NHL 2023-2024 Vegas Edition: Mojave, Mo' Problems

[NeonKnight]

I don't know why it would be that shocking. Vancouver isn't a huge sports town. I think it supports the number of teams that it does largely as a function of the size of the city

I disagree

Vancouver is home to:

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS Soccer)

BC Lions (CFL Football Team)

and at one time, home of the Grizzlies

that's just the Major sports teams, multitude of minor league teams as well

[gyedid]

It probably also focuses ownership and management minds a bit more if they can't take local interest and revenues for granted. *cough* Toronto

Related, in the NFL, Lions fans kind of did the same thing.  Just stop going to games, stop buying the goods. 

So that's understandable too.

You mean, like Winnipeg?

cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

Swayman is going to be haunted by the memory of that rebound for the rest of his life!!! 


EDIT:  *hands Hellbie a box of tissues*

cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

No more Coyotes.  Bring on the Utah Shakers!

I've heard talk that the ex-'Yotes won't have an actual team name for next season.

If they follow the PWHL format, will the team just be known as "NHL Utah" ???

cheers,

Gabe

[rebs]

SLCHC

[gyedid]

Islanders @ Carolina: HELLBIE UPSET SPECIAL! The Canes are a team designed from the keel up to win this time of year, and yet every time I watch them they just feel... off, somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it- goaltending hasn't been a strong suit, but injury has been a big part of that. Just... something has me looking at them as another past-few-years Oilers team, seemingly fantastic but deeply flawed under the surface. They're not- at least not as openly- but I'm having a lot of trouble looking at them, despite all the firepower, and feeling confident. The Islanders are an openly wretched team with talent but no direction- they've never inspired confidence all year long, and despite the coaching change they still seem adrift most nights- someone will win this, why not make it fun and throw a little chaos into things? New York in seven

Came back to this after seeing the result of Game 6 vs. the Rags.  Actually started wondering about what you said here...with the Oilers, it's that they're basically a one-line pony, with perennial weakness on defense and in the net.  With the 'Canes...they have tough players who play a fast, physical game up and down the lineup.  But who's their McDavid, or MacKinnon...or...Kreider?  Is it more a construction problem, or a coaching problem?

cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

The Leafs have a new bench boss, and as widely speculated for the past couple of weeks, it's Craig Berube:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-hire-craig-berube-as-head-coach/

cheers,

Gabe

[rebs]

Poor Craig.  I’m sure he’ll be compensated well at least.

[Firesprocket]

The Leafs have a new bench boss, and as widely speculated for the past couple of weeks, it's Craig Berube:

I don't think that will make them a contender, but they won't be playing soft going forward.

[JadeHellbringer]

Update: Eight periods of hockey, both of my teams eliminated. Consensus: That ****** sucked.

[Fat Guy]

Last night was probably the last time this season we'll have more than one game a day.   

[Fat Guy]

Cats over the Rangers and Stars over whoever makes it out of Canada.

[rebs]

Didn’t see that coming for the Avs.  For all the old Detroit/Colorado crap, that’s been long gone.  The face of the old rivalry to me was centered around Lemieux, Roy, and probably Foote or Deadmarsh.  Nobody loved Forsberg anywhere else either, so he doesn’t count lol.  Those were the mugs at the center of the shitstorm to me.  That said, it’s ok for me to recognize a good team.  I had higher expectations of them for damn good reason.

But Dallas is a good hockey team, and proved it again.  Now, will it be enough to take them to the Cup Finals?  Who knows.  Let’s see who rises from the battle in Canada.

Rangers are my horse in the east.  Florida isn’t going to be any easier than Carolina.

[rebs]

And it's even 1 to 1 after 20 minutes.  How are we feeling tonight, Canucks Nation?

[chanman]

Feels like game 7

[gyedid]

Feels like game 7

More than a feeling 

Can the Oilers repeat tonight 's performance in the Canucks' barn?

Cheers,

Gabe

[chanman]

More than a feeling 

Can the Oilers repeat tonight 's performance in the Canucks' barn?

Cheers,

Gabe

They've taken turns looking absolutely gassed, so maybe both teams will show up for the finale :P

[Fat Guy]

They've taken turns looking absolutely gassed, so maybe both teams will show up for the finale :P

Or maybe neither will?

No hockey tonight. And so it begins.   

[rebs]

That pure burst of hockey energy in round 1 and round 2 of the playoffs would kill us if it  lasted all year.

[JadeHellbringer]

I still can't figure out if the Oilers were firing on all cylinders in Game 6, or if the Canucks were just totally off their game. More the latter than anything, I think- they really looked deer-in-headlights most of the evening.

More of that in Game 7, and it's lights-out for Vancouver.

I still don't have faith in Edmonton- even if they do get into the third round, they're just not a deep enough roster to hang with a very deep and skilled Dallas team. They may make life interesting, but I can't see them outlasting the Stars at this point.

[gyedid]

More of that in Game 7, and it's lights-out for Vancouver.

I still don't have faith in Edmonton- even if they do get into the third round, they're just not a deep enough roster to hang with a very deep and skilled Dallas team. They may make life interesting, but I can't see them outlasting the Stars at this point.

Looks like that’s what it’s going to be as I write this.

I’m just giving the Cup to the Stars at this point.  Why do I say that?  Well, as Hellbie points out, the Oilers ( and the Canucks, for that matter) just don’t have the depth to really hang with the Stars, and the Stars will pretty much have their way with whoever they face in the conference finals.  They’ve already passed their biggest tests by knocking off the defending and twice-removed champs.  On the East side, we have two pretty physical, truculent teams, each coming off a pretty physical, truculent series, and there’s no reason to suspect this one won’t be similar, in fact probably even more so.  And if there’s anything the past few years have shown, it’s that a big part of whichever team eventually wins the Cup is the one that’s fresher and healthier to start the Cup finals.  Whichever team comes out of that East final is going to be gassed and limping in to the Cup finals, with little if anything left in the tank.  Cue Dallas in 5.

Cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

Well, the Oilers just had to go and let the Canucks make it interesting in the third period.  And that near-collapse shows the main reason why it's quite unlikely that it'll be them moving on to the Cup finals.

cheers,

Gabe

[NeonKnight]

Whelp - Canucks are out - I'm out.

[chanman]

Well, the Oilers just had to go and let the Canucks make it interesting in the third period.  And that near-collapse shows the main reason why it's quite unlikely that it'll be them moving on to the Cup finals.

cheers,

Gabe

The Canucks losing Boeser to a blood clot discovered after game 6 might have been the final straw. Boeser had 7 goals and 12 points through 12 playoff games this post-season, making him the top-scoring player on a team that's had struggles scoring in the post-season.

Also, I don't know about previous seasons or their first series, but Draisaitl seems to have been the more consistently dangerous player for Edmonton this series compared to McDavid.

[Firesprocket]

Just here for the check in and prediction:

Panthers in 7
Dallas in 6.

Both I could see clinching earlier.  I find it hard to believe that the Panthers are going to pump the breaks and allow the Rangers to get back in the game like they maanged to do Hurricanes last round.