Series Talk: Stanley Cup Playoffs 2024

[AvsRuleU]

Man, I was just about to post this. Nikola Jokic said something very interesting in an interview after losing the Minnesota series (and he doesn't talk much). He said "matchups matter". Meaning very, very good teams can get beat if they get a bad matchup in the playoffs and don't play their best. If the Nuggets play differently down the stretch, they play Dallas in the playoffs instead of Minny. The Nuggets would beat Dallas. The Nuggets are also better than Boston - who is going to the Finals. But Minnesota is just built in a way that gives the Nuggets fits. They pack the middle with bigs, frustrate Jokic and make the Nuggets eat clock and make outside shots. And if the Nugs shooters have off nights . . . adios Denver. Matchups. They matter.

The Avs/Dallas series was a mirror image of Nuggets/Minnesota. Dallas doesn't - and didn't - play any differently than they have a gazillion times before against the Avs. Dallas just plays in a way that's designed to give teams like the Avs fits. Like Minnesota, they clog the middle and force everything outside. Bednar isn't dumb - he knows how to beat a system like that. He has: Winnipeg runs (tried to run) the same defensive system as Dallas and the Avs took it apart. The Avs are better, but the difference was . . .

. . . Dallas played about a perfect and disciplined 3-4 game stretch of defensive system hockey as anybody has ever seen. I watched a couple of the early Dallas/Avs games with my neighbor who's a former college hockey coach, and he just shook his head in awe. Dallas/DeBoer runs a structure/system/cyborg style and if they are healthy, locked in and perfect . . . it's very, very tough to beat them. Not impossible. Just really hard. The Avs were distracted by the Nuke thing, Mac/Mikko were frustrated, Toews gets hurt . . . rough.

But this is why Dallas won't beat Edmonton and DeBoer will never win a Cup: it's impossible to play perfect, defensive, counterpunch, rope-a-dope system hockey every night for 16 games. The Dallas team playing Edmonton now is not the same team that beat the Avs. They are tired and banged up. Their age is showing. Tanev is on 1 leg. And systems tend to fall apart under those conditions. When you're tired, hurt, old . . . and playing a team like Edmonton, you're not going to be perfect and you're going to get beat.

As Jokic said, match-ups matter. If the Avs play the LA Kings/Nashville/Vancouver in any combination over 2 series . . . they are playing in the Western Finals. Maybe against a banged up Dallas team. Maybe against the Oilers. And they have a shot against either. But Edmonton drew that combination and they get to play a gassed, disjointed, injured imperfect Dallas team.

The Avs will continue to make the playoffs and will be Cup contenders for the next several years. The core is too good. But this year it's the Panthers - that team is loaded. LOADED. They are taking the Rangers apart 5X5. But the Panthers will pay the piper in a month - they're gonna lose a bunch of players to FA and since Florida trades/traded all of their draft picks . . well, their window is very short. The Panthers should just sit the next few drafts out altogether. But this year . . . well, they look a lot like the 2022 Avalanche - if the Avalanche also played dirty. Yikes.

Just tired of the "boy do the Avs suck/boy is Bednar a shitty coach/boy is MacFarland a moron" stuff - I realize self flagellation is part of the theme for this board but jeezus. Enough. Talent, matchups, health and luck all factor in the SC runs. The Avs had all of those things in 2022. Those combinations just haven't fallen together the last 2 years. There are about 20-25 teams that would trade for the Avalanche position right now, as is - even with all the Nuke/Landy/cap issues.

Didn't read, too long.

The problem is the Avs just suck, Bednar needs to go and MacFarland is trash. Deboer owns Bedsy.

 

[Ceremony]

Imagine losing to a team that can't even beat f***ing Edmonton

 

[Valushkin]

It’s not over yet. Dallas can still win the series in game 7 but I don’t like their chances. Again, it comes down to who’s more healthier this time of year. Oilers seem to be the more healthier team while Dallas has guys like Hintz, Tanev playing hurt

 

[StLAvsFan]

It’s more the Avs have zero idea how to create below the goal line.

This series shows the Avs are further away than thought.

Against Dallas, not only did the Avs have no idea how to create below the goal line, but they had no idea how to DEFEND against the cycle below their own goal line + in front of their net. Couple that with their two biggest offensive stars & supposed "leaders" (#29 & #96) literally REFUSING to play physically when run-'n-gun wasn't work for them; that made losing inevitable. Dallas is a good team, but they're not worldbeaters. The '22 Avs would have destroyed them in 5 games, because unlike this current Avs bunch, they were a relentless 200 ft. hockey team. Until Bednar & his players understand that ugly wins count as much as "flash & dash," the Avs will be 2nd round cannonfodder till their SC window closes for good. And that isn't too far away if Rantanen demands $100 million to stay, which he more than likely will.

 

[MacKaRtin]

There was a time when RNH was compared to Sakic and Yzerman. I see the vision.

This is the kind of post I expect from @NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS

 

[dahrougem2]

Man, I was just about to post this. Nikola Jokic said something very interesting in an interview after losing the Minnesota series (and he doesn't talk much). He said "matchups matter". Meaning very, very good teams can get beat if they get a bad matchup in the playoffs and don't play their best. If the Nuggets play differently down the stretch, they play Dallas in the playoffs instead of Minny. The Nuggets would beat Dallas. The Nuggets are also better than Boston - who is going to the Finals. But Minnesota is just built in a way that gives the Nuggets fits. They pack the middle with bigs, frustrate Jokic and make the Nuggets eat clock and make outside shots. And if the Nugs shooters have off nights . . . adios Denver. Matchups. They matter.

The Avs/Dallas series was a mirror image of Nuggets/Minnesota. Dallas doesn't - and didn't - play any differently than they have a gazillion times before against the Avs. Dallas just plays in a way that's designed to give teams like the Avs fits. Like Minnesota, they clog the middle and force everything outside. Bednar isn't dumb - he knows how to beat a system like that. He has: Winnipeg runs (tried to run) the same defensive system as Dallas and the Avs took it apart. The Avs are better, but the difference was . . .

. . . Dallas played about a perfect and disciplined 3-4 game stretch of defensive system hockey as anybody has ever seen. I watched a couple of the early Dallas/Avs games with my neighbor who's a former college hockey coach, and he just shook his head in awe. Dallas/DeBoer runs a structure/system/cyborg style and if they are healthy, locked in and perfect . . . it's very, very tough to beat them. Not impossible. Just really hard. The Avs were distracted by the Nuke thing, Mac/Mikko were frustrated, Toews gets hurt . . . rough.

But this is why Dallas won't beat Edmonton and DeBoer will never win a Cup: it's impossible to play perfect, defensive, counterpunch, rope-a-dope system hockey every night for 16 games. The Dallas team playing Edmonton now is not the same team that beat the Avs. They are tired and banged up. Their age is showing. Tanev is on 1 leg. And systems tend to fall apart under those conditions. When you're tired, hurt, old . . . and playing a team like Edmonton, you're not going to be perfect and you're going to get beat.

As Jokic said, match-ups matter. If the Avs play the LA Kings/Nashville/Vancouver in any combination over 2 series . . . they are playing in the Western Finals. Maybe against a banged up Dallas team. Maybe against the Oilers. And they have a shot against either. But Edmonton drew that combination and they get to play a gassed, disjointed, injured imperfect Dallas team.

The Avs will continue to make the playoffs and will be Cup contenders for the next several years. The core is too good. But this year it's the Panthers - that team is loaded. LOADED. They are taking the Rangers apart 5X5. But the Panthers will pay the piper in a month - they're gonna lose a bunch of players to FA and since Florida trades/traded all of their draft picks . . well, their window is very short. The Panthers should just sit the next few drafts out altogether. But this year . . . well, they look a lot like the 2022 Avalanche - if the Avalanche also played dirty. Yikes.

Just tired of the "boy do the Avs suck/boy is Bednar a shitty coach/boy is MacFarland a moron" stuff - I realize self flagellation is part of the theme for this board but jeezus. Enough. Talent, matchups, health and luck all factor in the SC runs. The Avs had all of those things in 2022. Those combinations just haven't fallen together the last 2 years. There are about 20-25 teams that would trade for the Avalanche position right now, as is - even with all the Nuke/Landy/cap issues.

It's the whole "window is likely closed" and "Avs won't likely contend anymore" talk that kills me. As if there are 5-8 teams in the West ready to explode onto the scene and dominate for the next 5 years while the Avs become the Minnesota Wild.

The Avs will be right back to contending next season.

 

[NOTENOUGHRYANTHINGS]

This is the kind of post I expect from @NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS

Lost in the sands of time but I had a series of posts saying RNH and MacK were literally the same player.

 

[redacted]

On the plus side, Edmonton is essentially the same team but with Ekholm + a better coach than when the Avs beat them 2 years ago.

Changes are needed and it won't be easy, but if the Avs get 1-2 key moves right the Avs will be right back up there.

The Avs aren’t that close the the team of 2 years ago though.

 

[Mighty Makar]

I’m rooting for the Panthers. f*** the Oilers.

 

[redacted]

Well yeah…

They’re still playing and how many rounds of golf have the Avs played already?

Smartass comment… saw a few comments that Edmonton would at least 6 for them to have an equal season in some eyes.

 

[JudoKoala]

I’m rooting for the Panthers. f*** the Oilers.

I actively root against any sports team from Florida or Texas, so my decision here is pretty easy. Why would you want yet another Florida team to be successful, anyway?

It's the whole "window is likely closed" and "Avs won't likely contend anymore" talk that kills me. As if there are 5-8 teams in the West ready to explode onto the scene and dominate for the next 5 years while the Avs become the Minnesota Wild.

The Avs will be right back to contending next season.

It always helps to go back to the 2022 season threads and see how the rhetoric wasn't very different, even when we were rolling in the postseason. The hysterics around here are always amusing.

 

[GeoRox89]

I actively root against any sports team from Florida or Texas, so my decision here is pretty easy. Why would you want yet another Florida team to be successful, anyway?



It always helps to go back to the 2022 season threads and see how the rhetoric wasn't very different, even when we were rolling in the postseason. The hysterics around here are always amusing.

Will never forget after the Avs lost game 5 of the SCF and the general mood was they’ve blown their chance and will now be the first team in like 60 years to blow a 3-1 lead in the Final. I love how reactionary this place is

 

[The Moops]

Will never forget after the Avs lost game 5 of the SCF and the general mood was they’ve blown their chance and will now be the first team in like 60 years to blow a 3-1 lead in the Final. I love how reactionary this place is

I wasn't nervous after game 5 of the finals but I was nervous after game 5 of the Blues series

 

[GeoRox89]

I wasn't nervous after game 5 of the finals but I was nervous after game 5 of the Blues series

That game was so annoying. As much as I absolutely love that Helm goal still feels like we were robbed of that gorgeous Mack goal being the series winner

 

[sethro109]

I actively root against any sports team from Florida or Texas, so my decision here is pretty easy. Why would you want yet another Florida team to be successful, anyway?

Because the Oilers have the the worst, most vile fan base of any hockey team.

Also, McDavid becoming the NHL version of Dan Marino is a funny thought.

 

[PAZ]

The Avs aren’t that close the the team of 2 years ago though.

The Avs don't need to be as good as that cup team were they steamrolled the opposition.

I don't think there's a right or wrong path between staying the course or trying to re-tool, it'll come down to health and luck. Although i'm not as confident that CMac + Bednar have the same relationship that Sakic + Bednar did, which is why we're seeing moves that look great on paper but doesn't translate on the ice.

 

[Avs91]

The Avs don't need to be as good as that cup team were they steamrolled the opposition.

I don't think there's a right or wrong path between staying the course or trying to re-tool, it'll come down to health and luck. Although i'm not as confident that CMac + Bednar have the same relationship that Sakic + Bednar did, which is why we're seeing moves that look great on paper but doesn't translate on the ice.

I’m with you 100% on this, and as others have stated, most teams in the league would kill for our core lol obviously a lot remains to be seen with Landy, and a lot remains to be desired with how disappointing the Nuke situation is.

But yeah, health and luck. I’m watching 2022 highlights today and that whole St. Louis… wow. We burned through quite a bit of luck there. Manson OT winner game one (you get to OT, a puck bounces and you’re taking the L lol), Kadri had his best game of the playoffs offensively (outside the amazing Tampa OT goal), I’m still not ready to talk about game 5…, and Compher had timely, I mean very timely goals in game six prior to the Helm (also very lucky) goal. Oh and that block in game six by Manson on a very wide open net that would have made it 3-1 at that time.

The core is locked and the best thing about that is cap going up, so we’ll recycle everyone else every year until hopefully, we find that magic combo again, and can add again. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s 4-5 years between cups, if we could be so lucky.

 

[Valushkin]

ERod can never finish

 

[sethro109]

That shirtless kid flexing behind Laviolette during his interview on the bench was hilarious.

 

[Avs91]

Pretty quick on the “you challenging or not” lol not complaining but the dude on the near side looked to be offside

 

[sethro109]

Pretty quick on the “you challenging or not” lol not complaining but the dude on the near side looked to be offside

Yeah I thought he was offsides too. The Rags might need a new review coach.

 

[sethro109]

He was onsides. Touche rangers review coach.

 

[Avs91]

He was onsides. Touche rangers review coach.

Body position was deceiving versus the feet. Good call

 

[The Merchant]

ERod was such a great add. He's been a legit depth piece for them

 

[dahrougem2]

Rangers cannot skate with Florida