Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread 2024

[Daydream Nation]

I don't want to see Lou get rewarded for his garbage roster management. It's a roster full of 30 something has beens with little to nothing in the way of viable farm assets to call upon. I can't imagine how anyone would want to watch more Isles hockey than they have to. No thank you.

I agree 100%. Granted, a NY/NY matchup wouldn't be bad.

[everfeb]

Money Puck % to make final. As of April 13, 2024, 6:25 pm Eastern Time. https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm
Are these people joking around, serious? %'s at all realistic, a worthwhile guide, useless? Good for a laugh.

NYR 28.4% (OK) CAR 22.3% (Sure) and in 3rd place the Leafs (18.7% (are you kidding?) with COL at 14.9%, TBay at 10.4%.

When are the Dobber Stanley Cup Polls coming out and the "Experts" rankings...soon I hope.

[loppantorkel]

Money Puck % to make final. As of April 13, 2024, 6:25 pm Eastern Time. https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm
Are these people joking around, serious? %'s at all realistic, a worthwhile guide, useless? Good for a laugh.

NYR 28.4% (OK) CAR 22.3% (Sure) and in 3rd place the Leafs (18.7% (are you kidding?) with COL at 14.9%, TBay at 10.4%.

Winnipeg 7 - 0 Colorado and they meet in the first round in a week or so. Will Colorado even make it out the first round?

I'm more surprised to see them have Vancouver at 18% to make the SC Final, as the 4th likeliest team, also to win it all.

[Dennis]

I assumed the NHL would f%!# it up and not get the playoffs going by the weekend but it looks like games with start this Saturday the 20th

[RizzeeDizzee]

I still wonder what the heck Carolina does in net. They've stuck to a strictly rotating schedule, so does that continue in the playoffs? That would be bold, and easily second guessed. But if they go to just one of the two they could suffer, as I noted, a fate similar to Boston last year. On paper they seem like one of the teams to beat but I fear this will be their potential undoing.

[lusshouse]

Since the Roy, Brodeur, Kiprussof, etc era, To be over 60 GP for goalies usually means a quick exit in the first round, and rarely ever winning the Cup.
I'm not gambling on Colorado this year. I don't trust a 62 GP goalie, and I don't trust Georgiev.

[hockeyrobot]

I assumed the NHL would f%!# it up and not get the playoffs going by the weekend but it looks like games with start this Saturday the 20th

Yuuuup very quick turnaround.

[2014olympicgold]

Teams and their starting goalie going into the first round:
Nashville - Saros (63GS)
Colorado - Georgiev (62GS)

Winnipeg - Helly (59GS)
Florida - Bobrovsky (58GS)
Edmonton - Skinner (55GS)
New York Rangers - Shesterkin (54GS)
NYI - Sorokin (54GS)/Varlamov (26GS)
Dallas - Oettinger (52GS)
Tampa - Vas (51GS)
LAK - Talbot (50GS)

Vancouver - Demko (49GS)
Boston - Swayman (41GS)/Ullmark (38GS)
Vegas - Thompson (41GS)/Hill (34GS)
Toronto - Samsonov (40GS)
Carolina - Kochetkov (40GS)/Andersen (16GS)

The teams who are still battling to get in:
Philly - Ersson (48GS)
Pitts - Jarry (48GS)
Washington - Lindgren (46GS)/Kuemper (30GS)
Detroit - Lyon (42GS)/Reimer (19GS)

Just to let everyone know.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Pretty crazy Vas is that high despite missing a chunk of time. He's played 51 of a possible 60 games since his return, and all but two of the missed games were part of a B2B, so in essence he's started 51 of 53 non-B2B games. That is jaw-deopping.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Since the Roy, Brodeur, Kiprussof, etc era, To be over 60 GP for goalies usually means a quick exit in the first round, and rarely ever winning the Cup.
I'm not gambling on Colorado this year. I don't trust a 62 GP goalie, and I don't trust Georgiev.

You shouldn't trust Georgiev. He has one season in his entire career with above a 50% Quality Start Percentage, and that includes seasons when he was a back-up and playing softer teams. This is also his fourth season of his last five with a negative GSAA, and it's double digit negative. Colorado better hope for a lot of 6-5 wins.

[pmorrow]

Isles clinch

[forsbergfan]

I picked Carolina to come out of the East, but the Islanders are gonna be a tough matchup in the first round. They're coming in with tons of momentum and have 2 goalies that can steal the series.
I think Colorado is in trouble. Winnipeg is a terrible matchup for them, even disregarding the Jets sweeping them this year. I feel like Colorado made too many moves at the deadline - messes with team chemistry, even if it gels right away. If memory serves me correct, that kind of stuff very rarely works come playoff time. And I think Winnipeg beats Dallas in the 2nd round.
If I'm Edmonton, I want Vegas and not LA in the first round. LA has been preparing for Edmonton all year long, that's not a team I want to face early in the playoffs. I don't see a Cam Talbot in net team getting far,, but in round 1 anything can happen. I don't see Vegas getting out of the first round, unless they play Vancouver, who I think is losing no matter what. Edmonton is still the frontunner in that division, but let's see who they play in the first round.
I went Leafs heavy in the Dobber playoff pool, I think they come out of the Atlantic. Before the season I picked them to win the Cup. My biggest concern is how much the Matthews drive to 70 has been a distraction from focusing on playing the right way come playoff time.

So much parity this year, it's really hard to pick a winner and will depend on who face each other in the end in the first round. But one thing that would be cool and very possible - in the year that Bettman once again screwed Canada getting an NHL team in Quebec City or anywhere else that could host the Coyotes, and in the greatest regular season since 1993 when a Canadian team won the cup, this could very well be the year the Stanley Cup comes back to Canada. Edmonton looks like the frontunner, but Toronto and Winnipeg have really good chances as well.

[2014olympicgold]

Still some stuff to sort out standings wise:

1st in the Atlantic: Boston is 1pt ahead of Florida and both have 1 game left. Boston plays Ottawa today, Florida plays Toronto today. Florida would have the tiebreaker.

Final East Wildcard: Washington, Detroit, and Pitts all have a shot at the final spot.
Washington Controls their fate. They win they're in. They lose, they need the other 2 to lose.
Detroit needs a win, Washington loss.
Pitts needs a win, Detroit and Washington to lose.
Pitts would have the tiebreaker out of the 3 with the most regulation wins.
Pitts vs NYI Wednesday
Detroit vs Montreal Tuesday
Washington vs Philly Tuesday

Central: Winnipeg and Colorado are battling over home ice.

Pacific: Vancouver and Edmonton battling over 1st in the Pacific.
Vegas can still slide into 3rd in the Pacific and LAK drop to WC2.

[loppantorkel]

The Flyers are still in it too. Just need to beat Washington in regulation, Pittsburgh lose i regulation while Detroit can lose in OT.

[hockeyrobot]

Still some stuff to sort out standings wise:

1st in the Atlantic: Boston is 1pt ahead of Florida and both have 1 game left. Boston plays Ottawa today, Florida plays Toronto today. Florida would have the tiebreaker.

Final East Wildcard: Washington, Detroit, and Pitts all have a shot at the final spot.
Washington Controls their fate. They win they're in. They lose, they need the other 2 to lose.
Detroit needs a win, Washington loss.
Pitts needs a win, Detroit and Washington to lose.
Pitts would have the tiebreaker out of the 3 with the most regulation wins.
Pitts vs NYI Wednesday
Detroit vs Montreal Tuesday
Washington vs Philly Tuesday

Central: Winnipeg and Colorado are battling over home ice.

Pacific: Vancouver and Edmonton battling over 1st in the Pacific.
Vegas can still slide into 3rd in the Pacific and LAK drop to WC2.

Ya Boston definitely wants to play Toronto. 16 shots against Washington? Wouldn't be surprised if they bench Marchand and Pasta tonight.