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Best darkhorse playoff team

darkhorse

  • MIN

  • STL

  • OTT

  • NJ

  • MTL

  • other (CGY, NYR, DET, CLB)

Results are only viewable after voting.
NYR

I don't think they'll make the playoffs (that's not the question) - but if they did, with a hot goalie, they can surprise. they were supposed to be a top team

I'd homer vote Habs #2. They seem to be riding a wave of momentum, and I could see them surprise.

A lot of people are syaing Blues and i'm not sure I agree. The west is full of strong contenders - I think it's the east that's more wide open this year. In the west you have Vegas, Colorado, Dallas - even Oilers. I think it'll be hard for another team to get far.
 
STL/OTT have the best chance to do something in the playoffs with everyone healthy. Montreal won’t be able to play the roller hockey home run pass game I saw them do all game vs the Isles. As for NJ, they’re going to stumble in on a 1998 Honda Civic with 3 different rims, blown transmission and a donut for the 4th tire. The other teams aren’t relevant even if Igor is a goalie for one of them.
 
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The Blues, for sure.

Montreal having 14 votes with 28 regulation wins and a -20 goal differential is funny. Every underlying number suggests they’re lucky to be in this position and they’ll get tossed by any real team.
 
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Rhaegar Targaryen said:
The Blues, for sure.

Montreal having 14 votes with 28 regulation wins and a -20 goal differential is funny. Every underlying number suggests they’re lucky to be in this position and they’ll get tossed by any real team.
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They've pretty consistently been outplaying teams since the Four Nations break. The turning point of the season was trading Justin Barron and demoting Cayden Primeau who was something like 15 goals saved below expected.

They were extraordinarily unlucky at the beginning of the season, extremely lucky in the middle, and fairly normal now. It levels out and guys like Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, Slaf, Guhle, etc aren't getting worse as the season progresses. Habs will finish even higher in the standings next year with Demidov and the continued progression.



I think the Blues' run is way more unsustainable with their defense playing way above their career norms and being down Parayko for the playoffs. They've essentially been a WC2 team playing like a President's trophy winner without the roster to back it up. A lot of their overperforming vets are guys who haven't had good playoff careers. Their top 6 is legit but it depends entirely on which team they match up against.

I'd still say the Blues have the biggest chance to do something but don't expect Washington to run through the Habs. I'd expected a bloodbath game 1 like 8-0 Caps and Habs taking the series or forcing a game 7.
 
Rhaegar Targaryen said:
The Blues, for sure.

Montreal having 14 votes with 28 regulation wins and a -20 goal differential is funny. Every underlying number suggests they’re lucky to be in this position and they’ll get tossed by any real team.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Like, yeah vibes are fun and all, but I wouldn't call their style of play "playoff hockey".

Also, there's no 3v3 or shootouts in the playoffs, so that number of regulations wins should be concerning.
 
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Ezpz said:
They've pretty consistently been outplaying teams since the Four Nations break. The turning point of the season was trading Justin Barron and demoting Cayden Primeau who was something like 15 goals saved below expected.

They were extraordinarily unlucky at the beginning of the season, extremely lucky in the middle, and fairly normal now. It levels out and guys like Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, Slaf, Guhle, etc aren't getting worse as the season progresses. Habs will finish even higher in the standings next year with Demidov and the continued progression.



I think the Blues' run is way more unsustainable with their defense playing way above their career norms and being down Parayko for the playoffs. They've essentially been a WC2 team playing like a President's trophy winner without the roster to back it up. A lot of their overperforming vets are guys who haven't had good playoff careers. Their top 6 is legit but it depends entirely on which team they match up against.

I'd still say the Blues have the biggest chance to do something but don't expect Washington to run through the Habs. I'd expected a bloodbath game 1 like 8-0 Caps and Habs taking the series or forcing a game 7.
Click to expand...
Parayko will be back for the playoffs and our best defenseman otherwise are Broberg and Fowler. Broberg is a young player breaking out while Fowler has had an excellent career and is having a resurgence after leaving a team that has been struggling for years.
 
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I'm not even sure I'd call the Blues a darkhorse anymore, I think they're right up in there with the scariest teams in the league. I don't want LA to play Dallas or Colorado but right behind them I'd have STL.

But for purposes of this thread it has to be the Blues.
 
Assuming the Blues play Vegas, I don’t personally see it going well for the Blues. I wouldn’t mind it though because I hate Vegas.

I would be scared of Ottawa given Torontos history.

I don’t think Montreal will beat Washington but I’m just not sold on Washington personally. I wont be surprised to see them exit in Round 1 or 2.
 
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