Playoff Bracket Thread

[Tater]

Big comeback by the Cats tonight.

 

[Granada]

Big comeback by the Cats tonight.

Almost every Game 5 this year has been awesome so far, with the exception of the garbage officiating of course. Flames, Kings, Panthers, Leafs, Rangers all rallied to come back.

Trouba with the iffy hit on Cindy last night. Game completely changed once he went down. If the Pens are without him, that might be a series changer; or at least force a Game 7. That was the best game of the playoffs so far in my book.

 

[Bust]

Looks like Wild are one and done. Goalie swap to Talbot not working out. Down 4-0, ouch

 

[Granada]

Leafs got absolutely hosed by -- shocker -- absolute shit officiating that gave Tampa a garbage 5-on-3. A phantom high stick and a soft high stick call.

Wild out means no first round pick for Chicago in the Fleury trade. Man I hope the Avs destroy the Blues as thoroughly as they did the Preds. Will be interesting to see what happens with Fleury in the off-season.

 

[Bust]

Looks like Wild are one and done. Goalie swap to Talbot not working out. Down 4-0, ouch

Didn't help ex hawk Ryan Hartman had a career season with 34 goals and got blanked in the playoffs, ouch

 

[Granada]

Well. what do you know -- when the refs put the fucking whistles away, like they should have been doing all along, the best games of the playoffs occur.

If you didn't watch the entire Dallas/Calgary Game 7 last night, I feel sorry for you. One of the most insane goalie performances I've ever seen by Oettinger. There was a sequence in the OT not too long before the goal where he made about 5 Grade A saves in immediate succession, absolute bedlam. By far the best playoff game this year.

Best series of the first round, it's either Calgary or New York. Rangers coming back from being down 3-1 is awesome; and the way they came back in each game, with at least one game being down two goals (the game Crosby got hurt if I recall right) -- awesome. Panarin was looking like garbage for the majority of the game, then he scores the GWG.

Both Tampa and Edmonton came back from being down 3-2 in the series. Think the guys on ESPN said that whoever wins game 5 wins 80% of the time, but they obviously bucked that trend.

Really pumped for the battle of Alberta with Calgary and Edmonton. Also, a rematch of Tampa with Florida -- sign me up, considering how awesome their last series was.

 

[Granada]

Know this is late but wanted to start a thread on this -- pretty simple, list the teams you think will (or want to) advance. If you want to put the games go ahead. If you want to put more than the 1st round go ahead.

Mine ( a few of these based more on who I want to win rather than who I think will win).

Flames
Avs
Wild
Kings (I felt dirty typing that just now, but seeing the Oil choke again is just too tempting).

Leafs (again, dirty, but **** Tampa and their 3-peat)
Bruins
Rangers
Panthers

Well, guess I still got 4 teams alive out of 8.

Picks for Round 2 (hopefully):

Avs
Flames
Panthers
Rangers

I really hope the Panthers can somehow come out of the East. Anyone but Tampa. Plus I would love to see an Avs/Flames WCF.

 

[LordKOTL]

That always makes me happy

The battle for Alberta looks to be a good one, but I think the Avs are coming out of the west.

 

[Granada]

View attachment 19910
That always makes me happy

The battle for Alberta looks to be a good one, but I think the Avs are coming out of the west.

Yeah the Avs look unbeatable right now, but it all depends on health. I really hope it's an Avs/Flames WCF -- that would essentially be like the Blackhawks/Kings series of 2014, which was one of if not the best playoff series I've ever viewed in my life; even though it still hurts like a muthaphucka.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Yeah the Avs look unbeatable right now, but it all depends on health. I really hope it's an Avs/Flames WCF -- that would essentially be like the Blackhawks/Kings series of 2014, which was one of if not the best playoff series I've ever viewed in my life; even though it still hurts like a muthaphucka.

I think in terms of the Avs I am not totally sold on Darcy, and yeah not because I am a biased Hawks fans that 2014 series was one for the ages.

 

[Granada]

Wow, that Game 1 of Panthers/Lightning was a severe disappointment; one of the dullest playoff games I've ever seen.

Refs almost screwed the Avs by calling an extremely soft penalty late in regulation, where the Blues tied it up. Glad the Avs overcame that in OT and didn't let the refs alter the outcome.

 

[Bigfoot]

Watching the Battle of Alberta with my boys. Flames jumped out early, but looks like the game is settling down for Oilers

 

[Tater]

Watching the Battle of Alberta with my boys. Flames jumped out early, but looks like the game is settling down for Oilers

Lots-o-goals in that one.

 

[Granada]

Watching the Battle of Alberta with my boys. Flames jumped out early, but looks like the game is settling down for Oilers

That game was a shit show, lol. Flames jump out to 3-0 lead, then 4-1 (if memory serves), then 6-2, only for the Oilers to tie it up 6-6 in the beginning of the third. Flames are damn lucky they didn't blow that one.

I thought it was cool at the end of the game, there was a scrum, and Keith was engaged with another Flamer, when Big Z came over, grabbed him (nicely) and reasoned with him to just skate away nicely. It was almost like Zadorov was saying, "listen, you grab me nicely, I'll grab you nicely, let's just skate away from the scrum and cancel each other out nicely." And they did. Kind of cool, I know he didn't have the best tenure here, but I always liked Big Z.

The refs are still killing me. Evidently, they want to ban scrums, even minor ones, now. Soft-ass calls to Kane and Tkachuk; they're calling penalties even when players don't throw any type of punches. At this rate, hitting is going to be a rarity in the game. If it's a minor scrum, just let them go, it's the damn playoffs.

 

[TL1961]

Wow, that Game 1 of Panthers/Lightning was a severe disappointment; one of the dullest playoff games I've ever seen.

Refs almost screwed the Avs by calling an extremely soft penalty late in regulation, where the Blues tied it up. Glad the Avs overcame that in OT and didn't let the refs alter the outcome.

Binnington stood on his head in Game 1 and fortunately, the Avs were able to get the W.

Hopefully Binnington has an off night tonight. After his terrific playoff in in 2019 he has been just 'pretty good' in Reg Season the past couple years. But he's been really good in postseason thus far.

 

[DaHawkz24]

Why don't the Panthers even try to set up a one timer on the power play? Everyone is on the wrong side of the ice

 

[Granada]

Binnington stood on his head in Game 1 and fortunately, the Avs were able to get the W.

Hopefully Binnington has an off night tonight. After his terrific playoff in in 2019 he has been just 'pretty good' in Reg Season the past couple years. But he's been really good in postseason thus far.

Yeah he's been good. I missed the 3rd period last night but saw the Blues won.

Man the Panthers, I don't know what's going on with them. They still don't have a PP goal in the playoffs. Tampa scored the GWG with 2 seconds left in regulation, lol. Not to put all the blame on him, but I think you're starting to see what a guy like Anthony Duclair is really worth come playoff time, which isn't much.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Why don't the Panthers even try to set up a one timer on the power play? Everyone is on the wrong side of the ice

It didn’t show during the season but the lose of Q as a coach can definitely be the difference maker in this series and the playoffs for the Panthers.

 

[Bust]

It didn’t show during the season but the lose of Q as a coach can definitely be the difference maker in this series and the playoffs for the Panthers.

WOW! Hawks representing. Aanti Raanta starting goalie for carolina. Duncan Keith getting heavy minutes with Oilers. Phil Hartman had a huge season with Minnesota. Philip Danault made his mark and was probably the best free agent signing that paid immediate dividends to the Kings.

Makes you think. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[hawkinmontreal]

WOW! Hawks representing. Aanti Raanta starting goalie for carolina. Duncan Keith getting heavy minutes with Oilers. Phil Hartman had a huge season with Minnesota. Philip Danault made his mark and was probably the best free agent signing that paid immediate dividends to the Kings.

Makes you think. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It does make you think, how shit of GM the Hawks had. Zero vision, couldn’t see talent right in front of his face. How the Hawks ever traded Danault away is still a mystery.