NHL 2017 -Official Discussion Thread

[StCapps]

The sweep of Chigaco was abnormal, that appears to be a one off, then they got Jake Allen followed by Gibson-Bernier, they've just gotten lucky, they haven't been overwhelmingly good, they've just had the hot hand goaltender, against three teams whose goaltenders were really meh.

They've faced the toughest competition of any team in the playoffs, hands down. Chicago-St. Louis-Anaheim, no contest.

Jake Allen actually killed it, the Preds won convincingly anyway, it was the Blues scoring that let them down, not Allen, he nearly played as well as Rinne that series. Even with goaltending that leaves a lot to be desired, Anaheim is a tough out, especially without your top centers down the stretch of that series. So quit hating for the sake of hating, weak competition isn't why they are doing so well, if so than every other team has been in a better spot and couldn't cash in, yet Nashville did, that means something.

They beat Anaheim last year too and avenged their series loss to the Blues from the year before rather convincingly. How is back to back playoff series victories in consecutive years, against a team of the Ducks quality, not convincing? Especially in a year they sweep the Blackhawks and have played so well defensively?

[Smitty-48]

Jake Allen was OK, he wasn't the "toughest competition", that's ridiculous hyperbole, suddenly Jake is Carey Price 2.0; no. They didn't face a Jonathan Quick, Carey Price, or Henrik Lundqvist, they only powerhouse they beat was Chicago, but there was something weird going on there, Chigaco was in some sort of fog, to say that they beat the Chigaco Blakchawks at the top of their game; no again.

They havent' faced one team which was at the top of their game, they haven't beaten anyboduy convincingly, because the three teams they have beat, weren't on their game, if they beat the Chigaco Blackhawks playing like the Chicago Blackhawks, that would be more convincing, but that wasn't the Chigaco Blackhawks at full output, not even close.

[StCapps]

Jake Allen was OK, he wasn't the "toughest competition", that's ridiculous hyperbole, suddenly Jake is Carey Price 2.0; no. They didn't face a Jonathan Quick, Carey Price, or Henrik Lundqvist, they only powerhouse they beat was Chicago, but there was something weird going on there, Chigaco was in some sort of fog, to say that they beat the Chigaco Blakchawks at the top of their game; no again.

I never said Jake Allen is Carey Price, or that the Preds beat the Hawks at the top their game.

What I did say was that Jake Allen played as well as you can ask a goalie to play, in any playoff series, against the Preds this year. I am saying Chicago-St. Louis-Anaheim is the toughest route to the Cup that any team has faced this year, thus shitting on their competition makes no sense.

The competition the Predators are facing isn't weak, but your argument is.

[Smitty-48]

Jake Allen was OK, he wasn't the "toughest competition", that's ridiculous hyperbole, suddenly Jake is Carey Price 2.0; no. They didn't face a Jonathan Quick, Carey Price, or Henrik Lundqvist, they only powerhouse they beat was Chicago, but there was something weird going on there, Chigaco was in some sort of fog, to say that they beat the Chigaco Blakchawks at the top of their game; no again.

I never said Jake Allen is Carey Price. I said Jake Allen played as well as you can ask a goalie to play in any playoff series against the Preds this year. I am saying Chicago-St. Louis-Anaheim is the toughest route to the Cup that any team has faced this year, the competition they are facing isn't weak, but your argument is.

And they got lucky, because Chicago-St Louis-Anaheim; none of them were playing at the top of their game, it's a Team of Destiny year for Nashville, but its not because Nashville is suddenly this juggernaut team, they're just having a good run, but it's not something I see as sustainable for years to come.

[StCapps]

And they got lucky, because Chicago-St Louis-Anaheim; none of them were playing at the top of their game, it's a Team of Destiny year for Nashville, but its not because Nashville is suddenly this juggernaut team, they're just having a good run, but it's not something I see as sustainable for years to come.

Team of destiny is a bullshit media narrative because they don't want to admit they had improperly slept on the Predators, the 8th seed Kings we're a "Team of Destiny" too, they were no flash in the pan. Sure things are bouncing their way, but you are making too much of it, they are just better than you think they are. They might lose to Chicago down the road, but they seem to have the Ducks number, and the Blues couldn't get it done with hot goaltending and top end defensive play.

While the Preds core is together, they are going to be a top four team in the West for a good window and that makes them a perennial cup contender for a Kings-like window, which is what I said in previous posts.

[Smitty-48]

Team of Destiny; just means they are having a good run and everything is falling into place for them, so far at least, as opposed to Juggernaut Team; where you see them being in contention year after year, because the core is Superstars, and the prospect pool is deep behind that.

The core here, is not Superstars, and the prospect pool, is non existent. They're having a good run, they're not going to have a run like this, year over year.

[StCapps]

Team of Destiny; just means they are having a good run and everything is falling into place for them, so far at least, as opposed to Juggernaut Team; where you see them being in contention year after year, because the core is Superstars, and the prospect pool is deep behind that.

The Kings were a "Team of Destiny" as an 8th seed, but they weren't a flash in the pan. That is who I am comparing the Predators too. Not Chicago or Pittsburgh, think more Los Angeles, Boston or even an Anaheim with a much shorter window. You seem to misunderstand me.

[Smitty-48]

The Kings were way deeper, and way better; Quick, Doughty, Muzzin, Martinez, Johnson, Greene, Voyonov, Mitchell, Kopitar, Carter, Richards, Williams, Brown, Gagne, Stoll, I mean, this Preds team is no 2012 Kings.

They are however, a little like the 2012 Devils, riding the goalie all the way to the finals.

[StCapps]

The Kings were way deeper, and way better; Quick, Doughty, Muzzin, Martinez, Johnson, Greene, Voyonov, Mitchell, Kopitar, Carter, Richards, Williams, Brown, Gagne, Stoll, I mean, this Preds team is no 2012 Kings.

They are however, a little like the 2012 Devils.

The Kings and Bruins had more Center depth and forward depth, but the Preds top 4 defense is good as the Kings and Bruins were, if not more so. Quick is a more consistent playoff performer and younger, otherwise there are more similarities than differences between the two. Pekka Rinne is better than Tim Thomas. I wouldn't sleep on them just because they've been hot in the playoffs, you can't be cold in the playoffs and win the Cup, so claiming that a team needs to get hot to win the Cup, that means very little, it can be said of even the Juggernaut Teams.

[Smitty-48]

I don't consider the Bruins to be a perrenial contender, they had a one off year, this Preds team is nothing like the Kings, the Kings down the middle were built around Carter and Kopitar, this Preds team has Johansen and Fisher, it's apples to oranges, they're not similar at all.