Play off just about set ?

[PaulD]

St. Louis won a Cup after being dead last in the Western Conference in January. I think the Kings and Capitals won Cups in similar positions.

heard it happened once in the 30s as well.

 

[PaulD]

So of the 7 teams you guarantee will make it in the East, you’re not including the team with the best record and best goal differential in the league?

I’ll gladly take that bet.

View attachment 944653

whoops.....
forgot the Caps. The east is a lock already.
Nobody who's not in is gonna out point the eight who are.
Like pretty much every year by Christmas.
( 2019 Blues in the west the exception)

 

[PaulD]

??????

Not even being close to being set. There is a dog fight for the last spot in the Pacific and centrel divisions with an equal dog fight for the two wild card positions in the west. In the east there is an equal dog fight amongst ten teams for the two wild card spots.

I have the 5 pt rule. If you are with 5 pts of the last playoff spot? You are within striking distance.

There are only 5 teams that you can say are already booking their T times.

Ducks, Preds, Hawks, and sharks. But the Preds could be the oilers of this year if they can every find the proper gear

Yea right ...... you and nobody else on the planet think the habs might be playing hockey in the first round this year.

 

[LordStanlersCup]

I know people are saying the WC1 and WC2 are set in the East but I can't help but look at the Bruins and Rangers and have some questions. The Bruins during their winning stretch were 7-3-0 but 9 out of 10 of those teams were non-playoff teams. They have had the 6th easiest strength of schedule in the league while having a -23 goal differential. The Rangers have had the 4th easiest strength of schedule and have really fallen apart lately. If I were to bet I do think the Rangers will get in but I think one of PHI or OTT is going to pass the Bruins.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I know people are saying the WC1 and WC2 are set in the East but I can't help but look at the Bruins and Rangers and have some questions. The Bruins during their winning stretch were 7-3-0 but 9 out of 10 of those teams were non-playoff teams. They have had the 6th easiest strength of schedule in the league while having a -23 goal differential. The Rangers have had the 4th easiest strength of schedule and have really fallen apart lately. If I were to bet I do think the Rangers will get in but I think one of PHI or OTT is going to pass the Bruins.

Yea Rangers and Bruins are pretty bad this year, not locks at all. Could see someone like Ottawa or Philly sneaking in for sure.

 

[PaulD]

I know people are saying the WC1 and WC2 are set in the East but I can't help but look at the Bruins and Rangers and have some questions. The Bruins during their winning stretch were 7-3-0 but 9 out of 10 of those teams were non-playoff teams. They have had the 6th easiest strength of schedule in the league while having a -23 goal differential. The Rangers have had the 4th easiest strength of schedule and have really fallen apart lately. If I were to bet I do think the Rangers will get in but I think one of PHI or OTT is going to pass the Bruins.

Both are looking weak and bewildered at the moment. I don't thinkntheyll be tough outs.....but they will get in.
I'll say this......both over rated and over paid they're number one goalies.

 

[PaulD]

Yea Rangers and Bruins are pretty bad this year, not locks at all. Could see someone like Ottawa or Philly sneaking in for sure.

Not a good look on Ottaw and Philly ......Cause Yea, Rangers and Bruins look pretty bad......yet are still ahead of Sens and Flyers?

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Yea. Rangers and Bruins look pretty bad......yet are still ahead of Sens and Flyers?

Yea they're still ahead, I just don't consider them locks. NYR for example 3-7 in their last ten, Philly 6-2-2. Trending in different directions.

 

[BB79]

but I think one of PHI or OTT is going to pass the Bruins.

I bet if the Sharks and Ducks were in the east they'd pass us

 

[PaulD]

wtf do you mean playoffs just about set lol?

Caps
Panthers
Leafs
Canes
Bolts
Devils
Rangers
Bruins

Knights
Jets
Aves
Oilers
Wild
Stars
Kings
Canucks

There ya go 16 teams - pretty well set.

 

[PaulD]

Yea they're still ahead, I just don't consider them locks. NYR for example 3-7 in their last ten, Philly 6-2-2. Trending in different directions.

and the ten before that they were trending in opposite directions.
Rangers will out point Philly the rest of the way on goalending alone.
But the Bruins with ass goaltending .... Is a better team to target for Flyers and Sens in the Wild card race.

 

[CupofOil]

Looking at the standings and I know it's way early for this but the playoff participants almost seem set, pretty much in both conferences and they're almost the same as last year...

Minnesota
Winnipeg
Dallas
Colorado

Clear top 4 in the central. St. Louis and Utah are mid, Preds and Hawks are terrible

Vegas
Edmonton
L.A.
Vancouver

Seems like a clear top 4 in the Pacific to me. Who is beating out Vancouver? Calgary is ripe for a quick fall down the standings, Seattle is as mid as it gets, California teams are miles away

Florida
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Boston

I'm still of the belief that Boston will get their shit together relative to the shitty bottom 4 in the Atlantic. Does anybody believe that Ottawa, Detroit or Buffalo unseats them? I sure don't. Pretty clear top 4

Carolina
Washington
Devils
Rangers

I fully believe that the Rangers will get it together. Does anybody believe that the Flyers, Islanders, Pens or Jackets will top the Rangers or the Bruins? The Rangers are a mess right now but no way IMO.

Pretty remarkable that the playoff participants are almost set on December 13th. Way early for this but can anybody make a strong argument for a team currently out to knock out a team currently in?
If this holds, the only difference from last year of the 16 would be the Devils knocking out the Islanders and nobody is surprised by this, the Devils were ravaged by injuries last year and were a prime candidate to bounce back this season. Pretty wild the consistency in the standings.
Is this crazy to say this right now and if you disagree, where am I wrong?

Edit: Shit, I see there's already a thread on this literally, a few posts below mine. Stupid me, oh well can the mods merge this then? Sorry

​

 

[BB79]

But the Bruins with ass goaltending ...

The goaltending hasn't been the main issue. Lack of goal scoring, taking dumb penalties and nonexistent powerplay are the biggest problems. Sway hasn't been great but Korpisalo has played well for a #2

 

[CupofOil]

It's December

Logical but is it really such a stretch to say that the most of the current playoff teams are set.
I laid this out in another thread but can you argue with any of this?



Minnesota
Winnipeg
Dallas
Colorado

Clear top 4 in the central. St. Louis and Utah are mid, Preds and Hawks are terrible. Who is beating out any of the top 4?

Vegas
Edmonton
L.A.
Vancouver

Seems like a clear top 4 in the Pacific to me. Who is beating out Vancouver? Calgary is ripe for a quick fall down the standings, Seattle is as mid as it gets, California teams are miles away

Florida
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Boston

I'm still of the belief that Boston will get their shit together relative to the shitty bottom 4 in the Atlantic. Does anybody believe that Ottawa, Detroit or Buffalo unseats them? I sure don't. Pretty clear top 4. I guess one can make an argument for Boston falling out but to who? Maybe somebody from the Metro? I don't see any of the bottom 4 Atlantic teams knocking them out.

Carolina
Washington
Devils
Rangers

I fully believe that the Rangers will get it together. Does anybody believe that the Flyers, Islanders, Pens or Jackets will top the Rangers or the Bruins? The Rangers are a mess right now but no way IMO.

 

[PaulD]

The goaltending hasn't been the main issue. Lack of goal scoring, taking dumb penalties and nonexistent powerplay are the biggest problems. Sway hasn't been great but Korpisalo has played well for a #2

True.......but if don't a have a true number one goalie .....AND you pay like you do. Cap space killer.

 

[PaulD]

Logical but is it really such a stretch to say that the most of the current playoff teams are set.
I laid this out in another thread but can you argue with any of this?



Minnesota
Winnipeg
Dallas
Colorado

Clear top 4 in the central. St. Louis and Utah are mid, Preds and Hawks are terrible. Who is beating out any of the top 4?

Vegas
Edmonton
L.A.
Vancouver

Seems like a clear top 4 in the Pacific to me. Who is beating out Vancouver? Calgary is ripe for a quick fall down the standings, Seattle is as mid as it gets, California teams are miles away

Florida
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Boston

I'm still of the belief that Boston will get their shit together relative to the shitty bottom 4 in the Atlantic. Does anybody believe that Ottawa, Detroit or Buffalo unseats them? I sure don't. Pretty clear top 4. I guess one can make an argument for Boston falling out but to who? Maybe somebody from the Metro? I don't see any of the bottom 4 Atlantic teams knocking them out.

Carolina
Washington
Devils
Rangers

I fully believe that the Rangers will get it together. Does anybody believe that the Flyers, Islanders, Pens or Jackets will top the Rangers or the Bruins? The Rangers are a mess right now but no way IMO.

Bang on. The league and it's media talking g aheads always try to create these scenario that it's so close .....what a race for wild cards ......"only 12 points separate 8 teams" ....blag blah blah......

team imx is only 5 points out of a spot after 30 games ......yep. And after 60 games will be 10 points out.

 

[ellja3]

I'm still of the belief that Boston will get their shit together relative to the shitty bottom 4 in the Atlantic. Does anybody believe that Ottawa, Detroit or Buffalo unseats them?

I fully believe that the Rangers will get it together. Does anybody believe that the Flyers, Islanders, Pens or Jackets will top the Rangers or the Bruins? T

Hey, as a Flyers fan I am very, VERY sceptical about Philly, but how can one possibly discuss your takes if the only reasoning is ''I don't see it''? I might answer with - sooner or later BOS has to finally fail making the playoffs - and it would be about equally provable statement.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Boston is in 3rd place in the Atlantic with a -23 diff. The team below them has a +26 diff. A 49 pt difference. Can't ever recall seeing something like that in December. The 4th-7th place teams all have a better diff than the 3rd place team. No way that holds through the rest of the season in terms of standings.

 

[NHL1674]

It certainly isn't for Minnesota. They've been in this spot before in December only to completely implode into a free fall. And now they are racking up injuries to important players. Middleton is the latest, and with Brodin out, that creates a huge hole on the blueline. Zuccarello and Ek are still out. They finally lost in a big way last night, and the question is how do they respond to that.

I still think the Wild will be a bubble team.

 

[olli]

Everything looks set until it isn’t, teams that are below the playoff line still have so much time to go on a winning streak and be right in the race.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

no

 

[HockeyVirus]

Logical but is it really such a stretch to say that the most of the current playoff teams are set.
I laid this out in another thread but can you argue with any of this?



Minnesota
Winnipeg
Dallas
Colorado

Clear top 4 in the central. St. Louis and Utah are mid, Preds and Hawks are terrible. Who is beating out any of the top 4?

Vegas
Edmonton
L.A.
Vancouver

Seems like a clear top 4 in the Pacific to me. Who is beating out Vancouver? Calgary is ripe for a quick fall down the standings, Seattle is as mid as it gets, California teams are miles away

Florida
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Boston

I'm still of the belief that Boston will get their shit together relative to the shitty bottom 4 in the Atlantic. Does anybody believe that Ottawa, Detroit or Buffalo unseats them? I sure don't. Pretty clear top 4. I guess one can make an argument for Boston falling out but to who? Maybe somebody from the Metro? I don't see any of the bottom 4 Atlantic teams knocking them out.

Carolina
Washington
Devils
Rangers

I fully believe that the Rangers will get it together. Does anybody believe that the Flyers, Islanders, Pens or Jackets will top the Rangers or the Bruins? The Rangers are a mess right now but no way IMO.

Absolutely you can. Basically every season we have seen a team not in the playoff at this point make the playoffs.

 

[Caps8112]

Boston is in 3rd place in the Atlantic with a -23 diff. The team below them has a +26 diff. A 49 pt difference. Can't ever recall seeing something like that in December. The 4th-7th place teams all have a better diff than the 3rd place team. No way that holds through the rest of the season in terms of standings.

might be not remembering right but werent the caps at a negative bazillion differential last year and made it.

 

[CupofOil]

Absolutely you can. Basically every season we have seen a team not in the playoff at this point make the playoffs.

So which team out right now would you realistically take over a team currently in?
Of course it "can happen" but it doesn't seem likely outside of Boston possibly getting knocked out by one of the Metro teams, the Bottom 4 Atlantic teams inspire on confidence that they can make a run for a playoff spot.
In the west? I don't see who can possibly overtake one of the top 8. Calgary? Seattle? Utah? and who do they knock out? Vancouver? Colorado? Doesn't seem likely to me.

It seems stupid to say that the playoff participants are basically set on December 13th generally but it seems like a clear gap between the haves and have nots in this league.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

might be not remembering right but werent the caps at a negative bazillion differential last year and made it.

At this point last season the Caps were at -8 diff and in 5th place. The 3rd place team was at +9.