2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[VanillaO]

I think it's pretty much set now that Detroit plays Boston now.

It is.

If I were St. Louis, I would be incredibly worried - losing 6 in a row going into the playoffs with all the injuries they've had is not a good sign. 3 weeks ago, all anyone could talk about was how strong they were, and how they were almost a lock to at least make it to the Western Final... now they might be a 1 and done... again.

Anyway, that was the last game that could effect the matchups (though Montreal/Tampa could still switch spots).

Boston vs Detroit - Boston in 6 (I legitimately think this could be a huge upset, but I'm just going with the logical call here).
Montreal vs Tampa - Montreal in 5/Tampa in 7 (Depending which team starts at home Montreal/Tampa).
Pittsburgh vs Columbus - Pittsburgh in 6
NY Rangers vs Philadelphia - Philadelphia in 6

Anaheim vs Dallas - Anaheim in 5
San Jose vs LA - LA in 6
Colorado vs Minnesota - Colorado in 6
St. Louis vs Chicago - Chicago in 6 (I'm basing this on the assumption that Toews/Kane will in fact be ready to go as was the guess a week ago)

This is where my picks get kind of messy looking, but doesn't change the outcome of the next round anyway.

Boston vs Montreal - Boston in 7///Boston vs Tampa Bay - Boston in 5
Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia - Philadelphia in 6

Anaheim vs LA - LA in 6
Colorado vs Chicago - Colorado in 7

Boston vs Philadelphia - Boston in 5
Colorado vs LA - LA in 6

Boston vs LA - Boston in 7

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And ya, Miller has been terrible in St. Louis after that first stretch there. Started 7-0-1, finished 3-8. 1.63/.933 vs 3.00/.833 splits over those stretches.

[Greeney]

St. Louis you need to take into consideration all the injuries and that they were resting players too. Pietrangelo, Backes, Oshie, Sobotka, and Morrow will make quite a bit of a difference compared to their roster today. Miller wants to win the cup badly too, so I imagine he'll pick his game up. The Hawks won't be an easy match-up though, but both Toews and Kane have both been out a while too.

Colorado > Minnesota (5 games)
St. Louis > Chicago (7 games)
Anaheim > Dallas (7 games) [Could see the upset]
LA > SJ (6 games)
Boston > Detroit (7 games) [could see the upset]
Tampa Bay > Montreal (5 games)
Pittsburgh > Columbus (4 games)
Rangers > Flyers (7 games)

Colorado > St. Louis (7 games)
LA > Anaheim (6 games)
Boston > Tampa (5 games)
Penguins > Rangers (6 games) [could see an upset if this happens]

Colorado > LA (7 games)
Boston > Pittsburgh (6 games)

Boston > Colorado (6 games) [could see an upset, just feel like Colorado will be much more worn out in this situation]

[draynay]

I don't know if I agree with the end results you guys have, but those are the matchups I want, it would be awesome to see the Kings play the Ducks, Avs, and possibly Bruins.

[Deleted]

Boston > Colorado (6 games) [could see an upset, just feel like Colorado will be much more worn out in this situation]

The Avs are way too inexperienced to go this far. Im hoping for 2nd round exit. Max 3rd round.

Pens, Kings, Hawks. All of those teams had growing pains in the playoffs when they were super young. Took all of them couple years in the playoffs to take it to the end.

[draynay]

woohoo got the Jennings Trophy for the first time in franchise history, thats a nice capstone on a season of great defense no matter who was in goal

[Greeney]

The Avs are way too inexperienced to go this far. Im hoping for 2nd round exit. Max 3rd round.

Pens, Kings, Hawks. All of those teams had growing pains in the playoffs when they were super young. Took all of them couple years in the playoffs to take it to the end.

Maybe, but I think Patrick Roy has had a lot of success on every level and feel like the team is going to perform well for him and will play above their minds, similar to how LA was a few years ago when nobody expected it. In addition to that Avs match up very well against both Minnesota and Chicago.

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woohoo got the Jennings Trophy for the first time in franchise history, thats a nice capstone on a season of great defense no matter who was in goal

Grats.
/10char

[Drikkink]

Rangers-Flyers seems like its the only really good series in the entire Eastern conf playoffs. Montreal-Tampa is likely the other competitive one, but the two teams don't have any kind of history.

Penguins-Bruins could be interesting, but I don't see the Pens getting past either the Flyers or Rangers. Both teams have their number too well.

And about my predictions being premature, I messed up with Detroit/Columbus' seedings, but I still don't think they'll have a real chance in their series. Detroit might push Boston farther than Columbus could, though. I'd say Boston>Detroit in 6, Pitt>Columbus in 5. Stand by the rest of my predictions. The Bruins have the potential to break records for fewest playoff losses with this team. Only thing that can stop them is a hot goalie on one of the more offensive teams. The Rangers cannot beat the Bruins. Columbus REALLY cannot beat the Bruins. The rest will all require varying degrees of miracles, the Canadiens being the least likely and the Pens being most likely.

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The Avs are way too inexperienced to go this far. Im hoping for 2nd round exit. Max 3rd round.

Pens, Kings, Hawks. All of those teams had growing pains in the playoffs when they were super young. Took all of them couple years in the playoffs to take it to the end.

But you look at some of the other teams. Bruins had some decent runs early in their window. The Flyers went from "worst season in recent memory" to ECF in a year with the Richards/Carter team. The Giroux/Richards team had more younger players and went to the finals in most of the player's 1st or 2nd year (Briere, Richards, Carter, Hartnell and most of the defense were the only ones not rookies/sophs as I recall).

This "inexperience" thing is really overstated most of the time. You see experienced players falling flat on their face in the playoffs a ton. You also see young players putting the team on their backs for the playoffs.

[Zeoni]

Johnny Gaudreau scores in his first game as a Flame

[Tradewind]

What about Bouwmeester?

Who?

Johnny Gaudreau scores in his first game as a Flame

and Byron almost kills a Swede.

Torts needs to do some checking drills I think when a 5'7" 170lb shrimp apparently cripples your star

[Zeoni]

Torts needs to do some checking drills I think when a 5'7" 170lb shrimp apparently cripples your star

Don't even bother going in the game thread on reddit. Was a dumb hit but Sedin reallllllly shoulden't turn his back to the play like that.

[Tradewind]

Don't even bother going in the game thread on reddit. Was a dumb hit but Sedin reallllllly shoulden't turn his back to the play like that.

I'd call it 2 for boarding cuz it was (if only barely...) But my god, learn to take a fuckin' hit. 5 and a game + possible carried over suspension because Sedin didn't do shit I learned in Peewee and got hurt.

Also where's the penalty for 3 Canucks mobbing Byron and punching him in the scrum? lol

oh well, hopefully Sedin's ok.

[draynay]

Maybe, but I think Patrick Roy has had a lot of success on every level and feel like the team is going to perform well for him and will play above their minds, similar to how LA was a few years ago when nobody expected it. In addition to that Avs match up very well against both Minnesota and Chicago.

I didn't really get a chance to see Colorado play until late in the year and they were fun to watch. That MacKinnon kid can play, I'd like to see them make it to the conference finals.

[Deleted]

I didn't really get a chance to see Colorado play until late in the year and they were fun to watch. That MacKinnon kid can play, I'd like to see them make it to the conference finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KbX992lbhE

Yup he sure is fun to watch. That + the goal vs Iskenders earlier this year

[Toxigen]

God I am having such a hard time with my bracket.

CHI vs. STL is killing me, whoever wins that one probably goes on to the cup final.

WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE?


For the others I've got:

Bruins in 6
Habs in 6
Penguins in 5
Rangers in 7
Avs in 6
Ducks in 6
Kings in 6

[Armourboy]

I don't think Chicago matches up to well with St. Louis if they get it back together, Nashville did really well against them this year with that defensive, take advantage style that St. Louis also uses ( but has way more scoring talent than we do =/ ). Granted its St. Louis, who isn't exactly the model of post season success. On the other hand with the fire power that Chicago has you can never underestimate them.

Colorado is all going to be about if Varlamov keeps it rolling. They are a high powered team, but they rely on him to be solid, otherwise they can give up a ton of goals in a hurry. That said, I see Minnesota getting beat pretty solidly, Suter can't play every minute and that goal tending is ok at best. They are going to be yet another Liarplod team that is one and done ( wonder if he blows this one up and sells again XD).

On another note, Trotz is out after 15 seasons. Wouldn't really call it a firing, they just aren't renewing his contract and are offering him a job in Hockey Operations. He's been a solid coach that gets a lot out of bad teams, just as always I'm not sure he knows what to do when they aren't so bad. He was great for the city and getting the franchise off the ground, its been the feeling for a while now though that he just doesn't deal well with more offensive style players. While it hasn't been said publicly, I think his handling of Stalberg ( burying him on the 4th line out of the gate), MDZ, and a few of the younger guys probably had him butting heads with Poile behind the scences. His handling of the forward lines has been questionable all season.

Whether Trotz stays with the team or coaches somewhere else, I wish him the best of luck.

[Nazrark]

Trotz apparently got fired for getting the most out of a team that has two great players on it. This is great, Winnipeg needs a new coach and we still haven't signed Maurice. We have the players, we just need someone to get them consistent.

[Zoma]

Avs in 5
Stl in 7
Ducks in 5
Sharks in 6

Bruins in 5
Tampa in 6
Pens in 5
NYR in 7

[Armourboy]

Trotz apparently got fired for getting the most out of a team that has two great players on it. This is great, Winnipeg needs a new coach and we still haven't signed Maurice. We have the players, we just need someone to get them consistent.

Eh you have to be around the franchise day in and day out to see the flaws. Don't get me wrong, I think the guy is a good coach, and an even better man, that said he has done some questionable things. He loves to bury young talent for making a mistake, yet when vets play worse or makes the same mistakes he does nothing. His line combinations will leave you scratching your head, and if a line gets going too well, look for it to be split up, even mid game.

He would probably be a great fit for Winnipeg, and would probably get you to the playoffs, he probably won't do much with it once he gets there though. The biggest thing he would bring with him is Mitch Korn, I actually hate the thought of losing him more than Trotz, dude can mold goalies like no other. If you have offensive minded players though look out, they will either be buried on the 4th line or scratched most of the time. If they don't play defense then they won't get much ice time ( unless they are a 10+ year vet, and then they can do whatever they want).

That said though there is a chance he stays with the team in a management position, its just a matter of whether or not he is done coaching. It has been mentioned in the past that he would like to do something outside of coaching that will allow him more time and freedom to work with Downs Syndrome, which he is big into because of his son. Still though, it wouldn't shock me at all that he coaches somewhere else, and I can't blame any team for giving him a shot.

Something with him and the team changed though after the Phoenix series and the Radulov mess. I'm not sure if it was mostly done by him with Poile backing him, if the players just didn't like him after that or what. Poile even brought it up in the press conference today, so I'm pretty sure some strain internally generated from that.

He's been with us a long time, and with STH sales starting to slide, and the team not doing that well the last two years, its believed that this came from the owners more so that the GM. Its pretty much believe that if Poile isn't on his way out already too, he is the next man on the chopping block if the playoffs aren't made next season.

Edit: I will also add there are more than two great players on the team, ok maybe not much more but more than two. Josi is insanely under rated, he is a top pair defensemen on any team in the league, and has completely replaced Suter as #2 on the team. Jones will be there, just needs time. Forsberg, Jarnkrok, Smith, all could be big names shortly.

[Drikkink]

I don't think Chicago matches up to well with St. Louis if they get it back together

That is the biggest "if" in the playoffs. The Blues currently have the shakiest goaltending situation in the playoffs, an inability to score goals and a 6 game losing streak.

Even if St. Louis does get back to their best, I wouldn't say its any more than a 50/50 then anyway.

[Armourboy]

That is the biggest "if" in the playoffs. The Blues currently have the shakiest goaltending situation in the playoffs, an inability to score goals and a 6 game losing streak.

Even if St. Louis does get back to their best, I wouldn't say its any more than a 50/50 then anyway.

Having watched both played this season, if St. Louis is playing their best, Chicago is going home early, not doubt in my mind. St. Louis is built to shut down teams and make the most of their opportunities, and when they are playing well they are a nightmare for skill based teams like Chicago to beat. The problem with the style, as I've seen in Nashville for 15 years :P , is that if you aren't taking advantage of your scoring chances when you do get them, you get beat. There isn't a ton of room for error. However, you generally don't get blown out though and the other team will still need to earn it.

The question remains though, what kind of shape is Kane and Toews in, and will St. Louis get rolling again. This is one of those odd series where I think either could win in 4, but it could go all the way to 7 as well if neither is exactly on fire. Thats what makes playoff hockey fun to watch and talk about though