(Spoilers) The thread where CALIFORNIA LOOOOVE~!

[Hewey]

Missed the ending, but that was a hell of game between Boston and Montreal. Carey Price was amazing, not to mention, Boston had some great chances that missed/hit the post. Come on, Montreal, just beat them three more times.

[Ruki]

Yeah, sorry, no chance the Flames make the playoffs next year. I'd love for them to (living in Calgary, the playoff atmosphere would be great)...but they still have a ways to go. Their forwards aren't great, their defense is lacking, and as much as you like Ramo, he is a question mark.

[Plubby]

...what. You do realise is that if the squad gets no better, that like five teams have to get WORSE to get the Flames into the playoffs? Which five will it be?

The team improved over the course of the season and will continue to do so. Teams don't have to get worse, they just have to not get better. With Karri Ramo finally settling into his return to the NHL over the last bit of the season, the amount of one goal games that the team played, and the fact that they improved without adding any significant pieces, I'd say that a Flames squad that enters next season the way it ended this season has to be projected to be in the playoff hunt.

That said, with the way the team played together, the positivity of the coaches, and the fact that in season one of the rebuild, they shocked the hockey world... Calgary is going to look like a pretty okay landing spot for free agents. Even if we don't land any significant UFA's on July 1st, we have a shit ton of cap space and a couple of pieces that could bring back a decent return that improves the team now without mortgaging the future.

I fully believe that the Flames who ended the 2014 regular season are good enough to challenge for a playoff spot next season. That's not saying they make it. That's saying that they will be playing meaningful games right down to the wire.

To deal with this in a little more depth, it beggars belief.

I'd say that a Flames squad that enters next season the way it ended this season has to be projected to be in the playoff hunt.

Absolute and Utter Rubbish.

That said, with the way the team played together, the positivity of the coaches, and the fact that in season one of the rebuild, they shocked the hockey world...

Absolute and Utter Rubbish.

Calgary is going to look like a pretty okay landing spot for free agents.

Subjective, but I just don't see it.

At the midpoint of the season, Calgary were 13th of 14 in the West with 34 points. At the end of the season, Calgary were 13th of 14 in the West, with 77 points. This is not shocking the hockey world. Over the last half of the season, Calgary played at an 86 point pace, good for 11th in the West.

They *did*, to your credit, play at a 96 point pace in the last quarter of the season, but this number is dramatically misleading. They played 13 of their last 21 games against non-playoff teams. They played 12 of their last 21 against second, third or fourth string goaltenders. (In fact they played against a team's third-most-used goaltender almost as often as they played against their starter. This is not "shocking the hockey world" - this is a bad team beating up on backups and other bad teams.

This is a bad hockey team. They played badly until the end of the season, when everyone knew they were a bad team and gave their workhorses the night off. They will get better, but what you are playing with here referring to the way they finished is fools' gold. They were a bottom-five possession team last season and maintaining this core will not put them into the playoffs unless Ramo goes on a Varlamov-like run next year. And we all know my Avs are due for a regression next season, the question is simply how much.

[Toe]

Firing Torts was smart. Linden probably has already talked to several potential GMs, and I doubt any of them wanted to come in and have to go through all the shit that Torts did again.

Now, whoever is the new GM has a clean slate. I think this is a positive for the Canucks.

Why Randy Carlyle hasn't been fired yet, I don't know.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Toe

[munky]

Missed the ending, but that was a hell of game between Boston and Montreal. Carey Price was amazing, not to mention, Boston had some great chances that missed/hit the post. Come on, Montreal, just beat them three more times.

Agreed, Montreal vs New York would be sweet in the next round.

[Hewey]

Missed the ending, but that was a hell of game between Boston and Montreal. Carey Price was amazing, not to mention, Boston had some great chances that missed/hit the post. Come on, Montreal, just beat them three more times.

Agreed, Montreal vs New York would be sweet in the next round.

Nah, Pittsburgh vs Montreal would be better.

And damn, looking over the schedule, NY is going to play Pittsburgh three times in four days, after coming off back to back games against the Flyers. If Pittsburgh can't win two out of the first three, they're going to blow a good chance against a tired Rangers team.

[TGWL]

Yeah, it's a shitty schedule for Rangers. I'm expecting their speed to show a drastic decrease in games 2 & 3.

I'm actually hoping for Rangers - Boston to be honest. I'm still a little annoyed at how it ended last year against Boston. Although, I think we match up against Montreal much better... I'd rather see Penguins - Boston than Penguins/Montreal as well.

[Hewey]

Yeah, the Rangers definitely got a raw deal with this schedule. I think it's because MSG or Consol are booked and those were the available days, but it's a big disadvantage for NY and a huge advantage for Pittsburgh. I'm expecting Pittsburgh to come out hard tonight and Sunday.

I would like Pittsburgh/Boston in a rematch because I am still very annoyed about last year, but Pittsburgh matches up against Montreal better.

[Hewey]

Pittsburgh cannot win a game in OT, ugh. Much tighter game than I was expecting, and Pittsburgh's piss poor start really cost them tonight. I can't believe they didn't come out stronger in the first.

[Plubby]

Cannot win a game?! They lost this one twice!

[Hewey]

Cannot win a game?! They lost this one twice!

That was such a pathetic effort in OT. Crosby has got to be injured, cause he looked horrible last night, especially in OT. Scuderi needs to be scratched, won't happen, but he has been so useless all playoffs long. And WTF is Bylsma doing changing the Malkin/Crosby/Kunitz line when it worked so well the last two games? Ugh........ If they lose game 2, they're done. I cannot believe they came out so poorly in the first.

[Mr. X]

Patrick Kane can frustrate the shit out of me, but then he has moments like this which makes me realize how lucky Chicago is to have him.

[Plubby]

When 16

Became 8

[SeanDMan]

[Hewey]

Only took eight games, but Pittsburgh played a full sixty minutes and looked great tonight. Rangers looked a lot more tired tonight, and took a lot of hits out there. Hopefully they have a rough time getting going tomorrow night. And Fleury gets a shutout.

[TGWL]

The 3 big penalty kills gave them a lot of momentum. The way lundqvist was playing, if they could've gotten an early lead, they might have been able to steal a win. But that was awful powerful, well 3 in a row...completely killed them. They didn't have any legs either. I expected them to be tired last night and tonight, but they're typically a well conditioned team. I guess it depends how much energy Penguins used up last night.

[RPS]

This is a game that New York needs to win, but given their schedule, is unlikely they will win. I hope they do. I want Pittsburgh to win the series, but I like competitive hockey much better.

I know there was an article written about it back in April, but I feel bad for some of these players who are playing in the playoffs after the Olympic Games. Take Crosby for example: he missed two games the regular season, played every game of the Olympics and is now playing the Playoffs. That is an insane schedule.

[Hewey]

Definitely, I think some of the olympic players should have been given some games off, I mean, there was no need for Crosby to play that many games after early/mid March, since Pittsburgh pretty much clinched their division by then. I'm glad Crosby was flying out there last night, but you gotta wonder if he was playing through injury in first round, or if he was just worn down, etc.

And the PK definitely helped Pittsburgh last night. Lundqvuist was awesome, and definitely kept them in the game. I'm pulling for Pittsburgh to finish them off quickly, and get some rest, but I don't see them winning three more straight. I think they split the next two, and then Pittsburgh wins game 5 and 6. NY is definitely at a disadvantage tonight, they took some big hits out there, and it looks like the schedule might be getting to them.

[TGWL]

Rangers are the first team to play 5 playoff games in 9 days, since 1989... I can't believe how dumb this schedule has been.

[Hewey]

Rangers are the first team to play 5 playoff games in 9 days, since 1989... I can't believe how dumb this schedule has been.

Is there any explanation as to why the schedule is like that? I'm assuming it's because of the availability of Consol and MSG?