Its looking like the wildcard race in the East is going to be exciting

[BB79]

Yeah....exciting for everyone whose team is a playoff team and isn't caught in the middle of it

 

[HockeyVirus]

the team that choked a 3-1 lead in the playoffs 4 years ago? Or hasn't won a cup in 57 years? One playoff round win in what? 20 years?
That hockey virus has afflicted you with the memory of a houseplant.

losers until proven otherwise

is correct

Wow thanks for telling me I had somehow forgotten

 

[Sens With Benefits]

The goal difference is wild for Boston and Pittsburgh.

 

[deca guard]

Exciting like a 5 car pile up.

exactly . a capped nhl has made for lack of power house teams , its now a bunch of unexciting hockey of mediocre teams determined by power plays

 

[HuGo Sham]

Wow thanks for telling me I had somehow forgotten

no problem... always happy to help

 

[Mike C]

Meanwhile in Buffalo...

......and on Long Island....

 

[albator71]

It will be a rollercoaster ride for sure, there's so many team fighting for a playoff spot it's gonna be a wild ride and at the end of the day it's great for the fans.

 

[MardyBum]

More exciting finishes to the WC races always makes a fun end to the year (as long as it's not your own fanbase desperately OOT scoreboard watching every night)

 

[Pavels Dog]

The Wildcard race looks more like someone has to make the playoffs, but noone probably deserves it.
Really exciting.

CBJ, Montreal and Detroit are a combined 25-4-1 in their last 10. That’s a 140 point pace.
What pace would you consider ”deserving” of playoffs?

 

[Sam de Mtl]

It's been great being able to cheer for wins in Montreal finally.

A WC spot would be awesome, but just being "in the mix" is a fine objective for us this year (as stated by GM Hughes at the beginning of the season).

I just want to see Boston drop out of ploofs!

 

[Fire Sweeney]

The Wildcard race looks more like someone has to make the playoffs, but noone probably deserves it.
Really exciting.

Wild card is a synonym for mediocrity

 

[Lshap]

Wild card is a synonym for mediocrity

For the younger rebuilding teams, a wildcard spot is a stepping stone.

 

[centipede2233]

Toronto will lose to Montreal or Columbus in rd 1, just like the 2 covid cup tournaments.

 

[deca guard]

Wild card is a synonym for mediocrity

bettman turned nhl into a business focused on making money rather than an a competition between athletes / owners / front offices to see who the king of the hill is ! i seriously miss the days of loaded dynasty rosters from bowmans habs to gretzky oil to arbors isles when GREAT HOCKEY WAS PLAYED ! i didnt care if my redwings were bad , i more so enjoyed great hockey teams displaying the beauty of the game , thats gone now in ugly hockey decided by power plays and composite stix that blast 100mph shots (while busting up hockey players left n right)

 

[zappa4ever]

CBJ, Montreal and Detroit are a combined 25-4-1 in their last 10. That’s a 140 point pace.
What pace would you consider ”deserving” of playoffs?

It took those recent streaks just to get to a paltry 92 pt pace for CBJ and 89 for MTL, still very weak
Being 4 or 5 pts above .500 isn't very deserving IMO

100+107 were the East WC's just a cpl years ago for 2021-22 Playoffs

 

[Ratsreign]

It took those recent streaks just to get to a paltry 92 pt pace for CBJ and 89 for MTL, still very weak
Being 4 or 5 pts above .500 isn't very deserving IMO

100+107 were the East WC's just a cpl years ago for 2021-22 Playoffs

Idk, perhaps the top 8 are no longer just curb stomping the bottom 8

 

[thebestnic]

bettman turned nhl into a business focused on making money rather than an a competition between athletes / owners / front offices to see who the king of the hill is ! i seriously miss the days of loaded dynasty rosters from bowmans habs to gretzky oil to arbors isles when GREAT HOCKEY WAS PLAYED ! i didnt care if my redwings were bad , i more so enjoyed great hockey teams displaying the beauty of the game , thats gone now in ugly hockey decided by power plays and composite stix that blast 100mph shots (while busting up hockey players left n right)

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug

 

[SteelCityCannon]

It took those recent streaks just to get to a paltry 92 pt pace for CBJ and 89 for MTL, still very weak
Being 4 or 5 pts above .500 isn't very deserving IMO

100+107 were the East WC's just a cpl years ago for 2021-22 Playoffs

The teams who deserve to make the playoffs, make the playoffs.

Us message board phlebs deciding what NHL teams deserve is high comedy.

Anyways, as a CBJ fan, im just happy to be playing meaningful hockey in January. Been a few years.

 

[Kennerback]

Only Buffalo’s out.

 

[Kennerback]

I'd like to think the Leafs beat the Habs but at this point nothing surprises me. They are losers until proven otherwise

On paper, Leafs should easily beat a team like Montreal. It’s still probably the worst matchup for the Leafs as all these historical/psychological side issues come into play. Plus Leafs have pressure to win the Cup, Montreal has zero pressure to even win a series. For Montreal everything is gravy.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

For the younger rebuilding teams, a wildcard spot is a stepping stone.

And teams have reached the cup final rather recently as wild cards.

 

[HuGo Sham]

It took those recent streaks just to get to a paltry 92 pt pace for CBJ and 89 for MTL, still very weak
Being 4 or 5 pts above .500 isn't very deserving IMO

100+107 were the East WC's just a cpl years ago for 2021-22 Playoffs

Montreal is in year 3 of a rebuild. Hughes was hired three years. This is house money.
They made a cup final 4 years ago

 

[zappa4ever]

The teams who deserve to make the playoffs, make the playoffs.

Us message board phlebs deciding what NHL teams deserve is high comedy.

Anyways, as a CBJ fan, im just happy to be playing meaningful hockey in January. Been a few years.

Technically, yes the 8 teams in the Playoffs in each Conf "deserve" to make the Playoffs. It's a true statement. period.

How dare anyone have an opinion when only technical facts are needed.

Basically rn there's 8 teams in the Wild Card race that all "deserve" the Playoffs if any of them has a decent streak for 5 gms or so

A Playoff race to get in WC2 at 90, to me, is less compelling than a Playoff race to get in WC2 at 98, for example

.02 from a ...phlebotomist ? (I see the vial of blood as 1/2 full)

 

[HuGo Sham]

On paper, Leafs should easily beat a team like Montreal. It’s still probably the worst matchup for the Leafs as all these historical/psychological side issues come into play. Plus Leafs have pressure to win the Cup, Montreal has zero pressure to even win a series. For Montreal everything is gravy.

easily? Imo, Montreal has equal or better depth than Toronto. I would say the same on defence and goaltending (especially with Dobes of late).
The difference is in the top 6 where the leafs have superstars; however habs are slowly potentially closing that gap too.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Technically, yes the 8 teams in the Playoffs in each Conf "deserve" to make the Playoffs. It's a true statement. period.

How dare anyone have an opinion when only technical facts are needed.

Basically rn there's 8 teams in the Wild Card race that all "deserve" the Playoffs if any of them has a decent streak for 5 gms or so

A Playoff race to get in WC2 at 90, to me, is less compelling than a Playoff race to get in WC2 at 98, for example

.02 from a ...phlebotomist ? (I see the vial of blood as 1/2 full)

Does it matter that there's not the usual punching bags? I'm watching exciting hockey every night. If your idea of deserving is having teams get to 100 points shit stomping bottom feeders we'll just fundamentally disagree.

In the East, it's January and every game matters for probably 14 teams. Gutter war.