Buffalo Rick

I can’t get excited to watch.  

Carolina will win the series. But Vegas will win Cup

Must give this team a ton of respect.  Its some season and some great coaching.  Almost pulled it off vs a Dallas team that can score and had to be very nervous right until the end last night.  Its too bad it did not wind up a win for Seattle.  I do not think they would have beaten Vegas and I do not believe Dallas will either.  But it should be a fight. And I could be dead wrong. But I just feel like Vegas has the best team in the West this year. I wonder if Alex Tuch is cheering for them quietly?  Eichel we know would be good. Marchessault is having some playoffs.   Hat trick vs Edmonton. Stone is another guy that can finish.  But back to Seattle, they played lights out this year. They are on my short list of teams I like.  So Ill make it official  Sabres, Blues, Kracken.  The sea monsters.  I would try and find another offensive weapon.  Swartz is a big time gunner they do have.  He will help.  Coming off the injury Im not sure he was 100%  Hopefully they make it back next year?  Oh, and the Sabres and Blues  also.  Of course

We have us a real treat of a game 7 tomorrow.  I doubt there is an ounce of arrogance left in the Stars ️.  My heart says Kracken.  And why not in a game 7.  Seattle must be diligent in their own zone.  Yet they can’t be the 90s Devils either.  It would sure help if they scored first.  

Vegas, Vegas, Vegas

3 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

Tronno fans can't get tickets in Tronno, that's why they come to Buffalo.

That’s true.  While at a Sabres vs Canadians game once, back when Miller was still here, they brought a couple of bus loads of Habs fans and I was seated near a few.  They told me that high scalp prices are paid when Leafx are in Montreal.  Imagine when they play in Toronto.  It might be the toughest ticket to get in sports.  My 77 Led Zeppelin tickets still have them beat. I was offered $200 each at the door going in!  In 1977!!!  Wisely I declined saying “sorry, but don’t think I’ll ever get to see them again”.  I was correct. Days before they were sold out in Buffalo , Plants son died tragically.  Tour canceled.  This two months after I saw them at old Capital Centre.  I know in the NFL the Giants and Denver are sold out years in advance.  Season ticket holders of course.  I’ll be walking into the Lions den when I go see my Orioles in Tampa in June. 

I’m sure McDavid will get to the finals soon.  How soon is anyone’s guess but I highly doubt the goalies they have now will be the same next year?  Maybe when they get there my Sabres will be the team waiting for them?  They are going to be in the mix soon enough.  For now we must watch Eichel succeed. I knew he would.  Adams is such a jackass.  Nothing will keep the Oilers from being in the mix next year.  But it’s no fun getting knocked out.  I know all too well.

11 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

Florida did the same thing with Leaf fans.

I really don’t know if it’s fair to block any sports fan from buying tickets.  The Leafs fans buy many tickets in Buffalo, and it actually helps the revenue.  I don’t like it that we can NEVER get a ticket in Toronto.  So maybe they need a short but not permanent lesson?  Maybe the greedy bastard got what they deserved?  

I do not believe that Dallas or Seattle will beat Vegas.  It sure makes me mad knowing what a stupid ass move Adams made losing Eichel.  Huge mistake.  Vegas and Carolina can be very competitive and tough final.  Dallas could pull it off I suppose but I doubt it.  Eichel will hoist the Cup and I’m stuck with his Sabres jersey

10 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

 

Stop.     lol

 

He's just won his 5th Art Ross trophy, 3rd-most all time.

He's likely going to win his 3rd Hart trophy, which would give him as many as Mario and Bobby Orr.

He's quite likely going to win his 4th Lindsay, tying him with Lemieux, leaving only Gretzky with more.

TSN named his as the top player in the league for the 6th year in a row.

 

Arguing anything to the contrary is silly.

 

 

Sorry about your boys JR

14 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

 

Stop.     lol

 

He's just won his 5th Art Ross trophy, 3rd-most all time.

He's likely going to win his 3rd Hart trophy, which would give him as many as Mario and Bobby Orr.

He's quite likely going to win his 4th Lindsay, tying him with Lemieux, leaving only Gretzky with more.

TSN named his as the top player in the league for the 6th year in a row.

 

Arguing anything to the contrary is silly.

 

 

How many beers have you had waiting for this nerve wracking game?  .  You will need more.   You’re probably a nervous wreck already!  You should be.  I’ve been there.  Looking down that barrel.  GL.  I think it’s likely going 7

36 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

 

I never considered this before... The Oilers wouldn't be as good if they didn't have the best player in the world?

 

 

Stop and think about things for a moment, because all of those arguments about the Oilers not having depth are so old and played out; you can't regularly win games in the NHL with just a star player. They were tied for the 5th most points in the league. They had the 2nd most regulation wins this year. The depth has improved tremendously.

 

The team's goal differentials over the last three seasons with 97 and 29 on and off.

 

In other words, tremendously improved depth. Of the players who had a +/0 of zero or less, only one remains on the roster: Evander Kane, who is clearly still recovering from a hideous injury. He doesn't even have feeling in his left arm from the elbow down.

 

I said before the playoffs that they could be bounced in the first round; it happens to quality teams every year, and it could happen in the 2nd round as well. If they lose to Vegas the biggest reason, by far, will be the play of the rookie goaltender, who's only given the team a quality start 36% of the time in this year's playoffs. I said before the season ended that I'm not thrilled with starting a rookie, and this is why.

In their defense over “wanting to move on “ stated Pilldoc, it’s not so easy to just “find” or get a good goalie.  So many teams, so few quality goalies.  Don’t get me started on that dirty Evander Kane!

Best player on the planet?  Maybe.  Top 2-3 for sure

On 5/13/2023 at 1:11 PM, pilldoc said:

Again I digress ..... the Oilers Achilles Heal is their goaltending.

 

They need to address that in the offseason if this franchise wants to move forward.

 

However they have Campbell (31) for 4 more years at $5 million per.  Skinner (24) signs an extension for $2.6 million x3 more years.  That is 7.6 million in goaltending.

 

During the regular season Campbell was very pedestrian:

 

 

He has NOT started any games in post season...came in relief to get 1 win and has 1.19 GAA / 0.597 SV% in relief facing only 47 shots in 3 games

 

Down the stretch Skinner steals the crease with the following stats:

 

However, he has been absolutely brutal during the playoffs .....

 

Something has to give .....  "IF" Skinner is the netminder of the future, you simply CANNOT be paying your backup $5 million/yr to sit on the bench.

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t think it’s their only issue.  You take away McDavid and they would not be here.

17 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

CAN'T AGREE MORE!!!!

It’s hard to believe they did this.  Screw the East coast I guess?

McDavid and Edmonton face elimination but it won’t be easy to oust them in Edmonton.  This might go 7.  I still feel if you remove the Eichel vs McDavid perspective, Vegas still has more depth, and goaltending might be an edge too.  But anything can happen , just look at Florida 

8 hours ago, Math said:

I wouldn't say he was bad, but he was mostly let down by his defense the Lïndëll/Häkänpää pair who has been atrocious this series, but especially this game. It was a desperate game for the Kraken and they played like game #3 while scoring on key moments. It was a good decision to pull him out not because he was bad, but also to shake things (and IMO it was the sign of the white towel).

 

The Stars are really struggling against those type of deep teams with fast skaters that rely on a strong relentless forecheck. While I'm concerned about the overall Stars lack of depth, especially on D, I'm cautiously optimistic for game #7 because Öttinger always rebound well after a loss, and because our two pylons can't be any worse. They really need to stop staying in the locker room in first periods (a dangerous trend so far) and the game #7 outcome will be directly dependent on the tenure of Dumb and Dumber.

The pressure is in Dallas.  They are expected to win this series.  I look at the Kracken line pan Swartz, the former Blue is the “star” player on this team on paper.  I see former Sabres pick Borgen who they acquired in entry draft.  Not many “names” but Dallas out side of Sequin, Benn are not exactly loaded.  I can see Seattle pulling this off but Grabaur must be good.  I would love to see Seattle win but no matter, quite a season and so far hockey is a success in Seattle.

5 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Even if true, that is MORE of a reason for the NHL to do everything in their power to MAKE people care!

For all its faults, the ONE thing I do like that the NFL does, for instance, is promote their matchups.
Even the crusty, $#I%%y, bottom of the barrel matchups like, say, Jacksonville at Detroit....oooooo, big game time, eh?

And now, with Aaron Rodgers especially, playing for the Jets, the lowly, perennial loser Jets will get LOTS of air time and coverage and all their matchups will likely get big pushes.....and they might even, controversially, get favored status against a legit better team like, say, oh, I dunno, MAYBE, YOUR Buffalo Bills!

The point is, the NFL hypes the holy HELL out of their matchups, whether it is well known teams like Dallas vs Philadelphia or some 'WTF matchups' on Thursday Night Football, like Atlanta at Arizona.
The NFL, for better or worse, cares enough about their product to hype every team, and everything in it!

And if somehow a pair of Cinderellas or a team that has absolutely NO BUSINESS playing in an NFC or AFC title game get there, you can bet the NFL will promote the heck out of it.

The NHL should be doing that.
Should be pushing the likes of "What will Columbus do this offseason?", or "How can the Winnipeg Jets get back to top tier status?", and ESPECIALLY, "Tune in fans, as the South East heats up even more with the Panthers and Hurricanes in what should be a barn burner of a series between two up n coming teams....do the Canes finally get their Cup since 2006? Or do the Panthers steal their thunder?"

NHL does that enough, and people WILL care, and not just continue the running joke that the NHL is just 7 or 8 teams and the rest are a bunch of nobodies.

Don’t be too Tough on the Detroit Lions, they are turning the corner.  They can win the central and I’m picking them to slug it out and win.  Some have them getting to SB.  Let’s see if Florida fans show up like these Seattle fans

I am saying on a national stage the rankings for these Eastern finals will be “nobody cares”.

This is not good for the NHL in general. Of course if Denver wins in the NBA it wont exactly be great for the NBA either.  If the Leafs had won there would have been far more interest in Canada.  I am not totally counting Edmonton out but I have picked Vegas to beat them.  I stand by it.  If its Vegas vs Dallas they would be the only teams remotely interesting.  Nobody gives a damn about Florida or Carolina, an all South hockey final.    Hockey just isnt big in the Southern US.  The Leafs should have beaten Florida.  They are a better team with worst goaltending.   Carolina should take care of the Panthers.  It may at least salvage a decent final.  

FIRED !   No mutual crap!  Stupid move.  
 

If JR reads this, maybe he can verify this?  Wasn’t Gallant the 2nd puck behind Gilbert Perrault?  1970?  

1942!   2023!   Oh yeah.  Go Leafs Go!!!

7 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Seriously, Toronto...seriously!??

Florida and their fair weather fans do not belong in the NHL.  And now they show up?  Where were their fans the last few years?  Empty seats night in and out.  I watched my Sabres play there over the years and the place was empty but for a few Buffalo fans in south Florida.  I don’t know how they survive financially.  They won’t get to the finals.  You can put those words up in lights!

On 5/2/2023 at 9:42 PM, ruxpin said:

You know this is their second year, right?

It doesn’t seem like it but it’s a shocker either way when you look at the roster.  I hope they win it all

14 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

I am as surprised as anyone at what the Florida Panthers have been able to accomplish so far in these playoffs.

First off, even MAKING the playoffs after their wildly inconsistent play throughout the season, then to knock off the season wins record setting Bruins, THEN to be up 2-0 in a best of seven against the Leafs, keeping their 'vaunted' offense to just 2 goals per game.

But, if you dig a bit deeper into the Florida team, you realize, 'Hey, not so long ago, these guys were considered by many to be a team on the rise!'
I believed that too. Until I saw the steps backwards they seemed to take during the season, and while the acquisition of Mat Tkachuk was splashy, and frankly, pretty damned good, they DID give up long time Panther, fan favorite, and consistent goal scorer, Jonathan Huberdeau, and just as important, gave up defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who, IMO, helped keep the Florida defense stable.

So Florida needed help strengthening their defense WITH Weegar still, then go and trade him, and not get any real replacement for him.
Then the end of the season rolls around, there are the Panthers in it, and here we are now with them in the 2nd round, having already eliminated one SC hopeful, and dealing with another.

They must have figured out SOMETHING on their defensive side and Bobrovsky has helped his own cause by playing some of the best hockey I've seen him play in years, under the big spotlight of the playoffs!

As a TB fan, I don't really care for either the Leafs or the Cats.
But dammit all if Florida doesn't impress me and I find myself rooting for those damned felines, even if they DO employ that rat fink Ryan Lomberg on their squad  

You would think I'd root for the Leafs so that, if they win it all, I can say my team lost to the very best.
But, in this case, %$#@ the Leafs.
If they can't deal with a Florida Panther team that just managed to figure things out after 82 games, then they deserve whatever further misery they get!

Lots of series left, but for fans of the Maple Leafs, it HAS to feel like a pressure cooker.....Florida patio style! 

I still think they are just lucky.  Hockey has more luck than any of the major sports.  Arguably.  We have seen teams come back from 3-0 several times in hockey.   Can happen.  Unlikely but not impossible.  I now would rank the Devils vs Carolina winner the favorite in the East.  

On 5/5/2023 at 3:38 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Maple Leafs 'back on track'  

Florida are just lucky so far.  That is all.  My Sabres are better than they are.  Next season we will bounce them back to where they belong.  Tampa is better than them. You know that. And the Leafs are better too.  I expect the Leafs to play well today. I am also cheering for Seattle even though I picked Dallas.  Hope Im wrong. Great story are the Kraken so far