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Nashville match-up in Finals?

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Ed

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May 23, 2017, 7:16:39 AM5/23/17
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Who would Nashville match-up better against in the Final?

I'm leaning towards Ottawa. I really think that Nashville's D would be the difference. Breaking down the 1-3-1 that Ottawa has been using.

Pittsburgh offense could definitely challenge Nashville and get into some higher scoring games.


Thoughts?

Nyssa

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May 23, 2017, 9:12:27 AM5/23/17
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Ottawa would be the safer match-up for Nashville, especially
with their depleted ranks, but a Pittsburgh match-up would
be more entertaining, especially for casual fans.

At this point, I'll take either one.

I can't believe that the NHL is going to push the start of
the Final back to next Monday. Nothing like a big gap between
the series to let the above-noted casual fan go find something
else to do/watch instead of keeping up the momentum.

I heard Carlyle complaining after the game about how the
Ducks had to jump right into the next series after the
seven games with the Oilers. He thinks the NHL needs to look
into the scheduling to allow an extra day or two between
series. Funny how you didn't hear that kind of moaning from
the Sharks or the Preds last season when they had the same
problem. But I agree with Carlyle that it's a LOT of intense
hockey to play back to back to back. Hard on the players
and the fans for that matter.

Nyssa, who was feeling the strain of all the late games too

Gerry

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May 23, 2017, 11:34:11 AM5/23/17
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The Pens would help me in my hockey pool and with traffic congestion around Kanata... probably not the more ideal matchup for Nashville, however. Teams are so depleted by injuries right now, it's hard to predict anything, though. If Karlsson's injury is bad or gets re-aggravated again, that's a huge blow to the Sens. The Preds won't get Johansen back no matter what. I don't know about Schultz, Hornqvist, all those other injured Pens. It's madness.

In which case, having a few days off before the Finals at least makes pretty good sense. I don't know if they have to go all the way to next Monday, though. I'd have said you wait for the Game 6 outcome tonight first. If they play a Game 7 on Thursday, then sure, Monday is fine, that's a nice little long weekend for the victor to rest up. But you don't need *5 days* if it ends tonight?

And I don't think they need more days off in between for other rounds. The Finals, ok, it's a showcase, it's the main event, it would be nice to have both teams at least somewhat fresher. But the other rounds... meh, that's why you try to finish higher in the standings and get a better matchup? Or why you try not to let the series go 7 games, etc.

Oh wait, and here's something the NHL might want to consider: how's about not letting the players absolutely kill eachother every game without calling any penalties??!?!?! If they aren't all beaten to a pulp in the process, the alternating days schedule might not seem quite so onerous.

l8r,
Gerry


Nyssa

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May 23, 2017, 12:00:32 PM5/23/17
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I agree STRONGLY with your last paragraph. There is no excuse
for the brutal stick work that's been allowed to go on during
the playoffs. There is a reason that there is a rulebook,
so use it!

If it ain't legal in the regular season, then it ain't legal
in the playoffs. This is NOT armed combat, it's HOCKEY!

I did get a chuckle when the refs overlooked the trapezoid
flub that Rinne made. It's time the trapezoid went away.
It was a stupid rule when put into the books and is even
stupider now that the two *talented* goalies who could
actually handle the puck well have retired from the game.

Get 'er done!

Nyssa, who has never understood the reasoning behind the
brutal play allowed against players just because it's
the playoffs

Chuck

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May 24, 2017, 8:56:38 AM5/24/17
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The NHL wants to market the grit and the close games that result from putting the whistle away.

Chuck

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May 24, 2017, 9:03:14 AM5/24/17
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I think the Preds are a good example of a team using the regular season to build for the playoffs and peak when it counts the most. Much has been made of their playoff seeding. Had the played the way they closed out the season earlier they would have finished a lot higher in the standings

Gerry

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May 24, 2017, 9:18:39 AM5/24/17
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Good luck to them with that. An Ottawa-Nashville final would also be quite a marketing coup, eh? As the injuries pile up, and the longer term wear and tear on players becomes more evident, it's going to be quite a challenge to make it work over the long haul.

Now that said, I think it has been the case for a verrrrrry long time (all my decades) that the whistles tend to go away in the playoffs. The difference I find now is that they aren't just going away for the more "harmless" types of infractions. You could always count on getting away with more interference, hooking, roughing in the scrums, all that sort of stuff. It has always been that way in the playoffs. But now, it just seems to me like there is more "harmful" stuff that players are getting away with too, so much slashing especially. And even if they do make a call on a more vicious play, they often penalize or suspend very lightly relative to regular season standards.

As a player, I could imagine getting a bit turned off by it all too. You have to want a Cup pretty bad to put your health at risk running that gauntlet year after year. The hunger to win might be enough to drive you through it the first time. But once you win once, how easy is it to go through it all again the next time? It's bad enough now that I'd frankly be looking at getting the PA to step in somehow if I was a player. It's their livelihoods in question here. Which sounds a little hysterical maybe... except watching some of these games it actually does seem that bad now. I like hard-hitting hockey and all, but it seems like things have gone a little off the rails. Maybe it will get better with certain teams out of the picture now? I don't know.

l8r,
Gerry


Chuck

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May 24, 2017, 12:00:18 PM5/24/17
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Whistles have always gone away during overtime periods and late in the 3rd period. This year it seems whistles have been put away after the 2nd intermissions! 1 goal or tied games in the 3rd period has reduced the NHL rule book to delay of game (puck over glass), too many men on the ice and Homicide penalty calls!
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