Special Event: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs

May 15, 2024 7:42 AM

Would the other three hockey fans like to chat about this year's playoffs?

Edmonton Oilers fan by proximity, started life as a Habs fan and was fortunate to catch the Patrick Roy years.

Who are you cheering for? What are you loving/hating about this year's playoffs? Enter any pools? Will we see a crazier game than Game 3, Rangers-Hurricanes?

posted by elkevelvet (19 comments total)

a friend of mine, devoted Habs fan though he's coming around to the Oilers, absolutely despises the Leafs

he laughed out loud when I suggested this might be the year they go deep.. then they were behind 3-1 in the series and I felt like a proper fool. Then they fought back to a Game 7, and the loss in OT prompted such gleeful cackling on his part.. "Peak Leafs" he said, and I have to admit it almost seems impossible to imagine them advancing, ever
posted by elkevelvet at 7:45 AM on May 15

Rangers-Hurricanes and Canucks-Oilers have both been a phenomenal series so far.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 9:38 AM on May 15

Last night's Canucks-Oilers had me in despair, most of the 3rd

Glad they put Pickard in net, but Silovs has turned into one of those playoff goaltending stories and when Edmonton pulls their bullshit like they did in the 3rd (i.e. just losing the whole thread of the post-season, I don't know what you call it), it's kind of upsetting. Lucky for Bouchard! and Kane, on that goal. His hard hit then moving into the front of the net like that def. contributed.
posted by elkevelvet at 10:00 AM on May 15

Silovs' charge on Kane was just unreal.... Oilers were lucky they had those first two muscular periods to make up for the third otherwise Vancouver could've pulled another miraculous comeback.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 6:56 PM on May 15 [1 favorite]

I'm over hear watching Bears/Wolf Pack since the Caps are (hilariously) out again...
posted by ersatzkat at 1:08 PM on May 16

Silovs' charge on Kane was just unreal

so impressive.. the number of things that could have gone wrong, but he pulled it off and that was easily a highlight of this year's playoffs
posted by elkevelvet at 10:14 AM on May 17

i didn't watch the Stars/Avalanche game but from the talk, i guess the NHL still doesn't know what goaltender interference is or how to handle goals/non-goals.

yes, I'm still angry about game 4 of the B's/Panthers series. Bruins exceeded expectations and still played a disappointing series. mostly tho, i cannot stand the Panthers and the amount of leeway they get from refs for their dirty play.
posted by kokaku at 6:20 AM on May 18 [2 favorites]

I'm sad that the Bruins are out, but I'm not surprised. As much as I love them, they played so poorly in this round. And yeah, kokaku, I'm with you on the refs!
posted by maryellenreads at 7:55 AM on May 18

this is buried so low I'm sure it's a fool's errand to persist, but

Eastern Final: series starts tonight, Panthers at Rangers. I'm not a close study of teams but I did watch some Panthers action and they sure contained the Bruins handily.. Rangers looked pretty lethal in some of those games vs. Hurricanes.. Panthers? They're a dirty, gritty team. Tkachuk is the player you love to hate.

Western Final: my heart says Oilers but the Stars look absolutely formidable and Oettinger has the answer for Edmonton's hotshots, I think. We'll see. I'm in Calgary for Games 1-3, so that's a farce. The hosts are committed Flames fans and I wouldn't put it past them to cheer for Dallas, or even refuse to watch the game. There's a chance I'm looking for a bar/lounge to catch the games!
posted by elkevelvet at 11:31 AM on May 22

I'm going with Dallas in 6 over Edmonton. I think Edmonton's goaltending and depth are both weak enough that Dallas can win the series. McDavid and Drai will get Edm a game or two but aren't enough to take the whole series against a well balanced team like Dallas seems to be this year.
posted by beaning at 11:46 AM on May 22

I'm too much of a fan to agree with your sober prediction, but I won't argue with the reasoning

goaltending

is there a clear winner in the Panthers/Rangers series?
posted by elkevelvet at 11:52 AM on May 22

I'm daring to dream that Edmonton will pull this one off. If you look at this series on its own far, Skinner & Oettinger have similar save percentages (.908 and .914 respectively), but Edmonton has thrown about 25% more shots at the Dallas goal than vice versa.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:20 AM on June 1 [1 favorite]

Hoping Dallas bounces back tonight. I was feeling pretty good about their chances but Game 5 was ...uhm, not their best.

If it's FLA vs EDM, then I'm rooting for FLA as proof a small hockey market team can win + I'd love to see Canada explode.
posted by beaning at 7:30 AM on June 2

I'm going with Dallas in 6 over Edmonton. I think Edmonton's goaltending and depth are both weak enough that Dallas can win the series. McDavid and Drai will get Edm a game or two but aren't enough to take the whole series against a well balanced team like Dallas seems to be this year.

I did not expect Edmonton in 6, that's for sure

Was it Game 5 where the Oilers came back from a 2-0 deficit? That was the pivot, they really seemed to kick it up a notch to win a game you'd expect them to lose, and on Dallas's turf. I was making dinner when McDavid scored the first goal of Game 6, what a beaut.

An Edmonton/Florida series will be interesting.
posted by elkevelvet at 6:51 AM on June 3

Yeah, Dallas' loss ruins my chance to win the pool at work. While Edm definitely kicked it up, Dallas just seemed disorganized to me in Game 6 which probably comes of being desperate but I don't know what DeBoer was thinking. Also sad this is likely Pavs' last year, he brought so much to the team.

I really thought Skinner was their greatest weakness; Reddit says Edm brought in sports psych to help him--and if true,it clearly did.

Fla however has made it past Boston's Swayman, Toronto's Woll/Samsonov and NYR's Shesterkin--so Skinner will need what help he can get. Officer Bob tho is red-hot and on the case.
posted by beaning at 8:24 AM on June 3

besides the goaltending question, there's a hunger from Florida and I can't say the Oilers have faced anything quite like it.. the Kings just wanted to not face a threepeat and I'm sure that's as far as they were looking.. the Canucks may have surprised themselves to make a 7-game series of it, but I wouldn't blame them for thinking they could have taken that series also. They really could have. Dallas probably thought they would be in the finals.

But Florida seems to have started out thinking the Cup will be theirs. We'll see if McDavid is a big reason that won't happen.. he seems determined to captain the Oilers to a win.
posted by elkevelvet at 8:32 AM on June 3

Here we go. This is going to be epic either way.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:21 PM on June 24

Not looking good for Edmonton. But I do remember Chicago in 2013...
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:47 PM on June 24

Sigh. Maybe next year.
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:54 PM on June 24