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I hate to say it but the Panthers defense is otherworldly (so far this post season) They strangle their opponents & beat the shit out of them all game. Based on what I have seen so far. The Oil will be lucky to score at all.
Their forecheck is impressive. I watched the Rangers/Panthers tilt and Florida played a talented, high-scoring, well-defended (with all-world d-man in Fox) to near perfection. There is just no quit in the Eastern Conference champs even when they are down on the scoreboard or series.
Edmonton has yet to play a team like this IMO. We'll see what the Oil are made of.
I did a glance of the Cup preview including one on the analytics and aside from Edmonton's crazy PP, the Panther's out-metric the Oil in all other categories. Again, we'll see because I thought the Stars outclassed Edmonton and the Oil found a way.
Putting my money on Panthers in 5. I am likely too high on the Panthers and I am not even fan. However, their domination has just been run too much to perfection. I don't see how they don't win it. After last year they didn't get down not making it. They just came back harder.
Putting my money on Panthers in 5. I am likely too high on the Panthers and I am not even fan. However, their domination has just been run too much to perfection. I don't see how they don't win it. After last year they didn't get down not making it. They just came back harder.
Agreed, the Panthers forecheck and aggressive play are very difficult to defend or generate offense against, will be an interesting series, but I don't think Edmonton has enough firepower to overcome the tenacity. Also, McJesus has been mostly invisible all playoffs and that doesn't bode well either.
Couldn't agree more, and I'm not the only one who sees how dirty he is or what a liability he is...
This postseason was loaded with disappointments and underachievers for the New York Rangers. A lot of the major forwards did not play up to the level that has become expected of them; Adam Fox didn't play at his usual level (though he was probably dealing with an injury after the knee-on-knee hit with Nick Jensen in the Washington series). Still, by far the largest disappointment, both in terms of disappointment and size of the player, is New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba.
By all accounts, Trouba is a wonderful person off the ice. I have no reason to doubt this. He's always been seen doing the right things with fans and acting with the utmost professionalism. The issue with Trouba has nothing to do with him as a person; it's how poor his play was and has been for the Rangers. He's talked about for his borderline hits, and this year was a new low for the Blueshirts captain.
With another fine for elbowing and two missed elbow attempts in the Hurricanes series, he was constantly trying to chicken-wing opponents, and it's not good enough. He missed for the most part, but if he connects and gets penalized or suspended, he puts his team at a disadvantage. That behavior wasn't good enough for someone supposed to be a leader for this young group of players.
This is before we get to his play. The goal that opened the scoring in game six saw Trouba wander to the boards. Bennett then wired a perfect shot home off the bar, but it was created because Trouba saw a shiny thing along the boards and wanted to abandon his position, blocking the shooting lane and trying to close down the angle of the Bennett shot.
You can pick any number of times he did that this postseason—almost every one of the Carolina Hurricanes goals in round two game with Trouba on the ice. If we turn to Natural Stat Trick to look at the analytics, Trouba had 2.25 goals per 60 (GF/60), which is fine, and 2.47 goals against sixty (GA/60), for 47.62 goals per percentage (GF%). It's fine, but it's below average. Compare this to Adam Fox, who was playing hurt. Fox had a 2.2 GF/60 but a 1.54 GA/60 and a 28.82 GF%. Fox had one leg.
If you look at the expected stats, Trouba had 2.27 expected goals per 60 (xGF/60), 2.80 expected goals against 60 (xGA/60), and 44.80 expected goals for percentage (xGF%). That is bordering on unusable. xGF% should be around 50% for third-pairing D men, and you want closer to 60 for the elite guys. Trouba was almost unusable. That's the Rangers captain.
You may be an old-timer and don't like the fancy stats. Trouba had a goal and six assists for seven points but was a net 0. His goal was shorthanded, so it doesn't impact his +/-, so there were something like six times he was on the ice for a goal against. This doesn't include how poor he was on the penalty kill, either. This is for a player that makes $8 million for the next two years. It's not an acceptable performance for a Ranger captain.
What do you do with Trouba? His no-movement clause drops to a modified no-trade clause on July 1st, where he will get to block trades to 15 teams in the NHL for the upcoming season, so you can find someone to take him, but it's unlikely. No one will want someone that poor to make that much money. The buyout is an option, but there isn't much point with just two years left.
Always amazes me how hockey players play through major injuries, baseball players don't play if their feelings are hurt.
Rangers injury list that came out of Breakup Day:
- Adam Fox re-aggravated knee injury on collision with Washington's Nick Jensen.
- Jacob Trouba suffered a broken ankle in March, when a "kidney-sized bean chunk of my ankle came off."
- Jimmy Vesey sustained a separated shoulder on the Ryan Lomberg hit, won't need surgery.
- Ryan Lindgren cracked a rib in Game 6 of the Carolina series.
Always amazes me how hockey players play through major injuries, baseball players don't play if their feelings are hurt.
Rangers injury list that came out of Breakup Day:
- Adam Fox re-aggravated knee injury on collision with Washington's Nick Jensen.
- Jacob Trouba suffered a broken ankle in March, when a "kidney-sized bean chunk of my ankle came off."
- Jimmy Vesey sustained a separated shoulder on the Ryan Lomberg hit, won't need surgery.
- Ryan Lindgren cracked a rib in Game 6 of the Carolina series.
Would have much rather seen a Stars/Panthers final. Stars fell apart at the wrong time but the style of hockey I feel still would have made for a better finals. Oilers maybe get one here but I wouldn't rule out a sweep at this point even.
Well, that is a wrap. Oilers are food for the kittie. They are not coming back from this.
Any hope now rides on Game 3. But, I think the Panthers' experience learned from last year is on full display.
And yet again, Edmonton is built wrong. Was it the 'amazing' OMGOMGOMG-he-scoring-lots-D-man Bouchard who literally passed the puck for the GWG scored by Florida? Yup.
The depth has been impressive. Who was over the boards to take a key faceoff in their own zone on the PK? A 4th liner against Drasaitl/McDavid.
Panthers have Ekblad, Forsling (another ex-Hawk, ), Ekman-Larsson, Kulikov, and Montour on their blueline...steady and all making smart plays. And Bob is dialed in. No wonder he's not worried. But, it's a circular thing -- D strengthens the goalie and the goalie strengthens the D.
Oilers have maybe just Ekholm who impresses me. The rest? I dunno. Bouchard can score a heap but is he Norris-worthy?
Oils look dead in the water, totally classless cheap shots after the whistle in the third including the high hit on Barkov.... Just disgusting
Completely boxed out and playing peripherally. They need to figure this out in Game 3 or it's over in 4 or 5 games.
In regards to the hit on Barkov by Draisaitl, the only comment I have is based on what happened in the past: What's the difference on Soucy's hit that got HIM suspended? To me, this hit by Draisaitl looks to be the same and frankly, it was on purpose. Soucy's was I think accidental.
Completely boxed out and playing peripherally. They need to figure this out in Game 3 or it's over in 4 or 5 games.
In regards to the hit on Barkov by Draisaitl, the only comment I have is based on what happened in the past: What's the difference on Soucy's hit that got HIM suspended? To me, this hit by Draisaitl looks to be the same and frankly, it was on purpose. Soucy's was I think accidental.
But Draisaitl is a star so the league won't punish him. Especially considering if you suspend him even for just a game. You might as well just hand the Panthers the cup for sure. I already think you can as it is.
Feeling better about the Rangers first liners being held to bupkis.
I think it prolly didn't help that Fox was limping in the series. He's all-world and exactly what a contending team needs. But yeah, Panthers' ferocious forecheck is impressive and I think their work along the boards are unmatched in the playoffs.
And Barkov reminds me alot of Toews/Bergeron. He's awesome.
Boston fans are saying the same thing (re winning at home)
It was a given there would not be a sweep, I thought there would lol
I did as well given how the Panthers seemed to have all the answers even when they were not playing great (i.e. Game 1).
Shows that despite their flaws, Edmonton is still immensely talented (they made it this far) and you can't take games off. Maurice seemed to be winning the coaching front until his one mistake when he had the 4th line out to take a zone faceoff in Oilers' territory...that led to a goal and the floodgates really opened up.
We'll see how the Panthers adjust but I mean, if Edmonton wins next game, I'll be entertained. I want a long series with blood, mayhem, and lots of OT (so far none, boo!).
My blood pressure is much happier without a stake.
I hope it goes 7 & they beat the hell out of each other.
Though, if I remember correctly, didn't these same Panthers get -ed by the Bolts in their first try at elimination? Not quite similar but they let in a pile of goals to your Rangers in a game also. So, I think if anything, the Panthers have experienced this before. So, I suspect this ends in game 5?
All I have looking forward to is the draft for my Hawks.
It is tough to sweep any team in the finals in any sport. Pride is a strong motivator for these guys to get at least one. Just look at the Mavs vs Celtics and the fact the Celtics got run over 122 to 84 in game 4. In both cases, I am pretty sure we are just delaying the inevitable. My only little concern is that this last game breaks Bob's confidence he has been playing with that it might have woken up McDavid to start scoring.
On another note, the Nurse hit on Bennett was awful and should have been more than 2min.
06-03-2024, 05:06 PM
), Ekman-Larsson, Kulikov, and Montour on their blueline...steady and all making smart plays. And Bob is dialed in. No wonder he's not worried. But, it's a circular thing -- D strengthens the goalie and the goalie strengthens the D. 
-ed by the Bolts in their first try at elimination? Not quite similar but they let in a pile of goals to your Rangers in a game also. So, I think if anything, the Panthers have experienced this before. So, I suspect this ends in game 5? 
