2022 Stanley Cup playoffs thread

The Big Ragu · Jun 12, 2022

BTW, I thought Gallant was the right guy all season, but sitting Kakko last night made absolutely zero sense, especially with Strome being that hobbled. They could have put Copp in the middle and had Kakko in the lineup. Even if you really wanted Strome out there. ... he essentially traded Kakko for Dryden Hunt. Just terrible on any level of decision making. Then, he refused to even talk about it after the game, kind of hinting that there was some issue beyond what meets the eye, but not just saying it. He mostly pushed the right buttons all year, but that was brutally stupid. It wouldn't have made the difference, but still.

Tighthead · Jun 12, 2022

The Big Ragu said: ↑

BTW, I thought Gallant was the right guy all season, but sitting Kakko last night made absolutely zero sense, especially with Strome being that hobbled. They could have put Copp in the middle and had Kakko in the lineup. Even if you really wanted Strome out there. ... he essentially traded Kakko for Dryden Hunt. Just terrible on any level of decision making. Then, he refused to even talk about it after the game, kind of hinting that there was some issue beyond what meets the eye, but not just saying it. He mostly pushed the right buttons all year, but that was brutally stupid. It wouldn't have made the difference, but still.
Click to expand...

Gallant also benched Perron in the Finals against the Caps when he was in Vegas.

Tighthead · Jun 12, 2022

I like TB to win it all just based on the huge advantage in nets.

Jake from State Farm · Jun 12, 2022

The Big Ragu said: ↑

BTW, I thought Gallant was the right guy all season, but sitting Kakko last night made absolutely zero sense, especially with Strome being that hobbled. They could have put Copp in the middle and had Kakko in the lineup. Even if you really wanted Strome out there. ... he essentially traded Kakko for Dryden Hunt. Just terrible on any level of decision making. Then, he refused to even talk about it after the game, kind of hinting that there was some issue beyond what meets the eye, but not just saying it. He mostly pushed the right buttons all year, but that was brutally stupid. It wouldn't have made the difference, but still.
Click to expand...

Hilarious moment when Emily Kaplan asked Gallant to elaborate on benching Kakko and he said “No.”
There was a pause before the next question and you could almost hear Emily saying to herself: “OK.”
That said, it also pointed out how totally useless in game interviews are

ChrisLong · Jun 12, 2022

Jake from State Farm said: ↑

Hilarious moment when Emily Kaplan asked Gallant to elaborate on benching Kakko and he said “No.”
There was a pause before the next question and you could almost hear Emily saying to herself: “OK.”
That said, it also pointed out how totally useless in game interviews are
Click to expand...

How about during the second intermission when she asked Stamkos how much energy the Lightning will need in the third period. I wanted him to say, "Uh, we got this. Half energy should be enough."

Jake from State Farm · Jun 12, 2022

ChrisLong said: ↑

How about during the second intermission when she asked Stamkos how much energy the Lightning will need in the third period. I wanted him to say, "Uh, we got this. Half energy should be enough."
Click to expand...

I like Emily but that job is a true no win situation

outofplace · Jun 12, 2022

The Big Ragu said: ↑

Shersterkin lived up to billing. You can't blame that on him at all. They were low scoring games, with Shesterkin facing way more chances, and more difficult ones than Vasilevskiy. He was amazing.

Part of it was that the Rangers looked really tired for the last 3 games. The bigger part of it is that they just got outplayed by a team that knows how to win. Both teams were playing hard, tight defense, but when Tampa broke out, they were getting through the neutral zone easily and carrying the puck into the Rangers zone to set up. When the Rangers got out of their zone they were chipping it off the boards into the neutral zone and praying, and if they got it into Tampa's end, which wasn't often enough, they were dumping and chasing and not even winning most of the battles deep. Tampa was just the better, hungrier team, putting on more pressure.

The guy who disappointed me the most was Panarin. He disappears the minute the game turns tight and the other team contests everything. He is still trying to slow the game down and be deliberate and he tried way too many dangerous cross ice passes that seemed lackadaisical. But there was plenty of blame to go around to their other forwards. They made a big deal about Strome playing hurt, but he looked terrible for most of the playoffs, well before he got injured. Andrew Copp also went quiet after looking like the greatest deadline acquisition ever. Kreider was quiet. Mika was more noticeable than those guys because he plays both ends of the ice and the effort is always there, but he needed to do way more. You can't look like a top 10 NHL player offensively sometimes, but then be able to be completely shut down and rendered useless by Jordan Staal or Anthony Cirelli that way.

In a lot of ways, it was a great season, they took a leap quicker than I expected. But the way their star players disappeared in this series was disappointing and you have to worry whether that core will be able to take the final step. The encouraging things were the way Chytil and Lafreniere played.

I had Colorado and Tampa in the final when I did preseason picks. I've picked Colorado as champs all along, and I am not going to change now. I'll take them in 6.
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Blame Trouba. He took some killer penalties and he failed to knock out any key opponents this time around.

Seriously, the Rangers just weren't ready. Facing third-string goalies and getting Trouba to knock somebody out every time they needed a boost masked a team that probably should have lost the last two series.

HappyCurmudgeon · Jun 12, 2022

Palat smoothly ducking Trouba's totally legal forearm shiver attempt after an offside whistle might've been the low key play of the series. Four minutes later the Sergachev shot goes in off Palat and Game 5 was won.

outofplace · Jun 12, 2022

This one isn't Trouba, but it is a reminder of why I'm glad the Rangers are done.

Jake from State Farm · Jun 12, 2022

I just think Avs are where Bolts were when they lost to Columbus
It’s their time but Vasilevskiy is the great equalizer

bigpern23 · Jun 12, 2022

The Big Ragu said: ↑

Shersterkin lived up to billing. You can't blame that on him at all. They were low scoring games, with Shesterkin facing way more chances, and more difficult ones than Vasilevskiy. He was amazing.

Part of it was that the Rangers looked really tired for the last 3 games. The bigger part of it is that they just got outplayed by a team that knows how to win. Both teams were playing hard, tight defense, but when Tampa broke out, they were getting through the neutral zone easily and carrying the puck into the Rangers zone to set up. When the Rangers got out of their zone they were chipping it off the boards into the neutral zone and praying, and if they got it into Tampa's end, which wasn't often enough, they were dumping and chasing and not even winning most of the battles deep. Tampa was just the better, hungrier team, putting on more pressure.

The guy who disappointed me the most was Panarin. He disappears the minute the game turns tight and the other team contests everything. He is still trying to slow the game down and be deliberate and he tried way too many dangerous cross ice passes that seemed lackadaisical. But there was plenty of blame to go around to their other forwards. They made a big deal about Strome playing hurt, but he looked terrible for most of the playoffs, well before he got injured. Andrew Copp also went quiet after looking like the greatest deadline acquisition ever. Kreider was quiet. Mika was more noticeable than those guys because he plays both ends of the ice and the effort is always there, but he needed to do way more. You can't look like a top 10 NHL player offensively sometimes, but then be able to be completely shut down and rendered useless by Jordan Staal or Anthony Cirelli that way.

In a lot of ways, it was a great season, they took a leap quicker than I expected. But the way their star players disappeared in this series was disappointing and you have to worry whether that core will be able to take the final step. The encouraging things were the way Chytil and Lafreniere played.

I had Colorado and Tampa in the final when I did preseason picks. I've picked Colorado as champs all along, and I am not going to change now. I'll take them in 6.
Click to expand...

Kreider was very quiet. Good call. Barely noticed him out there.

outofplace · Jun 12, 2022

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2022 Stanley Cup playoffs thread

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2022 Stanley Cup playoffs thread

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Tighthead Well-Known Member

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