(NHL Playoffs) Rite of Spring 2017: can't go on, no, I'll go on

[Cosmic 6,507]

I'm so happy the Blues and the Wild get to play each other in the first round... stalls the inevitable disappointment for one of them, at least.

[FGM13 767]

Habs over Rangers, 4-3
Bruins over Sens, 4-2 (Maybe? I have nothing on either of these teams)
Caps over Leafs, 4-1
Jackets over Pens, 4-3

Blackhawks over Perds, 4-1
Wild over Blues, 4-3
Ducks over Flames, 4-2
Sharks over Oilers, 4-3

[Morgan33 4,129]

Habs in 7
Sens in 6
Caps in 5

Pens in 7

Hawks in 6
Blues in 7
Flames in 7
Oilers in 6

[Still MIGHTY 3,835]

Ducks in 5. Flames win one in Calgary, because it sure as  won't happen down here.

 

 Mark Giordano.

 

---

 

Caps in 5

Pens in 6 (Fight like hell, Beej. We're all behind you.)

Habs in 6

Bruins in 6 (I have no idea how Ottawa got where it is. Someone want to explain them?)

 

Hawks in 6

Wild in 5 (Well, you better hope its in five.)

Oilers in 7

[the admiral 29,120]

Boy. sure would have been cool if the Oilers came all the way back from the depths of hockey hell to win the division, but NO, F-CK YOU, IT'S ANAHEIM, it is always Anaheim, it can only ever be Anaheim

[Still MIGHTY 3,835]

1 minute ago, the admiral said:

Boy. sure would have been cool if the Oilers came all the way back from the depths of hockey hell to win the division, but NO, F-CK YOU, IT'S ANAHEIM, it is always Anaheim, it can only ever be Anaheim

 

If the Sharks didn't curl up into a fetal ball last month and if the Oilers didn't let the god damned Kings somehow wizard six god damn goals against them last week, either the Sharks or Oilers could've had the Division.

 

But they didn't.

 

So... sorry for just chugging along and winning our other games? Idk what to tell you. I'm as surprised as anybody else the Ducks ended up taking it, when the other two had ample opportunity to take it for themselves.

[crashcarson15 2,482]

3 hours ago, SabresRule7361 said:

No Battle of Ontario.

 

No Battle of Alberta.

 

What first round series am I suppposed to be fired up for?

 

I don't see anything that reminds me of, say, Blues/Blackhawks last year or Flyers/Penguins 2012 where it's a series that you have to watch

Not like two of the NHL’s four best teams are playing in the first round or anything…

 

(Psst, don’t tell NBC either, which has apparently decided that this matchup isn’t deserving of an actual TV network for Game 2.)

[Sport 14,606]

6 hours ago, crashcarson15 said:

Not like two of the NHL’s four best teams are playing in the first round or anything…

 

(Psst, don’t tell NBC either, which has apparently decided that this matchup isn’t deserving of an actual TV network for Game 2.)

 

Seriously. The crappy format works out to give hockey a should be second/thirdish round series in the first round and this crank's response is "ugh no compelling series". Plus it's a rematch of a pretty good series from a few years ago. 

 

It does suck that we don't get an Alberta series or an Ontario series or a California series, but on the other hand it gives us the chance that all 5 Canadian teams lose in the first round.

 

Love your signature, BTW. 

[Sodboy13 5,770]

9 hours ago, SabresRule7361 said:

No Battle of Ontario.

 

No Battle of Alberta.

 

What first round series am I suppposed to be fired up for?

 

I don't see anything that reminds me of, say, Blues/Blackhawks last year or Flyers/Penguins 2012 where it's a series that you have to watch

 

Why would a Sabres fan have any interest in playoff hockey?

[Connor Hanley 53]

Anybody but Pittsburgh and Chicago.... 

 

 

 

ANYBODY

[TorinK92 314]

7 hours ago, Still MIGHTY said:

(I have no idea how Ottawa got where it is. Someone want to explain them?)

Guy Boucher invested in a new defensive system at the start of the season and stuck with it throughout the entire season (noteworthy that they went from last in shots against in 15-16 to 15th this season).

Erik Karlsson bought into the system and has been playing like a true elite #1 all season, leading the league in blocked shots, 3rd in d-points, and a reduction in ice time which has helped him a lot.

Craig Anderson has the leagues 3rd highest S% and Condon has been an exceptional backup almost all season, combining for 10 shutouts.

The forward depth, which has always been a problem, was massively improved this season with Pyatt, Stalberg, Burrows, and Wingels replacing Lazar, Neil, and a steady rotation of AHL players.

Also Wideman and Claesson have been a huge help improving the defensive depth, which is an upgrade from Wiercioch and Borowiecki all the time.

 

Anyway:

 

NYR in 7

OTT in 6

WSH in 5

PIT in 6

 

CHI in 7

STL in 6

ANA in 5

EDM in 7

 

 

 

[Sport 14,606]

Rangers, Bruins, Capitals, Blue Jackets

 

Blackhawks, Wild, Ducks, Sharks

[Kramerica Industries 2,081]

Montreal

Boston (ugh)

 

Washington

Pittsburgh

 

--

 

Chicago

St. Louis

 

Anaheim

Edmonton

 

--

 

Last time I actually felt good about the Capitals was in 2010. And what happened that year is the reason it's taken me seven years to finally feel good about them again. I don't know yet if I'm picking them to win the Cup, but I think they'll play for it, finally, this year. Some serious problems with Pittsburgh's blue line situation and I'm not entirely sure they're gonna be able to either fix them, or at least mask them, this time around. 

 

I'll take this an extra step further -- Montreal vs. Washington in the East and Edmonton vs. Chicago in the West. Chicago facing Washington in the Final.

[TorinK92 314]

I have Washington, Ottawa, Edmonton and St. Louis in the final 4.

 

Ottawa's there because they usually play well against the Bruins and Rangers, but mainly because the Atlantic is a grab bag and I choose to have hope this year.

 

I'm also about 51/49 for Edmonton vs Anaheim

[the admiral 29,120]

6 hours ago, McCarthy said:

Seriously. The crappy format works out to give hockey a should be second/thirdish round series in the first round and this crank's response is "ugh no compelling series". Plus it's a rematch of a pretty good series from a few years ago.

In his defense, the first round of the playoffs tends to be better than the second or third, because teams are starting from as close to 100% as they'll get and giving it everything they have. I don't have the numbers but it feels like all the truest upsets are in the first round while the second round more or less chalks out; third-round outcomes can seldom be called upsets at that point. In fact, other than the Hawks-Kings WCF of 2014, most third-round series seem to suck.

 

Quote

It does suck that we don't get an Alberta series or an Ontario series or a California series, but on the other hand it gives us the chance that all 5 Canadian teams lose in the first round.

That's a bad thing. With Vancouver sitting out, all five Canadian teams range from tolerable to likable.

[Sport 14,606]

4 minutes ago, the admiral said:

In his defense, the first round of the playoffs tends to be better than the second or third, because teams are starting from as close to 100% as they'll get and giving it everything they have. I don't have the numbers but it feels like all the truest upsets are in the first round while the second round more or less chalks out; third-round outcomes can seldom be called upsets at that point.

 

 

But I think there's still compelling matchups even without the built-in geographical rivalries. I think Edmonton-San Jose is compelling in that McDavid's first playoff series and the fast Oilers could just skate circles around the old ass Sharks until they're dead. 

 

4 minutes ago, the admiral said:

 

That's a bad thing. With Vancouver sitting out, all five Canadian teams range from tolerable to likable.

I'm not exactly rooting for it, but I'd get a chuckle out of it after getting shut out of last year's playoffs entirely. 

[The Six 761]

6 hours ago, McCarthy said:

, but on the other hand it gives us the chance that all 5 Canadian teams lose in the first round.

 

[ninersdd 581]

If I'm not mistaken since 2014, 3 seeds have represented the West and 2 seeds have represented the East in the Finals.

 

So it will be Sharks/Blues vs Senators/Penguins.

[Pauly 101]

5 hours ago, Connor Hanley said:

Anybody but Pittsburgh and Chicago.... 

 

 

 

ANYBODY

Glad 5 of the original 6 made it.Glad there are some Canadian teams in it.Don't know what the NHL is smoking with their playoff format though.They also need to put Toronto & Detroit back in the Western conference to have 3 original 6 on each side.Maybe flip Nashville and somebody else.

[tigerslionspistonshabs 1,642]

Canadiens over Rangers in 6

Senators over Bruins in 7

Capitals over Leaves in 4

Penguins over Blue Jackets in 6

 

Blackhawks over Predators in 6

Wild over Blues in 6

Ducks over Flames in 6

Oilers over Sharks in 6

 

 

Canadiens over Senators in 6

Capitals over Penguins in 7

 

Blackhawks over Wild in 6

Oilers over Ducks in 6

 

Capitals over Blackhawks in 7