OFFICIAL 2019-2020 NHL Thread

[ThePenIsMightier]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

By your logic St.Louis shouldve sell the team in 2019 and start fresh, good thing they didn't, and that's the beauty of sports.

by your same logic, the 8th seed should have a harder road to advance vs. the 1st seed. But that's not the case as both needs 4 games to advance to the next round. I feel like you are trying to reward the regular season more than it should. Your argument seem to be that it should be a 7 game series to play in?

Seven definitely would've been better. Then the teams can really feel like they fully lost and soak in their shame.
While your typical (older) 1st vs 8th certainly punished eighth place teams more (statistically) and the current system also does but to a lesser extent, what I'm more suggesting here (in hindsight) is that if there was an insistence to invite teams that were not projected to make the playoffs, they should have had to play more games to physically make their qualifying more difficult. There were lots of options to do this.
My overall preference would've been to not cast such a wide net and deal with Montreal and Chicago whining that "we got screwed" when their likelihood of making it was so improbable.

[killramos]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Who cares. No matter what it'll be called the Asterick Cup and if it's the only ring you ever win well, I feel bad for you son.

Was just about to post this exact point. This year won’t count, consider it a lockout year.

But what we do get, is the ability to watch some hockey while holed up in our teepees for the foreseeable future. The fact that we are watching at all is a huge win.

That being beyond the fact that this thread is grown ass men getting worked up about whether orher grown ass mess win or lose a fucking game lol. People need to relax.

[Buster]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Seven definitely would've been better. Then the teams can really feel like they fully lost and soak in their shame.
While your typical (older) 1st vs 8th certainly punished eighth place teams more (statistically) and the current system also does but to a lesser extent, what I'm more suggesting here (in hindsight) is that if there was an insistence to invite teams that were not projected to make the playoffs, they should have had to play more games to physically make their qualifying more difficult. There were lots of options to do this.
My overall preference would've been to not cast such a wide net and deal with Montreal and Chicago whining that "we got screwed" when their likelihood of making it was so improbable.

This will also be a Stanley Cup won by a team that didn't play a single home game in the playoffs.

[ThePenIsMightier]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

This will also be a Stanley Cup won by a team that didn't play a single home game in the playoffs.

Yes and no... There is still a "home team" who gets the last change and that's a reasonable advantage for line matching.
Just no building full of screaming drunks.

[rage2]

Viva Las Vegas! Off to round 2!

[max_boost]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Viva Las Vegas! Off to round 2!

Lol that was fun to watch. Just following in the boss footsteps lol I’m also a LV fan now haha

[beyond_ban]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Who cares. No matter what it'll be called the Asterick Cup and if it's the only ring you ever win well, I feel bad for you son.

Numerous players have come out and said this is the hardest year to win the cup, so if anything that asterisk will mean that this cup champion had to fight through even more than a regular champ. Those who say "this cup doesn't count" couldn't be further from the truth.

[mr2mike]

I think this was the year to give all teams their name on the cup.
Everyone tries hard and special snowflake culture would agree no one deserves to lose in sport and especially in these circumstances.

Players have been through enough at 20 something and not being able to travel and spend a few million on debauchery is the icing on the cake.

[dirtsniffer]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Who cares. No matter what it'll be called the Asterick Cup and if it's the only ring you ever win well, I feel bad for you son.

I am leaning towards the Covid Cup.

[D'z Nutz]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Eastern Conference
Flyers (1) vs. Canadiens (8) - Flyers in 6
Lightning (2) vs. Blue Jackets (7) - Jackets in 7
Capitals (3) vs. Islanders (6) - Islanders in 6
Bruins (4) vs. Hurricanes (5) - Bruins in 6 - I love the Bruins, but part of me wouldn't be surprised if the Canes take this series. These guys have swagger.

Western Conference
Golden Knights (1) vs. Blackhawks (8) - Knights in 6
Avalanche (2) vs. Coyotes (7) - Avalanche in 5
Stars (3) vs. Flames (6) - Stars in 6
Blues (4) vs. Canucks (5) - Blues in 6

Got 6 teams right, 3 of which I guessed the right number of games.

Round 2:

Eastern Conference
Flyers (1) vs. Islanders (6) - Islanders in 6
Lightning (2) vs. Bruins (4) - Bruins in 7


Western Conference
Golden Knights (1) vs. Canucks (5) - Knights in 6
Avalanche (2) vs. Stars (3) - Avs in 7

[vengie]

Edmonton was lucky the season ended when it did as they were on a massive slide being held together only by their record breaking power play.
They were one of the worst teams in the league for 5v5 scoring.


I hate to say this as well, but I might be kind of sort of rooting for Vancouver... the Bieksa/ Burrows days are long past, and they are genuinely fun to watch.
Big fan of Hughes, Pettersen and Horvat.

[ThePenIsMightier]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Edmonton was lucky the season ended when it did as they were on a massive slide being held together only by their record breaking power play.
They were one of the worst teams in the league for 5v5 scoring.


I hate to say this as well, but I might be kind of sort of rooting for Vancouver... the Bieksa/ Burrows days are long past, and they are genuinely fun to watch.
Big fan of Hughes, Pettersen and Horvat.

Edmonton was 5-3-2 in their last ten games. That's no death spiral. Their PP was certainly helping/carrying them a fair bit.

I think I could get behind Vancouver but I really dislike their coach, so probably not. I think the Dallas/Colorado series is going to be incredible.

[vengie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I think I could get behind Vancouver but I really dislike their coach, so probably not. I think the Dallas/Colorado series is going to be incredible.

What’s wrong with Travis Green? By all accounts he seems like a great coach who has found success at each level?

[ThePenIsMightier]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

What’s wrong with Travis Green? By all accounts he seems like a great coach who has found success at each level?

I think I'm being unreasonable. I didn't care for the way he handled the Sedins since he took over but on the other other hand, I think that may have been a bandaid that tearing off benefited the organization.
Maybe I don't like his face and his greasy fucking hair. Maybe I really don't like that for some reason my hair is starting to look like his hair because I'm irrationally scared to get a God Damned haircut!
He looks like he's an asshole. Nowhere near the worse than Hitler - Mike Millbury, but still an asshole.

[vengie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I think I'm being unreasonable. I didn't care for the way he handled the Sedins since he took over but on the other other hand, I think that may have been a bandaid that tearing off benefited the organization.
Maybe I don't like his face and his greasy fucking hair. Maybe I really don't like that for some reason my hair is starting to look like his hair because I'm irrationally scared to get a God Damned haircut!
He looks like he's an asshole. Nowhere near the worse than Hitler - Mike Millbury, but still an asshole.

Lol, the honesty is appreciated

[max_boost]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Got 6 teams right, 3 of which I guessed the right number of games.

Round 2:

Eastern Conference
Flyers (1) vs. Islanders (6) - Islanders in 6
Lightning (2) vs. Bruins (4) - Bruins in 7


Western Conference
Golden Knights (1) vs. Canucks (5) - Knights in 6
Avalanche (2) vs. Stars (3) - Avs in 7

I dig it but I think the bolts are gonna beat the bruins.

[ThePenIsMightier]

Robin Lehner gets a shutout for Vegas to open Round-2.
That's the Vezina finalist goalie Chicago traded at the end of February. I wonder why they traded him when they were last in the division with mere weeks to go.
So mystery.

[rage2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Robin Lehner gets a shutout for Vegas to open Round-2.
That's the Vezina finalist goalie Chicago traded at the end of February. I wonder why they traded him when they were last in the division with mere weeks to go.
So mystery.

No mystery. As a fan of VGK and previously CHI, I follow the Knights closely, and CHI on and off.

First off, last night's game. VGK dominated VAN everywhere. There wasn't any dangerous chances that I remembered. That shutout was because of VGK in front of Lehner. Trying to leverage the score to advance your narrative is clearly bullshit.

Second, Lehner was a Vezina finalist last year. That doesn't mean anything. This year, he was inconsistent as fuck in Chicago, and lost the starting role to Crawford. There was still some value and he was traded before he went UFA. Has he performed well in Vegas? No, not really. Prior to last night's game, he was barely a 900 SV%. Do you know why VGK is winning? It's not goaltending. It's firepower across all lines. So why play Lehner instead of Flower? Because they're still winning despite Lehner's average play. Chase out their goalie, and they'll bring in their #1. It's a big FU (really, it's to get Lehner some playing time and it's working so why change).

Let it go man haha.

[ThePenIsMightier]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

No mystery. As a fan of VGK and previously CHI, I follow the Knights closely, and CHI on and off.

First off, last night's game. VGK dominated VAN everywhere. There wasn't any dangerous chances that I remembered. That shutout was because of VGK in front of Lehner. Trying to leverage the score to advance your narrative is clearly bullshit.

Second, Lehner was a Vezina finalist last year. That doesn't mean anything. This year, he was inconsistent as fuck in Chicago, and lost the starting role to Crawford. There was still some value and he was traded before he went UFA. Has he performed well in Vegas? No, not really. Prior to last night's game, he was barely a 900 SV%. Do you know why VGK is winning? It's not goaltending. It's firepower across all lines. So why play Lehner instead of Flower? Because they're still winning despite Lehner's average play. Chase out their goalie, and they'll bring in their #1. It's a big FU (really, it's to get Lehner some playing time and it's working so why change).

Let it go man haha.

I'm not trying to leverage the score. I'm trying to leverage his shutout. He stopped 26 shots, so it wasn't like Vancouver never got across the blue line. It's not like they only got 15 shots like Arizona in Game-6 against Colorado.


He may not be carrying Vegas, but 9-1-0 with a 92.5 save% and a 1.97 GAA... How many times did they play Detroit since he joined?! LoL!

Chicago would not have traded Lehner without being certain that they were not making the playoffs.

[asp integra]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Robin Lehner gets a shutout for Vegas to open Round-2.
That's the Vezina finalist goalie Chicago traded at the end of February. I wonder why they traded him when they were last in the division with mere weeks to go.
So mystery.

I think Lehner is a bit over hyped. He's got one hell of a team playing in front of him which helps. I keep hearing 'the Flames need to sign Lehner' but I don't think it would be much of an upgrade over BSD or Talbot, especially if the team isn't playing great.

Also Vegas absolutely smothered Hughes, thats how you shut down a mobile, skilled D man. Flames tried to do that against the stars but guys like Klinberg and Heiskanen took everything they threw at them and then would blow right by them.