The Official 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff Thread

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Carolina Hurricanes -- lots of Canadians on the ice, but lots of North Carolinians in the parking lot. They are the only major league professional team Raleigh, N.C., has. They won the Stanley Cup when they were new in town, and it would be good to see them do it again. Of course, town folks without tickets would have to pay up big to watch it on a screen. The days of free broadcast coverage in the locale are long gone. Too bad. We were given free tickets to one game, really good ones, in the early years, right up against the glass. That was impressive, a real experience.
 
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Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,201
22,999
39
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
I can't believe my Kings even got in. I wish I could be optimistic, but if you've seen them on the power play this year, you'll know what I mean--it's hard to tell which team has the extra guy sometimes. If I had a dollar for every time they did dump & chase on the PP, I'd be posting quite frequently in the Recent TAD Pickups thread. I could rant about their shortcomings all day, but I'll spare my fellow forum brethren such eye-melting blather.

Their only hope is if the current Jonathan Quick is a precise replica of himself 10 years ago. Any hockey fan worth his salt knows what can happen when a goalie gets hot. He'll have to be basically perfect against McDavid & Co., and his teammates will have to do things like protect the slot, pick up their checks, and STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX. They might just have a chance, but failing the above, I see the Oilers moving on after Game 6. The discrepancy in special teams between the two stand out to me the most.

I see the Panthers winning it all, but sadly, for those of us nostalgic for the 1996 finals matchup, not against the Avs--I think they'll see the Stars in the finals. Most interesting series to me is Wild vs. Blues, which is again nostalgia-based. The Blues and the North Stars used to be a very hard-hitting matchup back in the day.

Sad to see Brown hanging up the skates...I'm sure they'll hike #23 up to the rafters soon enough, alongside Gretzky, Robitaille, Blake et al. (yet more nostalgia!) That game against Vancouver certainly brought back memories for me, seeing them in their mid-90s unis, with the Canucks in their Pavel Bure-era black & orange. It's like I was a kid again, especially with them blowing a two-goal lead, and losing in overtime. Painstaking accuracy!

Should be a fun playoffs all around. I would like to see an utter lack of dirty plays (hits to the head, knee-on-knee etc.). Go Kings! ?
 

Sidehatch

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 30, 2022
578
10,299
Colorado
First round is not their problem. It’s the second round. Vegas knocked them out last year. Stars the year before. A second round matchup with Blues or Wild could definitely be another history repeating itself.
 

DanWil84

Lifer
Mar 8, 2021
1,691
12,644
40
The Netherlands (Europe)
I don't dare to say this as I seem to be the only one; GO BRUINS!!!!

They are hated because they have the biggest jackass in present day hockey in their team (somehow teams from that area aren't loved universally haha). Doesn't matter, first round opponent is taking the series 4 to 2.

My prediction; Colorado vs Florida in the finals, Colorado takes the series 4 to 3.
 
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