The Playoff Push, Tanking and Scoreboard Watching Thread

[stl76]

Utah @ Van. Who are we rooting for?

Giant meteor?

 

[Mike Liut]

Utah

I almost think Utah is better at the moment

 

[PeoriaBlues309]

I almost think Utah is better at the moment

Maybe, but we’re ahead of them(by pts and tiebreaker) and behind Vancouver. We can go back to rooting for them to lose after tonight.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

Utah @ Van. Who are we rooting for?

OT and points for everyone.

 

[Eldon Reid]

OT and points for everyone.

OT & a shootout. This is the best outcome if it goes to OT.

 

[bleedblue1223]

We own the tie-breaker with Utah, we should want Utah to win in regulation, as all we have to do is outplay them the rest of the way. If we don't outplay them, we aren't making the playoffs anyway.

This is a huge week for playoff chances. Tomorrow Calgary plays Toronto in Toronto. Tuesday has all 4 playing, Calgary vs NYR, Blues vs Preds, Utah vs Edmonton, and Vancouver vs Winnipeg. Thursday we play Vancouver, Utah plays Buffalo, and Calgary plays the Devils. In a few days, we can be the favored one of the group.

 

[TheDizee]

 

[Blanick]

Tomorrow Calgary has Toronto. On paper Toronto should win this one but who knows.
Tuesday we have Nashville and Vancouver has Winnipeg. Clearly we have the easier matchup, have to take advantage. Calgary also plays NYR on a b2b with travel.

We could wake up on Wed in control of our own destiny if everything goes well.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Take the top 3 in each division away, we are the only other team that doesn't have a negative goal differential.

 

[Blanick]

Take the top 3 in each division away, we are the only other team that doesn't have a negative goal differential.

Another thing to keep an eye on is Minnesota, they have been in free fall and are a 4-5 game losing streak away from being added to the discussion.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Another thing to keep an eye on in Minnesota, they have been in free fall and are a 4-5 game losing streak away from being added to the discussion.

They have to fall by a pretty crazy amount to fall out of it, but they are creeping towards making it a reality. They just aren't the same team without Kaprizov.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Another thing to keep an eye on in Minnesota, they have been in free fall and are a 4-5 game losing streak away from being added to the discussion.

Would we rather play Vegas or Winnipeg in Round 1?

 

[Blanick]

Would we rather play Vegas or Winnipeg in Round 1?

Give me playoff Helly. We've already made him our bitch once.

 

[TheDizee]

Would we rather play Vegas or Winnipeg in Round 1?

vegas because the pacific bracket is easier if you advance

central means you go through WPG + DAL or Refalanche

 

[ToastedRavioli]

Would we rather play Vegas or Winnipeg in Round 1?

I think I'd prefer to face Winnipeg over Vegas but it's close. However, the potential 2nd round matchup is much easier in the pacific, so I'd lean towards Vegas.

 

[Blanick]

They have to fall by a pretty crazy amount to fall out of it, but they are creeping towards making it a reality. They just aren't the same team without Kaprizov.

The Blues in the last 10 are 7-2-1
The Wild in the last 10 are 3-6-1

The Blues have 73 points
The Wild have 79 points

If both teams repeat those records over the next 10 games...

The Blues would have 88 points
The Wild would have 86 points

 

[PeoriaBlues309]

vegas because the pacific bracket is easier if you advance

central means you go through WPG + DAL or Refalanche

Vegas is a harder matchup than Winnipeg, and playoff McDavid/Draisaitl are always on another level. Plus, Dallas/Colorado are going to wear each other down in a 7 game series.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Take the top 3 in each division away, we are the only other team that doesn't have a negative goal differential.

Historically, that has been a very good predictor of playoff teams.

 

[Mike Liut]

There aren’t really any dominant teams in the nhl right now. A hot goalie can beat anybody in the playoffs. It’s a damn shame Parayko got hurt.

 

[MissouriMook]

There aren’t really any dominant teams in the nhl right now. A hot goalie can beat anybody in the playoffs. It’s a damn shame Parayko got hurt.

He was walking last night without crutches. I don't think it is a stretch to think he'll be back in the lineup in four weeks, even if he isn't 100%.

 

[Mike Liut]

He was walking last night without crutches. I don't think it is a stretch to think he'll be back in the lineup in four weeks, even if he isn't 100%.

Just need him healthy for game 1.

 

[TheDizee]

 

[TheDizee]

Vegas is a harder matchup than Winnipeg, and playoff McDavid/Draisaitl are always on another level. Plus, Dallas/Colorado are going to wear each other down in a 7 game series.

We are all assuming Vegas is going to win the Pacific also. They are only 5pts ahead of LA and LA has 2 games in hand. The Pacific winner could be any of the top 3 right now. The Pacific bracket is going to be a easier route to the cup than the Central. You could get a LA-STL 1st round matchup.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Can’t let the Perds beat us tmrw.

Vancouver on Thursday is probably the biggest game of the year for the Blues.

Calgary is playing Toronto right now and plays again tomorrow at the NYR.

Vancouver plays Winnipeg tomorrow.

Hhmmm….so the Thursday game might be the most important. These next two days will clear things up.

 

[Beninnola]

Would we rather play Vegas or Winnipeg in Round 1?

I wanna chime in late:

I like the Jets and I like Jets fans. I’m a huge Chevy Stan. But I also like playoff hellebyuck memes, Swiss cheese memes too.

If the Jets wanna move on they gotta vanquish their demons, just as we had to.

They’re mature at most every position and we are not.

I don’t think we’d be destined to lose but - I wouldn’t ask for this.

They’ve been chipping away the number of years where you think it’s probably reasonable they’ll get through a little, at least. Really rather that be at somebody else’s expense. If we do get this matchup I can’t imagine they’re super thrilled about it.

I Don’t expect the hockey gods to let me pick, but I’d pick not-the jets if we made the playoffs. Let the jets go win a round and get it out of their system.

We should match up very well against Vegas, especially in second periods both home and away, but this season we failed at that. If we get this matchup I wouldn’t be surprised to see models predict us to win due to Vegas having minimal answers for our middle 6, so long as their top lines don’t wildly outperform ours. Against us, this year especially … I can’t remember the game date but it was a pivot of the year: Eichel really drove play and they know how to muck us up at times we should have been strong. If they’re able to do this we’re in a lot of trouble and it’s a short series. We may see. We haven’t played them since 4 nations and we aren’t the same team as before 4 nations. I think we match up extremely well - relative to say the Avs and Stars - who would be much more difficult - and we’re fortunate one of those two likely sends the other golfing before the second round starts.