Top-3 Playoff Performances since 2005?

[Michael Farkas]

He's probably not even top 100 performances since 2005/06

This makes less than zero sense...

Name 100 better.

 

[Felidae]

I think I'd put Couture's 2015-16 playoff run here over a few others already on the list.

30 points in 24 games, 12th most playoff points in a single run among active players, but everyone ahead of him did it during higher scoring years. No one did it in the early 2000s, and he's the only one to do it in the early to mid 2010 years (the second lowest scoring years after the early 2000s).

He was pretty good defensively as well.

 

[JackSlater]

Not sure what it mean and an agnostic comments, but Lidstrom did not show up in that list.

Yes he turned 35 during lock-out, but he is a 4 time Norris winners post 2005 with 2 stanley cup finals, in 2007 played over 30 minutes a night during the conference final run leading his team in points.

Could be a loaded team we do not think, could be injury-age by the time it is 2009, but are we underrating him ? When we think about Justin Williams or Alfredsson run before any of his ?

Or does his post 2005 career quite overrated by the voting bodies of the time...

He shouldn't just be there because he's Lidstrom though. Neither of his 2008 or 2009 runs is a contender for best 3 since 2006, so they shouldn't be listed. It's a high standard covering nearly two decades.

20% of games giving up 4 or more (rescued by the 16th highest offensive output in playoff history to that point, and highest since the '92 Penguins)
or
0% of games giving up 4 or more

Reliable goaltending, only one bad goal in the entire playoff or extremely inconsistent goaltending, and tons of bad goals.

2012 Quick happening within 12 months of the (needlessly long) 2011 playoffs, but getting so much less recognition is a failure of the American education system haha

I believe you fail to recognize that collecting saves in a manner that yields an average marginally higher than others is the goal.

I think I'd put Couture's 2015-16 playoff run here over a few others already on the list.

30 points in 24 games, 12th most playoff points in a single run among active players, but everyone ahead of him did it during higher scoring years. No one did it in the early 2000s, and he's the only one to do it in the early to mid 2010 years (the second lowest scoring years after the early 2000s).

He was pretty good defensively as well.

Couture should have gotten the Conn Smythe that year.

 

[daver]

Couture should have gotten the Conn Smythe that year.

By what standard? Only two losing forwards have ever won the Smythe.

 

[JackSlater]

By what standard? Only two losing forwards have ever won the Smythe.

By being the most valuable player in the playoffs. I don't personally care that the voters have informally invented additional criteria so that a player from the winning team almost always gets it.

 

[Voight]

Karlsson 2017 should be an option.

Not really, considering his team didn't make the finals.

 

[JackSlater]

20% of games giving up 4 or more (rescued by the 16th highest offensive output in playoff history to that point, and highest since the '92 Penguins)
or
0% of games giving up 4 or more

Reliable goaltending, only one bad goal in the entire playoff or extremely inconsistent goaltending, and tons of bad goals.

2012 Quick happening within 12 months of the (needlessly long) 2011 playoffs, but getting so much less recognition is a failure of the American education system haha

I've given a lot of thought to Thomas 2011 and Hasek 1999 over the years, mainly how people react to them. Namely that goal support doesn't matter, though for what it's worth I think Hasek was great even though the performance is overrated. I've also considered Thomas allowing 4+ goals, mainly the 4, 5, 5, 5 goal games he allowed in one series to Tampa Bay in 2011. Quick is the only Conn Smythe winning goaltender to not allow even a 4 goal game. Thomas is the only Conn Smythe goaltender to allow 4 or more 4 goal games in a series. Allowing four goals means that the team needs to score 5 to win, very difficult to do (especially when Thomas played in a lower scoring season than all but 3 Conn Smythe winning goaltenders) and allowing 5 goals is almost a death sentence for that game.

For what it's worth, in Conn Smythe history only Ranford 1990, Hextall 1987, Smith 1983, Dryden 1971, and Hall 1968 allowed worse than one 4 goal game and three 5 goals games in a whole playoff run, better yet one series.

Anyway, I don't really see how Thomas would be a viable contender here. As for Quick, it's tougher to say. Much like Thomas he played on a team with great defensive players and a strong defensive coach. He was tremendous but also rarely challenged, so it's tricky. I don't know what else he could have done to significantly improve his performance, but I also don't see it with the very top level performances.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Yeah, it's one of the weirder ones that exist. I don't think Thomas' wildly inconsistent effort is a top...I don't know...10 (?) goalie performance since the lockout. Does it even net out as a positive because of how many games were just thrown away? Just straight up throwing games in the garbage...

Quick had a different situation, but of course, a very defensive one. The key really is what you give up, how you give it up, and the timing of it. It's so clear that Quick ran a tight ship there, but also provided "plus" goaltending. Let's not forget, he was quite an acrobat himself, so he could bail out the Kings when necessary. But, what, one bad goal in the whole run? Never let any series get into any sort of doubt. Whether you say Hasek's (I agree, somewhat overrated) heroics in 1999 is better or more impactful, maybe it is maybe it isn't. But Quick's 2012 is just a mint condition of what playoff goaltending needs to be, so to speak. Controlled, yet, capable of game stealing. Tight, dialed in, showed no weakness, yielded no momentum. I'm still always a little surprised that Quick did it because of his very athletic style, but he did, so...

If we want to say Quick is close to the Price run or whatever, I'd listen to that...but it's a completely different atmospheric level than the 2011 run.

 

[Gorskyontario]

This makes less than zero sense...

Name 100 better.

If you list 100 I'll let you know which ones I agree and disagree with.

 

[Michael Farkas]

If you list 100 I'll let you know which ones I agree and disagree with.

It's your claim, not mine. Do your own dirty work.

 

[Gorskyontario]

It's your claim, not mine. Do your own dirty work.

Can you give me some suggestions to get started?

 

[Michael Farkas]

Can you give me some suggestions to get started?

I'd start with actually watching Karlsson in 2017 and then come back apologize to all of us haha

 

[Gorskyontario]

I'd start with actually watching Karlsson in 2017 and then come back apologize to all of us haha

Well I did see most of his games that year and I don't believe he is among the top playoff runs since the lockout.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Am I the only one who feels like all three of Pronger's runs were equally as impressive?

I find it hard to place one of those runs in the top 3 without putting all 3 of them.

That being said, I pick McDavid, Keith and Pronger.

I also have Quick's run above Thomas' for what it's worth.

 

[DitchMarner]

Well I did see most of his games that year and I don't believe he is among the top playoff runs since the lockout.

Karlsson was brilliant in the 2017 playoffs. He didn't just score points; he controlled games.

Did you watch the series against BOS? He was the best player.