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#61 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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NHL 2017-2018 Regular Season Roundup and Playoff Preview
![]() East: The Montreal Canadiens cruise into the playoffs as the President's Trophy champions. They will face a Rangers team that almost slid out of the playoffs but clung to the final Wild Card on a tie break over Detroit. The Canadiens offense led the league with 290 goals for. Brendan Gallagher was second in NHL scoring and second in goals, Max Pacioretty led the league in assists and was fourth in scoring. They are the two horses carrying the Canadiens high powered offense while Carey Price holds the fort in their end. In P.K. Subban's long absence due to injury Thomas Chabot (career high 64 points as a 21 year old and +48) and Alexei Emelin (career high 51 points and league high +57) really stepped up on their blueline. The Rangers will attack with depth. They had three 30+ goal scorers (Kreider 37, Skinner 36, Duclair 33) and J.T. Miller led them in scoring with 87 points while sophomore Brayden Point had 59 points. Lundqvist will guard their crease. The second best team in the conference, the Penguins, will face off with the sliding Bruins in what could be a titanic first round clash if the Bruins can rediscover their mojo. Boston was looking like a potential President's Trophy contender early in the year but dropped off, with injuries to Chara and Krejci and more recently Patrice Bergeron taking their toll, and lost their last four regular season games to slip into a Wild Card spot. Bergeron won't likely be back from his hand injury until after the first round. Can the Bruins muster enough offense without him to get past the surprisingly mighty Penguins? Pittsburgh was supposed to have a down year after losing star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to Vegas but instead they have stumbled onto probably the best tandem in the league with Matt Murray and Antti Raanta splitting starts very evenly and registering a combined 11 shutouts between them. Raanta is expected to start for game one, the 28 year old career backup has yet to participate in an NHL playoff game. With Kris Letang still out for a couple more weeks deadline acquisition Erik Johnson has proven invaluable in stabilising their blue line. With Sidney Crosby reportedly battling through an upper body injury Ryan Hartman could be a factor - he scored 22 goals as their 3C and could step into a bigger role if Crosby's minutes end up being limited. Corey Perry is another X-factor for them. He produced 9 points in 19 games after joining them at the deadline but he has a reputation of stepping up in the spotlight. This will be a rematch of last year's conference finals, but the Penguins will likely flip the script and run Boston out of town this time around. The Islanders and Hurricanes were separated by only two points in the regular season. The Isles will have home ice advantage but Carolina is the favourite so far amongst analysts. The Islanders won eight games in the shootout, tied for most in the league, and there won't be any shootouts in the playoffs for them. Captain John Tavares and his team will have to win playing real hockey, and their goal differential of +5 is a far cry from Carolina's +30. Halak can be a difference maker between the pipes though, with six shutouts this year and competent backup now in Cory Schneider. Carolina has surprised many by even making the playoffs, riding a tandem of Reimer and Carter Hutton with a young blueline that has been missing a top four piece (Skjei) most of the year and more recently another top four defender in Brett Pesce. At 26 years old, offensive dynamo Justin Faulk is the greybeard of this group. Slavin will be their next oldest blueliner in the series at the ripe old age of 23. He has really come into his own as a defensive defenseman this year with 32 points and a plus 18. 20 year old Sebastian Aho leads them offensively in his third season, breaking out for 45 goals and 93 points this year. The Staal brothers provide leadership and experience for this dynamic young group up front that includes rising stars Mitch Marner and Elias Lindholm. They could continue to surprise throughout the playoffs if their young skill can gel and figure out the rigours of the NHL postseason. Coach Derian Hatcher has them playing hard and working together. The Lightning will face the surging Sabres who fought their way to third in the Atlantic with a dramatic year end run that saw them go 15-2-1 since March 1st. Connor McDavid finished the season with 42 goals and 96 points and Sam Reinhart had 25 goals and 78 points. Twenty two year old Nikita Zadorov had a real solid season that saw the 6-5 blueliner improve his play in his own end and finish second on the team in plus minus with +22. Jeff Petry led their team in blocked shots with 243 and also had 36 takeaways. Captain Drew Stafford anchors a physical third line and chips in depth scoring, putting up 17 goals and 37 points. Andrey Makarov has been on fire lately and finished the season with nine shutouts. Tampa Bay will be looking to end the Cinderella story, they believe their time is now and they have one of the top young goalies in the game in Andrei Vasilevskiy as well as a dominant number one defenseman in Victor Hedman. The 6-6 blueliner had 76 points in 76 games and can control a game while logging close to thirty minutes a night. This is a group that went to seven games against the Bruins in the second round last year and wants to go deeper this time around. Captain Steven Stamkos is on a mission this year, leading the team with 52 goals and 103 points. Washington will have some questions to answer after missing the playoffs for the first time in four years. They look in need of a retool but they also don't want to waste any of their remaining years with Ovechkin (Even missing the last eight games due to injury he still led the league in goals with 55). The Flyers also had a very disappointing finish after expecting a playoff berth this year. On the flip side of that coin, the Panthers are a rising young team with a good future that should have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs next year after being five points shy this time around. The Devils finished 12th but they have some incredible young pieces on defense with Hanifin and Makar and if they can figure out their goaltending and forward situation in the offseason they are also a candidate to be in the postseason this time next year. West: The Avalanche finish as the top team in the West and the only Western Conference team to achieve fifty wins. They have gotten great goaltending from 1B goaltender Michael Neuvirth but reporters say it's likely Varlamov will get the start in game one. They have lots of firepower up front between Landeskog, Duchene, MacKinnon, Konecny and Tanguay. They also added Phil Kessel who is playing at a half point per game pace since the deadline. They are weak on defense, at least on paper, although Josh Manson has been a good depth add who is plus five since being acquired at the trade deadline. Ty Barrie headlines a group of otherwise no-name defenders who have successfully contributed nonetheless. 29 year old journeyman Brad Hunt is second to Barrie for defenseman scoring on their team with ten goals and 34 points. They will face Nashville, who claimed the final Wild Card spot rather handily with 94 points. Don't underestimate the Predators, Pekka Rinne keeps them in games and they play a sound game with an elite blueline that boasts Norris candidate Roman Josi, captain Shea Weber and top four stalwarts Ekholm and Ellis. Should they survive the first round they should be able to add rising star Seth Jones to that mix as he returns from injury. Filip Forsberg is their superstar on offense, producing a 101 point season to lead their team by a significant margin. The San Jose Sharks led the Pacific with 106 points but might be wishing they didn't as their first round draw is defending champion St. Louis. The Blues fell to the first Wild Card spot after dropping three straight to end the year but they are a formidable opponent with the requisite "playoff experience". The Blues finished with a +53 goal differential, significantly better than San Jose's +20. They also tied for 4th in the NHL in goals for. Ben Bishop has been shaky at times this year but if they can get a stretch of good goaltending out of him they are dangerous and could go deep in the playoffs. During last year's Cup run he posted 3 shutouts and a .941 save percentage. If he stumbles they also have the very capable 24 year old Jordan Binnington awaiting his opportunity on the big stage. Their blueline will be healthy this time around but they will want to avoid leaning to heavy on 34 year olds Trevor Daley and Jay Bouwmeester. OEL, Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk are all capable of putting up points while frustrating opposing forwards. They will miss leading scorer Tarasenko up front (out for at least a month with an upper body injury) but in his absence 19 year old rookie Patrik Laine (20 goals this year) could have his opportunity in the spotlight. Riley Sheahan was a savvy deadline acquisition from Detroit, he has 9 points in 18 games since coming to St. Louis while also being +6. The Sharks will miss Brandon Saad and his two way play up front as he still isn't healthy. There is hope he may return late in the series. Alex Killorn took advantage of an increased role this year with a career high 26 goals and 68 points. They will need him to carry his production into the playoffs to support Couture, Pavelski and Hertl. Brent Burns is one of the best defensemen in the league but his supporting cast on the blueline is probably the Sharks' weakest link. Can a rag tag group led by 33 year old Jason Garrison and 23 year Mirco Mueller rally around and support superstar Burns enough to turn the tide in the series? There are question marks between the pipes for San Jose as well, where 37 year old Ryan Miller has taken more of a 1B role to Karri Ramo's 1A. Can the 31 year old Ramo carry his regular season confidence and success into his first career playoff start? The Stars will have home ice against the Blackhawks in what should be a tight series. Chicago's roster has been decimated by poor management and cap constraints yet they continue to look competitive, led by captain Jonathan Toews and oft-injured superstar Patrick Kane. They are surrounded by a lot of quality young players like Teravainen, Couturier, Schmaltz and Shaw. Their blueline is patrolled by an aging Duncan Keith and Dustin Byfuglien, with Hjalmarsson still providing quiet steady top four play as well but there isn't much depth beyond them. Between the pipes there is a lot of uncertainty as 22 year old Landon Bow is expected to get the game one start with just 28 games of NHL experience under his belt. Chad Johnson had a solid 41 games, posting four shutouts this year, but he is no Corey Crawford. Despite looking very thin on paper, this Blackhawks squad has found ways to overachieve all year and they won't be an easy out. Dallas brings potentially the best center depth in the conference into this series, with Seguin, Wheeler, Spezza and Karlsson. They also boast two exciting young right wingers in Rantanen (who finally had a MOSTLY healthy season and put up 54 points in 70 games as a 21 year old) and Nichushkin. Cam Talbot has been a horse for them in net, taking 70 starts and accumulating 42 wins and 7 shutouts, and he comes into this postseason brimming with confidence. The Stars will be without their best blueliner for at least another month as Klingberg nurses a serious eye injury. Beyond Klingberg their defense lacks star power but every one of them knows their role and plays sound defensive hockey. Goligoski needs to stay healthy (he only played 48 games this year) for them as he is the only potential difference maker for them offensively from the blueline. Perhaps the most lop-sided series in the playoffs, the 103 point Calgary Flames will be taking on the 84 point Canucks who barely squeaked into the postseason by virtue of the rest of their division being even worse than them. Most analysts consider the Flames the favourite in the West despite their finish at second in the Pacific and fifth in the conference. Calgary leads the league in goal differential at +80, is second in goals against with 197 and is tied with Colorado for the most regulation and overtime wins in the conference. They are also tied with St. Louis for the most goals for in the West. Devan Dubnyk has played in a nice 69 games for them, picking up seven shutouts and posting a .920 save percentage. The 31 year old signed a two year contract extension in February for a slight raise to $7.13M per year so there will be no contract drama to distract the team. He's been a rock for them and there's no reason to think he won't continue to be steady in the postseason. The Flames also have the NHL's scoring leader, 24 year old Johnny Gaudreau (109 points), on their side. His linemate Sean Monahan had a career year with 81 points as a 23 year old and is still getting better. Their second line has a couple of 21 year olds, sophomore Dylan Strome and rookie Kyle Connor, who have game breaking offensive energy. Captain Mark Giordano doesn't show any signs of slowing down at 34, putting up 20 goals from the blueline this year while continuing to play his well rounded, defensively responsible game. Russian defenseman Nikita Tryamkin has been a revelation, bringing physicality and solid defensive play and finishing second in the NHL in plus minus at +50. Former Canucks Ladislav Smid and Shawn Matthias will be looking forward to potentially sticking it to their old team. They face a Vancouver squad that endured two four game losing streaks in March and has only one two games in a row once since February. This could be captain Henrik Sedin's last kick at the can and you can bet he'll be motivated. Jacob Markstrom could be the X-Factor in this series. When he's at his best he is one of the top goalies in the league and he can look virtually unbeatable even behind Vancouver's oft-shaky defense. When he's off his game he looks average at best and this Canucks team can't afford to have goaltending that is merely average. Young stars Tyler Bertuzzi, Nico Hischier, Mikhail Sergachev and Charlie McAvoy have propelled this team to the success it has had but will they be able to replicate and even elevate their play in their first foray into the NHL postseason? The Edmonton Oilers have some work to do in the offseason after falling two points short of a playoff berth. They've put together an acceptable young defence corps with Nurse, Klefbom and Schultz. They have collection of offensive stars in their prime or else still growing in Hall, Draisatl, Hintz, Gagner, RNH, Eberle and Yakupov. They have no answers in net, with Swedish signing Anders Nilsson and incumbent Ben Scrivens not doing enough to move the needle. 25 year old Laurent Brossoit should be due for an NHL look but nobody is thinking he has the elite talent to solve all their woes in the crease and they don't have much else exciting in the pipeline. Should they package some of their scoring talent to find an answer in net? On the flip side you have the rebuilding Jets who look to have a solid future in net with talents like Connor Hellebuyck and Tristan Jarry but can't seem to put together enough of a lineup in front of them. Is it time to blow up the blueline and trade captain Bogosian and aging Enstrom to sell out on the youth movement with Trouba, Provorov and Morrissey? Do they need to find a couple more pieces up front to support Scheifele, Ehlers, Kane and Rust? Or do they move Okposo, Perreault, Pearson, etc. and commit to a very young core of forwards and maybe another year of misery? The Coyotes have their eyes on the first overall pick again this year after missing out last season. They have to be happy with Heiskanen as a future building block and the dynamic young duo of Domi and Tkachuk up front and they are committed to Jake Allen in net long term. If they hit with their high pick this year there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel for their long suffering fans as they continue to accumulate valuable pieces for the future. They will have three second round selections and two in the third round this year. |
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#62 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Canucks in ROUND ONE
![]() ![]() Vancouver takes Game 1 in Overtime Thriller In a fairly even first period it was Calgary who drew first blood on the powerplay after Brandon Tanev was called for boarding. Baertschi extended their lead to two before the period was out. Vancouver came out guns blazing in the second, taking 18 shots in that frame and getting goals from Henrik and from Sharp. A powerplay marker from Tyler Bertuzzi in the third would put them ahead but Johnny Gaudreau scored with a minute forty to play to send us into overtime. Six minutes into the extra period it was veteran Patrick Sharp who notched his second of the game and played hero in game one for the underdog Canucks. 1st Period CGY (PP) Dylan Strome (Wideman, Gaudreau) CGY Sven Baertschi (Giordano) 2nd Period VAN Henrik Sedin (Pouliot, Horvat) VAN (PP) Patrick Sharp (Hischier, Bertuzzi) 3rd Period VAN (PP) Tyler Bertuzzi (Pouliot 2, H. Sedin) CGY Johnny Gaudreau (Tryamkin, Kulak) Overtime 1 VAN Patrick Sharp 2 (McAvoy, Pouliot 3) Goalies Markstrom (VAN) 25-28, Dubnyk (CGY) 34-38 Calgary with statement win to even the series after two games The Flames were embarrassed at home in game one and they came out with a vengeance, scoring three in the first period and dominating throughout the game, outshooting their opponents 38-24. The game was never in doubt and the Flames showed their excellence and demonstrated why they are the clear favourites in this series. Sean Monahan had a hat trick, eventually chasing Markstrom in the third. How will this young Canucks squad respond at home to this trouncing? 1st Period CGY Sean Monahan (Wideman, Poirier) CGY (PP) Jiri Hudler (Strome, Connor) CGY Kyle Connor (Colborne, Gilmour) 2nd Period CGY Sean Monahan 2 (Gaudreau, Wideman 2) 3rd Period CGY Sean Monahan 3 (Giordano, Gaudreau 2) CGY Mark Giordano (Bouma, Hudler) VAN Horvat (Bertuzzi, McAvoy) Goalies Dubnyk (CGY) 23-24, Markstrom (VAN) 27-32, DeSmith (VAN) 5-6 Vancouver not going away with hard fought home win in Game 3 Coach Dan Bylsma made some lineup changes, inserting veterans Dan Hamhuis and Teemu Hartikainen in the lineup for Rasmus Andersson and Nikita Filatov, respectively, and taking out Stefan Noesen in favour of Josh Anderson. In a defensive first period it was Vancouver who broke through with a goal from rookie Nico Hischier. In the second the Flames ramped up their attack but Markstrom held firm until a heartbreaking goal was allowed to Paul Byron with only sixteen seconds to play in the period. In the third Calgary continued to push and keep Vancouver on their heels but Patrick Sharp took advantage of a rare opportunity to fire a wrister past Dubnyk midway through the period for a goal that would stand as the winner. 1st Period VAN Nico Hischier (Pouliot, Sharp) 2nd Period CGY Paul Byron (Matthias, Baertschi) 3rd Period VAN Patrick Sharp (Pouliot 2, Hischier) Goalies Markstrom (VAN) 28-29, Dubnyk (CGY) 18-20 Calgary again pulls even in series with key road win in Game Four Kyle Connor opened the scoring in the first with his second of the series but Teemu Hartikainen answered for Vancouver before the period was out. In the second Cole Cassels took a hooking minor and the Flames took the lead on a powerplay goal by Jiri Hudler. Colborne would extend their lead to 3-1 less than a minute later and the Flames would withstand Vancouver's third period efforts at a comeback. Both teams now head to Calgary for a critical Game Five. 1st Period CGY Kyle Connor (Strome, Poirier) VAN Teemu Hartikainen (B. Tanev) 2nd Period CGY (PP) Jiri Hudler (Gaudreau) CGY Joe Colborne (Tryamkin, Monahan) 3rd Period No Scoring. Goalies Dubnyk (CGY) 23-24, Markstrom (VAN) 24-27 Calgary with clutch win at home to take series lead The Canucks played one of their best periods of the series, and maybe the season. They dominated the Flames in every facet of the game, outshooting them 19-3 in that first twenty minutes. To Devan Dubnyk's credit, he allowed only one goal on those nineteen shots, putting on an absolute clinic in net to keep his team alive. In the first intermission he gave a fiery speech to his teammates and they came out much more motivated in the second, scoring two goals in a much more even period. Both goalies were solid in the third and Vancouver couldn't break through to tie it, so we go back to the West Coast for a Game Six that the Canucks need to stay alive. 1st Period VAN Bo Horvat (Vlasic) 2nd Period CGY Dennis Wideman (Monahan, Gaudreau) CGY John Gilmour (Gaudreau 2, McQuaid) 3rd Period No Scoring. Goalies Dubnyk (CGY) 33-34, Markstrom (VAN) 19-21 Hopes dashed at home in Game Six as Canucks fall in overtime Dan Bylsma made some lineup adjustments, inserting Filatov, Noesen and Andersson for Hartikainen, Anderson and Hamhuis. It was a tight game through twenty minutes with no score but in the second the dams burst with Giordano opening the scoring and Noesen tying it up minutes later. Mikhail Sergachev's first of the series would give the Canucks a short-lived lead but Monahan would answer for the Flames a minute later. The teams would go into the second intermission tied at 2. Just 50 seconds into the third period Kyle Connor gave Calgary the lead but Canuck captain Henrik Sedin scored the game tying goal midway through the frame that ultimately sent us to overtime. With fans on the edge of their seats hoping for a miracle and a game seven overtime began, but their hopes were shattered just two minutes in when a point shot from Brett Kulak beat a screened Markstrom and sent Calgary through to round two. "It's a disappointing result," said assistant captain Bo Horvat post-game, "we feel that we really gave it our all in this series and this game and last we felt we played some of our best hockey of the season and sometimes the bounces just don't go your way. We'll prepare in the offseason to be even better next year because I don't like being done this early in the season." Coach Dan Bylsma said to media that he was "proud of our boys, this team was an underdog coming in and we gave one of the best teams in the league a real scare. I think with a couple of bounces going differently we could have found ourselves in the second round. You never like to lose in the playoffs, it's a sick feeling, but we have something to build on and I believe we've earned some respect, from ourselves and others, with how we played in this series. 1st Period No Scoring. 2nd Period CGY Mark Giordano (Bouma, Hudler) VAN Stefan Noesen (Svechnikov, McAvoy) VAN Mikhail Sergachev (C. Tanev, Beruzzi) CGY Sean Monahan (Poirier, Gaudreau) 3rd Period CGY Kyle Connor (Monahan, Gaudreau 2) VAN Henrik Sedin (Horvat, Bertuzzi) Overtime CGY Brett Kulak (Wideman, Baertschi) Goalies Dubnyk (CGY) 22-25, Markstrom (VAN) 21-25 |
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#63 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Vancouver Canucks Season Recap
![]() Record: 38-36-8, 84 Points, 3rd in the Pacific GF/gm: 2.80 (17th) GA/gm: 2.78 (11th) SF/gm: 30 (T-19th) SA/gm: 31 (14th) PP%: 19.7 (15th) PK%: 82.2 (9th) In what is now rumoured to potentially be the Sedins last season Vancouver rode a rollercoaster season to a playoff berth and despite having the fewest points of any playoff team they put up a great fight against the eventual Stanley Cup Winner. This was a season of growth, of surprising performances from talented young players and the growing pains that go with that. Trevor Linden's patient work of re-stocking the cupboard with prospects and draft picks began bearing its first legitimate fruit this year as teenagers Nico Hischier and Mikhail Sergachev claimed full time roster spots and carved out significant roles while other young pieces like Bo Horvat, Jared McCann, Cole Cassels and Tyler Bertuzzi continued to progress. Charlie McAvoy and Rasmus Andersson both played well, with McAvoy stepping into a top four role with the poise of an experienced defenseman. Vancouver rolled out a blueline with three rookies in the starting lineup and made the playoffs, a respectable achievement in and of itself. The pieces look to be coming together, but how will this young group look without the familiar faces of Henrik and Daniel if they do indeed choose to hang them up? Veterans Mikko Koivu and Patrick Sharp may not return either, both were signed to only one year contracts and may test free agency again. Can Horvat and Tanev galvanize a young leadership group and see continued growth next year? Is Jacob Markstrom a question mark long term? He has turned out to be elite at times and very human at others, and this recent playoff series was a clear demonstration of that. Trevor Linden and his management team head into an offseason with many questions and challenges but one that is silver lined with more legitimate optimism than this fan base has dared entertain for some years. Stats: |
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#64 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs
![]() ROUND 1 Recap: WEST (C1) Colorado VS (WC2) Nashville The Avalanche were led to victory by captain Gabe Landeskog who had five goals and nine points in the series. Rinne struggled in net for the Predators with an .880 save percentage, nullifying the efforts of Filip Forsberg (6 goals, 9 points) and Victor Arvidsson (4 goals). NSH 5 @ COL 2 NSH 3 @ COL 6 COL 5 @ NSH 3 COL 2 @ NSH 4 NSH 2 @ COL 3 COL 4 @ NSH 2 Colorado wins in 6. (C2) Dallas VS (C3) Chicago Game Six went to double overtime before Val Nichushkin won it for Dallas on the powerplay with his third goal of the series. Tyler Seguin had 9 points for the Stars. Chicago put up a good fight, Kane had 10 points and Couturier had four goals but it wasn't enough. CHI 3 @ DAL 4 CHI 2 @ DAL 3 DAL 0 @ CHI 7 DAL 2 @ CHI 1 CHI 5 @ DAL 2 DAL 3 @ CHI 2 Dallas wins in 6. (P1) San Jose VS (WC1) St. Louis Ken Hitchcock made a controversial call going with 24 year old Jordan Binnington in net but it paid off as he rode a .945 save percentage to four wins in five games. Rookie Patrik Laine scored three goals in the series. Jaden Schwartz scored the series winning goal in overtime of Game 5. STL 4 @ SJS 1 STL 3 @ SJS 2 SJS 2 @ STL 1 SJS 1 @ STL 5 STL 3 @ SJS 2 St. Louis wins in 5. (P2) Calgary VS (P3) Vancouver Vancouver made a series of it but lost three straight to be eliminated, including the deciding sixth game in overtime. Johnny Gaudreau had nine points for the Flames. VAN 4 @ CGY 3 VAN 1 @ CGY 6 CGY 1 @ VAN 2 CGY 3 @ VAN 1 VAN 1 @ CGY 2 CGY 4 @ VAN 3 Calgary wins in 6. EAST (A1) Montreal VS (WC2) NY Rangers The Canadiens carried their regular season dominance into the postseason and made short work of the Rangers. Pacioretty had 8 points, Robyn Regeher of all people had 3 goals in 5 games and Price was solid, earning a shutout and winning four of five with a .946 save percentage. NYR 2 @ MTL 3 NYR 3 @ MTL 4 MTL 2 @ NYR 3 MTL 1 @ NYR 0 NYR 1 @ MTL 6 Montreal wins in 5. (A2) Tampa Bay VS (A3) Buffalo Enroth started the series for Buffalo, a weird decision but it seemed a good one when he was perfect through regulation of game one. He eventually allowed the overtime winner to Slater Koekkoek and in game 2 he was shelled, getting the hook after five goals. Makarov was too late to salvage that game but played reasonably well in the two ensuing games, finishing the series with a .938 save percentage despite never winning a game. The Lightning were just too good, powered by Nikita Kucherov's seven points in four games and backstopped by Vasilevskiy who finished the series with an impressive .949 save percentage. Connor McDavid was held to two goals and was -4 for the series. BUF 0 @ TBL 1 BUF 4 @ TBL 7 TBL 2 @ BUF 1 TBL 2 @ BUF 1 Tampa Bay wins in 4. (M1) Pittsburgh VS (WC1) Boston After being embarrassed at home 9-3 Boston woke up and won 3 of the next four to take the series in seven. Torey Krug's 12 points in the series has him leading the playoff scoring race. BOS 1 @ PIT 5 BOS 2 @ PIT 1 PIT 9 @ BOS 3 PIT 2 @ BOS 4 BOS 3 @ PIT 7 PIT 2 @ BOS 6 BOS 6 @ PIT 2 Boston wins in 7. (M2) NY Islanders VS (M3) Carolina The Islanders took game 5 in double overtime and then game 6 in overtime to walk away with the series in six games. Dubinsky and Dominik Simon were the overtime heroes. CAR 2 @ NYI 3 CAR 5 @ NYI 4 NYI 1 @ CAR 2 NYI 3 @ CAR 0 CAR 1 @ NYI 2 NYI 6 @ CAR 5 NY Islanders win in 6. |
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#65 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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![]() ROUND 2 Recap: WEST (C1) Colorado VS (C2) Dallas This series between two old rivals did not disappoint, going the distance. With 3 minutes to go in the seventh game Tyler Seguin tied it up at four for Dallas but then with 90 seconds to play it was Dennis Seidenberg with his first goal of the playoffs on a point shot through a screen to win the game and the series for the Avalanche. Seguin had 3 goals and 2 points for the Stars in the series despite missing game six due to injury. Landeskog had 3 goals and 2 assists for Colorado as he leads them to the Conference Finals. DAL 2 @ COL 3 DAL 7 @ COL 2 COL 2 @ DAL 1 COL 0 @ DAL 3 DAL 1 @ COL 4 COL 1 @ DAL 4 DAL 4 @ COL 5 Colorado wins in 7. (P2) Calgary VS (WC1) St. Louis A critical Game 5 overtime victory at home for the Flames was the turning point in a close series as they went into St. Louis for Game 6 and closed the series out handily. Dylan Strome had 3 goals and 3 assists in the series, including the game 5 overtime winning goal. Binnington had a solid series overall for the Blues, including a game 4 shutout but he struggled in the conclusive sixth game, allowing 4 goals on 33 shots. Jaden Schwartz showed out with 8 points in 6 games but it wasn't enough to carry his team past the Flames and the defending champions are out. STL 2 @ CGY 1 STL 2 @ CGY 5 CGY 3 @ STL 1 CGY 0 @ STL 4 STL 3 @ CGY 4 CGY 4 @ STL 1 Calgary wins in 6. EAST (A1) Montreal VS (A2) Tampa Bay The Canadiens continue to just win games, sweeping the Lightning in a series that was closer than it looked. The first two games were both decided by a goal, game 2 in overtime, and in both games the Lightning outshot the President's Trophy winners in Montreal. Thomas Chabot had 2 goals and 6 points in four games for Montreal and Carey Price continued to be stellar. Through two series and nine games he boasts a .930 save percentage. Nikita Kucherov was held pointless in the series after putting up seven points in the first round. The Lightning go from being the sweepers to being the sweepees. Montreal cruises to the Conference Finals. TBL 4 @ MTL 5 TBL 1 @ MTL 2 MTL 3 @ TBL 1 MTL 4 @ TBL 2 Montreal wins in 4. (M2) NY Islanders VS (WC1) Boston The Bruins mean business. After upsetting Pittsburgh in a grueling seven game series in round one they came out and dominated the Islanders in five games. Torey Krug now has 16 points through 12 games and continues to lead the playoffs in scoring. Marchand put up 2 goals and 8 points in 5 games. Tuukka Rask hasn't been great but he's been good enough to win enough and the Bruins move on to the Conference Finals for an Original Six matchup with the rival Canadiens. The Islanders rode deadline acquisition Cory Schneider all playoffs but despite working well in round one he just didn't have enough magic for this series. He finishes with a shutout and a .912 save percentage through 11 games. BOS 5 @ NYI 3 BOS 3 @ NYI 4 NYI 3 @ BOS 4 NYI 1 @ BOS 5 BOS 3 @ NYI 1 Boston wins in 5. |
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#66 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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![]() ROUND 3 Recap: WEST (C1) Colorado VS (P2) Calgary Calgary was simply the better team consistently, playing solid defense and getting reliable goaltending from Devan Dubnyk. They get the sweep while allowing two goals or less every game. They were led offensively by 23 year old Emile Poirier who exploded for four goals and two assists in the four games. Captain Mark Giordano had two goals and three assists from the blueline. Landeskog finishes his postseason with 17 points in 17 games but it isn't enough to will his club to Cup Finals. The next highest scoring Av this playoffs was MacKinnon with 10 points. CGY 5 @ COL 2 CGY 4 @ COL 2 COL 2 @ CGY 4 COL 1 @ CGY 5 Calgary wins in 4. EAST (A1) Montreal VS (WC1) Boston Well the Canadiens faced their first real adversity all season and they weren't up to the task. It is worth noting that Montreal's Robyn Regehr missed games four and five with a suspension. Also, significantly, star forward Max Pacioretty was injured in game four and missed the final two games. The Bruins seemed to have Carey Price solved, and he allowed at least three goals in the first five games before a stellar game six performance fell short with no run support. Both P.K. Subban and Zdeno Chara returned from injury for this series. Oh yeah and Boston had Patrice Bergeron back as well, he chipped in six points. David Pastrnak had himself a series - the 21 year old star had 3 goals and 6 assists to overtake teammate Torey Krug for the playoff scoring lead. It's on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the seventh seeded Bruins while the Canadiens lick their wounds and reload for next year. BOS 7 @ MTL 1 BOS 3 @ MTL 4 MTL 1 @ BOS 4 MTL 2 @ BOS 4 BOS 3 @ MTL 6 MTL 0 @ BOS 1 Boston wins in 6. |
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#67 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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![]() Stanley Cup Preview: (P2) Calgary VS (WC1) Boston Calgary knocked out the defending champion St. Louis Blues and then the top regular season team in the Western Conference in Colorado to get here. Some analysts considered the Flames the best team in the West all along and they have proved themselves to be that with their impressive run through three rounds. Johnny Gaudreau has 3 goals and 16 assists to lead them in scoring with 19 points in 16 games. Close behind him is linemate Sean Monahan with 9 goals and 8 assists. Rookie Kyle Connor is second on the team in goals with 7. Emile Poirier has 12 points playing alongside Gaudreau and Monahan on the top line and leads the team at +14 so far. Captain Mark Giordano has 10 points from the back end and is +11 while leading his team in icetime averaging 23:46 a night. In net Devan Dubnyk has been consistent with a 1.95 GAA and .919 save percentage. The Flames last won the Cup in 1989, though they came close in 2004 when they made it to the Finals only to lose to the Lightning in controversial fashion when a game six Cup winning goal by Martin Gelinas was disallowed despite looking to be over the goalline. The Flames would eventually lose game six in overtime and also game 7. They haven't been back to the Finals since. Boston has taken out both the top seeds in the East en route to this Finals appearance. The Bruins come into the Final pretty banged up. Of course, that isn't new to them this playoffs after missing Chara and Bergeron for the first two rounds. Their top two defensemen, Krug and Hamilton, are both listed as day to day. Reports are that Krug will likely be able to dress for game one but Hamilton is doubtful. The leading scorer of the playoffs, David Pastrnak, is out with an upper body injury. He is expected to miss at least the first two games but coach Julien is hopeful he could be ready by the time the series returns to Boston. Marchand and Bergeron will be leaned upon heavily in his absence. Sophomore forward Frankie Vatrano has also been an unlikely source of offense for them, putting up eight goals and fourteen points in the playoffs after compiling only twenty seven points in the entire regular season. After a solid regular season that saw him hit career highs in goals (18) and points (42) while posting a respectable +15, 27 year old blueliner David Warsofsky has struggled in the postseason, producing offensively at a similar pace but sitting at a team worst -7. He's been playing twenty and a half minutes a night already and he may be playing even more if Hamilton is out so Boston will need him to be better in his own end in the Finals. Tuukka Rask has been mediocre in net and so far that's been enough to get here but in the Finals he may need to raise his game if he wants to earn another Cup. The Bruins last won the Cup two years ago, in 2016, and are going for their third in this decade. |
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#68 |
Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
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As a Canucks fan, a Flames/Bruins cup final feels like my worst nightmare. Can't wait to see how it goes though.
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#69 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Lol me too. I'm pulling for Calgary to stick it to those Bruins and and bring the Cup back to Canada though.
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#70 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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![]() 2018 Stanley Cup Finals Game 1, BOS 2 @ CGY 6: In a high flying first period Boston outscored the home team 2-1 but the Flames came out on fire after the intermission, blasting 17 shots on Tuukka Rask and beating him four times to take a 5-2 lead. They locked it down in the third and came away with the 6-2 victory to go up 1-0 in the series. Kyle Connor had a phenomenal game in both ends by all accounts and Emile Poirier exploded in an offensive game for the ages with 3 goals and 2 assists in his first Stanley Cup Final experience. 1st Period CGY Emile Poirier (6) (Monahan, Gaudreau) BOS Patrice Bergeron (3) (Fraser, Spooner) BOS Brad Marchand (PP) (8) (Czarnik) 2nd Period CGY Kyle Connor (8) (Strome, Giordano) CGY Emile Poirier 2 (7) (Kulak, Gaudreau 2) CGY Sean Monahan (PP) (10) (Poirier, Giordano 2) CGY Johnny Gaudreau (4) (Poirier 2, Monahan 2) 3rd Period CGY Poirier 3 (PP) (8) (Connor, Monahan 3) Shots BOS 16-3-6--25 CGY 14-17-7--38 PP BOS 1-4 CGY 2-6 Goalies BOS Tuukka Rask 32-38 CGY Devan Dubnyk 23-25 Calgary leads the series 1-0. Game 2, BOS 3 @ CGY 2: The first period was reminiscent of game one, with Calgary opening the scoring and the Bruins responding with two to go into the first intermission with the lead. This time the Bruins mostly weathered the second period onslaught, netting a powerplay goal early on and allowing only one goal on 17 shots. Calgary seemed to have exhausted most of its energy in that second frame and managed only five shots in the final period as they were entirely stymied in any comeback attempt. Big Zdeno Chara had an impact on the game defensively, blocking a shot, being credited with two takeaways and throwing three hits. 1st Period CGY Jiri Hudler (4) (Bennett) BOS John Marino (1) (Bjork, Gibbons) BOS Matt Fraser (6) (R. Smith, Spooner) 2nd Period BOS Austin Czarnik (PP) (2) (Marchand, Gibbons 2) CGY Sam Bennett (2) (Gilmour, Giordano) 3rd Period No Scoring. Shots BOS 14-6-11--31 CGY 9-17-5--31 PP BOS 1-1 CGY 0-0 Goalies BOS Tuukka Rask 29-31 CGY Devan Dubnyk 28-31 The series is tied 1-1. Game 3, CGY 5 @ BOS 2: The Flames imposed their will throughout this game and capitalised on almost every powerplay opportunity they had. Johnny Gaudreau played like a man possessed (4 points, +2, 9 shots on goal) and Boston had no answer. Rask battled but was overwhelmed by the consistent barrage and failed to bail his team out against the seemingly unstoppable Flames powerplay. 1st Period CGY Dylan Strome (PP) (6) (Gaudreau, Hudler) 2nd Period CGY Emile Poirier (9) (Monahan, Baertschi) CGY Johnny Gaudreau (5) (Tryamkin, Monahan 2) 3rd Period BOS Loui Eriksson (5) (Marchand, Bergeron) CGY Johnny Gaudrau 2 (PP) (6) (Strome) CGY Jiri Hudler (PP) (5) (Gaudreau 2, Wideman) BOS Chris Higgins (1) (R. Smith, Spooner) Shots CGY 11-16-16--43 BOS 6-7-15--28 PP CGY 3-4 BOS 0-2 Goalies CGY Devan Dubnyk 26-28 BOS Tuukka Rask 38-43 Calgary leads the series 2-1. Game 4, CGY 1 @ BOS 0: The Flames played solid low event hockey, a great road game, and got quality goaltending from Devan Dubnyk who recorded his first shutout of the playoffs. It was not the most exciting of games, the standout performance may have come from Lance Bouma on Calgary's checking line who registered 3 hits, 3 takeaways and 2 blocked shots. Anyone watching could also see that Kyle Connor played an excellent defensive game while also contributing five shots on goal, impressive attention to detail from such a young player. 1st Period No Scoring. 2nd Period CGY Nikita Tryamkin (2) (Gaudreau, Wideman) 3rd Period No Scoring. Shots CGY 8-9-7--24 BOS 7-9-13--29 PP CGY 0-2 BOS 0-1 Goalies CGY Devan Dubnyk 29-29, SO BOS Tuukka Rask 23-24 Calgary leads the series 3-1. Game 5, BOS 4 @ CGY 1: Boston was on the ropes but they demonstrated their resilience, determination and experience with a stellar performance to stay alive. They knew they had to come out on the road and take over the game immediately and they fired three goals past Dubnyk in the first to take a commanding lead into the second and then third periods. Rask had possibly his best game of the series, allowing only one goal and that in the third and on the powerplay. Emile Poirier looked awful for the Flames, the worst player on the ice and minus three to show for it. Offensive defenseman Torey Krug didn't find the scoresheet for Boston but played probably his best game of the series, looking impeccable in his own end while playing 23 minutes and firing seven shots on goal. 1st Period BOS Austin Czarnik (3) (Higgins, Edmundson) BOS Brad Marchand (9) (Warsofsky) BOS David Warsofsky (4) (Bergeron, Eriksson) 2nd Period No Scoring. 3rd Period CGY Jiri Hudler (PP) (6) (Gaudreau, Wideman) BOS Brad Marchand 2 (EN) (10) (Bergeron 2) Shots BOS 12-12-15--39 CGY 14-11-8--33 PP BOS 0-1 CGY 1-3 Goalies BOS Tuukka Rask 32-33 CGY Devan Dubnyk 35-38 Calgary leads the series 3-2. Game 6, CGY 4 @ BOS 5: Boston again begins the game with a three goal flurry in the first period. Zdeno Chara registered his first three assists of the playoffs on three goals in a row. And Chris Higgins, who hadn't been on the scoresheet all postseason, now has two goals and an assist in this series. Calgary answered back with three goals from their blueline in a dominating second period (including two from Dennis Wideman) that would send both teams to the dressing rooms knotted up at 3 after forty minutes. In the third both teams exchanged powerplay goals from unlikely sources before, with five minutes to play, it was David Warsofsky with his third goal in two games scoring the eventual winner shorthanded. Devan Dubnyk has been remarkably consistent this postseason but with the Cup in the building this is one performance he will wish he could have back, allowing five goals on only twenty five shots. Lance Bouma had a goal and two assists and looked like Calgary's best player out there tonight. Johnny Gaudreau was a disappointing -3 as his line failed to generate anything offensively and was caved in on defense. The Flames have dropped two straight but will get their shot at redemption at home for Game Seven. 1st Period BOS Chris Higgins (2) (Chara) BOS David Warsofsky (5) (Spooner, Chara 2) BOS Brad Marchand (11) (Chara 3, Bergeron) 2nd Period CGY Dennis Wideman (3) (Giordano, Bouma) CGY Adam McQuaid (2) (Bouma 2, Hudler) CGY Dennis Wideman 2 (4) (Matthias, Hudler 2) 3rd Period BOS Brian Gibbons (PP) (3) (Krug, Fraser) CGY Lance Bouma (PP) (2) (Poirier, Monahan) BOS David Warsofsky 2 (SH) (6) (Ryan Reaves) Shots CGY 11-16-12--39 BOS 10-6-9--25 PP CGY 1-4 BOS 1-3 Goalies CGY Devan Dubnyk 20-25 BOS Tuukka Rask 35-39 Series is tied 3-3. Game 7, BOS 3 @ CGY 7: The Flames left no doubt and no room for controversy, bringing the Cup back to Canada for the first time in 25 years. Boston started well on the road and drew first blood, taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. In the second, goals from Hudler and Glencross put Calgary ahead as they peppered Rask with shots and ramped up their attack. Boston's Reilly Smith evened it up at two but the tie wouldn't last long as thirty seconds later Hudler scored his second of the game with 33 seconds left in the period to give Calgary the lead. Hudler would score his hat trick goal just twenty seconds later, putting Calgary up 4-2 heading into the third period. Boston came out with tons of pressure as they sought to even things up but Zdeno Chara took a roughing penalty four minutes in and Hudler capitalised on the powerplay with his fourth goal of the game. Joe Colborne added a goal to put the Flames up by four. Brad Marchand wasn't about to quit and scored his second of the game midway through the frame to pull his team within three but Calgary captain Mark Giordano scored with nine minutes left to put the game basically beyond reach and from there Devan Dubnyk held the fort en route to the Stanley Cup. Lance Bouma had another tremendous game and he has become the unsung (or maybe well sung at this point) hero of this Finals for the Flames. He had two assists and was +3 with 2 blocked shots, 4 hits and 2 takeaways. Jiri Hudler had the game of his career with four goals on nine shots in just fourteen minutes of icetime. Johnny Gaudreau won the Conn Smythe with 29 points in 23 playoff games. 1st Period BOS Brad Marchand (PP) (12) (Bergeron, Gibbons) 2nd Period CGY Jiri Hudler (7) (Bouma, Wideman) CGY Curtis Glencross (1) (Byron, Gilmour) BOS Reilly Smith (4) (Khokhlachev, Spooner) CGY Jiri Hudler 2 (8) (Smid) CGY Jiri Hudler 3 (9) (Bouma 2, Matthias) 3rd Period CGY Jiri Hudler 4 (PP) (10) (Monahan, Gaudreau) CGY Joe Colborne (4) (Connor, Wideman 2) BOS Brad Marchand (13) (Bergeron 2, Eriksson) CGY Mark Giordano (5) (Wideman 3, Poirier) Shots BOS 8-13-16--37 CGY 7-17-13--37 PP BOS 1-2 CGY 1-1 Goalies BOS Tuukka Rask 28-35, Alex Stalock 2-2 CGY Devan Dubnyk 34-37 Calgary wins series 4-3. |
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#71 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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2018 NHL AWARDS
![]() Ted Lindsay Award: TBL F Steven Stamkos (52-51-103, 20.1 Point Share, 41.5 Goals Created) Art Ross Trophy: CGY F Johnny Gaudreau (109 points) Maurice Richard Trophy: WSH F Alex Ovechkin (55 goals) Lady Byng Trophy: CGY F Johnny Gaudreau (109 Pts, 16 PIM) Bill Masterton Trophy: STL D Alex Pietrangelo NHL Leadership Award: NSH D Shea Weber Jennings Trophy: DAL G Cam Talbot (2.20 GAA) Hart Trophy: BUF F Connor McDavid nominees - BUF F Connor McDavid (42-54-96, 19.3 Point Share, 36.4 Goals Created) TBL F Steven Stamkos (52-51-103, 20.1 Point Share, 41.5 Goals Created) TBL D Victor Hedman (18-58-76, 21.3 Point Share, 25.1 Goals Created) Calder Trophy: VAN F Nico Hischier nominees - BUF G Andrey Makarov (33 W, 9 SO, 2.65 GAA, .914 SvPct, 9.60 GSAA) VAN F Nico Hischier (18-31-49) CHI F Brett Seney (21-20-41) Frank J. Selke Trophy: CHI F Jonathan Toews nominees - CHI F Jonathan Toews (20-31-51, +32, 7.9 Defensive Point Share, 20.9 SA/60, 78 DGR, 44 Tka, 22 BS, 140 H, 54 FO%) SJS F Matt Nieto (15-24-39, +14, 5.6 DPS, 26.2 SA/60, 66 DGR, 37 Tka, 116 BS, 120 H, 31.2 FO%) CGY F Lance Bouma (9-16-25, +24, 5.7 DPS, 27.6 SA/60, 55 DGR, 16 Tka, 59 BS, 207 H, 59.5 FO%) Norris Trophy: MTL D Alexei Emelin nominees - MTL D Thomas Chabot (16-48-64, +48, 21.7 PS, 21.2 GC, 78 GR) NSH D Roman Josi (26-48-74, +24, 24.3 PS, 26.7 GC, 83 GR) MTL D Alexei Emelin (62 GP, 11-40-51, +57, 18.4 PS, 16.4 GC, 69 GR) Vezina Trophy: DAL G Cam Talbot nominees - COL G Michal Neuvirth (33 W, 6 SO, 2.14 GAA, .930 SvPct, 29.93 GSAA) MTL G Carey Price (51 W, 3 SO, 2.34 GAA, .920 SvPct, 24.31 GSAA) DAL G Cam Talbot (42 W, 7 SO, 2.20 GAA, .925 SvPct, 34.05 GSAA) Jack Adams Award: CAR Coach Derian Hatcher nominees - COL Coach Patrick Roy (52-25-5, finished 2nd overall with 8th best roster) CAR Coach Derian Hatcher (46-32-4, finished 11th overall with 23rd best roster) DAL Coach Lindy Ruff (48-24-10, finished 3rd overall with 11th best roster) GM of the Year: CAR GM Ron Francis nominees - (Roster Rankings Overall, F-D-G, System Ranking) COL GM Joe Sakic (8th, 1st-14th-20th, 19th) CAR GM Ron Francis (23rd, 14th-18th-27th, 18th) DAL GM Brian Lawton (11th, 3rd-16th-24th, 6th) Commentary: Cool that Hischier won the Calder! (I kind of feel like with 9 shutouts Makarov probably deserved it though, the game might've done him dirty.) Cool to see Jonathan Toews win the Selke, since often weird/unlikely players seem to win that one. (See the nominees for example, a pair of third line checking wingers who don't blow you away with any of their stats, not even their defensive stats really...) Cam Talbot was a rock for Dallas all year and a good call for the Vezina. I feel like when two guys are both nominated for MVP from the same team the third nominee should win it basically be default, so I'm glad to see McDavid getting the Hart love. Also neat that the players chose a different MVP in Stamkos since often those two awards are the same. Weird call picking Emelin for the Norris in my opinion, I think the game needs to rely more on some combination of point share, goals created - IRL points matter a lot for the Norris, see Erik Karlsson last year - and maybe GR with a minimum GP and TOI. I'm assuming it must've picked Emelin based mostly off of +/- but he clearly wasn't even the best defenseman on his own team. Now for my real pet peeve - almost every year the Coach award and GM award in this game have nominees from the same three teams. And almost every year whichever team wins wins both awards. I feel like the Jack Adams this year was a great choice as Hatcher did very well with a poor roster. I don't know why Francis gets so much credit for constructing a relatively poor roster that greatly overachieved when Lawton built a solid roster which performed even better than expected while maintaining one of the best prospect systems in the league. I think eventually the AI should improve to take into account roster improvement from one year to the next as well as system rankings, roster rankings and standing rankings. In the mean time I think it would be neat to allow the GM the option to either a) select the nominees for the various awards that have nominees, b) select the winners of the awards from the nominees or c) both of the above. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk lol. |
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#72 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Offseason Notes JUNE
![]() The Vegas Golden Knights have announced a contract extension for goalie Frederik Andersen. He will make $5.97M per season for 5 years. The 28 year old netminder had a solid season for Vegas, playing the majority of games for them and finishing with a .921 save percentage, a 29.81 GSAA and 3 shutouts. What will Vegas do with Marc-Andre Fleury? The 33 year old will have three more years of a $5 Million cap hit but he has clearly been replaced as the starter. John Tavares has signed a seven year extension with the New York Islanders at an AAV of $5.66M. There were some rumours that he would test free agency and maybe go home to play for Toronto but in the end he gave the team that drafted him a stellar deal and commits to them for the rest of his prime. Tavares had 68 points last season. Boston's Torey Krug has agreed to terms on a five year $6.35M per year deal that will include a No Trade Clause. Krug has established himself as one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league and had an incredible playoff run as well, with 22 points in 18 games. |
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#73 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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NHL Coaching Changes
![]() Detroit: OUT Mike Babcock, IN Todd Reirden Babcock had coached the Red Wings for over a decade but the past four years have seen a steady decline in performance culminating in missing the playoffs by a hair's breadth this year. Todd Reirden was let go mid-season by the Flyers after only 51 games behind the bench but he will hope to last a little longer in his new gig with Detroit. Reirden is coach who doesn't have any singular ability that stands out but he is steady, consistent and trusts his players. He is more encouraging than strict and tends to lean on his assistants a fair bit. NY Rangers: OUT Bruce Cassidy, IN Rod Brind'Amour Cassidy took over the Rangers midway through the 2015-2016 season and coached them through 218 regular season games accumulating a 121-77-20 record. The Rangers managed to make the playoffs but the Canadiens made short work of them and management decided to make a change behind the bench. Cassidy is well regarded around the league and should be able to find another job if he's looking for one. Rod Brind'Amour was a respected leader as a player and honed his coaching skills as an assistant behind the Hurricanes bench but this will be his first opportunity as an NHL Head Coach. Brind'Amour keeps his players in top physical shape and knows how to read the room and keep his team motivated. His in-game adjustments are almost always spot on, he has an innate feel for the game and his systems work is also impressive. He does an especially good job coaching up defensemen, despite having played forward in his NHL career. He is an offensive leaning coach who will have high expectations despite being a rookie head coach. He is highly thought of in NHL circles and was widely considered to be the next great up and coming head coach hire. Tampa Bay: OUT Doug Weight, IN Mike Babcock Weight spent one full season behind the Lightning bench, had a 45-30-7 record and made the playoffs, getting to the second round before being swept by Montreal, but was still let go once management found out Mike Babcock would be available. Babcock is an innovative coach who does well with younger players and forwards. He is demanding and disciplined, not always beloved by his players but good at pushing the right buttons nonetheless. He can be innovative tactically and is good at having his players buy into and understand his systems. The Lightning are hoping their club can take the next step and have consistent playoff success with him at the helm. |
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#74 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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VANCOUVER Offseason Updates
![]() Trevor Linden has announced that Vancouver will not be renewing the contracts of Mikko Koivu, Patrick Sharp, Marcel Goc, Ronalds Kenins and Kevin Gravel. He also announced that they have signed 2016 third round picks Ty Ronning and Blake Lizotte to entry level deals as well as 22 year old defenseman Gustav Forsling who was a fifth round pick in 2014 and has been developing in Sweden. |
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#75 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Vancouver Canucks Top Prospects
![]() As we head into the offseason, let's take a look at the top prospects in the organization and how they are trending. TIER One G Thatcher Demko (22yo, AHL, 42 W, 2.74 GAA, .911 SvPct) Thatcher's stock is rising in the organization and some expect him to take over the NHL backup role from Casey DeSmith as early as next season and maybe be challenging Markstrom for number one duties the year after that. Demko has the potential to be a top NHL goalie. He has great intangibles, looking calm and composed and not easily rattled. He has good skating and reflexes but his glove is a weakness and he isn't a great puckhandler. He works well with his defensemen and communicates on the ice. He has proven capable of handling a heavy workload at the AHL level. W Kirill Kaprizov (21yo, RUS, 54gp, 32-50-82) Considered by some the best player not currently in the NHL, Linden and company would love to be bringing him over for next season but reports from his camp indicate that he intends to play out the final two seasons of his KHL contract before moving to North America. Some criticism has been levied at Linden for taking the risk on him and there are concerns that he may never come to the NHL but Vancouver's management team claims they have a good relationship with him and are confident that he will join the time in his time. If he does he will be very much worth the wait. An excellent skater with elite puck control and vision, some have knocked his defensive game but Kaprizov is rarely in his own end so it's hard to say. He can play either wing and has been absolutely dominant the past two seasons in Russia. TIER Two D Gustav Forsling (22yo, SWE, 56gp, 11-35-46) The Swedish defenseman turned out to be a long term project but Vancouver is excited to be bringing him to North America. Some scouts expect him to immediately challenge for NHL icetime but Vancouver has indicated they plan for him to spend the season in the AHL getting acclimated to North American style and ice. He is an offensive leaning defenseman who is still responsible in his own end but may need to develop his defensive game more to stick in the NHL where his offensive skill may not be enough to pop. He is starting to look like he could have the makings of an NHL defenseman, which would be great value for a former fifth round pick. G Anthony Stolarz (24yo, AHL, 9 W, 2.46 GAA, .918 SvPct) Stolarz can hardly be considered a prospect at this point but goalies do tend to take a bit longer. Demko has surpassed him on the organizational depth chart and claimed most of the starts in Utica this year. Stolarz got a look in the NHL for a few games and it wasn't pretty. Although he didn't look ready yet, Vancouver's scouts are high on him and believe he still has 1B potential. It's more likely he tops out as an NHL backup at this point and he does have good size and NHL tools, but he has a ways to go still to get there. F Noah Cates (19yo, NCAA, 43gp, 17-22-39) Cates has developed a lot in a season and shown growth especially in his defensive reliablity and tools. He plays a physical defensive game without getting out of position and has good wheels to get where he needs to go. He could become a productive bottom six or middle six two way forward down the road. F Danton Heinen (22yo, AHL, 81gp, 20-44-64) Heinen will probably never have the offensive pop to shine at the next level but his work ethic and defensive chops should eventually land him an NHL job. He hopes it will be in Vancouver and as soon as next year. There currently could be an opening for fourth line center and he will certainly be given the opportunity to claim it. Heinen plays a tireless game and is known for his knack for stealing the puck from opponents and his high hockey IQ. F Filip Chlapik (21yo, AHL, 82gp, 29-53-82) Chlapik has high end offensive skill but if he doesn't round his game out he may not have quite enough offense to keep him in the NHL. He is a crisp passer who can skate well and has an accurate shot. He has a good shot to be an NHL player eventually but he will need to pay more attention to the defensive aspects of the game if he is going to earn an NHL coach's trust. TIER Three F Alex Iafallo (24yo, AHL, 81gp, 32-39-71) Iafallo is aging out of the prospect category and time is running out for him to earn an NHL opportunity. A relatively balanced player who doesn't excel in any one area, he just hasn't done enough to get an NHL look yet. He wins defensive matchups and is regularly in good position in his own zone, at least at the AHL level, so should eventually earn a callup but he may always be a fringe NHLer, getting bottom six icetime or bouncing back and forth to the minors. D Vince Dunn (21yo, AHL, 80gp, 13-48-61) Dunn plays an effective offensive game and has elite NHL passing skills but his game lacks roundedness and if he can't make it as a powerplay specialist he may struggle to earn regular NHL icetime. There is still hope for him, at 21, to develop the defensive side of his game but the NHL is just that much more unforgiving than lower levels when it comes to defenders who don't defend at a high level. D Erik Cernak (21yo, AHL, 82gp, 7-34-41) Erik's calling card has always been his defence first mentality and he had a relatively successful first year in the AHL. He should get NHL opportunities with his size and defensive prowess but the game is getting faster and his poor skating could hold him back from ever being a consistent NHL defenseman. He has great positioning, anticipation and checking ability on defense but brings no offense to the table and even by AHL standards his skating is poor. F Blake Lizotte (20yo, NCAA, 44gp, 22-23-45) Lizotte's 5-7 frame is always going to be a knock against him but so far he has overcome that and earned his way to an NHL ELC and he will be playing professional hockey next year, probably at the minor league level. With his slight frame another weakness for him is he doesn't show high end skill offensively and won't be a dynamic playmaker at the NHL level. He makes up for his deficiencies with his high hockey IQ, making NHL calibre reads at both ends of the ice and knowing where to be at all times. For a player of his stature he doesn't compete as hard as you would like and despite his defensive attention to detail he is hesitant to sacrifice his body to clog the shooting lanes which may undermine his potential usefulness as a bottom six penalty kill specialist. TIER Four F Trent Frederic (20yo, AHL, 82gp, 17-38-55) D Carson Soucy (23yo, AHL, 79gp, 9-22-31) D Dylan DeMelo (25yo, AHL, 82gp, 6-36-42) F Eeli Tolvanen (19yo, AHL, 82gp, 16-21-37) F Ty Ronning (20yo, WHL, 68gp, 29-51-80) D Will Butcher (23yo, AHL, 80gp, 6-37-43) F Dominik Kahun (22yo, AHL, 81gp, 24-40-64) D Jacob Middleton (22yo, AHL, 82gp, 3-15-18) |
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#76 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Notable NHL Retirements
BOS D Zdeno Chara (1389 GP, 177-401-578, 1764 PIM, 2 Stanley Cups) LAK F Marian Gaborik (1062 GP, 409-429-838, 1 Stanley Cup) COL F Scott Hartnell (1230 GP, 308-379-687, 1772 PIM) BOS F Chris Higgins DET F Jarome Iginla (1617 GP, 621-692-1313, 999 PIM) VAN F Mikko Koivu (909 GP, 183-453-636) DET D Niklas Kronwall (891 GP, 96-332-428, 1 Stanley Cup) PIT F Chris Kunitz (942 GP, 251-341-592, 2 Stanley Cups) NYR F Jay McClement MIN F Jason Pominville (928 GP, 290-436-726) NSH F Mike Ribeiro (1175 GP, 271-615-886) VAN F Daniel Sedin (1214 GP, 348-575-923) VAN F Henrik Sedin (1311 GP, 251-788-1039) COL D Dennis Seidenberg (893 GP, 54-206-259, 1 Stanley Cup) VAN F Patrick Sharp (981 GP, 287-337-624, 3 Stanley Cups) CBJ F Jim Slater OTT F Chris Thorburn NJD F Jordin Tootoo (822 GP, 83-120-203, 1095 PIM) DET F Henrik Zetterberg (1083 GP, 338-580-918, 1 Stanley Cup) FLA F Antoine Vermette (974 GP, 207-262-469) |
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#77 |
Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
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A sad day for Vancouver to see the Sedin's hanging up their skates. Exciting to see the next chapter in Vancouver history though!
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#78 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Vancouver adds to their coaching staff with American coach Carl Pisano
June 20th, 2018 - Trevor Linden and Dan Bylsma announced the hiring of Carl Pisano today. Pisano will take over the defensive assistant coaching duties for Bob Boughner who was relieved yesterday. Pisano had been coaching high school hockey in the States and is from Vermont. "Carl is a coaching candidate we've had our eye on this year, he's not a well known name but we've done our research on him. He interviewed very well and we really like how effectively he coaches up young players, especially defensemen, in the defensive aspects of the game. We look forward to him bringing his skill set to Vancouver and working with our young blueline." Pisano is considered to be an excellent motivator of his players who prefers to play a non-physical, offensive style. He isn't very tactically adaptable and struggles with innovation and he also is loyal to his own team's players to a fault, but he does work very well with young players and excels at coaching the defensive aspects of the game. |
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#79 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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Vancouver shuffles coaching staff some more, announcing new hire Todd O'Guire
June 21st, 2018 - The Canucks have made another staffing announcement, the hiring of assistant coach Todd O'Guire from high school hockey in the USA. O'Guire is relatively unknown but is good working with young players and with developing strength, speed, and conditioning. He is expected to work especially on those things in his role with Vancouver. Those who know Todd well say he has a very good mind for the game and for systems, that he is tactically innovative and prefers a non-physical, balanced play style. Vancouver has released assistant coach Ryan Johnson from his duties to pursue opportunities in management in the AHL. |
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#80 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 554
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![]() Draft Lottery Results are in June 21st, 2018 - Edmonton moves up to 1st overall from 11th in a massive leap. Toronto jumps ahead one spot from 3rd to 2nd, pushing Arizona back to 3rd overall. Winnipeg will draft 4th and Columbus is 5th. The remaining order in the top ten is Anaheim, Vegas, Toronto (from Philadelphia), Minnesota and Ottawa. Vancouver (from Los Angeles) will draft 11th overall, then the Devils at 12, Washington, Florida and Detroit. |
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