2020 NHL Play-in-offs Thread

[slaps]

The Flyers bought a billboard in Toronto for the playoffs that can be seen on the way to the Scotiabank Arena:

[cdanew]

Have the Flyers/Penguins exhibition game on in the background. Visually, the arena/setup looks good!

[Knives Out]

I'm not pinning this until Saturday LOL.

[Troy McClure]

I hate everything about the national coverage on NBCSN. The intermission show spends the whole time telling us how great everything is and gives next to no insight into the game being played or the teams involved. They’re so concerned about pumping up the product, but they never talk about it. I mean, I’m tuned in. You don’t need to hit me with a sales pitch.

[Troy McClure]

Quick Spinal Tap moment.

[slaps]

[B Kat]

Have the Flyers/Penguins exhibition game on in the background. Visually, the arena/setup looks good!

I agree, it looked good. Watched baseball the night before and it was weird with all the empty seats.

[Troy McClure]

Have the Flyers/Penguins exhibition game on in the background. Visually, the arena/setup looks good!

I agree, it looked good. Watched baseball the night before and it was weird with all the empty seats.

Someone on the radio made a good point about this. In baseball, the ball leaving the playing surface happens over and over with foul balls and home runs. Each time the ball goes into the seats, the camera follows it. In hockey, the puck goes over the boards several times a period, but the camera doesn't leave the rink when it does. So with hockey, we aren't having the camera swing over to show empty seats as the focal point over and over.

[ScubaSteve]

The NHL has some really talented event and broadcast folks. Brainstorming all the cool ways to showcase the product when you don't have to take idiot fans into consideration was probably pretty fun, and I'm not surprised they came up with a great look.

[slaps]

[5minmajor]

I thought it was "fazed".

[wonko80]

I thought it was "phasde"

[Troy McClure]

The NHL has some really talented event and broadcast folks. Brainstorming all the cool ways to showcase the product when you don't have to take idiot fans into consideration was probably pretty fun, and I'm not surprised they came up with a great look.

s
The arena interiors look like what an 80s movie would imagine future hockey to look like. It's fun.

[SaintAngerBH]

lol. It's weird to hear the horn and goal song with zero fans.

[slaps]

Reading about other teams and the ones that people actually rank as "good," it's funny that there is a consistent theme - "aggressive" and "attack." Usually combined with speed. That's how people describe the good teams. It's interesting that Nill has chosen to go the exact opposite way.

[SaintAngerBH]

Reading about other teams and the ones that people actually rank as "good," it's funny that there is a consistent theme - "aggressive" and "attack." Usually combined with speed. That's how people describe the good teams. It's interesting that Nill has chosen to go the exact opposite way.

This is all an offshoot of that over-reaction to their loss against the Blues back in 2016. The Stars got slower and bigger to deal with the physicality of teams like the Blues. But, it was clearly the wrong decision. I don't see the Stars getting past the 2nd round again.

[ToddM]

When do the real games start? I haven't really been paying attention.

[Troy McClure]

When do the real games start? I haven't really been paying attention.

Starting Monday, the Stars play three games to determine their seeding for the first round of the playoffs, so they play Vegas, Colorado, and St. Louis this coming week.

In some ways, these next three games don't matter for the Stars. If they lose them all, they'll enter the first round in the same place they were when the season stopped.

[5minmajor]

Today's games are meaningful for teams still trying to get into the playoffs.
It's basically playoff hockey.

[ScubaSteve]

I need Nihilist Al to weigh in as to whether or not these games have any meaning.

[BigAl]

Just a drop of water in an endless sea.

[Troy McClure]

The Oilers are getting killed. 4-1 in the first period. Poor McDavid finally gets expanded playoffs thanks to a pandemic, and even now his team is getting rolled.

[B Kat]

If any team can score a bunch it could be the Oilers. Plenty of time. I did think Chicago looked good in the exhibition game against STL. And I believe I heard that Chicago is the youngest team in the playoffs.

[One_Timer]

The PIT/MON game is pleasing.

[ToddM]

When do the real games start? I haven't really been paying attention.

Starting Monday, the Stars play three games to determine their seeding for the first round of the playoffs, so they play Vegas, Colorado, and St. Louis this coming week.

In some ways, these next three games don't matter for the Stars. If they lose them all, they'll enter the first round in the same place they were when the season stopped.

Hopefully they win all three to secure that crucial home ice.

[One_Timer]

The PIT/MON game is pleasing.

Glad to see the Habs pull one out. The Oil got embarrassed. 6-2 after 40.

[B Kat]

Good day for the NHL. Skating for Black Lives, highlighting Black Lives, kneeling for Black Lives, a welcome and necessary message. The CBC broadcast as usual, was especially poignant. Don Cherry who?

And while programming can't change hardened hearts, the NHL message and others, helps to limit further infection of younger generations. Pleasing, indeed.

[SaintAngerBH]

Good day for the NHL. Skating for Black Lives, highlighting Black Lives, kneeling for Black Lives, a welcome and necessary message. The CBC broadcast as usual, was especially poignant. Don Cherry who?

And while programming can't change hardened hearts, the NHL message and others, helps to limit further infection of younger generations. Pleasing, indeed.

I haven't seen any BLM or political stuff from the NHL other than the very beginning of the Pens/Flyers game the other day and it was barely even mentioned.

[B Kat]

Matt Dumba is courageous and will likely face harassment. The NHL chose to stand for equality, which really shouldn't be political.

[ToddM]

Playing in these empty stadiums gives an unfair advantage to teams like the Coyotes.