TrueBlue4ever

Playoff hate-o-meter rankings (who my heart is rooting for/against in the 2023 Stanley Cup, #1 being my nirvana and #16 being wrist-slitting territory: 16. Boston - anything and everything about that city’s sports fandom is nauseating, and the national media piles on by making their suffering “special” when they have had more good fortune than any fan base recently. Bonus hate points for Brad Marchand. 15. Toronto - “average” fans have suffered and I could be happy for them if the team broke through, but the media overload and celebrity fans like Steve Dangle acting like their misery makes them special makes them an easy target to root against. Plus it’s always nice to feel superior to someone and revel in their failure. And the talking heads would be so insufferable to listen to if the team ever won. 14. Edmonton - this is largely a jealousy hate ranking because no team should be gifted “the best player the game has seen in a generation” more than once plus the media will whine about how he never gets the calls until he hoists the Cup. Major bonus historical hate points for all the times Gretzky broke the Jets’ hearts. 13. Vegas - really torn on this given how many Manitobans play for them, but they are the ultimate “buy a winner” mercenaries in the NHL, and have a tax and location advantage that will always hinder Winnipeg. Can’t be happy for a team that has never felt the sting of adversity and had to scratch their way to the top. 12. Colorado - they just won 11. NY Rangers - exciting team, but the media hype if they had any success would get intolerable almost immediately 10. New Jersey - meh 9. Carolina - double meh 8. LA - playing the Oilers in round 1 gives me a reason to cheer for them 7. NY Islanders - the forgotten little brother in New York makes them a decent underdog to root for 6. Dallas - good fans and a sneaky great team 5. Tampa Bay - yes they have won tons, but they have won without hotdogging or scandal. But mainly I have a high school buddy who is part of the staff there. 4. Minnesota - it would suck seeing Ryan Reaves win a Cup, and they are a chippy bunch, but these are knowledgeable die hard hockey heartland fans who had their team snatched from them and will never compete with the New Yorks and LAs of the world for star power, and I have always been treated well when visiting Minneapolis by their fans. Winnipeg south. 3. Florida - almost exclusively a Paul Maurice vote here. Only Matt Tkachuk keeps them out of #2. 2. Seattle - ultimate underdogs, they did a less mercenary build than Vegas so they are an inoffensive winner for me. 1. Winnipeg - duh. But I still want to see an upheaval on the team for next year. Even if I was a neutral fan the Jets are an easier team to root for, given the fans’ passion, the reclaiming of a moved franchise, and being constantly overlooked by the media and most NHL players. Underdog stories are popular. Even saw a playoff article today asking “is this the year Toronto or Edmonton breaks the Canadian Cup curse?” Once again Winnipeg is not even an afterthought.

There goes my work day.

I agree another owner would be better, but I don’t think that exists right now. And yes MLSE would block them from using the stadium. Which is why I say better to have an owner who at least pays the bills and keeps the franchise financially viable as opposed to having no owner and the league pays the bills again. If anyone can identify a willing owner, I’ll revise my statement.

League is still better off having MLSE owning the Argos than not. Their pockets are so deep that losses are not consequential, and I don’t see other buyers lining up.

True, but for a double header it makes more sense to have Leafs/Tampa early (6 pm Central - 7 local, and Edmonton/LA 9:00 pm Central - 8:00 or 7:00 local depending on home team) rather than starting Winnipeg late, but Sportsnet wants to maximize ratings on every day, so split up the sexy market interest of Toronto and McJesus.

Stubhub has a bunch still. Our schedule coincides with the Leafs, so they get the prime time, we get the afternoon or late time. The Oilers will draw more eyeballs than the Jets so the powers that be would not want to double stack them with the Leafs on the same day for TV ratings purposes.

GO(LF) PENS GO(LF)!!!

How exclusive of them. Thanks for the link. I don’t care how we got into the playoffs, I am excited we are back and will be at game 1 loud, proud, and adorned in white.

Rittich with a really ugly goal against right after Lowry can’t bury a golden chance.

Jets not mailing it in so far, tied at 2 after 40.

Live updates: 8:35 pm - NJ, who trailed 4-1 at one point, score twice in the 3rd to get to OT and earn a point to temporarily move into first in the Metro. 8:39 pm - Carolina survives a wild 3rd period (4 goals for each team, 2 each in the last 2 and a half minutes with the Panthers net empty) to win 6-4 and claim top spot in the Metro, and relegating Florida to the #8 seed in the process. That result resolves all the playoff spots in the East. Boston will play Florida, Carolina will play NYI, NJ plays NYR, and Toronto plays TB in round 1. 8:44 pm - NJ, unaware of the other result, wins in OT 5-4, but Carolina’s win makes it moot. 9:30 pm- Dallas blanks the Blues 1-0. Colorado now needs to win to keep their division title hopes alive. 9:37 pm - The Avs do their part, putting away an undermanned but determined Jets squad 4-2. Avs still need a win tomorrow in Nashville to claim the division crown. 10:30 pm - Edmonton beats San Jose 5-2 to stay in contention for the top spot in the West. Now they need Vegas to lose in regulation. 11:43 pm - LA tops Anaheim 5-3 and clinches 3rd in the Pacific, which also mean Seattle will finish as the #7 seed. The Kraken will face either Colorado or Dallas, which will be determined tomorrow. LA will face Edmonton if Vegas can hang on against Seattle and nab at least one point. The Knights have a 2-1 lead with 16 minutes left in the 3rd at this moment. BONUS NOTE: Anaheim finishes last in the NHL as Chicago got a point and Columbus beat the collapsing Penguins. The Ducks have the best lottery odds to land Connor Bedard. 12:18 am - Vegas ends the night with a 3-1 win over Seattle and clinches the #1 seed in the West. The Knights and Laurent Broissoit will face Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets in the first round. Edmonton will host LA. The other series match-ups will be set tomorrow after the Avs-Preds game.

Only way is the Conference Final.

This story may explain things a bit. Not sure who is too young here to remember:

Penultimate day of the regular season, the 16 playoff teams are now set but the match-ups are almost all still to be decided. 15 games tonight, 7 have playoff implications. After tonight 6 for certain, and maybe all 8 playoff match-ups will be determined. East: Boston is #1 seed and has home ice advantage through the playoffs. They will play either NYI or Florida in round 1. Toronto is #2 in the Atlantic, Tampa Bay is #3, and they meet again in round 1 with the Buds holding home ice advantage. NY Rangers are the #3 seed in the Metro and will open on the road against either Carolina or New Jersey. The other 4 positions are still up for grabs, so 3 of 4 first round match-ups are yet to be determined. All will be settled after tonight. The key games: Carolina at Florida - the Canes need a win to guarantee top spot in the Metro without relying on outside help, NJ holds the tie-breaker against them. Florida needs a win to leapfrog NYI into 7th spot (Isles hold the tie break there). A Panthers loss in any fashion means they face Boston in Round 1. A Hurricanes loss means they need help to still finish atop the Metro, but it is possible that this game tonight could be a preview of a Round 1 match-up between these two teams (this would require a Florida win and a Devils loss where the Devils get zero points or Carolina gets at least a loser point). NJ at Washington - the Devils need a win and a Hurricanes loss (in any fashion) OR an OT/SO loss and a Canes regulation loss to take top spot in the Metro. Otherwise they will face NY Rangers in Round 1. None of the other East games have any bearing on playoff standings. Columbus is still primed to finish last in the league (they play tonight and tomorrow) and claim the best lottery odds for Connor Bedard. West: Only Minnesota at #3 in the Central and Winnipeg at #8 are the playoff positions set in stone. Vegas and Edmonton are still in the running for the “Predators conference title” as Frosty so eloquently put it, and the chance to face the Jets in Round 1. LA and Seattle are still fighting it out for the #3 Pacific spot, with the loser falling into the #7 wildcard seed to meet the Central champ. Colorado and Dallas are sorting out who will win the Central and who will host the Wild in Round 1. This is the only race that may not be settled after tonight’s games, but it could be. 5 key games - Winnipeg at Colorado - St. Louis at Dallas - the Avs and Stars results may tell us everything or nothing about the Central race. All that is certain is that if Colorado ends the night ahead of Dallas in points, they win the Central, and if they end the night 2 or more points behind Dallas, they finish 2nd (Dallas holds the tie break). Bottom line, Colorado must match or better Dallas’ result tonight to stay in contention for top in the Central. But a Dallas regulation loss and a Colorado win could also settle the division in the Avs favour tonight. San Jose at Edmonton - Oilers need a win and a Vegas regulation loss to win the Pacific (and the West), any other result and they finish #2. Oilers hold the tie break against Vegas. LA at Anaheim - the Kings need a single point or a Seattle loss in any fashion to claim 3rd in the Pacific (Seattle holds the tie break). Vegas at Seattle - the last game of the night could determine 3 playoff match-ups. Vegas claims the West title and a match-up with Winnipeg with a single point, or an Oiler loss in any fashion. Seattle needs a win and a Kings regulation loss to steal 3rd in the Pacific and avoid a first round match-up with the Central champ.

This from a couple of days ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/arts/michael-lerner-dead.html

“Evanson is Creed from ‘The Office’ “. 😂😂😂

FIFY. Try looking at the Bomber roster page. That seems to stimulate a lot of “growth” around here.

His long term future with the club must be resolved this off-season. More important than Dubois’, more important than Scheifele’s. His is the first contract that should be settled. Every other move the club makes hinges on this.

Yep. Teams with the biggest goaltending question marks in the West.

I want to see if Reaves gets a fine for the boarding that went unpenalized, or gets fined or suspended for the late staged fight. If my reading of the rule is correct (or unless they have changed it) it required an instigator penalty to enforce the rule that any fight started in the last 5 minutes of the game where an instigator gets called nets an automatic league review that could lead to a one game suspension for the player and the coach. It was clear as day what happened out there, refs blew another call. I am not sure that there is an automatic suspension. He gets an automatic game misconduct (which applies to last night’s game).

First tie break is “regulation wins” only, not overall wins. Vegas has 37, Colorado has 34 with only 2 games left. Tie breaker goes to Vegas. Only Edmonton can catch Vegas for the #1 seed (they have 44 regulation wins so they own the tie break over Vegas). Love the “Predators title” reference, BTW.