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Series Talk: Stanley Cup Playoffs 2024

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AvBuff said:
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.
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Match ups matter. And so does timing. If the play offs were held during January before the All Star break, the Avs win the Cup. They were that impressive. But alas, by the time March/April rolled around, they were spent. They had enough gas to beat Winnipeg. I will add that Bednar overplaying his top players through out the season doesn't help.
 
the_fan said:
How many time do I have to say it….stay away from the presidents trophy
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The Prez curse is a myth. It’s simply the law of averages playing out. It shouldn’t be something a team should go out of their way to get, but it is not something to be avoided either.

Rangers have been a deeply flawed team for years and Drury has done absolutely nothing to address it. They have elite-level special teams and goaltending, but their even-strength numbers are mediocre at best. That always seems to catch up with them.

They also have a glorified goon as their captain who really isn’t that great at hockey.

Could be very concerning now that Breadman finally appears to be showing signs of age. Even as Lafreniere is finally showing signs of realizing some of his potential.

They have to upgrade their center corps and IMO get a better defense. But hey if they’re done with Miller I think he’d be worth getting.
 
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We keep saying Dallas plays a boring style, but to be honest, so does Florida. They don’t play an exciting brand of hockey either. They dump and chase and grind you out. It’s boring but effective hockey

Dallas vs Florida would be one snooze fest finals. At least Oilers will make it more fun with McDavid and company
 
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Well good news here, even if we made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Heartbreak awaited. Florida would've pulverized us. Pretty sure we'd need to LTIR Makar and Girard next season by the end of it. Talk about a team committed to aggressive forchecking. Such a stacked team. I'm curious how they handle Reinhart in the off-season.

Feel bad for Rangers fans. I always have a soft spot for them being from NYC. They've been gifted generational goaltending for years. A city that players come to play for. A 1st and 2nd overall pick but still can't get over the hump. I think this was their best shot. They get one more year with Shesterkins steal of a contract but that core is on the wrong side of 30.
 
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The Pwnerer said:
Well good news here, even if we made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Heartbreak awaited. Florida would've pulverized us. Pretty sure we'd need to LTIR Makar and Girard next season by the end of it. Talk about a team committed to aggressive forchecking. Such a stacked team. I'm curious how they handle Reinhart in the off-season.

Feel bad for Rangers fans. I always have a soft spot for them being from NYC. They've been gifted generational goaltending for years. A city that players come to play for. A 1st and 2nd overall pick but still can't get over the hump. I think this was their best shot. They get one more year with Shesterkins steal of a contract but that core is on the wrong side of 30.
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Although they hit a home run picking Igor they did pick two turds with their first and second and that hurt them. They were gifted Igor at the expense of two duds pretty much.
 
the_fan said:
We keep saying Dallas plays a boring style, but to be honest, so does Florida. They don’t play an exciting brand of hockey either. They dump and chase and grind you out. It’s boring but effective hockey

Dallas vs Florida would be one snooze fest finals. At least Oilers will make it more fun with McDavid and company
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They can play a boring style but they remind more of Vegas with the heavy forecheck focus while being tight defensively. Dallas seems to play more to wait for a mistake. Florida seems like they’re trying to create a mistake but when both are executing properly they’re stifling defensively.

Florida remind me even more of Tampa in that they have the horses to play run and gun and are more a team that will beat you playing whatever style they need to in order to counter your strengths compared to Mr Potato Heads style preference
 
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Presidents trophy curse lives on

Being healthy and rested is more important than home ice - and you’re not even guaranteed nice matchups by finishing first in the conference just look at Dallas.

dahrougem2 said:
Remember when Bobrovsky was convinced Panarin was going to join him in Florida but got spurned by him for NYR?

Tonight must be interesting
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nammerus said:
An amazingly well constructed team, even with the semi-handicap Bob contract.

It’s actually embarrassing to see how much better a job Zito has done compared to Cmac.
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You. Are. OBSESSED. Man, it's so weird

Imagine be so obsessed with the GM of a team that it's your first thought when anything happens.

Got a great pizza last night? "Man, the guy who made this pizza could teach CMac a thing or two!"

Got in a fender bender? "Pfft, this guys just as bad at driving as CMac is at GMing!"

Your best friend sacrifices himself by locking himself in with deadly radiation to save your entire crew? "CMaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac!!!"
 
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GeoRox89 said:
They can play a boring style but they remind more of Vegas with the heavy forecheck focus while being tight defensively. Dallas seems to play more to wait for a mistake. Florida seems like they’re trying to create a mistake but when both are executing properly they’re stifling defensively.

Florida remind me even more of Tampa in that they have the horses to play run and gun and are more a team that will beat you playing whatever style they need to in order to counter your strengths compared to Mr Potato Heads style preference
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Panthers are more fun to watch than Dallas for sure
 
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Chiarelli said:
Presidents trophy curse lives on
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Once again, not a curse. Even the most heavily-favored team to win it all only has, at best, a 30% chance of actually winning it all. Winning 16 playoff games is incredibly hard and requires about as much luck as it does great players, coaching, goaltending, and depth.

It shouldn’t be something a team busts their tails for but it’s not a monkey’s paw either.
 
With the Cats in the finals, and Edmonton on the verge... my non-homer bracket is at 92% of possible points. The only series winner I missed was having the Jets over the Avs in round one (lol). Cats are team of destiny this year. Meow.

Screenshot 2024-06-02 at 1.30.31 PM.png
 
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