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GDT: Around the NHL - Playoff Edition

Carolina's a good team but yeah, same ol' shit that's plagued 'em forever. When push comes to shove, they just don't have a guy who is gonna step up and take over the game on any given shift.

Series obviously isn't over, but I don't see the Canes getting past either team in the West if they manage to beat the Panthers.
 
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:laugh:
 
IMO, that's precisely the problem with their core. They NEED to play with one another because they're not the type of players who can play with two scrubs and produce.

That's what made Sid and Geno so special. We could spread the talent around because those two could play with the likes of old man Guerin, Fedotenko, Talbot, Sheary, etc. and still go deep in the playoffs. Matthews NEEDS either Marner or Nylander on his line to generate those chances because he's not the type of player who will be point per game if he's flanked by Laughton and Jarnkrok (for comparables to the guys Sid and Geno played with during Cup runs).

And IMO, Tavares has always been overrated. He was made out to be this elite, almost generational player when he was much closer to a point per game, "good" player. And he's even worse now that he's old and skates like Joe Thornton. He'd be lost without Nylander carrying the puck for that line.
Dubas was a huge fan of Nylander, it’s the one player I’d say yeah if he was a free agent, Dubas would throw a ton of money at him, not Marner.

But the rest, exactly my point. They couldn’t split up the talent because mostly - Tavares and Matthews, they need Marner and Nylander. I think Nylander and Marner would be fine on their own line but Matthews leading his own line? lol, they insulate the shit out of him and when Marner leaves, they’ll shove Nylander there and hope he can keep making Jane Reno score goals so they can sell more merch.
 
I know these trades aren't necessarily available, but Toronto could use a Marner for Brady Tkachuk type deal. Lose something with regards to overall point production, but gain in dirty goal scoring and physicality.
That opportunity disappeared 3 seasons ago. Even if Marner was under contract for a couple of more seasons, they’d have to add to get Brady and even then, the Sens would say piss off.
 
Related to this, the Sabres were the last team the Hurricanes won a game against in the Conference Final.
That's crazy. I looked up their season records and since they won the Cup back in 06, they've been to the ECF 4 times:

2009 - swept by Penguins
2019 - swept by Bruins
2023 - swept by Panthers
2025 - down 0-1 to Panthers
 
Carolina should simply play Nikishin instead of Morrow.
You'd think that would've been a no-brainer even before last night. Their hesitance to play him hasn't really made that much sense. He was fine in the game against the Caps given the context. Is he that much of a moron he can't slot into their system after weeks of practice? Doubt it.
 
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You'd think that would've been a no-brainer even before last night. Their hesitance to play him hasn't really made that much sense. He was fine in the game against the Caps given the context. Is he that much of a moron he can't slot into their system after weeks of practice? Doubt it.
He took a penalty that resulted in a goal if I remember correctly. Something a rookie doesn’t get away with that with most coaches.
 

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