2016-2017 nhl Playoffs

[bbfenatic]

Let's get this party started....what is everyone's take on the upcoming Playoffs..Wild, Blackhawks, Caps....?

 

IMO Wild have the capability but can our D play tough enough and tighten up like all other teams will come playoff time???? Of course Dubs will need to come up huge.....if not it could be another early exit.

 

IMO sure would be fun to see Leafs make a run with all those young kids but Caps are tough.

[Bear55]

Wild lines in practice, sounds like they want Haula matching up against tarasenko. Maybe Zucker moved back for away games, not sure but overall it looks pretty decent, so much depth.

Niederreiter-Staal-Parise;

Haula-Koivu-Granlund;

Zucker-Hanzal-Coyle;

Stewart-ErikssonEk-Pominville

[bottomdweller]

Im excited no one scares me in the west cept chicago,. We could go deep if we good d.  Duby keeps the goals to two a game and we are in business

[bbfenatic]

58 minutes ago, Bear55 said:

Wild lines in practice, sounds like they want Haula matching up against tarasenko. Maybe Zucker moved back for away games, not sure but overall it looks pretty decent, so much depth.

Niederreiter-Staal-Parise;

Haula-Koivu-Granlund;

Zucker-Hanzal-Coyle;

Stewart-ErikssonEk-Pominville

 

Lack of Depth is at D unfortunately....we have numbers but.....

 

Could be a typical Boudrea playoff team....flourish with good Offensive, OK D, and decent goaltending during the regular season and die in the playoffs with just avg Defense and Tending. I give Blues the advantage just becasue they have big Dmen who will limit our chances and our usual "garbage" out front will be limited at best IMO...but I do think it will go seven.

[hoppe56307]

I call the Wild in 5, with each team winning a road game, and Wild wining at home to close it out.  Then getting swept out by the Hawks again in round 2.

[Bear55]

2 hours ago, bbfenatic said:

 

Lack of Depth is at D unfortunately....we have numbers but.....

 

Could be a typical Boudrea playoff team....flourish with good Offensive, OK D, and decent goaltending during the regular season and die in the playoffs with just avg Defense and Tending. I give Blues the advantage just becasue they have big Dmen who will limit our chances and our usual "garbage" out front will be limited at best IMO...but I do think it will go seven.

 

I'd say we have tons of depth on D but some of them haven't been playing to their potential. Overall our D is at 7th in the NHL but we just came out of a slump so your concern is understandable.

[bbfenatic]

47 minutes ago, Bear55 said:

 

I'd say we have tons of depth on D but some of them haven't been playing to their potential. Overall our D is at 7th in the NHL but we just came out of a slump so your concern is understandable.

 

With our early season success I'd say that ranking is skewed...I just don't like the match up...don't like the way we played the last month of the season, and Blues really turned it on at the end. I think it will be a low scoring series and If they do beat the Blues that would be all need to start planning the parade route.

[Bear55]

Blues aren't going to be any easy out but they are a shell of the team we beat two years ago and made the conference finals last year. No Shattenkirk, Brouwer, Fabbri is out, stastny is questionable, Oshie and Backs have moved on, Bouwmeester is even older and slower than when he looked old and slow against us in 2015. Still Yoe has then playing well and Allen looks like a different player but if there was one team that is as mentally weak as us its the blues. Take it to them and play our game and we will be ok. THeir system might slow us down but they really only have one high end line these days and if we can't beat them we deserve to go home early and seek out some sports psychologists.

[Bear55]

Started a league if anyone wants to join.
https://bracketchallenge.nhl.com

League: FM-NHL
Pass: fishing

8 hours to get signed up and fill out your brackets.

[lungdeflator]

I am in.  I have the Wild meeting the Caps in the finals.  Homerism for sure but if they can get past the 'Hawks, they can get to the final. Keep Baby Boudreau out of game 7 situations.

 

 Not much for upsets, I haven't watched many other teams this year.  But I can't see any of the WC teams making it into the 2nd round.  Habs vs Rangers might be the upset....The Habs have a healthy Carey Price, but the Rangers are always tough in the playoffs.  Caps won't have a problem with Holtby in net and a young Leafs team.  'Hawks don't lose in the first round.  Flames and Ducks could be a long series, but Ducks have the playoff experience.

 

I think this is the year the Caps and Ovi break through and get it done.  

 

[BringAnExtension]

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 3:05 PM, bbfenatic said:

 

Lack of Depth is at D unfortunately....we have numbers but.....

 

The Wild have 5 solid defensemen, unfortunately 2 of them have been making a lot of stupid mistakes lately.  I think Folin has improved a lot since the beginning of the year.

[bottomdweller]

Stoked!  will be at the game tonight, nice having friends in high places.  I agree we do have the d but a couple need to get theyre game back.  Dumba has been playing a little better which is a step in the right direction.  I like haula on grannys line.  Its now time to prove us all wrong and go out and take it

[leech~~]

4 hours ago, lungdeflator said:

I am in.  I have the Wild meeting the Caps in the finals.  Not this! 

I think this is the year the Caps get it done.  This!

 

 

Sad to say but the Wild did have a pretty good year. They just don't have enough left.

[Bobby Bass]

If the Wild bring their game it will be done in 5 if they don't I still think they will come out of the first round. Either way we are not done watching Wild hockey just yet

[lungdeflator]

Well that was an interesting game.  I was really hoping Wild would come out and put 3 in behind Allen fairly quick last night.  I thought if they did that, it would get into his head and he would fall apart the rest of the series.  

Now just the opposite happened.  He probably has more confidence than he ever has.  

 

Blues look like a typical Yeo team though.  Not going to light the lamp often and pretty content to sit back and protect the net with a 1 goal lead.  

[Bear55]

Fun game, we played really really well but didn't win. Have to credit Allen for a huge game. If we keep that up I don't think the Blues can hang with us, I expect a 2-3 goal win Friday night, Sunday afternoon game will probably be another close one in St Louis.

[bbfenatic]

Pretty much total domination by the Wild in all aspect but the score.  If they can't score more than 1 with 52 shots they deserved to lose..and Allen is not going make it easier so they have figure it out or this will end quickly. Young guys have to show they can finish..it's been a problem in stretches and now is not the time to be gripping the stick too tight.

[bottomdweller]

Great game to be at!  yes we dominated that game!  we need to bury the puck, it should have been a 5-1 game

[Bear55]

I'm still in disbelief over that Parise save behind Allen that stopped a sure goal, 99 times out of a 100 that puck goes in the net but we managed to find a way not to score. Yes he sure made up for it but you score with time on the clock you might have won it in regulation. Honestly it's kind of funny but bad funny.

[bbfenatic]

38 minutes ago, bottomdweller said:

Great game to be at!  yes we dominated that game!  we need to bury the puck, it should have been a 5-1 game

 

Blues can't be happy with that game either so they will make adjustments as well and my concern is that Dubnyk will crack before Allen which puts even more pressure on us to score....more.

[hoppe56307]

If I saw the stat line correct line correct, the Blues pretty much lead every statistical category from february 1. Wins, points, Goals, Lowest Goals Allowed, Save%.  

 

Allen pretty much stole that game, Coyle had 4 or 5 good chances himself that either he whiffed or Allen made a well timed save.

Wild win game 2, 4-2 with an empty netter.

[CaptainMusky]

Allen made a lot of saves for sure, but did you guys notice how many second chances the Wild had and didn't capitalize? He wasn't controlling the puck well. His D helped him out or our guys choked.

Folin played bad last night. If there are any lineup changes for tomorrow night I bet its him that's out. Aside from that it might be time to shuffle Haula and Zucker around to reignite the fire the Koivu, Granlund, Zucker line had almost all year.

[bbfenatic]

18 minutes ago, CaptainMusky said:

Folin played bad last night. If there are any lineup changes for tomorrow night I bet its him that's out. .

 

You'd think right?  But Boudreau said in his Presser today he plans on playing Folin more...says he plays better if he gets more minutes. Wonder if that is totally talk and just him trying to be funny or it that is actually the plan...

 

[Bear55]

Folin was pretty good to start the season but then up and down since then, hopefully he has an extra gear because when he is on him and Brodin are pretty good together.

[CaptainMusky]

12 hours ago, Bear55 said:

Folin was pretty good to start the season but then up and down since then, hopefully he has an extra gear because when he is on him and Brodin are pretty good together.

I agree. He was solid the first half of the season. Then got hurt and maybe he just doesn't have his legs back. I really like how he was so hard to knock off the puck on those board battles. Its something this team lacks on the back end.

 

Home team woes continued last night with Chicago losing. The Caps had a heckuva scare against Toronto with the Leafs jumping out to a 2-0 only to fall in OT.

 

Sure some good hockey. The playoffs never seem to disappoint for a hockey fan, just your favorite team might. Here's to a better result for the Wild tonight!

Play that same game again tonight and they win.