Re: The Official 2025-26 Season Talk Thread

[pietasterp]

All good things, etc.

I'll miss this place when it's gone. OS was pretty well modded in its prime: things never really threatened to go off the rails with politics, ad hominem attacks against game devs, rival fans, etc. Mostly respectful people having mostly reasonable conversations. A relic from a bygone internet era. This is the only place left where I chat with people I don't know IRL.

I'm with you on that. This was really an "internet 1.0" relic that somehow managed to stick around until now - before hyper-opinionated warfare came to dominate every single aspect of every internet exchange (e.g. the "Reddit-ization" of the interwebs). It almost doesn't seem like there's a place for that any more on the internet.

[DrJones]

First Jim Robson, now John Garrett, in addition to, well.... everything else. Not exactly my favourite Canucks season. RIP Cheech 😢

[pietasterp]

I can't be the only one that thought if that Flyers-Pens series got to game 7, Philly would have been dead man walking...

[MTLExpos4Ever]

I can't be the only one that thought if that Flyers-Pens series got to game 7, Philly would have been dead man walking...

Not at all. Pitt definitely controlled the attack for the most part from about the middle of the 2nd period on. They were the clear aggressors in the OT as well ..... but as they say, anything can happen in the playoffs. If they can cut the penalties in half against CAR, you never know. Steal 1 of 2 to start in NC and let's see what happens.

[Fiddy]

Pens stink.

Would have loved to see it get forced to a game 7, and the Pens probably deserved game 6 with how they played but thats the Stanley Cup Playoffs, one shot, bang you go home. They also deserved to lose for how they played in games 1 and 2, zero excuse to be that bad and in those games the Flyers weren't "good".

Always cracks me up, 87/71/58 and insert another guy or two over the years. These guys win 3 Stanley Cups, 4 Finals, dominate post seasons at times obviously. Then when they play teams like the Flyers and Islanders they get involved in the post whistle bullcrap and takes away from what they trying to accomplish. In those Cup runs, they never really got into that stuff with anyone, even the Flyers in 08 and 09. But since 2019 they just can't help themselves lol. Which is hilarious, why bother? Isles have won nothing since what 1984 and the Flyers since 1975?

Pens got a ton of money for once, will be interesting to see what they do with it among other things.

Nothing better than the Stanley Cup Playoffs though.. It's a shame this place is a ghost town! Loved the banter back in the day.

[DrJones]

This series is going to make Ottawa/Carolina look like Montreal/Tampa. You'll never beat the Hurricanes by out-boring them, it's just not possible.

[DrJones]

Not much point in making a separate playoffs thread this year, I guess.

Bruins over Sabres in 7
Lightning over Canadiens in 6
Hurricanes over Senators in 7
Penguins over Flyers in 6
Avalanche over Kings in 4
Stars over Wild in 6
Mammoth over Golden Knights in 6
Oilers over Ducks in 6

Lightning over Bruins in 5
Hurricanes over Penguins in 5
Stars over Avalanche in 7
Mammoth over Oilers in 7

Lightning over Hurricanes in 6
Stars over Mammoth in 6

Lightning over Stars in 5

LOL. Here's hoping my Round 2 picks are just as bad.

Canadiens over Sabres in 6
Hurricanes over Flyers in 5 (I'm being generous here)
Avalanche over Wild in 6
Golden Knights over Ducks in 6

[DrJones]

The new Leafs regime is off to a flying start!

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comm...the_gm_hiring/

[DrJones]

Draft lottery in a few hours, while rumours swirl about Pierre Dorion being the frontrunner for the Canucks GM job.

Looks like day drinking's back on the menu, boys!

[pietasterp]

I'll be out of town quite a bit during the next few weeks but for the first time in a while, I'll actually be a little bummed to miss some of the games, given how good the playoffs have been to date. Hopefully the entertainment level stays high throughout into the final.

Will be interesting to see who the Wings take with their first round draft pick this year....oh, wait.

[Psyblast]

Maple Leafs winning the #1 pick is one of the most nakedly "NBA" moves the NHL's ever done. Right up there with the Penguins landing Crosby when the future of their franchise was in doubt.

[DrJones]

Looks like day drinking's back on the menu, boys!

Looks like multi-day benders are back on the menu, boys!

[DrJones]

Updated standings for how many spots teams have risen or fallen in the draft lottery since its inception in 1995:

T1. Blackhawks, Rangers +14
3. Devils +11
4. Islanders +10
5. Hurricanes +7
T6. Flyers, Sharks +6
8. Stars +5
9. Maple Leafs +3
T10. Jets (includes Thrashers), Mammoth (includes Coyotes & OG Jets) +1
T12. Blues, Canadiens, Capitals, Kings, Panthers 0
T17. Avalanche, Oilers -2
T19. Flames, Golden Knights, Kraken, Lightning, Wild -3
T24. Bruins, Predators -4
26. Penguins -5
T27. Blue Jackets, Sabres -6
29. Ducks -7
T30. Red Wings, Senators -9
32. Canucks -10

The Canucks also lost the "Gilbert Perreault Wheel" to the Sabres in 1970 (although the NHL had initially announced Vancouver had won).

Teams that have neither picked 1st overall nor won a Stanley Cup:

Seattle Kraken (since 2021)
Minnesota Wild (since 2000)
Nashville Predators (since 1998)
Vancouver Canucks (since 1970)

[Majingir]

I literally never thought for a second all season long the Leafs would have a shot to draft McKenna.

Even when that 3rd ball was picked and they weren't eliminated yet, I didn't expect them to win the lottery.

But this now puts them in such a crazy position. You're going to add a playmaker like McKenna on a top line with Matthews. Matthews will go off next year and McKenna could benefit the way that Marner did (hopefully with different results than Marner produced for the Leafs in the playoffs)