2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs

[Shoalzie]

The autopsy of this particular Leafs team is fascinating...this felt like a different team but it had a very familiar result.

When you're a cap team and usually don't have a lot of money to spend in free agency...you almost have to home run with your additions. Dubas had a couple very impactful signings...Bunting was a breakout player and then grab guy like Kampf for your bottom six who seemed quite useful. Ritchie, Kase and Mrazek...not so much. There's something to the art of finding the right complimentary pieces for your high priced superstars. Surrounding Matthews/Marner/Tavares/Rielly and you can throw in Nylander too is basically the issues we've also seen for years with McDavid/Draisaitl/Nurse.

It's not as if the big money guys didn't perform for the Leafs...they all seemed to chip in. I think the ability to close out a series just seems to be some puzzle that collective group can't solve. Hard to really pick on one guy but it's not like any of them had bad series. You just want to find out who is the killer of the group. You watch Saturday...guys like Max Domi and Nick Paul were heroes in their respective games. To use my least favorite term...it seems random when guys like that are the difference-makers when the big guns seem to beget cancelled out. Conversely, it was McDavid who got it done for the Oilers and then Sunday saw Panarin and Gaudreau get the OT series-winners.

What do you do next? Maybe try something novel like win the Atlantic Division so you don't have to open the playoffs in that 2 vs. 3 death match? Keep searching for the right complimentary pieces or are they reaching the point where one of their big guns needs to go just to change their mix? This many first round exits in a row goes from being a shortcoming to be a mental hurdle. I don't know if someone in their room can pull them through a first round.

I haven't brought up Campbell...goaltending the entire first round wasn't exactly top notch outside of the Flames-Stars series. You can bring up the guy that used play there but guy missed the entire first round for his new team and they won a series without him. Was Campbell the problem? He went nose-to-nose with (currently) the best playoff goalie in the league.

I'm sure it's a tired conversion to have at this point...it seemed like they were just about get over the hump and then IT happened again.

[Chuck Norris]

You need to shake up your core. Trade Nylander for an upgrade on D and cap space both which you desperately need.

[Da_Hawks]

Def trade Willy for flexibility

[Shoalzie]

All and all, very fun first round. To get 5 Game 7s in a weekend...that was awesome. I'll miss the 4 games a night with the 30 minute stagger.

I'll make series picks tomorrow but I worry about Point's health in the Panthers series. Just like how they dispatched the Leafs...the Lightning have winning pedigree compared to the Panthers. Could they still win a best-of-7 without one of their top guys? How far has this Panthers team come compared last year's series?

The Avalanche seem primed to go on long a run but wonder how about well of a start they get off to against the Blues after the layoff...and how is Kuemper's eye? The second round to the Avs has been what the first round has been to the Leafs.

Carolina-Rangers...I feel like this is just going to a series full of 1-0 or 2-1 games but I'd like to wrong. I feel like this is the series we see a goalie duel out of these 4 second round series.

Battle of Alberta...haven't we wanted this for a while? I'm expecting an exciting physical series. McDavid shows he can be a Game 7 hero...the next step can he take them further in the playoffs? Oettinger gave the Flames fits...will Mike Smith be able to keep the Oilers in games when Markstrom is on?

[dave1959]

Panthers in 5
Lightning in 7
Hurricanes in 5
Rangers in 7

Avalanche in 6
Blues in 6
Flames in 4
Kings in 6

I was torn between Wild and Blues, but after last night I'm picking St. Louis

only had the Kings wrong (other than the #of games)

[Shoalzie]

I'm like you...7 out of 8 but I was worried about being half-right at best during stretches of that round.

I had to laugh that I only predicted one series going 7 and it wasn't any of the 5 that actually did.

[Shoalzie]

Lightning in 6
Rangers in 6

Avalanche in 7
Flames in 6

[Da_Hawks]

Panthers in 6
Rangers in 7
Blues in 6
Flames in 5 - Smith cannot do what Oettinger did. They will get smoked

[dave1959]

Panthers in 6
Rangers in 6
Avs in 5
Flames in 7

[DApolloS]

Panthers in 6
Rangers in 5
Avs in 5
Flames in 5 (I'll give McDavid 1 game that he'll somehow manage to drag 3 players on his back to win the game, but after that, he'll be wiped)

[Matthew]

Disappointed in Carolina. Really wanted to see a Carolina v Tampa and Edm v Colorado semi

I guess NYR have a lot of talent too

[Da_Hawks]

Fox showing that he made the right decision.

[Shoalzie]

Lightning in 6

Avalanche in 6

[dave1959]

hoping for Rangers Oilers so i can win a hockey pool

[kyuss]

WELCOME TO THE EIGHTIES!

what a game lol

[Shoalzie]

That game was frantic and fun...so much speed on the ice. Can't expect 14 goals in every game but I have a feeling that this would be a series with a lot of 4-3 and 5-4 scores. Edmonton rallying to get to 7-6 gives you an idea that no lead will be safe. McDavid and MacKinnon are as locked in as we've probably ever seen them...this is such a great matchup.

[kyuss]

and those powerplays...

[Matthew]

WELCOME TO THE EIGHTIES!

what a game lol

Hope the entire series is like this

[Shoalzie]

and those powerplays...

All of the final four boast great 5-man units. I saw Point was skating today...wonder if we'll see him in this series.

I wonder how much Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy will dictate this series...polar opposites in terms of the goalie tandem from the Western matchup. Even if it's a lower-scoring series...I can still see it being very exciting.

[Matthew]

Yeah this final 4 are the best Semi finals in years