HF Habs: Out of Town Thread: 2024 Playoff Edition

[Runner77]

Watered down league that'll keep getting worse and worse, horrid show. Interest is at an all-time low, I guess the Habs (eventually) making the playoffs will help but right now you'd have to pay me to sit in front of the TV to watch that crap for 3+ hours straight.

For me it’s a balancing act and the opportunity cost of missing out on great weather as summer is too short. If some people feel that there were certain games that made it worthwhile to watch, great! There is no need to question or cast aspersions upon those who feel otherwise.

I follow hockey year round but having games potentially run through June 24th is not ideal and we know the NHL won’t do anything about it on account of several US teams pressuring the league to start its season as late as possible.

With a Canadian team making it to the final, it could get interesting. If the Oilers win it all, it may also influence how teams build rosters. Just add the best player in the world to your team plus a superstar, and forget about investing in goalies when you can get a psychologist to rewire their brains such that they can shine on time for any stretch of games, as needed.

 

[OldCraig71]

Would be super cool to see McDrai win a cup.

Bettman will allow it if both are willing to leave Edmonton via free agency, one signs in Utah, and the other goes to Seattle. Alex Jones emailed me and told me it was happening.

Congratulations to Corey Perry who's brought another team again to the SCF by his mere presence.

Now that's what I call some elite intangibles.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Idk what you guys are talking about with the quality of play. First round was a bit of a dud but round 2 & 3 have both been a lot of fun to watch. Vancouver vs Edmonton in particular was outstanding, and this should be a fun finals matchup too. The regular season is the best it's been in decades. McDavid hit 150 points last year and two guys broke 100 assists this year. MacKinnon hit 140 points, and Matthews almost hit 70 goals. Remember when Jamie Benn won the Art Ross with 87 points? That was just nine years ago.

Genuinely dunno what people would be looking for, the NHL has somehow fallen ass backwards into perfectly balancing the scoring for the regular season where 150 points or 70 goals is plausible again and a 3 goal lead isn't safe, but they've prevented it from getting into 80s level stupidity. Meanwhile, the playoffs are still real hockey with lower scoring where team defence and intensity matter.

 

[Saundies]

If Edmonton wins, I don't wanna hear shit about how tanking works in their case. The sheer amount of #1 overall picks these guys got in the 2010s means they should have about 3-4 cups by now.

They got lucky with one single year and got the best player to ever play, full stop. That's it. It's also why I want them to lose.

 

[OldCraig71]

If Edmonton wins, I don't wanna hear shit about how tanking works in their case. The sheer amount of #1 overall picks these guys got in the 2010s means they should have about 3-4 cups by now.

They got lucky with one single year and got the best player to ever play, full stop. That's it. It's also why I want them to lose.

The Panthers will be their toughest opponent in these playoffs and I don't think they are going into this as the favorite to win.

 

[salbutera]

The Panthers will be their toughest opponent in these playoffs and I don't think they are going into this as the favorite to win.

And the Panthers themselves are not the ideal model tankers want to acknowledge for how to go about roster construction.

 

[Saundies]

The Panthers will be their toughest opponent in these playoffs and I don't think they are going into this as the favorite to win.

The Panthers are actually beasts.

Barkov is that Bergeron-type C you need that both scores and shuts guys down. He'll get McDavid duty.

Reinhart is having an insane year. Contract year and, IMO, something he'll probably never replicate but is going at the right time.

Matty T is build for the playoffs. Bennett has become a mean-ass player to play against. Tarasenko as a solid deadline pickup for the third line.

Montour/Forsling/Ekblad a solid 3 on the backend. Bob in net turning back time and showing why he makes 10 mil.

It's hard to bet against them on paper.

 

[LaP]

If Edmonton wins, I don't wanna hear shit about how tanking works in their case. The sheer amount of #1 overall picks these guys got in the 2010s means they should have about 3-4 cups by now.

They got lucky with one single year and got the best player to ever play, full stop. That's it. It's also why I want them to lose.

It depends how far you want to travel. I would argue they had three 1st overall pick and one of them busted (Yakupov and he was a consensus 1st that every team would have drafted). So they got help from only two of them (McJesus and RNH). Now you can travel as far as Hall if you want but that's kind of dishonest since that was 14 years ago and the guy is petty much retired at this point.

 

[Saundies]

It depends how far you want to travel. I would argue they had three 1st overall pick and one of them busted (Yakupov and he was a consensus 1st that every team would have drafted). So they got help from only two of them (McJesus and RNH). Now you can travel as far as Hall if you want but that's kind of dishonest since that was 14 years ago and the guy is petty much retired at this point.

Two are helping them now, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't absolutely an advantage. I'm talking about the 2010's in general as a decade.

You can't say "Sure, this guy was given four million dollars to start his life out. But since one million was counterfeit, and they spent another million on a rusty hinge, it doesn't really count." It absolutely does.

They're all assets at the end of the day.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

Only way Edmonton has a chance is if Skinner can out right keep games to 2 or 3 goals.

So far 60 percent of the games he is irrelevant , 38 percent of the games he is detrimental to his teams, and 2 percent he steals. He just cant have lapses like he has in both Dallas and Vancouver series.

Edmonton defense has played over their heads but you did start to see more mistakes from Bouchard and Ekholm at the end of last series. They need these 5 days off

McDrai is always a X factor tho so can never fully count Edmonton out despite massive underdogs

 

[WeThreeKings]

Edmonton got lucky Dallas had to go through the gauntlet to get there. I want Edmonton to win but Florida should win

 

[LaP]

Two are helping them now, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't absolutely an advantage. I'm talking about the 2010's in general as a decade.

You can't say "Sure, this guy was given four million dollars to start his life out. But since one million was counterfeit, and they spent another million on a rusty hinge, it doesn't really count." It absolutely does.

They're all assets at the end of the day.

2010 is 14 years ago. That's a long time many players are not in their prime anymore 14 years after the draft including some 1st overall pick who are not McJesus or Crosby.

 

[salbutera]

 

[The Real Timo]

Congratulations to Corey Perry who's brought another team yet again to the SCF by his mere presence.

Now that's what I call some elite intangibles.

Perry sure does have a golden horseshoe up his ass.

 

[Ezpz]

A Florida win would be better for us. It would up the asking price 500k for each of their 10 UFAs and secure us a better pick next year.

Granted most of their forward UFAs are not contributing at all.

Plus we retain the last Canadian team to win a cup title.

 

[OldCraig71]

Perry sure does have a golden horseshoe up his ass.

He should get into coaching when he retires which I suspect will be when the finals end. He might be a perfect lockerroom guy that teammates love to play with.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

If there's someone who needs a sports psychologist, it's definitely Skinner.

 

[Tyson]

If there's someone who needs a sports psychologist, it's definitely Skinner.

I am always cheering for the underdog. I would love to see him shut down the Panthers. I want to see the Cup make it back to Canada.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Could be me being behind the times, but when you thought Babcock couldn't be more of a piece of shit it turns out he can.

 

[stats1]

CONGRATS TO THE EDMONTON OILERS!!!! Do Canada proud.

... and if anybody in Canada is pulling for the Panthers, crawl out from your scumhole, and pack up and leave the country!

Excuse this Leaf fan here but I wholeheartedly agree! There is no excuse to be cheering for Douchebag Tkachuk, Dirty rat Sam Bennett and fake tough guy Nick Cousins! F the Panthers!! Just embarrassing if Canadians are going to cheer for these bag of pricks

 

[sandviper]

I’ve already said a few times how I don’t care about the whole Canada angle. But…

What’s just weird for me is people don’t want Edmonton to break that drought because they want their team to. What’s doubly weird for this Habs board is the team they are then cheering for was the one that cost us a lottery pick by going on their stupid late season run then all the way to the finals.

If it’s about bringing the cup home, well, this is our best chance since I guess 2021.

 

[Frankenheimer]

f*** that. All teams in the playoffs this season have been trash. There wasn't one single exciting series. The fact that Edm with their pathetic defense and shit goalie are able to make it to the SCF only speak of lack of talent across the NHL. Not watching finals. NHL is garbage.

There have been several entertaining series. This is just sour grapes.

 

[Tyson]

Excuse this Leaf fan here but I wholeheartedly agree! There is no excuse to be cheering for Douchebag Tkachuk, Dirty rat Sam Bennett and fake tough guy Nick Cousins! F the Panthers!! Just embarrassing if Canadians are going to cheer for these bag of pricks

Couldn't agree more.

 

[donghabs98]

There have been several entertaining series. This is just sour grapes.

2nd and 3rd rounds this year has been some of the best in years from the perspective of a neutral fan.

The 1st round was a hit or miss. The Islanders and Capitals definitely looked out of place. Would have prefered to see the Red Wings have made it instead. Don't think they would have done better but it would have been well deserved.

 

[Runner77]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797721598860112177

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