Board 8 > NHL Discussion Topic: Gameday Edition

(+) Yeah! (+)

Over/Under on how long this topic lasts?

The media is ready to crown the Leafs as champions after an Oilers/Leafs final, but as a Leafs fan I know better than that.

Still, it's refreshing to enter a season with any positive expectations at all.
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As long as the Leafs either get dead last or lose on heartbreaking, soul-crippling fashion, all is right with the karmic balance of the world
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Meow1000 posted...

As long as the Leafs either get dead last or lose on heartbreaking, soul-crippling fashion, all is right with the karmic balance of the world

This has been the exact outcome of nearly every Leafs season I can personally recall.
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As an aside, it's basically impossible to know where the Islanders are going next. There's like 6 different possible "plans " that are at phase A.

All we know is Barclays Center is garbage and they want out of there ASAP to anywhere that can work.
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Predix

Tampa Bay
Toronto
Montreal
Ottawa WC1
Florida WC2
Buffalo
Boston
Detroit

Pittsburgh
Washington
Columbus
New York Rangers
Carolina
Philadelphia
New York Islanders
New Jersey

Pittsburgh > Florida
Columbus > Washington
Tampa Bay > Ottawa
Toronto > Montreal

Pittsburgh > Columbus
Tampa Bay > Toronto

Pittsburgh > Tampa Bay

Minnesota
Dallas
Nashville
Chicago WC1
Winnipeg WC2
St Louis
Colorado

Anaheim
Edmonton
Calgary
San Jose
Los Angeles
Arizona
Las Vegas
Colorado
Vancouver

Minnesota > Chicago
Dallas > Nashville
Anaheim > Winnipeg
Edmonton > Calgary

Dallas > Minnesota
Edmonton > Anaheim

Edmonton > Dallas

Edmonton > Pittsburgh
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fuck this rigged league where luck is the only thing that matters
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If Toronto loses in the second round after eliminating Montreal in the first, I'll consider the season a success.

Maybe it's because I'm so used to mediocrity and the Leafs finding ways to be bad, but I still can't convince myself that they might actually be good and that last season wasn't a fluke.
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Vegas is winning the Stanley Cup this year, don't @ me.
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Don't think my Leafs are seasoned enough for a deep run. Next year maybe.

Will be keeping a close eye on the Tavarez Watch.
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Minnesota > Chicago

I'll believe it when I see it. The Wild had a chance to avoid the Hawks altogether, only to bomb against the Blues. Parise is hurt again, so it is a matter of how good Staal stays, whether Granlund and Nino supply the same or more points than before, and if Stalock can be a better backup than Kuemper was (not a hard bar).
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lets go hockey
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Whoo time for another horrendous Devils season where maybe I will watch some games but maybe not.

I am excited about Nico Hischier though, but it could be a while before he has actual talent surrounding him to grow with.
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The Jets forgot how to play hockey after dominating for most of the first period.
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Also it's kind of funny that the league essentially targeted Komarov with this visor rule.

I can understand if he had to wear one, but him being grandfathered in should mean that he can wear it however he wants. Doesn't make sense to me.
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I'm looking forward to seeing the Red Wings salary cap disaster this season!
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Jets dominate, lose anyway.

BOY THIS LOOK FAMILIAR
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Solid start for the Leafs so far.
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Go Canucks

Don't get last

:(
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Rough start for the Jets, wow
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The Jets failed us all
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Probably lasts about a week and a half before everyone remembers it's the regular season and lose interest.

Don't mind me, just trying not to vomit at the sight of the Blackhawks defense units.
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So, uh, things escalated quickly in Chicago. Why did the Pens sign Niemi to be a backup again?
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Mantha gets the first goal in Detroit's new arena, though before that, the Wild had two goals called back for goalie interference after reviews.
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Chicago already has more goals than they did in the entire playoffs last year.
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Shadow Dino posted...

So, uh, things escalated quickly in Chicago. Why did the Pens sign Niemi to be a backup again?

He is capable of doing the one thing Pittsburgh needs. Randomly outplaying his expected career average when the playoffs start.
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And the two-point conversion is good
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https://twitter.com/EmptySeatsPics/status/916096934661754881

@EmptySeatPics crushing the Red Wings new arena

(ps WTF is up with that video board)
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Stars dominate, lose anyway (thanks Fleury)
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Time for some hot takes based on the first few games of the season.

Ovechkin scores 50+ goals again.
Bobrovsky wins another Vezina.
Vegas Golden Knights make the playoffs in their first season.
More goals are scored this year than any other since the 04-05 lockout.
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NBIceman posted...

Vegas is winning the Stanley Cup this year, don't @ me.

1-0, we're off to a good start.
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This Leafs/Rags game looks like it's going to be fun.
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Devils starting the season off with a win, actually looking decent! Of course, it was against the Avalanche, but I'll take it.
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Lundqvist's facial expressions are hilarious right now.

I guess the Leafs can't blow leads if they score 7 goals a game.
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Ovechkin already has two hat tricks on the season
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7 goals might be a necessity with this defence.
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Vegas well on their way to an undefeated season
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Damnit, Schmaltz out until Thursday. I'm hoping he can actually last an entire game once he is back though.
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The Leafs and Blackhawks have 15 goals each through two games, and they play each other tomorrow night.

I'm expecting a 1-0 finish.
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Chicago remembered what Toronto's kryptonite is: Starting the backup goalie.
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This doesn't happen very often, but I think the Leafs actually deserved that win.

Auston Matthews is a good hockey player.
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decide to watch the Caps

they give up a 2-goal lead and lose
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Just seeing this. Tag!
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Vegas/Toronto final.

You heard it here first.
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Yay DeBrincat first goal.
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Vegas is probably a better team than an expansion team has any business being in it's first year.
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Well, they were set up to be better than expansion teams generally are considering the new rules.

And, all joking aside, I really didn't expect them to be the absolute bottom feeders that everyone was saying. I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from the 3-0-0 start, though, given that two of them came from Arizona and the other was a game they were pretty drastically overmatched and Fleury just put them on his back.

I like what I see from them, though. There's way more team chemistry than I'd have ever thought and they play with a lot of fire in their bellies. There isn't a loose puck they don't think they can get to.
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It's three games. All against teams who missed the playoffs last year.

I still consider them most likely to finish dead last.
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And I watched their first game against Dallas. They were awful. Completely and totally dominated, and only won when Bishop took a fluke cut to the head and had to leave and Kari Lehtonen came in and did what Kari Lehtonen does and gave up two goals in like 10 minutes, both of which were pretty heroic individual efforts from Neal.
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I'm going to simultaneously keep this topic alive and make it so that no one actually wants to read through it by continuously talking about the Leafs.
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I would talk about the Red Wings continuously, but I feel like it will just be a slow descent into misery and depression as the season goes on.

I guess the start was good, with two wins, but they haven't been particularly impressive even in those games. Also, I'm really not sure how Witkowski ended up on this team, and as a forward at that. He's basically filling the role Steve Ott had last year, aka being a black hole of skill and sound play, I guess so the team doesn't have to play a player with talent on the 4th line?
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