Whose your playoff team for 2023 (since the Blues are out)

[ComradeT]

Late to the party here. I am rooting for the Leafs/Kraken SCF. Would be fun to see Schwartz and ROR go head to head. If not the Leafs, I'll take Florida out of the East. I don't really have a second favorite out of the west but if Oilers end up winning it all I wouldn't be mad. McJesus deserves a cup.

[theohall]

McJesus does deserve a Cup, but it would help if they had a team beyond him and Draisaitl. Listening to NHL Radio heard Anthony Stewart taking Skinner as a better option than Brossoit which I don't get. Vegas has way better defense - even with Edmonton adding Ekholm. All of Stewart's arguing was McDavid, Draisaitl, Ekholm, and Bouchard bragging on their offense - not their defensive play. I'd rather have Vegas defense and more balanced scoring in the playoffs than what Edmonton provides. Assuming Stone can actually play. That being said - there is the Klim Kostin factor who has as many goals as McDavid in the 2023 playoffs.

With Tampa and Boston out, kinda want to see the Devils pull this off, but wouldn't be upset with the Panthers and Tkachuk pulling off the upset. Tkachuk is built for Berube style playoff hockey. Shame he went to Florida.

[theohall]

Carolina's 1st period vs the Devils was damn near a perfect period. Only 1 shot allowed. Only 1 penalty against and that was an iffy penalty call - which was darn near immediately evened up. We'll see what happens in the 2nd.

Carolina's 3rd goal - Kotkaniemi's goal was set up by Martinook who literally used his hand to knock Siegenthaller's helmet off. Siegenthaller would've been in position to defend the shot if he hadn't had to leave the ice thanks to Martinook knocking his helmet off. All that being said - have a tighter chin strap and the helmet doesn't get knocked off. Heck, Siegenthaller's chin strap was so loose a slight breeze could've knocked it off. Smart play by Martinook.

[theohall]

After that performance, looks like NJ is done, especially with how good Carolina is on home ice.

[glen a richter]

The Kraken loss yesterday cost the Blues at least 6 spots in the draft.

[glen a richter]

Thank god for those long suffering Vegas fans, the years of anguish and disappointment are about to come to an end.

LGP, stage an epic comeback!

[theohall]

Don't see the Panthers pulling this one out with a one-armed Chuckie. No one else is producing anything.

[glen a richter]

Vegas is lucky they were an expansion team during the era of gifting expansion teams the best possible players. I guess I'm happy for Pietrangelo and Barby but overall I'm not happy with the outcome. Really wanted to see Florida win it all, they've been my eastern conference team since their inaugeral season.

[WaukeeBlues]

Vegas is lucky they were an expansion team during the era of gifting expansion teams the best possible players. I guess I'm happy for Pietrangelo and Barby but overall I'm not happy with the outcome. Really wanted to see Florida win it all, they've been my eastern conference team since their inaugeral season.

I soured on Vegas once they started doing the scorched earth policy of acquiring any best new player that became available. They were no longer endearing nor the "misfits" anymore... just a ruthless NHL team. Every franchise does it, but the way they did it was just brutal. Fleury with his own agent tweeting the picture of the sword through his back... Stastny and Schmidt being tossed at a moment's notice when something else came along... it was just ruthless. I didn't like it. I'm mad that it paid off for them.

"...gifting expansion teams the best possible players."? That's absurd and patently false. The 'top' 10 players on every team could be protected. Were they getting "good" or "decent" players? Well sure. But they weren't sitting there selecting all-stars. Frankly I thought it was fine. The expansion drafts in the 90's were an absolute joke and it was a good thing that scheme wasn't repeated because it was awful. If you'll also recall, some of Vegas' best players (Fleury, Reilly Smith and Marchessault) were trade acquisitions, not even expansion draft pick ups. The NHL, correctly, wanted to give Vegas and Seattle a chance to win more than 19 games their first year so they could build excitement, a brand, and fill seats. But "gifting" them the "best possible players"? Come on...