GDT: 2024-2025 NHL Playoffs Bandwagon Thread

[RSchmitz PhD]

We had a reputation as a very dirty team. And we earned it.

Marchand hasn't really crossed that kind of line in years. Bennett crosses it for sure, but I don't think he's the worst offender. I think they're gonna win a cup in large part because they're so tough to play against on a nightly basis. We used to be.

I don't think Kucherov has any issue whatsoever with hurting someone.

I think most fanbases want to hate us thus our reputation as a dirty team gets amplified far more than it should be.

Kucherov is certainly guilty of cheap stick work and unhinged play from time to time but I don’t see flagrant targeting by our players to the extent that the Hagel shot on Barkov was being pushed as something that we are known to do, and a deliberate act to injure a player and get him out of the series.

 

[LightningStrikes]

I think most fanbases want to hate us thus our reputation as a dirty team gets amplified far more than it should be.

Kucherov is certainly guilty of cheap stick work and unhinged play from time to time but I don’t see flagrant targeting by our players to the extent that the Hagel shot on Barkov was being pushed as something that we are known to do, and a deliberate act to injure a player and get him out of the series.

Yeah I think it’s a mix of fair criticism and mistaking toughness with dirtiness. On one hand you had definitely a few questionable plays by Kuch or Cernak over the years. On the other hand you had a team that loved stirring things up every second whistle they got: Gourde, Goodrow, Coleman, Maroon, Perry, Cirelli, Serg and others loved to get into people’s heads. The goal was to get somebody important off the ice and/or provoke retaliation that results in an powerplay and/or just get under their skin and make them overthink (“can I make this play or will I get run over again?”) but it was mostly just some shoving, face washes and chirping.

 

[RSchmitz PhD]

Yeah I think it’s a mix of fair criticism and mistaking toughness with dirtiness. On one hand you had definitely some questionable plays by Kuch or Cernak over the years. On the other hand you had a team that loved stirring things up every second whistle they got: Gourde, Goodrow, Coleman, Maroon, Perry, Cirelli, Serg and others loved to get in people’s faces. The goal was to get somebody important off the ice and/or provoke retaliation that results in an powerplay and/or get under their skin but it was mostly some shoving, face washes and chirping.

Exactly, a lot of scrummy acts but not a lot of scummy acts. Not innocent, but with the exception of Kucherov I don’t think we have anyone who’s really got the demeanor for it

 

[LightningStrikes]

I remember the announcers going all annoyed “oh here we go again” when for the third time in a row we caused a scrum in front of their net and I just loved it. We came at them in waves and wore opponents down both physically and mentally and then our top line or powerplay scored a goal.

Man, those teams and times were special. Who’s cutting onions btw?

 

[Felonious Python]

A rule I didn't like in the ECHL regular season was that if you had a player suspended, then you played those games short a skater.

I kind of liked it in the playoffs. It disincentivizes sending your bad players out there to concuss the other team's good players.

They still get suspended like 1-2 games, but being down a skater feels like a more appropriate punishment.

Orlando still wasn't able to beat Florida in its final game when Florida were down two skaters nearly the whole game, but Florida couldn't backfill their depth, either.


Maybe the rule should be that if the team can make it work in the regular season with the cap, they can replace the player, but in the playoffs you just lose a guy.


I think we prefer a 3-hour playoff game where every other whistle results in a scrum, but in the regular season, when you have a two skater advantage, it seems to be more beneficial to speed the game up. You're essentially playing 3 lines against 4. I'm not sure if that's still the correct way in the playoffs. It just might be face washes no matter what.

You're still tiring them out emotionally, if not their legs as much.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Hoek]

 

[Stammertime91]

Alright guys, who do we think gets away with a headshot this round? And any guesses on who the Canes player will be?

Safe bet is Bennett on... hmm, goalie last round, forward in round 1... maybe Slavin? Yeah.

My guess is Bennett on Slavin, no suspension because it'll be deemed a HoCkEy PlAy

 

[Hoek]

He touched the puck 4 seconds before, it's a bang bang play nothing could have been done.

 

[Hoek]

 

[Renopucker]

He touched the puck 4 seconds before, it's a bang bang play nothing could have been done.

Hillarious! Bang bang is the name of their game eh? I think either Aho or Svetch will be one of the first guys to get run. They both run hot, so getting them to retaliate is a good move to get 'em sitting for 2. That's Marchrat's forte.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Kramer Industries]

Going exactly as expected.

 

[Hoek]

Carolina is such a waste of space. Should've rolled over and let Washington win.

 

[Stammertime91]

Well, only 7 wins left then they are within one cup of us.

End me.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

not to sound like Don Cherry but Aho has to jump Marchand here no?or do something more than that.. Down 4-1.. tone setting don’t just bump him man

2 hand him across the wrist and worst case you a fine best case you injure him. NHL has shown it’s ok to injure star players and you won’t miss a game

all these teams are so afraid of Florida shits annoying

 

[DFC]

not to sound like Don Cherry but Aho has to jump Marchand here no?or do something more than that.. Down 4-1.. tone setting don’t just bump him man

2 hand him across the wrist and worst case you a fine best case you injure him. NHL has shown it’s ok to injure star players and you won’t miss a game

all these teams are so afraid of Florida shits annoying

Ghostbear landed a good one there but unfortunately still had a glove on.

The Panthers are winning another cup.

 

[Stammertime91]

I mean... Aho has always been a p***y. Nothing new. He's a little bitch, wouldn't expect him to hit a kleenex. I wish Ghost would've blasted Marchands f***ing nose off his face. Too bad.

 

[Kramer Industries]

Carolina is such a waste of space. Should've rolled over and let Washington win.

I dunno if there's ever been a greater paper tiger in the history of hockey than these Hurricanes. Even the Sharks won some games in multiple WCF's and even made it to the Cup Final one of those years, and the Capitals regrettably did have that one year where they went all the way in what was otherwise a sea of playoff exits at the hands of Pittsburgh.

Brushing aside 2009 since that's distant past with no connection to this team (other than their head coach who was a player back then), 0-9 now in ECF games. This year's gonna be even worse than 2023. At least that year you could tell yourself it was a 4-game sweep decided by four 1-goal games. Carolina just got their doors blown off by a team who played Game 7 two nights ago while Carolina had the weekend off. LOL. This is a mismatch. Maybe we won't end up being Florida's easiest opponent this year.

 

[LightningStrikes]

not to sound like Don Cherry but Aho has to jump Marchand here no?or do something more than that.. Down 4-1.. tone setting don’t just bump him man

2 hand him across the wrist and worst case you a fine best case you injure him. NHL has shown it’s ok to injure star players and you won’t miss a game

all these teams are so afraid of Florida shits annoying

Aho is soft. We saw that numerous times when we played them. To his defense though there was still 12 minutes to play on the clock and Carolina was in the middle of a breakout. His mind was probably set on offense, not retaliation. That’s his designated role on the team.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Watched the highlights and Ekblad couldn't help but elbow Blake in the head when he scored at the end of the game. The puck was going in, Ekblad had all the time in the world and could've pushed him in the back or something but he just had to get that headshot in. Just a dirty team through and through.

And they're going to be rewarded with another Cup for it.

 

[Stammertime91]

Watched the highlights and Ekblad couldn't help but elbow Blake in the head when he scored at the end of the game. The puck was going in, Ekblad had all the time in the world and could've pushed him in the back or something but he just had to get that headshot in. Just a dirty team through and through.

And they're going to be rewarded with another Cup for it.

This is what separates them from every other recent winner. I haven't seen this much straight, intentional, deliberate, etc nonsense from one team in years. I'd actually have to rack my brain if I've seen worse since I started watching in 2003. And yes, I know it doesn't stack up to oLd TiMe HoCkEy that some grandpas on here got to witness, but still... guys like Bennett and Mikkola take some of the most outlandish boards, headshots, etc and just shrug their shoulders for 2mins in the box and do it again. They do not give one f*** if they ruin someone's career. I have never felt such disdain for a current group of guys (and even their management). When you have guys like Gudas, Lomberg, Cousins, Hornqvist, Mikkola, Tkachuk, Bennett, etc in your team's lineup within the last few years - you clearly know what you're setting out to do. They've just hit the right balance and the guys capable of playing hockey on the edge (which is fine) are getting it done, while c***b*gs like those mentioned take charges, runs, headshots with serious consequences.

I just want it to happen to them this round or next round and they subsequently get knocked out so they can feel it, too. I have no problems with one of their guys getting their career ended because the bullshit they continue pulling off is going to do it to someone on another team. And then of course, they can revert to 5,000 fans wearing Miami Heat jerseys underneath that wont give a f*** about them when they start losing again. Fake ass fanbase.

 

[Felonious Python]

The loophole with something like the ECHL's scheme (and I don't have all the details) is that if a team doesn't start targeting the head until they think they're going to lose, and they do end up losing, how do you enforce something like that? Like the NHL, fines are tiny.

Leagues like the ECHL have a high roster turnover, so punishing the offender might not really matter.

It'd be sort of nuts to have a playoff suspension carry over to that team's next playoffs, but that could be a possibility.

 

[The Macho Man]

The loophole with something like the ECHL's scheme (and I don't have all the details) is that if a team doesn't start targeting the head until they think they're going to lose, and they do end up losing, how do you enforce something like that? Like the NHL, fines are tiny.

Leagues like the ECHL have a high roster turnover, so punishing the offender might not really matter.

It'd be sort of nuts to have a playoff suspension carry over to that team's next playoffs, but that could be a possibility.

My vote has always been that the suspension applies to the roster spot, not just the player. I.e. if a player is suspended youre icing 17 skaters instead of 18.

 

[Felonious Python]

My vote has always been that the suspension applies to the roster spot, not just the player. I.e. if a player is suspended youre icing 17 skaters instead of 18.

I think it needs some guard rails, but I'm on board, at least for the playoffs.

Maybe suspensions at the end of a team's playoffs should result in the player being suspended the amount to start the next season, and also the roster spot gets suspended the next time the team is in the playoffs. That would cut down on desperate headshots on the way out of the playoffs, but it would allow that player, if they're still there, to play in playoff games that they were technically suspended for.

But imagine the Sabres having that kind of suspension hanging over them.

The ECHL suspends roster spots for everything, but it feels like an overreaction in the regular season. If something is serious, it gets a long suspension. Hockey plays happen and you pay the price. It's really sort of meant for shots to the head in the playoffs, where leagues think that a one-gamer is throwing the book at someone.

Book throwing would get a longer suspension.