2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs thread

[MadDog2020]

East matchups are set: WSH-PHI; NYR-PIT; NYI-FLA; TB-DET. Almost all of the west matchups are set, we're just waiting on the results of Ducks-Caps- an Anaheim victory gives them the Pacific Division title and a matchup with Nashville. The west matchups that are set: DAL-MIN and CHI-STL. The festivities are set to get underway Wednesday night.

[Satans Hockey]

Washington vs Philly is going to be interesting. Pittsburgh could easily lose to the Rangers if they end up with their 3rd stringer in net. Tampa vs Detroit is a toss up to me. I hope Florida curb stomps the Islanders since they basically threw the game today to get that match up. 

Out west I see Dallas knocking off Minnesota pretty easily. Chicago vs St Louis is going to be insane but I hope the hawks pull it off. Since the game looks pretty much done the Ducks should handle Nashville pretty easily. The Kings vs sharks is a toss up for me too. 

Really should be a great playoffs but this system still sucks. It doesn't reward you for doing well during the regular season. I want the 1 to 8 seed system back. That system wasn't broke but in typical NHL fashion they have to mess with everything. 

[thecoffeecake]

My criteria for a cup winner, as every year:

1. Not the Rangers

2. No other New York team (it just happens the Isles are the only eligible team in this category, but it remains nonetheless)/not the Flyers

3. No Canadian teams (done)

4. No first time champions

Thus, the list of acceptable potential cup winners: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Dallas.

 

[MadDog2020]

Ducks won, so it'll be ANA-NSH and LA-SJ.

[Derek21]

8 minutes ago, thecoffeecake said:

My criteria for a cup winner, as every year:

1. Not the Rangers

2. No other New York team (it just happens the Isles are the only eligible team in this category, but it remains nonetheless)/not the Flyers

3. No Canadian teams (done)

4. No first time champions

Thus, the list of acceptable potential cup winners: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Dallas.

 

Come on. Am I that bad a fan blogger.

[Satans Hockey]

11 minutes ago, thecoffeecake said:

My criteria for a cup winner, as every year:

1. Not the Rangers

2. No other New York team (it just happens the Isles are the only eligible team in this category, but it remains nonetheless)/not the Flyers

3. No Canadian teams (done)

4. No first time champions

Thus, the list of acceptable potential cup winners: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Dallas.

 

I understand all of them but why not new cup winners? I wouldn't mind seeing Florida or San Jose winning this year. 

[thecoffeecake]

4 minutes ago, Derek21 said:

Come on. Am I that bad a fan blogger.

You're one of the good ones (Rangers fans). I think you're one of 4 or 5.

Just now, Satans Hockey said:

I understand all of them but why not new cup winners? I wouldn't mind seeing Florida or San Jose winning this year. 

It's totally irrational, but here it is; we depend on some teams never winning the cup or winning it extremely rarely so we get to win a cup more than once every 30 years. If every nonsense team gets to lift the cup, we'll do it twice more in my lifetime (not considering expansion), and I'm 23. St. Louis, Buffalo, Washington, Toronto, we depend on their ineptitude for the sweet nectar of frequent success. Also remember that it's at the bottom of the list.

Also, the Bay Area has celebrated enough for a generation, and there's no need to give people in Miami a reason to pretend to care about one of their sports teams.

['7']

No fear at all that Philly is going to win it...but yea anybody but the Rangers. Pittsburgh is super tough but they're not beating the Rags with Jeff Zatkoff or Tristan Jarry in net

[thecoffeecake]

16 minutes ago, '7' said:

No fear at all that Philly is going to win it...but yea anybody but the Rangers. Pittsburgh is super tough but they're not beating the Rags with Jeff Zatkoff or Tristan Jarry in net

Is Murray hurt too? He was starting over Zatkoff for a while.

[jagknife]

Only teams I dont want to see win it:

Hawks - cause fvck them and NBC & the NHL blowing them all the fvcking time

Rangers - Obvious, but more so cause of one specific douche bag I know who has such a "punch me!" personality, but if you did it, you'd probably break him.

Pens - fvck Crosby

Wild - Screw Suter and Vanek

[RunninWithTheDevil]

My money is on Chicago again

[Satans Hockey]

Schedule is out... 

https://www.nhl.com/news/c-280159064

[BlueSkirt]

Here's my "No Cup" teams

 

1. NYR

2. MIN, no Cups for Parsie

3. PHI

4. PIT

5. LAK

6. SJ

Edited April 11, 2016 by BlueSkirt

[SterioDesign]

no cup teams for me would be the Rangers, Chicago, Minny, Philly .I'm okay with anything else

blackhawks fans are becoming veryyy obnoxious with their "modern dynasty" bragging thing

 

Edited April 11, 2016 by SterioDesign

[Devilsfan118]

I really hope it's the Caps year.  Ovie needs to get one.

Round 1 Predictions:

East:

4-2 Washington: Flyers will scum it up and try to throw the Caps off their game, but I think the Caps are a vastly superior team.  Flyers being red hot right now make this interesting though.

4-3 Detroit: Two meh teams, Tampa's injuries have crippled em.  The Wings also scream "mediocre" to me, but they're more experienced imo and will deal with a depleted Tampa.  Bummer, because I was hoping Tampa would make another run.

4-1 NYR: Rangers are going to steamroll the Penguins without Malkin and potentially Fleury, I think.  Won't be much of a series, hope the Pens can knock out a significant piece for the Rangers in the process though.

4-3 Florida: I'm pulling for the Panthers, because Jagr.  Their youth is also a lot of fun to watch.  Edit: I'm going to change my mind, I didn't know Halak was out.  I think Greiss is good (helped my fantasy team a lot!) but isn't starter material.

West:

Admittedly don't follow the West too closely, but I think Dallas steamrolls Minnesota, Hawks beat the Blues (sound familiar?), and the Ducks take care of the Preds.  Only toss up in my mind is SJ-LA.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Devilsfan118

[DJ Eco]

I'm pretty excited about ALL the Western Conference matchups, minus Stars-Wild (I think the Stars will sweep them). They all look to be pretty tight affairs.

[MadDog2020]

I really hope it's the Caps year.  Ovie needs to get one.

Round 1 Predictions:

East:

4-2 Washington: Flyers will scum it up and try to throw the Caps off their game, but I think the Caps are a vastly superior team.  Flyers being red hot right now make this interesting though.

4-3 Detroit: Two meh teams, Tampa's injuries have crippled em.  The Wings also scream "mediocre" to me, but they're more experienced imo and will deal with a depleted Tampa.  Bummer, because I was hoping Tampa would make another run.

4-1 NYR: Rangers are going to steamroll the Penguins without Malkin and potentially Fleury, I think.  Won't be much of a series, hope the Pens can knock out a significant piece for the Rangers in the process though.

4-3 Florida: I'm pulling for the Panthers, because Jagr.  Their youth is also a lot of fun to watch.  Edit: I'm going to change my mind, I didn't know Halak was out.  I think Greiss is good (helped my fantasy team a lot!) but isn't starter material.

West:

Admittedly don't follow the West too closely, but I think Dallas steamrolls Minnesota, Hawks beat the Blues (sound familiar?), and the Ducks take care of the Preds.  Only toss up in my mind is SJ-LA.

You think the Rangers steamroll Pitt? Have you been watching hockey this past month? The penguins are playing out of their minds. I've got that 4-2 penguins

I picked Pens in 6 in my bracket, but the whole goalie situation there worries me. If they won't have Fleury OR Murray and have to rely on Zatkoff, that could sink them in this series.

[DJ Eco]

2 hours ago, Martyisth3b3st said:

You think the Rangers steamroll Pitt? Have you been watching hockey this past month? The penguins are playing out of their minds. I've got that 4-2 penguins

Agreed. I downplay them every year come playoff time, but I have not seen them firing on all the cylinders we've seen them do from March-onwards. Rangers are the sharp underdogs in this one, and if they pull it off, it will be one hell of an accomplishment. 

For every notable injury on the Penguins, the Rangers have their own. Even if McDonaugh and Girardi come back, let's face it, they're not healthy. Supposedly, Lundqvist just left practice in a hurry, may be an injury. (Edit: Nevermind, he just left for 15 minutes and is back. Still could be an injury, but who knows). (Edit: Lundqvist just left practice again)..

Edited April 11, 2016 by DJ Eco

[Ralliart90]

Caps over Philly.. Ovechkin is hot right now. Flyers are a bunch of bullies, that did have a nice push at the end to get the last spot, but they were gambling on other teams winning/losing.

Rangers over Pittsburgh. Fleury is back at practice today... but idk... still undecided on who will move on. 

Florida over Islanders. Because JAGR!!!!!!! You know he's going to be done soon... give him one more cup, its been many years.

Tampa over Detroit.

West....Anaheim or LA go all the way.

 

 

 

[Derek21]

No series prediction yet. But it's coming. And I'm not optimistic. Here's a first look at the Rangers vs Pens again:

https://newyorkpuck.com/2016/04/11/rangers-prepare-for-rematch-with-penguins/

[hit the post]

Anyone besides the scumrags......would like to see the Caps win it all.

[NJDfan1711]

Here's my no Cup teams list:

NYR (hate)

PHI (hate)

PIT (don't hate, but division rival)

NYI (on the fence because several family members like them and I grew up 10 minutes from the arena, but I'd still say no because of division rival)

SJ (DeBoer)

MIN (Parise)

My preferred list:

Tampa (new hometown team)

Detroit (girlfriend's team)

Any of the others I really am indifferent.  I suppose I don't want Chicago because I'm tired of them, pretty much the same with LA.  I always root against the Canadian teams because it's funny that, statistically, they should win a Cup about every 5 years (back when there was only 6 teams before Winnipeg just came back), and they haven't won in nearly 25 years, but that's taken care of already this year

[DJ Eco]

I was always cool with the thought of the Isles winning the Stanley Cup, until they made their first playoffs a few years ago, and I realized how insufferable their fanbase is (maybe even worse than the Rangers' fans, although less per square mile), and decided, NOPE.

[titans04]

29 minutes ago, DJ Eco said:

I was always cool with the thought of the Isles winning the Stanley Cup, until they made their first playoffs a few years ago, and I realized how insufferable their fanbase is (maybe even worse than the Rangers' fans, although less per square mile), and decided, NOPE.

I think it's great they haven't won a playoff series since 93. 

[thecoffeecake]

We've got a bracket challenge league through New York Puck if anyone wants to join us: http://bracketchallenge.nhl.com/#/league/172769

 

25 minutes ago, DJ Eco said:

I was always cool with the thought of the Isles winning the Stanley Cup, until they made their first playoffs a few years ago, and I realized how insufferable their fanbase is (maybe even worse than the Rangers' fans, although less per square mile), and decided, NOPE.

I hate the idea of any New York team winning a championship. An Isles cup would be like the Mets World Series victory in 86. The parade would be overflowing wherever they'd have it with a bunch of people who couldn't have given a sh!t about them when they weren't competitive. How many people that went out to the Mets parade went to a game at Shea Stadium in 1992? Most of them were celebrating with the Yankees a few years later.