Location: I'll always remember the last words my grandfather ever told me. He said, "A Truck!", SK Joined: 09.21.2009
May 26 @ 12:11 PM ET
In Wedgie's series prediction thread I said if the Habs had any chance of winning this series Toffoli and Anderson would have to come up big for them. They haven't. Montreal's pop gun offense doesn't scare anyone. Leafs have done a good job keeping them to the perimiter mostly. - gergeswillems
Location: Henry Hudson's Fairchild 24 South Porcupine Joined: 04.03.2016
May 26 @ 12:11 PM ET
It's the series I wanted to see most. But watching the AVS against St. Louis makes me think Vegas won't be able to skate with them. AVS are just too skilled and fast. - gergeswillems
Big advantage in goal for Vegas in that matchup. Goalie differential can easily decide a 7 game series.
Location: Malkin wants to be The Man, ON Joined: 02.01.2016
May 26 @ 12:14 PM ET
Big advantage in goal for Vegas in that matchup. Goalie differential can easily decide a 7 game series. - winsix
Yeah I'd take MAF over Grubauer. But the AVS D get pucks out of their zone very well. AVS transition game is lethal especially when Makar is on the ice with their big 3 of Landy, MacKinnon and Rantanen.
Location: Not here to sell jerseys , ON Joined: 07.06.2007
May 26 @ 12:14 PM ET
Because Montreal sucks. Winnipeg sucks.
First contending team Leafs have to face is the 3rd round instead of maybe getting unlucky and landing a tough match up in the first or second round. - BINGO!
Any objective way to determine that Montreal is worse than Nashville?
Location: Malkin wants to be The Man, ON Joined: 02.01.2016
May 26 @ 12:16 PM ET
Not going to win much scoring 1 goal per game. - BINGO!
It seems to me the Leafs always have the puck in this series and are a step faster. Campbell isn't really being tested but when he does have to make a save he's making it.
Location: I'll always remember the last words my grandfather ever told me. He said, "A Truck!", SK Joined: 09.21.2009
May 26 @ 12:21 PM ET
Any objective way to determine that Montreal is worse than Nashville? - Canada Cup
Not really. Canes have played like crap so far. I think Montreal's forwards as a whole might be slower, but overall pretty similar teams. Nashville isn't very good.
Location: Malkin wants to be The Man, ON Joined: 02.01.2016
May 26 @ 12:23 PM ET
"not sure why the other teams even bother to play, the Cup is for the Leafs for sure!"
- Roger - MaximusAurelius
Roger is always optimistic about the Leafs. They're perfect with no flaws. But then he goes on twitter and becomes a paranoid malcontent claiming everyone said this, that and the other about the Leafs. Stay off twitter, Roger. You'll be much happier.
Location: Henry Hudson's Fairchild 24 South Porcupine Joined: 04.03.2016
May 26 @ 12:25 PM ET
Not really. Canes have played like crap so far. I think Montreal's forwards as a whole might be slower, but overall pretty similar teams. Nashville isn't very good. - BINGO!
Canes should win that series, the next one will be a test
Location: Not here to sell jerseys , ON Joined: 07.06.2007
May 26 @ 12:26 PM ET
Not really. Canes have played like crap so far. I think Montreal's forwards as a whole might be slower, but overall pretty similar teams. Nashville isn't very good. - BINGO!
I have so little idea how to handicap coming out of the divisions. I find that teams have so geared their play for their divisional rivals, it gets really hard to translate other than that there are some really good teams.
I haven’t watched a full Canes game but I wonder why they keep winning and then they just keep winning.
Location: Not here to sell jerseys , ON Joined: 07.06.2007
May 26 @ 12:28 PM ET
Yeah I'd take MAF over Grubauer. But the AVS D get pucks out of their zone very well. AVS transition game is lethal especially when Makar is on the ice with their big 3 of Landy, MacKinnon and Rantanen. - gergeswillems
I didn't do the picks in the thread, but I made a spreadsheet that allows you to pick your teams, and then auto-populates the subsequent rounds, figuring out seeding and so on. Last year a bunch of us did one, and this year those same people said they were interested but only 4 participated after I redid the formulas to rejig for this year's format! Jerks.
Anyway, these were my picks:
New York Islanders in 5
Boston Bruins in 6
Carolina Hurricanes in 4
Florida Panthers in 6
Colorado Avalanche in 4
Vegas Golden Knights in 6
Toronto Maple Leafs in 6
Edmonton Oilers in 5
Wrong about Edmonton, and looking wrong about Florida.
Location: Henry Hudson's Fairchild 24 South Porcupine Joined: 04.03.2016
May 26 @ 12:31 PM ET
I have so little idea how to handicap coming out of the divisions. I find that teams have so geared their play for their divisional rivals, it gets really hard to translate other than that there are some really good teams.
I haven’t watched a full Canes game but I wonder why they keep winning and then they just keep winning. - Canada Cup
Canes are deep at forward and on defense. Biggest weakness is in goal IMO. Takes 16 wins which most teams are capable of accomplishing.
Location: Living rent free... in your head, ON Joined: 09.20.2010
May 26 @ 12:34 PM ET
Roger is always optimistic about the Leafs. They're perfect with no flaws. But then he goes on twitter and becomes a paranoid malcontent claiming everyone said this, that and the other about the Leafs. Stay off twitter, Roger. You'll be much happier. - gergeswillems
Location: Whenever, wherever, ON Joined: 06.27.2013
May 26 @ 12:35 PM ET
Yeah I'd take MAF over Grubauer. But the AVS D get pucks out of their zone very well. AVS transition game is lethal especially when Makar is on the ice with their big 3 of Landy, MacKinnon and Rantanen. - gergeswillems
We know the playoffs are a different animal, so that's a factor - although it always struck me that Vegas was your prototypical NHL playoff team - built with size and physicality.
During the season, the two teams were 4-4, but Vegas was technically the better team in 5 of the 8 games, outchancing the Avs and having more dangerous shots. The Avs are also more open / less smothering than the Wild which probably helps Vegas as well. Obviously I agree with you both that goaltending is huge, and certainly favours Vegas, but regardless of the statistical, historical and empirical evidence, I just can't go against MacKinnon in the playoffs.
Location: Malkin wants to be The Man, ON Joined: 02.01.2016
May 26 @ 12:41 PM ET
We know the playoffs are a different animal, so that's a factor - although it always struck me that Vegas was your prototypical NHL playoff team - built with size and physicality.
During the season, the two teams were 4-4, but Vegas was technically the better team in 5 of the 8 games, outchancing the Avs and having more dangerous shots. The Avs are also more open / less smothering than the Wild which probably helps Vegas as well. Obviously I agree with you both that goaltending is huge, and certainly favours Vegas, but regardless of the statistical, historical and empirical evidence, I just can't go against MacKinnon in the playoffs. - Monkeypunk
AVS had alot of games during the season where they were missing their best players. They had garbage for a backup goalie and still finished first overall.
