How much will having arguably the worst 1C in the Western Conference hurt the Predators?

[FerrisRox]

I was thinking about it today, and I realized every playoff team in the Western Conference has a better center than anyone on Nashville. I would take all of Karlsson (this year at least), Pavelski, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Staal, MacKinnon, and Schiefele over Johansen. Will this be a problem for the Predators?

About as much as it hurt them last year, which is to say, not at all.

 

[FerrisRox]

I was thinking about it today, and I realized every playoff team in the Western Conference has a better center than anyone on Nashville. I would take all of Karlsson (this year at least), Pavelski, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Staal, MacKinnon, and Schiefele over Johansen. Will this be a problem for the Predators?

For the record, I would take Johansen over Karlsson, Pavelski and Staal.

 

[Armourboy]

It will hurt them vs a team which has a legit #1. Until then the preds are fine.

I'm guessing Toews and Getzlaf weren't legit #1's last year then.....


Also having watched every game of this playoffs outside of Crosby, Malkin, and maybe Bergeron, MacKinnon would probably be my pick. That may not hold up outside of this series or in future years, but with the way he is playing right now it would be pretty hard to top him.

 

[zhok]

I was thinking about it today, and I realized every playoff team in the Western Conference has a better center than anyone on Nashville. I would take all of Karlsson (this year at least), Pavelski, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Staal, MacKinnon, and Schiefele over Johansen. Will this be a problem for the Predators?

Johansen has a better PPG in playoffs than Pavelski, Staal, Schiefele, Karlsson, Stamkos, Segin, others. Although inconsistent in the regular season, he always seems at his peak in the post season.

 

[winnipegger]

When you have the best D in the league you can have a 2nd tier #1C and do just fine. They are elite in other areas.

 

[Soundgarden]

It will hurt them vs a team which has a legit #1. Until then the preds are fine.

Please rewatch last year's playoffs for examples of Johansen playing against "Real no.1 centers". Johansen, Ekholm and Subban embarrassed Toews, Kane, Tarasenko and Getzlaf.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

Please rewatch last year's playoffs for examples of Johansen playing against "Real no.1 centers". Johansen, Ekholm and Subban embarrassed Toews, Kane, Tarasenko and Getzlaf.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Please rewatch last year's playoffs for examples of Johansen playing against "Real no.1 centers". Johansen, Ekholm and Subban embarrassed Toews, Kane, Tarasenko and Getzlaf.

Kane and Tarasenko aren't real #1C in my books. No matter how many times you watch last year's playoffs

 

[Soundgarden]

Kane and Tarasenko aren't real #1C in my books. No matter how many times you watch last year's playoffs

Which is why I used a period to separate the two sentences. He played well against "no.1 centers" , Ekholm, Subban and Johansen also embarrassed Toews, Kane, Tarasenko and Getzlaf.

 

[Armourboy]

Kane and Tarasenko aren't real #1C in my books. No matter how many times you watch last year's playoffs

Well that would be because they arent centers at all, but they are two of the best wingers in the league.

If we lose, it won't be because of our centers.

 

[cgf]

Lmao, one of the worst? Are you serious?

The only guys I would consider there would be Malkin/Crosby/Kopitar and that's only based off their past playoff experience. MacK was better than all of them in the regular season and has been great so far in the playoffs.

RNH 2.0 went years without a playoff point for a reason. Two lucky runs don't change the facts.

 

[cgf]

Johansen has a better PPG in playoffs than Pavelski, Staal, Schiefele, Karlsson, Stamkos, Segin, others. Although inconsistent in the regular season, he always seems at his peak in the post season.

This looks like it will be the eternal dilemma with RyJo. When he's really motivated & focused he's f***ing elite; like a western conference Malkin; but hot damn is he not that way too often for someone with soooooo much talent.

Fortunately for him & the Preds they've got the perfect set up for him to putz around in the regular season before turning it on in the playoffs; like Patrick Kane used to do...before the allegations.

 

[SabresSharks]

If having Johansen as their #1C is the biggest problem the Preds will face these playoffs, I'd say they're in great shape for another deep run.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

I was thinking about it today, and I realized every playoff team in the Western Conference has a better center than anyone on Nashville. I would take all of Karlsson (this year at least), Pavelski, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Staal, MacKinnon, and Schiefele over Johansen. Will this be a problem for the Predators?

It will be a problem if they lose. It will not be a problem if they win.

 

[token grinder]

So one head to head series where Johansen played better all of a sudden makes him better than a HOF center still in his prime? Good to know.

You said he was the worst 1C right now. I disagree and see that Johansen is the better center right now. Career wise, yeah, Getzlaf has him. My point was he was outplayed last year by RJ and is a better 1C now.

 

[MMC]

You said he was the worst 1C right now. I disagree and see that Johansen is the better center right now. Career wise, yeah, Getzlaf has him. My point was he was outplayed last year by RJ and is a better 1C now.

Getzlaf scored 6 more points in 23 less games.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Top scores through two games.

Austin Watson-... 2G/1A...+3
Ryan Johansen-.. 1G/2A...+2
Colton Sissons-... 1G/2A...+1

Nathan MacKinnon-..1G/2A...-2

MacGinnon not looking good. But can RyJo do it against a real #1 like crosby and Malkin?

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Not a whole lot because 1C is perhaps the most overrated position in hockey and they can compensate for it quite well in other areas. Most notably the D, which I consider significantly more important than C overall.

I disagree with this statement but generally agree with the rest. A strong 1C has been a constant among the last several Cup winners. That said, I think RyJo is a 1C when he's at his best.

 

[Pred303]

johansen has 17 points in his last 17 playoff games.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Nashville didn't exactly draw the hardest opposition last year. Full marks to them for sweeping the Hawks, and Johansen did destroy Toews, but that was the corpse of Toews. We're looking at a very realistic scenario of all 3 of the teams they beat not winning a single playoff game this year. In general, if that happens, it means that you got fairly easy matchups. This isn't to take away from Nashville, who I consider a very strong team, but just important to note. It sort of feels like the Colorado Avalanche, a team that was the worst in the league last year, is giving them a bit more trouble than all 3 of the teams they faced in the first three rounds last year.

For me, Johansen has to do this against a truly elite team for me to consider him a legit #1C. He got mostly schooled by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton in the playoffs the last time he did.

 

[token grinder]

Getzlaf scored 6 more points in 23 less games.

In the playoffs dude, in the playoffs. head to head, Johansen was the better center in the playoffs last year. He is better so fat this year in the playoffs. I don't care how many points he racks up against the Coyotes, Flames and Canucks in the regular season.

 

[BigEezyE22]

Just needs to score 1 more goal to match Toews' total during the 2013 run.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

Having a pretty decent series

 

[jumb0]

Final totals:

Johansen: 2G 3A +3 FOW% 59.6
MacKinnon: 3G 3A -2 FOW% 37.6

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Final totals:

Johansen: 2G 3A +3 FOW% 59.6
MacKinnon: 3G 3A -2 FOW% 37.6

MacGagnon once again coming up short.