Speculation: 2024-25 Playoffs Thread - series, opponents, players and team discussion

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It would be better to win Atlantic than be second or third, because Ottawa will probably pass Jersey and thus we’d play Jersey.
 
So officially CAR has already the easiest path in the East, unless NJ falls completely off a cliff.
 
Pretty good night with us winning and Bolts losing. And Bruins losing just adds extra delight.
 
At this point, just get in and be healthy. The 2023 team proved that seeding doesn't matter. Unless they really fall off a cliff and draw Washington as WC2 which I don't see happening.

Looking at the standings, if the Islanders miraculously win out, they'd finish with 98 points. The Rangers can max out at 96 and they play the Islanders once which takes points away from each other. Columbus and Detroit can only max out at 97 and 94. Again, that requires all of these teams to win out.

Ottawa can max out at 103. Panthers have 11 games left. 6-5 will get them 101. Or glass half empty, only winning 3 or 4 will still net a spot 95-97 points. I just want that little X next to the Panthers and avoid Washington in R1
 
If the Leafs play Stolarz they are bigger threat than Tampa. Both are very good team and we need to remember, out top guys had a few playoffs no show before becoming beast, so Toronto's top guy could turn the corner under Berube. We never know.
Many here don't take the Leaf's seriously, they are definitely a much improved team, I watched many of their games and they are highly skilled and more sand and paper than previous years.

We have 2 serious challenges this time around even before we get to Washington, optimally for us will be to play the wild card on the first round, after that, I wouldn't bet any money.

Chucky, Marchand and Ekblad need to come out of the barn, kickin' ass and takin' names! that is where our advantage is, right now, we are not scaring anyone, we are getting beat by anyone in front of us and wining mostly by the skin of our teeth. that is not going to do it.

Verhaeghe, Rodriguez, Bokquist, we are missing those complimentary goals from them that can make a difference, they are so cold right now and there is not a lot of time left to fix it.
 
Many here don't take the Leaf's seriously, they are definitely a much improved team, I watched many of their games and they are highly skilled and more sand and paper than previous years.

We have 2 serious challenges this time around even before we get to Washington, optimally for us will be to play the wild card on the first round, after that, I wouldn't bet any money.

Chucky, Marchand and Ekblad need to come out of the barn, kickin' ass and takin' names! that is where our advantage is, right now, we are not scaring anyone, we are getting beat by anyone in front of us and wining mostly by the skin of our teeth. that is not going to do it.

Verhaeghe, Rodriguez, Bokquist, we are missing those complimentary goals from them that can make a difference, they are so cold right now and there is not a lot of time left to fix it.
I think we’re faced with two possibilities.

One - they suck right now and have to fix a lot of things, getting Chucky and March and Ek back alone won’t fix it enough.

Two - they’re coasting and just waiting to turn it on and turn up the heat into playoffs and those three guys being back will intensify it.

I started becoming convinced that it was case one. Now I realize it’s way more likely to be case two, because of how the players play and what the coach says. It all looks intentionally lackadaisical right now.
 
THG did a video the other day about teams who led the league in points% from Jan 1st onward and how they fared in the playoffs since 2005. It's actually pretty interesting how little those teams amounted to in the playoffs.

 
I think we’re faced with two possibilities.

One - they suck right now and have to fix a lot of things, getting Chucky and March and Ek back alone won’t fix it enough.

Two - they’re coasting and just waiting to turn it on and turn up the heat into playoffs and those three guys being back will intensify it.

I started becoming convinced that it was case one. Now I realize it’s way more likely to be case two, because of how the players play and what the coach says. It all looks intentionally lackadaisical right now.
Maurice does not project that he is worried, but right now on any night, we do not know which Panthers team are we going to get, it changes from game to game, that is not very comforting. we have looked average and below average, only on a handful of games they have been superior, but right now they are not scary at all, only on paper.

I will submit that Playoffs is an entire new season and teams can look very different, for lack of a better example, Boston, looked invincible for 2 years on the regular season, you know the rest.

One take away for me is that we are not as fluid and physical we were last year, even if the Stato-Meter says so, me Eyes test do not lie.
 
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Anyone who suffered through the 2023 cup final knows that being at full health throughout the playoffs outweighs how a team performs down the stretch of the regular season. In fact, pushing yourself for meaningless wins may undermine a team's playoff fate in the form of injuries and fatigue.
 
Anyone who suffered through the 2023 cup final knows that being at full health throughout the playoffs outweighs how a team performs down the stretch of the regular season. In fact, pushing yourself for meaningless wins may undermine a team's playoff fate in the form of injuries and fatigue.
Spot on. That VGK squad wasn't that much better than ours, it was that much healthier.
 
We are about to fall to 2nd in the Division
Laffs crushing Philly
Tampa is also winning 6-0 vs Pitt
 

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