NHL

Every game I watch I wonder if this is the last game the Stars win then after every win I feel they can win it all. If teams can’t find ways to beat them at home then surely this is a team of destiny? Is it too bold to say WCF in 5 and SCF in 4?

Probably, but they beat Vegas in 7 and Avs in 6.

This much is true: they're fun to watch, they’re a complete team, and they believe in themselves.
 

Good Lord. What has happened between the Oilers' pipes? Ok, Stars had only 20 shots but some of them were from pretty good spots. Special teams seem to be turning this series. "O' Canada" will be loud in Rogers Place tomorrow...
 
Bwana said:
Good Lord. What has happened between the Oilers' pipes? Ok, Stars had only 20 shots but some of them were from pretty good spots. Special teams seem to be turning this series. "O' Canada" will be loud in Rogers Place tomorrow...
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There's a decent number of years where a netminder catching fire for six weeks seems to decide the Cup, most famously Tim Thomas back in 2011. If an already good team has someone transform into peak Hasek, that's tough to beat.
 

Martin Alvito said:
There's a decent number of years where a netminder catching fire for six weeks seems to decide the Cup, most famously Tim Thomas back in 2011. If an already good team has someone transform into peak Hasek, that's tough to beat.
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Thomas was a peculiar one. It was deemed that his bright future was behind him when he came here to the Finnish league's IFK Helsinki. They won and he went back to revive his NHL career. No dice and Thomas was in and out of Europe for many years. Then in the end Raycroft was a bit scythe and my hometown boy Hannu Toivonen injured and he got his chance in the bright lights when he was what, 32 yrs or something. He actually wasn't just a flash in the pan 'cos prior to 2011 he already had the Vezina trophy under his belt.
 
Bwana said:
I feel for the Stars but this is the reason McJesus deserves a shot at the Cup. Unbelievable.


https://www.nhl.com/video/dal-edm-mcdavid-scores-goal-against-jake-oettinger-6354182791112
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That McDavid goal will be a forever highlight. Great work by him but also their entire team in turning that around and playing tough. Their PP/PK was outstanding but also the Stars were limp on both. Will be a good matchup between Oilers and Panthers I think. Stars have some tough decisions to make with the older players, or maybe they aren't tough at all. Consecutive WCF isn't anything poor in terms of outcomes, but this team is set up to win and I don't think Pavelski can skate (or hold a stick) any more and these guys as a group were shut out in tight spaces in each series. It's no surprise to anyone whose watched the Stars that Stankoven was called up and featured heavily and the late addition of Bourque is mildly surprising but the reality of Bourque and Petrovic being added to the playoff roster when neither played any games during the season shows the obvious holes in the roster. Back to you, Jim Nill.
 
SerenityNigh said:
That McDavid goal will be a forever highlight. Great work by him but also their entire team in turning that around and playing tough. Their PP/PK was outstanding but also the Stars were limp on both. Will be a good matchup between Oilers and Panthers I think. Stars have some tough decisions to make with the older players, or maybe they aren't tough at all. Consecutive WCF isn't anything poor in terms of outcomes, but this team is set up to win and I don't think Pavelski can skate (or hold a stick) any more and these guys as a group were shut out in tight spaces in each series. It's no surprise to anyone whose watched the Stars that Stankoven was called up and featured heavily and the late addition of Bourque is mildly surprising but the reality of Bourque and Petrovic being added to the playoff roster when neither played any games during the season shows the obvious holes in the roster. Back to you, Jim Nill.
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The league gets meaner in the playoffs, you have to show a bit more guts, grit and pure evil than the Stars in the end did. There is a reason Corey Perry is in their roster. Then on the other hand the league gets even more a young mans' game, Pavelski's ice time last night was 16:50, compared to McDavid's 23:44 and Draisaitl's 21:27. Those are huge differences, that's between 8-10 shifts more/game Oilers got from those two than Stars got from old-Joe. I wonder if they can keep up with those minutes against Panthers?
 
Bwana said:
The league gets meaner in the playoffs, you have to show a bit more guts, grit and pure evil than the Stars in the end did. There is a reason Corey Perry is in their roster. Then on the other hand the league gets even more a young mans' game, Pavelski's ice time last night was 16:50, compared to McDavid's 23:44 and Draisaitl's 21:27. Those are huge differences, that's between 8-10 shifts more/game Oilers got from those two than Stars got from old-Joe. I wonder if they can keep up with those minutes against Panthers?
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Some of that is a factor of the 4 line rotation that DeBoer likes, he had 7 skaters between 16 and 18 ATOI during the playoffs then Johnston and Robertson with 20 and 19 minutes. Only the top 4 defensemen had more time than Johnston and Robertson (not including GK). Edmonton had McDavid, Draisatl, and Nugent Hopkins at 20+ then no skaters until Kane at 15 (and a very small group of skaters from 13-15 ATOI). Like you say, we'll see if that hurts them but they're tough guys and it's a mental game now.
 

German f*cker took out the current best overall attacker of the sport & quite likely the Conn Smythe-winner and got only 2 minutes. One fiver for kneeing also for the Oil. Seems like they have realised something and are acting accordingly. Draisaitl should get a 3-4 match ban 'cos what he did was deliberate. He ain't getting nothing b/c NHL. Gone are the days when you answered the call for real immediately/next match. And don't get me wrong, Bennett, Trouba et al should've all gotten suspensions for their actions during the play-offs.

That's a cheek bone there.

 
Am glad the Panthers got their asses handed to them last night, unfortunately its probably too little to late for the Oilers as Florida have likely gotten their one bad performance out of their system and will finish the job in 5
 

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