Round #1 Western Conference: Nashville Predators (C1) vs Dallas Stars (WC1)

[pilldoc]

 

Ok, you know the drill.  All discussion regarding the Stars vs Preds series goes here.

Edited April 7, 2019 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[OccamsRazor]

Preds in 6.

 

 

[pilldoc]

Preds in 7 ....

[ruxpin]

I picked Nashville in 5.   I'm sticking with it, but I wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked if Bishop doesn't steal some games.  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Another case of a team with a fantastic top line (Dallas), but very average looking lines after that....BUT playing a surprisingly good brand of defense, with Ben Bishop or Anton Khudobin backing up the efforts.

 

Preds have been grooming themselves for a Cup win for a while now, and even though they have many times looked very mediocre during the year (mostly due to injury to key guys and just not getting in sync with each other as players got shuffled around), I think they have, overall the better, deeper, more Cup ready squad in this match up.

 

If Nashville plays to their capabilities, they have the horses to close out this series in 4 or 5 games.
But I won't sell the Stars that short simply based on their top line that can go off at any moment and the fact that the goaltending and defense have done stellar jobs throughout the year.

But the Predators are much further along on the competitive scale and they take the series with an eye to at LEAST the Western Finals, by a count of 4 games to 2 and move on from here.

[yave1964]

I picked the Predators in six, I think the Stars will make this a series especially with Zucarello back but Nashville loaded up with depth at the deadline and will wear Dallas down. 

[OccamsRazor]

On 4/7/2019 at 5:18 PM, yave1964 said:

I picked the Predators in six, I think the Stars will make this a series especially with Zucarello back but Nashville loaded up with depth at the deadline and will wear Dallas down. 

 

So will Lavy get the axe???

 

He has been in Nashville 5 years now he has two first round exits two second round exits and a finals loss.

 

Would David Poile do it???

 

Who would take his place did??

[pilldoc]

On 4/7/2019 at 2:48 PM, ruxpin said:

I picked Nashville in 5.   I'm sticking with it, but I wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked if Bishop doesn't steal some games.  

 

playing with your crystal ball again!  

[OccamsRazor]

On 4/7/2019 at 2:48 PM, ruxpin said:

I wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked if Bishop doesn't steal some games.  

 

More like stole a series.

 

4-2 1.89 gaa and a 945% tells me so.

 

Looking back I wonder if the Kings should have kept ol Big Ben and traded Quick.

 

With hindsight of course I think so they could have gotten a nice return for Quick to help with their rebuild.

[mojo1917]

I think I have picked every series incorrectly so far.

Bishop was really good...I was impressed with the way Dallas played, their second line with Hinz, Zuccarello and Dickenson was really really good.

All of the NSH defensmen looked "not good" in this series, I thought Subban was particularly bad and I hope the Flyers don't think he's an answer to anything. But really, Josi was pretty pedestrian , Ellis played as if he had brain damage. Watching that team was weird this year, they had very little cohesion. 

Dallas gets goal tending like that and puts #4 on the ice 25 minutes a night...who knows ? they were pretty impressive.

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, mojo1917 said:

I think I have picked every series incorrectly so far.

Bishop was really good...I was impressed with the way Dallas played, their second line with Hinz, Zuccarello and Dickenson was really really good.

All of the NSH defensmen looked "not good" in this series, I thought Subban was particularly bad and I hope the Flyers don't think he's an answer to anything. But really, Josi was pretty pedestrian , Ellis played as if he had brain damage. Watching that team was weird this year, they had very little cohesion. 

Dallas gets goal tending like that and puts #4 on the ice 25 minutes a night...who knows ? they were pretty impressive.

 

I wonder what the Preds would want for Colton Scissions he is a RFA and was thinking aloud for a 3rd line RW spot on the Flyers.

 

I wouldn't give up much for him Flyers have their own and the Devils 3rd....wonder if they would take that.

[yave1964]

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 5:52 AM, OccamsRazor said:

 

So will Lavy get the axe???

 

He has been in Nashville 5 years now he has two first round exits two second round exits and a finals loss.

 

Would David Poile do it???

 

Who would take his place did??

I absolutely think he should be given the shortest of short leashes going forward,  Poille is a  solid aggressive GM who always adds at the deadline and in the offseason, at some point failure to launch needs to land in the coaches lap. I would have to say Lavy at the least has a very hot seat, hotter even than Babs is sitting on right now.