2025 NHL Playoffs

[Ducks DVM]

Agreed. Second year in a row where I have almost zero interest watching a Stanley Cup final game and only dread reading about an Oilers win the next day.

Clearly, you need to purchase an Oilers hat. Use your powers for good.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Lol wtf did Canada do?!

Maybe he still holds the death of all the Baldwins against you.

 

[Hey234]

5'11 180 lb

Selanne - 6'0 200 lb
Kariya - 5'10" 180 lb
McDonald - 5'10" 175 lb
Kunitz - 6'0" 188 lb
Marchant - 5'10 179 lb
Sýkora - 6'0" 190 lb
Koivu - 5'10" 182 lb
Višňovský - 5'10" 197 lb
Cogliano - 5'10 179 lb

Agree. Bourque's size will prevent him from contributing to any team in any meaningful way. As proof, these guys also made their teams soft. None of them had any success because their size. The Ducks only need beef. Size matters after all.......

 

[Mr Rogers]

It would be really cool to see Mcdavid win a cup. This is a very compelling series IMO despite the rematch aspect. Last year was phenomenal as well.

The Panthers are a fun team to watch but the Oilers just make all the difference. 2023 with Vegas wasn’t fun at all.

 

[FiveTacos]

Lol wtf did Canada do?!

 

[Dirk316]

Selanne - 6'0 200 lb
Kariya - 5'10" 180 lb
McDonald - 5'10" 175 lb
Kunitz - 6'0" 188 lb
Marchant - 5'10 179 lb
Sýkora - 6'0" 190 lb
Koivu - 5'10" 182 lb
Višňovský - 5'10" 197 lb
Cogliano - 5'10 179 lb

Agree. Bourque's size will prevent him from contributing to any team in any meaningful way. As proof, these guys also made their teams soft. None of them had any success because their size. The Ducks only need beef. Size matters after all.......

Or maybe you can have a balance between small skill and bigger tougher players. Of course that wouldn't work right?

 

[Hey234]

Or maybe you can have a balance between small skill and bigger tougher players. Of course that wouldn't work right?

Vatrano and Zellweger are the only players below 6 feet on the team. If you wanted balance, wouldn't it be more players under 6 feet? I agree that the team could use more toughness overall. However, this team also needs a lot more scoring. Bourque doesn't have to fix both problems in one.

 

[Dirk316]

Vatrano and Zellweger are the only players below 6 feet on the team. If you wanted balance, wouldn't it be more players under 6 feet? I agree that the team could use more toughness overall. However, this team also needs a lot more scoring. Bourque doesn't have to fix both problems in one.

Who on that forward lineup would you consider tough? I pointed out Bourques height because in addition to not being a tough player he's also undersized.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Selanne - 6'0 200 lb
Kariya - 5'10" 180 lb
McDonald - 5'10" 175 lb
Kunitz - 6'0" 188 lb
Marchant - 5'10 179 lb
Sýkora - 6'0" 190 lb
Koivu - 5'10" 182 lb
Višňovský - 5'10" 197 lb
Cogliano - 5'10 179 lb

Agree. Bourque's size will prevent him from contributing to any team in any meaningful way. As proof, these guys also made their teams soft. None of them had any success because their size. The Ducks only need beef. Size matters after all.......

Kunitz was very tough and physical. Sids bodyguard after he left the Ducks.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Who on that forward lineup would you consider tough? I pointed out Bourques height because in addition to not being a tough player he's also undersized.

No one. That includes Johnston. Hugging an opponent is brotherly love, but not tough love.

Good thing we have Gudas and Trouba on the backend. At least one of them will be patrolling the ice over 60% of the time. There is also LD Solberg and LD Konnor Smith in the AHL. Although, it would be better if we had a 4th line pugilist instead b/c I want our defensemen on the ice than in the sin bin.

 

[Dirk316]

No one. That includes Johnston. Hugging an opponent is brotherly love, but not tough love.

Good thing we have Gudas and Trouba on the backend. At least one of them will be patrolling the ice over 60% of the time. There is also LD Solberg and LD Konnor Smith in the AHL. Although, it would be better if we had a 4th line pugilist instead b/c I want our defensemen on the ice than in the sin bin.

Johnston is not a hugging type enforcer wtf are you talking about? That was players like Dingman,McKenna etc
Also he's by far the Ducks hit leaders for forwards look at his game difference.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Johnston is not a hugging type enforcer wtf are you talking about? That was players like Dingman,McKenna etc
Also he's by far the Ducks hit leaders for forwards look at his game difference.

Johnston loves hugging! I'm very disappointed we have an enforcer who hugs or doesn't enforce.

Johnston does have a nice hit to game ratio, but most of them are just love taps coming from a guy his size. He doesn't lay the boom often like Gudas does. I really wished Johnston did have consistent bone crushing hits b/c then he would play more games. Since he doesn't, he's limited to 43 games. Although, I do find it funny that the forward with the highest raw hit total of 169 hits belongs to a 5'11 player in Vatrano. We need hitters with more talent on the team so they can be on the ice more often.

I like Nesterenko and his 2.5 hits per game, but he needs to put on a bit more mass for those hits to leave a distinct message. We need upgrades to that bottom line.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Johnston is not a hugging type enforcer wtf are you talking about? That was players like Dingman,McKenna etc
Also he's by far the Ducks hit leaders for forwards look at his game difference.

Johnston doesn’t enforce. He also rarely hits for effect. Hits/60 makes him the second most feared player in the league, which we all know is rubbish.

 

[Dirk316]

Johnston doesn’t enforce. He also rarely hits for effect. Hits/60 makes him the second most feared player in the league, which we all know is rubbish.

View attachment 1044577

Compare the number of cheap shots before he was in the lineup compared to the constant maulings to team face when they were enforcerless. Its an eye test but dont tell me his presence didnt have a positive effect in that. And like I've said multiple times im for improving that position with someone meaner but post some alternatives? Most people here are posting their ideal lineup with as usual no enforcer and basically Nesterenko replacing Johnston

 

[Dirk316]

Johnston loves hugging! I'm very disappointed we have an enforcer who hugs or doesn't enforce.

Johnston does have a nice hit to game ratio, but most of them are just love taps coming from a guy his size. He doesn't lay the boom often like Gudas does. I really wished Johnston did have consistent bone crushing hits b/c then he would play more games. Since he doesn't, he's limited to 43 games. Although, I do find it funny that the forward with the highest raw hit total of 169 hits belongs to a 5'11 player in Vatrano. We need hitters with more talent on the team so they can be on the ice more often.

I like Nesterenko and his 2.5 hits per game, but he needs to put on a bit more mass for those hits to leave a distinct message. We need upgrades to that bottom line.

Johnston missed many games end of season due to injury and again his fights are not hugging matches. His hits are fine but they are always clean as I dont recall him ever being suspended obviously he's no Tom Wilson in hits
Nesterenko

 

[Ducks DVM]

Compare the number of cheap shots before he was in the lineup compared to the constant maulings to team face when they were enforcerless. Its an eye test but dont tell me his presence didnt have a positive effect in that. And like I've said multiple times im for improving that position with someone meaner but post some alternatives? Most people here are posting their ideal lineup with as usual no enforcer and basically Nesterenko replacing Johnston

I think there are just as many cheap shots with him in the lineup, what changes is the cheap shit between the whistles. Our players still take unacceptable hits, and there were multiple instances where something happened and he failed to exact any consequences in either that game or next time the teams played. He’s big. People stop acting up when he grabs them. He actually has some skill, and he CAN lay very heavy hits - he just chooses not to.

I like an enforcer. I think he’s objectively bad at it. He may have a lot of hits, but they’re rarely the punishing type that makes defensemen look over their shoulder and make mistakes and/or degrade physically as a game progresses. I think he’s a great person, but I think he’s objectively bad at his role.

 

[Hey234]

Kunitz was very tough and physical. Sids bodyguard after he left the Ducks.

I agree. I was being sarcastic

 

[Hey234]

Who on that forward lineup would you consider tough? I pointed out Bourques height because in addition to not being a tough player he's also undersized.

Gudas and Trouba would be the only two with some toughness IMO. Other players have moments. Overall though, very little and it's an issue, I agree. However, why does Bourque need to provide that? He can help improve scoring, and Verbeek can adjust the team to improve toughness elsewhere. I don't see it as an issue unless this is the only change to the team.

 

[70sSanO]

Kunitz was very tough and physical. Sids bodyguard after he left the Ducks.

I always thought the Ducks should have brought Kunitz back as a special advisor to teach the younger players how to finish their checks.

John

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Compare the number of cheap shots before he was in the lineup compared to the constant maulings to team face when they were enforcerless. Its an eye test but dont tell me his presence didnt have a positive effect in that. And like I've said multiple times im for improving that position with someone meaner but post some alternatives? Most people here are posting their ideal lineup with as usual no enforcer and basically Nesterenko replacing Johnston

The team went flaccid when Verbeek blew up the team at the 2021-22 TDL and didn't replace the physicalness the following season. The team lost all of its physicality in RD Manson, LD Lindholm, and LW Deslauriers at that 2021-22 TDL.

Your eye test is biased b/c in 2023-24. The Ducks add physicality on the backend with Gudas and Lyubushkin. I think opponents are more afraid of the Butcher than the hugging Johnston. For almost 2/3rds of the game, Gudas or Lybushkin were on the ice, which has far more physical presence effect than the 8 minutes of Johnston.

ATOI, 2023-24

• Gudas = 19:30
• Lyubushkin = 17:09
• Johnston = 8:12

In 2024-25, Verbeek added more physical presence with Dumo to start the season (to replace Lyubushkin's physical play) and eventually traded for Trouba. In the draft, the org traded up to snatch LD Solberg, who looks like the second coming of Gudas.

Johnston is just a big, 4th line player. He isn't an enforcer. The standard for being an enforcer who can play is Deslauriers. Johnston doesn't deliver impactful hits like a Gudas or Trouba. Johnston just gives love taps compared to Gudas and Trouba.

Since Johnston doesn't fill that traditional enforcer role (see Deslauriers), then I'm not opposed to Nesterenko being in the line up over Johnston. Nesterenko is faster and has the ability to score in a 4th line role. There is also the possibility of Nesterenko becoming a part of the PK unit.

 

[TheDarkWingThatDucks]

Compare the number of cheap shots before he was in the lineup compared to the constant maulings to team face when they were enforcerless. Its an eye test but dont tell me his presence didnt have a positive effect in that. And like I've said multiple times im for improving that position with someone meaner but post some alternatives? Most people here are posting their ideal lineup with as usual no enforcer and basically Nesterenko replacing Johnston

If it makes you feel better Strome was tied for the team lead in fights last year.