Playofflopnik - Oppo Thoughts?

"Patrick Nichols" (pnichols)
04/12/2018 at 00:32 • Filed to: None

It seems like some of the most dominant teams over the last couple decades have been the dirtiest and this VGK v. LAK game seems to be following that trend. (full disclosure I thought Doughty’s hit on Carrier was dirty as hell) The combination of Doughty and Brown (and Quick with the attempted trip on Marchesault) I’m afraid is going to leave this Vegas team with too many injuries, reported or not, to overcome Nashville or Winnipeg or even Anaheim in the next rounds. VGK look like a clearly better team and it will take a not-impossible-superhuman-effort by Quick to take this past 5 games.

Back to my initial point though, this LAK team reminds me a lot of the 2000s ducks teams and pretty much every Pens cup winning team of recent years. They all had/have some incredible talents, but they also have some real shitbags. Doughty (much like Marchand and Keith at times) is a top 5 talent at his position with a big scumbag streak, but they also have depth guys who have no place in today’s NHL or the future at least.

Anze Kopitar might be my favorite player to watch, but I just can’t get behind rooting for the Kings. It is much more fun to root for Slovenia to get an upset win or two, but we couldn’t even get that this year.

Bonus - my picks:

Rd 1 winners: Preds, Jets, Knights, Ducks, Bolts, Bruins, Caps, Pens

Rd 2: Jets, Knights, Bruins, Caps (though the Caps might just be wishful thinking)

Rd 3: Jets, Bruins (though they would probably lose to the Pens)

Final: Jets (and the cup returns to Canada)

DISCUSSION (20)

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 01:02

Given the cold spring, it suggests to me that hell has frozen over.

And THAT means the Leafs might win the cup.

Patrick Nichols > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
04/12/2018 at 01:13

It may have frozen over, but I don’t even know if that helps the leafs...

I really just don’t believe in the Leafs goaltending or defense or bottom 6 forwards. They picked up just enough wins to be deceiving in the NHL’s worst division.

Nom De Plume > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 01:15

Just remember, the worst professional hockey player is less of a shitbag than the average professional basketball or football player. At least the ones I’ve met were HAF but humble normal people.

Patrick Nichols > Nom De Plume
04/12/2018 at 01:23

Not so sure about that, I think the NBA and NFL get a lot more media attention and the players tend to be more recognizable so more gets reported. I won’t get into the “alleged” actions of Kane, but he did beat the crap out of a cabbie because he didn’t have enough cash to pay him. I tend to think the distribution of “good and bad” athletes (morally at least) is probably pretty equal among most professional sports. Soccer may be worse because of it’s popularity in less than remotely tolerant countries and I’m sure there are others, but in general it’s probably pretty equal.

Patrick Nichols > Nom De Plume
04/12/2018 at 01:25

Also I’d be a little more careful about how you word things as that could be construed as a fairly racially charged statement, though I’m inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Nom De Plume > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 01:29

It was a generalization. That said the talent pool is culled from remote areas where escaping a life of drinking and meaningless labor has a positive effect on most of them.

Counterpoint: Hockey parents in suburban areas are straight up nuts. Mentally scarring nuts.

diplodicus > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 08:03

I’d disagree that dirty teams dominate. Teams that control the puck dominate. Physicality ramps up in the playoffs due to the stakes and sometimes things get out of hand. But the team who loses their collective temper often loses the series.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 08:27

Lol jets.

Preds.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 08:44

Leafs goaltending is outstanding, and their forwards 1 through 15 are all perfectly fine. I trust about 3 of the defense and those 3 may be tired from being “trusted” all season.

And the “weak division” argument can take a hike. Polarized division? Sure. But the Leafs would be first in the Metro, second in the Pacific and 4 points up on the Wild for third place in the central. Overall they sit 7th in the league—and that’s without even playing very well against the weakest Atlantic teams, with the exception of the Panthers... who still technically finished ahead of the last playoff team. They just happen to be in the wrong conference.

The biggest challenge to their success is the fact that they’d have to knock off two top-4 teams to go anywhere rather than any inherent failing. This is a better team than the one that Washington struggled against last year.

Anyway, Operation Score Your Way Out Of Problems— *commence*

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 08:44

Buds all day. Hopefully a SCF vs Winnipeg.

Patrick Nichols > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
04/12/2018 at 09:01

If Rinne gets hot this is a real possibility and another team I would be happy to see win it all.

Patrick Nichols > diplodicus
04/12/2018 at 09:06

Physically dominant teams often ride that line between physical and dirty a little too close for me to get behind them. As a bruins fan, I’m dissappointed that Marchand can’t be a little closer to a Getzlaf and is more of a Burrows/Avery type. I think it’s also worth noting that the dirtier teams get away with more in the playoffs as we saw last night.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 09:13

Rinne has been hot though. Vezina lock at this point. Also this great tweet.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

That is 5 lines of forwards(the 3, 4, and 5 line are all 3rd line quality) and 4 lines of defencemen with the 4th line being average quality and the top 4 being the #1 and maybe #5 line in the NHL. That is a lot of depth when you need 5 less players to play a game. We’ve been resting players for the last 2-3 weeks and still won/looked good. I, Nashville, and the betting lines all think it looks good for the Preds.

Patrick Nichols > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/12/2018 at 09:27

Maybe unproven goaltending when it comes to the playoffs is a better way to put it, but I don’t trust it. I like JVR, Matthews, Marner, Kadri, Rielly, and Plekanec, but I’ll be surprised if they get the depth scoring they need in the playoffs.

I’m a bruins fan and I even think the Bruins are overrated because of their week division. This Bruins team in terms of talent should be a 5-7 seed, but they got to play MTL, BUF, FLA, DET, and OTT are bad teams.

Look at the out of divisional records, Toronto ranks only 15th among all teams against the Metro and tied for 7th with the Bruins against the Atlantic. Toronto was good against the west, but defense and goaltending might crack in the playoffs when teams figure out how to take away the top scoring options. Should be a close series with a young, hurt, and overrated Bruins team, but I think the team defense that Bergy and Krejci bring will be frustrating Toronto.

Patrick Nichols > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
04/12/2018 at 09:31

In past years, Rinne has carried too much of the load all season and looked sluggish in the playoffs, but yeah he should win the Vezina. I’d bet we see Hartnell and Jarnkrok get a good amount of action if they get an injury or go up against a more physical team (like if LA makes the WCF).

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 09:36

As much as I joke about Winny, that’s who I’m worried the most about. Not because they might win, but because what they might do to us psychically. Jarny is just coming back from a suspension worthy crosscheck and we lose a player every time we play them. Dirttty.

Kinja'd!!!

This is why I feel better about Rinne this post season and also why I think he has been playing so good. These are Juuse Saros stats, our backup goaltender. Those are 26 games Pekka did not have to play in. 2 less than last season, and 6-8 games less than the seasons before that. Also those Saros stats are awesome. If we need it, we have a playoff caliber backup to rest Rinne.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 11:07

“It may have frozen over, but I don’t even know if that helps the leafs...”

It will definitely help the Leafs.

Some people say the following story is a ‘joke’, but I say it’s prophecy:

Two guys from Toronto die and wake up in hell.

The next day the devil stops in to check on them and sees them dressed in parkas, mittens and toques warming themselves around the fire. The devil asks them, “What are you doing? Isn?t it hot enough for you?”

The two guys reply, “Well, you know, we’re from Canada, the land of snow and ice and cold. We’re just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, eh.”

The devil decides that these two aren’t miserable enough and turns up the heat.

The next morning he stops in again and there they are, still dressed in parkas, toques and mittens. The devil asks them again, “It’s awfully hot down here, can’t you guys feel it?”

Again the two guys reply, “Well, like we told ya yesterday, we’re from Canada, the land of snow and ice and cold. We’re just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, eh.”

This gets the devil a little steamed up and he decides to fix these two guys. He cranks the heat up as high as it will go. The people are wailing and screaming everywhere. He stops by the room with the two guys from Canada and finds them in light jackets and bucket hats, grilling sausage and drinking beer.

The devil is astonished, “Everyone down here is in abject misery, and you two seem to be enjoying yourselves.”

The two Canadians reply, “Well, ya know, we don’t get too much warm weather up there in Toronto so we’ve just got to have a cook-out when the weather’s THIS nice.”

The devil is absolutely furious, he can hardly see straight. Finally he comes up with the answer. The two guys love the heat because they have been cold all their lives. The devil decides to turn all the heat off in hell.

The next morning, the temperature is below zero, icicles are hanging everywhere; people are shivering so bad that they are unable to do anything but wail, moan and gnash their teeth.

The devil smiles and heads for the room with the two Canadians.

He gets there and finds them back in their parkas, toques, and mittens. NOW they are jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming like mad men!!!

The devil is dumbfounded, “I dont understand, when I turn up the heat you’re happy. Now it’s freezing cold and you’re still happy. What is wrong with you two???”

The Torontonians look at the devil in surprise, “Well, don’t you know? If Hell freezes over, it must mean the Leafs have won the Stanley Cup.”

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 13:22

Goaltending is fine. Andersen has been in the playoffs every year of his career, in fact many in Anaheim would tell you they’d have kept him over Gibson... the only reason they got rid of him was Gibson was younger. I’m comfy with him.

JVR and Plekanec are both bottom 6. As are Kappy and Brown (who hasn’t had as good a season this year, but he hasn’t looked as bad as his point—he’s doing fine). Bozak is entirely competent when he doesn’t have to worry about defense so much. The last spot is Komarov... while he’s great defensively he struggles to send the puck home. But worst case if he struggles too hard and it hurts them, there’s Johnsson ready to jump in.

I don’t think the Bruins are overrated either. They just kept chewing up competition, good and bad, through all kinds of injuries. The structure they play is quite good too.

Where did you get that? Link? I’ve looked for that exact information several times this season and I couldn’t find it. Had to do it manually.

Anyway, we’ll see tonight...

Patrick Nichols > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/12/2018 at 14:42

https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2018.html

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Patrick Nichols
04/12/2018 at 14:59

Thanks