WEST Playoffs '23-'24 Round 1: (WC2) Vegas Golden Knights at (C1) Dallas Stars (DAL Leads 3-2)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

                                                             

 

Jack Eichel and his Golden Knights are looking to defend their title and go back to back as SC Champions, while the Dallas Stars, current Central Division champions, look to get that Cup they came oh-so-close to getting just 4 years ago.

Both teams throughout the year have shown versatility in their playstyles, even though Dallas still seems to be more defense oriented, while Vegas usually is more balanced overall.
Knights also ran into some severe ruts during the season, whereas the Stars, aside from some minor hiccups here and there, were pretty consistent.

But does any of that matter in this series? Well, the consistency might....but we will see.

Whose main event players show up to carry their teams forward?
Whose goaltending holds up under the bright lights of the playoffs?
Is Mark Stone miraculously healed now?? Will Dallas sign Mike Modano for this series....and pay him 9M since there is no salary cap now.....to offset Mark Stone??.. 

Vegas Golden Knights tale of the tape:
Season Record: 45-29-8, 98 pts______ Home/Road Splits: 27-12-2 / 18-17-6
Offense-Defense: 267 GF, 245 GA good for a +22 differential
Special Teams: PP 20.2% (20th), PK 79.3% (16th)

Dallas Stars tale of the tape:
Season Record: 52-21-9, 113 pts_____ Home/Road Splits: 26-11-4 / 26-10-5

Offense-Defense: 298 GF, 234 GA good for a +64 differential

Special Teams: PP 24.2% (6th), PK 82.0% (8th)

Knights and Stars....head to head....series talk, right here!

Edited 17 hours ago by TropicalFruitGirl26

[mojo1917]

This seems a shame to have this series so early.

A lot of writers are picking Dallas to win it all. 

I think this will be an entertaining series.

I do think the Stars advance, I also think they'll be diminished afterwards.

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

I'll try to be objective here. The addition of Hanifin and Hertl with Stone back is huge. The Knights have more lethal weapons but the Stars can count on its depth and a solid defense (the Tanev trade looks underrated but it had helped the Stars a lot). I think this series will be decided in goaltending: if Öttinger reaches his strength he had two years ago against the Flames, Dallas will go through.

 

Stars in 7.

 

(Still funny to have the old Stars logo there)

[thegx.ca]

The Champs have of their Cup roster back again but with Hanifin so i'm taking them to in 6...

[yave1964]

My favorite first round series, cannot wait. Stars are deeper and will win in a fantastic seven game series 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Not two minutes in...the intrepid and medically well traveled Mark Stone puts the Knights up 1-0

[Math]

Guys stayed in the locker room. And that disallowed Suter (thanks Marchment, once again) goal somehow made the Stars nervous. And then, awful turnover by Härlëÿ... 

[FD19372]

Let's go, Stars! Turn the lights out on the Golden Knights.

[Math]

0/2, 2 shots, 2 goals against. The Stars were absolutely splendid on the PK in this first. If Marchment is glued on the bench, maybe his teammates can concentrate on something else than cover for his gaffes.

[Math]

And we have the Öëttïngër version tonight. Oh my...

[SaucyJack]

Dallas in dire straits if they can’t score in the remaining 2:40

[FD19372]

There goes half of my finals picks. 

[SaucyJack]

Stars need to read up on Tampa Bay vs Washington 2003 first round and try to gen up some hope.

[Jimtown guy]

My Rangers over the Stars in the finals is looking bleak 

[mommax3]

7 hours ago, Jimtown guy said:

My Rangers over the Stars in the finals is looking bleak 

That was my pick too

[Math]

Book it, Vegas are the 2024 back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

 

They have the best centerline of the league (I mean they can have a 30-goal 60-point scorer to center their fourth line...), their top-4 defencemen are elite, they can have the luxury to scratch a guy that has three rings, their bottom-6 can be part of a top-6 everywhere else. They have complete versatile players than can adapt and play in all situations.

 

It's the first time of the season that the Golden Knights have a full roster including their new aquisitions, and it's scary. Hanifin and Hertl are perfect fits. The only question mark remains the goaltending but this relative uncertainty is perfectly handled by the best D corps in the League.

 

That being said, it's a series of details so far. Both teams are really close but DeBoer is completely outcoached by Cassidy and his defensive system consisting in clogging the slot and push forwards to attack from the outside. The Stars just can't handle and they are struggling like hell to get significant scoring chances from close.

 

I'm not pissed about the Stars being down 2-0, it's the way to get behind 2-0. Öttinger was sub-average in game #1 while having a ****** start and palyed trailing hockey for the rest of the game. The Stars did a good job in game #2, very good first period, Öttinger was solid, the forecheck was good, they did what they had to do but two major pee-wee brain farts led to two Vegas goals. Again, a series of details, but no way you can win when you make such mistakes.

 

No disrespect to the Rangers, the Panthers and other very good teams but with their full roster Vegas is ahead IMO.

[SaucyJack]

1 hour ago, Math said:

No disrespect to the Rangers, the Panthers and other very good teams but with their full roster Vegas is ahead IMO.

 
7.5 to 1 odds right now for Vegas to win it all, same as Edmonton.  Leading favorite now is Carolina at 4.25 to 1, with FLA and NYR close behind.

 

 

[Buffalo Rick]

This is the series I’m most surprised by so far.  I really don’t care about either team but I did not see Dallas losing first two at home.  No doubt a must win for Dallas is game 3.

[JR Ewing]

1 hour ago, Buffalo Rick said:

This is the series I’m most surprised by so far.  I really don’t care about either team but I did not see Dallas losing first two at home.  No doubt a must win for Dallas is game 3.

 

When you abuse the LTIR system like Vegas does, the real surprise would be if they weren't off to a commanding lead.

 

[FD19372]

Go Stars! Should it be a (and dear God, I hope it isn't) Rangers-Golden Knights finals, I'm rooting for the Rags. I'll barely watch any of the games, but I'll root for them. I literally detest the Golden Knights.

[Buffalo Rick]

On 4/26/2024 at 7:11 PM, JR Ewing said:

 

When you abuse the LTIR system like Vegas does, the real surprise would be if they weren't off to a commanding lead.

 

I’m stupid, remember?  I don’t know all of these abbreviations and I just hate the financial goings on in sports even though I’m aware there is no escaping it

[JR Ewing]

33 minutes ago, Buffalo Rick said:

I’m stupid, remember?  I don’t know all of these abbreviations and I just hate the financial goings on in sports even though I’m aware there is no escaping it

 

I'm sorry. LTIR = long term injured reserve. LTIR is a very complex system, but the simplest way to describe it is to say that it allows teams to take plays who will be out long term and set aside their cap hit, allowing the team to acquire replacement players. The last few years, right before the trade deadline, Vegas places Mark Stone and his $10M cap hit on injured reserve and then acquire players equalling that cap hit. This year, it was Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifan and Anthony Mantha.

 

The moment the regular season ends, Vegas then reactivates Stone and so, in the case of Vegas vs Dallas, it's one team with a payroll of $83M up against a team with a payroll about $10M over the salary cap...

 

And they do this every year.

[Buffalo Rick]

1 hour ago, JR Ewing said:

 

I'm sorry. LTIR = long term injured reserve. LTIR is a very complex system, but the simplest way to describe it is to say that it allows teams to take plays who will be out long term and set aside their cap hit, allowing the team to acquire replacement players. The last few years, right before the trade deadline, Vegas places Mark Stone and his $10M cap hit on injured reserve and then acquire players equalling that cap hit. This year, it was Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifan and Anthony Mantha.

 

The moment the regular season ends, Vegas then reactivates Stone and so, in the case of Vegas vs Dallas, it's one team with a payroll of $83M up against a team with a payroll about $10M over the salary cap...

 

And they do this every year.

It has gotten out of hand in all sports.  Watching Tampa hanging on by a thread.  Well they just scored and likely extended it. 

[Math]

It finally took an injury to finally boot Faksa out of the line-up. Same for Marchment but he can always score on a huge misunderstanding or make a good play by accident... This is forcing DeBoer to make some adjustments: Johnston will replace Pavelski on the invisible first line and Dadonov moves up on the second unit. Dell'Andrea is back with Smith on the fourth line. 

 

I am so excited... 

[FD19372]

Really like Dallas's start tonight. They're playing with more energy.. and outskating Vegas, though they haven't gotten one past Thompson, as of yet.