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2022-23 NHL Playoff Discussion Thread #2: Ryan Suter is the biggest bird

May 5, 2023 at 9:03 p.m.
#226
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May 5, 2023 at 10:30 p.m.
#227
Goodbye my Friends
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Carolina is NOT going to fall into the double 5-1 trap
May 5, 2023 at 10:32 p.m.
#228
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Quoting: Hurricanes_WPG
Carolina is NOT going to fall into the double 5-1 trap


Looks like it will be an easy sweep.
May 5, 2023 at 10:33 p.m.
#229
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Some Hurricanes fans are chanting, “Fire Lindy”
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May 6, 2023 at 8:13 a.m.
#230
Thank you Pavelski
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Sounds like Sam Bennett has become the public enemy amongst the Leafs fans, mostly due to his immense physical play.

Kinda funny how the same guy a little under 10 years ago failed to do a single pull-up in the NHL scouting combined event.
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May 6, 2023 at 8:49 a.m.
#231
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Sorry, long. Mute me if this is annoying and apologies to you if that’s the case. Also apologies if you do read but do not enjoy my opinion. I’m rendering an animation and it’s taking forever so typed stuff cause this situation bothers me and I have an opinion. RE: Leafs and Knies.

Players will cross the line in the playoffs and the refs will let them have 1 on 1 physical battles. This is primarily because in the playoffs, the “loser” of a physical battle tends to take much longer to give in, so the battles are prolonged and retaliation is a shift by shift occurrence, especially early in series, until individuals begin to bend the knee and avoid areas or opposition. Sometimes this turns into what would be roughing during the regular season.

This is “letting the boys play”, and has existed my entire life in the nhl playoffs.

Any vulnerable player (age, injury, tendency, maturity, fitness) will be targeted physically and mentally by the opposition or they aren’t doing it right. If that makes you uncomfortable, sorry; this is a feature of the highest level of completion. It doesn’t matter if it’s a potential hall of famer recovering from a major surgery, a hot goalie, or a fresh rookie - in fact those are all magnets. If your team isn’t doing this, they aren’t doing it right. Your team should politely shake the hands of the men who beat you and carry on.

In a sense, most series in the playoffs are a battle of wills, as success comes with a substantial hardship where one team must bend the other hard enough that they break. Rarely are series not this way. The only way to get your opponent to bend, then break, is to literally force them to by discouraging them from doing what they want to do. The opposition in every series will come up to the line and often cross the line attempting to break you. Your team has to do that too. The non-highly skilled members of your team unwilling to do that often end up being a player traded to a prolonged rebuild, as gms want the exact opposite on playoff rosters. A lot of this comes from the captain and assistants; as their role is to be the team’s identity and they typically get all the good ice time against the oppositions best.

Toronto knowingly skated a ~6’3” 20 year old fresh out of college into a top 6 net front role in the playoffs and he is often the lone “physical presence” on his line in that he’s going to the strong side wall or trying to take net front positioning without the puck. O’Rielly helps with this, but O’Rielly tends to cause an amplification of physical play because he is absurdly tenacious.

Knies is —-not ready—- (rightfully so, he’s 20 and I have nearly as many nhl games played as he does) for sustained playoff grind as a top 6 net front, which was expedited and forced by Florida targeting him physically. I guarantee Florida is upset he is out of the lineup as he tilted the ice their direction. He isn’t yet able to convert enough scoring chances into shots on net, he’s inviting physical response from the opposition that will ultimately punish him more during a playoff series because he isn’t strong enough yet, and he isn’t extremely useful in other roles yet. Nobody would be ready for this role at this experience level and age, especially considering that he’s doesn’t have line mates who can help much in the dirty areas. It isn’t his fault the opposition’s primary line against has over a thousand combined nhl games and is 6 years older on average.

That’s normal. Just because random media person says he’s “doing great” doesn’t mean he’s doing great. He isn’t doing great. Their job is to get you to click, not to actually be correct. They will sell you a truckload of hopium to get you to click more.

Knies has a bright future, but as somebody who has watched and played WAY too much hockey I can confidently say two opinions:

1. The Leafs are substantially better with Knies out of the lineup in the near term. Wildly better. If anybody thought using him against Florida’s only physical line, top scoring line, while surrounding him with puck possession skaters was a good idea that’s just silliness. NHL playoffs do not have safe spaces for the analytic nerds who can take responsibility for Knies brain momentarily being scrambled eggs. Going forward, use him sparingly when he’s back from injury. Rotating skaters to change the make-up of the roster has been used forever and has measurable benefits. If the entire roster is fully healthy and it were game 7 of the cup finals, he should not be guaranteed in the lineup because he is not ready for the role he is capable of in this specific moment in his career.

And:

2. Sheldon Keefe should be spending as much time looking for a new job as he does publicly commenting (whining) about specific physical interactions. It’s an awful look. It’s pitiful, which is one of the last terms used to describe a Stanley cup winner. Nobody cares whatsoever that at some outdoor game in the past some other hit happened just stfu. I’d suggest dial it down to 0 because it has been turned up to 11 far too long. Write post-it notes that say “stop whining” and stick them everywhere. Nobody wins a battle of wills while feeling sorry for themselves, and doing that from a leadership position is poison. If Sheldon/MLSE has issues with league officiating it should be a private communication. Sheldon Keefe is the one sending a 20 year old into a “physical” role directly against Florida’s only overly “physical” forward group. It’s pretty ridiculous really on so many levels. Florida is a mega soft team apart from 1 defenseman and 2 forwards.

The knies situation is like a magnified version of a suicide pass.

I predict the Leaves have a chance at giving up, but they also have a chance to find themselves. They did for a huge chunk of game 2. The road is ideal right now as it will eliminate all the sterile analytic matchup nonsense and it will get the players away from Toronto’s absurd media circus. If the Leaves cannot continue to find themselves, or give in and break, then I think the multiple years of watching the willpower of guys like John Tavares should end. Dude seems to exists for himself and not the team, although I’m not in the room to really know - all I see is what the broadcast shows me. From what I see Morgan Reilly is the Leafs captain, and is playing inspired hockey.

They should find a coach they trust to do the job instead of a guy who just does what the MLSE board and analytic team says to do, because it is entirely void of common sense, especially if the sample size is less than 5 and the rules are different.
May 6, 2023 at 10:38 a.m.
#232
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Quoting: CantStopWontStop
Sorry, long. Mute me if this is annoying and apologies to you if that’s the case. Also apologies if you do read but do not enjoy my opinion. I’m rendering an animation and it’s taking forever so typed stuff cause this situation bothers me and I have an opinion. RE: Leafs and Knies.

Players will cross the line in the playoffs and the refs will let them have 1 on 1 physical battles. This is primarily because in the playoffs, the “loser” of a physical battle tends to take much longer to give in, so the battles are prolonged and retaliation is a shift by shift occurrence, especially early in series, until individuals begin to bend the knee and avoid areas or opposition. Sometimes this turns into what would be roughing during the regular season.

This is “letting the boys play”, and has existed my entire life in the nhl playoffs.

Any vulnerable player (age, injury, tendency, maturity, fitness) will be targeted physically and mentally by the opposition or they aren’t doing it right. If that makes you uncomfortable, sorry; this is a feature of the highest level of completion. It doesn’t matter if it’s a potential hall of famer recovering from a major surgery, a hot goalie, or a fresh rookie - in fact those are all magnets. If your team isn’t doing this, they aren’t doing it right. Your team should politely shake the hands of the men who beat you and carry on.

In a sense, most series in the playoffs are a battle of wills, as success comes with a substantial hardship where one team must bend the other hard enough that they break. Rarely are series not this way. The only way to get your opponent to bend, then break, is to literally force them to by discouraging them from doing what they want to do. The opposition in every series will come up to the line and often cross the line attempting to break you. Your team has to do that too. The non-highly skilled members of your team unwilling to do that often end up being a player traded to a prolonged rebuild, as gms want the exact opposite on playoff rosters. A lot of this comes from the captain and assistants; as their role is to be the team’s identity and they typically get all the good ice time against the oppositions best.

Toronto knowingly skated a ~6’3” 20 year old fresh out of college into a top 6 net front role in the playoffs and he is often the lone “physical presence” on his line in that he’s going to the strong side wall or trying to take net front positioning without the puck. O’Rielly helps with this, but O’Rielly tends to cause an amplification of physical play because he is absurdly tenacious.

Knies is —-not ready—- (rightfully so, he’s 20 and I have nearly as many nhl games played as he does) for sustained playoff grind as a top 6 net front, which was expedited and forced by Florida targeting him physically. I guarantee Florida is upset he is out of the lineup as he tilted the ice their direction. He isn’t yet able to convert enough scoring chances into shots on net, he’s inviting physical response from the opposition that will ultimately punish him more during a playoff series because he isn’t strong enough yet, and he isn’t extremely useful in other roles yet. Nobody would be ready for this role at this experience level and age, especially considering that he’s doesn’t have line mates who can help much in the dirty areas. It isn’t his fault the opposition’s primary line against has over a thousand combined nhl games and is 6 years older on average.

That’s normal. Just because random media person says he’s “doing great” doesn’t mean he’s doing great. He isn’t doing great. Their job is to get you to click, not to actually be correct. They will sell you a truckload of hopium to get you to click more.

Knies has a bright future, but as somebody who has watched and played WAY too much hockey I can confidently say two opinions:

1. The Leafs are substantially better with Knies out of the lineup in the near term. Wildly better. If anybody thought using him against Florida’s only physical line, top scoring line, while surrounding him with puck possession skaters was a good idea that’s just silliness. NHL playoffs do not have safe spaces for the analytic nerds who can take responsibility for Knies brain momentarily being scrambled eggs. Going forward, use him sparingly when he’s back from injury. Rotating skaters to change the make-up of the roster has been used forever and has measurable benefits. If the entire roster is fully healthy and it were game 7 of the cup finals, he should not be guaranteed in the lineup because he is not ready for the role he is capable of in this specific moment in his career.

And:

2. Sheldon Keefe should be spending as much time looking for a new job as he does publicly commenting (whining) about specific physical interactions. It’s an awful look. It’s pitiful, which is one of the last terms used to describe a Stanley cup winner. Nobody cares whatsoever that at some outdoor game in the past some other hit happened just stfu. I’d suggest dial it down to 0 because it has been turned up to 11 far too long. Write post-it notes that say “stop whining” and stick them everywhere. Nobody wins a battle of wills while feeling sorry for themselves, and doing that from a leadership position is poison. If Sheldon/MLSE has issues with league officiating it should be a private communication. Sheldon Keefe is the one sending a 20 year old into a “physical” role directly against Florida’s only overly “physical” forward group. It’s pretty ridiculous really on so many levels. Florida is a mega soft team apart from 1 defenseman and 2 forwards.

The knies situation is like a magnified version of a suicide pass.

I predict the Leaves have a chance at giving up, but they also have a chance to find themselves. They did for a huge chunk of game 2. The road is ideal right now as it will eliminate all the sterile analytic matchup nonsense and it will get the players away from Toronto’s absurd media circus. If the Leaves cannot continue to find themselves, or give in and break, then I think the multiple years of watching the willpower of guys like John Tavares should end. Dude seems to exists for himself and not the team, although I’m not in the room to really know - all I see is what the broadcast shows me. From what I see Morgan Reilly is the Leafs captain, and is playing inspired hockey.

They should find a coach they trust to do the job instead of a guy who just does what the MLSE board and analytic team says to do, because it is entirely void of common sense, especially if the sample size is less than 5 and the rules are different.


4c9.jpg
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May 6, 2023 at 11:39 a.m.
#233
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Quoting: NHLfan10506
Pound-for-pound...Marcus Johansson may have been the best. Jeannot probably worst.

Johansson was a steal, although he didn't show well in the playoffs.

WTF was TBL thinking on the Jeanot deal?? And the hilarious thing is the Lightning fans on here defending that trade.
May 6, 2023 at 11:42 a.m.
#234
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Quoting: NHLfan10506
Looks like it will be an easy sweep.

NJ played much better on game 2... and they lost the first 2 to New York, didn't they? I'd say it's not over yet, although admittedly the odds are pretty long that they'll prevail.
May 6, 2023 at 12:32 p.m.
#235
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Quoting: CD282
Johansson was a steal, although he didn't show well in the playoffs.

WTF was TBL thinking on the Jeanot deal?? And the hilarious thing is the Lightning fans on here defending that trade.


Some fans think their team will go 82-0 every year. It's a horrendous deal. The Eyssimont pickup was sick tho.

The silver lining for the Jeannot deal is that it opened the door for Raddysh to step up and he was a revelation late in the season.
May 6, 2023 at 4:15 p.m.
#236
mokumboi
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Quoting: MatthewsFan




I'm baffled at how Kotkaniemi won't be suspended for this clearly illegal and dangerous hit. Of course, he was not even penalized. And no one is talking about it at all.
May 6, 2023 at 5:02 p.m.
#237
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Quoting: mokumboi
I'm baffled at how Kotkaniemi won't be suspended for this clearly illegal and dangerous hit. Of course, he was not even penalized. And no one is talking about it at all.


This hit? Leaving the feet seems to be allowed these days.
He didn't really hit him that hard, and Nico's head was down, which is probably why they didn't call it.
But he did clearly leave his feet.
So if they start calling that, it would be a change.





Staal's stick to Hughes' face was probably more deserving of a look.
Very dirty and dangerous play, but veteran cover-up to make it look like a "whoopsie".

And the Martinook play on Siegenthaler was one of the most bizarre non-calls of the series.
He tore his helmet off. Led to a goal. Game-altering non-call.
May 6, 2023 at 5:17 p.m.
#238
Respect Mike Grier
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May 6, 2023 at 5:32 p.m.
#239
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Quoting: ARMCHAIRGMOFTHEYEAR




I’m guessing he’s landing in Ottawa next.
May 6, 2023 at 5:42 p.m.
#240
Bedard23
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Quoting: ARMCHAIRGMOFTHEYEAR




I’ll give it a good 5 seconds before he has a job again
May 6, 2023 at 6:08 p.m.
#241
Ovchinnikov 137
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Quoting: ARMCHAIRGMOFTHEYEAR




Has not lasted a full 3 seasons in each of his 4 Head coaching gigs. Why teams will race to go out and sign him is beyond me.
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May 6, 2023 at 6:20 p.m.
#242
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Quoting: MatthewsFan
Has not lasted a full 3 seasons in each of his 4 Head coaching gigs. Why teams will race to go out and sign him is beyond me.


Calgary is going to hire him
May 6, 2023 at 6:36 p.m.
#243
Ovchinnikov 137
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Quoting: Db1899
Calgary is going to hire him


I’m going with CLB



The NHL in a nutshell


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May 6, 2023 at 6:41 p.m.
#244
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Quoting: MatthewsFan


The NHL in a nutshell




It's beyond crazy
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May 6, 2023 at 7:05 p.m.
#245
Bedard23
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Quoting: MatthewsFan
I’m going with CLB



The NHL in a nutshell




Only one of them was unjust
May 6, 2023 at 7:25 p.m.
#246
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Firing Gallant seems like an overreaction, no? I don't see how the coach was the problem.
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May 6, 2023 at 7:26 p.m.
#247
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Quoting: MatthewsFan
I’m going with CLB



The NHL in a nutshell




I’m sure gallant will be very patient with Fantilli/Johnston etc
May 6, 2023 at 7:31 p.m.
#248
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I feel it was Friedman who suggested Quenneville to NYR.

I wonder if that happens whether they try to sneak Kane onto the roster somehow.

If Kane needs surgery to play I wonder if they could get him for very low aav for a few years.

Perhaps this is the end for Lafrenierre as a Ranger as Kane would likely fill that slot on the depth chart.

Lafrenierre would command a very decent return, especially if the Rangers would accept futures as a primary piece of the deal, as there are quite a few teams with quite a few spare picks, driving up the number of bidders for the trade. I would guess his value is the equivalent of 3 firsts or so, perhaps a tad more.
May 6, 2023 at 7:31 p.m.
#249
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There were oilers fans who wanted to trade Bouchard+ for karlsson
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May 6, 2023 at 7:41 p.m.
#250
Hakuna Matata
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Game 2 I feel gonna be a lot like game 1

Goalies just gonna die both sides
 
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