[NHL] Game of Thrones on Ice (aka the NHL Hockey Thread)

[checkeredhat]

Also, who predicting Calgary making the playoffs at the start of the season? Raise your hands.


....LIARS!

 

[jwhouk]

The Nashville Predators are a little like Nick's prom night:

-Awkward expectations
-Fast start
-Looked very promising
-Peaked way too early

 

[blotsfan]

WE DID IT!!!

 

[Vrii]

Now beat Pittsburgh, make things really fun.

 

[checkeredhat]

Yeah you've clinched last. You can play for real now if you want.

 

[jwhouk]

So that means you either get McDavid or Hobey Baker winner McEichel, hm?

That's nice. You know that the average number of goals scored over the last five seasons in the NHL by Hobey Baker Award winners is? 33. Remove all players whose last name begins with a G, and that becomes a big fat zero.

Not saying McEichel won't be great for whoever he ends up with - if not the Sabres - but it's possible he could end up being a bust.

 

[blotsfan]

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!

 

[jwhouk]

Hey, hey, I'm not saying he's going to tank. I'm just saying that the Hobey Baker winner hasn't exactly been a stellar performer in the NHL as of late. Some of it wasn't intentional (see Geoffrion, Blake).

 

[blotsfan]

In all seriousness, a lot of that is because college hockey normally doesn't get top talent like an Eichel. They tend to play in the Canadian juniors.

 

[DarkAudit]

Just having more warm bodies gives Buffalo the edge tonight.

 

[blotsfan]

I'm fairly conflicted about tonight. It'll be nice to root for the Sabres to win without feeling guilty, but I really don't want Boston to make the playoffs.

 

[checkeredhat]

And the Sens are in!

 

[HCGLNS]

So here we go! We've got

STL vs MIN
NSH vs CHI
ANA vs WIN
VAN vs CAL

MTL vs OTT
TBL vs DET
NYR vs PIT
WSH vs NYI

 

[Piotyr]

Word from Chicago is that Patrick Kane would be available for the second round and on.

Just one problem with that...

 

[blotsfan]

I haven't paid a ton of attention to the rest of the league but I'm going with Chicago-Tampa finals.

 

[checkeredhat]

I want a winnipeg ottawa final but it won't happen.

 

[HCGLNS]

So here we go! We've got

STL vs MIN
NSH vs CHI
ANA vs WIN
VAN vs CAL

MTL vs OTT
TBL vs DET
NYR vs PIT
WSH vs NYI

But I think ANA vs WIN is a Pyrrhic victory for either team

NYR gonna rout PIT.

 

[HCGLNS]

And on a completely unrelated and expected note, the Leafs have fired everyone.

 

[jwhouk]

Word from Chicago is that Patrick Kane would be available for the second round and on.

Just one problem with that...

Nope, they have a walkover in the first round.

 

[jwhouk]

STL vs MIN - Blues in 6
NSH vs CHI - Hawks sweep.
ANA vs WIN - Ducks in 5
VAN vs CAL - Nucks in 6

MTL vs OTT - Habs in 5
TBL vs DET - Tampa in 7
NYR vs PIT - Rags in 5
WSH vs NYI - Isles in 6

 

[jwhouk]

And on a completely unrelated and expected note, the Leafs have fired everyone.

I lost track - what number "five year plan" are y'all on, again?

 

[checkeredhat]

Starks, Tullys and Karstarks= Leafs GM, Leafs Coach and Leafs Scouts
Freys and Boltons= Shanahan, Hunter and Dubas

 

[jwhouk]

Maybe they just need to fire everyone and start over with people who know nothing about hockey. Couldn't do any worse.

 

[blotsfan]

Sabres fired Ted Nolan today. Not particularly surprising, but the GM said he didn't expect this team to come in last until the Kane trade, which is pretty absurd to think.

 

[HCGLNS]

Holy Shit! Dallas Star Captain Jamie Benn won the scoring title this year, and is going to have critical hip surgery now. He played through the pain for the entire season!

 

[jwhouk]

There you go. Although I will say that his last four points were gifts.

 

[Piotyr]

Word from Chicago is that Patrick Kane would be available for the second round and on.

Just one problem with that...

Apparently Kane just got cleared to play tomorrow by the team doctor.

 

[jwhouk]

I call shenanigans. I think the Hawks set Kane down to avoid Salary Cap hell issues.

 

[checkeredhat]

This Ottawa Montreal series is gonna be goooooood.

 

[jwhouk]

And now the entire National Hockey League knows why Seth Jones dropped from 1st overall to fifth in the 2013 draft.

 

[blotsfan]

Racism?

 

[HCGLNS]

4th wasn't it? And mostly because MacKinnon used him as a revolving door during the Memorial Cup.

 

[jwhouk]

4th wasn't it? And mostly because MacKinnon used him as a revolving door during the Memorial Cup.

Like Keith did to him last night.

 

[checkeredhat]

James mirtle tweeted odds on Leafs' new hires.

 

[blotsfan]

But Babcock is going to be the Sabres new coach.

Why is Babcock an option for these teams anyways? Has he really fallen out of favor in Detroit?