The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

[Majingir]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I will laugh if the Leafs win this without Matthews, actually rooting for it to happen.

If there's a game they'll win, it's with Matthews out.

Remember that 5 game win streak when Rielly got suspended?

If/when they do lose though, they better not say Matthews not being 100% is why they lost. Enough excuses, take responsibility and go Raptors/DeRozan mode and do the unpopular move that needs to be done.

Not that there's a Kawhi level guy just available like that, but you gotta rip the band aid off.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Can you get called for a dive when the refs the one who caused a player to "fall"?

The ref came in to separate Holmberg and Marchand. Marchand had no idea the ref was coming, as soon as the ref put his hands on Marchand to skate him away from Holmberg, Marchand dropped as if he just got punched in the face.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Leafs playing elimination game in Boston that's going to OT........

2013 PTSD kicking in

It's the first elimination game in any meeting between these two teams that went to OT since THAT game

[bcruise]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Leafs live to see game 6.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Leafs WIN in OT in Boston?

All we had to sacrifice is Matthews health (and some people's firstborns)

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Pionk is having a nightmare of a series

[DrJones]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Ilya Mikheyev, who regularly skates on Vancouver's 2nd line, has 1 goal in his last 55 games.

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

It's 2024, right?

This Vancouver/Nashville series has a faint 2004 smell to it. It's hideous.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

It's 2024, right?

This Vancouver/Nashville series has a faint 2004 smell to it. It's hideous.

And here I thought this series would at least clear the low bar of 2011 Canucks/Preds. Guess not.

Fun fact: through 5 games, the Avalanche (playing against "the league's best defensive team") have over double the number of shots the Canucks do (185-92).

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Leafs live to see game 6.

Of course they are. They like to maximize their fans pain by giving them a false sense of hope.

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I always thought playoff hockey is more defensive than regular season hockey. But the Winnipeg Jets were here to prove me wrong.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Of course they are. They like to maximize their fans pain by giving them a false sense of hope.

Leafs are either ending their season at home, getting swept in the home games of the series, or doing a game 7 in Boston.

Either way, it'll be painful.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

I always thought playoff hockey is more defensive than regular season hockey. But the Winnipeg Jets were here to prove me wrong.

Let's find out!

Since the beginning of the "New NHL" Era:

05/06 - Regular Season GPG: 6.16, Postseason GPG: 5.65
06/07 - 5.90, 4.95
07/08 - 5.56, 5.36
08/09 - 5.82, 5.48
09/10 - 5.68, 5.98*
10/11 - 5.58, 5.61*
11/12 - 5.46, 4.84
12/13 - 5.44, 5.02
13/14 - 5.48, 5.59*
14/15 - 5.46, 5.03
15/16 - 5.42, 5.25
16/17 - 5.54, 5.16
17/18 - 5.94, 5.90
18/19 - 6.02, 5.57
19/20 - 6.04, 5.47
20/21 - 5.88, 5.48
21/22 - 6.28, 6.31*
22/23 - 6.36, 6.28

*Playoff games were higher scoring than regular season games

Now let's see whether Stanley Cup champions were offensively or defensively oriented:

05/06 Hurricanes - 3rd in regular season GF, 18th in regular season GA (Offensive)
06/07 Ducks - 6th GF, 7th GA (Balanced)
07/08 Red Wings - 3rd GF, 1st GA (Balanced)
08/09 Penguins - 5th GF, 18th GA (Offensive)
09/10 Blackhawks - 3rd GF, 5th GA (Balanced)
10/11 Bruins - 8th GF, 3rd GA (Balanced)
11/12 Kings - 29th GF, 2nd GA (Defensive)
12/13 Blackhawks - 2nd GF, 1st GA (Balanced)
13/14 Kings - 25th GF, 2nd GA (Defensive)
14/15 Blackhawks - 16th GF, 2nd GA (Defensive)
15/16 Penguins - 3rd GF, 7th GA (Balanced)
16/17 Penguins - 1st GF, 17th GA (Offensive)
17/18 Capitals - 9th GF, 15th GA (Offensive)
18/19 Blues - 15th GF, 6th GA (Defensive)
19/20 Lightning - 1st GF, 9th GA (Offensive)
20/21 Lightning - 8th GF, 6th GA (Balanced)
21/22 Avalanche - 3rd GF, 7th GA (Balanced)
22/23 Golden Knights - 14th GF, 11th GA (Balanced)

(For the record, the 23/24 Jets were 15th GF, 1st GA.)

So I was pretty wary (and weary) of all the Jets play "playoff style hockey" (ie, the right way) narratives during the regular season. Aside from the early 2010s LA Kings, has anyone really won that way? Is it a sign of a true Cup contender to win all a bunch of 2-1, 3-2 games in the regular season? Considering that defence-first teams tend to rely on superior goaltending and/or work ethic, I'd say no, that most true Cup contenders are those that can (to some degree) coast through the regular season and win games through sheer talent, but have the necessary discipline to lock down and win 2-1 and 3-2 games when necessary. The Avalanche and Oilers can go places where the Jets and Kings can't. (The 2012/14 Kings are obvious exceptions here, as they had the perfect personnel to play that style.)

[DrJones]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

Also, are goalies pretty much fungible in today's NHL?

Hellebuyck vs Georgiev was about as big a mismatch as you can get, and the Avs annihilated the Jets, generating quality scoring chances at will. The Canucks are down to their 3rd string goalie, a decent but not elite prospect, and there's been no appreciable downgrade (so far) between Demko and DeSmith and Silovs. (The Canucks problems are all in the offensive zone.)

Are NHL goalies, once as important as NFL quarterbacks, now dime-a-dozen running backs instead? Have they turned into the relief pitchers of hockey? Good ones are still valuable, and you can't win if they're really bad, but you can win with baseline competence and well-timed hot streaks, because they're now a minor cog in the system? Would Hellebuyck or Demko or Vasilevksiy have a huge impact on say, the Leafs? Would any of them make Toronto Cup favourites? I'm pretty confident (healthy) Matt Murray or Holtby or Binnington or Kuemper or Adin Hill wouldn't.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official NHL 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

If I remember right, fancy stats had the Avs made the Jets defense look like the Sharks. Prime Hasek wouldn't even saved them, Hellebuyck got no help. I don't even think Georgiev outplayed him. Their main issue was Adam Lowry was their best player.

Leafs' issues are the same as the Jets, they lack PMD that can generate offense, and they built it that way.

Pietrangelo was smart to get himself a NMC, otherwise he would've been shipped out during Vegas' musical chairs.