The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

[l3ulvl]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Wings and Caps played for the point

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Wings and Caps played for the point

Why couldn’t you guys just lose in regulation? This was the worst outcome! (Actually Washington losing in OT would’ve been for us I think, depending how you look at it).

I think it’s the Flyers or Red Wings who fall out. They are the sore thumbs right now, lol. We’re staying just slightly more afloat than you guys.

All the sudden I enjoy the loser point but only when we get it! [emoji23]

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Why couldn’t you guys just lose in regulation? This was the worst outcome! (Actually Washington losing in OT would’ve been for us I think, depending how you look at it).

I think it’s the Flyers or Red Wings who fall out. They are the sore thumbs right now, lol. We’re staying just slightly more afloat than you guys.

All the sudden I enjoy the loser point but only when we get it! [emoji23]

9 of the last 10 Philly games were against this gauntlet (PHI went 3-4-2): @FLA, @TBL, TOR, @BOS, TOR, @CAR, BOS, FLA, @NYR
Flyers next 6 games: @MTL, CHI, NYI, @BUF, @CBJ, @MTL

Meanwhile, the Wings have 3 wins in the last month, all at home: BUF, CBJ, NYI
Wings next 4 games: @CAR, @FLA, @TBL, NYR

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

I don't think the Canucks are going to win the Presidents' Trophy (I would prefer they didn't TBH), and I'm not expecting much in the playoffs, but what Tocchet & co. have accomplished to date is bonkers:

2015-16: 28th overall, 29th GF, 24th GA
2016-17: 29th overall, 29th GF, 24th GA
2017-18: 26th overall, 27th GF, 26th GA
2018-19: 23rd overall, 25th GF, 20th GA
2019-20: 19th overall, 8th GF, 19th GA (made postseason)
2020-21: 24th overall, 24th GF, 26th GA
2021-22: 18th overall, 18th GF, 9th GA
2022-23: 22nd overall, 13th GF, 24th GA
2023-24 (as of March 23): 1st overall, 4th GF, 4th GA

# of teams in the last 50 years that finished 1st overall the season after missing the playoffs: 1 (the 93/94 Rangers, who won Presidents' Trophies in '92 and '94 and missed the playoffs the season in-between)

Nobody but me cares but it is a fantastic race for the President's Trophy this year with seven teams within three points -- NY Rangers (100 points), Dallas (99), Boston (99), Vancouver (98), Florida (97), Colorado (97) and Carolina (97).

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Nobody but me cares but it is a fantastic race for the President's Trophy this year with seven teams within three points -- NY Rangers (100 points), Dallas (99), Boston (99), Vancouver (98), Florida (97), Colorado (97) and Carolina (97).

It is a good race - bummer that the only thing you get from winning it is extra pressure in the playoffs.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Brother we’re out here just trying to make the dance!

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Just saw this is the first time in the Bettman era where we have 3 straight seasons of the league averaging 3+ goals per game.

For context, from 1996-2020 we had 3 TOTAL seasons of the average being 3+ goals.

Hopefully this trend does continue because the NHL is more exciting with explosive offense, although GMs and coaches prefer 2-1 games over 5-4 ones. Though when you have Matthews chasing 70 goals (even if he doesn't get it, he has a shot at 66 which would be the most since 95/96) and McDavid chasing 100 assists (Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr are only guys to ever get 100 assists), how is that not fun?

Although, the numbers have been a bit skewed with empty net goal, which is more common in today's hockey than the past.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Just saw this is the first time in the Bettman era where we have 3 straight seasons of the league averaging 3+ goals per game.

For context, from 1996-2020 we had 3 TOTAL seasons of the average being 3+ goals.

Yes, and those other 3 seasons were 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2005/06 (which was juiced by a billion PP).

Hopefully this trend does continue because the NHL is more exciting with explosive offense, although GMs and coaches prefer 2-1 games over 5-4 ones. Though when you have Matthews chasing 70 goals (even if he doesn't get it, he has a shot at 66 which would be the most since 95/96) and McDavid chasing 100 assists (Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr are only guys to ever get 100 assists), how is that not fun?

Although, the numbers have been a bit skewed with empty net goal, which is more common in today's hockey than the past.

My lukewarm take: on a game in, game out basis, the current era (starting around 2017/18) is the 2nd most entertaining in the 44 years I've been following the NHL.

Here's how I'd rank them:

1. The Golden Years (1986-1994)

2. The McDavid/Matthews Era* (2017-present)

3a. The "New NHL" (2005-2017)

3b. The Great Gretzky (1979-86)

5. The Dead Puck Era (1995-2004)

*A better name will present itself in time

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Yes, and those other 3 seasons were 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2005/06 (which was juiced by a billion PP).



My lukewarm take: on a game in, game out basis, the current era (starting around 2017/18) is the 2nd most entertaining in the 44 years I've been following the NHL.

Here's how I'd rank them:

1. The Golden Years (1986-1994)

2. The McDavid/Matthews Era* (2017-present)

3a. The "New NHL" (2005-2017)

3b. The Great Gretzky (1979-86)

5. The Dead Puck Era (1995-2004)

*A better name will present itself in time

I was also looking at the top 10 point getters. This would also be the first time we've had back to back seasons where everyone in the top 10 has at least 100 points since most of the 80s until the 90/91 season.

This is absolutely what you want in the league. Can you believe 14/15 didn't even have a single guy over 90 points!?

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

I was also looking at the top 10 point getters. This would also be the first time we've had back to back seasons where everyone in the top 10 has at least 100 points since most of the 80s until the 90/91 season.

This is absolutely what you want in the league. Can you believe 14/15 didn't even have a single guy over 90 points!?

Yeah, I probably should've divided up the "New NHL" into two eras (2005-2010 and 2010-2017).

05/06: 7 players w/ 100 pts, 5 players w/ 50 goals
06/07: 7 100 pts, 2 50 goals
07/08: 2 100 pts, 3 50 goals
08/09: 3 100 pts, 1 50 goals
09/10: 4 100 pts, 3 50 goals

10/11: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals
11/12, 1 100 pts, 2 50 goals
12/13: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals (pro-rated)
13/14: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals
14/15: 0 100 pts, 1 50 goals
15/16: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals
16/17: 1 100 pts, 0 50 goals

There's probably no one single reason for this, but I can't help but think the high-flying Caps getting Halak'd in 2010 convinced a lot of "hockey men" that you can't win by scoring goals.

Meanwhile, since then:

17/18: 3 100 pts, 0 50 goals
18/19: 6 100 pts, 2 50 goals
19/20: 7 100 pts, 4 50 goals (pro-rated)
20/21: 4 100 pts, 1 50 goals (pro-rated)
21/22: 8 100 pts, 4 50 goals
22/23: 11 100 pts, 5 50 goals
23/24: 10 100 pts, 5 50 goals (projected)

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

As of EOD Jan 24:

1. MacKinnon 82 pts
2. Kucherov 80 pts
...
10. McDavid 60 pts

As I post this (Oilers game completed, Avs game in 1st intermission, Bolts game just starting):

T1. MacKinnon 125 pts
T1. McDavid 125 pts
3. Kucherov 124 pts

He's straight-up Thanos at this point.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

I've long thought that Gretzky, born sometime in the 90s and with modern nutrition/training/medical, would cap out at around 180 points in this era. (Those who think he wouldn't still dominate are dead wrong.)

McDavid's on a 184-point pace over his last 29 games.

[bcruise]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Wild pulled their goalie in OT again and this time it didn't work out with Vegas scoring into the empty net. They lose the point they would have gained.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Wild pulled their goalie in OT again and this time it didn't work out with Vegas scoring into the empty net. They lose the point they would have gained.

I think it was dumb both times TBH, and I find it weird that Hynes was praised to the moon when it worked the 1st time.

When playing the team you're trying to catch in the standings, I think it's worth considering pulling the goalie when tied late in regulation because you can make up a full 2 points on Vegas.

Once you're in OT, it only makes sense if you think you have a better than 50% chance of scoring on the 4-on-3. (Significantly more than 50% the 1st time the Wild did it against Nashville, since losing the single point would be more costly.) I find it hard to believe the numbers back this up. However, if you got a PP in OT, then pulling the goalie for a 5-on-3 might be worth it, as you are likely to score more than half the time with a 2-man advantage over a full 2 minutes.

[bcruise]

Re: The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

Blues playing themselves right out of any chance of catching the Knights or Kings (mostly looking like just LA at this point), by losing to the Sharks 3-0 late in the 3rd.