2013 NHL Stanley Cup PLAYOFFS thread

I think Boudreau gets a bad rap. He was coaching a real immature team who in their last playoff series ran into an incredibly hot goalie. I also think his team in Anaheim has really overachieved and if it was a regular 82 game season I don't think they win that division. I actually think they could have fallen as far as a six seed.

Now that I've said that you should probably bet on the Ducks to win the cup.

 

Why do you say they'd drop to a six? Because of all the eastern travel they would have had to do? Possibility ...

 

I think it's the law of averages that JC was working at. Every year there are teams that completely overachieve in the first half of the season and then fall off the face of the Earth in the second half. Toronto most years, for example. The Ducks had that feel to them this year, that if the season was a full 82 games, they're not winning that division. I don't think I'd take it as a slight if you're a Ducks fan, enjoy the season you had and the playoffs you're going to have.

Navel gazing at what could have been but isn't, is all this is.

 

No doubt on the immature part. They lost that series (I'm assuming you're talking about the Montreal series and Halak) in Game 5 when they didn't bother to show up. Thought they had already won it, went through the motions and played horseshit hockey in a home game where they could have closed the Habs out. That series still pisses me off.

 

Or he's talking about Boudreau's last playoff series in Washington, when they got swept by Tampa.

 

It's not the travel, the travel would be the same for the teams they are grouped with.

I think that that the top 3 teams in the west are the Hawks, Kings and Blues with the Hawks on a different level. IMO you can group the Ducks with the Sharks, Canucks and Red Wings in the next group. The Canucks would get the 3 seed and the Blues the 4th which leaves a battle for 5 and 6 between the Sharks and Ducks.

The West is a beast so being a six seed is real not an indication of being a poor team. This is impossible to quantify, I just believe the Ducks would regress over 82 games and that the Kings and Blues would surpass them in points.

 

Good lord, I wiped that series from my memory banks. I don't even remember Roloson being that hot in that series ... good, yes, but not unbeatable. I remember the horrible line change that led to the OT goal in Game 2. Boudreau's teams were notorious for bad changes and taking a ton of too many men on the ice penalties.

 

I was actually talking about Halak I had also forgotten about that series, not sure why.

 

No matter the year, I always feel the Islanders have the Pens number in the playoffs.

I hated seeing this draw.

 

Being it's you, I accept your theory when I normally scoff at easterners trying to analyze teams in the west.
Not arguing, just pointing out that Detroit, St. Louis, Minnesota and Chicago don't have the "Western Conference travel" issues that Van., SJ, L.A, Ana. and Phx have.
I remember many years ago, before the big sun belt expansion, somebody figured out that if the Canucks lived in Chicago, they would travel fewer miles than they would living in Vancouver, and that includes flying to Vancouver for homestands.
RE: the Ducks, I am as surprised as anybody that they did as well as they did. But if you look at the team and the contributions from younger players (which they haven't usually gotten) and the improvement of some marginal guys (Beauchemin, Cogliano, Winnik), I'd be less likely to accept the theory that they would eventually falter and sink in the West.
If you want to say the Red Wings have become what the Ducks used to be -- a few star players supported by a bunch of crap -- I'll agree with that.

 

The Blackhawks will win the Cup because they've had a lot of sex ;D

Count me among those who were thinking of Halak.

 

I was referring more to the teams like the Sharks, Canucks and Kings in terms of travel. With teams not travelling East even teams like Detroit and and to a lesser extent St. Louis are more affected by travel this year than others.

Like I said it is impossible to say for sure whether the Ducks would have ended up winning the division, hell I wouldn't be shocked if any of the top 7 in the West make it to the Final.