The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

It sure looks like we know what teams in the North are making the playoffs -- Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Montreal. Calgary and Vancouver are four points behind the Habs but Montreal has five games in hand and they're both 10 points behind third place Edmonton. Good luck making up that gap.

I don't think it matters where those four teams finish one through four. I could see any of those four beating each other in a playoff series.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

It sure looks like we know what teams in the North are making the playoffs -- Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Montreal. Calgary and Vancouver are four points behind the Habs but Montreal has five games in hand and they're both 10 points behind third place Edmonton. Good luck making up that gap.

I don't think it matters where those four teams finish one through four. I could see any of those four beating each other in a playoff series.

At this point, seeding won't make a difference. Toronto in Montreal or Montreal in Toronto, it wont make a difference in who wins.

What will matter is records. I'd rather finish hot and in 2nd place than finish in 1st while racking up OT losses. Home ice means nothing except for last line change.

Same with whoever wins the division in the playoffs. You're probably not even playing your home games in your own building, so it won't matter if you get 3 or 4 games in the series at home.

The north is really a 3 team division. Habs might be 4th, but half their losses are in OT, so the loser point is boosting their numbers.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Avs vs Lightning would've been my SCF pick, except I honestly have no idea how the playoffs will end up, specifically with seeding.

Do division winners get ranked 1-4 regardless of how many points 2nd place in another division might have? Or does a reseeding happen in the final 4 so it doesn't matter if you're a division winner or not.

Avs,Knights,Lightning seem to be the top 3 teams in the league right now, but only 2 of those will make the final 4.

And the Sabres streak is over!

I think the Lightning are on their own tier, they're get their best forward back for the playoffs since he's taking the regular season off for <del>cap circumvention</del> injury.

Then followed by Avs/Knights/Leafs in the 2nd tier.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Vegas playing with 16 skaters tonight, and surprisingly, covid isn't to blame. A suspension and injury has left them shorthanded as they have 0 cap room.

A luxury cap doesn't seem so bad now does it?

Although I wonder if a team would ever try revolutionizing hockey. Play with 3 lines.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Canucks covid situation looks bad. Could be like the Stars earlier this year, or Marlins last year.

[rdnk]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Although I wonder if a team would ever try revolutionizing hockey. Play with 3 lines.

That's what they used to do back in the day, not unlike having four starters in baseball.

Heck in our old 30 person online EHM05 leagues we would all run 3 lines because the stamina attribute was broken. You knew a team was tanking if they were using four lines (among other things).

I could see it being done in the playoffs. I remember the 2015 Blackhawks using basically 4 defensemen all postseason. During the regular season however, less likely due to injury and general exhaustion. That, and coaches seem to fall deeply and passionately in love with their grinders.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Something seriously wrong with Leafs PP. 0-26, even a 4 on 3 PP in this one with their big 4 all on the ice for 2 minutes.

Immediately after, Jets mad at a no call, and TV mics pick up everything. Let's just say the Jets weren't calling the refs puck king horrible.

It's always funny seeing NHL guys with the "good clean image", yet their games probably involve the most amount of swearing.

Leafs win in a shootout. I forgot that was even a thing. Back to back days, Jays win in extra innings when I forgot about that new rule, and Leafs win in shootout when I haven't even seen one in about 13 months and forgot it existed.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Canucks situation sounds worse and worse with each update. At some point, you start to wonder if they'll even be able to make up anything, or whenever they do resume, just play out their remaining schedule and all games missed are lost.

Canucks remaining schedule (including already postponed games):
4 vs Flames
5 vs Oilers
2 vs Jets
4 vs Leafs
4 vs Sens
0 vs Habs

So if Canucks cant play again, or just cant make up games, Oilers and possibly Leafs will be the teams most impacted in terms of playoff standings.

I wonder if we see "flex scheduling" happening if the Canucks games are out of the question. Sens vs Jets already moved up a month to make up for it, I think we could see others.

[bcruise]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Blues take a crushing loss to the Avs with a final-minute goal.

[kehlis]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Blues take a crushing loss to the Avs with a final-minute goal.

One man's crushing loss is another man's exhilarating win

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Leafs with another win.

The way things are shaping up, the unofficial number of points to clinch a playoff spot in the North might be the high 50s.

They're at 53 already, so by the end of this week they could get that mark.

Trade deadline next week, should be interesting to see how busy or dead it is this year.

I'm taking the under on the number of deals.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

NHL refs at their best

https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1379269457466507265?s=19

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Chychrun is one of Chayka's rare hits.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

Just under a week before the deadline, and the Sabres have already benched Hall.

Given how early they're doing it, perhaps it's because of a deal to a Canadian team (since its 7 day quarantine)?

Dont think he'd be sitting if he's not being dealt until Monday. And dont see Canadian teams waiting until the 11th hour to pull a trigger on a deal just to have to wait until a week after the deadline to get a guy (basically giving him and the team 3 weeks to work together)

So where could he go? Montreal? Winnipeg? Toronto? Edmonton? Or does he actually just stay in the US?

[Zigs44]

Re: The Official 2020-2021 Season Talk Thread

So where could he go? Montreal? Winnipeg? Toronto? Edmonton? Or does he actually just stay in the US?

Montreal just freed up some cap space with the Gallagher injury (3.75mil). I haven't looked at the teams' cap situations but that would be my guess IF he goes to a Canadian team and they have the space for it.

Toronto would have to move a LOT around to fit Hall into their already top-heavy team. I can't see Edmonton trying him again but that would be entertaining. Winnipeg would be a very solid spot for him, if they have the cap space he would immediately be surrounded by a competent team.

I don't think sitting him was for the 7-day Canadian quarantine, just a precaution like Palmieri on the Devils. Since Buffalo is complete *** this season they don't want to lower Hall's value any lower than it already is (or god forbid he gets injured and he leaves at the end of the year for nothing). I'd say he's wide open to any team in the league that really wants him.