2017 NHL PLAYOFFS

[folatre]

What series is everyone least interested in? Just I come home and turn on television and it is Wild/Blues. For me this is series I care least about.

[franko]

Habs of course. Sens Bruins to see who plays the next round. Leafs to see them lose 4 straight (oops). Other than that not really, other than to see how bad my predictions are.

[NWTHabsFan]

Apr 16, 2017 15:02:56 GMT -5 folatre said:

What series is everyone least interested in? Just I come home and turn on television and it is Wild/Blues. For me this is series I care least about.

That one is a big dud for me.

[blny]

Wild have not been great. They're down 3-0 now with game four in St Louis. Allen has been fantastic.

Pens now have strangle hold on series with Jackets. 3-0 lead now after 5-4 OT win. Werenski took a deflected puck to the face. Big mess. Many stitches to right cheek. He came back.

Skilly makes good points about Ovi's production. Backstrom scored in the last game, but I look at him, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky and others and wonder. They're not physical. Kuz and Bura are perimeter players. Backstrom works well down low. He's very much like the Sedins in that he likes to play down low and cycle the puck. Oshie was good in the last game, but he's a wildly inconsistent producer.

I just don't see a line up full of guys willing to do what it takes to win in the playoffs. Ovi loves to set the tone, and does what he can with hits early. I think they lost some of that identity when they let Ward and those like him go. Wilson has the warrior mentality, but he's got zero legitimate offensive ability. The guys they have that can play heavy don't have much chance at scoring (outside of ovi). When you're trying to beat a bunch of free wheeling kids, you need to make life difficult for them. They're not.

[Deleted]

Looks like Ryan White is back to his poor decisions. After Minnesota tied it, he takes a high-sticking penalty and St. Louis scored on the powerplay.

[Deleted]

Bobrovsky has not looked like his Vezina self. That or the Penguins have been exposing serious holes in Columbus' defense. Too many cross-ice passes. Bobrovsky lost sight of the puck more than once and it ended up in the goal. On other goals, pucks leaked through him and in.

[NWTHabsFan]

Kassian the hero again. Oil get by 1-0 in the Shark Tank. Two straight shut outs too. Are there any of those funny orange jerseys left in stores in Etown?

[jkr]

Apr 16, 2017 21:26:24 GMT -5 blny said:

Wild have not been great. They're down 3-0 now with game four in St Louis. Allen has been fantastic.

Pens now have strangle hold on series with Jackets. 3-0 lead now after 5-4 OT win. Werenski took a deflected puck to the face. Big mess. Many stitches to right cheek. He came back.

Skilly makes good points about Ovi's production. Backstrom scored in the last game, but I look at him, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky and others and wonder. They're not physical. Kuz and Bura are perimeter players. Backstrom works well down low. He's very much like the Sedins in that he likes to play down low and cycle the puck. Oshie was good in the last game, but he's a wildly inconsistent producer.

I just don't see a line up full of guys willing to do what it takes to win in the playoffs. Ovi loves to set the tone, and does what he can with hits early. I think they lost some of that identity when they let Ward and those like him go. Wilson has the warrior mentality, but he's got zero legitimate offensive ability. The guys they have that can play heavy don't have much chance at scoring (outside of ovi). When you're trying to beat a bunch of free wheeling kids, you need to make life difficult for them. They're not.

I agree with Skilly on Oveckin's offensive numbers. Where we disagree on Ovechkin is on the significance of his team accomplishments. I just don't think the spring World Championships is a significant tournament. It's not a best on best like the Olympics. I digress.

I agree with your post. The Capitals probably looked at the seeding & the last regular season meeting ( a 4-1 win)& thought they had a sweep on their hands. If they don't get it now, they never will.

[Skilly]

Apr 17, 2017 6:40:43 GMT -5 jkr said:

Apr 16, 2017 21:26:24 GMT -5 blny said:

Wild have not been great. They're down 3-0 now with game four in St Louis. Allen has been fantastic.

Pens now have strangle hold on series with Jackets. 3-0 lead now after 5-4 OT win. Werenski took a deflected puck to the face. Big mess. Many stitches to right cheek. He came back.

Skilly makes good points about Ovi's production. Backstrom scored in the last game, but I look at him, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky and others and wonder. They're not physical. Kuz and Bura are perimeter players. Backstrom works well down low. He's very much like the Sedins in that he likes to play down low and cycle the puck. Oshie was good in the last game, but he's a wildly inconsistent producer.

I just don't see a line up full of guys willing to do what it takes to win in the playoffs. Ovi loves to set the tone, and does what he can with hits early. I think they lost some of that identity when they let Ward and those like him go. Wilson has the warrior mentality, but he's got zero legitimate offensive ability. The guys they have that can play heavy don't have much chance at scoring (outside of ovi). When you're trying to beat a bunch of free wheeling kids, you need to make life difficult for them. They're not.

I agree with Skilly on Oveckin's offensive numbers. Where we disagree on Ovechkin is on the significance of his team accomplishments. I just don't think the spring World Championships is a significant tournament. It's not a best on best like the Olympics. I digress.

I agree with your post. The Capitals probably looked at the seeding & the last regular season meeting ( a 4-1 win)& thought they had a sweep on their hands. If they don't get it now, they never will.

Best on best has nothing to do with Ovechkin ...

A best on best tournament you are relying on the other 22 guys as well, right ... why does Ovechkin have to carry a whole country on his back? Do you see anyone in Canada get this treatment? Of course not, because they know there are 22 others who are at the top of their games as well.

Ovechkin produces at all levels. He can't strap the pads on and stop the pucks too. Ovechkin is not the reason the Russians lose nor the Capitals.

Canadians love to put emphasis on these "best on best" tournaments, because you or I could coach them to victory ... always nice to put the emphasis on the tournaments you are good at. For the record, Canada won the last two WC , I bet they think it is significant or they wouldn't go ... (and I guess the Olympics is no longer significant and a gimmic like the World Cup is now a significant tournament even though a large group of Americans were not allowed to play with their home country)

[blny]

Apr 17, 2017 0:04:40 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Kassian the hero again. Oil get by 1-0 in the Shark Tank. Two straight shut outs too. Are there any of those funny orange jerseys left in stores in Etown?

Pretty remarkable. Maybe it's the mutton chop beard he's growing?

... apparently Werenski didn't finish the game for Columbus. After returning to play, his eye eventually swelled shut. Given the extent of the injury, he could indeed be questionable for game 4. That would be a huge blow for the Jackets.

[blny]

Apr 16, 2017 22:55:00 GMT -5 @mattdhf said:

Bobrovsky has not looked like his Vezina self. That or the Penguins have been exposing serious holes in Columbus' defense. Too many cross-ice passes. Bobrovsky lost sight of the puck more than once and it ended up in the goal. On other goals, pucks leaked through him and in.

I haven't seen enough of the goals/games to make an overall comment on his play. The OT winner just barely squeaked between arm and body last night. I referenced Hank's ability to stop those shots in the pgt thread of game 3. They're not easy saves. Having the quick twitch muscles to pin your arm against your body is harder than moving the arm away from the body.

Why do I think the Pens are up 3-0? Speed. The Jackets are a big body team that likes to play heavy. That doesn't bother the Pens at all. Their forward group is so fast, and so willing to play a 200ft game, that they're overcoming the loss of Letang. It's the same recipe they used last year, and whoever faces them will be in very tough to overcome it.

[blny]

Werenski is done for the year. Fracture to face. Brutal.

[CentreHice]

The ACC will be crazy tonight.

I still don't "want" the Leafs to win...but I am happy for their fans. Only one playoff series since the lockout...and it was lost in record-setting fashion.

[jkr]

Apr 17, 2017 10:46:34 GMT -5 Skilly said:

Apr 17, 2017 6:40:43 GMT -5 jkr said:

I agree with Skilly on Oveckin's offensive numbers. Where we disagree on Ovechkin is on the significance of his team accomplishments. I just don't think the spring World Championships is a significant tournament. It's not a best on best like the Olympics. I digress.

I agree with your post. The Capitals probably looked at the seeding & the last regular season meeting ( a 4-1 win)& thought they had a sweep on their hands. If they don't get it now, they never will.

Best on best has nothing to do with Ovechkin ...

A best on best tournament you are relying on the other 22 guys as well, right ... why does Ovechkin have to carry a whole country on his back? Do you see anyone in Canada get this treatment? Of course not, because they know there are 22 others who are at the top of their games as well.

Ovechkin produces at all levels. He can't strap the pads on and stop the pucks too. Ovechkin is not the reason the Russians lose nor the Capitals.

Canadians love to put emphasis on these "best on best" tournaments, because you or I could coach them to victory ... always nice to put the emphasis on the tournaments you are good at. For the record, Canada won the last two WC , I bet they think it is significant or they wouldn't go ... (and I guess the Olympics is no longer significant and a gimmic like the World Cup is now a significant tournament even though a large group of Americans were not allowed to play with their home country)

My point about WC is that I don't think the quality is there as it is during the Olympics. IMO the Olympics would be harder to win then the WC.

Why do players go to the WC? Don't know. Maybe they want to extend their season; maybe they think going to the WC gives them a better shot at getting an invitation to the Olympic team. Based on the players' reaction to their lack of participation in the 2018 Olympics I would say they do think they are important.

Maybe I'm letting my opinion of the WC get in the way. I didn't know Canada had won the last 2 tournaments because I don't care about it & watch very little of it. When you tell me Ovechkin has won 3 of these I might say "that's nice".

Ovechkin's numbers don't lie, I realize that. But he has set such high standards that I will always expect a lot from him.

[Deleted]

Anyone have a link for BOS/OTT? Kind of want to follow that one.

Caps up 2-0 early in Toronto.

[jkr]

Apr 17, 2017 18:23:18 GMT -5 @mattdhf said:

Anyone have a link for BOS/OTT? Kind of want to follow that one.

Caps up 2-0 early in Toronto.

Watching Boston/OTT on Sportsnet. 3-0 Sens early in 2nd.

2 goals in 42 seconds for Boston. Now 3-2

[jkr]

Apr 17, 2017 18:23:18 GMT -5 @mattdhf said:

Anyone have a link for BOS/OTT? Kind of want to follow that one.

Caps up 2-0 early in Toronto.

Now 2-1. Matthews for TO , Backstrom & Ovechkin for Caps. 2 points for Backstrom.

[Skilly]

Washington has a 5 on 3 for two minutes and it appeared to me that they were deliberately avoiding feeding Ovechkin and going out of their way to feed Shattenkirk ... talk to them Trots, that was ugly. If you want anyone to shoot on a 5 on 3, its the guy with over 550 NHL goals

[Skilly]

I'm surprised the Leafs second goal wasn't challenged. It looked offside to me when they originally entered the zone, and it looked close to deflecting off Brown's glove. Would have been worth a look.

[jkr]

Toronto ties it in the last minute of the 2nd.

After reading Skilly's last 2 posts & watching the final minutes of the 2ND I swear Washington is trying to lose this series.

Eller gives up the puck, easily I thought, and doesn't exactly make an all out effort to get back. For some reason Orpik AND Shattenkirk are behind the net. This allows Nylander 2 great looks. Holtby makes a good save on the 1st shot but is out of position. The forwards are in no position to help him out & Nylander gets an easy goal.

[jkr]

Both Toronto & Ottawa going to OT.

[Willie Dog]

Laffs get a pp in overtime and win... they got a pp in ot...how shocking

[Deleted]

Ottawa wins with a PPG of their own.

I missed the penalty to Eller, but it was apparently a high stick.

[franko]

Apr 17, 2017 21:01:48 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Laffs get a pp in overtime and win...

well again . . . wow.

1. I might have given them 1. but 2?




and another word . . . for those who work with Leaf fans tomorrow is going to be

[Disgruntled70sHab]

It's not over yet, but I thought about how Washington has failed to seal the deal in the past ... great regular season teams, but they've never been able to win it all ... I just hope they don't respect Toronto too much ...

Cheers.

[Deleted]

The Leafs are just happy to be there right now, so there is zero pressure on them at all--at least for the moment. That could change in a hurry if they win the next one.

[jkr]

Apr 17, 2017 21:24:15 GMT -5 Disgruntled70sHab said:

It's not over yet, but I thought about how Washington has failed to seal the deal in the past ... great regular season teams, but they've never been able to win it all ... I just hope they don't respect Toronto too much ...

Cheers.

Washington had things going their way. Two goals in the 1st five minutes, the lead late in the 2nd and they still blow it.

[blny]

Leafs got the PP in the last min of the third. It was a legit high stick from Eller. Ref paused, briefly, but raised his arm.

Thoughts about the Caps .... Shattenkirk hasn't been good at all. One of the most accurate shooting defenders in the league, and on a 5-on-3 he misses the net five times. On the Leafs goal late in the second that tied it, both he and Orpik took Hyman behind the net. Orpik was there first, and there was no reason for Shatty to go there. Top it off, two forwards went passed the goal line putting 4 Caps behind the goal line. Brutal. Neither goalie looked consistently good tonight. Andersen made a key save on Kuznetsov in close that would have made it 4-1, but both let in goals they shouldn't have. There's been plenty of turnover on that roster over the years. They have good players. They just seem to be their own worst enemy, year after year.

Thoughts on the Sens/Bruins ... CBC calling the Karlsson saucer pass the best of all time. Hyperbole aside, it was a great play. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Bruins stormed back, and looked the better team in the third. I didn't see much of the OT. Just back in time to see Ryan score on a goal mouth play. Apparenly some Bruins fans took to throwing bottles at Sens players, which is unfortunate.

Have the Flames game on, they're up 2-0 in the first. Two PP goals. Monahan has goals in all three games.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2017 21:38:35 GMT -5 blny said:

Apparenly some Bruins fans took to throwing bottles at Sens players, which is unfortunate.

I expect better of fans, particularly those in Boston. That could be grounds for assault if they're not careful.

[jkr]

Apr 17, 2017 21:38:35 GMT -5 blny said:

Leafs got the PP in the last min of the third. It was a legit high stick from Eller. Ref paused, briefly, but raised his arm.

Thoughts about the Caps .... Shattenkirk hasn't been good at all. One of the most accurate shooting defenders in the league, and on a 5-on-3 he misses the net five times. On the Leafs goal late in the second that tied it, both he and Orpik took Hyman behind the net. Orpik was there first, and there was no reason for Shatty to go there. Top it off, two forwards went passed the goal line putting 4 Caps behind the goal line. Brutal. Neither goalie looked consistently good tonight. Andersen made a key save on Kuznetsov in close that would have made it 4-1, but both let in goals they shouldn't have. There's been plenty of turnover on that roster over the years. They have good players. They just seem to be their own worst enemy, year after year.

Thoughts on the Sens/Bruins ... CBC calling the Karlsson saucer pass the best of all time. Hyperbole aside, it was a great play. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Bruins stormed back, and looked the better team in the third. I didn't see much of the OT. Just back in time to see Ryan score on a goal mouth play. Apparenly some Bruins fans took to throwing bottles at Sens players, which is unfortunate.

Have the Flames game on, they're up 2-0 in the first. Two PP goals. Monahan has goals in all three games.

That tying goal started with an Eller giveaway in the Leafs zone. He didn't make much of an effort to get back & was out of position as Nylander was getting 2 great chances. Then he gets a late penalty that leads to the game winner. Great night Lars.