Stanley Cup Playoffs discussion thread — 2023 edition

[Firemans4Horn 18190]

4 minutes ago, C-Man said:

They were just talking about that on NHL Tonight this evening. They’re not sure why.

Analytics probably say if you are down by 2 or 3 it’s better to push aggressively even if there’s a good chance to get countered on the other end than just playing a conservative, normal game. Also, back in the day you wouldn’t see a goalie pulled until the last minute or two no matter the game state. 

[C-Man 27293]

Analytics probably say if you are down by 2 or 3 it’s better to push aggressively even if there’s a good chance to get countered on the other end than just playing a conservative, normal game. Also, back in the day you wouldn’t see a goalie pulled until the last minute or two no matter the game state. 

Maybe. But how many of these goals are empty-netters? Seems that there have been more teams scoring 6+ goals in these playoffs than in years past. And not to mention the wild pendulum swings from game to game. The consistency just isn’t there for anybody that’s left, other than maybe Florida.

[Beau Vine 54489]

OK, I'm counting shit up...

2022 Playoffs 1st 2 rounds:

4+ goal wins: 15, including 4 in a dogshit MN-STL series that I think I ignored.

OT games: 10

Only 2 blowout games in round 2.

 

2023 Playoffs 1st 2 rounds:

4+ goal wins: 20

OT games: 11

7 blowout games in R2 so far, including every CAR-NJ game.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Beau Vine

[Vertuzzi 1401]

Was a tough first round for teams not named Vegas. Hoping we see an uptick in competitive games during the conference finals. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

1-0 Leafs after 2. 

[Zeus 6283]

Hell yeah leafs at least for pride

Shameful display at the end there two Florida players diving on a guy after the buzzer to get some free punches in. Of course they won't suspend.

[Beau Vine 54489]

O Canada in Edmonton is so fucking cool.

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Home team up first. 

[Longhorn_Fan68 33901]

PS - don't put EDM on the power play

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Looking like another shitty one. 

[Longhorn_Fan68 33901]

10 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Looking like another shitty one. 

[PhillyD 1258]

Best fight of the playoffs was in Edmonton tonight

[Beau Vine 54489]

Quote

14. The playoffs are generally known to be an environment where space is limited, checking is tighter and goals are harder to come by. That checks out from 2008 to 2021 where teams collectively averaged 5.56 goals per game in the regular season only to see that drop to 5.41 goals per game during the playoffs.

During those 14 seasons, there were only four years where scoring increased in the playoffs: 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2018. The three-year run immediately after the 2018 playoffs was especially sludge-filled, representing three of the four largest drop-offs since 2018. From 2019 to 2021 the league averaged 5.91 goals per game during the regular season, but only 5.52 during the playoffs.

All that has changed since though, especially in these playoffs so far as the scoring renaissance has only continued. Last year the league averaged 6.21 goals per game during the season and saw it jump up to 6.31 during the playoffs. This year the jump has been even bigger: 6.29 in the season to 6.48 during the playoffs.

The age of offense is here.

15. We haven’t seen 6.48 goals per game since the early ’90s when some would argue the league was at its peak. More offense generally means more excitement, but in these playoffs there’s been an unwanted side effect of more goals: more blowouts. Of the 66 games played so far only 25 have been decided by one goal (38 percent) while 19 have been decided by four or more (29 percent). That’s just one off last year’s total which was the highest since 2008.

16. The rise of blowout games isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, it’s one that started in 2017-18 when league-wide offense began to rise. Prior to that, 51 percent of playoff games were decided by one goal and just 11 percent by four or more. From 2018 to 2022, though, one-goal game rates have dropped to 42 percent with blowout games rising to 18 percent.

This year’s rate of 30 percent may be an anomaly as the highest in the analytics era — nearly triple the previous norm — but it looks to be part of a trend as scoring increases. Better start getting used to the new normal.

 

[vtaenz 602]

I thought the oilers got preferential treatment in their game last night. Several penalties went uncalled and I thought some of the ones Vegas got were pretty soft.
I think in part that lead to the cheap shot meltdown at the end.

[Beau Vine 54489]

Quote

The offensive boom in the 2023 postseason has led to exciting moments. What it hasn't always produced is competitive games -- and that trend is only getting worse in the second round.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, around 36% of first-round games saw teams take a lead of at least four goals at any point. Through Tuesday night, 57% of the second-round games saw leads of four goals or more. First-round games were tied or within one goal for 69.7% of the time. Through Tuesday, that number was down to 53.4% in the second round.

In addition, first-round games had a team leading or trailing by three or more goals for only 11.9% of the time. That number has grown to 30% in the second round.

The average margin of victory in the playoffs through 64 games is 2.4 goals. That's slightly down from last season (2.5), which was the highest average for this point in the postseason since 2018 (2.4).

Why is this happening? The surge in goal-scoring that Ryan chronicled is one reason. The 20 empty-net goals scored so far in the playoffs helps increase that margin of victory as teams are aggressively pulling their goalies sooner.

But in one particular case, it's the growing pains of a young team. The Devils have lost six games in the playoffs to the New York Rangers and Hurricanes. In those losses, they've been outscored by an incredible margin of 32-7. When they lose, they lose big.

"We get down and then every game's kind of been like that for us. Just grows and grows," defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. -- Wyshynski

 

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Quote

Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended one game for instigating a fight in the final minute of Edmonton's 4-1 win over Vegas on Wednesday night. 

Iron fist, bitches! 

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Tied with 4 left in Carolina on TNT. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Canes win the series. 

[VirginiaLonghorn 4792]

Carolina wins in OT.  NJ let too many scoring chances go unanswered.

[C-Man 27293]

The Leafs are going to go out like a wet fart aren't they? Don't stop Leaf-ing!

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

2-1 Cats after 2. 

[C-Man 27293]

TOR got hosed

[DaysOff 7988]

Bizarre. That puck had to be across the line.

[C-Man 27293]

2 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

Bizarre. That puck had to be across the line.

Their copout is that the whistle was blown before the puck crossed. Total bullshit.

[Ghost of LL 15565]

Was it a question of when the whistle blew? Because the puck was definitely over the line.

[C-Man 27293]

3 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Was it a question of when the whistle blew? Because the puck was definitely over the line.

The replay they just showed in the intermission makes it appear that it doesn't move across the line until Bobrovsky was getting up as the play was over. It then pushed over the line. I'm no longer convinced it was a goal.

Yes, it looks like it doesn't squirt over until Bobrovsky gets up as the play is over.

[DaysOff 7988]

Agreed. TOR fucked anyway.

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Leafs tie it with 4+ left. 

[Beau Vine 54489]

 nm

Edited May 13, 2023 by Beau Vine

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Cats v. Canes next. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

And 2-1 Edm already, damn. 

[Longboard Horn 40610]

Holy shit the Florida panthers are going to face the Carolina hurricanes in the Eastern conference finals

[Longboard Horn 40610]

Can use this again 

 

[Beau Vine 54489]

16 minutes ago, Longboard Horn said:

Holy shit the Florida panthers are going to face the Carolina hurricanes in the Eastern conference finals

I think people have forgotten that FLA and CAR were the two best teams in the East last season.  It's also Bettman's dream matchup.

[Beau Vine 54489]

Are multiple OT games a thing of the past?  I can't think of any so far.

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Stars/Wild went to double in G1. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

4-2 Vegas, quite the momentum shift. 

[VirginiaLonghorn 4792]

 … 💥💥💥

[Beau Vine 54489]

Was 97 on the ice for that entire 5 minute PP?

[shadow_operative2.0 16046]

Knights up 3-2 in the series. 

[C-Man 27293]

I think people have forgotten that FLA and CAR were the two best teams in the East last season.  It's also Bettman's dream matchup.

Este

[Beau Vine 54489]

 

[Longhorn_Fan68 33901]

🤣

I still think back to this dickhead who used to be on my pool team that smugly said - years before the Kraken were even a wet dream - that hockey shouldn't exist below the Mason-Dixon line. 

 

 

[markstanco 12640]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRKxSjoH/

[VirginiaLonghorn 4792]

2 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

🤣

I still think back to this dickhead who used to be on my pool team that smugly said - years before the Kraken were even a wet dream - that hockey shouldn't exist below the Mason-Dixon line. 

 

 

Ohhhh (for) Canada.  Maybe lacrosse should be their national sport …

[markstanco 12640]

I still think back to this dickhead who used to be on my pool team that smugly said - years before the Kraken were even a wet dream - that hockey shouldn't exist below the Mason-Dixon line. 
 
 

I think I brought it up in last years stars thread but, CSB:

I was in Laredo maybe 20-25 years ago, and had calls the next morning. Customer called on my way down and asked what I was doing that evening. Nothing. He invited me to the unveiling of the Laredo IHL team mascot.

I thought he was kidding but nope, Laredo texas got a hockey team. The IHL commish made the comment that (at that time) texas had more pro hockey teams than any other state. /CSB

[Longboard Horn 40610]

[Longboard Horn 40610]

[Longhorn_Fan68 33901]

lol why is today's only NHL game at 9p? i get the time zone and all, but it's Sunday. couldn't they set the time whenever?

[Zepol87 9198]

Yea it’s stupid