The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Speaking of which, how did Lemeiux get over 80 goals and over 100 assists that season and NOT win MVP!? Even Gretzky wasn't as good that year.

Mario got robbed - it was clear then as it is now. There was an extremely bogus "Gretzky has revitalized the NHL in LA (and the USA!), therefore he's the real MVP" media narrative. Much easier to peddle BS like that in 1989 than 2024 - no social media firestorms to worry about.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Coyotes final road game tonight (vs Flames).

Crazy part in all this which maybe happened on purpose, Coyotes haven't played a single game at home since the Utah news happened last week.

A 7 game homestand followed by this 5 game roadtrip before a final home game.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

So here are the East WC scenarios (I think):

1. Capitals
- make playoffs with a win
- make playoffs with an OT/SO loss and Wings/Pens losses

2. Red Wings
- make playoffs with a win and Caps loss
- make playoffs with an OT/SO loss and Caps regulation loss and Pens loss

3. Penguins
- make playoffs with a win and Caps/Wings losses
- make playoffs with an OT/SO loss and Caps/Wings regulation losses

4. Flyers
- make playoffs with a regulation win and Wings/Pens regulation losses

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

NHL needs to take a page (and then some) out of NBA and MLBs playbook with the schedule.

Buffalo, NJ are done their season today.

Meanwhile many teams still have 2 more games to go.

Luckily those ones don't impact standings, but in the NHL more than other sports you know over coaching could change the way games are played when you know ahead of time how many points you need to make the playoffs because others already finished their year. If all you need is 1 point, you will start playing extra defensive and would be fine with the game going to OT because you get your point there.

[l3ulvl]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

if only the Wings hadn't farted around with the Caps...

but still, one game left and four teams still have a shot, that's crazy

edit: wait Caps @ Flyers is one of the games? I got your back, slick! I don't expect you to have mine in return lol

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

My predictions for tomorrow:

1. Caps/Flyers are tied late in regulation
2. Torts does what Minnesota should've done previously: pull the goalie in a tied game before OT
3. Caps make the playoffs by scoring the game winner into the empty net
4. Pens and Wings fans are hella mad

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Wild, I don’t know how or why the Flyers will make the playoffs if we all (PHI, WSH, PIT, DET) end up with 89 points but I’ll take it!

Todays my birthday, let me have this!!!

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

I'm all for seeing the craziest clinch scenario ever. Clinching a playoff spot on a game winning empty net goal!?

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1780221546256097538?t=YYAnXagilYW0kwKNed1TWw&s=19

This would be another reason why game 82 needs to be all at the same time. Knowing this much in advance what will or won't clinch you a spot because some teams have or haven't played yet, imagine losing out on a playoff spot because the team you're in a playoff race with won on an empty netter because their opponent can't have the game going to OT.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

I'm all for seeing the craziest clinch scenario ever. Clinching a playoff spot on a game winning empty net goal!?

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1780221546256097538?t=YYAnXagilYW0kwKNed1TWw&s=19

This would be another reason why game 82 needs to be all at the same time. Knowing this much in advance what will or won't clinch you a spot because some teams have or haven't played yet, imagine losing out on a playoff spot because the team you're in a playoff race with won on an empty netter because their opponent can't have the game going to OT.

I want it on the record that I posted about this scenario 8 hours before Friedman did.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Wild, I don’t know how or why the Flyers will make the playoffs if we all (PHI, WSH, PIT, DET) end up with 89 points but I’ll take it!

Todays my birthday, let me have this!!!

FYI Pittsburgh's final game is tomorrow, so your birthday could still be ruined after the fact.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Well that’s much less exciting. Lol

My gut tells me PIT pulls it out with some help by Philly tonight. I wasn’t even thinking about those guys for most of this playoff chase. I wouldn’t mind a little run for either Crosby or Ovechkin. Blasphemy coming from a Philly fan, but greatness is greatness.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Speaking of which, how did Lemeiux get over 80 goals and over 100 assists that season and NOT win MVP!? Even Gretzky wasn't as good that year.

Mario got robbed - it was clear then as it is now. There was an extremely bogus "Gretzky has revitalized the NHL in LA (and the USA!), therefore he's the real MVP" media narrative. Much easier to peddle BS like that in 1989 than 2024 - no social media firestorms to worry about.

The Athletic covers it here. I'd forgotten that neither Mario nor Gretzky won the Pearson that year - it went to Yzerman!

https://theathletic.com/5408343/2024/04/16/nhl-hart-trophy-biggest-snubs/

BTW, one of my hottest NHL takes is that Jose Theodore was deserving of the Hart Trophy in 2002. My roommate at the time was a huge Habs fan, and I probably watched a full 60+ of Montreal's games that year on RDS (French-language TSN). Strictly based on the eye test, it was the best single season of goaltending I've ever seen. The Canadiens defence was absolutely putrid, and Theodore Halak'd opponents with regularity. I understand why him winning the Hart was so weird at the time and looks bad in retrospect (and yes, Iginla likely would've won without shenanigans from Quebecois Hart voters), but man, Theodore was amazing (and I'm neutral at best towards the Habs). Through some deal with the devil, he briefly channelled Peak Hasek in front of a team even worse defensively than Buffalo.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

NHL needs to take a page (and then some) out of NBA and MLBs playbook with the schedule.

Buffalo, NJ are done their season today.

Meanwhile many teams still have 2 more games to go.

Luckily those ones don't impact standings, but in the NHL more than other sports you know over coaching could change the way games are played when you know ahead of time how many points you need to make the playoffs because others already finished their year. If all you need is 1 point, you will start playing extra defensive and would be fine with the game going to OT because you get your point there.

Would be super cool if that National broadcast (espn) of TOR/FLA tonight could get flexed out for one of these other games.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Honestly one of the most exciting regular seasons in a while with the battle of the worsts in the Eastern conference, Art Ross chase, Matthews chasing 70, Canucks' fans fighting stat nerds, Mark Stone's miraculous recovery from a grueling injury to return to the playoffs once again, Torts, etc.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

This year reignited my passion for the game and it was infectious, bringing my son in to the fraternity of Flyers hockey but also my closest friends. But it was my dad and my uncle, who was at the Flyers/Bruins Cup clincher in ‘74, getting back in to the game that moved me. The 3-2 W over Boston a couple weeks back was the best game I’ve been to, and it was only partly because of the action on the ice. Celebrating those late goals with my best friends, my wife, my son and my dad was moments I’ll cherish for the rest of my life (and props to the wife for catching it on video — watched it 100 times. Pure joy for everyone in the building).

No matter what happens tonight and tomorrow, this was a magical season and foundation to pass down the fandom (curse) of Flyers hockey to my son from my dad & uncle from the day the franchise played their first game in ‘67. My boy is couchside tonight with me to take this one in.

Let’s Go Flyers