Eastern Conference Wild Card Race is Embarrassing

[Icarium]

The Penguins are giving a master class on how not to play in third periods. I wish they would just be annihilated in their losses rather than give me hope and then once again manage to lose due to bad goaltending, dumb penalties, terrible PK and inability to put teams away even when they are injury-ridden and playing their backup goalie. This is the first season in ages where the top 6 has been healthy all season, Crosby and Malkin are still playing well despite their age and yet the Pens keep losing games because Rust wouldn't score in a brothel and the forwards play decent defense once in a blue moon. The goaltending has been bad since Jarry went down in early January but the unwillingness or inability to play any half-decent neutral zone defense, plus the extreme mental fragility (pretty embarrassing for a team with so much experience) is what makes pretty much every game an uphill struggle.

But this is what tends to happen when you get too attached to a coach who should have been fired years ago.

 

[Raspewtin]

the top 6 of the east have really been hammering the bubble teams the last few months.

though I think Florida and Pittsburgh's skids have been particularly bad. Buffalo also went from easy potential wild card to comfortably out of the playoffs with a truly terrible Feb-March.

 

[Orfieus]

Ok so,
the west has 4 teams fighting it out for the wildcard spot
the east has 3 teams fighting it out for the wildcard spot (if you consider 77pts still in the race the East has 5 teams)

How exactly is the eastern conference race embarrassing? Frankly this playoff race is one of the boringest races I've seen in a while

 

[AvroArrow]

Really, Bergeron??? Not a Bruins fan at all, but Bergeron gets a ton of respect. Now, I could see if you said Krejci and Marchand.

Ok not beat up Bergy, I love Bergy too. Just wear him out a bit is what I should've said

 

[Golden_Jet]

At least Chychrun is good. It's not Chiarot.

thankfully.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

have you seen the Western Conference? it's a turtle derby where someone is getting in by default

 

[banks]

Injuries and strong competition are legit. But I think another issue is that 82 games is just a massive grind. Players are a bit worn out by this time in a long season.

 

[Rehabguy]

What should be embarrassing is that the Islanders who are at the forefront of that wild card race quite readily dominated both of the second place division leaders in the Eastern Conference (Maple Leafs, Devils) just last week outscoring them 12- 3 and they did that without their top offensive threat. THAT should be embarrassing and demonstrates how misleading a team's position is in the standings can be. So they won more games. Against whom? Under what conditions or constraints? The Islanders are an experienced and proven playoff team. Are these two? How these teams faired against one another this late in the season is a better indicator of how they matchup against each other in the playoffs as they have their game plans set and all the kinks worked out.

 

[BHD]

The Panthers are getting the full Paul Maurice experience.

 

[BahlDeep]

I have the Isles as my dark horse. Experienced team, know how to shut it down and have elite goaltending.

Those are all the ingredients for a terrible nightmare to play against in a 7 game series.

 

[sr edler]

Pittsburgh are waltzing into the playoffs.

 

[TheDoldrums]

What should be embarrassing is that the Islanders who are at the forefront of that wild card race quite readily dominated both of the second place division leaders in the Eastern Conference (Maple Leafs, Devils) just last week outscoring them 12- 3 and they did that without their top offensive threat. THAT should be embarrassing and demonstrates how misleading a team's position is in the standings can be. So they won more games. Against whom? Under what conditions or constraints? The Islanders are an experienced and proven playoff team. Are these two? How these teams faired against one another this late in the season is a better indicator of how they matchup against each other in the playoffs as they have their game plans set and all the kinks worked out.

Yeah for sure, how teams play when they're already playoff locks in extremely low stakes games is definitely the most telling. Too true.

 

[Rehabguy]

I have the Isles as my dark horse. Experienced team, know how to shut it down and have elite goaltending.

Those are all the ingredients for a terrible nightmare to play against in a 7 game series.

They should be on everyone's dark horse list. They are 9-3-0 against playoff teams since January 27 and that's without Barzal who is still expected to return for the playoffs.

 

[Team Cozens]

Looking at the 'battle' for the Wild Card spots this year in the East has been like watching a bunch of uncoordinated drunks stumbling around trying to win at musical chairs. It seems like no team aside from maybe the Islanders can just get the job done down the stretch and pull away, continuously embarrassing themselves over and over again.

NYI is pacing for 93 pts, while Pittsburgh is pacing for 92 pts, which is the lowest total of an Eastern 8th place playoff team in the 'Wild Card' era and lowest since 2012 when the Sens made it with 92 (not including lockout/covid seasons). On average, the last Wild Card team has had around 95-97 pts most years, in fact last season Washington had a whopping 100 pts in that spot.

When you look at the other teams in the 'race', they have also been pathetic in crunch time. At one point it looked like the Islanders were in serious danger of falling out, with Barzal getting hurt bad (he's still not skating), and teams like Ottawa, Washington, Florida, Buffalo and Detroit all having 5-6 games in hand and being only a couple of points behind. Despite this, they've all stumbled hilariously while NYI has managed to go on a bit of a run and stay ahead of the pack (7-3-1 in March). Florida actually made it into a playoff spot, only to follow it up with a 4 game losing streak (all regulation too). Ottawa was within striking distance, then Dorion thought he had big dick energy and got Chychrun and they've pretty much sucked since. Buffalo looked like they were finally gonna break the drought but goaltending and D let them down spectacularly while they also faced some bad injuries. Detroit was overperforming their underlying numbers and eventually resigned to the fact that this is another failed season and they may as well tank the rest of the way. Washington is old and injured.

Records in March
Pittsburgh: 6-6-1
Florida: 6-5-1
Washington: 5-5-2
Ottawa: 6-7-1
Buffalo: 4-7-3
Detroit: 3-8-1

Not a single winning record and a combined record of 30-38-9 for all these teams fighting for that last spot Can any of the other drunks supplant Pittsburgh or will Pittsburgh be the one that successfully falls backwards into the playoffs?

Sabres have lost Tage and Samuelsson to injury. Tage has been our offensive beast and Samuelsson is our rock on defense.

With Sammy the Sabres are 28-16-4
Without Sammy 5-15-2 (two separate injuries)

 

[Rehabguy]

Yeah for sure, how teams play when they're already playoff locks in extremely low stakes games is definitely the most telling. Too true.

That's EXACTLY why these type of teams lose. Terrible mindset to coast into the playoffs. They are going to get clobbered. (again- just ask the Leafs) If that's the attitude they have going into the playoffs it's foolhardy. They should be working on the details their game and they should be working on their playoff positioning.

 

[BMOK33]

What should be embarrassing is that the Islanders who are at the forefront of that wild card race quite readily dominated both of the second place division leaders in the Eastern Conference (Maple Leafs, Devils) just last week outscoring them 12- 3 and they did that without their top offensive threat. THAT should be embarrassing and demonstrates how misleading a team's position is in the standings can be. So they won more games. Against whom? Under what conditions or constraints? The Islanders are an experienced and proven playoff team. Are these two? How these teams faired against one another this late in the season is a better indicator of how they matchup against each other in the playoffs as they have their game plans set and all the kinks worked out.

I think its fairly normal to see teams who are already in not care as much about trying to take out someone like FLA/PIT/NYI than a BUF/WSH/CBJ working their ass off to win a game. If I am PIT those last 2 games scare me more than the Isles playing TB 2 times or FLA playing TO twice. I fully expect TO and TB to mail in those games vs FLA and NYI where CHI and CBJ will go all out to ruin PIT's playoff chances if they can and I am sure the Caps make life miserable for the Isles tonight being a national game they will play like its game 7

 

[Rehabguy]

I think its fairly normal to see teams who are already in not care as much about trying to take out someone like FLA/PIT/NYI than a BUF/WSH/CBJ working their ass off to win a game. If I am PIT those last 2 games scare me more than the Isles playing TB 2 times or FLA playing TO twice. I fully expect TO and TB to mail in those games vs FLA and NYI where CHI and CBJ will go all out to ruin PIT's playoff chances if they can and I am sure the Caps make life miserable for the Isles tonight being a national game they will play like its game 7

Teams are fighting for playoff positions which can be critical and that is still to be determined. Only the Bruins have that luxury in the East. Everything is neck and neck. Let's be real here.

 

[TheDoldrums]

That's EXACTLY why these type of teams lose. Terrible mindset to coast into the playoffs. They are going to get clobbered. (again- just ask the Leafs) If that's the attitude they have going into the playoffs it's foolhardy. They should be working on the details their game.

Claiming one game in March is a stronger indicator of their team than the entirety of the season is very dumb. There's not much more to say.

In the Leafs case they have known their first round opponent since December, they are not going to be at peak performance for every game. They also still have guys missing from the lineup who will be in for the playoffs, it's not even possible to work on everything they want to right now.

 

[BMOK33]

Teams are fighting for playoff positions which can be critical and that is still to be determined. Only the Bruins have that luxury in the East. Everything is neck and neck. Let's be real here.

Realistically Toronto Tampa and the Rangers are basically stuck where they are at. If the Rangers lose tomorrow they are almost certainly not investing any effort to make up a point deficit for home ice in a series they will be heavily favored anyway

 

[Rehabguy]

Claiming one game in March is a stronger indicator of their team than the entirety of the season is very dumb. There's not much more to say.

In the Leafs case they have known their first round opponent since December, they are not going to be at peak performance for every game. They also still have guys missing from the lineup who will be in for the playoffs, it's not even possible to work on everything they want to right now.

How the Islanders faired against the Devils the first game of this season in October for example is less of an indicator of how they match up against the Isles a week ago at the tale end of the season. The Isles had a new coach, new players, and a new system. Since then the Isles are 3-1 against the Devils and 5-1 in the past 6 game match-ups. I laugh how many thought the Devils would dominate teams like the Isles with their speed and offense. Ain't happening.

 

[Maelmoor]

That's EXACTLY why these type of teams lose. Terrible mindset to coast into the playoffs. They are going to get clobbered. (again- just ask the Leafs) If that's the attitude they have going into the playoffs it's foolhardy. They should be working on the details their game and they should be working on their playoff positioning.

We've been coasting towards end of regular season three years in a row, resulting in two cups and a final. Four years ago we pushed hard and had a sensational regular season and were swiped against Columbus.

How you end the regular season says nothing in regards of how the playoffs will go.

 

[Rehabguy]

Realistically Toronto Tampa and the Rangers are basically stuck where they are at. If the Rangers lose tomorrow they are almost certainly not investing any effort to make up a point deficit for home ice in a series they will be heavily favored anyway

True, but my understanding is Toronto and Lightning are still duking it out in regards to playoff positioning. Teams are only separated by a 2 or 3 points. A lot can determine who you face in the first round.

We've been coasting towards end of regular season three years in a row, resulting in two cups and a final. Four years ago we pushed hard and had a sensational regular season and were swiped against Columbus.

How you end the regular season says nothing in regards of how the playoffs will go.

Depends on how you define "coasting". Teams like the Maple Leafs should hardly be the type of team that thinks they are some kind of playoff juggernaut and have everything figured out and ready to go. That's ridiculous. They should be playing their best hockey right now and even then there are a lot of question marks given their history.

 

[saintunspecified]

I think they are very similar. Aging cores and not much in the pipeline.

Next season Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Ovechkin and Backstrom will be 36-38 years old.

I wasn't talking about future years, Sure, there's a comparison in that sense. I was talking about this year + the recent past. Crosby-Malkin >>> Kuznetsov-Strome, and Ovie alone doesn't bridge that gap (more like a gorge than a gap).

Sure then Penguins skaters are a little worse than last year + the year before. But the reason they are struggling to make the playoffs is that they can't get a save. The skaters still get up and down the ice just fine imo. It's pathetic for their fanbase to go through this year after year after year. Teams who are ahead get outshot consistently, teams with crappy goalies give up leads consistently.

 

[BallardEra]

I wasn't talking about future years, Sure, there's a comparison in that sense. I was talking about this year + the recent past. Crosby-Malkin >>> Kuznetsov-Strome, and Ovie alone doesn't bridge that gap (more like a gorge than a gap).

Sure then Penguins skaters are a little worse than last year + the year before. But the reason they are struggling to make the playoffs is that they can't get a save. The skaters still get up and down the ice just fine imo. It's pathetic for their fanbase to go through this year after year after year. Teams who are ahead get outshot consistently, teams with crappy goalies give up leads consistently.

Oh ya. I see your point now and fully agree especially now that Backstrom looks like a shell of his former self.

Lean times ahead for both of these teams going forward though. Malkin and Ovie will both be 38 next season and these teams simply don’t have young talent to replace their aging cores.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I know bro ain’t talkin from the Western Conference