2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[eschatological]

Reading an article on it, "Right now, for me, the most important thing now is to try to get healthy, figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be"
OOF

Look at that second tweet I posted, the dude looks ready to break down and be done with Buffalo.

TBF to him, he deserves to get the hell out. I'll cheer for him wherever he goes - except Boston. Fuck Boston. I might even become a Leafs fan after this fucking debacle, at least I can drive a couple hours and see competent hockey.

[Rennadrel]

Game 1 was effectively two teams who hadn't played in a week and Montreal caught two lucky breaks that lead to goals because of sloppy neutral zone play. Game 2 showed why the Leafs are so heavily favoured to not only win the series, but are capable of winning the division. Montreal just doesn't have that scoring depth while the Leafs have arguably the best blue line combination in the division when it comes to both their defensive play as well as their ability to control the puck in the offensive zone is absolutely the dominating factor. This series isn't going past 5 if Toronto plays the same way the next 3 games.

[Rennadrel]

The Oilers show up in the regular season but disappear in the playoffs. They need to blow it up.

[Greeney]

The Oilers show up in the regular season but disappear in the playoffs. They need to blow it up.

No. They just need to trade for defense instead of expecting Nurse to play all night.

Kind of glad Jets won this quick though, will be interesting to see if in a way they end up having too much time off.

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Look at that second tweet I posted, the dude looks ready to break down and be done with Buffalo.

TBF to him, he deserves to get the hell out. I'll cheer for him wherever he goes - except Boston. Fuck Boston. I might even become a Leafs fan after this fucking debacle, at least I can drive a couple hours and see competent hockey.

Leafs fan yet?

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Game 1 was effectively two teams who hadn't played in a week and Montreal caught two lucky breaks that lead to goals because of sloppy neutral zone play. Game 2 showed why the Leafs are so heavily favoured to not only win the series, but are capable of winning the division. Montreal just doesn't have that scoring depth while the Leafs have arguably the best blue line combination in the division when it comes to both their defensive play as well as their ability to control the puck in the offensive zone is absolutely the dominating factor. This series isn't going past 5 if Toronto plays the same way the next 3 games.

All it takes for Habs to win is 3 great games by Price (and maybe a handful of delay of game penalties). Not totally unrealistic. Aside from Price going into God mode though, I'm pretty confident we will win too. Though Anderson and Suzuki both are constant threats and I think Caufield looks like he wants to prove himself.

Hopefully our powerplay can get back to where it was at the start of the season.

[Rennadrel]

No. They just need to trade for defense instead of expecting Nurse to play all night.

Kind of glad Jets won this quick though, will be interesting to see if in a way they end up having too much time off.

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Leafs fan yet?

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All it takes for Habs to win is 3 great games by Price (and maybe a handful of delay of game penalties). Not totally unrealistic. Aside from Price going into God mode though, I'm pretty confident we will win too. Though Anderson and Suzuki both are constant threats and I think Caufield looks like he wants to prove himself.

Hopefully our powerplay can get back to where it was at the start of the season.

Cold Cauliflower hasn't proven anything in the NHL and the puck heads are parading him around like he's the next coming of Christ. Wow, he scored two OT goals in games that didn't mean shit for the losing teams *slow clap*. Meanwhile no one will ever forget Matthews scoring 4 goals in his NHL debut. Must be hard being a Habs fan and having very little to look forward to in the ways of elite talent prospects. Meanwhile the Leafs still have Robertson and Liljgren in the system.

Sandin has been great though, he's really come into his own the last month. He's pretty much assured a starting spot next season, Dermott likely gets exposed for Seattle.

[jackofwind]

The Oilers show up in the regular season but disappear in the playoffs. They need to blow it up.

So little depth that they have fresh guys riding the bench in a 3OT loss.

It takes more than one line to compete in the playoffs.

[Rennadrel]

So little depth that they have fresh guys riding the bench in a 3OT loss.

It takes more than one line to compete in the playoffs.

Which is why they will never get anywhere in the playoffs. They need 3 more lines of scoring but they won't do it with all the bad contracts. They have 22 million in cap space this summer, I doubt they are going to build a good D core and a bottom 6 with that little cap space. They also need a goalie who isn't a stop gap plug.

[Greeney]

Which is why they will never get anywhere in the playoffs. They need 3 more lines of scoring but they won't do it with all the bad contracts. They have 22 million in cap space this summer, I doubt they are going to build a good D core and a bottom 6 with that little cap space. They also need a goalie who isn't a stop gap plug.

They don't need 3 lines, they just need to split up McDavid, Draisaitl and then out Hopkins on a third line instead of stacking a line with their two best players so teams can match up their best defense. But yeah, defense and goaltending is a big void they need to fill.

Nylander on fire. Nice to see him shutting up all his critics.

[jackofwind]

They don't need 3 lines, they just need to split up McDavid, Draisaitl and then out Hopkins on a third line instead of stacking a line with their two best players so teams can match up their best defense. But yeah, defense and goaltending is a big void they need to fill.

Nylander on fire. Nice to see him shutting up all his critics.

Splitting up McDavid & Draisaitl, and putting RNH on another line, and supplying them all with decent wingers would create 3 lines though. They have the pieces at center which should make it a lot easier for them, but you've basically just reiterated that they need 3 lines.

Edit: Oh I see the post said 3 more lines - what you said makes more sense now. I think they could manage with 3 our of 4 scoring lines and just have an energy line, but they have be able to at least have three defensively trustworthy forwards for a 4th line.

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Which is why they will never get anywhere in the playoffs. They need 3 more lines of scoring but they won't do it with all the bad contracts. They have 22 million in cap space this summer, I doubt they are going to build a good D core and a bottom 6 with that little cap space. They also need a goalie who isn't a stop gap plug.

To be fair Smith played pretty well in the series and while he played a part in the sweep by not being able to steal games I don't think he was the main culprit.

[draynay]

It doesn't help your high skill players either when the refs decide to swallow their whistles because its the playoffs or overtime.

[Rennadrel]

One thing that I don't think gets much attention is the Oilers inability to draw penalties. Mind you, the Jets don't play the clutch and grab style of hockey more likely to take penalties (unlike the Habs). But still, if you can't score consistently at 5v5 in the playoffs, you shouldn't be begging for calls to be the difference maker in whether you win or lose. The officiating is terribly inconsistent, that much is a given, so you best step up at even strength.

The Jets are also a good team defensively, and it's going to be a slog between them and Toronto in round 2.

[Nazrark]

It doesn't help your high skill players either when the refs decide to swallow their whistles because its the playoffs or overtime.

The playoffs is where the Grinders succeed because it becomes such a slower game.

[Greeney]

The playoffs is where the Grinders succeed because it becomes such a slower game.

Congratulations.
We choked worse than Sasha Gray.
Fucking trade Marner.

[Rennadrel]

Congratulations.
We choked worse than Sasha Gray.
Fucking trade Marner.

Gotta lay some of this on management too. They kept on trotting out an absolutely ineffective Joe Thornton and giving him powerplay time while Nick Robertson sits at home. Dude should have been put on waivers months ago. But 18 fucking games without a goal, for a guy getting paid 11 million, that is absolutely unacceptable.

[Greeney]

Gotta lay some of this on management too. They kept on trotting out an absolutely ineffective Joe Thornton and giving him powerplay time while Nick Robertson sits at home. Dude should have been put on waivers months ago. But 18 fucking games without a goal, for a guy getting paid 11 million, that is absolutely unacceptable.

Thats not management. It's coaching. Not sure why we keep hiring coaches that can't juggle lines at all. I would honestly be okay if we hired Torts at this rate.

I mean putting Thornton on waivers would be management, but dude is a legend. Still would be coaching as coach needs to sit players not performing. He was fine on 4th line though but just shouldn't have been on the powerplay.

[Nazrark]

Congratulations.
We choked worse than Sasha Gray.
Fucking trade Marner.

I was pretty stoked that my Habs won. So much I scared the cats in my house.

Edit: Coaching was pretty bad for the Leafs though. Sheldon seemed scared to try and tell his players what to do. Or even change anything that wasn't working.

[eschatological]

What is this season? Canadiens in the SCF, Islanders one win away?

Who'd have predicted that before this season? And especially the Islanders surviving the East. If the SCF is Canadiens vs Islanders, I'd have to insist this is a flaw in the simulation.

Interesting fact: the Canadiens won the Campbell Cup for the first time in 103 years - since of course, it's the first time they've been in the "Western" Conference.

Is Montreal even west of the NY Islanders?

[Nellise]

Is Montreal even west of the NY Islanders?

They redid the divisions for COVID reasons. All of the Canadian teams were put in one division. There really isn't a "Western" conference this season.

[Rennadrel]

This literally is the worst timeline if the Islanders win tonight. Two trap teams is going to make for a shit SCF, and well, fuck the Scabs

[eschatological]

They redid the divisions for COVID reasons. All of the Canadian teams were put in one division. There really isn't a "Western" conference this season.

...I know this. They still won the Campbell Cup, which is given to the Western Conference winners every year.

Anyways, I looked into it. Montreal's Bell Centre is (very slightly) east of the NY Rangers at MSG, but West of Nassau Coliseum for the NYI. If they play Tampa Bay, though, they are east of Tampa Bay.

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It's official, I'm cheering for the Habs. Fuck the Lightning.