Now that that’s over, rooting for Leafs vs Oilers for the finals. Can’t think of another matchup I’d be interested in, personally.
Lots of stats guys liked the oilers a month ago so that’s where I bet
Oilers got way better once they got Ekholm. This could be their year.
The eastern conference seems pretty wide open. Hurricanes would have been the favorite IMO but losing Svechnikov for the season really hurts their chances.
Lets see:
Edm, Sea, Tor, NJ
Edm, NJ
NJ
My futures are EDM and CAR so that’s a lock
They do have an identity, it’s just that their identity is a team of highly skilled perimeter players that try a lot of difficult stretch passes and finely weighted feathered passes to create golden scoring opportunities. When those plays work, they look like the Harlem Globetrotters on ice. When those passes don’t connect or they get pinned back by a quicker pressing / counter attacking team then they look terrible. This was true of last year’s team as well.
It will be true of next year’s team, too, and for years after because they’re basically locked into their current core. Panarin, Kreider, Mika, Trocheck, and Trouba all have No Move Clauses in their contracts, they’re all under contract for 3+ more seasons, and they’ll all be on the wrong side of 30 next year. This team is what it is, and they will likely be a playoff caliber team for a few more years and each year they will have a chance to advance in the playoffs if they run hot on the PP and in goal. The biggest identity change that could happen would be a coaching change so if they decide to go that route then we’ll see what happens.
Maybe their recent first rounders won’t end up being total busts and finally break out
It’s very possible that they take a big step forward next year, but it’s not like they are getting unlimited first line / PP1 minutes because the team is stacked with veterans in front of them taking all the best roles. Kakko and Lafreniere basically never play on the top PP and it’s very, very hard to be a big producer with say 70 points if you never get top PP time. And as I mentioned above, the stars aren’t going anywhere because of their contracts.
They are likely going to try again at the start of next season to force them into the top six and see how they do. It’s unpredictable what will come of it. They both have just over 200 NHL games now so if they don’t make a big leap forward in production next year then that’s a bit of a red flag.
Next fall…
any tips for where to sit in that arena?
I would be shocked if you could get in the building for $500 on resale in TO.
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The announcer just led the opening with how expensive the ticket prices were for this game.
Sometimes teams that score a first round upset look like complete duds in the next round. This is not the case with the Panthers so far. They’re playing with so much confidence.
$160 is for standing room at the very top.
Kudos to the NHL for implementing parity pricing for fans attending games in Dallas (basically the 3rd world) compared to a modern metropolis in a 1st world country like Toronto.
I’m conflicted on whether to watch my beloved Leafs or the CFL draft
Kraken with 3 goals in less than a minute
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Are you making fun of the Yanks and their three day NFL draft?
Also, if 5.5 was the line in the DAL/SEA Gm1 of round 2 and you had the under, you lost, in the first 16 minutes. SEA going ham.
FYP.
Kraken status: RELEASED!
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