They have a great coach who can squeeze the most out of what he has in front of him but they are not nearly deep enough. Oilers effectively shut down Ratchuck (except one game) and Johnny Hockey (the Mitch Marner of the West) and then it was a game of 'whose goalie will play worse" - and Calgary lost that game.
- Cush29

you know it's a steep fall when you lose that battle to Mike Smith

Well no one is a certainty at the draft.

If they 100% knew he'd turn as good as he has, of course they would have picked him earlier.

But they had to believe in his potential to pick him at all. So I'm giving them full credit.
- Scabeh

No credit granted by me. That said luck or seredipitous drafting such as Shesterkin, Kucherov, Zetterberg, Gilmour, Hull or Datsyuk are needed to build a great team.

No credit granted by me. That said luck or seredipitous drafting such as Shesterkin, Kucherov, Zetterberg, Gilmour, Hull or Datsyuk are needed to build a great team.
- winsix

So when a team drafts well it's luck but when they don't they suck?

That hardly seems fair.

So when a team drafts well it's luck but when they don't they suck?

That hardly seems fair.
- Scabeh

It's luck when it is a late round pick - absolutely dumb luck.

He hass a NMC, they might not get much. He gets to choose if, where and when he goes.

I honesty dont think he holds out to goto NYR. I honestly dont see him leaving yet, unless they really flop the next couple of years.
- Archaic

I agree. Teams need to be purposely built to go deep into the playoffs. Defense and goaltending always take on a deeper meaning the farther you go into the playoff mix.

Elite scorers are the shiny objects that everyone craves. Folks get seduced by the idea that if you have one superstar scorer than two must be twice as good. It is simply not true. McDavid and Draisaitl are not a perfect formula. And, it would be the same for any team that believes outstanding forward scoring offers an adequate substitute for defense and goaltending.

What do the Rangers, Bolts and Avs have that the other pretenders do not? Elite goaltending and outstanding D. And, the Avs are dubious on the goaltending.

It’s too much for him defensively. He’d be much better better on the wing.
- Canada Cup

A stronger defensive winger perhaps. JT is the best faceoff man on the Leafs.

you know it's a steep fall when you lose that battle to Mike Smith
- PatC80

Indeed but Mike Smith "Mike Smith'ed" himself and his team out of the playoffs last night with that bonehead play where instead of making the easy pass to his D man he rifled the puck off a linesman and then was mad when the Av's scored.

As a buddy and I were texting last night:

"Nobody likes Mike Smith playing the puck as much as Mike Smith"

Followed by:

"They have done studies you know. 60% of the time it works every time".

BlueJays Offence last 2 weeks ranks 1st in MLB in: Average, On-Base%, Slug%, OPS, HR & Chase Rate

the Jays after that 20 game death spiral of no hitting

via GIPHY

I agree. Teams need to be purposely built to go deep into the playoffs. Defense and goaltending always take on a deeper meaning the farther you go into the playoff mix.

Elite scorers are the shiny objects that everyone craves. Folks get seduced by the idea that if you have one superstar scorer than two must be twice as good. It is simply not true. McDavid and Draisaitl are not a perfect formula. And, it would be the same for any team that believes outstanding forward scoring offers an adequate substitute for defense and goaltending.

What do the Rangers, Bolts and Avs have that the other pretenders do not? Elite goaltending and outstanding D.
- spatso

https://www.hockeybuzz.co...143287&page=last#22317519

Indeed but Mike Smith "Mike Smith'ed" himself and his team out of the playoffs last night with that bonehead play where instead of making the easy pass to his D man he rifled the puck off a linesman and then was mad when the Av's scored.

As a buddy and I were texting last night:

"Nobody likes Mike Smith playing the puck as much as Mike Smith"

Followed by:

"They have done studies you know. 60% of the time it works every time".
- Cush29

Hard to blame Smith TBH. He was arguably the best goalie in the series, despite the fact that he looks like a hobo and if I saw him on the street would give him my spare change.

It's luck when it is a late round pick - absolutely dumb luck.
- winsix

I'm not saying luck isn't involved but considering how much time, ressources and effort are made in evaluating these young players, it's not entirely dumb luck, I disagree.

Indeed but Mike Smith "Mike Smith'ed" himself and his team out of the playoffs last night with that bonehead play where instead of making the easy pass to his D man he rifled the puck off a linesman and then was mad when the Av's scored.

As a buddy and I were texting last night:

"Nobody likes Mike Smith playing the puck as much as Mike Smith"

Followed by:

"They have done studies you know. 60% of the time it works every time".
- Cush29

Saw this on Twitter;

Mike Smith always looks around angrily after a goal, as if he was prevented from making the save by a vengeful spirit

I'm not saying luck isn't involved but considering how much time, ressources and effort are made in evaluating these young players, it's not entirely dumb luck, I disagree.
- Scabeh

First two rounds are absolutely planned IMO. Last five rounds are dartboard city for the GM's. Sure they have a list, but there are way more stiffs left at that point that will never play a game in the NHL than top notch talent. It's luck.

I'm not saying luck isn't involved but considering how much time, ressources and effort are made in evaluating these young players, it's not entirely dumb luck, I disagree.
- Scabeh

Teams get what 5 minutes to make a pick after the 2nd round?

I don't know how much planning goes into 5 minutes, maybe they knew something about him beforehand? If they did though, maybe they would have taken him earlier in the 4th rd.

Hard to blame Smith TBH. He was arguably the best goalie in the series, despite the fact that he looks like a hobo and if I saw him on the street would give him my spare change.
- winsix

That play was typical of his selfish play in my opinion. He just fails to ever make the safe play, it's a deciding game in the 3rd round and he still tries to force something that is not there.

He may have been the best goalie in this last series but he was playing against a back up for most of it.

No shot I want him on my team, how can you ever feel safe knowing that your goalie is going to probably come out to play a puck there is zero need for him to at the worst time and often cough it up at the worst time?

Imagine the outrage if Smith was a Leaf and did the Mike Smith things he does / did this playoff year? He was just lucky McJesus and Dry Saddle managed to outscore most of his snafu's.

Saw this on Twitter;

Mike Smith always looks around angrily after a goal, as if he was prevented from making the save by a vengeful spirit
- PatC80

It's true and you have to think his teammates are a bit tired of it, they have to be silently thinking "Mike that was your mistake just stop your embarrassing yourself".

Teams get what 5 minutes to make a pick after the 2nd round?

I don't know how much planning goes into 5 minutes, maybe they knew something about him beforehand? If they did though, maybe they would have taken him earlier in the 4th rd.
- PatC80

Well it's a team decision, sometimes a recruiter will be very high on "X" player and puts him way higher on his own list.

When the Habs drafted Romanov, he wasn't even listed on some teams lists. Yet one of the Habs scout wanted him so goddamn bad he made everything so Timmins would pick him.

Bottom line, it's not an exact science, but you pick players your scouts believe in and sometimes they pan out. Some scouts are also better than others which helps their influence and the team's result.

So yes, luck, obviously. But not 100% pure randomized stuff either.

A stronger defensive winger perhaps. JT is the best faceoff man on the Leafs.
- winsix

There’s a lot more to playing centre than taking faceoffs

Calgary folded on themselves, Edmonton deserves zero credit for what happened there and Colorado just showed them that.
- joel878

Disagree.
The oilers stepped up and beat a quality team despite lack of depth scoring, meh D and very questionable goaltending.
Then they ran into the best team in the league.

Hard to blame Smith TBH. He was arguably the best goalie in the series, despite the fact that he looks like a hobo and if I saw him on the street would give him my spare change.
- winsix

Him being arguably the best goalie in a series where the other team had to largely rely on their backup isn't the most ringing endorsement.

There’s a lot more to playing centre than taking faceoffs
- Canada Cup

Bergeron walks … we could all play C and be ok…

That play was typical of his selfish play in my opinion. He just fails to ever make the safe play, it's a deciding game in the 3rd round and he still tries to force something that is not there.

He may have been the best goalie in this last series but he was playing against a back up for most of it.

No shot I want him on my team, how can you ever feel safe knowing that your goalie is going to probably come out to play a puck there is zero need for him to at the worst time and often cough it up at the worst time?

Imagine the outrage if Smith was a Leaf and did the Mike Smith things he does / did this playoff year? He was just lucky McJesus and Dry Saddle managed to outscore most of his snafu's.
- Cush29

I can agree with that. TBH when Kane who is a proven douchebag (several times over) only got a single game suspension I was pissed. Kadri got 5 games for a much lighter hit on DeBrusk (who did not miss a shift) Kane a famous NHL bad guy gets one game and seriously injures a player. More of the same from a former goon running NHL supplementary judgement.

There were a bunch of good teams in the east and one good team in the west. The Oilers just played them. It didn’t go well.
- Canada Cup

Yes they played the best team in the league and lost.....as expected.
But they also beat a team much better than them
Ok cool.

Him being arguably the best goalie in a series where the other team had to largely rely on their backup isn't the most ringing endorsement.
- joel878

Kuemper was ready and dressed last night. Avs do not have the same reliance of brilliant goaltending that other teams might have. That backup has won 6 games in a row.

Disagree.
The oilers stepped up and beat a quality team despite lack of depth scoring, meh D and very questionable goaltending.
Then they ran into the best team in the league.
- Fakepartofme

I'm not sure how anyone can watch hockey and say this and believe it. The Flames who during the season looked like a lock to take Colorado to the wire in the semis barely made it past Dallas and followed that act up by giving up 4+ goals in 5 straight with a Vezina nominee in net.

One of my best friends is a diehard Flames fan, he said Calgary played to maybe about 10% of the level they dependably hit every game this season, and would have been just as on point to have just forfeited every game against Edmonton. I watch a poopload of Calgary myself and they were a complete shell.