2024 NHL Playoffs Thread

[PuckinUgly57]

It's pretty much what we all hoped LA would do. They hit everybody on Edmonton all the time. Pressure the puck. Absolutely abusing the defensive pairing of Ceci-Nurse. Skinner still with his sub .880 save percentage. Nothing has changed, honestly. Edmonton was 2 for 2 on the power play and the game was sitting at 3-2 Vancouver for a bit. Vancouver dominating 5 on 5 play. Edmonton was never for real, and the Kings are just a bad team. Kings division of Anaheim, San Jose, (Coyotes), and Seattle help inflate their record.

Spot on. Kings did not have a great record against what would end up being PO bound teams.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Toronto exit interviews and this is saying Leafs looking at Craig Berube and Todd McLellan as coaches. I feel like all sorts are bad. NHL has tombe putting their name in the hat for league with most recycling of coaches. That being said, Berube and Brind'amour would be nice change of pace for LA.

Berube would be my choice. He will kick the ever living shit out of this uninspired neutered group.

McLellan in TO? Yikes. Good coach, just won't get them over the hump. He needs to go to a rebuilding team and do what he did here, not a high pressure win now team.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I think soucy gets a game, for outcome not intent.

My guess too. Of course McLord's slash will be an oversight.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I have a weird feeling Brindamour ends up in Seattle. Just a gut feeling.

I actually think this is where McLellan will end up.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

"Stuart Skinner is a problem" haha

"Felt I let the team down": Social media reacts to Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner getting pulled

"Stuart Skinner is a problem for the Oilers": Social media reacts to Edmonton goalie getting pulled

edmontonjournal.com

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Soucy gets 1 game, Zadorov the max $5000 fine but Hyman nothing for his cross check to Zadorov that required stitches? The DOPS is a joke, and how the Oilers constantly escape any punishment is beyond me.

It's exactly why I get as giddy as a school girl when I see images like this.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Nichushkin enters Stage 3 of NHL player assistance program, suspended 6 months so he is out of the Avs lineup. Huge blow for the Avalanche, tied with Hyman for playoff goals with 9.

Avs’ Valeri Nichushkin suspended six months, re-enters NHL Player Assistance Program

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has been placed in Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program, the NHLPA and NHL announced Monday.

www.denverpost.com

He missed some time earlier this season in the program and also jad that strange intoxicated woman found in his hotel incident last summer.

As someone who has struggled with addiction and alcohol and demons, hope this helps him. That shit gets a hold of you and can rip your life apart.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Rags in trouble, had a 1-0 lead going into the third and lost 4-1. Youth and experience maybe? Series now 3-2 with Canes winning game 4 and 5.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Quick in G6 to change things up and use his championship pedigree.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Dallas just crushing Colorado, that is exactly how a playoff team should be built. They are big, physical, skilled and tough. Nice combo of everything.

Then you have breakouts like Johnston, kid turns 21 at midnight and has already scored 24 and 32 goals his first 2 years in the league (23OA, 2021) finishing with 41 and 65 points those 2 years. He has been an absolute menace this playoffs for Dallas.

Meanwhile the Kings parade guys like Byfield who were picked way higher and scores a career high 55 points 4 years after being drafted and we're supposed to get boners even though he was MIA the last 25% of the season and really didn't make any impact in the Oiler series at all.

Makes me even more baffled how Blake kept his job because this management group has whiffed all over the place from drafting to trades to free agents to contracts.

I guess if you're going to f**k the dog, f**k the dog.

 

[Kings4OT]

I guess if you're going to f**k the dog, f**k the dog.

Unfortunately the Kings are an old toothless pomeranian dog......loud and barky, But Ultimately Can't do shit.....

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Unfortunately the Kings are an old toothless pomeranian dog......loud and barky, But Ultimately Can't do shit.....

Reminds me of my little 26 pound terrier, these small dogs have Napoleon Syndrome or something.

I also have a 102 pound pit bull who is large and in charge but is the most friendly dog ever, gets along great with other dogs, gentle giant, loves people and kids. Looks terrifying bur he is chill and pretty mellow. Both are very protective of the house and kids and me but it's that little shit that's the trouble maker.

She cowers though if confronted back by another dog or something so yeah, pretty accurate statement.

 

[Fox4Kings]

Dallas just crushing Colorado, that is exactly how a playoff team should be built. They are big, physical, skilled and tough. Nice combo of everything.

Then you have breakouts like Johnston, kid turns 21 at midnight and has already scored 24 and 32 goals his first 2 years in the league (23OA, 2021) finishing with 41 and 65 points those 2 years. He has been an absolute menace this playoffs for Dallas.

Dallas has absolutely killed it in the drafts for a long time. I had to look up their history of picks and almost every year is littered with NHL'ers and in 2017 was franchise changing grabbing Heiskanen, Oettinger and Robertson in the first 3 rounds. Johnston looks to be a complete stud of a player and I think Stankoven will be too and he was grabbed later in the 2nd round.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Dallas has absolutely killed it in the drafts for a long time. I had to look up their history of picks and almost every year is littered with NHL'ers and in 2017 was franchise changing grabbing Heiskanen, Oettinger and Robertson in the first 3 rounds. Johnston looks to be a complete stud of a player and I think Stankoven will be too and he was grabbed later in the 2nd round.

Proof how one draft can be franchise altering. Dallas' scout and development team is top notch.

Kings had 3 picks in the first 34 in 2019 and screwed it up, were I the Kings I'd be picking their brains trying to emulate how they keep producing quality NHLers.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Carolina series for sure really spicy now. Kuznetsov with some big goals in these playoffs. Staal also channeling his 2009 self.

They cannot stop knobbing Shesterkin, so I would bet no way they play Quick. The trolls online are absolutely insane. Noticed is even crazier when Oiler trolls were over on the LA Kings official page trolling. Not to see Vancouver and Edmonton just going at each other has been fun as a 3rd party to it all. And Vancouver has some money and they're not too far away, so they had a big chunk of fans in Edmonton for Game 3.

Dallas looks dominant for sure. Shots were like 17-2 at start of the second, which is crazy. JMFJ was asked about Nischuskin, and he said "He made his decisions". Yikes. They immediately removed his nameplate from the locker room. Crazy part is his incident with the unknown woman last year was also playoffs, so back to back years DURING a series this guy got in drug trouble. We can joke about substance abuse, but dayam, that is really bad. Russians do like to party (See Previously mentioned Kuznetsov). I keep seeing vids of soccer players clearly coked out too, so maybe it's just a ton more common than people think (And me know Jarrett Stoll Vegas situation). Not just recreationally, but seems even during play for some of these athletes.

Cherry-picked stat, but they ran some stat of most games played by guys who haven't won a cup (And are still in the playoffs) and it was all Dallas players. Benn, Pavelski, Suter (I am missing someone else too. Felt like there were 4). Then Parise on the Avs. Burns on Carolina. These dudes are all pushing 40 years old now. Time flies. I mean, even McDavid is 27 now. They were showing some other stats on most playoff points per game in history and it was Gretzky #1 followed by Draisaitl and McDavid at #'s 2 and 3. Pretty impressive, but I cannot help but think if it would be different if they didn't get to play LA 3 years in a row and rock at a 50% power play rate. Basically LA with the big assist for fast-tracking two guy's Hall of Fame Careers.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Oh yeah, and I saw Walker was on top pair with Makar last night. Got JMFJ and Walker on the Avs blue line.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Carolina series for sure really spicy now. Kuznetsov with some big goals in these playoffs. Staal also channeling his 2009 self.

Old man looking solid, started that comeback yesterday and then Carolina just poured it on.

Watching them, nothing really jumps out at me specifically but they just play well as a team from goal on out.

Speaking of old guys, funny seeing Andersen in net still these days. TA has a yearly article where they discuss which OGWAC (Old Guy Without A Cup) they'd like to see hoist it, Staal has hit that list multiple times.

They cannot stop knobbing Shesterkin, so I would bet no way they play Quick. The trolls online are absolutely insane. Noticed is even crazier when Oiler trolls were over on the LA Kings official page trolling. Not to see Vancouver and Edmonton just going at each other has been fun as a 3rd party to it all. And Vancouver has some money and they're not too far away, so they had a big chunk of fans in Edmonton for Game 3.

I'm just loving the attitude they are playing with. Not intimidated at all or star struck by the Oilers, they're delivering haymaker after haymaker. Something LA should have done 3 years in a row now.

Shesterkin has been good, I just wouldn't be surprised to see Quick in because the Rags are this close to imploding and losing the series. They lose G6, I fully believe they will lose G7 and pull a SJ Kings 2014.

Quick has been there, done that, resurrected himself and has that chips on the table panache. NY is in trouble.

Dallas looks dominant for sure. Shots were like 17-2 at start of the second, which is crazy. JMFJ was asked about Nischuskin, and he said "He made his decisions". Yikes. They immediately removed his nameplate from the locker room. Crazy part is his incident with the unknown woman last year was also playoffs, so back to back years DURING a series this guy got in drug trouble. We can joke about substance abuse, but dayam, that is really bad. Russians do like to party (See Previously mentioned Kuznetsov). I keep seeing vids of soccer players clearly coked out too, so maybe it's just a ton more common than people think (And me know Jarrett Stoll Vegas situation). Not just recreationally, but seems even during play for some of these athletes.

Saw that from Johnson, yikes. Means it's serious. Bednar was pretty compassionate towards him in the post game last night, but obviously team members are not feeling the same way.

He has a lot of contract left too but from what I've understood from the CBA is this isn't grounds for termination but they will get the cap relief for those 6 months he is suspended.

And Russian hockey players have had a long standing history of being party animals, big reason why teams avoided them for a long time even after the started coming into the NHL in the late 1980s. The defection factor was only one cog, this was another.

* Toews ill and out for G4, thus Johnson on the D1 pairing. That was brutal to watch with such a talent like Makar.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Oh yeah, and I saw Walker was on top pair with Makar last night. Got JMFJ and Walker on the Avs blue line.

Walker has been solid for them although I did notice he struggled handling Marchment in front of the net last night which led to a goal. But Marchment is also like 6'5" and a load for any defender probably not at least 6'2" 210.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Bruins stay alive, Edmonton wins it with :40 remaining. Oilers started Pickard, Skinner Non Winner clearly not exuding confidence. Both series going 6 at least with Cats up 3-2 and Canucks Oilers tied 2-2.

Have been noticing Pettersson and not in a good way, this dude just got a 8 year/$92.8 million ($11.6 million AAV) contract on March 2. He has been MIA, 1 goal through 2 rounds so far and only 4 points.

Have to deliver a lot more than he has been at that price point. Same age as Dubois but making a hell of a lot more.