Dallas Stars will miss the playoffs and people want to judge teams by "rounds won" in previous years.

Look at all these "Contenders". Tampa is the only one at the same level of talent and depth as the Leafs.
- RogerRoeper

Dallas won't miss the playoffs. They are playing like garbage right now, but I think they'll get it together. They have a bunch of games in hand, Chicago is going to fall to Earth when they stop playing Detroit and Columbus all the time, and Dallas still has a metric crap-ton of games against Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, Chicago (24 games remaining), and 15 remaining against Tampa, Carolina and Florida.

It’s fine to talk Cup as they have just as good a shot as just about anybody. The upside of playing in the “Scotia Incredibly Weak North” is that it’s easier to win - being incredibly weak. Any honest assessment of their play right now has to have them as favourites to get to the semifinals and anything can happen from there.

Obviously, there’s a million caveats involved but I don’t think it’s completely unrealistic to at least think about talking about when it might be ok to start thinking about talking about the Cup. Let’s enjoy the moment. Unleash your inner Roger
- Canada Cup

Inner Roger?

I definitely don't think a movie like that existed.
- AdamFrench

So, the Kings really had a goalie named Jacques Grande?

Mikheyev, Liljegren and a 2nd. 👍
- gergeswillems

if Eichel is worth 4 first round picks, based on goals production this year, I'd say the equivalent of at least 5 first round picks and a couple 2nd round picks

I am not getting carried away because we have not faced the best teams in the league, Tampa, Carolina, Boston, Colorado, Vegas etc. This core and this goaltender also has not proven they can win a playoff round.

Having said all of that,

I have not seen a Leafs team this dominant, ever, including '93, which was maybe not so much dominance as it was toughness and defensive discipline with just enough scoring.

They destroyed Edmonton. The results were a surprise, but what was more of a surprise was how it was not close at all.
- Aetherial

I have been saying this over the last few days as well. Been watching the team since '77 and not seen them as defensively sound in their own end on a consistent basis; ever. Hope that doesn't end up reverse jinxing poop.

I wish Bertuzzi was available..




- PatC80

I don't Tyler is available but he's being wasted in Detroit. He's been injured for awhile now which sucks because he creates scoring chances with his greasy style of play.

I don't Tyler is available but he's being wasted in Detroit. He's been injured for awhile now which sucks because he creates scoring chances with his greasy style of play.
- gergeswillems

His fathers theme song ?

If we don't get out of the Northern Division, this season will have been a failure.
- Atomic Wedgie

Yes,

His fathers theme song ?
- bixll

Uncle.

His fathers theme song ?
- bixll

😁

if Eichel is worth 4 first round picks, based on goals production this year, I'd say the equivalent of at least 5 first round picks and a couple 2nd round picks
- Symba007

Haven't you heard? Eichel is going to the Rangers. Eventually. Well that's what I keep hearing anyway.

Buzztron would say the Leafs will win the President's trophy but will miss the playoffs by 1 point while the Red Wings make it.
- gergeswillems

that's definitely going to be a tough pill to swallow...


I'm more worried about how many Leaf players are suspended pre-emptively prior to the start of the playoffs.

and of how the interpretation of the rule book will "mysteriously" change on the eve of the playoffs.

As not a gambler, I didn't really understand it too well - nor would I entirely trust it that well. I wanted something where he was going to show the day-to-day predictions of his model, and the accumulated results of those predictions. I would have looked at that and perhaps garnered some trust in it if the results were tolerable or if the model was tweaked as defects were found.

Instead it really has no meaning to me.

For the past few years, because this is one of my dorky things, in the final 15-20 games or so, I'll look at the remaining games and try to guess who _should_ win based on home/away, streaks, team strength, back-to-back or 3-in-4 and so on . . .as a way to try and predict the final standings. I even throw in a calculated buffer for some losses to be OTL . . .

I would say my picks are usually about 55%, which is garbage. I don't know if Dom's picks are much better.
- Monkeypunk

this has come up before, but he posts his results each year.
this is an older one from 2018

There were 1,271 games played this season and the team favoured by my model won 728 of those, good for 57.3 percent. The log loss, a measure of model accuracy, was 0.6738.

the thing is, there is no model or person or monkey that can consistently pick winners anything more that 55-60%

Haven't you heard? Eichel is going to the Rangers. Eventually. Well that's what I keep hearing anyway.
- gergeswillems

Kakko, Fox and Buchnevich

that's definitely going to be a tough pill to swallow...


I'm more worried about how many Leaf players are suspended pre-emptively prior to the start of the playoffs.

and of how the interpretation of the rule book will "mysteriously" change on the eve of the playoffs.



- BorjeFan4Ever

Way back when I used to play hockey video Games (NHL95) and the Red Wings were a powerhouse I played a season where I went 82-0. I won all of the player awards. And the game didn't let me qualify for the playoffs. It was hilarious. 🤣

that's definitely going to be a tough pill to swallow...


I'm more worried about how many Leaf players are suspended pre-emptively prior to the start of the playoffs.

and of how the interpretation of the rule book will "mysteriously" change on the eve of the playoffs.



- BorjeFan4Ever

I see a few key Leafs players getting injured just before the playoffs...Glassthews, the virgin, zitboy, Riellybadinhiszone,

Haven't you heard? Eichel is going to the Rangers. Eventually. Well that's what I keep hearing anyway.
- gergeswillems

must be why he signed until 2026 with the Sabres

Way back when I used to play hockey video Games (NHL95) and the Red Wings were a powerhouse I played a season where I went 82-0. I won all of the player awards. And the game didn't let me qualify for the playoffs. It was hilarious. 🤣
- gergeswillems

I used to run sims and just do the GM stuff in NHL08. Always made me laugh that Ovechkin and Crosby basically always suck and fade into obscurity, but Gaborik, Rick Nash and Grabner become consistent 60 goal scorers.

Dallas won't miss the playoffs. They are playing like garbage right now, but I think they'll get it together. They have a bunch of games in hand, Chicago is going to fall to Earth when they stop playing Detroit and Columbus all the time, and Dallas still has a metric crap-ton of games against Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, Chicago (24 games remaining), and 15 remaining against Tampa, Carolina and Florida.
- Monkeypunk

in your opinion what's going on in Dallas... they seem to have a strong roster on paper... what gives?

Kakko, Fox and Buchnevich
- mr.sir

I'd want Laffy included. But knowing Buffalo they'll likely accept Brendan Smith, Ryan Strome and Georgiev.

Ron Wilson and Randy toaster-man could coach this lineup to a Stanley Cup win, let's not pretend Keefe is the big difference maker here.
Leafs deliberately tanked for Matthews after already drafted Marner (and Rielly). Then the financial strength facilitated the work.
I still think it's not done for one of the richest franchises in league to tank to be able to improve the roster.
- MaximusAurelius

You could not be more wrong.

There are 3 major improvements this year over last

1) The younger stars are a year older
2) The team seems a lot deeper 3rd and 4th lines
3) They seem to have bought into a system. This is the biggest change, some of it is maturity, but I think Keefe needs to be given a lot of credit for this.

I'd want Laffy included. But knowing Buffalo they'll likely accept Brendan Smith, Ryan Strome and Georgiev.
- gergeswillems

They like premium bundles of garbage. The more, the better.

in your opinion what's going on in Dallas... they seem to have a strong roster on paper... what gives?
- BorjeFan4Ever

Tyler Seguin is dead and they can't score to save their lives.

Way back when I used to play hockey video Games (NHL95) and the Red Wings were a powerhouse I played a season where I went 82-0. I won all of the player awards. And the game didn't let me qualify for the playoffs. It was hilarious. 🤣
- gergeswillems

Around 1995 or 1996, I had EA NHL for the computer (I had to spend $220 to up my computer from 4 megs of RAM to 8).

I went 82-0, and Gilmour still didn't break Gretzky's points record.

I used to run sims and just do the GM stuff in NHL08. Always made me laugh that Ovechkin and Crosby basically always suck and fade into obscurity, but Gaborik, Rick Nash and Grabner become consistent 60 goal scorers.
- AdamFrench

Ha! Do you remember what was it, Dynasty mode? You could make it so you won like 10 cups in a row and you'd be rewarded with your own yacht or tropical island at the end? You could trade washed up vets for star rookies? 🤣