Thanks, Toronto!
- Rinosaur

Washington lost too... Realistically, we can move to the #2 seed but first is a stretch...

Thanks, Toronto!
- Rinosaur

Washington lost too... Realistically, we can move to the #2 seed but first is a stretch...
- hipcheck_goalie

Obviously comment, but 2nd is now the Pens to lose. The Isles play MIN and WSH to finish the season and the Pens have a much better schedule.

As long as the Pens don't take DET lightly they should be able to take the next three games.

Obviously comment, but 2nd is now the Pens to lose. The Isles play MIN and WSH to finish the season and the Pens have a much better schedule.

As long as the Pens don't take DET lightly they should be able to take the next three games.
- Rinosaur

Panthers not Wild but still we should TCB

Panthers not Wild but still we should TCB
- 668710

If the Isles go 1-1 and the Pens go 2-1 they'd likely hold 2nd.

That's awesome, no doubt.

But why use his twitter handle as opposed to his name?
- jmatchett383

Because I'm lazy and just cut and pasted it from twitter.

If the Isles go 1-1 and the Pens go 2-1 they'd likely hold 2nd.
- Rinosaur

Yes definitely can happen, I'm feeling it. I see the caps beating the Islanders.

Washington lost too... Realistically, we can move to the #2 seed but first is a stretch...
- hipcheck_goalie

if we win all our 3 remaining games and washington loses their remaining 2 game we get 1st.

If the Isles go 1-1 and the Pens go 2-1 they'd likely hold 2nd.
- Rinosaur

With the Isles loss we control our own destiny to the two seed since we have a game in hand and have the third tie breaker on lock.

Not only can we clinch a playoff spot and tie the Isles tonight, it's possible we can clinch at least 3rd in the Metro if Canes lose and Jackets lose in regulation.

First sentence of the second paragraph of the new Bolts blog..."The Lightning are deceptively top heavy. If an opponent can shut down the Kucherov line, Tampa Bay is in serious trouble"


I'm not buying that. They also have a stacked D and awesome goalie...not to mention like 10 or 11 forwards with 10+ goals, 6 or 7 with 20+.

First sentence of the second paragraph of the new Bolts blog..."The Lightning are deceptively top heavy. If an opponent can shut down the Kucherov line, Tampa Bay is in serious trouble"


I'm not buying that. They also have a stacked D and awesome goalie...not to mention like 10 or 11 forwards with 10+ goals, 6 or 7 with 20+.
- MattStrat

Yeah that dude has no idea what he’s writing about.

Yeah that dude has no idea what he’s writing about.
- j.boyd919

Well if the handful of day to day injuries they have turn into week to week that D is no longer stacked.

Well if the handful of day to day injuries they have turn into week to week that D is no longer stacked.
- Guile

They could lose 2 players in their top 6, and as long as those 2 aren't Hedman and Sergachev, they'll still be near the top of the league.

They could lose 2 players in their top 6, and as long as those 2 aren't Hedman and Sergachev, they'll still be near the top of the league.
- jmatchett383

Hedman is one of those that is day to day currently.

Credit to the bolts joining the 77 Habs and 96 Red Wings as the only teams with 60+ wins in a season...but the other 2 did it without 3v3 OT and the shootout. Still, super impressive.

Hedman is one of those that is day to day currently.
- Guile

Well if they have to go with a top pair of Sergachev and McDonagh, or even Sergachev with Cernak or Stralman, they'll be able to hold the fort.

Yeah that dude has no idea what he’s writing about.
- j.boyd919

Well let's look at this for a second...

Saying Tampa is top-heavy is actually correct(scoring-wise), but the scary thing is they've scored so many goals that they're only top-heavy relative to their own team, not the rest of the league.

-3 players have 39, 42 and 41 goals.
-5 other players have 40+ points

So yeah, you could attempt to shut down one line in order to win, but then you have to try and score on a lot on a team that's one of the stingiest teams in the league in allowing goals.

Well if they have to go with a top pair of Sergachev and McDonagh, or even Sergachev with Cernak or Stralman, they'll be able to hold the fort.
- jmatchett383

Hold the fort? The pens won in 17 with Hainsey and Dumo leading. I think this lightning team is a bit deeper.

Credit to the bolts joining the 77 Habs and 96 Red Wings as the only teams with 60+ wins in a season...but the other 2 did it without 3v3 OT and the shootout. Still, super impressive.
- jmatchett383

Indeed. Crazy accomplishment. I believe the parity in the league to much, much higher now than in those years though, especially 77.

Hold the fort? The pens won in 17 with Hainsey and Dumo leading. I think this lightning team is a bit deeper.
- burgh4life87

So was the Caps 17 team....but the playoffs are a different animal of small sample sizes for 8 of the teams that make it. Its cliche as F to say, but its true, anything can happen.

Current playoffs teams:

Tampa: 8 players with 40+ points
Pittsburgh: 5 players with 40+ points (7 with 30+)
Boston: Same as the Pens
Toronto: 7 players with 40+ points
Islanders: 4 players with 50+ points, steep drop off
Columbus: 8 players with 40+ points

Now, there are some teams out west that are on par with Tampa, but I'm not going to list everyone out. The point is this idea they are top-heavy is (frank)ing retarded. Again, they're just top-heavy relative to their own team.

I'll tell you guys this. After checking out some of the stats around the league, WPG, CGY and SJ have CRAZY scoring depth. I knew those guys were good this year, but that's some pretty scary stuff if you take a peak.

Well let's look at this for a second...

Saying Tampa is top-heavy is actually correct(scoring-wise), but the scary thing is they've scored so many goals that they're only top-heavy relative to their own team, not the rest of the league.

-3 players have 39, 42 and 41 goals.
-5 other players have 40+ points

So yeah, you could attempt to shut down one line in order to win, but then you have to try and score on a lot on a team that's one of the stingiest teams in the league in allowing goals.
- Rinosaur

Tampa has the deepest forward group in the league. I can’t get behind saying they are too heavy. They have threats to score on every single line.

Tampa has the deepest forward group in the league. I can’t get behind saying they are too heavy. They have threats to score on every single line.
- j.boyd919

That was my point. The fact that they are only top-heavy to themselves makes the scarier.

However, go sneak a peak at SJ, CGY and WPG. They might have the deepest scoring.