We'll have Kings/Oilers for the third year in a row, I suppose.
Vegas has 3-0 record against Dallas in the regular season. Only one of those wins, however, were in regulation. It almost seemed like Vegas being a wild card was a better situation for them? All of those regular season games were last year, though, and a lot might have changed since then. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens here.
We'll have Kings/Oilers for the third year in a row, I suppose.
Vegas has 3-0 record against Dallas in the regular season. Only one of those wins, however, were in regulation. It almost seemed like Vegas being a wild card was a better situation for them? All of those regular season games were last year, though, and a lot might have changed since then. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens here.
I was actually hoping the Stars wouldn't play the Kings in the first round because then it'd literally be my team against yours.
Anyway, came here to say also that I don't think this Vegas team is as strong as this new Stars team is. If all of our lines are playing on point in the series, then I predict Stars in 6 games. I've been loosely watching the Golden Knights throughout this year and they have indeed dropped a lot of games they shouldn't have.
I've been eyeing this thread for awhile, as evidenced by the egg hunt clue, lol. I think my fandom of hockey and the Tampa Bay Lightning is well documented by this point, so I won't go into detail about that. It's also easier to just bring up my other sports fandoms on an as-needed basis, lol.
Anyways, my actual excuse for posting in here is that the NHL regular season is over and the playoffs begin today! It's been a roller coaster of a season as a Bolts fan, since the sort of dominance expected from them over the past few seasons simply wasn't there for most of the season. I know their roster has changed a fair amount the past couple of seasons, but even so, their play was very inconsistent and they definitely struggled at times, with injuries to key players (first Vasy to start the season, then Sergachev during the season) not helping matters. Though somehow, they managed to put it together after the trade deadline and comfortably secure a playoff spot once again. It was also great watching Kucherov make history with 100 assists and lead the league with 144 points, he definitely deserves to win the Hart even though I'm not expecting it.
Truthfully, I don't really know if they'll be able to win the Stanley Cup, though it'd definitely be nice if they could! As much as I hate having to face the Panthers in the first round and don't like our chances in that series, I'm thankful we don't have to face the Leafs in the first round again, since I couldn't stomach that match-up for a third year in a row.
As well, I always try and predict how the playoffs will go, so I figure I'd share that in here:
I just filled out the whole NHL bracket challenge for the sake of having something more presentable. If this actually happens I'm going to be really sad, since I really don't want Florida to win the Cup.
I've been eyeing this thread for awhile, as evidenced by the egg hunt clue, lol. I think my fandom of hockey and the Tampa Bay Lightning is well documented by this point, so I won't go into detail about that. It's also easier to just bring up my other sports fandoms on an as-needed basis, lol.
Anyways, my actual excuse for posting in here is that the NHL regular season is over and the playoffs begin today! It's been a roller coaster of a season as a Bolts fan, since the sort of dominance expected from them over the past few seasons simply wasn't there for most of the season. I know their roster has changed a fair amount the past couple of seasons, but even so, their play was very inconsistent and they definitely struggled at times, with injuries to key players (first Vasy to start the season, then Sergachev during the season) not helping matters. Though somehow, they managed to put it together after the trade deadline and comfortably secure a playoff spot once again. It was also great watching Kucherov make history with 100 assists and lead the league with 144 points, he definitely deserves to win the Hart even though I'm not expecting it.
Truthfully, I don't really know if they'll be able to win the Stanley Cup, though it'd definitely be nice if they could! As much as I hate having to face the Panthers in the first round and don't like our chances in that series, I'm thankful we don't have to face the Leafs in the first round again, since I couldn't stomach that match-up for a third year in a row.
As well, I always try and predict how the playoffs will go, so I figure I'd share that in here:
I just filled out the whole NHL bracket challenge for the sake of having something more presentable. If this actually happens I'm going to be really sad, since I really don't want Florida to win the Cup.
Your bracket looks good... aside from the western side. Sorry, got to be that person.
I don't know that I'd have Colorado defeating Winnipeg since the last game they played, the Jets absolutely DOMINATED the Avalanche. Of course the playoffs are always different, but that one seems more close than some would think.
Also, I really don't foresee the Oilers being in the Stanely Cup Finals due to the fact that a Canadian team has only advanced to the SCF six times since 1993, and never won it in those six times.
If you ask me it's going to be the Stars and the Kings/Preds in the WCF this year. I could also foresee the Stars facing the Canucks in the WCF, but the Stars would probably win that series and advance to the SCF.
I have no comments for the eastern side as I haven't paid attention to them as much this year, but what you have looks pretty good.
*These are all predictions just based on things I've seen during the season and my own opinions.
Your bracket looks good... aside from the western side. Sorry, got to be that person.
I don't know that I'd have Colorado defeating Winnipeg since the last game they played, the Jets absolutely DOMINATED the Avalanche. Of course the playoffs are always different, but that one seems more close than some would think.
Also, I really don't foresee the Oilers being in the Stanely Cup Finals due to the fact that a Canadian team has only advanced to the SCF six times since 1993, and never won it in those six times.
If you ask me it's going to be the Stars and the Kings/Preds in the WCF this year. I could also foresee the Stars facing the Canucks in the WCF, but the Stars would probably win that series and advance to the SCF.
I have no comments for the eastern side as I haven't paid attention to them as much this year, but what you have looks pretty good.
*These are all predictions just based on things I've seen during the season and my own opinions.
My opinion: The Kings would be would be a definite WCF team had the goaltending situation was figured out. Jonathan Quick hasn’t been the same since 2017 (Yes, I know he isn’t on the team anymore) and the only other goaltender that has given me hope since then was Cal Petersen, who is also no longer on the team. When Cal was the backup, he was phenomenal and had the skills to be a starter if needed, but the team was holding onto hope that Quick would be like he was in 2014, which tbf was probably his best year and nearly impossible to replicate.
The Kings will be a contender for sure if net is figured out. I know that’s something the team wants considering a trade for a goaltender fell through twice (Markstrom and Ullmark [spelling?]) because of the goaltender turning down a trade to LA - likely for California taxes/not wanting to live in California.
This is a phenomenal roster minus the goaltending. It’s easier to play to your full potential when you have a goalie you can rely on.
My opinion: The Kings would be would be a definite WCF team had the goaltending situation was figured out. Jonathan Quick hasn’t been the same since 2017 (Yes, I know he isn’t on the team anymore) and the only other goaltender that has given me hope since then was Cal Petersen, who is also no longer on the team. When Cal was the backup, he was phenomenal and had the skills to be a starter if needed, but the team was holding onto hope that Quick would be like he was in 2014, which tbf was probably his best year and nearly impossible to replicate.
The Kings will be a contender for sure if net is figured out. I know that’s something the team wants considering a trade for a goaltender fell through twice (Markstrom and Ullmark [spelling?]) because of the goaltender turning down a trade to LA - likely for California taxes/not wanting to live in California.
This is a phenomenal roster minus the goaltending. It’s easier to play to your full potential when you have a goalie you can rely on.
Yeah, that is true. My #1 pick for the WCF this year is the Stars and Canucks. Anything else would come second. Cause I mean, just looking at their records and teams it makes sense anyway. Kings have a shot though.
The Kings lost last night, not that last night was solely a goaltending issue. Not like the first game with seven goals against. It's hard to win games with seven goals against, and the goalie has to be better. That first game was game was almost as horrendous as the Avs/Jets Game 1. The difference?
The Avs play well in spite of their goaltending. The Kings just can't play consistently with lackluster goaltending. It feels like the Kings, although their roster isn't as deep as the Avs, have a similar goaltending issue. Edmonton is quite possibly the worst match-up for this team because of their high-powered first line, and it's easier to take advantage of lackluster goaltending with a great offense. My underlined bit here is a true statement. The Kings have a better team than what we've been shown, and it's likely not going to show until there's some consistent goaltending.
I'm just curious to see who will be the next goaltender for this team.
I'm really pleased with the Minnesota Vikings' draft picks this year.
I am absolutely ecstatic that we got a quarterback with potential. I was never a fan of Kirk Cousins and I've been begging for his replacement for years. Of course, you never know how a new QB will pan out, but I'm willing to take the chance. The problem with Cousins was that he was too consistent to just ditch, but he made the worst decisions at the worst times to cost us in the important games. So I'm hoping for good things from McCarthy, but if he doesn't work out I feel like they'll be able to get away from him easier than they were with Cousins.
They picked up a linebacker who, by all accounts, will likely make a huge impact and it's a position we needed. They filled some offensive line needs. Plus, they grabbed a new kicker, which is an area they've struggled in the past few seasons.
Dare I say, I'm hopeful that this season may be a good one.
The first round of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs is over and there were no real upsets or surprises.I suppose Colorado eliminating Winnipeg is a mild upset but the Jets have a reputation for folding up the tent in the early rounds.And as always,the Maple Leafs lost to the Bruins in a game 7.I'd like to see Arizona homeboy Auston Matthews go far in the playoffs but his only hope is to get traded to a team that is not called the Maple Leafs.The Dallas vs. Vegas series was a real dogfight and I'd like to personally thank the Stars for eliminating the Golden Knights because I'm just tired of lookin' at those guys.I think Colorado,Florida and New York seem to be playing the best hockey right now but there's still a long ways to go.
As well, I always try and predict how the playoffs will go, so I figure I'd share that in here:
I just filled out the whole NHL bracket challenge for the sake of having something more presentable. If this actually happens I'm going to be really sad, since I really don't want Florida to win the Cup.
I know the Stanley Cup Final technically isn't over, but it's hard to see the Oilers coming back at this point. I really hate that I ended up correctly predicting that the Panthers would win the whole thing, just awful. why can I only predict the playoffs accurately when its a team I hate that ends up winning
It's unfortunate the Mavs couldn't defeat the Celtics, but understandable given how stacked Boston is. I also just really believe Kyrie needed to facilitate more during the series for the Mavs and he didn't, but he's never really been a team player, so it's not surprising. People keep saying Luka needs to play better defense, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about that hurting his offensive output in the future if he did. It probably would take a lot of energy to put up those offensive numbers while still playing elite-level defense, and I'm not sure if he could do that. Maybe if he didn't score as many points, I don't know.
It's looking like a Boston and Florida year for basketball and hockey!!
Congrats to the Florida Panthers for winning the Stanley Cup.It was good to see former Arizona Coyote Oliver Ekman-Larsson win the Cup.Also,I liked that an Arizona born player,Matthew Tkachuk,is also getting his name on the Cup.Matthew Tkachuk is the son of Keith Tkachuk who was the Coyotes' team captain when they moved from Winnipeg to Phoenix back in 1996.Matthew was born the following year in 1997 in Scottsdale,AZ.
For any hockey fans on the West Coast,the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings both unveiled their new uniforms for next season.The ducks brought back a new version of their original logo back when the were called the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.The Kings brought back their Wayne Gretzky-era black and silver jerseys from the Nineties.I like 'em,particularly the Kings black and silvers.
I'm not too much into sports but I like to watch hockey whenever I get the chance. My hockey teams is the penguins (wow what a surprise). Hockey is definitely my favorite sport to watch, although it would take quite a few ice skating lessons for me to be competent at all if I played it. I always find soccer or pickleball fun to play when I have the chance.
Sumo update: Terunofuji is doing a lot better than expected. I was worried he was going to do badly and leave the tournament as he has the past few times. I hope he redeems himself by winning!
Love seeing Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku as judges on the sidelines. I was confused by Hakuho doing security the past few times, but all right.
Tobizaru and Takanosho have some of the BEST brows in sumo. Idk if they shape them or what, but just something I’ve noticed. Tobizaru also has some strong lip game. (He is very attractive, I’ve gotta admit. As are Endo, Takanosho, Wakatakakage, and some others.)
Takakeisho has disappointed me a bit, but hopefully he gets his head back in the game.
I always have high hopes for Ura, who is interesting to watch in the ring. He is always so positive, too. Sad that some of the sumo elders didn’t like his pink mawashi.
Abi is good at sumo, but…not my fave for being the reason they can’t have social media accounts.
However, I take issue with how underpaid the fighters are. The majority of the fanbase is highly vocal about this. Many of the fighters end up taking a second job outside of being a professional athlete, which is almost unheard of in other sports. It's the biggest MMA organization and they should do better. They've paid as low as $4,000 per fight. Professional fighters only fight on average of 2-3 times per year.
I'm also tired of the fans being misogynistic. Each time a women's match is announced they complain. It's one of the only sports of which men and women share the same show instead of divisions being aired separately.
Overall I appreciate the talent it takes and the unique skill-sets these athletes have. But due to what I mentioned, the sport will never be as prestigious as boxing.
The NHL regular season in North America since they already played a couple of games in Europe starts later today! It's been an interesting off-season, which sadly also included the tragic deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. They died far too young, hopefully the driver responsible is incarcerated for a very long time.
Anyways, there's definitely been a number of changes to the Bolts roster this off-season. Most notably, Steven Stamkos leaving the team in free agency for the Preds. It's still hard to believe he's gone, since I genuinely thought they would re-sign him and he would be remain a Bolt for his entire career. Considering he's been with the Bolts for almost as long as I've been a hockey fan, it'll be really strange not to see him on the Bolts. I do understand the rational of acquiring Jake Guentzel to replace him, since Guentzel is slightly younger and a stronger player at 5v5, but still, for what Stamkos has done for the organization, both on and off the ice, I definitely wish they tried harder to keep him. I'm going to miss him.
Sergachev being traded was definitely another huge surprise, since even when they brought Ryan McDonagh back, I really didn't expect he could be traded away. I'm fine with what they got in return for him, but still, given how he was part of the Stanley Cup winning teams, given he's long been touted as the future #1 D of our defense, and given the freak injury he suffered last season, only to make an emotional return in the playoffs on the cusp of elimination, it makes it that much harder to see him go. With both Stamkos and Sergachev gone, only 7 players from the 2021 Cup winning team remain (Kucherov, Point, Cirelli, Hedman, McDonagh, Cernak, Vasy), which does make me sad to think about.
As for how the team is currently constructed, man, their first line is great, but things definitely feel a bit spotty after that. Not properly filling their 2nd line RW spot is unfortunate, since I don't think Sheary nor Atkinson are good fits there, so I think that'll drag Hagel and Cirelli down a bit. I'm definitely a bit concerned about how much production they'll get out of their bottom 6, since that was a problem last season and it feels like it'll continue to be problematic this season. Hopefully Geekie will be able to do well, though, since I'm looking forward to seeing how he does. I also have no idea how well the power play will do, since it was one of the most historically dominant power plays last season, but with Stamkos gone, that's a huge hole to fill there. I think their D is pretty solid. I'm happy to have the shutdown pair of McDonagh and Cernak back together. It'll be interesting to see how Moser does with Hedman, and I feel like our third pairing can hold their own. Having a healthy Vasy to start the year feels like that'll be a huge difference compared to last year. So yeah, good defensively, but maybe struggling offensively.
I'm unsure how well they'll end up doing, especially since it's hard to know how much the loss of Stamkos will affect things. On paper, I still feel like they're a playoff team, maybe not able to reach the lofty heights of a few seasons ago, but I still think a safe bet for either third or fourth in the Atlantic. Then who really knows how they'll do in the playoffs, since I feel like they just got very unlucky with a bad match-up to start last year's playoffs and could've gone deeper otherwise. Hopefully they'll be able to hold their own to start the season and BriseBois can bolster the forward group as the year goes along.
Anyways, because I like predicting stuff, I put together something for this upcoming season. Don't worry, I'm sure most of this will be wrong, lmao:
Eastern Conference: Atlantic:
1) Florida Panthers
2) Toronto Maple Leafs
3) Tampa Bay Lightning
4) Boston Bruins (WC1)
5) Ottawa Senators (WC2)
6) Buffalo Sabres
7) Detroit Red Wings
8) Montreal Canadiens
Metro:
1) New Jersey Devils (E1)
2) New York Rangers
3) Carolina Hurricanes
4) New York Islanders
5) Philadelphia Flyers
6) Pittsburgh Penguins
7) Washington Capitals
8) Columbus Blue Jackets
West: Central:
1) Dallas Stars (President's Trophy)
2) Colorado Avalanche
3) Nashville Predators
4) Utah Hockey Club (WC1)
5) Winnipeg Jets
6) Minnesota Wild
7) St. Louis Blues
8) Chicago Blackhawks
Pacific:
1) Edmonton Oilers
2) Vegas Golden Knights
3) Vancouver Canucks
4) Seattle Kraken (WC2)
5) Los Angeles Kings
6) Anaheim Ducks
7) Calgary Flames
8) San Jose Sharks
Playoffs: Round 1:
A1) FLA vs WC1) BOS - BOS wins 4-3
A2) TOR vs A3) TB - TB wins 4-3
M1) NJ vs WC2) OTT - NJ wins 4-0
M2) NYR vs M3) CAR - CAR wins 4-3
C1) DAL vs WC2) SEA - DAL wins 4-1
C2) COL vs C3) NSH - COL wins 4-2
P1) EDM vs WC1) UTH - EDM wins 4-0
P2) VGK vs P3) VAN - VGK wins 4-1
Round 2:
A3) TB vs WC1) BOS - TB wins 4-2
M1) NJ vs M3) CAR - CAR wins 4-3
C1) DAL vs C2) COL - COL wins 4-3
P1) EDM vs P2) VGK - EDM wins 4-1
Conference Finals:
M3) CAR vs A3) TB - TB wins 4-1
P1) EDM vs C2) COL - EDM wins 4-1
Stanley Cup Final:
P1) EDM vs A3) TB - EDM wins 4-2
This is the first NHL season since 1996 that Phoenix doesn't have a team.Our boys are in Utah now and they've looked pretty good so far.They'll go as far as their goaltending will take them.From what I've read there is a strong chance that the team will eventually be called the Utah Yeti which is odd because the mythical creature supposedly lives in the Himalayas not the American Rocky Mountains.Should make for a cool logo,though.I think this is an exciting young team that was/is being built in the right way.I can see them making the playoffs as a 6,7 or 8 seed.
Six more wins for my Dodgers! Hopefully this is the year
Beyond watching baseball, I don't really watch much else. I'll keep an eye on the Lakers close to playoff time and for football I like the Raiders and the Saints, but I'm not heavily invested like I am with beisbol.
