Playoff Watch 2021

[Ted Hoffman]

Much to Ted’s chagrin, the Blues have a game in hand vs Arizona. If the Blues hadn’t given the Coyotes so much life by allowing them so many points in the season series, there wouldn’t be a playoff race in the division if you inverted that series result. The one remaining game between the two teams may end up mattering a lot.

It matters because
-- We need a win, period.
-- We need that win in regulation, if at all possible, because
-- Any other result would give Arizona the H2H advantage which, we wouldn't get to until we go through all the flavors of wins on tiebreaks, but if we somehow get through all of that we'd be dead in the water at that point.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

The only way we make it is if last night was an epiphany of sorts. With our upcoming schedule we aren't just going to rattle off 8 wins in a row, but if last night energizes us to go like 6-2 (And a must win in regulation with AZ)? Then we're in good shape.

I know their record speaks volumes, but I'm still not afraid of the Wild at all. I think we match up with them well. Hopefully we can pot a lot of points there.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Pos	Team​	PT+	GR	RW	ROW	Max PTS
1​	Colorado​	+18​	16​	24​	27​	90​
2​	Vegas​	+15​	17​	20​	26​	88​
3​	Minnesota​	+11​	17​	19​	23​	84​
4​	Arizona​	+2​	15​	15​	16​	73​
5​	St. Louis​	+2​	16​	13​	16​	74​
6​	San Jose​	+1​	17​	12​	13​	74​
7​	Los Angeles​	-3​	17​	13​	14​	70​
8​	Anaheim​	-10​	15​	7​	11​	61​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Arizona’s lead has evaporated. Blues still have a difficult schedule, but that has been overstated quite a bit. Last night was a feel good game. I assume Husso is starting (he should). Then come back with a rested Binnington Monday. Sounds like Hoffman will probably get back in with Thomas out. I’d love to see him return and get a couple goals just to make the trade deadline even more exciting.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Pos	Team​	PT+	GR	RW	ROW	Max PTS
1​	Colorado​	+19​	15​	25​	28​	90​
2​	Vegas​	+16​	16​	21​	27​	88​
3​	Minnesota​	+11​	16​	19​	23​	83​
4​	St Louis​	+3​	15​	13​	17​	74​
5​	Arizona​	+1​	14​	15​	16​	71​
6​	San Jose​	E​	16​	12​	13​	72​
7​	Los Angeles​	-2​	16​	14​	15​	70​
8​	Anaheim​	-11​	14​	7​	11​	59​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Mike Liut]

Just like 2019, as soon as I starting rooting for a tank and a top 5 pick, they start winning.

 

[TheDizee]

Colorado helps us out, Coyotes lose 4-2. 0pts.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Pos	Team​	PT+	GR	RW	ROW	Max PTS
1​	Colorado​	+20​	14​	26​	29​	90​
2​	Vegas​	+17​	15​	22​	28​	88​
3​	Minnesota​	+11​	16​	19​	23​	83​
4​	St Louis​	+3​	15​	13​	17​	74​
5​	Arizona​	E​	13​	15​	16​	69​
6​	San Jose​	-1​	15​	12​	13​	70​
7​	Los Angeles​	-3​	15​	14​	15​	68​
8​	Anaheim​	-10​	13​	8​	12​	59​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[thedustman]

I like the way the current lineup looks like they can take all the teams they have to playoff.

 

[Brian39]

@Ted Hoffman

Is your current predicted "points needed" cutoff line still at 59? That's the last one I remember you talking about, but I could have missed you nudging it up or down since then. Arizona is sitting at 43 points with 13 games left. They would need 16 points in their final 13 games to hit 59 and bring tiebreakers into play if we are also at 59. That is a .615 points pace and they are right at .500 on the season. Doable in a small sample size of just 13 games, but they need to end the losing streak ASAP or it becomes very unlikely. Worth noting that the Coyotes' don't have a single 13 game stretch this season where they accumulated more than 16 points and only 2 individual stretches where they got 16 points (they overlapped and both involved the 7 game series vs us).

I have to think Arizona will be playing with some desperation this week. Their season will be approaching (or on) life support if they lose in regulation Wednesday and any fashion on Friday. If that happens, then the best case scenario for them is that they would be 2 points back. 3 points back if we beat them in regulation and 5 points back if we beat Colorado Wednesday. 2 games in hand carries no guaranteed points, but they make a 2-5 point margin more significant when the difference in remaining games is 13 to 11.

Arizona is running out of runway very quickly. Losing their next 2 means that they would very likely have to win 7 or 8 of their last 11 to make the playoffs.

San Jose needs 19 in their last 15 games and LA appears all but officially done, needing 21 in their last 15 to get there.

I think 59 is probably still a pretty comfortable predicted cutoff line and we need to get 50% of the remaining points to hit that number.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Colorado helps us out, Coyotes lose 4-2. 0pts.

That game had a crazy sequence in the 1st. At 0-0 a play was reviewed where a goal was awarded to Arizona, called no goal on the ice. But no TV replay showed the puck across the line. It was bizarre. So, goal awarded to Coyotes 1-o. Colorado challenged for goaltender interference and the goal was removed when the challenge was upheld.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

@Ted Hoffman

Is your current predicted "points needed" cutoff line still at 59? That's the last one I remember you talking about, but I could have missed you nudging it up or down since then.

Probably 58 right now. Between ARI, SJ and LA someone's going to pick up points and move up a little. Always they chance they all split each other and go .500 and don't really move, but I expect someone to pull clear of the others.

Also depends on who that is and how tiebreaks play out. I'd say use 58, knowing that it might yet need to be 59 to be clear in the wrong tiebreak scenario.

 

[Brian39]

That game had a crazy sequence in the 1st. At 0-0 a play was reviewed where a goal was awarded to Arizona, called no goal on the ice. But no TV replay showed the puck across the line. It was bizarre. So, goal awarded to Coyotes 1-o. Colorado challenged for goaltender interference and the goal was removed when the challenge was upheld.

My head hurts after reading that. I took the night off from hockey last night, so this is the first I'm hearing about this. Sounds ridiculous.

 

[DeuceNine]

My head hurts after reading that. I took the night off from hockey last night, so this is the first I'm hearing about this. Sounds ridiculous.

Sounds like a simple case of the refs/league understanding they screwed up, Colorado keying on that reality and tossing a challenge. NHL/refs use that as an opportunity to correct their screwup.

 

[Thallis]

Sounds like a simple case of the refs/league understanding they screwed up, Colorado keying on that reality and tossing a challenge. NHL/refs use that as an opportunity to correct their screwup.

Toronto doesn't call GI, so stopping the play to award the puck crossing the line is correct. Colorado is also allowed to challenge that for GI, so it's a weird but perfectly correct series of events. I definitely agree that Toronto shouldn't have to take instances of interference into account with their replays, let the refs referee and review whether or not the puck went in.

 

[mk80]

Huge shout out to the Avs, Knights, and Ducks for all getting wins against Arizona, SJ, and LA and holding back those teams that are chasing us!

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Toronto doesn't call GI, so stopping the play to award the puck crossing the line is correct. Colorado is also allowed to challenge that for GI, so it's a weird but perfectly correct series of events. I definitely agree that Toronto shouldn't have to take instances of interference into account with their replays, let the refs referee and review whether or not the puck went in.

It would have made sense if any view actually showed the puck cross the line. I have no idea how Toronto made that call.

 

[Thallis]

It would have made sense if any view actually showed the puck cross the line. I have no idea how Toronto made that call.

IIRC Toronto has access to different cameras than are available to tvs, and aren't the chipped pucks back in rotation?

 

[Mike Liut]

Hopefully Vegas is locked into the #2 seed when we play them the final 2 games. Maybe they’ll rest some players and take it easy

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

IIRC Toronto has access to different cameras than are available to tvs, and aren't the chipped pucks back in rotation?

I’m not aware of chipped pucks being used to determine goals...ever. Is this happening now?

 

[Thallis]

I’m not aware of chipped pucks being used to determine goals...ever. Is this happening now?

I don't know. They started the year with chipped pucks so they could track player and shot/pass speeds on broadcasts, but the players said they could feel the difference so they said they were temporarily pulling them back for adjustments. I could easily see the trackers in the pucks being used to tell when the puck crosses the lane when the kinks are ironed out.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

I don't know. They started the year with chipped pucks so they could track player and shot/pass speeds on broadcasts, but the players said they could feel the difference so they said they were temporarily pulling them back for adjustments. I could easily see the trackers in the pucks being used to tell when the puck crosses the lane when the kinks are ironed out.

i hope they never bring em back .... i hated the FoxTrax - Wikipedia

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I don't know. They started the year with chipped pucks so they could track player and shot/pass speeds on broadcasts, but the players said they could feel the difference so they said they were temporarily pulling them back for adjustments. I could easily see the trackers in the pucks being used to tell when the puck crosses the lane when the kinks are ironed out.

Yes. But don’t recall the tracking ever being used to establish if a puck had crossed the line even when it was used prior to the issues you mentioned. I realize it could have been eventually, but I think what you’re describing was still in the future.

 

[thedustman]

Hopefully Vegas is locked into the #2 seed when we play them the final 2 games. Maybe they’ll rest some players and take it easy

At the same time, it'd be nice to get the full compete from them so that we are playing "playoff" hockey when we need to be

 

[thedustman]

i hope they never bring em back .... i hated the FoxTrax - Wikipedia

imagine if they used foxtrax to overturn calls...

 

[Mike Liut]

At the same time, it'd be nice to get the full compete from them so that we are playing "playoff" hockey when we need to be

Valid point