I know if we get just a point tonight, we clinch. But IMHO we need the win to pass Florida. If the Isles win tonight and Carolina beats Florida tomorrow, then the Isles are WC 1. If they end up WC 2 then that means a playoff death sentence in Rd 1 against the B's. I want the Isles to avoid playing them in Rd 1 if possible. I really hope tonight is a no doubt who wins kind of game. Up by 2 in the 1st P. Up 3 in the 2nd P. Up 5-1 in the 3rd P. I don't want to see a tie game in the 3rd P or worse with the Isles losing. My nerves can't take it
Fortunately, Carolina has a lot to play for, just a point up on NJD with the Devils game also happening Thursday.
The season has been a constant swing of optimism and disappointment; why not prolong it to the very last possible moment?
Good job Isles. Hope Carolina wins tomorrow so we can avoid the B's in Rd 1. The Canes are a good team but I would rather the Isles play them.
Well, that was certainly a more fun time than the game I went to a couple of weeks ago. They were clearly the better team, but it was closer than it needed to be (that shorthanded goal was pathetically embarrassing). Nelson looked great, Engvall was as usual invisible. Will root for Carolina tomorrow, although I don't think the Isles have much of a chance against them, either. And I also don't think that any rational human being can possibly think that getting into the playoffs this way and then getting destroyed in the first round in any way vindicates Lamoriello, so I don't think it makes any difference that way - if Ledecky and Malkin are stupid enough to think that winning this game tonight is enough to keep him, they would have thought it anyway if they had lost.
I agree with you 100% on Lou. The Isles should move from him, but they won't. They will be heavy underdogs no matter who they play but I still hope it's the Canes. They would have a small shot at an upset vs them IMHO but none against the B's.
This team was a WC hopeful the entire second half of the season; if ownership had a greater expectation for the team beyond simply making the playoffs as a WC they wouldn’t have let him trade away their top prospect and sign Horvat to a massive deal when they never had a realistic chance of finishing higher than the WC. The fact that they did shows Lou had their support and the bar was simply making the playoffs as a WC.
Canes it is. I still don't think they make it out of the first round, but maybe it will be a little less ugly.
By the way, as a grumpy old man, let me just say that, while the Bruins had a great season, it was not the best season in NHL history. They were 11-0-5 in overtime this year; using the old pre-overtime rules, their record would have been 54-12-16, for a total of 124 points in 82 games (1.512 points per game). The 1976-1977 Canadiens had a record of 60-8-12, for a total of 132 points in 80 games (1.65 points per game), so the Bruins' record is well behind that of the Habs. Under the current rules, that Montreal team could have easily ended up with 140 points in 80 games. They were 12-2 in the playoffs, with the only two losses coming to our own Isles. I was at the three playoff games against them at the Coliseum, and they were certainly something to see (heartbreaking 2-1 loss in Game 6 at the Old Barn ended it - Isles outshot them 28-20, but Dryden was too good).
Btw, when I become commissioner there will be none of the "point for a loss bullshit" Sorry, just because you tried hard enough to make it to overtime... no cookie for you. Adding the shootout was great, but wasnt that the point; to determine a winner?
At minimum, get rid of the OT loss loser point. I can live with getting the loser point for a shootout loss... as long as we have to stick with shootouts.
This is a really weird thing about sports: In soccer, three points are awarded for a clear victor, and two points (one per team) for a tie. In hockey, it's the opposite.
Any word on Barzal? Hopefully he can play in this series. We need his offense. Also, Horvat seemed to have chemistry with Barzal in the few games they played together. We need him to step it up offensively as well.
