of [Alexander Ovechkin](http://www.theonion.com/articles/alexander-ovechkin,8562/). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/290 "2015-04-06T05:50:29Z")
I don’t care what anyone says, I am so not impressed by Mike Johnston. The team is just a disgrace this year. What the fuck is going on? ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/291 "2015-04-06T13:39:50Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I don’t care what anyone says, I am so not impressed by Mike Johnston. The team is just a disgrace this year. What the fuck is going on? You hired Jim Rutherford as GM. It can only end in tears. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/292 "2015-04-06T18:21:56Z")
Why on God’s green Earth did the HHoF name Rob Ford to its board? ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/293 "2015-04-06T19:13:00Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Why on God’s green Earth did the HHoF name Rob Ford to its board? As mayor, didn’t he get drugs off the street? I know, that joke was made about a Washington, DC mayor. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/294 "2015-04-08T02:57:35Z")
And the Rangers clinch the President’s Trophy, something that I would never have imagined back in January. If you told me the Rangers would be 13 points ahead of the Islanders and 16 points ahead of the Penguins in the final week of the season, I would’ve called you a crazy dreamer or a total homer. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/295 "2015-04-08T03:00:32Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Why on God’s green Earth did the HHoF name Rob Ford to its board? Wasn’t their decision. The City of Toronto appoints three city councillors to the HHoF board and Ford was one of the ones chosen. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/296 "2015-04-08T14:46:11Z")
That just transfers the question to why the City of Toronto would do something like that. What a comeback by Ottawa last night, my God. I was actually just outside Pittsburgh, driving home from a business trip, in a restaurant in Bridgeville, and was thrilled to see the game was on. Well, for about 11 seconds. I left with the Pens up 3-0 figuring Ottawa’s season was over. Nope! Truth be told it’s still probably over. Ottawa needs to get 5 of 6 out of 6 possible points remaining AND get a lot of help from one of the teams ahead of them, because not only are they two points behind Boston (who looked in serious trouble not long ago but have quietly won five in a row exactly when they needed it, and could now finish as high as sixth) and Pittsburgh, and four behind Detroit, but unless one of those teams just dies and loses every game, Ottawa also loses most tiebreaking scenarios. So as an Ottawa fan, as hopeful as I am, the truth is the odds against them are still probably ten to one. And if they do make the playoffs they’d be the 7th or 8th seed and would almost certainly be annihilated by New York, Montreal, or Tampa Bay. But I’ll say this; the team has demonstrated a lot of courage and heart and hustle. They have had several occasions and many reasons to give up, and didn’t, and so they’re still playing meaningful hockey. Good for them. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/297 "2015-04-08T15:33:57Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That just transfers the question to why the City of Toronto would do something like that. Elected city councillors, even the rank incompetents, have to be put on a certain number of committees. I would assume the City thought Ford could do less damage at the HHOF rather than be on a board overseeing Toronto’s schools, finances, or public works. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/298 "2015-04-09T16:06:42Z")
In the obscure stat category - Washington shut out Boston yesterday. It was the first time in the NHL that a team won all the games in a season series in a shutout (3 or more games). ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/299 "2015-04-10T03:04:26Z")
Well 24 years , yay! Stumbling into the playoffs, crap! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767/300 "2015-04-10T15:02:51Z")
It really doesn’t matter if a team stumbles into the playoffs. There is basically no connection between how hot a team finishes the season and how well they do in the playoffs. What matters is how good the team generally was over 82 games, with a slight bias towards teams that A) Did better in even strength situations than special teams situations, and B) Have a better goal differential than their won-loss record would suggest. Detroit is basically as good as their record says they are, which is about as good as most people thought they would be before the season started, and will play accordingly in the playoffs. It doesn’t really matter if their best month was November or March. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-2014-2015-season-the-thread/700767.md?page=16)