Around the NHL 2023-2024

[BlueDream]

I'm happy for Mikkola.

It’s comical how many posters on this board acted like he wasn’t even an NHL player.

 

[simon IC]

I'm happy for Mikkola.

Me too.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

It’s comical how many posters on this board acted like he wasn’t even an NHL player.

I liked him the moment he was drafted, just like you.

 

[joe galiba]

With how it's shaping up, I just hope for a 7 game final and mcdavid getting the smythe

yuck!
certain edmonton fans are bad enough, that would push them to toronto/mathews levels

 

[Xerloris]

It’s comical how many posters on this board acted like he wasn’t even an NHL player.

Maybe if you had been watching our games you would understand instead of looking how he currently plays and pretending he's always been that way, even though he still sucks but he's just on a good team.

 

[TheDizee]

It’s comical how many posters on this board acted like he wasn’t even an NHL player.

Mikkola is not someone I want on the top 4 ever and would only want limited minutes on the last pairing. But I always felt he played well when he was limited to that role, problem was due to injuries he was constantly overplayed and overexposed.

 

[TheOrganist]

Who woulda thunk the Panthers would go to the Cup in back to back seasons.

It’s crazy the impact Matthew Tkachuk has had on that team.

I admit I was very wrong about not having an interest in the Blues acquiring him. He’s an unreal hockey player. Way better than his father in crunch time.

 

[BlueDream]

Maybe if you had been watching our games you would understand instead of looking how he currently plays and pretending he's always been that way, even though he still sucks but he's just on a good team.

Nope, he played just fine for us. And he does not suck, his play and underlying numbers on a team in the Cup have been very strong.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I admit I was very wrong about not having an interest in the Blues acquiring him. He’s an unreal hockey player. Way better than his father in crunch time.

Same.

 

[Frenzy31]

Nope, he played just fine for us. And he does not suck, his play and underlying numbers on a team in the Cup have been very strong.

Everyone is allowed an opinion and Mikkola wasn’t anything more than a 6 here.

He wasn’t great on NY either. None of their fans were crying rivers when he left.

I am glad he is playing well, but he might not look so good if he stayed or was on a different roster.

 

[Louie the Blue]

Nope, he played just fine for us. And he does not suck, his play and underlying numbers on a team in the Cup have been very strong.

Mikkola is kinda like Scandella - he really shouldn't be playing second pair.

Happy he's having success, but I don't really miss him and him being here wouldn't fix the problems with the defense.

 

[Majorityof1]

Everyone is allowed an opinion and Mikkola wasn’t anything more than a 6 here.

He wasn’t great on NY either. None of their fans were crying rivers when he left.

I am glad he is playing well, but he might not look so good if he stayed or was on a different roster.

There were a small contingent of us who thought Mikkola was worth keeping. Nobody cried when he left because we knew it was inevitable given contract, where we were, roster construction etc. It was also widely assumed he was required to be added to Tarasenko to get us the first which became Lindstein. So that salves the wound. But he was much better than the narrative the group-think on the board created.

He was either a 5/6 for us or a 2, which was weird. He never played with the right partner. He either played with Parayko getting ridiculous tough minutes or Bortuzzo. He held his own on the top pair, not great but not awful. However, that pair was exposed by not having a great transitional passer. They both are better at carrying the puck out than passing and it was exposed with bad turnovers that the board jumped on. As a 5/6 he'd be paired with Bortuzzo and they had the same transitional issues. He did fairly well when paired with Faulk who is a better pair, but that only happened when Parayko was hurt and they got stupidly heavy defensive minutes (13% o-zone start for that pair).

In NY, sometimes deadline acquisitions don't work out. It takes a bit to gel. In Florida he is paired with a good partner. He needs a guy who can carry the pair and transition the puck. Montour is awesome. He has found his role as a complimentary 2nd pair. That is something we couldn't offer him, but a select few of us knew he had it in him.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

Who woulda thunk the Panthers would go to the Cup in back to back seasons.

It’s crazy the impact Matthew Tkachuk has had on that team.

If they win, 3 of the last 6 Cup champs will have been from Florida while Canada would stretch it's drought to 31 years... If Edmonton advances, I believe they will be the first Canadian team to reach the finals since Vancouver lost to the Bruins.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

It wasn’t, but okay.

It’s not like it wasn’t the series clinching goal or anything…

 

[PocketNines]

I am soooo unexcited about Edmonton doing it the wrong way and getting rewarded with a Final.

But the BANG people could be sad and DeBoer could lose again.

I think I have to root for Florida regardless

Let's go sweet suit Hankery

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Mikkola is kinda like Scandella - he really shouldn't be playing second pair.

Happy he's having success, but I don't really miss him and him being here wouldn't fix the problems with the defense.

A very good bottom-pairing guy. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

It’s not like it wasn’t the series clinching goal or anything…

I strongly sensed that the Rangers would score at least one goal and that Vlady's goal would be the game winner. Happy for him!

I predicted a Rangers-Oilers Final, but maybe it'll be Panthers-Oilers. Either way, I'm rooting for the Panthers now.

Dallas' talented youngsters are being outfoxed by the wily Oilers vets. I think experience is going to win this for the Oilers.

Despite the SOG favoring Dallas, Edmonton has controlled the play; until the last couple minutes, that is.

And now they're controlling the play again. Don't let SOG fool ya!!!!!

RNH is a true veteran now, as are MacnDrai.

And Hyman is so good at rotating his torso and being able to shoot while tightening the stick to his body. That's a rare skill. He's got a powerful torque on his shot.

Is Hank wearing black velvet?

Wow!!!!!

Panthers-Oilers

Sayonara Starsu

 

[The Note]

McDavid is such an awesome player I can’t help but root for them. And his goal tonight was a thing of beauty

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

McDavid is such an awesome player I can’t help but root for them. And his goal tonight was a thing of beauty

He undressed one of best defenders in league too. I’ve never seen anyone abuse Miro like that. Mcdavid is on another level.

 

[Louie the Blue]

There were a small contingent of us who thought Mikkola was worth keeping. Nobody cried when he left because we knew it was inevitable given contract, where we were, roster construction etc. It was also widely assumed he was required to be added to Tarasenko to get us the first which became Lindstein. So that salves the wound. But he was much better than the narrative the group-think on the board created.

He was either a 5/6 for us or a 2, which was weird. He never played with the right partner. He either played with Parayko getting ridiculous tough minutes or Bortuzzo. He held his own on the top pair, not great but not awful. However, that pair was exposed by not having a great transitional passer. They both are better at carrying the puck out than passing and it was exposed with bad turnovers that the board jumped on. As a 5/6 he'd be paired with Bortuzzo and they had the same transitional issues. He did fairly well when paired with Faulk who is a better pair, but that only happened when Parayko was hurt and they got stupidly heavy defensive minutes (13% o-zone start for that pair).

In NY, sometimes deadline acquisitions don't work out. It takes a bit to gel. In Florida he is paired with a good partner. He needs a guy who can carry the pair and transition the puck. Montour is awesome. He has found his role as a complimentary 2nd pair. That is something we couldn't offer him, but a select few of us knew he had it in him.

I think Mikkola can hold his own defensively, but it seemed fairly often when he touched the puck it was like a game of hot potato.

 

[MissouriMook]

I’m not sure that this “score the first goal and turtle for 56 minutes” strategy is going to work out for the Oilers. Feels like the Stars are going to tie this up.

 

[sfvega]

You just hate to see Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski not win a Cup. I mean, I certainly don't. But maybe you do?

 

[Brockon]

35-10 for shots... That's unreal.

 

[BlueDream]

Hockey can be a weird game. It felt like Dallas was going to have all the momentum after games 2 and 3, and even took a good lead in game 4. I certainly didn’t expect Edmonton to win 3 straight after that, including only having 10 shots on goal in the entire game tonight.

Crazy. Oilers just had a few elite players carry them.

I kinda like both teams in the Cup Final though, so that’s cool. These are the two I was rooting for (along with Winnipeg). But I never see the Panthers get dominated like Edmonton did tonight. I think the Panthers are better and deserve it more (as of now). So I’ll probably root for them.

 

[Fez Whatley]

The oilers really seem like the panthers last year. Hope I'm wrong and it's a longer series.