It’s an odd year for sure. Only the Blues look like a legitimate contender in this conference. Then maybe Colorado and Dallas are pretty good. After that there’s a grouping of 7 - 8 teams that are ok but they all have their own warts. The first couple of weeks after the All Star Break will sorts some things out.ESQ wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:32 pm Looks like Arizona is starting to fade, and I seriously question the timing of the Gallant firing in Vegas.
Could the Pac go all-Canadian for the 1-2-3 seeds?
For most of the year I thought the central would have the two wild card spots, so best seeding is 2nd or 3rd. But right now it looks like any seed in the pac could go to the WCF.
2019/20 Pacific Division
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- Blob Mckenzie
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
Ya, I think Tkachuk's become too much of a distraction at a key part of the season. The flames aren't resilient enough to be the least-respected team in the league, unlike the Bruins, who don't have as much media attention to have to try to justify Marchand's dirty hockey.
Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
After the TDD, I think the Canucks received the best player amongst Pacific teams. I think Toffoli will have a bigger impact than Martinez, and the Oil and Flames just added depth pieces (paying up futures rather than getting them UFA, but that's a different thread!).
However, the loss of Markstrom is massive, and could very well cost us top seed.
While I like our chances against any team in the Pac, I do think home ice advantage would be huge against Vegas.
However, the loss of Markstrom is massive, and could very well cost us top seed.
While I like our chances against any team in the Pac, I do think home ice advantage would be huge against Vegas.
- Cousin Strawberry
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
The coilers wont be an easy out at all. The 2 best players in the game are going to be motivated and extremely tough to neutralize...especially when theyll be constantly thrown out against Stetcher.
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
The Oil adding depth and the Flames adding depth are two completely different things. For the Flames, these moves are at most marginal. But the Oil depth is starting from "awful," so adding anything resembling an NHL player makes a big difference. As for the Knights, don't dismiss the impact Lehner might have. Fleury is not above average any more (and rarely was, though I like the guy), Lehner is. Lehner can steal games. It will be interesting to see the deployment.ESQ wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:51 am After the TDD, I think the Canucks received the best player amongst Pacific teams. I think Toffoli will have a bigger impact than Martinez, and the Oil and Flames just added depth pieces (paying up futures rather than getting them UFA, but that's a different thread!).
However, the loss of Markstrom is massive, and could very well cost us top seed.
While I like our chances against any team in the Pac, I do think home ice advantage would be huge against Vegas.
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
What I also like is Boeser could heal up quicker as well, hopefully he's almost 90% by the time the playoffs roll around in April 8.
Boeser' last game was Feb. 8th, so in April that'll be about 2 months of healing time for Brockstar, lets hope he has some wolverine blood in him to heal up faster than originally thought and can take some pounding in the playoffs to still snipe in some goals.
Boeser' last game was Feb. 8th, so in April that'll be about 2 months of healing time for Brockstar, lets hope he has some wolverine blood in him to heal up faster than originally thought and can take some pounding in the playoffs to still snipe in some goals.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
I totally disagree. Fleury was the team MVP for the past two seasons, and the primary reason they were able to exceed expectations as an expansion team. To my surprise (because I also didn't think highly of him in his later penguins years), he's been top-5 in the league since joining Vegas. Even better if you count his last playoffs in Pitt.UWSaint wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:41 am [quote=ESQ post_id=374310 time=1582649460 As for the Knights, don't dismiss the impact Lehner might have. Fleury is not above average any more (and rarely was, though I like the guy), Lehner is. Lehner can steal games. It will be interesting to see the deployment.
Lehner almost took the starting job from Crawford, but lost it over the last few weeks as Chicago is pushing for a playoff spot.
Even though I quite like Lehner, there is no chance he takes over the starter role - something he's only been 2-3 times throughout his career. Lehner has also only managed to win one playoff round, while I believe Fleury has won more playoff rounds than any active goalie (by quite a long shot).
Fleury is having a down here, but Lehner had a career year last season with only 46 starts and hasn't replicated that this year.
A backup goalie on a playoff-bound team is less valuable than a 25/30 goal top-6 forward, IMO.
Edit: I'll also add, Varlamov is having a near-career year playing for Trotz's Islanders, with far more starts than Lehner had.
Last edited by ESQ on Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Blob Mckenzie
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
They also added a solid second pairing D man along with the goaltending insurance and a tenacious bottom six forward
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
They also lost their 3rd line center.Doyle Hargraves wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:15 pm They also added a solid second pairing D man along with the goaltending insurance and a tenacious bottom six forward
We'll see what Martinez has left in the tank, IMO he's a bottom-pairing Dman on the Knights, though certainly an above-average bottom-pairing Dman.
Canucks picked up a 1st-line winger (at least, he will be 1st-line until Brock returns). I still think that's more valuable than Martinez/Lehner/Cousins - though if we're counting Lehner I think we have to also count Domingue, who will likely get close to as many starts as Lehner (IMO).
I think Vancouver was a better team than Vegas prior to the deadline, the main difference now is the injuries Vancouver has been nailed with over the past week. If Brock and Marky make it back healthy, Van has to be the favourite out of the Pac.
Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
And Vegas lost Erik Haula last year and now Cody Eakin.
Two quality veteran centers gone, replaced with Chandler Stephenson and some guy named Gage Quinney who is born in Nevada lol.
I don't know about ya'll, but I think Brandon Sutter can be an unsung hero in the playoffs, he has no pressure to perform playing behind Petey, Horvat, Gaudette and Beagle, plus will probably just love being back in the playoffs IF/ONCE the team achieves that, he's been through a lot since he became a Canuck with injuries after years of playing 80+ games a season prior. And sadly he could become a cap casualty after this season, so lets hope this season ends positively for Mr. Sutter.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
- Blob Mckenzie
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
Sutter gonna go all John Tonelli for us
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- Carl Yagro
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
Sutter gonna John Druce.
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
Sutter gonna Tyler Bozak it.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
- Blob Mckenzie
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Re: 2019/20 Pacific Division
“I don’t care what you and some other poster were talking about”