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Post by brewwins on Mar 18, 2024 19:14:59 GMT
Cheshire Cats or Rangers can have that meaningless piece of hardware…. Please. I’d rather the Bruins have home ice against Florida, NY or any other good team in the playoffs.
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Post by sandogbrewin on Mar 18, 2024 19:50:08 GMT
Big 6 game road trip for the Bruins and 2 games against Florida that could go a long way towards determining who the winner of the Presidents trophy is. Cheshire Cats or Rangers can have that meaningless piece of hardware…. It's a curse.
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Post by brewwins on Mar 18, 2024 20:25:56 GMT
Cheshire Cats or Rangers can have that meaningless piece of hardware…. It's a curse. I agree but the Bruins might not think it is. I was just stating the upcoming road trip and 2 games against Florida might determine the winner of the Presidents trophy.
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 18, 2024 21:14:56 GMT
With a win tonight over the Flamers the Capitals will take over the last WC spot. Who had that in their preseason betting cards, i know i sure didn't. Not I. And even if the Caps lose tonight, they'll still be just a game back of the Wings with a game in hand. I love this time between the deadline and the playoffs. No more trade talk. Teams are what they are. Math is math. Get it or go home. So many races and so many teams involved. Atlantic: The battle for first will be fun with two head-to-head match-ups with the Panthers, but maybe the team with the least to play for is the Laffs who are 10 back of the Bruins and 7 up on the Bolts. I wouldn't ever put a massive collapse (the rejects from Massive Attack formed their own band) past Toronto, but I think they're unlikely to catch or get caught. I don't really care if the Bruins win the division. Bookline puts the odds on Florida-Boston-Toronto, but it's a push for 1-2. Metro: Rangers are 4 up but the Canes are almost as hot as the Predators. Good race. But third in the Metro is going to be fascinating. Can the Flyers hold on? They've got to be one of the best stories of the season, especially after losing their #1 to high profile charges and then trading away players at the deadline. Caps could catch them if they win their two in hand. Isles have a game in hand and a 3 point gap, so they can't quite catch them, but they're there. Pitt are probably out of it at 7 points back. Bookline says it's the Canes-Rangers-Flyers. East WC: Bolts have a pretty good situation up 4 on Detroit, 5 on Washington, and only the Caps have a game in hand. But Detroit has to hold off Washington and the Isles, and Pitt and Buffalo are only 5 back with a game in hand. That slump hurt. And it doesn't help that they're also behind Philly if the Caps do happen to bump the Flyers into the WC spot. Bookline predicts Bolts and Isles. Goaltending weighs in. Also rans: Man...if it goes according to the Bookline, it's hard to say which of these teams is most emotionally crushed. Washington watched Ovi finally hit the wall we all knew was coming but never seemed to get any closer. They've started to retool, but this has to hurt. End of an era. Pens brought in the Boy Wizzer and he expelliarmussed them from the playoffs, brought in Kancer Karlsson, and then lost Guentzel, and now seems to be blaming it all on the lack of Soo Greyhounds. Moron. But I don't see them getting back into the dance for a few years, and it's hard to imagine Crosby pulling an Ovi and just playing out the string until they stop paying him 8 figures. Buffalo had such high hopes and it's hard to shake the impression that they have too many very rich guys under 25 yrs of age. And if Byram thought he was going to be "the Man" in Buffalo, it's going to be very interesting watching him sort out TOI with Dahlin and Power over the next few years. Ultimately, the lack of a goalie seemed to kill them. Devils are a similar story - right down to the lack of a goalie. But they outsmarted themselves moving out half their D, then lost Hamilton, and Schmid proved that it's not just the cheese in Switzerland that's full of holes. And you have to wonder about Hughes. He revealed himself as Zegras East this year in terms of douchey attitude and thinking being the most skilled makes you the most valuable. But the guy can't stay on the ice. If they ever do make the playoffs and he's healthy, it won't take a Bobby Clarke ankle shot to take him out. Just grind him to paste. Ottawa has been a feces festival from losing Pinto to a gambling rule to losing Norris to another shoulder surgery (I think he's done as a 30+ goal threat). They've been dreaming of a top three of Stutzle, Norris and Pinto since they moved Stutzle to centre but someone is always out. And they really went big on the kids only to find that 15-20-35 Cs who win 54% of the faceoffs and make life miserable all night have more value than yet another kid who can operate off the halfwall on the PP. Oh, and they need a goalie. Montreal and Columbus were supposed to suck and they did.
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 18, 2024 21:39:31 GMT
In the West, it's nuts in the Central. Jets, Avs and Stars all have 91 points. Jets have playd 67, Avs 68, Stars 69. Avs are hottest, Jets have the best goaltending, Stars may be the deepest. Ultimately, I think the Jets falter to third - Avs, Stars, Jets
In the Pacific, Edmonton stopped having a shot at Vancouver as soon as the talking heads started asking if they could catch them. Oilers do have 3 in hand, but Canucks are up 8. Then it gets fun, though, because LA and LV are in a dead heat with the Kings holding the tiebreaker and the Vegans holding the trade deadline belt. Calgary is 8 back, so third could be important since StL and Minny are within striking distance. Valiant try for a team that dumped a bunch of talent and was in turmoil since Christmas over it. Van-Edmn-Vegas is the Bookline.
West WC: Nashville is 7 up and sort of the Laffs' situation - too far back to move up and too far up to fall back. That leaves one spot for the loser of the Vegas/LA showdown, the Blues and the Wild. The Pacific teams have a game in hand and a 4 point cushion, and none of them is really grabbing the bull to make a move. That might be what this comes down to - do any of these teams have a stretch drive? Kings lack goaltending, but they have experience in Doughty and Kopitar, and some depth in their forwards. StL sort of has experience with a few of the 2019 players still there, but they've bounced back and forth all year and really haven't found any chemistry with their pick and match defense. Minnesota is probably too young (or too old in Fleury's case). Tough call but it think it's Nashville and LA just because I think they can weather any push.
Also rans: Three teams who made recent coaching changes all failed to change their fate. Huh. It's almost like it depends on the players executing. Minny can't feel too bad as they weather the buyouts of Parise and Suter. Almost a $15M handicap in roster construction. They've had to go with young guys who can play now. Their only problem might be finding a goalie when Faber and Rossi and Boldy et al are fully developed into stars. StL keeps going backward in my eyes. Parayko looked like Weapon X in 2019, but without the shelter of Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester, he looks like a lummox. Krug hasn't been good. They have lost any identity. The Berube firing didn't help them. Going...down. Conroy's done reasonably well moving pieces in Calgary, but there's a lot of work to do there to actually build a team that gets the most of Kadri and Huberdeau and Weegar. Seattle looks like an expansion team again. Arizona looks like an ECHL team again and that's not a surprise since they had $25M in dead cap. Some good young players, but they may have ruined Keller and Crouse like they did Chychrun. Quacks and Hawks understood the assignment.
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Post by dannycater on Mar 18, 2024 21:41:55 GMT
I think the B's should at least try to be #1 in the East..I see nothing wrong with wanting home advantage. And I want the B's to wear the Era jerseys the entire Cup run.
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 18, 2024 22:52:01 GMT
I think the B's should at least try to be #1 in the East..I see nothing wrong with wanting home advantage. And I want the B's to wear the Era jerseys the entire Cup run. If the B's can grab 1st in the Atlantic good, why not? It doesn't mean they win the PT, it just means they got 1st place in their division and if they are tops in the league at the end so be it. Home ice is an advantage, i don't care what anyone says, whether it helps a team win in the end is up to the team, home fans help.
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Post by dannycater on Mar 18, 2024 22:58:57 GMT
I think the B's should at least try to be #1 in the East..I see nothing wrong with wanting home advantage. And I want the B's to wear the Era jerseys the entire Cup run. If the B's can grab 1st in the Atlantic good, why not? It doesn't mean they win the PT, it just means they got 1st place in their division and if they are tops in the league at the end so be it. Home ice is an advantage, i don't care what anyone says, whether it helps a team win in the end is up to the team, home fans help. 100 Percent.
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Post by sandogbrewin on Mar 18, 2024 23:37:21 GMT
I agree but the Bruins might not think it is. I was just stating the upcoming road trip and 2 games against Florida might determine the winner of the Presidents trophy. I could care less. The Bs beat Los Gatos in games 3 and 4 at Sunrise. Putty Tats won games 5 and 7 in Boston. Bs won the cup in Van City.
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Post by sandogbrewin on Mar 18, 2024 23:39:26 GMT
The Jets are looking pretty good. Might have to throw some money on the Peg.
Could be an upset speacial.
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 19, 2024 0:10:11 GMT
The Jest are looking pretty good. Might have to throw some money on the Peg. Could be an upset speacial. What a division, Jets, Avs & Stars all have 91 pts, one of those teams is out in the 1st round, crazy, better win the division! See, winning the division is important, haha!
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 19, 2024 0:12:05 GMT
One of the crazier stats about the Caps being a point out of the WC is they have a -30 goal differential.........hahahaha!
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 20, 2024 13:17:48 GMT
Detroit won to move into the final WC spot 1 point ahead of the Caps who have 2 games in hand, the Caps & Dead Things also play each other 2X. The West is getting tighter as well as the Wild keep,winning and Vegas keeps the win one lose one thing going, Wild within 3 pts and they also have 2 games remaining head to head. The playoff hockey has started already.
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 20, 2024 13:20:51 GMT
Another thing to keep an eye on is 3rd in the Atlantic. The mighty LeRfs are holding down the 3rd spot right now 5 pts ahead of the Lightning and they have 2 game remaining head to head and the Bolts schedule is a bit lighter with games against the Sharts, Ducks, Pens & Sens still to come, something to keep and eye on anyway.
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Post by dannycater on Mar 20, 2024 13:32:25 GMT
I'm going to say this once and 1 thousand times..WHO THE FUCK CARES WHO THE B'S FACE...why? Because if you are going to win the Cup, you will have to beat the best. Period. Is it this team or that team, or whatever team...it's about playing B's hockey. That's it...Pasta being Pasta, Ullmark playing like last night, Shat and Brazzeau stepping up on PP2, so many things that the B's can create, B's can dictate...Shutting things down in front of 35 or 1...main thing to work on...Peake, Wotherspoon turning into great additions for PK/shot blocks...replacing Forbort. Bottom line, B's play B's hockey, good things happen, B's play Chinese Fire Drill version v. Panthers last year--B's don't win.
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Post by fiberglassmask on Mar 20, 2024 13:43:58 GMT
Detroit won to move into the final WC spot 1 point ahead of the Caps who have 2 games in hand, the Caps & Dead Things also play each other 2X. The West is getting tighter as well as the Wild keep,winning and Vegas keeps the win one lose one thing going, Wild within 3 pts and they also have 2 games remaining head to head. The playoff hockey has started already. They tied the game with 2 seconds left and won in OT after being down by 2, again. Lead the NHL in third period comeback wins. Not sure that matches up well with a Bs team that gives up third period leads like Taylor Swift uses air miles on Super Sunday. I’d rather the Bs just play TO first round. Frigging wild card teams always have that “we’ve been playing playoff hockey the last 2 weeks” vibe just to get in anyway that can be poison for teams like the Bs who still take games off mentally at playoff time, particularly in the first round. I think a first round emotional engagement with a team like TO is the best case scenario for them. I don’t want Tampa, either. I don’t dispute Danny’s point about having to play well and get by the “best “ teams, but I think matchups could be more problematic for the Bs than ranking.
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Post by shuper on Mar 20, 2024 14:17:26 GMT
Bring on the Leafs. The first round is the best round. Nothing like April weather and the Bruins playoffs. Lots of bad blood with the Leafs. Maroon coming back will make it even more spicy. I would have loved to got Carrick and Henrique from the ducks. Oilers did a good thing there.
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Post by davinator on Mar 21, 2024 23:53:13 GMT
Welcome back Shup!
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 22, 2024 2:11:28 GMT
Big win by Detroit tonight beating the Isles. I think it's likely going to come down to Detroit and the Caps for the final spot as the Isles seem to by sliding out of it. Caps and Things play each other 2 more times.
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Post by brewwins on Mar 22, 2024 2:45:43 GMT
Big win by Detroit tonight beating the Isles. I think it's likely going to come down to Detroit and the Caps for the final spot as the Isles seem to by sliding out of it. Caps and Things play each other 2 more times. The Cup is up for grabs this year. Bruins, Florida, NY and Carolina in the East. Winnipeg, Colorado, Dallas, Vancouver, Edmonton, LA and Vegas in the West. Just hope the Bruins have a better showing this year. Expectations are low so we'll see.
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Post by brewwins on Mar 22, 2024 2:47:18 GMT
Six game road trip coming up but the Bruins have a good road record.
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Post by brewwins on Mar 22, 2024 3:05:15 GMT
i don't want to wait another 39 years for a Cup from the Bruins.
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Post by fiberglassmask on Mar 22, 2024 5:39:10 GMT
Big win by Detroit tonight beating the Isles. I think it's likely going to come down to Detroit and the Caps for the final spot as the Isles seem to by sliding out of it. Caps and Things play each other 2 more times. The Cup is up for grabs this year. Bruins, Florida, NY and Carolina in the East. Winnipeg, Colorado, Dallas, Vancouver, Edmonton, LA and Vegas in the West. Just hope the Bruins have a better showing this year. Expectations are low so we'll see. LA has a better shot than Tampa and Detroit?
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Post by thanx4memORRies on Mar 22, 2024 12:11:40 GMT
Big win by Detroit tonight beating the Isles. I think it's likely going to come down to Detroit and the Caps for the final spot as the Isles seem to by sliding out of it. Caps and Things play each other 2 more times. The Cup is up for grabs this year. Bruins, Florida, NY and Carolina in the East. Winnipeg, Colorado, Dallas, Vancouver, Edmonton, LA and Vegas in the West. Just hope the Bruins have a better showing this year. Expectations are low so we'll see. So you’re saying the B’S have a chance….
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Post by 50belowzero on Mar 22, 2024 14:33:36 GMT
The Cup is up for grabs this year. Bruins, Florida, NY and Carolina in the East. Winnipeg, Colorado, Dallas, Vancouver, Edmonton, LA and Vegas in the West. Just hope the Bruins have a better showing this year. Expectations are low so we'll see. LA has a better shot than Tampa and Detroit? Detroit has to make it first, the Bolts look solid and will be a very tough out.
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