The last few regular season games will be played this week and then the greatness of the NHL playoffs start. Some teams are still jockeying for their final spot in the standings and won’t know their first round opponent until the last game ends.
Ottawa finishes last but that is hardly a surprise. Personally I am amazed how both the Kings and Ducks fell off a cliff this year. The Oilers have wasted another year of Conner McDavids’ prime. And speaking of falling off a cliff, early in the season, Buffalo was kicking ass and taking names- they had a 10 game winning streak but end up missing the playoffs. It sure looks like Tampa is in position to run away with everything.
I’m not holding out much hope for the Leafs against the Bruins. The Bruins have one great line, but also good defense and goaltending.
The Leafs have three good lines but are lacking in defense. Andersen is one of the top 5 goalies in the league, but I just can’t see the Leafs winning this series, unfortunately.
Does anyone think the Isles are going past the first round? If everything falls into place, I think they play the Hurricanes, but it’s much more likely that they play the Penguins.
During their game against the Leafs, one of the commentators noted that four out of five of the Leafs on the ice during a power play had more points than any of the Islanders. Teamwork is nice, but it would great to have a star or two.
I love the fact that none of the first round match ups are set. If the Stars win their last 2 games and St. Louis loses their 2, they would both have 95 points but the Stars would have one more win.
Hearing grumblings that if the Oils are at this same point next year, Connor might want to go elsewhere. Half of me sympathizes with him, the most talented player on the planet, languishing with these perennial bottom feeders, but the other half of me is like, shit - that would sooooooooo gut the Oilers fans, who, despite their team’s suckiness, faithfully fill up the rink (11th highest attendance this season - for the Oilers, that is), and see CM as their only flickering hope, the only source of light in an otherwise constantly bleak situation.
Won’t be the first time they’ve put themselves in the position that if they don’t win the Cup, they’ll look like the biggest play-off chokers, as has been the case all too often since '04.
Nah, I’d be happy with just boring teamwork instead. Their defense and goaltending is formidable.
Very much looking forward to this series.
I just hope the on-ice postgame duck duck goose stuff can, well, ease off a little.
Yeah, winning the President’s Trophy and scoring a metric shit-ton of goals is cool and all, but the postseason is a different beast.
I watched my team (Caps) go down in flames in the playoffs after seasons like that. I think it’s partly because in the playoffs the opposing teams have more time to study you and come up with, and refine after multiple games, strategies that nullify advantages you had in the regular season. Also, I think that after you’ve spent a season steamrolling your opponents it can be easy to get complacent.
Since the President’s Trophy was introduced in the 85-86 season, eight winners have gone on the win the Cup. Six have gotten bounced in the first round.
Well, we didn’t get home ice, but at least we’re not in the wild card, so that’s something! But overturning that goal of Crosby’s was fucking bullshit.
On the subject of the coach of the year, Trotz for the win in my book. Not only did he take the Islanders from last to first in goals against (for the first time in 100 years), but he took the same team as last year, less their best player, and took them to a point behind the Caps, last year’s Cup winner. I took a look and there are 24 teams who have at least one player with more points than the Islanders’ top point scorer (Barzal). Only six teams don’t have a better player in terms of points.
Their goalies are hot – it’s a good place to be heading into the playoffs. I wish their PP weren’t 29th in the league, though, and probably worse since the all star break.
Guinastasia, here’s hoping for a great series! I don’t know if the Islanders can stop your top players, but let’s hope for at least 6 or 7 games. (Unless the Islanders win the first couple, then, let’s hope it’s done in four :D)
