When you reach 120 and 118 points in back to back seasons and lose to the same team both years, a team that finished below you, it’s a reasonable perception that you can’t win in the playoffs. That’s not even considering the playoff showings by the Boudreau teams that stockpiled regular season points. Couple that now with a lack of playoff success for three straight seasons and you get a pretty consistent trend. Yes, it’s hard, but the Caps haven’t been just a good regular season team that can’t beat the better team in the playoffs; the Caps are generally viewed as the better team in those series based on regular season success and still lose. it’s the same thing the Lightning face moving forward; the Cup last season shook the can’t win in the playoffs narrative but it can come back just as quickly. That’s simply the price of regular season success.
That perception was erased in 2018, so again not sure why you are saying it or bringing up those point totals. I don't think that narrative can be used with the present team though either. Many thought their Cup window closed with the loss in 2017 to the Pens, but they were able to win it in 2018. Your comment makes sense if winning the Stanley Cup was not involved. 2019 I felt Holtby blew Game 7 to the Canes, but it was a hard fought series. 2020 they were pathetic in the bubble and Reirden lost his job for it. This year, Boston was just the better team. Last night Backstrom said injuries are not an excuse, so I won't use it as one and just say the Bruins were better. I do like cheering for a team that puts those high expectations on themselves. If they just shrugged their shoulders and said "good season" that would be bad. It is good that they are disappointed and the fan base is upset they lost in Round 1 for the third straight year. I just don't think this season should be compared with the 2020 team or the Stanley Cup winning team or those 2016 and 2017 teams that lost to the Penguins. They were different and just had some bad luck down the stretch. I liked most of the season and feel Peter Laviolette has them on the right track.
Can't believe the Oilers were swept last night. I really thought they had a chance to go far but I guess they need to continue to build around McDavid. Crazy triple OT game to be eliminated though. The Jets looked pretty good. Nice to see the Panthers fight back and force Game 6 with their 3rd string goalie too.
Good read and production charts on how bad the rest of the team is. https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2021/05/2...re-failing-connor-mcdavid-and-leon-draisaitl/ That coach should've split them up after game 2. I understand they're dynamic together but they didn't have a goal at that point. He also plays them a toooooon. But the numbers do show that's probably the only shot they have.
Great article. It really does remind me of the early Ovechkin-Backstrom days. Good team but not built for the playoffs. They need to work on that and fast because McDavid is amazing. BIG game 6's tonight with the Penguins facing elimination in New York, the Panthers facing elimination in Tampa Bay and The Golden Knights trying to eliminate the Wild in Minnesota. Exciting times in the NHL!
Hurricanes vs Tampa should be a great series. Even though most would say Tampa is better, I am not so sure. Either way I think home ice and the Canes D and penalty killing will be the difference. Tampa is banged up on D and the speed of our forwards will be tough for them. Canes in 6 or 7. 4 straight OT games is killing me. Getting too old for all these late nights. Last thought, Sebastian Aho is a stud and never gets any mention when people talk about elite forwards. A point per game player last 3 regular seasons,31 points in 29 career playoff games, kills penalties and is a legit threat to score short handed. I have been watching Hockey since 1976 and he is one of the smartest players with elite “hockey sense” I have seen.
He's awesome to watch. It should be a wide open series in terms of play style. The Canes move up the ice in a flock and aren't afraid of the stretch pass while the Lightning cherry pick all game long. The Lightning turn the puck over a lot in their own zone which leads to giving up silly goals. If they don't do that they can blow anyone away but they do. Should be a fun second round all around. Psyched for game seven of Wild/VGK tonight.
Looking forward to tonight as well. I am pulling for Vegas even though I usually pull for the dog. I think Vegas And Avs could be real fun, I think Avs would steamroll the Wild.
Aho is an amazing player. He's from the same city as I am, I remember when he was 17 or 18 in his first season in the playoffs. He didn't have a huge role at the time being so young, but to a surprise to absolutely no one it was him who scored the winning goal in overtime in Finals, in game seven no less. He was so smart from the beginning, he had a nickname early on as "The Professor" not unlike Larionov in Soviet Union national team and Red Wings back in the day. Aho trains at the same gym than me during the summer and every time I see him it amazes me how he can be an elite player in the NHL when he's physically not that big. But that comes back to him being so intelligent player, he seems to be a few steps ahead at all times.
I don't think that anyone saw this series going to game seven, it would be a disaster for the Leafs to lose this, Montreal can go to this game with far less pressure which could affect the game.
Logic tells you that the leafs are better and more talented. But the Habs are the Habs and the Leafs are the Leafs, so Canadiens will probably win.
So it’s not Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock holding them back; and Tavares hasn’t made them noticeably better when he plays. When you watch Nathan MacKinnon just skate circles around the best defense in the league, but Mathews and Marner just disappear in big games, you have to question the super of the Toronto stars.
Agreed, JB. I'm not sure why either. The Tavares and Muzzin injuries were a factor, but good, deep teams overcome injuries. Leafs just broke the Rangers record for the longest Stanley Cup drought, 54 years. And I've been here for all of them, lol. 13
Marner puts up great stats but I’ve never been convinced he’s an elite player, so it’s no surprise he underperforms in the playoffs. But Mathews’ disappearance has to be alarming to the Leafs.
This dude might never walk again let alone play. He was out before he probably broke his neck on the ice.
He’s gonna get his ass kicked if the league let’s him back this series. I thought the Isles adjustments from game 1 to 2 were impressive, but the Knights have trumped that.
4 games is a joke. I hope it’s goes 6 just to see him get his ass kicked. Hurricanes and Tampa living up to expectations so far.
Tampa Bay is by no means dominating this series despite the lead but they get into a rhythm on some offensive sets where they have these tic-tac-toe passing sequences that are just unstoppable. Their first PP goal in game 3 and then the first goal today were a thing of beauty.
