Board 8 > NHL Playoff topic: OVERTIME. PLAYOFF. HOCKEY!

(+) Yeah! (+)

Crescent-Moon posted...

I actually thought right away that he tilted his skate at the puck. It was closer to a good goal on review than I thought it'd be.

he clearly moved his outside foot in a way that nobody actually skates
he was going for the kick, cheeky play and right call

Edmonton > St. Louis > Carolina = Colorado > NY Rangers > Tampa Bay on cup-winner preference at this point

I am increasingly worried how Vasilevskiy has shifted into pure god mode though, since allowing at least 3 Leafs goals through the first six games, only 1 in pivotal game 7 and now 3 goals over 4 games against the highest-scoring team in the regular season? Edmonton/Tampa Bay could be a "unstoppable force (McDavid/Draisaitl/Kane combo) vs. immovable object" matchup in that regard, but really would rather the Lightning not even get out of the conference... should avoid the dread three-peat.

Tampa did exactly what they did last year. They basically sleptwalk through the regular season because they knew their record didn't matter.

I'm getting some shades from Edmonton that they did the same this year.

For all those great saves, he lets in two softies.

Too many softies.

The backbreaker... I can't shittalk Husso too much, I mean the Avs outshot them 39-20.

(Binnington would've won this series though)

Was hoping the Blues could win so Oilers could get more rest days, I was reading someone saying Draisaitl is playing injured? 17 pts in 5 games while injured? come on...

MartinFF7 posted...

The backbreaker... I can't shittalk Husso too much, I mean the Avs outshot them 39-20.

(Binnington would've won this series though)

Was hoping the Blues could win so Oilers could get more rest days, I was reading someone saying Draisaitl is playing injured? 17 pts in 5 games while injured? come on...

The biggest knock on him I was hearing after game 4 was he was letting in too many goals he shouldn't have been letting in.

It wastes great saves when you miss two routine ones.

Carolina on the road is some kind of disaster.

The Rangers blowing game 1 means they still have to actually show up in a road game though.

In their defense, so were teh bruins adn are the rangers on the road against them!

I'm not sure who actually played worse in Carolina between the two.

Game 7 ended by 1 goal on a super late score but Boston barely existed in that game. It was boring.

11 games was the previous record for home team winning to start the playoffs.

I think Carolina's going to be a perfect 14 after round 2.

They'll beat a rusty Tampa in game 1, then get wrecked in game 2 and the streak will end at 15.

Crescent-Moon posted...

11 games was the previous record for home team winning to start the playoffs.

I think Carolina's going to be a perfect 14 after round 2.

They'll beat a rusty Tampa in game 1, then get wrecked in game 2 and the streak will end at 15.

I hope not. Do you know how satisfying it will be to have 06 rematch?

The Rangers had their chance to take one in Carolina in game 1 and completely no showed in the third period. I don't think they get another in game 7. They're going to look as bad as Boston did.

I'll take Tampa to win games 2, 3, 4, and 6 against the Canes. Kinda expecting an ugly game 2 there, too.

P.S. Yikes what a stat. Igor has more points this series than Chris Kreider does.

And the Rangers seem to be disappearing in the 2nd.

I mean, canes will be at home for game 7 so no they won't get anotehr chance lol

I'm very bitter that we will probably be ousted before andersen has a chance to come back

Yep. They had and blew their chance.

All winning here would really do is delay everything 2 more days and give us an anticlimactic game 7 like Boston/Carolina did.

I have never seen a hockey team look so bad on the road compared to home that I can remember. These splits are insane and home ice generally barely matters in hockey.

It feels like they're just going to be completely baked the moment Tampa steals a game because there's zero reason to believe this team can actually win a road game.

Much like I said about the Kings in game 7, the only way the Rangers even have a chance is if Igor gives them an all-time performance. Much like the Kings, they are going to get run the hell over and will need 40+ saves and 0-1 goals given up to stay in the game. They're toast if he gives up 2.

If he can already put up a performance like that this early in his career, that would be absolutely terrifying because he's only going to get better.

If only Carolina could actually "hold serve" they would beat Tampa Bay...

but sounds like we're all taking their winning game 7 as a given, but who knows, maybe now's the time they put up a stinker at home and the Rangers are slightly less stinky...

If the Rangers win, I'd be rooting for them to beat the Lightning of course, but if the Lightning swept them.... would just show even more evidence on how strong the Leafs were ;_;

They put up a stinker at home in the first two periods of game 1, then the Rangers didn't even show up for the third or OT.

They won't do it again.

Yeah I don't think I've watched a Carolina game yet so I can't gauge the stinkiness beyond the box scores or final results, lol... (oh actually, the end of game 7 vs. Boston just to see the Bruins lose. Fuck the Bruins.)

I probably won't even watch tonight's tbh. Would be nice if Andersen could return, has there been any word on expected return date there? Ideally if Carolina wins tonight the coach could give an update on that, not that Raanta's chopped liver but yeah... really just hoping for my pal Emeraldegg, but also as the best chance to beat the Lightning?

Fun round 2 stat: we hit the full spectrum with series ending in 4, 5, 6 and 7 games, nice. Didn't even have any series ending in 5 games in round 1!

I'll pay some attention but I don't think the Rangers do anything to keep it interesting enough that I actually focus on it.

As of a week ago andersen did not have a timetable, rod refuses to provide one.

That PP looked ugly and should've given up a shorthanded breakaway chance, but somehow ends in a goal. Ok then.

I'd now be a little worried after seeing Kreider finally score.

Carolina ended with 18 shots, but most of them really weren't high quality. There were a lot of shots a goaltender like Igor just eats up.

This so far is the game I thought we'd get out of Boston in game 7.

Raanta is out now.

The last time this happened the Rangers got Domingued

That went differently.

RIP

injured or pulled?

hey, Carolina could always get 3 goals in the third... alternatively Shesterkin would win the battle of God Mode goalies vs. Vasilevskiy. One can only hope...

Raanta was hurt stretching for a puck when it was 2-0. It quickly hit 3-0 after.

Carolina had a soft glimmer of hope for exactly 40 seconds, and then it died.

Brutal.

Crescent-Moon posted... Comedy Option: Tampa Bay vs. New York ECF round 3.

Lightning in 6
Oilers in 7

I'm not sure there's any position in which the Rangers aren't outclassed by Tampa. Relying on Igor to steal wins is problematic when Vassy is on the other side.

go rangers

LETS GO OILERS, BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
Oilers/Rags Messier final
Let's GO

Tampa Bay +8
Edmonton +4

Wonder what could've been if Carolina and St. Louis had healthy goalies in the 2nd round...

Tampa looked predictably ugly in game 1, which I had them losing to either team. But, I had them beating either team in game 2 in dominant fashion... Let's see what the Rangers can do when Tampa gets mad.

This was a must-win game as far as I'm concerned. Tampa won't play this badly again.

The Rangers became the first team in NHL history to win two series in which they never led at any point until after game 7. Now after two awful game 1 losses, they have that game 1 win. They better ride that hot because if they get even slightly complacent they're losing game 2 5-1.

Let's Go AVS!

Through 2 games the Rangers have made Tampa look slow for the most part and it's staggering.

That "mystique" of not losing back to back being shattered right away is something I did not see coming.

The Rangers know what it's like to come back from 2 games down - Closing out the champ from 2 games up is a totally different beast. They held on, but the end of that game terrifying. Where was this from Tampa earlier?

Being a low shot volume team is helping the Rangers against Vassy though I think. He feeds off of taking lots of shots.

This series has gotten interesting now.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/1/2/AAC56kAADTNY.jpg

What's possilbly more worrying for Tampa is that Igor didn't have to steal either of those games.

Even if they turn on the jets he's going to steal at least one.

I feel like this series is now ticketed for 7. Though, if they can steal a game at Tampa somehow (And Tampa is going to go berserk) and get a home close out chance in game 5, MSG is going to be bonkers.

Might have been a scumbag move but if Kane was going to pull that on any Av player it might as well have been Kadri. If he could miss the Cup finals too I'd feel better about rooting for the Avs there.

I like that Francouz has stepped in nicely for Kuemper, he was always a solid backup, and the funny thing is I kept waiting during the regular season for Kuemper to get injured since he had injury bouts each of the prior two seasons... and then he never had anything too substantial this time in playing 57 games (most in his career). So I guess he was overdue.

Poor Oilers, I guess I got my hopes up with them dispatching the Flames so easily.

I think the key is the Flames were just so bad it made the Oilers look better than they are.

We could conceivably see the Rangers win a game 7 and play a team off a sweep, again. Oilers aren't winning game 4.

Crescent-Moon posted...

I think the key is the Flames were just so bad it made the Oilers look better than they are.

We could conceivably see the Rangers win a game 7 and play a team off a sweep, again. Oilers aren't winning game 4.

If there was a player in the NHL that could drag a team to the SCF from a 0-3 deficit it is McDavid. Oilers about to be the 5th team in NHL history to come back and win a 0-3 deficit.

The way this period has looked, I wouldn't trust the Rangers with a 3-0 series lead. It's not just Tampa dominating, it's the Rangers looking incompetent and consistently missing passes to uncovered players all period, and Tampa is jumping on all of them.

They look completely overwhelmed by the game.

Tampa is winning this series.

That third period felt like the Rangers were going to blow it before it even started.

Game 4 feels like they're going to lose 5-0.

Back to feeling good about my Lightning in 6 pick. My Oilers in 7 pick, well um... It's still possible!

Bye Oilers.

Feel bad for McDavid, I mean Crosby won a cup in what, his 4th season? This is McDavid's 7th, at least he got farther than in his career up to this point but small solace. Colorado just too damn good...

Koskinen UFA and 1 more year of Mike Smith, at a very benchable/backupable/buryable (no NMC) 2.2mill, don't know what their cap situation is but going to be interested in what they do at goal this offseason more than anything. He redeemed himself at times considering how shit he was in the regular season but they really can't use him as their #1 again.

McDavid will be one of those superstar players that never wins a championship.

Woo! Let's go AVS!

MysteriousStan posted...

McDavid will be one of those superstar players that never wins a championship.

He can if he leaves Edmonton!

I think Tampa is going to run the Rangers off the ice tonight and win in a shutout.

The question is going to be can the Rangers cling onto game 5 to ultimately force game 7.

Because game 7s are fun... Even if Tampa is more likely to win that game 10-0 than they are to lose it.

Still better than the sweep we just got in the West!

Lord this game was easy to see coming, and it's such a snooze I'm paying more attention to baseball than to it.

Woulda been nice if we got more Colorado/Edmonton.

Well ok, they broke the shutout with 3 minutes left.

I read that Kuemper was Francouz's backup the other day? Even if he wasn't at 100% at that time, had to be healthy enough to at least be on the bench (also probably saw no need to start him given 3-0 series lead, Francouz started Game 4 vs. Predators iirc); with more time off before the finals start, could be Kuemper back to starting role?

Then again I guess the question would shift to "Can Kuemper get it done", he's been consistently good for years now (on a terrible Coyotes squad) but there are spurts of badness at times. Colorado/Tampa Bay probably goes to 7.

Ah, here's me counting the Rangers out again, eh...