Central Semi: (1) Nashville Predators vs (WC) Dallas Stars

[Nehithaw]

Nashville in 7

[The Comish]

Preds in 5

[4T2]

Would love to see Dallas pull off the upset but have my doubts we will see that happen. I think it will be the Preds in 6

[Eskimo Brother]

Well that was a disappointing game 1. I'm really not liking having to play against Zucc. He gives that team a whole added two dimensions - perfect addition for them.

[PenguinHunter]

Wathing parts of Game 1, I noticed they have some very scrambled PP units. Is this just an attempt to get things rolling after being a league worst 13% during regular season?

Has the Powerplay been working recently with these split units?

Did they try stacking one unit and it result in a bunch of goals against earlier in season?

Just because every other team runs 1 D man on the PP, doesn't mean Nashville has to. Why don't they try Subban and Josi on the same unit? They still have Ellis to man the point on the second unit.

What I would try.

Forsberg - Johansen - Arviddsson/Granlund, Josi and Subban

Simmonds/Boyle - Turris - Arvidsson/Granlund, Smith and Ellis.

But I honestly haven't seen much Predators games this year. Just curious?

[Eskimo Brother]

They've been messing with units all season, and nothing has worked. Boyle looked like he meshed well when he first came over, but he got all of two games or so with the big guns and then hasn't gotten the deployment since. Subban has the PP bomb, but otherwise I find he doesn't move the puck as well as the rest on the top unit. Personally I would like to see:
Josi
Johansen Forsberg Arvie
Boyle
And then run with that. Second unit can have Subban, Ellis, Granlund, Simmonds, and either Sissons or Smith, depending on if you want the centre for faceoffs or not.

[PenguinHunter]

Yeah, that would be good too. I think anything is better than splitting up Forsberg and Johansen. Doesn't make sense to me. If they play 5 on 5 together, why not put them on same PP together.

[ericdaoust]

Another underdog team wins!

[PenguinHunter]

Another underdog team wins!

If Carolina wins then all four division winners would be out.

And what a show these two teams put on for us tonight. Rinne and Bishop were awesome. That was great hockey!

[rataylor22]

Nashville has a bad PP because they build it around the least efficient attack theory possible - shots from the point. Empirically it’s just the worst way to run a PP.

I remember when Radulov was just a lazy, moody Russian who didn’t care. Man what a fun player. He’s awesome.

[Godin]

Time to move on from Laviolette. He's had 5 years. Simmonds could have made a difference if he was healthy but they need a change.

[hockeyrobot]

Always ridicule your stars in the media. That is the lesson here.

[lucafen4]

Who knew Spezza still played hockey?

[The Comish]

I didn't watch very many Stars games this year - Bishop played amazing in the clinching game. Glad I own him in one of my dynasty leagues! Also, that Heiskanen kid, whoa. Plays beyond his 19 years on this planet.