The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Another goal-scoring achievement that's kind of flying under the radar is the Panthers putting up 1980s-level offence.* Right now they're on pace for 341 goals, which would blow the 09/10 Caps (318 goals) out of the water as the highest scoring team since the 95/96 Penguins.

Of course, those Penguins losing to the Panthers in the 96 East Final ushered in the Dead Puck Era. Can Florida actually win a run-and-gun Cup and atone for their cardinal sin?

*No hyperbole! Even removing the 3 phantom shootout winners from their totals, here's how Florida's goals per game would rank in a more civilized age:

1995-96: 2nd
1994-95: 1st
1993-94: 2nd
1992-93: 5th
1991-92: 3rd
1990-91: 4th
1989-90: 5th
1988-89: 4th
1987-88: 3rd
1986-87: 3rd

Even in the truly demented early/mid 80s, the 21/22 Panthers would rank solidly in the top 3rd of the league. Kind of astonishing, really.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

If this leads to late 80s/early 90s level scoring returning as the norm, I'm all for it.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

So, it appears the 2022 version of the Leafs will beat the Bruins, Lightning, Panthers a month before the playoffs begin before their collapse in May

Edit-And Leafs blow a 5-1 lead. Now they're in playoff mode.

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

The Atlantic Division has crazy offensive talent. Playoffs are going to be fun.

Well, at least until my Leafs Goalie of the Day (tm) lets in a 50 footer.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

The Atlantic Division has crazy offensive talent. Playoffs are going to be fun.

Well, at least until my Leafs Goalie of the Day (tm) lets in a 50 footer.

Nah, probably more like five 10-footers.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Nah, probably more like five 10-footers.

More like 5 footers off a rebound, 1 minute into a period.

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Pretty sure Matthews used a cheat code on the winner tonight

Franchise best 56 goals. Remarkable. Also tells you how bad this franchise was in the 80s and 90s when goals were plentiful and other clubs had guys cracking 60 goals.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Pretty sure Matthews used a cheat code on the winner tonight

Franchise best 56 goals. Remarkable. Also tells you how bad this franchise was in the 80s and 90s when goals were plentiful and other clubs had guys cracking 60 goals.

The Leafs have 2 division titles since expansion, which is difficult to believe.

The only thing more ludicrous is that the LA Kings only have 1 division title in their history - the f***ing Sacramento Kings have more!

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Pretty sure Matthews used a cheat code on the winner tonight

Franchise best 56 goals. Remarkable. Also tells you how bad this franchise was in the 80s and 90s when goals were plentiful and other clubs had guys cracking 60 goals.

He's really close to McDavid as the best player in the NHL, could honestly argue he's been better this year since he actually plays defense and is elite at it.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Matthews becomes first player since Lemieux in 95/96 to score 50 goals in a 50 game span.

Leafs have 10 games left and he's at 58 goals. Once he gets 60, next mark would be passing Ovechkin for most single season goals of the modern era.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Matthews becomes first player since Lemieux in 95/96 to score 50 goals in a 50 game span.

This is typical of what I've seen online today:

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/auston-...-50-game-span/

Hmmm, strange! I'd say it's actually more remarkable that Matthews is the 1st player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a 50 game span, but not within his 1st 50 games! Wow!

Oh wait, there are actually several players who did this, but nobody mentions this because the Toronto media decided to change the definition of "50 in 50" on the spot yesterday.

I took 10 minutes to check the 1st 3 players I thought of (there are probably others) - Esposito in 70/71, Simmer in 80/81, and Nicholls in 88/89 - all famously came close to 50 in 50 but fell short. All 3, however, did score 50+ goals in a 50 game span at some point during that season (Espo scored 53 in his last 50 games of the season), and gee, nobody ever commented on it at the time or has mentioned it once in the decades since. Someone should give these guys a call and let them know they're in the club!

EDIT: Credit to the Toronto Star, who actually did point out the "previously unknown" members of this "club".

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

This is typical of what I've seen online today:

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/auston-...-50-game-span/

Hmmm, strange! I'd say it's actually more remarkable that Matthews is the 1st player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a 50 game span, but not within his 1st 50 games! Wow!

Oh wait, there are actually several players who did this, but nobody mentions this because the Toronto media decided to change the definition of "50 in 50" on the spot yesterday.

I took 10 minutes to check the 1st 3 players I thought of (there are probably others) - Esposito in 70/71, Simmer in 80/81, and Nicholls in 88/89 - all famously came close to 50 in 50 but fell short. All 3, however, did score 50+ goals in a 50 game span at some point during that season (Espo scored 53 in his last 50 games of the season), and gee, nobody ever commented on it at the time or has mentioned it once in the decades since. Someone should give these guys a call and let them know they're in the club!

EDIT: Credit to the Toronto Star, who actually did point out the "previously unknown" members of this "club".

Even as a Leafs fan I thought the whole 50 in 50 games thing was an absurd media thing. I had never even heard of it before (unlike 50 goals in the first 50 games). And then it's only 50 games during one season. So if a dude scored 20 goals in the final 20 games of the previous season, and 30 during the next 30 games of the next season that didn't qualify. Why? I don't know. We're just making up new records at this point.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Even as a Leafs fan I thought the whole 50 in 50 games thing was an absurd media thing. I had never even heard of it before (unlike 50 goals in the first 50 games). And then it's only 50 games during one season. So if a dude scored 20 goals in the final 20 games of the previous season, and 30 during the next 30 games of the next season that didn't qualify. Why? I don't know. We're just making up new records at this point.

It's so unnecessary. Matthews is amazing and will likely be a deserving Hart winner.

I actually would like the Leafs to win in the playoffs (well, against Boston or Tampa, anyway), but the Toronto media (which is the de facto Canadian media) is so obnoxious that makes it pretty difficult not to root for their inevitable demise.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Leafs: Beat Tampa, Florida and Washington.

Also Leafs: Lose to Montreal and Buffalo

And that's just in a 2 week span

[jeebs9]

Re: The Official 2021-22 Season Talk Thread

Sidney Crosby every moment is a gift.