Around the NHL 2023-2024

[TheDizee]

Really bad first round thus far

 

[Reality Czech]

Hellyebuck looks nervous and is awful. Winnipeg and the Islanders are waste of playoff spots

You spelled Washington wrong

 

[The Note]

I don’t know how anyone can watch teams like the Islanders and Caps and advocate for any sort of expanded playoffs or play-in tourney ala the NBA. I’m sure it’s coming at some point because it’s extra money in the owners’ pockets, but I don’t think we need more of this tier of team making the playoffs.

 

[PocketNines]

Second round is the banger this year

NYR CAR
BOS FLA
VAN EDM
COL VGK/DAL

(outside shot Tampa does a reverse sweep)

 

[Stealth JD]

Vancouver has owned Edmonton all season. It will be interesting to see if the Oilers can turn that around without Demko in the way. Either way, if Vegas is awaiting them in the Conference Final, it will be another short run for McDrai.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I believe there are people here who would swap Hellebuyck for Binnington if they could just press a button and make it so. But that would be insane.

Trade a playoff nails goalie for Five Goal Connor? Or Six Goal Connor? Not sure which to settle on, he is giving us both options all series

I’ve been trying to figure out who on this forum would make that trade (or would have said so prior to this series) and I can only come up with one person. But that’s someone who is overly sensitive about Binnington’s “embarrassing antics” and not talking about it from a level of play decision. Am I missing some other conversation?

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Maybe we can trade Kyrou for Marner

I’m taking away your privileges for a month after that remark and your backwards assessment of Lindgren’s playoff impact.

 

[Majorityof1]

I’ve been trying to figure out who on this forum would make that trade (or would have said so prior to this series) and I can only come up with one person. But that’s someone who is overly sensitive about Binnington’s “embarrassing antics” and not talking about it from a level of play decision. Am I missing some other conversation?

Overly sensitive? LOL. Yep, that's me, Mr sensitive.

And by the way, I wouldn't make that swap. I don't want to spend more money with more term on a goalie turning 31 this month when we have Hofer waiting in the wings, with Z and Ellis as potential solid cheap backups.

 

[bleedblue1223]

It's amazing how old the Jets team got. Morrissey is going to be 30 next season.

 

[PocketNines]

And his music always sucked

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Really bad first round thus far

It's been the most boring first round I can remember in a long time. It's not only that the series are ending very lopsided, but the games themselves are tragically boring.

There's only two series I've enjoyed watching so far and that's Vegas-Dallas and Florida-Tampa. The rest have been snoozers or complete garbage hockey (lookin' at you COL-WPG).

The second round is shaping up to be excellent though.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Overly sensitive? LOL. Yep, that's me, Mr sensitive.

And by the way, I wouldn't make that swap. I don't want to spend more money with more term on a goalie turning 31 this month when we have Hofer waiting in the wings, with Z and Ellis as potential solid cheap backups.

You weren't the person I had in mind, but you did cross my mind. The point was simply that I can't think of anyone that has been advocating moving Binnington purely due to level of play, in comparison to Helleybuk. The post I was responding to made it sound like there is a movement afoot.

And his music always sucked

 

[Mike Liut]

We’d be playing right now if we had him.

Somebody laughed at my post when I said we’d be playing right now if we had ROR. So you’re telling me we couldn’t have made up 4 points with ROR filling our most glaring need? I find that hard to believe.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Somebody laughed at my post when I said we’d be playing right now if we had ROR. So you’re telling me we couldn’t have made up 4 points with ROR filling our most glaring need? I find that hard to believe.

Maybe, but what were we offering him? Put another way: I think if we've got something close, ROR doesn't sign with Nashville a few hours into free agency on July 1. But, he signed with Nashville, and for all anyone knows he could have signed here and gone down in Game 1 hurt and missed much of the season and we're pretty much in the same spot. Meaning: what he would have done here is pure speculation.

 

[MissouriMook]

Florida getting some home cooking from the officials tonight. Tampa has had two goals disallowed and both challenges went in Florida’s favor.

I saw the first one as about 60/40 in favor of being interference, but it was called a good goal on the ice and Florida won their subsequent challenge even though it was pretty much a coin flip. The Tampa forward’s skate was in the blue paint, but Bob initiated the contact and I think that should matter. I just feel like it was Bob’s decision to initiate contact with the player in front of the net, not the Tampa forward being on the other side of the crease that caused him to be unable to get to the other side of the net to make the save.

I saw the second one as being about 80/20 that it was not interference and Tampa’s challenge failed after the referee waived off the goal. The Tampa forward was right on the edge of the blue paint but not in it and Mikkola had him pinned from getting room to move. Bob reaches out with his stick and loses it when he makes contact with the forward. I just don’t see what else he can do there except not legally go to the front of the net.

I have a rooting interest in the game, but even if I didn’t I just don’t see how you give the same team the benefit of the doubt on both calls in an elimination game. I can actually see taking the first one off the board in the interest of the official’s (non) call not deciding the game, but if you’re going to rule that way on the first one, I feel like you have to be consistent and not let a soft call swing the same direction on the second one. Obviously, since I’m rooting for Tampa, I’d love to see both goals count, but it is a head scratcher to me that both calls went against them in a game that could end their season.

 

[Mike Liut]

Maybe, but what were we offering him? Put another way: I think if we've got something close, ROR doesn't sign with Nashville a few hours into free agency on July 1. But, he signed with Nashville, and for all anyone knows he could have signed here and gone down in Game 1 hurt and missed much of the season and we're pretty much in the same spot. Meaning: what he would have done here is pure speculation.

I’m just saying if you add 82 games of ROR to this team, we are playing right now.

 

[Xerloris]

Florida getting some home cooking from the officials tonight. Tampa has had two goals disallowed and both challenges went in Florida’s favor.

I saw the first one as about 60/40 in favor of being interference, but it was called a good goal on the ice and Florida won their subsequent challenge even though it was pretty much a coin flip. The Tampa forward’s skate was in the blue paint, but Bob initiated the contact and I think that should matter. I just feel like it was Bob’s decision to initiate contact with the player in front of the net, not the Tampa forward being on the other side of the crease that caused him to be unable to get to the other side of the net to make the save.

I saw the second one as being about 80/20 that it was not interference and Tampa’s challenge failed after the referee waived off the goal. The Tampa forward was right on the edge of the blue paint but not in it and Mikkola had him pinned from getting room to move. Bob reaches out with his stick and loses it when he makes contact with the forward. I just don’t see what else he can do there except not legally go to the front of the net.

I have a rooting interest in the game, but even if I didn’t I just don’t see how you give the same team the benefit of the doubt on both calls in an elimination game. I can actually see taking the first one off the board in the interest of the official’s (non) call not deciding the game, but if you’re going to rule that way on the first one, I feel like you have to be consistent and not let a soft call swing the same direction on the second one. Obviously, since I’m rooting for Tampa, I’d love to see both goals count, but it is a head scratcher to me that both calls went against them in a game that could end their season.

Bob was inside his crease, the Tampa player entered his crease and interfered with his ability to play his position. It was absolutely interference on both calls. Don't like it, don't go in the crease. It's a simple solution.

 

[PocketNines]

Instead he is playing for our division rival Nashville who was moments away from squaring their series 2-2 and instead gave up two goals with the goalie pulled including the tying goal with under ten seconds to play and then lost 62 seconds into sudden death. That is a DEVASTATING loss and it happened to our rivals yesterday and it should be noted.

 

[oPlaiD]

Yeah, I definitely don't see that second call as close to 80/20 no interference. Mikkola was tied up with him, but Mikkola didn't push him into the crease. He decided to get around Mikkola he'd go into the crease, and he definitely interfered with Bobrovsky while doing so. The call on the ice was already no goal on that one, too, right? Which shouldn't affect what the end call is but does place more burden on being clear to overturn it. Which I don't think was the case.

I agree with Xerloris, both were interference. It sucks for the Lightning and people rooting for them, but I don't think things were at all biased.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Mikkola scored an ENG #firedoug !!

 

[MissouriMook]

Bob was inside his crease, the Tampa player entered his crease and interfered with his ability to play his position. It was absolutely interference on both calls. Don't like it, don't go in the crease. It's a simple solution.

Yeah, I definitely don't see that second call as close to 80/20 no interference. Mikkola was tied up with him, but Mikkola didn't push him into the crease. He decided to get around Mikkola he'd go into the crease, and he definitely interfered with Bobrovsky while doing so. The call on the ice was already no goal on that one, too, right? Which shouldn't affect what the end call is but does place more burden on being clear to overturn it. Which I don't think was the case.

I agree with Xerloris, both were interference. It sucks for the Lightning and people rooting for them, but I don't think things were at all biased.

I did see another view of the second one where I agree that he did enter the crease. That wasn’t clear from the first view I had of it.

Maybe both were correct by the letter of the rule, but this call is still up to the discretion of the officials and I feel like both had some grey area because it should matter that the goalie initiated contact on both plays. In the end, it likely didn’t affect the outcome but you don’t know that in either moment and it just felt like, if nothing else, both plays probably should have stood as originally called.

 

[Brian39]

It's been the most boring first round I can remember in a long time. It's not only that the series are ending very lopsided, but the games themselves are tragically boring.

There's only two series I've enjoyed watching so far and that's Vegas-Dallas and Florida-Tampa. The rest have been snoozers or complete garbage hockey (lookin' at you COL-WPG).

The second round is shaping up to be excellent though.

I agree about this round being one of the more boring opening rounds in recent memory, but I've enjoyed watching much more than those two series (although those 2 have been my favorite).

I've really enjoyed the Canes/Isles series. Carolina is very obviously the better team, but all 4 games have been 1 goal games (excluding empty netters), the finish in game 2 was wild and then we had a weekend afternoon double OT potential elimination game. The Isles have been hanging on for dear life for large stretches, but I wouldn't say these games have been garbage hockey or snoozers. I think both buildings have good/unique energy and we've seen some great saves.

I think Nashville/Vancouver has been good too. Low event, but some drama and excitement even though it's a blocked shot party. Seeing 3 goalies start games for a team up 3-1 in a series is nuts. I've been hugely skeptical of Vancouver's ability to win playoff-style hockey and it has been interesting to see them win games that are being played in a style much better suited to Nashville's strengths.

I barely watched Rangers/Caps and Bruins/Leafs has been underwhelming. I agree that Jets/Avs has had some genuinely bad hockey and Kings/Oilers has had a lot of minutes played where the outcome was already set.

I'm hoping that a few of the teams currently down can claw back and create some late-series drama. Round 1 has definitely below average, but I'm still watching several hours of hcokey a day and enjoying a ton of it. Dallas/Vegas has been about as good as it gets in the 1st round and there have been a good chunk of really fun games.

 

[Spektre]

Pietrangelo doing his best to sink Vegas

 

[stl76]

Tampa just didn’t have the depth this year. Their bottom pairing was not nearly good enough IMO.

Full credit to the cats. They are going to be a very tough out.

Pietrangelo doing his best to sink Vegas

How so?

 

[Reality Czech]

Pietrangelo doing his best to sink Vegas

You just hate to see it. Would love to see Vegas go down in flames.