The Playoff Push, Tanking and Scoreboard Watching Thread

[TheDizee]

Kadri is offsides and cost flames a goal. 2-1 leafs still.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

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.

Mostly agree. I’m a Jets fan. I want us to rip them to shreds if we make the playoffs and meet them, but if we don’t, then I want them to go far.

 

[TheDizee]

5-1 Leafs after 2. Flames look like hot garbage.

 

[Blanick]

Minnesota and LA tied 1-1 end of 2nd.

 

[TheDizee]

2-1 Minnesota 4min left

 

[ChicagoBlues]

2-1 Minnesota 4min left

Doesn’t really matter, though. We ain’t catchin’ them.

 

[Blanick]

Doesn’t really matter, though. We ain’t catchin’ them.

I wouldn't have thought so a week ago but if their next 10 games goes as poorly as the last 10 we absolutely could catch them.

 

[TheDizee]

wild win 3-1

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I wouldn't have thought so a week ago but if their next 10 games goes as poorly as the last 10 we absolutely could catch them.

It could happen. At the start of the season, I had the Blues grabbing the WC2 and getting spanked 4-1 in the 1st round.

Now, I have them grabbing the WC2 and making some noise.

 

[TruBlueFan1970]

Regardless of games in hand, point percentage gap is closing between Nucks (.545) the Flames (.538) and Blues (.537). Such a huge week for all three teams. If the Blues beat the Preds, and both the Nucks and Flames lose tomorrow, we pass them in points percentage and thus will control our own destiny.

 

[StLewis11]

Regardless of games in hand, point percentage gap is closing between Nucks (.545) the Flames (.538) and Blues (.537). Such a huge week for all three teams. If the Blues beat the Preds, and both the Nucks and Flames lose tomorrow, we pass them in points percentage and thus will control our own destiny.

Plus we actually play the Canucks on Thursday. What a big game that'll be!

 

[Brian39]

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.

I don't get this narrative. Vegas isn't as deep as they used to be, but we aren't exactly deep either. They have 9 forwards with 10+ goals while we have 7. That doesn't include William Karlsson, who has only played 38 games this year but should be back for playoffs. A lot of their middle 6 have good possession numbers too. Vegas is 6th in goals for this year and their leading scorer has the same number of goals as ours. They are also 8th in goals against with their goalies playing right at league average, so they defend well. Again, they aren't the 4 line monster they were in their Cup year, but it isn't like they don't have the middle 6 to compete with us, who are also not a particularly deep team.

 

[Brian39]

The Flames lost in regulation last night, which was one of their games in hand (we each play 7 more games in March and then they will play their other 2 games in hand in April). Big result for us as we continue to sit 2 points ahead of them. As much as I'd love the Wild to keep plummeting down the standings, their win last night doesn't concern me too much. I care much, much more about Vancouver, Calgary and Utah than I care about the Wild.

Huge night tonight.

Calgary is in New York to play the Rangers. Calgary played last night while the Rangers were off following a weekend back-to-back. Utah is at Edmonton and Vancouver hosts Winnipeg. And then obviously we are playing at Nashville. The teams we are rooting against are all underdogs according to the betting market while our game is nearly a toss up (we are very slight favorites but both teams require a bet of more than $100 to win $100).

Let's hope the odds hold in all 4 games. If they do, we will be in playoff position at the end of the night and will almost control our own destiny. We would control our destiny over Vancouver and Utah, but could theoretically still lose out on a tiebreaker to Calgary if both teams won-out the remaining schedule.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I don't get this narrative. Vegas isn't as deep as they used to be, but we aren't exactly deep either. They have 9 forwards with 10+ goals while we have 7. That doesn't include William Karlsson, who has only played 38 games this year but should be back for playoffs. A lot of their middle 6 have good possession numbers too. Vegas is 6th in goals for this year and their leading scorer has the same number of goals as ours. They are also 8th in goals against with their goalies playing right at league average, so they defend well. Again, they aren't the 4 line monster they were in their Cup year, but it isn't like they don't have the middle 6 to compete with us, who are also not a particularly deep team.

Yeah, that was the part I didn’t agree with. Vegas is still pretty loaded. They’re D will cancel at least one or two of our best forwards.

Matchups favor Vegas.

Big night tonight.

 

[TruBlueFan1970]

I don't get this narrative. Vegas isn't as deep as they used to be, but we aren't exactly deep either. They have 9 forwards with 10+ goals while we have 7. That doesn't include William Karlsson, who has only played 38 games this year but should be back for playoffs. A lot of their middle 6 have good possession numbers too. Vegas is 6th in goals for this year and their leading scorer has the same number of goals as ours. They are also 8th in goals against with their goalies playing right at league average, so they defend well. Again, they aren't the 4 line monster they were in their Cup year, but it isn't like they don't have the middle 6 to compete with us, who are also not a particularly deep team.

Yeah, that was the part I didn’t agree with. Vegas is still pretty loaded. They’re D will cancel at least one or two of our best forwards.

Matchups favor Vegas.

Big night tonight.

I don’t want any part of Vegas. True that they are not as deep as the Cup team, but they are big, physical, play great defense and are in the top 10 in scoring. They do not seem like a good matchup and I think we lose a series with them in 5.

If we make the playoffs (still a big if), I prefer WPG. They are a helluva team, but we seem to matchup better for some reason with them. Rather take my chances on them choking yet again, then dealing with the likes of Eichel, Stone, Hertl, Petro, Hanifin, McNabb, Barby, etc…