Board 8 > NHL Discussion Topic Part 2 - We Didn't Purge Edition

(+) Yeah! (+)

So the Blues went on a terrible run, were sellers at the trade deadline because of it, and they still might actually make the playoffs because of Dallas and Calgary being unable to win a game when it matters. That has to be a rare occurrence.
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Actually, that's just Mike Yeo doing Mike Yeo things.
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The Blues aren't in yet, they're going to have to fight off some combination of Colorado, LA, and Anaheim to make it...
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SmartMuffin posted...

The Blues aren't in yet, they're going to have to fight off some combination of Colorado, LA, and Anaheim to make it...

They've got games in hand on all three of them so they've got a decent shot.
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Accounting for that and using +/- it's still plenty close.

Anaheim is +15
Avs, Kings, and Blues are all +14

Blues have the Sharks tonight, who have won 8 in a row (although they're on the second half of a B2B and have nothing to play for)
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I didn't put that much thought into it. I saw that they were 1-2 points out with 1-2 games in hand and figured that was enough to say they had a decent shot.
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Well yeah, it's plenty decent. There's 3 teams fighting for 4 spots, so 75% chance at least, right? And they probably have the best position aside from Anaheim, as they have two games in hand over the Kings, but only one fewer ROW.
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Well thanks for fuckin nothing, San Jose
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SmartMuffin posted...

Well thanks for fuckin nothing, San Jose

This
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I've probably seen this commercial over 1000 times and I still don't get it...

Why is PK Subban so afraid of a cardboard cutout of a goalie?
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SmartMuffin posted...

Why is PK Subban so afraid of a cardboard cutout of a goalie?

It's a jumpscare

The Wild put the Stars away. Can't be caught, and keeps the other teams at bay.
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249USDollars posted...

SmartMuffin posted...

Why is PK Subban so afraid of a cardboard cutout of a goalie?

It's a jumpscare

But it's not that jumpy... or that scary. No one else in the car is scared!
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In wacky NHL news, injuries resulted in an Emergency Backup Goalie actually getting into the Jets / Blackhawks game!

Scott Foster got in and stopped all seven shots he faced to wild applause and #1 Star.
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SmartMuffin posted...

249USDollars posted...

SmartMuffin posted...

Why is PK Subban so afraid of a cardboard cutout of a goalie?

It's a jumpscare

But it's not that jumpy... or that scary. No one else in the car is scared!

Because the testers were the ones who put it there

Ugh, at least the Kings got a point in a game that the Ducks dominated basically all the way through, and their only goal came when Cogliano and Kesler ran into each other, leaving the entire right side of the ice open for Doughty to walk in and score. Quick stood on his head and they still couldn't win :(
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https://twitter.com/Avalanche/status/980145632492089344

Done. Maybe an LA or Anaheim collapse gets them into the playoffs somehow, but they aren't going anywhere.
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poor Avalanche, was really hoping it would be the Ducks that missed from that group
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Just checked Colorado's remaining schedule thinking hey, they have 4 games left, if it's soft they can still squeak in...

April 1-2: At Anaheim and LA
April 5: At San Jose
April 7: Home vs. St Louis

What are the chances their last 4 games include the 3 teams they're battling for playoff spots, damn. And you can argue the 4th, San Jose, is almost locked into 2nd place in the division so they might be resting their players at that point but still dangerous.

Sucks for them!

Panthers are done.

Oh well.
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Blues are losing 4-0 to the Coyotes, xfd
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SmartMuffin posted...

Blues are losing 4-0 to the Coyotes, xfd

Box score seems interesting... looks like Jake Allen started but was pulled after 2 goals / 3:51 into 2nd period, either a really quick pull or he was injured on 2nd goal? Then Hutton let in two more goals...

Colorado chances slightly improved by this result, at least!

I'm hoping the Blackhawks can play spoiler and knock the Blues out of playoff contention next week.
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MartinFF7 posted...

SmartMuffin posted...

Blues are losing 4-0 to the Coyotes, xfd

Box score seems interesting... looks like Jake Allen started but was pulled after 2 goals / 3:51 into 2nd period, either a really quick pull or he was injured on 2nd goal? Then Hutton let in two more goals...

Colorado chances slightly improved by this result, at least!

Hutton was recovering from an injury and has been "back healthy" for a few games now, but Allen has been playing well. Probably a short-leash situation in that they definitely wanted an excuse to get Hutton back in and see how he was.
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https://twitter.com/JSportsnet/status/980159343248097280?s=19

Looks like it was all part of the plan.
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So, uhhh.... Goal of the year?

https://streamable.com/gcg8z
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Spurgeon was injired already, and now Suter's hurt...fuck.
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NBIceman posted...

So, uhhh.... Goal of the year?

https://streamable.com/gcg8z

Nice but Zlatan was better yesterday :p
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Wow, Karlsson not only did the fancy move, but had real good placement on that shot and just narrowly avoided the poke check. Very impressive goal.
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Taylor Hall with a shorthanded game-winning goal, and the Devils are pretty much a sure thing for making the playoffs now. MVP.
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Not sure if it's mathematical yet, but I think that just about wraps up another division title/second round loss for the Caps.
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Colorado up 3-1 on Anaheim right now. If they can hold on, puts them at 94 points, 1st WC spot. Would be one point up on Anaheim, two up on St. Louis (though the Blues would have a game in hand). Sucks that Varly and Eric Johnson are both done, but Bernier has shown (earlier at least) that he can carry the load, and hopefully the rest of the D can pickup Johnson's major minutes.
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And of course, now it's 3-3. If Colorado loses this game, they're basically done.
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mccheyne posted...

And of course, now it's 3-3. If Colorado loses this game, they're basically done.

Fuck. They had to turn that into a 3 point game. The only bad scenario.

Need St. Louis to go down to Washington tomorrow, in regulation preferably.
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SmartMuffin posted...

Not sure if it's mathematical yet, but I think that just about wraps up another division title/second round loss for the Caps.

Yep. Penguins and Blue Jackets can max out at 100 and Washington have 101

https://twitter.com/TarikNBCS/status/980789081008373760

Well, this could be interesting. Maybe the Caps don't have to lose if they can pull a Pittsburgh and swap out their goalie at the first sign of trouble. Murray, meanwhile, will have the longest leash he's ever had in his career...
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if i had to bet on it, i would bet against the second round being caps/pens
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Suter out indefinitely.

Other noteworthy recent injuries:

Stamkos (lower body, extent unknown)
Fowler (undisclosed)
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there is zero excuse for the rest of the NHL to let the Penguins win a third in a row, but watch them do it anyway.
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Sedins retiring

Yeah just saw that, end of an era for Vancouver.
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Leafs tie a franchise record for points in a season. 2 games left to break the record.
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davidponte posted...

Leafs tie a franchise record for points in a season. 2 games left to break the record.

Yeahhhh, but it's so diluted with all the freebie points nowadays. When they were discussing the Leafs setting the new wins record, I went and checked their OT wins to further subtract from their ROW total, and it was another 5. So they're really at, like, 36 "real" wins right now instead of 48... and meanwhile they hit several mid-40-win seasons in the 90s and early aughts. 41 wins in 70 games in 1950-51! Too easy with all the freebie points nowadays.

Now I do like their chances vs. a Stamkos-less slumping Lightning team, and even to take Boston if Andersen doesn't shit the bed. Not to win it all though, definitely need shorn up defence and goaltending. Though I'd be at the parade on Yonge street for that... which feels criminal for all the "parade" jokes I made in the past and my intense franchise hate for all those years they beat the Sens. I've been in Toronto too long. Damn.

Without their top pair D, the Wild clinched another playoff berth. Dubnyk and shutouts are mutually exclusive.
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MartinFF7 posted...

which feels criminal for all the "parade" jokes I made in the past and my intense franchise hate for all those years they beat the Sens.

I remember joking with Soul about meeting up at Bank street for the inevitable Sens parade 10+ years back. And now here we are with a good Leafs team and Karlsson about to leave the Senators.

They had zero business being in Game 7 Double OT considering how they were getting outplayed, but just imagine if they got a damn goal there.... they could have taken the Predators!!

...is what I'll tell myself until they commit to 3 solid years of tanking, including a lottery win, to rebuild that team.

Another Colorado loss. Still somehow a point ahead, but St. Louis is going to jump ahead eventually.
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MartinFF7 posted...

They had zero business being in Game 7 Double OT considering how they were getting outplayed, but just imagine if they got a damn goal there.... they could have taken the Predators!!

...is what I'll tell myself until they commit to 3 solid years of tanking, including a lottery win, to rebuild that team.

gonna need a new owner
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