Predict the Atlantic Standings

[WhoozYerrDaddy]

If anything was close to "normal" last season, it was the playoff formatting.

...... and the playoff officiating.

 

[JD1]

Cinderella leafs...lol
When did we go on a run , and how did I miss it!!!!

You blinked

 

[wetcoast]

This is the common view, but you have your starting point off.

The last 25 games of last season are not a fair representation because:

1) 25 games in 42 days
2) They lost the forward with the best 5v5 possession metrics league wide in the last 3 seasons (Gallagher)
3) Price was off, Allen had a tough stretch
4) other injuries down the stretch to key players like Weber, Danault.

At the end of March they had the best GF% in the league. With an healthy roster in the playoff they posted the best 5v5 performance of any team vs Vegas, dominated Winnipeg and played very good against the Leafs (a very good 5v5 team) in the elimination games.

Here’s the 5v5 GD last year. The xGD follows a similar trajectory, although the drop at the end is less drastic.

EDIT: that being said no team in the east saved Tampa is guaranteed a playoff spot. There’s 9-10 team in the eastern conference that would qualify top 6 « odds wise » in the West, it will be very competitive.

The season before they weren't a playoff team either, their team just isn't that good.

 

[Dynamite Time]

1. Tampa Bay
2. Florida
3. Toronto
4. Boston
5. Montreal
6. Ottawa
7. Detroit
8. Buffalo

 

[Prairie Habs]

Well yeah, some teams would have got in if they were in the North that didnt. Its not hard to figure out when you look at the point totals. They finished 9th in the east.



Maybe they would but there is literally nothing that indicates that. If anything if the season went two more weeks they may have missed the north divisions playoffs entirely. They were in a free fall.

Probably had something to do with the fact they missed a bunch of time due to Covid and had to play 25 qames in the last 43 days or something while missing a bunch of players. Funny how your entire argument hinges on Covid changing the format and giving them an unfair advantage and then you ignore how they were majorly disadvantaged by Covid as well...

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

Probably had something to do with the fact they missed a bunch of time due to Covid and had to play 25 qames in the last 43 days or something while missing a bunch of players. Funny how your entire argument hinges on Covid changing the format and giving them an unfair advantage and then you ignore how they were majorly disadvantaged by Covid as well...

If it weren't for double standards there'd be no standards at all.

 

[Eggtimer]

1. Tampa Bay
2. Florida
3. Toronto
4. Boston
5. Montreal
6. Ottawa
7. Detroit
8. Buffalo

This is the logically thinking prediction of the standings.
Tampa is still a powerhouse and the Panthers have a very impressive well rounded roster. Knight will surprise . Toronto has tons of firepower to make up for mediocre D and bottom 6 forwards.Boston perfection line is deadly enough to keep the Bruins competitive . Habs still a good team but no Weber and Danault hurts them. Ottawa I,proves and looks even better than the end of the last season . Detroit is still a work in progress . I can’t spell for crap but Sieder ? Is going to turn some heads.

 

[Dynamite Time]

This is the logically thinking prediction of the standings.
Tampa is still a powerhouse and the Panthers have a very impressive well rounded roster. Knight will surprise . Toronto has tons of firepower to make up for mediocre D and bottom 6 forwards.Boston perfection line is deadly enough to keep the Bruins competitive . Habs still a good team but no Weber and Danault hurts them. Ottawa I,proves and looks even better than the end of the last season . Detroit is still a work in progress . I can’t spell for crap but Sieder ? Is going to turn some heads.

A lot have predicted Tampa will cruise and not lead the division but I don’t see it. They did lose some solid bottom forwards but Kucherov is back and over a full 82 game season I think it’s theirs.

It’s just my prediction but I see Florida, Toronto and Boston grab 2-4 and could be in any order. Montreal and Ottawa will do the same for 5 and 6. Detroit is getting better but not there yet and Buffalo of course places last. Sorry to Sabres fans.

 

[The90]

Probably had something to do with the fact they missed a bunch of time due to Covid and had to play 25 qames in the last 43 days or something while missing a bunch of players. Funny how your entire argument hinges on Covid changing the format and giving them an unfair advantage and then you ignore how they were majorly disadvantaged by Covid as well...

Having to play a couple more games in that span doesn’t excuse their complete tailspin bud. They literally did the exact same thing the year before and were dragged into the playoffs from the play ins. You guys keep saying how many games they played, but fail to remind us they did the same thing the year before.

Comparatively how many more games did they play over the next closest playoff team and what was said teams record?

 

[Prairie Habs]

Having to play a couple more games in that span doesn’t excuse their complete tailspin bud. They literally did the exact same thing the year before and were dragged into the playoffs from the play ins. You guys keep saying how many games they played, but fail to remind us they did the same thing the year before.

Comparatively how many more games did they play over the next closest playoff team and what was said teams record?

Want to know what does excuse their tailspin to end the season? Winning 3 rounds in the playoffs...

I really don't care that they went 4-9 over some 3 week stretch in April when they also had an 11-3 stretch in the playoffs.

If you can't see the difference between when they sold 4 regular starters at the trade deadline in 2020 and when they just needed some time off in 2021, then I don't think there is anything that can be said to help you, "bud".

 

[The90]

Want to know what does excuse their tailspin to end the season? Winning 3 rounds in the playoffs...

I really don't care that they went 4-9 over some 3 week stretch in April when they also had an 11-3 stretch in the playoffs.

If you can't see the difference between when they sold 4 regular starters at the trade deadline in 2020 and when they just needed some time off in 2021, then I don't think there is anything that can be said to help you, "bud".

Another leaf victory lap. Gotta love it.
Answer my question man. Unless you know it’s bs

 

[Prairie Habs]

Another leaf victory lap. Gotta love it.
Answer my question man. Unless you know it’s bs

Your questions are always BS...

 

[Mudz]

If anything, the week off between the end of the season and the start of the playoffs was a great reset. We had 4 rested team, so we saw their true potential. And MTL went to the SC.

It shows how luck (injuries, when they happens and to who) plays such a factor. And no one can predict that.

 

[Essenege]

The season before they weren't a playoff team either, their team just isn't that good.

The season before, they didn’t have Toffoli, Anderson, Edmunson and Allen. Suzuki was a rookie, KK had an atrocious sophomore season and Caufield wasn’t there. They were also good 5v5 but sucked on the PP/PK which ultimately sunked them.

 

[Go Wings]

I would with a lot of what has been said.
TB, FLA, BOS and TOR will be the top 4 but not sure of the order to be honest.

MON is likely 5th.

OTT will probably be 6th with a slim chance that if everything goes right for them DET could challenge for 6th. However I think DET is safely in 7th with BUF dead last.

 

[The90]

Your questions are always BS...

Just because you don’t have an answer doesn’t mean they’re bs bud. You fell flat on your face after the halfway point 2 years straight and last year are making an excuse ‘well we played lots of games’. I’m asking you, for all this depth talk I hear, you’d think you’d have fresh legs to combat that. Do you really think playing a few extra games was the reason you fell on your face? Just because I ask you questions you don’t want to hear doesn’t make them any less legitimate. 3 series wins is certainly something to be proud of. Unfortunately you need to make the playoffs on your own merits this time around.

 

[Lshap]

Just because you don’t have an answer doesn’t mean they’re bs bud. You fell flat on your face after the halfway point 2 years straight and last year are making an excuse ‘well we played lots of games’. I’m asking you, for all this depth talk I hear, you’d think you’d have fresh legs to combat that. Do you really think playing a few extra games was the reason you fell on your face? Just because I ask you questions you don’t want to hear doesn’t make them any less legitimate. 3 series wins is certainly something to be proud of. Unfortunately you need to make the playoffs on your own merits this time around.

Without any editorializing, just sticking to facts: Montreal made the playoffs in 2021 the same way every team did – by finishing in the top 4 of their division. And before we do the "18th overall" argument, not only isn't it valid to compare points between divisions that never played each other, it ignores the fact that every season has stronger and weaker divisions. The play-ins the year before was a joke, I agree (my one editorial). As for Montreal's tailspin, the last month they didn't have Weber, Price, and Gallagher at all. Danault was out for the final two weeks and I think Tatar was also hurt. And of course Drouin was MIA. So – trying my best not to add spin to this – what's a fair assessment of a team when it's missing its goalie, top D, and entire 1st line for an extended period?

Not trying to put you on the spot; just adding perspective to the ongoing debate.

 

[The90]

Without any editorializing, just sticking to facts: Montreal made the playoffs in 2021 the same way every team did – by finishing in the top 4 of their division. And before we do the "18th overall" argument, not only isn't it valid to compare points between divisions that never played each other, it ignores the fact that every season has stronger and weaker divisions. The play-ins the year before was a joke, I agree (my one editorial). As for Montreal's tailspin, the last month they didn't have Weber, Price, and Gallagher at all. Danault was out for the final two weeks and I think Tatar was also hurt. And of course Drouin was MIA. So – trying my best not to add spin to this – what's a fair assessment of a team when it's missing its goalie, top D, and entire 1st line for an extended period?

Not trying to put you on the spot; just adding perspective to the ongoing debate.

This is a fair argument. ‘They played a lot of games’, is not. I agree with yours. Definitely makes it harder.

Problem this year is that weber and Danault are gone for good. We’ll see how well Savard does in somewhat that role. So we’ll see how that works out

 

[Pyrophorus]

Toronto has tons of firepower to make up for mediocre D and bottom 6 forwards.

I love how 6th in the league is mediocre.

 

[Prairie Habs]

This is a fair argument. ‘They played a lot of games’, is not. I agree with yours. Definitely makes it harder.

Problem this year is that weber and Danault are gone for good. We’ll see how well Savard does in somewhat that role. So we’ll see how that works out

They played 25 games between March 30 and May 12. The other playoff teams in their division played 19 (edmonton and winnipeg) or 20 (Toronto). In those 25 games they went 10-13-2 against a weaker Canadian division. They then got back to a regular schedule and went 13-9 in the playoffs.

You not understanding the impact of a compressed schedule doesn't change its impact on a team. Look no further than Dallas who went from the cup final to missing the playoffs because they had a terrible schedule due to covid and power outage delays.

 

[The90]

They played 25 games between March 30 and May 12. The other playoff teams in their division played 19 (edmonton and winnipeg) or 20 (Toronto). In those 25 games they went 10-13-2 against a weaker Canadian division. They then got back to a regular schedule and went 13-9 in the playoffs.

You not understanding the impact of a compressed schedule doesn't change its impact on a team. Look no further than Dallas who went from the cup final to missing the playoffs because they had a terrible schedule due to covid and power outage delays.

Yup. Totally the schedule. That pesky schedule got you last year too.

Couldn’t possibly be that Dallas wasn’t that great last year? Or that Cinderella runs happen and teams frequently miss the playoffs because
They just got hot at the right time? No sir, never.

 

[holy]

Yup. Totally the schedule. That pesky schedule got you last year too.

Couldn’t possibly be that Dallas wasn’t that great last year? Or that Cinderella runs happen and teams frequently miss the playoffs because
They just got hot at the right time? No sir, never.

Getting hot at the right time is the Habs whole MO. Somehow they have the most playoff round wins of any Canadian team in the last decade and that’s the only identity they’ve really had. We know who we are lmao.

A team destined to luck out and win the Cup.

You Leafs fans, you all really do over think it. Be more Bergey and less Dubey.

 

[The90]

Getting hot at the right time is the Habs whole MO. Somehow they have the most playoff round wins of any Canadian team in the last decade and that’s the only identity they’ve really had. We know who we are lmao.

A team destined to luck out and win the Cup.

You Leafs fans, you all really do over think it. Be more Bergey and less Dubey.

Lol. I’m not overthinking anything. Just that this year you have to get to the playoffs first

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

It'll be nice to see the Fairy Godmother ride off into retirement...

 

[cowboy82nd]

Getting hot at the right time is the Habs whole MO. Somehow they have the most playoff round wins of any Canadian team in the last decade and that’s the only identity they’ve really had. We know who we are lmao.

A team destined to luck out and win the Cup.

You Leafs fans, you all really do over think it. Be more Bergey and less Dubey.

Can I ask who these people are?