2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[VanillaO]

Man, ease off... dude's team just lost the hardest trophy to win in North American professional sports. Reg, I'm here for you, buddy... although it might get weird after what I pmed you.

[Reg]

And perhaps you should check the stats, in the game the Rangers won, Kings had more hits and shots. In game 3 where the Kings won, the Rangers had more shots and hits. Stats mean nothing when the game is pulled out from under you.

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And even then, I'm still not saying Rangers win the Cup. I'm saying the series could be sitting at 3-2 if consistent calls were made in Game 2.

[Alusen]

Very well played series by both teams, it was a pleasure for me to watch 2 of my 3 favourite teams play in the Cup Final and though I wanted to see the Rangers win, the Kings deserve all the credit for playing one hell of a series and an amazing play-off run overall. Also congratulations to Justin Williams for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Overall this series was a great series that was a lot closer than the final series score of 4-1 indicated.

When all is said and done though, this entire play-offs from the opening round matches to the Cup Finals, I do not think I have seen worse reffing in general. There were plenty of missed calls, plays that got called one time and not the next, and unfortunately ridiculous amounts of diving were seen throughout the play-offs. Hopefully in the off-season some of this will be addressed as this is the first time in many years that I have been appalled by the officiating to the extent of not wanting to watch the games at times.

[draynay]

Justin Williams play in the biggest games earned him that award no doubt, if the Rangers had extended things Lundqvist could've come away with it instead.

The officiating was consistently terrible, and I am not usually one to complain about it. If marcellos was around he would've had an aneurysm.

[Zeoni]

Doughty now has the record for most ice-time in the playoffs. He's 24 years old has 2 cups and 2 gold medals already.

[Tradewind]

Doughty now has the record for most ice-time in the playoffs. He's 24 years old has 2 cups and 2 gold medals already.

I'm 30 and I think it's amazing to have a poop in the morning!

What am I doing with my life?!

[melodramocracy]

Good riddance to one of the most poorly officiated matches of the entire playoffs. If the league has any sense at all, they'll shitcan every ref that was in the finals.

Onto next year.

[Reg]

Doughty now has the record for most ice-time in the playoffs. He's 24 years old has 2 cups and 2 gold medals already.

The kid is amazing. And the respect he shows is even better. I hope MacTruck can become the power Doughty is, and after this series, he is well on his way.

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I think my least favorite part is that this will be the Rangers best shot since I feel the team will change a lot with 11 free agents that need signing and not enough money to go around.

[draynay]

I think my least favorite part is that this will be the Rangers best shot since I feel the team will change a lot with 11 free agents that need signing and not enough money to go around.

Yea that's the tough bit, got a lot of contracts up and the Rangers could look pretty different. I'm pretty spoiled in that regard (all regards), just got to worry about Gaborik really, I would love to have him back.

McDonagh was pretty good, leading the team in scoring and ice time ain't too shabby. Keep him and Stepan and Zuccarello around and will have a pretty solid core, I just worry about those high-priced under-achievers. Klein was pretty good too, saw him doing a lot in the Montreal series.

[Reg]

Nash and Richards are dead weight and Sather won't do dick about it. Trade them both for Moulson! lol

[draynay]

I gotta say, after targeting Kovalchuk and Brad Richards in free agency and getting snubbed by both, it has been nice to see the Kings eliminate them in the finals.

[Drikkink]

And perhaps you should check the stats, in the game the Rangers won, Kings had more hits and shots. In game 3 where the Kings won, the Rangers had more shots and hits. Stats mean nothing when the game is pulled out from under you.

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And even then, I'm still not saying Rangers win the Cup. I'm saying the series could be sitting at 3-2 if consistent calls were made in Game 2.

Officiating was terrible both ways.

And you can't say that the team that showed up in game 3 or the 3rd period and OT of game 5 deserved a cup. Hell, the OT was so one sided that the broadcasters were saying their only hope was to ride Lundqvist and hope for an opportunistic goal.

[Deleted]

So, where would you move the King (realistically) to win that elusive cup? Also grats Kings and Williams, bloody well deserved Conn Smythe, what a big game player.

[VanillaO]

Let's not forget the Rangers hit like 4 posts in OT. Just in game 5. You guys are acting like this wasn't a close series just because it was 4-1. This was a MUCH, much tighter series than I think anyone anticipated. I mean, ffs... it's not like the Kings won the clinching game 6-1, right New Jersey?

As for where Lundqvist 'could move to' to win a Cup? Nowhere. That guy will be a Ranger til he retires, and I honestly hope they can get back there one day. It's going to be tough, but he deserves it. 2.14/.927 in the playoffs, (his numbers actually got a tiny bit worse in the Final)... he carried that team from start to finish. In the last 3 playoffs, his GAA is like 2.05, with an only slightly-absurd .931%. Dude has earned his place in the HoF already (in my eyes).

Quick's play was better in the Final, but the really scary thing to me is that the entire team is still under contract for next year, save for a couple pieces. Willie Mitchell will probably retire, Matt Greene is a UFA who will be cheap (most likely around the same $ he was now), Dwight King can be had for under 2.5M I would guess (probably under 2, even)... They've got about 7.5M to try and get one D and resign Gaborik if they want him. Martinez is making 1.1M and had 2 series-clinching goals this year... Get that man paid.

[Greeney]

Nash and Richards are dead weight and Sather won't do dick about it. Trade them both for Moulson! lol

Nash yes. Richards was good this year IMO.

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Let's not forget the Rangers hit like 4 posts in OT. Just in game 5. You guys are acting like this wasn't a close series just because it was 4-1.

Not really from what I noticed.

[Zeoni]

7.8m for 39 points and a guy who disappears during the playoffs. I don't know how you don't buy Rick Nash out at this point (I mean I do know, but that's besides the point :|). At least Richards scored 51 points, still overpayment for 6.6m but jesus that Nash contract is garbage right now. It's a tough one to move too because everyone sees how bad he is currently so they won't want to give up too much to pick him up. On the other hand, he -can- be a dominant player and is a huge dude too so I'm sure the Rangers don't want to get fleeced just to have him magically return to form as soon as he's out of New York. I wonder what it is, I mean his numbers weren't awful in the lockout season but he disappears during the playoffs and doesn't look like the same player as he was in Columbus.

Nvm buying out or trading him is probably a bit of a knee jerk reaction, signing Zucarello and Krieder is probably the priority right now. All in all a pretty good season for New York. Glad to see Vignealt land on his feet and Torterella have terrible season with the team I hate . They have a solid core there that will only get better, there's no way Nash and Richards can be worse next year in the playoffs at least.

[draynay]

Let's not forget the Rangers hit like 4 posts in OT.

I'm pretty sure they hit exactly 2, which is like 4 I guess in that they're both numbers. 2 posts is the same amount that the Kings hit in OT also. I was saying it was a tight series, but didn't need to make stuff up to say it, there were 3 OT games.

Lundqvist did worse against the Kings than against the East ofc, but he had better numbers than anybody else did against LA, Crawford and Niemi had pretty wretched stats, the Kings were the top scorers this post-season. Likewise Quick did better when he wasn't up against top 5 offenses like SJ, Ana, and Chicago.

[Drikkink]

Doughty now has the record for most ice-time in the playoffs. He's 24 years old has 2 cups and 2 gold medals already.

In my opinion, Doughty is already the best all-around defenseman in the NHL. I'd probably say Weber is better defensively, but Doughty can do a ton more offensively.

[Zeoni]

I'd say Duncan Keith is the best defenseman in the NHL, he does everything Doughty does but a bit better.

[Reg]

I'd say Duncan Keith is the best defenseman in the NHL, he does everything Doughty does but a bit better.

I agree with this. Keith is a point generating machine on top of a defensive defenseman.