OT – Who to you have winning the Stanley Cup?
Another Presidents Cup winner bit the dust in the first round. In the second round, Toronto managed to extend their Stanley Cup drought to 56 years with a loss to the Florida Panthers. Edmonton was eliminated last night, leaving no Canadian teams left in the tournament. For reference, last team from north of the boarder to win were the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. Luke Hughes is going golfing after playing in his first three NHL play-off games – with his brother Jack! Mom is soooo proud!!
Tomorrow, we’ll have the final four teams set in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Do the Kraken win Game 7 against the Stars tonight, setting up an all-expansion team Western Conference final with the Vegas Golden Knights?
Who’s got the edge in the Panthers/Canes Eastern Conference final?
Who do you have hoisting the Cup?
I got Vegas getting beat by the Canes in the Final.
Update:
Luke Glendening and the Dallas Stars advance to the Western Conference Finals.
The Hartford Whalers
I am rocking a Whalers t-shirt right now.
The North Stars
Would love to see a North Stars vs Whalers final with retro jerseys for one game.
Detroit Cougars over Montreal Maroons. In Fl. there's real fans in the woods and bars.
Atlanta Thrasher Fever - CATCH IT!
The Kraken inaugural season came right after my move to Seattle - and it's been the only local team I've fully embraced, so that's where my rooting interests lie.
Anyone but Dallas. Jamie Benn should not hoist the Cup after his cross-check to Dylan Larkin's neck. I think it will be Carolina.
Kraken all the way baby!
I have Michigan hoisting the Cup.
This year we're also going to win the Wannamaker trophy, the Balon d'Or, Floyd of Rosedale, the Intercontinental title belt and an apparently-empty jar containing the souls of a hundred Michigan State fans.
My heart says... Kraken...
It really is a shame that Edmonton lost. Watching Connor McDavid play is special. He looks like he is playing alongside amateurs half the time.
Carolina seems to have the right mix of pieces to get it done.
There are rumors Atlanta may get another hockey team (this time out in the suburbs). As I now live in Georgia this is good news for me and while not hugely impactful it can't be a bad thing that all of the remaining teams (aside from the Kraken) are from warm weather areas.
NHL network must have had an Edmonton drinking game around Leon Draisaitl. Every time they showed Oilers highlights it was dry-sitel this, dry-sitel that, dry-sitel dry-sitel dry-sitell! It was like they were trying to get the team in the control room drunk.
I was at the Braves/Boston game last week and heard about the possibility of a "third times the charm" hockey team. First thing I thought was "better put the stadium in the burbs". Could be fun to have an NHL team here.
Draisaitl -4 last night.
That’s a lot of shots! 🥃
At this point it feels like Vegas is the strongest
I don't like Vegas or Dallas, and I am not a big fan of Carolina. At least Beniers is having a great year with the Kraken. I guess my preference would be Seattle/Florida, then Carolina, then Dallas, then Vegas. I never liked Vegas (probably the big bandwagon effect) and then they got Eichel, the whiner. Don't want him to ever win a cup.
The NHL is far too generous with how it's expansion teams get to raid other rosters to build their own. Kraken and Vegas enjoyed instant success while other franchises languish for decades with mid-round draft choices every year. Toronto should dissolve and then re-open in a couple years as an expansion team. They are under enormous pressure there, but from what I saw of the playoffs they are weak at defense or goaltender or both. Soft team.
Agreed. And I would hope the Leafs would still suck!
Like you said, they would probably come back, load up on offensive talent and neglect D and goalies. Bad roster construction comes home to roost in the playoffs.
Good points. That being said, I'm old-fashioned and can't help but feel like there's something to be said for "paying your dues." Jumping past long-suffering franchises/fans and winning a Cup in your first few years of existence doesn't sit well with me.
Then again, that feeling is probably a reflection of my years of being a UM/Detroit sports fan and watching teams I/we hate succeeding, while we flounder. I'm thankful that UM is finally pulling out of that pattern.
OK, enough self-analysis. When's the first kickoff?
I will be cheering for the Hurricanes but I agree that Vegas looks probably the strongest at this point. Also, Florida has proven its strength by beating Boston and Toronto.
Florida based solely on being the giant killers so far. The unlikeliest team to come out of the Atlantic but they are on a tear.
I was really hoping Edmonton would make it but alas…
Carolina is the best team left. Nothing spectacular, just relentless competence, especially on the forecheck. So if they get the goaltending, it should be a pretty comfortable next two rounds.
Talk about a monkey's paw curl moment for Gary and the suits though. Yeah, it's great to have some nontraditional markets in the final four for "growth of the game," but you have to think ratings would be much higher with an original six and/or Canadian team left
With these teams heading into their respective conference finals, I'm irritated that the Wings didn't get at least one playoff series. Only the Canes should be here. I love upsets as much as the next guy, but when you've got Florida making a deep run in the East, it sucks that much more to be sitting at home.
We were on pace for one of the wild cards until the two games in Ottawa where we got pushed around. Stevie thought we needed to add some beef. Looking at our prospects, I don't think that has been much of a priority in our recent draft classes. Granted, big, skilled players don't just grow on trees...
The Leaf fans think they will still win it... I guess Kraken with Matty would be cool.
How can you not cheer for a guy that plays for Seattle and has the last name Geekie? It's almost too perfect.
Stanley. If it's his cup, he should have it.
He would just carry it around all day and lord over everyone.
My pre-playoffs pick was Edmonton. I thought they had it in them this year. That team was on a tear since December with two of the top 5 players in the world carrying them. Still not enough.
Now, with 5 teams left I have the VGK and Carolina facing off in the finals with Vegas pulling off the Cup.
Gonna have to go with the Golden Nights.
I will probably root for Carolina only because I went to watch them against the Red Wings earlier in the season. It was my first NHL game. Carolina won a boring 1-0 game. My thought is I was able to see a team play the year they won a Stanley Cup. Being a Penguins fan, I haven't really paid much attention to the playoffs this year.
*snip*
Detroit Lions - oh wrong trophy.
I’m hoping for Vegas vs Florida and would be happy for any outcome
Not Florida
I don’t know why but I don’t want them to win for some reason.
If there’s no Original Six or Canadian team playing, I don’t pay any attention. With the Wings out I was rooting for Toronto.
I still cant believe they named a team Kraken.
The way the Panthers have been playing its hard to pick against them.