Around the NHL 2024-25 regular season Part II - The holidays are upon us

[Saugus]

Get it but in thr big picture it’s bad for thr game. Beyond that my guess is that if they actually called all the interfernce and teams were forced to skate the Devils would be even better

Especially because our PP is lethal. If they actually called all the infractions that other teams commit when the Devils outskate them, we’d have even more PP goals and our games would be that much more lopsided.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Please give me the "Devils are trapping" commentary again. It will only add fuel to the fire.

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[Bleedred]

I don’t have access to the athletic or hockey viz playoff percentages, but moneypuck has the Flyers at 39% and a projected 90 point finish. They’ve been higher on Flyers all year, and even had them at over 50% around Thanksgiving. That 39% is 9th in the conference in percentage if I’m not mistaken, which would have them as the highest point total to miss the playoffs in the East this year. Pittsburgh they have at 82 points I think, with like an 8% chance.

I don’t understand why they’re that high on them. Last year they had pretty good numbers, even if they overachieved. This year they do not.

And they don’t have a hot goalie or anything. In fact, their goalie numbers have been so bad that maybe some of these projections are based on a market correction in goaltending numbers actually improving going forward. But there’s nothing really redeeming about their team or underlying numbers at all this year, like there was last year. I think Pittsburgh should finish ahead of them. I could see them with 90 points and the Flyers with 82.

 

[Bleedred]

And with that, it looks like we may have all 8 playoff teams in the East settled. The seedlings will just fluctuate to the end.

I said around Thanksgiving I could see Buffalo somehow overtaking Boston if they get hot. Buffalo would wind up having that 13 game losing streak and there went that.

The one change since then is the Rangers blowing up and dropping out in favor of Ottawa.

So it’ll probably take some team having a Rangers-like collapse or one of the teams outside to have a Herculean run. And I don’t think that’s gonna be the Flyers.

I don’t trust Ottawa for Travis Green reasons, but Ullmark should keep them safe. He’s been playing like normal and that’s why they’ve been winning lately.

 

[jkrdevil]

I don’t have access to the athletic or hockey viz playoff percentages, but moneypuck has the Flyers at 39% and a projected 90 point finish. They’ve been higher on Flyers all year, and even had them at over 50% around Thanksgiving. That 39% is 9th in the conference in percentage if I’m not mistaken, which would have them as the highest point total to miss the playoffs in the East this year. Pittsburgh they have at 82 points I think, with like an 8% chance.

I don’t understand why they’re that high on them. Last year they had pretty good numbers, even if they overachieved. This year they do not.

And they don’t have a hot goalie or anything. In fact, their goalie numbers have been so bad that maybe some of these projections are based on a market correction in goaltending numbers actually improving going forward. But there’s nothing really redeeming about their team or underlying numbers at all this year, like there was last year. I think Pittsburgh should finish ahead of them. I could see them with 90 points and the Flyers with 82.

Hockeyviz has the Flyers at 15% to make it and 84 points. The Athletic has them at 3% and 78 points.

What’s Ullmark’s status?

 

[britdevil]

And with that, it looks like we may have all 8 playoff teams in the East settled. The seedlings will just fluctuate to the end.

I said around Thanksgiving I could see Buffalo somehow overtaking Boston if they get hot. Buffalo would wind up having that 13 game losing streak and there went that.

The one change since then is the Rangers blowing up and dropping out in favor of Ottawa.

So it’ll probably take some team having a Rangers-like collapse or one of the teams outside to have a Herculean run. And I don’t think that’s gonna be the Flyers.

I don’t trust Ottawa for Travis Green reasons, but Ullmark should keep them safe. He’s been playing like normal and that’s why they’ve been winning lately.

Sabres have more points in the last 17 games than the Rangers. That includes the Sabres 13 loss streak.

 

[Bleedred]

Hockeyviz has the Flyers at 15% to make it and 84 points. The Athletic has them at 3% and 78 points.

What’s Ullmark’s status?

Thanks! I agree with those much more. The Flyers are a HORRIBLE team. Torts might buy them a few more points, but they're bad and their goalies are pathetic.

That's right, I forgot Ullmark left the last game injured. I can't find anything more about it.

So maybe they aren't so safe? I could picture the Pens potentially getting hot enough to squeak in of all the teams currently on the outside. I think they'll probably finish just outside the playoffs like they did the last two years. I never bought they were a lottery team. I think that's why they've been so hot lately, because they weren't as bad as their start.

If they do get in then I wonder what the Rangers do for a head coach next year? Sullivan isn't going anywhere if they do squeak into the playoffs.

 

[Nubmer6]

Thanks! I agree with those much more. The Flyers are a HORRIBLE team. Torts might buy them a few more points, but they're bad and their goalies are pathetic.

That's right, I forgot Ullmark left the last game injured. I can't find anything more about it.

So maybe they aren't so safe? I could picture the Pens potentially getting hot enough to squeak in of all the teams currently on the outside. I think they'll probably finish just outside the playoffs like they did the last two years. I never bought they were a lottery team. I think that's why they've been so hot lately, because they weren't as bad as their start.

If they do get in then I wonder what the Rangers do for a head coach next year? Sullivan isn't going anywhere if they do squeak into the playoffs.

I think I read somewhere Ulmark left with back issues. May not be a long term absence, but may nag at him long term.