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willy702 said:
If you think home ice matters that much. Not worth chasing, if it gets handed to you so be it. First is only real prize this year and even that has only so much value.
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I don’t think it’s that big of a deal either. At least not as big of a deal as making sure the players are well rested and ready for the playoffs.

If the Sharks give up on going for first they might start resting players too.
 
Vegas07 said:
I don’t think it’s that big of a deal either. At least not as big of a deal as making sure the players are well rested and ready for the playoffs.

If the Sharks give up on going for first they might start resting players too.
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Despite the ugly loss at home for the sharks, their home record is still outstanding and they will still want to keep home ice advantage vs us. I don't think any team would rest players over fighting for home ice. If guys are really banged up and really need the rest then that's different. They won't rest guys just for the sake of resting them.
 
Pirate Deadpool said:
Despite the ugly loss at home for the sharks, their home record is still outstanding and they will still want to keep home ice advantage vs us. I don't think any team would rest players over fighting for home ice. If guys are really banged up and really need the rest then that's different. They won't rest guys just for the sake of resting them.
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Sure they will, teams do this all the time now. So many lower seeds have done well in last decade that every team with some experience realizes chasing higher spots is a fools errand. Teams do it the first year they have some success like the Knights last year and the Flames this year, but most teams don't worry themselves with home ice as much as they worry about being healthy and fresh. Now every team has to put a lot of playoff starters out there, this isn't the preseason, but veteran players need the "injury" break that MAF and PEB have had, maybe Patches stays on it too. They did it with Neal last year and he looked real good the first few rounds because of it. I think they might bring up a few young guys from Chicago and give them starts last week or so, we could even see Hague since a few games won't impact his contract and maybe Whitehead too so they can rest McNabb and Engelland.

All in all looks very well orchestrated to me. No need chasing spots and I'd feel real uncomfortable if they didn't have some losses here. No team can maintain the winning pace they have been on since the deadline, that's a sure fire way to suddenly fall out of the playoffs once things turn.
 
Pirate Deadpool said:
Despite the ugly loss at home for the sharks, their home record is still outstanding and they will still want to keep home ice advantage vs us. I don't think any team would rest players over fighting for home ice. If guys are really banged up and really need the rest then that's different. They won't rest guys just for the sake of resting them.
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Isn’t regular season home record inflated at least a somewhat by road trips and teams traveling and playing on the second night of back to backs on the road though? When you’re in the playoffs at home, you’re not going to have the advantage of facing a team that has been on a long road trip and is coming into your place with extra fatigue, for example.

I do think there is still an advantage playing in front of an energized crowd. But the Knights won 2 in LA, 2 in San Jose and 2 in Winnipeg last year and had a 6-2 record against the West on the road and an 6-4 road record throughout the entire playoffs. Championship teams need to be able to win on the road. The one series when we didn’t win on the road was the series we lost.

The only time I think it’s really significant is in a game 7 which may not happen against the Sharks because even a tough series can easily last fewer than 7 games.
 
As for resting players, if this team is going to make it far, the opponents will likely be the Sharks, Flames, and two tough opponents after. The team needs to be well rested before going through all that.

And even in the first series I want the team to be well rested. Resting players also lowers the chances of injuries and after the recent injury to Patches the last thing I want to see is the team taking too many risks. Sure, you may be cautious and have an injury anyway but at least the chances are lower. I think players can also get mentally fatigued and resting can energize them that way as well.

Some people may think being at home in game 1 against the Sharks is important, but all it takes is winning 1 out of 2 to take the home ice advantage. San Jose stealing game 1 in Vegas would be a disaster.
 
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I think we should all get pumped by the Avs getting into the 8th spot and hope they hold it. They are exactly the type of team you want to face Calgary in round one, they can be really good when they get it together and kind of resemble the Flames in being very top heavy with questionable goalies and bottom lines. Playoff experience from last year will serve them well this year, they aren't just going to be happy to be there. Not saying I would favor them over the Flames, but they will certainly make for a far tougher challenge than anyone is expecting and certainly could pull off the upset. I really don't think the Wild or the Coyotes would put up much resistance in their place, both have low ceilings without star level players and likely would be an easy out for the Flames.
 
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Well 1-0 Coyotes with 14 minutes to go in the 3rd period . And with the way this game is going, it is likely going to stay that way.

Knights will just have to clinch tomorrow.
 
If Knights fans are really worried about qualifying they should go start a massive parlay bet taking the opposition every night to win in regulation and the Coyotes to win all their games. With 11 games between the teams left (one against each other) would probably yield over 2000-1 payout. Otherwise probably best to chill on these clinching scenarios until the last few days of the season.
 
willy702 said:
If Knights fans are really worried about qualifying they should go start a massive parlay bet taking the opposition every night to win in regulation and the Coyotes to win all their games. With 11 games between the teams left (one against each other) would probably yield over 2000-1 payout. Otherwise probably best to chill on these clinching scenarios until the last few days of the season.
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Worried, no. Aware of, yes.
 
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I would go cry in a corner if the Knights found a way to miss the playoffs at this point in time.
 
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