2023 NHL Playoffs Around the League

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Maybe I’m alone, but seeing the Devils get completely smoked by the Canes so far makes me feel a tiny bit better about how things went down NYI vs CAR.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Axe Man and JKP
It's funny how so many people around here were talking up the NYR and saying the Isles are doomed, and now 1 series later the Rangers' warts were all exposed and all of a sudden they have these huge, immovable anchor contracts and what are they going to do?! And the Devs are the rebuild crowd's wet dream and everyone's measuring the rafters for all the Cup banners they're going to have, but now you start noticing things like Dougie Hamilton maybe kinda sucks a little bit and he's got 4 more years at $9M per year. Marino's signed for 4 more years at $4.5M and he's having a tough time. If Meier doesn't start doing something soon, do they give him 8 x $9M (at least) this summer? And Jesper Bratt is stinking the joint out and he's an RFA who will be looking for a big contract. And goalies? The playoffs. :nod:
 
Carolina is probably gonna make the final and find some way to lose it...I think they will struggle vs a team with a potent offense whenever they face one
I thought the Devils had a potent office according to everyone around the league? We scored double the amount of goals they have in the first two games against Carolina and lost both in tight one goal games.
 
  • Like
Reactions: danteipp
Maybe I’m alone, but seeing the Devils get completely smoked by the Canes so far makes me feel a tiny bit better about how things went down NYI vs CAR.
There are two sides to this. It makes me feel better because we put up such a tough fight and if one overtime game goes different we could have won the series, whereas the Devils look totally outclassed by the same opponent. And it just disproves what everybody was saying regarding Carolina being so undermanned and the Isles losing to a team missing so many players.
But on the flip side it is even more disappointing knowing how close we could have been to beating them.
 
What's up with the scheduling. Only two games between a Friday and Saturday night.

Both VGK and FLA arenas were evidently available last night and tonight respectively but both teams asked the league for their games to be Sat/Sun instead due to local issues. For FLA it was a Heat conflict. I am not sure with Vegas what it was
 
We are seeing Carolina dominate the Devils. I hope this makes some of you actually understand Carolina was the second best team in the conference. The Islanders played them tough and realistically would have went to the Conference Finals had they beaten Carolina.

Yes they need to make some changes, but the Islanders have a core you continue to go into battle with.
 
Let's also not forget that Raanta blew ass and we scored a ton of weak goals against him.
 
Let's also not forget that Raanta blew ass and we scored a ton of weak goals against him.
He made just as many impressive saves. Raanta has always been like that... basically another Halak. Wildly inconsistent.

Carolina was/is the better team and deserved that series. But it still feels as if the Isles could've taken it if they managed their own mistakes better.

What's up with the scheduling. Only two games between a Friday and Saturday night.
Lol... NHL, doing NHL things. They just can't seem to get out of their own way at times.

EDIT: Just saw @BMOK33 explanation. But overall, I still stand by what I wrote.
 
I don't see a lot of anger on the Isles, they just don't want it as bad as other teams. They seem annoyed that they lost rather than super pissed. Obviously the ID line wants it. Palms is a guy I'd want with me in a bar fight. Not even sure about JGP anymore. Anders Lee with that build should be more badass....And don't get me started on whiny Barzal.
 
Carolina was/is the better team and deserved that series. But it still feels as if the Isles could've taken it if they managed their own mistakes better.
Carolina has a swarming defense that is on you at all times. They can pass. They can complete a pass from behind the goal to open guys at center ice. They're good skaters and get loose pucks.

We have Sorokin and Pelech.
 
Carolina has a swarming defense that is on you at all times. They can pass. They can complete a pass from behind the goal to open guys at center ice. They're good skaters and get loose pucks.

We have Sorokin and Pelech.
Pelech had a terrible series and gave the puck over to the corpse of Stephan for the OTGWG lmao
 
Carolina is probably gonna make the final and find some way to lose it...I think they will struggle vs a team with a potent offense whenever they face one
I think as long as they can keep an aggressive in your face backcheck going, and keep bumping the Devils when they try to breakout, the Canes have to be a serious threat to win the Cup.
 
Last edited:
We are seeing Carolina dominate the Devils. I hope this makes some of you actually understand Carolina was the second best team in the conference. The Islanders played them tough and realistically would have went to the Conference Finals had they beaten Carolina.

Yes they need to make some changes, but the Islanders have a core you continue to go into battle with.
If they could ever make it through a regular season without having their backs up against the wall.
 
We are seeing Carolina dominate the Devils. I hope this makes some of you actually understand Carolina was the second best team in the conference. The Islanders played them tough and realistically would have went to the Conference Finals had they beaten Carolina.

Yes they need to make some changes, but the Islanders have a core you continue to go into battle with.
Just imagine if we had an even average PP…
 
  • Like
Reactions: YearlyLottery
Both VGK and FLA arenas were evidently available last night and tonight respectively but both teams asked the league for their games to be Sat/Sun instead due to local issues. For FLA it was a Heat conflict. I am not sure with Vegas what it was
AVN convention?
 
  • Like
Reactions: leeroggy
He made just as many impressive saves. Raanta has always been like that... basically another Halak. Wildly inconsistent.

Carolina was/is the better team and deserved that series. But it still feels as if the Isles could've taken it if they managed their own mistakes better.


Lol... NHL, doing NHL things. They just can't seem to get out of their own way at times.

EDIT: Just saw @BMOK33 explanation. But overall, I still stand by what I wrote.

Agreed that Raanta was at times good. But Andersen seems to be playing well. 1 goal given up in each of the 3 games he's played.
 
Carolina has a swarming defense that is on you at all times. They can pass. They can complete a pass from behind the goal to open guys at center ice. They're good skaters and get loose pucks.

We have Sorokin and Pelech.
Which right now, seems to be more than the Devils have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mm11
Pelech had a terrible series and gave the puck over to the corpse of Stephan for the OTGWG lmao
yeah, sorkin wasn't great in the series either-but these two and probably nelson are the only guys I'd lose sleep over if they were gone.
 
We are seeing Carolina dominate the Devils. I hope this makes some of you actually understand Carolina was the second best team in the conference. The Islanders played them tough and realistically would have went to the Conference Finals had they beaten Carolina.

Yes they need to make some changes, but the Islanders have a core you continue to go into battle with.
Exactly this. If Sorokin played in the playoffs like he did in the regular season, I honestly think we win Game 2 and 6 and win the series. If Pelech did not look like crap for some reason, we probably win the series.
All that said, seeing how the postseason has gone so far around the league, I still stand by us being one legit top 6 winger and a better #5 dman than Mayfield/Aho away from still contending for a cup.
 
Carolina has a swarming defense that is on you at all times. They can pass. They can complete a pass from behind the goal to open guys at center ice. They're good skaters and get loose pucks.

We have Sorokin and Pelech.
It is not even just a swarming defense. It is also a swarming forecheck. I have watched closely these last two games against the Devils when I can appreicate a little bit more rather than the stress and tension during the Isles playoff games. Carolina has all three forwards in the offensive zone forechecking. One pressuring the dman behind the net, the other two pressuring the boards. Watch them, they never stop moving. It is the same thing that makes their PK so good.
Then compare to the Islanders. Half the guys on the ice are not even moving until someone comes to them. There is no pressure. It is the same thing with our PP, they are mostly stationary.
Dare I say, I would actually compare the way Carolina plays to a more structured and effective version of Scott Gordon's "overspeed" system. Carolina is relentless. And now watching them where I am not focused on rooting for the other team, it is amazing to see. I wish we could play that way.
And with a few personnel changes we probably could. It is less about talent with us and more about there being no creativity or adjustments from our coaching staff. The truth is no matter how whiny he is Brindamour outcoached the pants off of Lambert in that series.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad