Joined
·
993 Posts
Looks all the spots are filled for this years quest for the cup.
First round division, wild card, conference, final predictions?
First round division, wild card, conference, final predictions?
2022 NHL Playoffs
1 - 20 of 290 Posts
Joined
·
1,472 Posts
Man, I have my annual playoff pool next week, and I am way out of the loop. Colorado looks good, as does Florida, but I don't quite trust Florida yet.
Joined
·
3,103 Posts
Calgary Toronto final? That would be cool. I'm not convinced Tampa and Florida are an invincible as the pundits seem to think. If the Leafs get some goaltending I think they can easily get through the Eastern conference.
Joined
·
219 Posts
I agree that the power is in the east, but I feel like that just means the east will beat up on each other. Just making it easier for whoever gets out of the west to win it all.
Joined
·
325 Posts
Colorado and Florida both look great. Mackinnon is a beast and has the power to take games over, while the Avs depth will help a lot. Florida might need to lose for a year or two before their time comes.
But really, there are a lot of teams with a chance at winning this year.
Flames/Oilers potentially in the 2nd round, that would be a very exciting series. Lots of great matchups in the 1st round too.
But really, there are a lot of teams with a chance at winning this year.
Flames/Oilers potentially in the 2nd round, that would be a very exciting series. Lots of great matchups in the 1st round too.
Joined
·
1,472 Posts
If ANYONE gets goaltending, they can go deep. See JS Giguere and his run with the Ducks.
And that's one of the Leafs' problems. The goaltending miiiiight be good enough if their blueline doesn't let them down, and it very well could. Gaudy goal totals almost always drop in the playoffs, and they are facing a battle-tested, highly talented and recently victorious team in Tampa.
That said, there aren't many easy outs in the East, unless a team has an injured number 1 goalie. Florida looks good, but Washington won't fold up the tents easily.
It's going to be a wild year....and by that I don't mean Minnesota Wild.
Joined
·
119 Posts
I think it'll be Calgary or Colorado coming out of the West. With the way Calgary has been playing they're the team to beat. I think the East is wide open. I just wonder if this is the year the Leafs finally make it out of the first round. They haven't made the second round of the playoffs in 18 years.
Rooting for the Bruins although but they haven't been consistent enough this year.
Rooting for the Bruins although but they haven't been consistent enough this year.
Joined
·
439 Posts
Colorado Av's all the way.
Joined
·
902 Posts
Sutter's smart....publicly said the road in the West goes through Colorado. In the off season they brought in Zadorov and Gudbranson, two trees on D, just for the playoffs. Flames only seasonal move was to bring in Toffoli. Av's learning from last year brought in Manson to bolster their D. Good balance up front....focus on MacKinnon and you've got Landeskog, Rantanen and Kadri to deal with. Lekhonen added for depth. Kuemper in goal (that's the question mark right there).
The Wild and Blues have flown under the radar. The Wild have a nasty team up front. Blues good balance. Two dark horse picks meeting in the 1st round. Oilers basically did nothing to bolster their team.
The East. Leafs have a load of firepower up front. D will hold up if Muzzin stays healthy. Bolstered the D with Giordano. Once again though, it comes down to goaltending. Did they go after Fleury as a back up/tandem.....probably. Didn't happen. The match up with the Bolts will be entertaining.
Panthers Zito made the aggressive moves. Payed the price for Chiarot, and expect Ekblad back by the end of the 1st round (although if they're cruising, they'll let him rest more). Getting Giroux up front was big. Now you have one of the best RH center men in the dot guys. Balance that with Barkov (who's in beast mode) and that area is covered for face offs. Time for Bobrovsky to earn his big money contract.
Sleeper team....Rangers. Have quietly put together a real solid team, and picking up Copp,Braun and Vatrano at the deadline were good moves. Shesterkin playing top notch. I don't expect picking up Domi to move the needle much with the Canes. They more or less stood pat.
These playoffs are going to be fun. Very entertaining fun.
The Wild and Blues have flown under the radar. The Wild have a nasty team up front. Blues good balance. Two dark horse picks meeting in the 1st round. Oilers basically did nothing to bolster their team.
The East. Leafs have a load of firepower up front. D will hold up if Muzzin stays healthy. Bolstered the D with Giordano. Once again though, it comes down to goaltending. Did they go after Fleury as a back up/tandem.....probably. Didn't happen. The match up with the Bolts will be entertaining.
Panthers Zito made the aggressive moves. Payed the price for Chiarot, and expect Ekblad back by the end of the 1st round (although if they're cruising, they'll let him rest more). Getting Giroux up front was big. Now you have one of the best RH center men in the dot guys. Balance that with Barkov (who's in beast mode) and that area is covered for face offs. Time for Bobrovsky to earn his big money contract.
Sleeper team....Rangers. Have quietly put together a real solid team, and picking up Copp,Braun and Vatrano at the deadline were good moves. Shesterkin playing top notch. I don't expect picking up Domi to move the needle much with the Canes. They more or less stood pat.
These playoffs are going to be fun. Very entertaining fun.
Joined
·
10,221 Posts
Oilers:
Kulak looking good skating in first pair while Nurse out, went to the finals last year, has been a solid add
Kane
Hyman
Keith (I am very MEH on DK, but the team loves him)
Brassard can skate
#1 most impactful change this year was the coach. 24-9 since the change
What the Oilers done is maybe not headline grabbing like some of the other teams, but to say basically did nothing is an opinion with which I greatly disagree. This is a MUCH better skating (holy crap, their young guys can MOVE, see Ryan MacLeod etc) and harder playing team, than even 4 months ago - do you remember, they were near the bottom of the league after a hot start? That said, I don't think they are more than a 2 round team, but they have the potential to surprise. Smith is playing out of his head rn.
Joined
·
902 Posts
I forgot about Kane during the year....Hyman was with the club the whole year, so I was thinking more, approaching the deadline pick ups to bolster the team.
Joined
·
1,709 Posts
I'm a Leafs fan...but I'd like to consider myself a reasonable Leafs fan. I think the West will win this year...either Colorado or Calgary. The Leafs do have a great team and if they bump off Tampa we'll see...but I genuinely hate that they have to play the two Florida teams in the first two rounds.
Joined
·
219 Posts
Holy crap do I miss Hyman. Take good care of our Toronto boy out there!
Joined
·
1,709 Posts
I am perfectly ok with Michael Bunting's $950,000 cap hit for more points (23G, 40A) than Hyman's $5.5M hit for (26G, 26A).
Joined
·
219 Posts
absolutely agree to that point, more than happy with the production we have vs difference in salaries.
However, I also respected him as a person. Only know what I read about him, but a guy who write's children's books and worked that hard for the team is a good guy in my books
Joined
·
119 Posts
What happens if the Oilers don't win a playoff series? For the GM to say afterwards that they're going after a great goalie or defenseman (or whoever) is not good enough given that I've heard that for years.
Joined
·
10,221 Posts
It's a really good question. I would guess Nicholson might retire, I could see MacT taking a job like that in the org, he's pretty smart and well traveled, or they kick Lowe upstairs. I can't imagine they clean house, they'll just build on what they have and pretty much do what you just said, get a goalie (I really wish they had given Skinner more games this year, let's see what we have). They have to make decisions on Puli and Yamo, both of whom are no doubt positive contributors, but it'll be bridge deals in the interest of saving cap I think. We have Holloway coming, he could be really good, I think MacLeod is going to be better and better, Broberg coming can skate with anyone, we need some more of those cheap players to land, or maybe use one of them as bait in a hockey trade. Koski @4.5M drops off, probably some old cap money drops off, Archi @1.5M, but then we also have to decide on Kulak and Kane.
1 - 20 of 290 Posts
Join the discussion
