2021 NHL Playoffs

Post by **brian** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:24 pm

Honestly the Wheel Of Justice is worse but I feel about GI like I do a catch in the NFL. I don’t trust myself when I think I see it anymore.

Post by **brian** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:38 pm

I’ll never understand how Mark Stone didn’t get drafted until the sixth round.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:51 pm

brian wrote: ↑Sat May 22, 2021 8:38 pm I’ll never understand how Mark Stone didn’t get drafted until the sixth round.

He is really good. I think he is the indispensable player for Vegas.

Post by **brian** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:54 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Sat May 22, 2021 8:51 pm
brian wrote: ↑Sat May 22, 2021 8:38 pm I’ll never understand how Mark Stone didn’t get drafted until the sixth round.
He is really good. I think he is the indispensable player for Vegas.

Complete agree. I knew he was good but watching him for 2.5 seasons he’s been better than advertised. Definite top 5 200-foot player in the world..Never takes a shift much less a game off.

Post by **brian** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:57 pm

Congrats to the Leafs on beating the Habs in the playoffs for the first time since Martin Luther King has been dead.

Post by **brian** » Sat May 22, 2021 9:40 pm

Neither series is over but and greatness is subjective but it seems possible the two best hockey teams on the planet are about to face off in the West Division finals.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sat May 22, 2021 9:41 pm

brian wrote: ↑Sat May 22, 2021 8:38 pm I’ll never understand how Mark Stone didn’t get drafted until the sixth round.

NHL draft is always goofy because they're drafting 18 year olds. Stone was hurt most of his draft eligible year and scouts thought he greatest weakness was skating.

"We had (scouts) that really liked him," said Senators assistant general manager Tim Murray. "But he played 39 games last year. I don't know how anyone could have predicted (his 106-point season). We knew he had hands, we knew he missed a lot of time and we knew that some independent scouting services projected him to go early in the third round last year.

"But after he got hurt, that's what happens. Guys get passed by but lucky for us, we had a couple of guys that saw him early and really liked him. It's kind of a bonus when you can get a guy like that in the sixth round, that's for sure."

Post by **brian** » Sun May 23, 2021 6:41 pm

Kadri coming back for a potential Game 7 would be some theater. I still think his suspension is reduced though.

Rams Fanny · Post by **Rams Fanny** » Sun May 23, 2021 7:08 pm

I haven't seen the layout for the second round yet so forgive me if this question is moot: If your team advances to the Division final round, would you like the break after R! to allow the Scotia NHL North to catch up or rather wait for the inevitable break (potentially much longer) after the Division Finals?

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun May 23, 2021 7:15 pm

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Sun May 23, 2021 7:08 pm I haven't seen the layout for the second round yet so forgive me if this question is moot: If your team advances to the Division final round, would you like the break after R! to allow the Scotia NHL North to catch up or rather wait for the inevitable break (potentially much longer) after the Division Finals?

I think once your opponent is known you go. After round two the four teams get reseeded so everyone has to wait. You may not have to wait long as Edmonton gets swept and the Leafs should win in at most 6.

I've enjoyed the Nashville-Carolina series with the two 2OT games. This is the only East-West First Round match-up so we may never see this pairing again.

Post by **brian** » Sun May 23, 2021 7:45 pm

The North is playing b2bs this round and next. They’ll be caught up.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun May 23, 2021 9:40 pm

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun May 23, 2021 9:41 pm

I can’t get over how bad Mike Smith is.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun May 23, 2021 9:48 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Sun May 23, 2021 9:41 pm I can’t get over how bad Mike Smith is.

Dude always had lapses. That wasn't changing at 39.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun May 23, 2021 11:26 pm

Epic collapse.

Gonna be tough to come back from this less than 24 hours later.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon May 24, 2021 9:46 am

Watch the tying goal last night and it's everything that is wrong with the Oilers.

1. McDavid hurriedly shoots the puck around the boards, which gets blocked because the lazy winger Draisaitl isn't there.
2. Ethan Bear has gone into the corner expecting that McDavid reverses the puck.
3. Once Morrissey has the puck, where is Puljujarvi going?
4. Smith can't make a save seeing the puck all the way.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue May 25, 2021 1:22 am

YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue May 25, 2021 7:11 am

Last night was bad. One of those can't get the clip of the awful play out of your head and because of that you can't fall asleep type of nights.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue May 25, 2021 7:49 am

Pissed the Bolts lost last night. Wish my Bolts in 5 wager hit. A little afraid of the Spencer Knight effect. Pretty amped to be in arena for game 6.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue May 25, 2021 7:55 am

rass wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 7:11 am Last night was bad. One of those can't get the clip of the awful play out of your head and because of that you can't fall asleep type of nights.

I thought it was funny.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue May 25, 2021 1:32 pm

This is how you lose the game and the series.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue May 25, 2021 1:34 pm

McDavid for Howden, Hajek and a 2nd. Who says no?

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Tue May 25, 2021 1:45 pm

One good thing about back-to-back in the playoffs is you get really drunk watching the first game, sleep in until 1pm and then you're awake enough to watch the series clincher that ends at 3:05am.

While all four of those games could have gone either way, there's a bit of a narrative on smart hockey twitter that the Oilers were way better and Hellebuyck stole the series. I don't know how to see it with an un-biased eye test but the whole series seemed like the Jets played deliberate, low-event hockey, to the point that I could have sworn that Mike Smith was facing twice as many scary chances as Hellebuyck. Anyone who saw the Jets in the regular season would not think they were capable of this sort of game.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue May 25, 2021 1:48 pm

I'm pretty certain Winnipeg lost the xG battle in all four games.

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Tue May 25, 2021 2:06 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 1:48 pm I'm pretty certain Winnipeg lost the xG battle in all four games.

They did indeed, and they did all year. They outscored and outsaved their xG this series exactly like they did in the season. I'm just saying that, watching them during the year that was obvious. During the series I really thought they gave the Oilers very little quality chances. I am fine chalking that up to fan bias, and probably a good dose of expecting such a mcdavid-draisaitl bloodbath that keeping them in check at all seems like a domination by comparison.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue May 25, 2021 3:36 pm

Dom with a really good/slanted piece in the Athletic about officiating in the playoffs in general, and with regard to McJesus in particular.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue May 25, 2021 3:53 pm

Winnipeg succeeded playing the kind of series that St. Louis failed at, and Nashville, Montreal and Minnesota are trying with occasional success.

Congrats Trav. The whole city of Winnipeg is probably still drunk.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue May 25, 2021 4:27 pm

I hope that the Oilers chalk it up to bad luck and think they're way better. Then they'll keep going what they're doing.
That's 7 playoff losses. To Chicago and Winnipeg. The media praise for this team is ridiculous.

Last year, the Flames won a mini-series over Winnipeg, then were 12 seconds away from taking Dallas, the eventually finalists, to at least seven games, and they got absolutely raked over the coals by the media.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue May 25, 2021 5:48 pm

The media is so bad i have to agree with Pierre McGuire. But fanboy David Staples to the rescue.

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hock ... guire-hmmm

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Wed May 26, 2021 7:13 am

couldn't agree more with this - it's gonna cause a stir, I'm sure, which is probably good.

It's hard for me to admit because the standard reflex is "there's nothing like playoff hockey!!!" and I don't know if that's true to the extent we all want it to be true. Emotions are high because every shift matters but - personal opinion here - i *don't* want to see 50foot runs at a guy and seeing him get pasted into Moose Jaw. That is in no way why I love hockey, and in particular Dom's points about how the cult of hockey elevates these pluggers/grinders to god-status really resonates with me.

Could frankly give a shit about gd Cal Clutterbuck and Brandon Tanev - would rather see Matt Barzal and Sid all over the ice making plays.

Cross-checks and interference ruin my enjoyment of the game and to be honest, playoff hockey is NOT what we all want/think it is (obviously notable games stick out and the drama sells itself). Post-lockout back in 2005 they started calling everything and yeah, there were a lot of complaints but players and teams had to adjust and I don't think it's a stretch saying it was eventually the best hockey we'd seen in over a decade. Let's get back to that. Or go to 4 on 4 permanently. Something's gotta change.

Ok rant over - (I swear it's not because I suck at the playoff pool!)

**btw I don't want to take away from degen's anti-Oilers bias. I kind of like the Oilers but I appreciate a quality homer rant far more! :D

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 3:36 pm Dom with a really good/slanted piece in the Athletic about officiating in the playoffs in general, and with regard to McJesus in particular.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Wed May 26, 2021 7:26 am

Looks like I'll be stretching my weary bones and climbing on to the Leafs bandwagon.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed May 26, 2021 7:44 am

It's not anti-oilers bias. They suck. I hate the Oilers but will admit if they are actually good, not this media circle jerk.

Simply saying oh my God McDavid didn't draw a penalty makes nhl reffing bad is not an valid argument.

Look at the boxscores of the 4 games or rewatch all the games. Winnipeg took more penalties and the Oilers got three 5on3s, Jets had none. Yes the officiating in the NHL is terrible and worse in the playoffs but simply touching McDavid is not a penalty, teams must have the ability to defend. McDavid doesn't automatically have the right if way all the time.

McDavid is basically Ovechkin circa 2010. Great talent but flawed and turnover prone. Ovechkin had to change his game to win a championship, so does McDavid.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Wed May 26, 2021 7:48 am

degenerasian wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 7:44 am It's not anti-oilers bias. They suck. I hate the Oilers but will admit if they are actually good, not this media circle jerk.

Written like a true Calgarian!

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed May 26, 2021 8:21 am

But I can understand why the officiating is frustrating.

This was a makeup call in OT last night. Carolina scored the winner 4on4

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Wed May 26, 2021 10:34 am

:D
i know man, i hear you but i am LOLing. They did finish a pretty strong 2nd place this year so I don't think they "suck" but from maybe a wider perspective nobody anywhere has said that they're anything beyond Connor/Leon at all.

I thought the article does a good job being specific and not just saying "Connor didn't draw a penalty" but backing it up with a lot of research.

But I get you because fuck the Bruins. THEY suck.

<---totally objective fan.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 7:48 am
degenerasian wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 7:44 am It's not anti-oilers bias. They suck. I hate the Oilers but will admit if they are actually good, not this media circle jerk.
Written like a true Calgarian!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed May 26, 2021 12:48 pm

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Wed May 26, 2021 1:44 pm

MaxWebster wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 10:34 am But I get you because fuck the Bruins. THEY suck.

On this, we will always agree.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed May 26, 2021 1:54 pm

degenerasian wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 7:44 am It's not anti-oilers bias. They suck. I hate the Oilers but will admit if they are actually good, not this media circle jerk.

Simply saying oh my God McDavid didn't draw a penalty makes nhl reffing bad is not an valid argument.

Look at the boxscores of the 4 games or rewatch all the games. Winnipeg took more penalties and the Oilers got three 5on3s, Jets had none. Yes the officiating in the NHL is terrible and worse in the playoffs but simply touching McDavid is not a penalty, teams must have the ability to defend. McDavid doesn't automatically have the right if way all the time.

McDavid is basically Ovechkin circa 2010. Great talent but flawed and turnover prone. Ovechkin had to change his game to win a championship, so does McDavid.

It's been said before but one thing that can't be denied is that the referees let go a LOT more interference in the playoffs. And, that is, frankly, bullshit. Guys like McDavid are the ones who suffer most from this trend, so their names come up in the discussion.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed May 26, 2021 3:32 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 1:54 pm
degenerasian wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 7:44 am It's not anti-oilers bias. They suck. I hate the Oilers but will admit if they are actually good, not this media circle jerk.

Simply saying oh my God McDavid didn't draw a penalty makes nhl reffing bad is not an valid argument.

Look at the boxscores of the 4 games or rewatch all the games. Winnipeg took more penalties and the Oilers got three 5on3s, Jets had none. Yes the officiating in the NHL is terrible and worse in the playoffs but simply touching McDavid is not a penalty, teams must have the ability to defend. McDavid doesn't automatically have the right if way all the time.

McDavid is basically Ovechkin circa 2010. Great talent but flawed and turnover prone. Ovechkin had to change his game to win a championship, so does McDavid.
It's been said before but one thing that can't be denied is that the referees let go a LOT more interference in the playoffs. And, that is, frankly, bullshit. Guys like McDavid are the ones who suffer most from this trend, so their names come up in the discussion.

The Athletic should show me the exact same study with Crosby or MacKinnon and I'll believe them. We all know the reffing is terrible and different/worse in the playoffs. For example, pretty much every squeeze out on the boards after the puck goes past is interference. I fully admit that I have no idea what the bar is for interference.

But this article is someone trying to rationalize how a great regular season player like McDavid could look so ordinary in the playoffs. The reality is McDavid simply didn't play well in the series. He was a ghost in the first two games and in the NHL you aren't going to draw penalties if you aren't dictating the pace of the game.

I'm a data analyst, I could really tear down down this article if I had more time. The sample size is too small and the per 60 stat really mucks it up. Stars have a ton more ice time, and a lot of it is floaty. It’s also against better defenders, who take fewer penalties

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed May 26, 2021 5:08 pm

A blast from the past...