NHL Offseason N/V April - When the Balls Come Out, Nothing's Going to Change

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > NHL Offseason N/V April - When the Balls Come Out, Nothing's Going to Change

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

Ginette Reno posted:

I'm not saying you're doing this but people get way too panicky about their team peaking too early before the playoffs. That doesn't matter. If anything it's a good omen that you're playing that well, unless you're getting unsustainably lucky.

When the Pens won the Cup in 09 they went something like 19-4 down the stretch before the playoffs started. They were also a possession beast. They are that now as well and I legitimately believe they have a chance to win the cup now. If they keep possessing the puck like they are and manage to cobble together a functioning powerplay then they can beat anyone.

Repostin' this for the new thread:

Sharks Eat Bear posted:

Good question! I pulled some 5v5 stats from war-on-ice below:

March 2013
- G +/-: +21 (1st)
- CF%: 51.2 (12th)
- ZSO%: 50.1 (15th)
- PDO: 105.6 (1st, mostly due to 0.950 SV%)

March 2016
- G +/-: +17 (1st)
- CF%: 57.2 (1st)
- ZSO%: 53.9 (3rd)
- PDO: 101.8 (3rd)

So, the underlying stats are actually looking better now than they were during the pens 15-game win streak in March 2013. Even though the Pens were still one of the top ranked PDO teams this month, the spread between them and the middle of the league is much tighter than it was in 2013, which is encouraging -- it's not just good luck that's driving their performance right now. [Edit: and if you look at their performance since Sullivan's hiring, they're similarly dominant in possession but their PDO actually does fall to the middle of the pack.]

The really cool thing about how they're playing right now is that the depth guys don't look like they're about to turn into pumpkins -- if anything it seems that the more familiar they get with Sullivan's system, the better they look.

Also, fun fact: Malkin played 6 games in March 2013 but missed the rest due to injury. Guess how many he played this March before his injury? Sounds like "sex".

The good news is that the Pens aren't "peaking" because of good puck luck or unsustainable goaltending -- it's because they have a roster that is built perfectly for Sullivan's system.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2016 18:18

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 17:55

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

ive gotten dozens of concussions from reading N/V threads

# ¿ Apr 2, 2016 18:25

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

its my secret posting soss

# ¿ Apr 2, 2016 18:25

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

i can't really tell from the replays -- wilson didn't hit zhadorov's head?

i know you can't eliminate concussions entirely, but that seems like a reckless hit. zhadorov definitely put himself in that vulnerable position, but wilson also easily could have avoided destroying him

# ¿ Apr 2, 2016 20:36

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

N: Pens clinch
V: Murray good

# ¿ Apr 2, 2016 20:47

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

Vicas posted:

he'd never do this on a team with stronger D

ah yes, the well documanted "karlsson effect"

# ¿ Apr 3, 2016 17:12

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

Pornographic Memory posted:

so according to some poo poo people have been saying on the radio mike sullivan isn't planning on breaking up crosby or kessel's line when malkin returns. i hope the penguins can make it far enough into the playoffs to make that happen because it would be pretty amazing to watch them rolling their lines and have one of crosby, kessel, or malkin on the ice for around 50 minutes a game, maybe even more if they decide this means crosby can play on the penalty kill

i can get behind this

1) kunitz - crosby - hornqvist
2a) hagelin - bonino - kessel
2b) fehr/sheary - malkin - bennett
3) fehr/sheary - cullen - kuhnhackl

that does not seem like an easy lineup to match against. god i hope we make it to the point where malkin returns

# ¿ Apr 5, 2016 21:45

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

a false posted:

please everyone do not forget that marc-andre fleury in the playoffs

MAF has a 0.934 SV% in his last 18 playoff games. Even if we go back to 2013 it's still a 0.921. Also it might be moot because depending on the hotness of MAF's brain, we could see playoffs Murray. Blossoming-but-still-unknown future star goalie getting his first shot to make a name for himself in the biggest way possible??? That's a narrative just BEGGING for some classic playoff heroics

Do we know when Halak and Hamonic come back? I would love to play the Isles in the 1st round if those two are out of the picture. But I won't be too upset if we draw the rangers. Feels like the got over a mental hump by lighting them up pretty consistently this year. That said, I'll never count out playoffs Hank, so I'd prefer to see the Isles...

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 18:29

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

i actually like the idea of the kings winning another cup (if the pens don't make it to the SCF at least) for mostly anti-social reasons, but i would equally support the sharks making a run

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 18:47

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

onemillionzombies posted:

I keep forgetting that the Rangers have had any sort of playoff success recently.

I don't know why they're so forgettable.

it's because they're garbage and the only reason they've had any success is by the grace of hank

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 19:30

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

LmaoTheKid posted:

this is a bad post

it might be a bad post, but at least it's not "a false" post :mmmhmm:

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 19:38

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

a false posted:

i'm an incredibly good poster, actually.

yeah but your Posting-Dankess Overlap is way above 100, which suggests that youuve been benefitting from good luck and will regress to utterly worthless shitposting as soon as the playoffs start

along with 99% of SAS

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 19:47

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

Jamwad Hilder posted:

that game was awesome and I still enjoy watching the videos of Toronto fans' reactions to it

same and i hate the bruins

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 23:09

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

Aphrodite posted:

Beaunitis.

i wish i had waited longer to get a new pens jersey this year. stuck with a boring ol bennett jersey, could have had BEAUNITIS

and fwiw i would rather play the isles than the rags 9 times out of 10, pretty much only because of lundqvist

# ¿ Apr 8, 2016 03:56

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 17:55

Sharks Eat Bear: Dec 25, 2004

Ginette Reno posted:

I hope the Pens don't get Hanked for the third time. Tired of the Hank. Yank the Hank.

THIS!

hope the rangers are ready to get koffed on

# ¿ Apr 11, 2016 05:51

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