Around the NHL: Part V – Nice Try, Sabres (or, Playoffs?!)

[RangerLifer]

As much as I miss making the playoffs, it sure is a heck of a lot of fun to watch playoff OT hockey without feeling like you're gonna have a heart attack at any moment.

Except for the Islanders being in it. That's ruining it for me, having to hear about them "coming back" during intermission. I pray to the Hockey Gods they get knocked out quick.

 

[Blue Blooded]

As I told a few friends: I intellectually want a good pick and for McD/Girardi/Strålman to win a cup, but my gut always says f*** Tampa.

 

[NYRKing]

1. Zuccarello is money. Lol when teams thought he would be another Rick Nash, Grabner deadline pickup. He's exactly the player you want for the playoffs.

2. Tampa is team buttery softness. They better right the ship to give us our 1st rounder...

3. How bad are the Pens? Murray is a sieve.

4. Can't wait to Watch Laughs vs Bear-Bears

5. We get Kakko or Hughes. Pinch Me.

 

[Off Sides]

I flicked around quite a bit yet my impressions

Tampa looked good or Columbus bad, then Bob and Foligno happened. And Tampa fell apart. I advocate for Savard at times, he looked really bad and then good.

Jets similar trouble with Binnington, for all the Trouba talk, not sure I saw or heard his name. Myers tho

Islanders played with a lot of tenacity, Murray is a NHL goalie?

I fell asleep at some point during Dallas, Preds, Other than Zucc are the defenders for both teams going to do all the scoring?

Missed the Vegas, Sharks game completely.

 

[RangerLifer]

As I told a few friends: I intellectually want a good pick and for McD/Girardi/Strålman to win a cup, but my gut always says **** Tampa.

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the final score. If they shit the bed this year, it'll be an embarrassment for the ages after the unbelievable season they had.

 

[RangerLifer]

1. Zuccarello is money. Lol when teams thought he would be another Rick Nash, Grabner deadline pickup. He's exactly the player you want for the playoffs.

2. Tampa is team buttery softness. They better right the ship to give us our 1st rounder...

3. How bad are the Pens? Murray is a sieve.

4. Can't wait to Watch Laughs vs Bear-Bears

5. We get Kakko or Hughes. Pinch Me.

I agree about Tampa. "Regular season champs" will be the chant they hear if they blow it this year.

I have a feeling Boston will be the team to beat this year for some reason. That is the series I'm really looking forward to watching.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Winnipeg really needs to lose.

I don't like them for some reason. Its irrational.

 

[DutchShamrock]

It's always fun to watch the isles flounder, but in the long run I think the short term success hurts their long term goals.

Lou brought in a bunch of aging, short term vets to prop up the team. Guys like Martin aren't going to his long term solutions. Lou is an all in guy, they may lose Lee for nothing (very doubtful), same with Eberle next year (possible).

Barzal is a gem, but I think the isles capitalized on a lot of flux in the East to get here. A lot of consistency, but I'm not sure I see potential to improve or sustain.

 

[haohmaru]

A basic pass on a PP, which is not exactly “setting up the GWG” with a nice play, offsets being a -1 and irrelevant the whole game? Interesting theory.

It was actually a one touch hard pass exactly where it needed to be. You and I were watching different games if you thought he was irrelevant.

+/- ? LOL

 

[Black Aces]

#SignZucc Let's start a twitter bot campaign and manipulate the real Stars social media community into demanding Zucc to be re-signed.

This is pretty smart actually.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

1. Zuccarello is money. Lol when teams thought he would be another Rick Nash, Grabner deadline pickup. He's exactly the player you want for the playoffs.

2. Tampa is team buttery softness. They better right the ship to give us our 1st rounder...

3. How bad are the Pens? Murray is a sieve.

4. Can't wait to Watch Laughs vs Bear-Bears

5. We get Kakko or Hughes. Pinch Me.

Can't trust Dutch people. They'll disappoint you every time

 

[NYR94]

Russian Sports Express site is reporting that Gusev, who's universally thought to be the best player in the KHL right now (or top-2 at worst) is on his way to join Vegas right now for the playoffs after his KHL season ended with SKA elimination. His SKA contract is being terminated.

Никита Гусев покинул СКА и в ближайшее время перейдет в "Вегас"

This guy's just gonna play in the vegas lineup now? Go straight from SKA to the stanley cup playoffs?

 

[Dr Pepper]

This is pretty smart actually.

Hell, I wanted them to sign him after the first game, even with the DL stint.

He's a great fit in Dallas.

If you guys get two firsts out of this (Stars resign him and we make it to at least the semis this year) I'd still be over the moon.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

This guy's just gonna play in the vegas lineup now? Go straight from SKA to the stanley cup playoffs?

Yep. There's no reason for SKA to retain his rights, so unlike Shestyorkin, they will release him. He's almost 27 so the retained rights would expire next year anyway.

 

[RangerLifer]

It's always fun to watch the isles flounder, but in the long run I think the short term success hurts their long term goals.

Lou brought in a bunch of aging, short term vets to prop up the team. Guys like Martin aren't going to his long term solutions. Lou is an all in guy, they may lose Lee for nothing (very doubtful), same with Eberle next year (possible).

Barzal is a gem, but I think the isles capitalized on a lot of flux in the East to get here. A lot of consistency, but I'm not sure I see potential to improve or sustain.

You brightened my day with this post. Thank you!!

 

[DutchShamrock]

This is pretty smart actually.

Didn't work the first time with Webster. Huge blow back and that marketing campaign actually ended up with the opposite results. Game winning goals will go a lot farther than spamming social media.

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

Murray is a NHL goalie?

2 Cups tho lol ::cries in hockey::

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

2 Cups tho lol ::cries in hockey::

Won 2 Cups as a rookie

 

[Machinehead]

I just got taken in the bandwagon draft



I'm in, boys!

 

[Off Sides]

2 Cups tho lol ::cries in hockey::

Yeah it's weird, I get he has cups, just looked pretty bad last night, not saying he is bad overall just if he does not improve this series looks way more even than it should look.

 

[Ghost of jas]

I just got taken in the bandwagon draft



I'm in, boys!

Bring it on home!

 

[NCRanger]

Good for Zuuc. I hope the Stars knock out those Predators. I hate that team.

The Nashville Predators are everything that's right, AND everything that's wrong with an expansion team in a non-traditional area.

It's great they have a loyal fanbase that sells out the games. It's great they seemingly understand the game.

However, almost everything about that fanbase screams minor league little brotherism.

I don't hate the team per se, but I hate the nonsense that surrounds them.

 

[NYR Viper]

The Nashville Predators are everything that's right, AND everything that's wrong with an expansion team in a non-traditional area.

It's great they have a loyal fanbase that sells out the games. It's great they seemingly understand the game.

However, almost everything about that fanbase screams minor league little brotherism.

I don't hate the team per se, but I hate the nonsense that surrounds them.

Why because they do things differently?

 

[NCRanger]

Yeah it's weird, I get he has cups, just looked pretty bad last night, not saying he is bad overall just if he does not improve this series looks way more even than it should look.

Penguins have never had superior goaltending in any of their Cup wins. It's always been an issue of outscoring their opponents.

 

[Tawnos]

The Nashville Predators are everything that's right, AND everything that's wrong with an expansion team in a non-traditional area.

It's great they have a loyal fanbase that sells out the games. It's great they seemingly understand the game.

However, almost everything about that fanbase screams minor league little brotherism.

I don't hate the team per se, but I hate the nonsense that surrounds them.

It's not minor league little brotherism. It's college football fan mentality, which makes sense really.