General Playoff Thread

[Ranger71]

Pretty wild start. Korpisalo's been a wall.

 

[Greyvtrayn]

This is crazy. 5OTs (so far).

 

[kreidertime]

Columbus plays like the Islanders. They don't play to win. They play for the other team to do something and lose. Tampa was patient all night and got rewarded as they should have.

 

[RangersFan]

That was a really big win for TB. They needed it for their confidence I think. Doesn't mean they'll win the series for sure, but if they lost I think they were in big trouble, especially given the way the game played out.

 

[Ranger71]

Great that the Sabres are going back to the royal blue jerseys.

 

[RangersFan]

The Isles look really good. I think they are beating the Caps. Not sure if they can get past TB/BOS, but they are playing well.

Also they have real good scoring depth. If they don't score it's because of their system, not their talent. We all know their 4th line is really solid. And they have Brass and JGP on their 3rd line. Really good forward depth. Dangerous team.

 

[kreidertime]

Islanders are not dangerous vs. teams like Philly and Boston. They will get asswhipped. Only chance they have is if those teams get picked off.

 

[RangersFan]

Time will tell, and I don't think they'll beat TB/BOS either, but they will have a shot to beat them, and I do think they are beating the Caps.

 

[Ranger71]

Hopefully the winner of the TB series makes it out of the East. I hate all those other losers except Carolina.

 

[kreidertime]

Caps are not what they were now.

 

[Greyvtrayn]

Rask opts out of remainder of postseason...wow!

 

[RangersFan]

Can't say I'm surprised based on his "interesting" comments the other day. It was pretty clear after that his head wasn't in the game at all. Based on that I think the Bruins will be better off with a focused Halak leading the charge.

 

[kreidertime]

Rask is a pussy. He's been overrated his whole career IMO. He will never have an NHL job again. He's been talking about retirement for years.

 

[Ranger71]

I hate Boston enough that I'm willing to sacrifice a few draft spots if Carolina wins. The problem is i would also want them to beat Philly or the Isles if they played them.

 

[RangersFan]

Isles go up 3-0 and pretty much wrap up that series.

The Caps with OV are an interesting discussion. During his 15 seasons, they have been an absolute disaster and chokers in the playoffs, outside of one year...when they won the cup. Outside of that year they have never been to the ECF, blown many series leads, and been knocked out early many times. Flip side is they have had many strong regular seasons, and again did win the 1 cup.

So if you wrote his final postseason story today how would it read. To me the fact that his teams have never made the ECF outside of one season speaks volumes about his leadership and ability to step up in the biggest of spots when the lights are the brightest. I don't think he is a great leader, and never have.

Yes winning a cup is amazing, but when your playoff ledger reads 1 SC and 14 years of not even making the ECF once, while blowing many series leads, I think the 1 cup gets overshadowed.

Obviously great all-time player, but a very questionable and subpar postseason track record. That's how I see it at least.

 

[Greyvtrayn]

OK. 128 points in 133 post season games (67 G).

 

[RangersFan]

No doubt his stats are good, but his teams have come up short time and time again. As the C of a team that has never made the ECF outside of one season, and has choked away many series leads, I am sure he would trade a lot of those stats for some playoff series wins outside of 1 of his 15 seasons. But if he is measured by stats not playoff series wins by his team, then he looks fine, agreed. I tend to focus on his teams lack of success given his role as leader of the team, more than his good stats.

That's what makes this an interesting discussion though, maybe okay is the right way to look at it for OV in the playoffs. Solid stats, but a lot of team underperformance and choking outside of one year.

This is like the Dan Marino debate in the NFL. Good discussion.

 

[Greyvtrayn]

Well then think about the opposite of what is the case and let me know what you think.

Ovechkin has won say 3 Stanley Cups but in 133 games he has 21 goals and 40 total points. Then what? Ovechkin has a great playoff track record or disappears in the playoffs and happens to benefit from team mates who step up?

Surely he would take the three Cups as that's what these guys play for. Doesn't mean he isn't a great playoff hockey player, to go along with being an all-time great player.

 

[kreidertime]

Washington is about at that point where they need to tear it down and rebuild. Maybe OV gets dealt.

 

[RangersFan]

I don't know, I just can't get past the point that in his 15 years ONCE his team has made it to the ECF, once. That is really terrible for one of the best 2 or 3 players in the game, and one of the all time greats (which he is). I struggle with not holding his leadership (or lack there of) accountable on some level. On top of that his teams have blown 3-1 leads a few times, and lost series they had no business losing.

His playoff numbers are solid, not great but solid, so individually it's okay, but as the C of a team that has had some really good to great regular seasons, to make one ECF in his whole career isn't good. I wouldn't say disaster or awful for him due to his solid playoff numbers, but I cannot think of him as anything more than okay at best in the playoffs due to his teams major failures over multiple playoffs. I would sum it up as his career thus far has been underachieving in the playoffs.

As for their current team, I agree. Time to break it up. We know Holtby is gone (he is a UFA after the season), and I think very strong chance their coach gets fired (back to back first round exits). So that will be the start. I am thinking they'll be making some other moves as well. One note of caution though, before they won the cup they made some changes and had some people leave, and I thought their window was close to closing, and then they won the cup. Now again I am kind of thinking window almost closed and team heading down, so who knows maybe they step up again after being written off.

 

[kreidertime]

Looks like Philly, Boston and Tampa all going to advance. Islanders will be up against it next roumd. Boston beating Carolina without Rask or Pastrnak. Impressive.

 

[RangersFan]

Looking like Isles/Flyers & Bruins/Lightning in the East. Good series.

BTW - the past 2+ weeks have been really good to us.

1. We lose to the Canes in the qualifiers. Considering the way we played we would have had no shot to beat the top teams in the East, so maximize our draft pick, and give us a shot at # 1.
2. The Leafs lose in the qualifying round, meaning the Canes get their pick unless the Leafs win the lottery.
3. We defy odds and win the draft lottery.
4. The Canes look like they will lose in round 1, which maximizes our second 1st round pick. Maybe in the 22 range pending how the remainder of the playoffs play out.

So what started off as bad, has turned good IMO. Things going our way recently.

 

[Greyvtrayn]

My flawless picks for tonight's game:
Phi, Dal, NYI, VGK

sure it's all chalk.

 

[kreidertime]

It would be wise for Gorton to keep picking up a second, first round pick year after year to help with the cap. This year he should be looking at drafting playoff types of players that bring elements too many of our players lack.

 

[Ranger71]

More Canadien draftees. The kid Zary looks like a winning type, if they go for a forward.

 

[RangersFan]

Canes eliminated, sets up our second 1st round pick in a good spot. I am still liking TB to win the East.

I'm interested to see what the Canes do to improve. A lot of good young players, do they maybe look for an upgrade in goal I wonder.

 

[RangersFan]

If the Flyers win you have Isles/Flyers & Bruins/Lightning in the East. The West is Blues or Canucks/Knights & Stars/Avs.

I like Isles and Lightning in the East. I love Knights and Avs in the West. Right now I am liking Lightning and Avs in the SCF.

Also our pick is now locked in somewhere between 20-24 depending on how the remainder of the playoffs go.

 

[kreidertime]

I think you are seriously underestimating Boston. They basically beat Carolina without Pastrnak for almost the entire series. I was surprised Philly didn't bitch slap Montreal. However, they pose a huge problem for the Islanders. Their depth at center is so much greater than the Craps that the Islanders centerman will not be nearly as effective in this series.

 

[RangersFan]

I am not underestimating Boston. I like them a lot, and think they are the second best team in the East, I just happen to think they are playing the best team in the East. I'd rank them TB, Bos, NYI, Philly (I don't love Philly). So give me TB and NYI in the ECF. TB wins and goes to the SCF. But if Bos was playing the NYI or Philly I would take Bos no doubt. Shame the 2 best teams are playing in round 2.

BTW - Hayes or Kreider? Given our strength on the wings and the need for a # 2 C, I'd say give me Hayes. Maybe we made the wrong choice there all things being equal.

 

[kreidertime]

Tampa has shown nothing at any point this season that they are better than Boston. Hayes was vastly overpaid. I would take Kreider. I've watched Hayes this series. He plays on the perimeter all the time. That won't work vs. teams that clog the middle.