Around the League - 2023/24

[GeoRox89]

Im pretty much the only thing stopping Tage from that record.

Is this a Tage specific curse or could you just take a pile of Vegas/Dallas/Oilers/Jets/Nucks players in a playoff pool and jinx them into us winning?

 

[dahrougem2]

Massive OTL for Pittsburgh. At least they got a point but they need all they can get right now.

84 points has them tied with Detroit but the Red Wings have a game in hand.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Is this a Tage specific curse or could you just take a pile of Vegas/Dallas/Oilers/Jets/Nucks players in a playoff pool and jinx them into us winning?

Its a Tage thing. I have Leon and hes doing fine but I probably should have drafted Matthews instead.

Its weird seeing Hertl in a Vegas jersey. Jack Eichel is a legit two way player now which is something I would have never guessed.

 

[GeoRox89]

Its a Tage thing. I have Leon and hes doing fine but I probably should have drafted Matthews instead.

Its weird seeing Hertl in a Vegas jersey. Jack Eichel is a legit two way player now which is something I would have never guessed.

I love that the boards probably combined two posts because no one posted in between and it ended up looking like you responded with a stream of consciousness

 

[Balthazar]

Massive OTL for Pittsburgh. At least they got a point but they need all they can get right now.

 

[The Kingslayer]

The NHL has never seen this many great young dman in the NHL all at once led by Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Miro Heiskanen, Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard. Then you have the next crop coming with Clarke, Faber, Zellwegger, Mintyukov, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec.

 

[The Kingslayer]

This game is Jack Eichel vs Quinn Hughes. Eichel controlled the first half of that period but Quinn Hughes owned the second half.

 

[BaconNater]

It's really a shame that both McDavid and Matthews play in Canada, they both will never win the cup in their current situations so its hard for us to determine whether it's the Canada media pressure or if they both are just great playoff chokers

 

[Balthazar]

It's really a shame that both McDavid and Matthews play in Canada, they both will never win the cup in their current situations so its hard for us to determine whether it's the Canada media pressure or if they both are just great playoff chokers

It's neither.

 

[GeoRox89]

It's really a shame that both McDavid and Matthews play in Canada, they both will never win the cup in their current situations so its hard for us to determine whether it's the Canada media pressure or if they both are just great playoff chokers

I hate the Oilers and his defensive game is still lacking but McDavid is not a playoff choker. His p/g in the regular season and playoffs is virtually identical (1.52 RS and 1.53 playoffs). The GM and building a team around him is the problem

Now, Matthews is a choker. His p/g drops from 1.16 to 0.88 and his g/g from .65 to .44. When the lights get bright McDavid is exactly the same player he is all year and Matthews wilts

 

[the_fan]

The NHL has never seen this many great young dman in the NHL all at once led by Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Miro Heiskanen, Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard. Then you have the next crop coming with Clarke, Faber, Zellwegger, Mintyukov, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec.

Don’t forget Byram

 

[dahrougem2]

Could not winning the division/conference be a blessing in disguise?

Vegas down 4-3 to Vancouver, if they lose they are firmly entrenched in WC2. That would mean Dallas in the 1st round.

I feel like those two teams would kill each other and the series would probably go 7.

 

[Balthazar]

Could not winning the division/conference be a blessing in disguise?

Vegas down 4-3 to Vancouver, if they lose they are firmly entrenched in WC2. That would mean Dallas in the 1st round.

I feel like those two teams would kill each other and the series would probably go 7.

I've been saying that for days.

The downside is if we win round 1 then we're (nearly) 100% sure to face one of Dallas or Vegas in round 2.

 

[dahrougem2]

I've been saying that for days.

The downside is if we win round 1 then we're 100% sure to face one of Dallas or Vegas in round 2.

Well you gotta go through tough teams eventually.

Someone who is familiar with prospects:

Is this Landon Dupont kid worth the hype he is getting as an exceptional status WHL player?

He is 14 years old but already 5'11 and 170 pounds so immediately my mind goes to "bigger and stronger for now, not forever." Is he truly skill dominant or does he just destroy kids he is bigger than?

 

[Balthazar]

Well you gotta go through tough teams eventually.

There's actually a way out:

Vegas win round 1
Canucks win round 1

In that case Canucks would face Vegas in round 2 and we'd face the winner of Oilers/LAK.

A Jets --> LAK --> Canucks path to the cup finals is a possibility.

 

[GeoRox89]

There's actually a way out:

Vegas win round 1
Canucks win round 1

In that case Canucks would face Vegas in round 2 and we'd face the winner of Oilers/LAK.

A Jets --> LAK --> Canucks path to the cup finals is a possibility.

The reseeding went away with the current format. It’s a set bracket now. Thats why they can do the playoff bracket challenge because there is no reseeding

Assuming the standings do not change
It’s Jets —> Dallas/Vegas —-> Pacific bracket winner

The Second Round​

• First-round winners within each bracket play one another to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

Edit: For example this is why Florida played Toronto (111 points) in round 2 last year and not Canes (113 points)

 

[the_fan]

The reseeding went away with the current format. It’s a set bracket now. Thats why they can do the playoff bracket challenge because there is no reseeding

Assuming the standings do not change
It’s Jets —> Dallas/Vegas —-> Pacific bracket winner

The Second Round​

• First-round winners within each bracket play one another to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

Edit: For example this is why Florida played Toronto (111 points) in round 2 last year and not Canes (113 points)

In this case winning the central would be a more difficult path. Have to face Vegas in the 1st round, then most likely Dallas, and whoever in the 3rd round. Unless you don’t face Vegas in the 1st round, then it’s easier

 

[dahrougem2]

The reseeding went away with the current format. It’s a set bracket now. Thats why they can do the playoff bracket challenge because there is no reseeding

Assuming the standings do not change
It’s Jets —> Dallas/Vegas —-> Pacific bracket winner

The Second Round​

• First-round winners within each bracket play one another to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

Edit: For example this is why Florida played Toronto (111 points) in round 2 last year and not Canes (113 points)

Yeah I believe it has been this way for years now

 

[the_fan]

Actually when you think about it, this year there is no easy path coming out of the west. Have to face a tough team in every round. Maybe the weakest team is LA. I think Preds will be tougher than people think.

 

[GeoRox89]

In this case winning the central would be a more difficult path. Have to face Vegas in the 1st round, then most likely Dallas, and whoever in the 3rd round. Unless you don’t face Vegas in the 1st round, then it’s easier

Basically, Nashville falls to WC2 and you want to win the West. Vegas falls to WC2 and well not sure even Dallas is happy about this

Would suck to be Dallas and have to go Vegas —> Avs/Jets —> Van/Oilers —> Rags/Canes/Cats

Of course as someone whose first priority if the Avs can’t win is for it to at least not be Dallas/Duchene/Benn quickly followed by Van/Oilers (hate Vegas most but they already won so whatever it’s not as big a deal to me for them to do it again), I would be quite happy for Dallas to have to run through that gauntlet to get there

 

[the_fan]

Basically, Nashville falls to WC2 and you want to win the West. Vegas falls to WC2 and well not sure even Dallas is happy about this

Would suck to be Dallas and have to go Vegas —> Avs/Jets —> Van/Oilers —> Rags/Canes/Cats

Of course as someone whose first priority if the Avs can’t win is for it to at least not be Dallas/Duchene/Benn quickly followed by Van/Oilers (hate Vegas most but they already won so whatever it’s not as big a deal to me for them to do it again), I would be quite happy for Dallas to have to run through that gauntlet to get there

We’ll just cheer for upsets

 

[Foppa2118]

Im at the point now where im going to watch as many Crosby games as I can before we no longer see him play.

65 for Matthews is wild. Ovi will get the record and then Matthews is going to break it.

Matthews will probably have to be as good as Ovi in his mid-late 30's to pass him though. That's the real test. Very rare how good Ovi has been as a goal scorer late in his career.

 

[S E P H]

Matthews will probably have to be as good as Ovi in his mid-late 30's to pass him though. That's the real test. Very rare how good Ovi has been as a goal scorer late in his career.

The good thing about Matthews is that he definitely shies away from the physical game and all that extracurricular stuff. There's a chance he could age very well - akin to Ovechkin - if he continues on this path. The only slight worry is his wrist, which I admit is super important for shooting, but it hasn't slowed him down this season.

 

[dahrougem2]

The good thing about Matthews is that he definitely shies away from the physical game and all that extracurricular stuff. There's a chance he could age very well - akin to Ovechkin - if he continues on this path. The only slight worry is his wrist, which I admit is super important for shooting, but it hasn't slowed him down this season.

Matthews won't touch Ovechkin. Ovie missed a grand total of 32 games during his first 15 seasons.

Matthews has already missed 69 over his first 8 seasons.

Add onto that the necessity of staying elite well into your 30s and it ain't happening.

 

[S E P H]

Matthews won't touch Ovechkin. Ovie missed a grand total of 32 games during his first 15 seasons.

Matthews has already missed 69 over his first 8 seasons.

Add onto that the necessity of staying elite well into your 30s and it ain't happening.

Well, if there is a player who can age gracefully as Kessel did, I would suspect that Matthews would be that player. Both play the same sort of style where they play a bit invisible until they get the puck, but Matthews is more of a static shooter like Ovechkin and that will help a ton when you get the bigger hotdog belly as Phil always had - which Phil can't really find a job nowadays because of lack of shape problems. Yeah, he's had some injuries, but I am not sure how those are replicable in the future except the wrist stuff.