Phillly wins 4-0 Ottawa was up 4-1 on Montreal with 3:20 left in 3rd and somehow loses in OT....2 points for Montreal. How does that happen. Now I just watched Columbus be down 2-0 in the shootout and score 3 in a row to win. WTF That is a big extra point for the Jackets I am starting to think this team is not making the playoffs.
That Ottawa thing was f'ing ridiculous. Teams like Pitt let up with nothing to play for really. Every game is like a playoff now.
You are overreacting. Philly will be a non issue soon. Their schedule is impossible down the stretch.
It is pretty funny that we get no help. We have to preface this all by saying it is on us. We win and we'll be fine, so we need to take care of our own business, but that still doesn't change the fact that it is pretty darn funny how this has all been going down recently. I am not too concerned about Montreal because they are in the other division, and we'd still be in WC position over the Wings anyway. But yes that was comical. The Flyers may have a tough schedule, but it matters what those top teams have to play for, the Flyers are really playing well right now, and they are getting a HUGE break dump. Home and home this weekend with the Pens and Neal gets hurt a few days ago, and Kunitz does as well. These games mean something to Pitt IMO. They are battling Boston for home ice, and I think that means something. But of course Philly gets an even more beat up Pens team with Neal and Kunitz gone. If Philly beats them again today in Pitt, that is really bad for us IMO. The BJ game was the best of them all. Minny was up 2-0 in the SO going to the bottom of the 2nd. That means they need a save OR a goal OR a save and Minny wins. Just 1 of those 3 things and they win. I bet the % to win up 2-0 into the bottom of the 2nd in a SO is like 90% or 95%. Unreal they blew that. Huge 2nd point is right. CBJ has been the 2nd best team in the NHL, behind Boston, since early Jan. They concern me. Here is where we are. I do think we get in, BUT as I have been saying for many weeks you want 2 or 3 in the Met division, not just a WC (really you want 2nd in the Met). If you look at the WC standings we would be 4 ahead of the Caps. Even in games. Own the TB. That is solid IMO. The team that would be our biggest competition is the Wings. We are 3 up on them, BUT they have 2 games in hand, so they could be 1 up on us (we do own the TB). Now I think we hold on against the Wings, but that is our main comp for the 2nd WC. BUT the 2nd WC also means the Bruins at the moment. Anyone feel good about us beating them...thought so...LOL. So we need to man up now. We REALLY want 2nd in the Met, and worst case 3rd in the Met. It has come down to us, CBJ, and Philly. 2 get to play each other in the Met 2/3 battle. The other gets most likely Boston, but maybe Pitt in CBJ or Philly's case. If you asked me where do I think we finish right now, I say the 2nd WC, and most likely Boston. That's just the truth of it. Now a win today against a red hot Shark team, and a loss today by the Flyers at Pitt and maybe I change that, but at the moment I feel like the 2nd WC is where we are headed. Plus is we get the Flyers one more time, in our place. Downside I guess is our only game against CBJ is in their place. And CBJ doesn't have a really difficult schedule either. Right now my money would be on them getting 2 in the Met. Philly getting 3 (very small edge over us...pretty much a toss-up). Us getting the 2nd WC.
Look at the schedules: CBJ's is not tough. Carolina twice, the Isles twice, Detroit home, Phoenix home, at Florida. That is not difficult. And there are some other medium games in there as well like home against the Avs and at TB. They get us at home also, and play at Philly. I think they are getting 2 in the Met. Combine that schedule, with the fact that they have been very good, and I think they are 2. On paper Philly has a very tough schedule. 2 at Pitt, Chicago, LA, Toronto, home and home with Boston, home and home with the Blues, CBJ, at TB is no cake walk. And they play at us. Outside of 4 games Dallas, Buff, at Florida, Carolina they have a very tough schedule. On paper we have a pretty nice schedule. Home and home Ottawa, at NJ, Phoenix, (the trip that will really decide our season) at the Flames, at the Oilers, at the Canucks (should win all 3 of those games), at the Avs, Carolina, Buffalo. And we get Philly in our place. Those are a lot of games we should win...really. At NJ is never easy for us. Sharks today is tough. At Montreal we never win. At CBJ is tough. That's it. The rest we should win. Home and home with falling Ottawa. Canes at home. Sabres at home. Phoenix at home. Those terrible teams in Western Canada. We should win A LOT of those games. We really should get 18-20 points out of our last 28. If we come away with a win today I will feel a lot better about things. That would knock one of the few real tough games off our schedule as a win. Would be huge. So I stand by CBJ as the 2 in the Met. And I truly think it is a toss-up for 3 between us and Philly (the other will get a WC I believe). We have the better schedule and we get them at MSG. They are playing better hockey and have the edge points wise when you factor in games in hand. Today could go a long way in deciding things between us. If they win at Pitt and we get beat at home against the Sharks I think they will get the 3 over us no doubt. If the reverse happens I think it puts us in the drivers seat for sure for the 3 spot in the Met.
Columbus is 17-6-1 in their last 24. I agree that getting that 2 seed is key I don't see that happening. The 3 seed isn't the end of the world but the WC is a death sentence to this team. Philly does have a tough schedule but they are playing well.
And of course, the flyers are up by 2 already. To be honest, I think the flyers are better club at this moment than we are. It would be a disaster for this organization if BJs finish ahead of us this season. We all know why. Moving out of the west is the best thing that has ever happened to Columbus franchise.
The Rangers have their own play/ability to worry about instead of getting help from other teams. This is a small team. We all know they need to win today expecially considering the teams they are fighting for a playoff spot have game(s) in hand. But let's be honest...they are probably going to get manhandled today by a bigger/superior team. Doesn't matter that the other playoff contenders are winning, the Rangers are going to struggle.
I thought the Flyers were a point ahead but their behind so if Pitt can hold them to a point that would tie all 3 right now with the others having a game in hand.
I think CBJ is in a great spot. Looking at their schedule. Looking at how well they have played since early Jan. Factoring in we play at their place. And they have a game in hand. I think they are going to finish ahead of us. I really do. Looking at Philly I think it is closer. They do have a tough schedule on paper, but as we have all said it doesn't matter if they keep winning. It also doesn't matter if they get teams that are going through a rough patch and/or are hurting like Pitt is at the moment. These go from tough games on paper, to worst case mid level games. We do get them in our place though, and we do have a nice schedule on paper, so that makes it a toss-up with them IMO. I agree with you 100% Dis. We want 2 in the Met. If we get 3 it isn't ideal, but we can still get it done against the 2 let's say it is CBJ. If we get the last WC, which at this point most likely means Boston, we are done in 5 tops. That's just the reality of it. So I do really believe we will be in the playoffs, I think we do beat out Detroit for sure, I feel very strongly about that. But I think at this point it may be the last WC spot, and that would be tough for us having to face most likely Boston. Today's game is very big for us...very big.
What scares me more than anything else is how we are built. I still don't know if the formula for winning is to have a goalie with your biggest cap hit like we have in Hank at 8.5 mill per. Off topic yes, but that concerns me. Philly has really made some solid moves. I think ideally you want your goalie in the 5 or 6 mill range. And even the other big money goalies make less. Is Hank worth 1.5 mill per more than Rask? Really concerns me as we move forward hopefully finishing off a true SC contender this summer. Our bad luck that Hank's deal couldn't have been re-done prior to the new rules. The Kings having Quick with a cap hit in the 5's is huge. Also all the more reason why dealing Cally was smart. Giving him 6 mill or more per would have been very dumb for this team moving forward.
They had no choice with Hank. It was going to happen. The reality for this team is it will only go as far as St Louis and Nash and Hank take them. Unfortunately Nash has had a bad season coming off a bad playoffs last year. If Nash played at an elite level this team is very very different
Gotta give Flyers credit....They just got 4 pts this weekend vs Pitt. I know Pitt has injuries....Oh well. Take care of business vs a tough team today and it doesn't matter as much
Yeah, we agree. They had to re-sign Hank. I just wish he would have said let me stay between 7.5 and 8 tops instead of 8.5 per. I always wanted to stay at 8 or below. That extra 750 K or so can be big. Nash has been terrible. No more sugar coating it. He has really been terrible outside of a 15 game stretch since the start of the playoffs last season. Once again no help. I really think the SJ game is huge. If we lose that game I think we are destined for the 8 hole. CBJ and Philly are both red hot. Both have gameS in hand. Philly would be ahead of us with 2 in hand. CBJ tied with 2 games in hand. We get beat by SJ and we are 8 IMO. In a weird way Philly playing all these good teams late is a plus. With Pitt struggling they may get locked into 2. Which means the game at Pitt later this season means nothing. And the Boston home and home may mean very little as well. BTW...I don't like Pitt this season. I bet they get beat pre ECF. Yes Neal and Kunitz will be back, but that team doesn't have it this season IMO, and I always think Pitt is going to be very tough to beat, but this season I don't love them. Boston 1. Pitt would be 2 by default. But Pitt isn't dominant IMO. They won't make the ECF this season.
