1. #19441
    So 40 points out of Clarkson (on the 2nd line) is going to be enough to push the Leafs from 4th to 3rd and a guaranteed spot?

    I dunno.. They improved in the faceoff circle, which is important, but their #1 Center is really a #2/3 on most teams, their #2 RW is being paid #1 money to put up #2/3 points, their D played way above expectations last year (not sure if they can repeat, but obviously the potential exists)... I love my Leafs, and I hope they do great, but the pessimist in me is already looking for weaknesses so I won't be disappointed if they do not reach the expectations most people seem to have of them.

    I can easily see them taking most of their own division in a 7 game series at this point, but I can also see them getting trounced in 5-6 games by a couple of those same teams.

  2. #19442
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    Speaking of the playoffs, did I mention that it really bugs me that they are going to call the 2nd round the Division championship? Except only 3 of the 4 teams participating in that section of the bracket MUST be from that division. So if the two wild card teams end up winning the division championship rounds they could be orginally from opposite divisions. i.e. Toronto wins the Metropolitan Division championship and Pittsburgh wins the Atlantic Division championship to meet in the conference finals, except those are the opposite divisions that those teams belong to.

  3. #19443
    Could that actually happen? Like if Toronto and Pittsburgh were both wild card teams (ie 4th in their respective divisions), wouldn't they just play in their own divisions? The only way I understand a team goes to the other division's playoffs is if they finish 5th in their own division but still have more points than 4th in the other division.

  4. #19444
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    Quote Originally Posted by VanillaO View Post
    Could that actually happen? Like if Toronto and Pittsburgh were both wild card teams (ie 4th in their respective divisions), wouldn't they just play in their own divisions? The only way I understand a team goes to the other division's playoffs is if they finish 5th in their own division but still have more points than 4th in the other division.
    The seeding of the wild-card teams within each divisional playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The division winner with the most points in the conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lowest number of points; the division winner with the second-most points in the conference will play the wild-card team with the second fewest points.
    So lets say Toronto and Pittsburgh are the Wildcards with Toronto having more points and Boston and New York are the division winners with Boston having more points. In this case Boston would play Pittsburgh and Toronto would play New York, creating the situation I described above. Silly right?

  5. #19445
    Wow... I don't even know where to begin... that's incredibly dumb.

  6. #19446
    Can someone link me where I can read up on the play-off format in its whole?
     

  7. #19447
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    It's a bit more complicated then the old format, but I think it presents an interesting formula for the playoffs. I think it's going to be an interesting year to say the least. I don't think the point spread in the East is going to be as vast as it used to be, especially with fringe teams like the Islanders, Hurricanes and Lightning able to steal games from higher seeded teams.

  8. #19448
    So, let me get this straight. 3 teams from each division automatically make the playoffs with the possibility of 2 more (if they're better than the lower teams in the other division). Then, the worse of the last 2 teams plays the best of the division winners and vice versa. Then, say a Metropolitan division wild card beat the Atlantic champ, they would then compete in that divisional round? No reseeding?

  9. #19449
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    Beginning in 2014 the first round of the playoffs, or Division Semifinals, consists of two match-ups in each division, based on the seedings (No. 1 vs. No. 4, No. 2 vs. No. 3). The top-ranked team in the conference plays the lower-ranked wild-card team; the other division winner plays the higher-ranked wild-card team (one or both wild-card teams may cross over to another division within the conference), while the next two seeds in each division play each other. In the second round, or Division Finals, the top remaining division seed plays against the lowest division seed. In the third round, the Conference Finals, the two division champions play each other, with the conference champions proceeding to the Stanley Cup Final.

  10. #19450
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stommped View Post
    So lets say Toronto and Pittsburgh are the Wildcards with Toronto having more points and Boston and New York are the division winners with Boston having more points. In this case Boston would play Pittsburgh and Toronto would play New York, creating the situation I described above. Silly right?
    fortunately I don't think we have to worry about either toronto or pittsburg running into that situation.

  11. #19451
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    We're never going to make the playoffs again

    I guess the most enjoyable part of our season is coming to an end tomorrow. Young Stars tournament over in Penticton with Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Winnipeg, and Vancouver sporting prospect teams. Flames sent over a solid squad and are doing quite well so far. I think in 2-4~ years we'll have a team worth talking about. 5-2 vs Oilers and 4-1 vs Canucks, not too bad.
    Last edited by Zeoni; 2013-09-08 at 12:14 AM.

  12. #19452
    Honestly, hate that two teams in the same conference can't play each other during the Stanley Cup finals. Only major rivalry I can think of that could play each other in the SCF right now is Detroit/Chicago.
    Should be:
    Round 1: Division Round (best in division plays worst in division); builds rivalries
    Round 2: Conference Round (best left in conference play worst in conference); builds rivalries
    Round 3: Seeding Round (best team left plays worst team left); allows a small chance real rivals can play in the finals
    Round 4: Final Round (self explanatory)

  13. #19453
    Ya, the Flames will be good in the late 2010s if they end up with a strong goalie.

  14. #19454
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    Joni Ortio played really well vs Vancouver's boys yesterday, 39 saves. It's just 1 game but I like the way our goalies are shaping up. Kari Ramo will be hit or miss (likely miss), Reto Bera was turning heads at the prospect camp in August. Laurent Brossoit had back to back impressive WHL seasons and had a decent game himself vs the Oiler's prospects. Jon Gillies is said to be the best one of the crop, product of the American college system. Everyone was raving about how good he was looking @ prospect camp and I bet we'll get to see a real good look at him for the World Junior Championship. I would be shocked if all 5 of these guys end up being busts, but with goalies it's really hard to tell. It won't be awhile until we actually need that guy to be the clear cut #1 so testing the waters with these European goalies will be good. We can only hope Gillies ends up being the next great American goalie.

  15. #19455
    Flyers invited Hal Gill to camp. Well, worth a shot I guess. We sorta caught lightning in a bottle with Jagr, so why not a d-man.

  16. #19456
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    Hal Gill is experienced and reliable, one of the few good blue liner's to come out of the JFJ era Leafs. I still don't understand that why we didn't keep him, he was reliable for us.

  17. #19457
    Quote Originally Posted by Rennadrel View Post
    Hal Gill is experienced and reliable, one of the few good blue liner's to come out of the JFJ era Leafs. I still don't understand that why we didn't keep him, he was reliable for us.
    He was great playing under 15 minutes and terrible if he played any longer from what I remember. He'd probably still be a decent 3rd line d-man.

  18. #19458
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    In other words, he is better then anyone on the Flyers blue line. Honestly, he will probably be playing 2nd pairing minutes, but they still have some massive defensive liabilities on that team right now.

  19. #19459
    Quote Originally Posted by Rennadrel View Post
    In other words, he is better then anyone on the Flyers blue line. Honestly, he will probably be playing 2nd pairing minutes, but they still have some massive defensive liabilities on that team right now.
    Streit and Timonen are better, Pronger too if he ever manages to make a comeback. Most of their fans seem to think Schenn was their best defenceman which I can't comprehend.

  20. #19460
    Quote Originally Posted by Greeney View Post
    Streit and Timonen are better, Pronger too if he ever manages to make a comeback. Most of their fans seem to think Schenn was their best defenceman which I can't comprehend.
    We like the fact that he hits anything that moves. He led the league in hits last year with a reasonable number of penalties. And, he wasn't entirely awful.

    Timonen is a great player, but way past his prime. Streit is massively overpaid for what he's done. Coburn was a top defenseman, but he's sorta faded the last few years and is, at best, a good defenseman. Meszaros was was great too, but he's proven to be made of fucking glass.

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