~2017-18 NHL Thread~

[ELA]

Any one care yet?

This is a season that greatly needs to be reduced, down to like 50-60 regular season games.  The fact that the NFL plays 16, NBA plays 82 and MLB plays 162 makes sense.  NHL shouldn't be equal to NBA, it should be somewhere in between.  It's why the early playoff rounds are great, and usually the conference and Cup finals are pretty bad hockey.

Start the season the first week of December and play like 25 less games, it would be great.

Anyway, my picks...

EASTERN
ATLANTIC
y-Maple Leafs
x-Lightning
x-Canadiens
x-Senators
Bruins
Panthers
Sabres
Red Wings

METROPOLITAN
z-Blue Jackets
x-Penguins
x-Capitals
x-Rangers
Islanders
Hurricanes
Flyers
Devils

WESTERN
CENTRAL
y-Blackhawks
x-Wild
x-Predators
x-Stars
Blues
Jets
Avalanche

PACIFIC
z-Oilers
x-Ducks
x-Flames
x-Sharks
Kings
Coyotes
Canucks
Golden Knights

CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
#1 Blue Jackets d. #8 Rangers
#7 Senators d. #2 Maple Leafs
#3 Lightning d. #6 Canadiens
#4 Penguins d. #5 Capitals

#1 Oilers d. #8 Sharks
#2 Blackhawks d. #7 Stars
#3 Wild d. #6 Predators
#4 Ducks d. #5 Flames

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
#4 Penguins d. #1 Blue Jackets
#3 Lightning d. #7 Senators

#1 Oilers d. #4 Ducks
#2 Blackhawks d. #3 Wild

CONFERENCE FINALS
#4 Penguins d. #3 Lightning

#1 Oilers d. #2 Blackhawks

STANLEY CUP FINALS
Pittsburgh Penguins d. Edmonton Oilers

[MarqHusker]

Who the hell are the Golden Knights?  I swear I couldn't place the franchises in the proper divisions/conferences with a week's time.   Ever since they dropped Adams/Patrick/Norris/Smythe, I've been out of it.

Yes, shorten the season.  I'd even support 154 in MLB just to tighten up on both ends of the calendar.

[ELA]

The new Vegas team.

Eh, I like the divisions better, but I can't keep them straight.  That's probably more of a lack of following the regular season than anything though, because I certainly couldn't tell you the old non-geographical ones.

I know Detroit doesn't play Chicago much anymore, which sucks, but I also know they don't play a bunch of late night west coast games either, which is great.

[NickSmith4Three]

Ovi with 7 goals in two games

[ELA]

Not going to pay much attention in October, but Vegas is 6-1?

[Brutus Buckeye]

[ELA]

Was looking for this thread with the playoffs starting, and took forever to find it.  Guess it hasn't been bumped since the first week of the season.  I think the Red Wings and Blackhawks used to generate the most discussion, so that makes sense.  It also seems like a lot of the NBA/NHL thread discussion came from posters who weren't quite as regular and maybe didn't make it over here.  Anyway, my interest in NHL regular season has never been lower, but the playoffs are always fun.

Couple picks, the Capitals finally get past the Penguins, and get all the way to the Cup finals, where they lose to Nashville.  Devils knock off the top team in the East, the Lightning, and they beat the Bruins/Leafs winner to make a surprise run to the conference finals, where the Caps are finally too much for them.

[TyphonInc]

Well I'm kinda pulling for the BlueJackets, to throw a wrench in you playoff scenerio. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

It would be fitting for the Jackets to lose in the semifinals, like OSU's men's and women's ice hockey teams. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

Jackets take game one. On the road. In OT.

[NickSmith4Three]

Stupid penalty in the offensive zone on the Caps Burakovsky up 3-2 with 5 minutes left in the game.  That can't happen.

[TyphonInc]

And Columbus steals a 2nd game from the Capitols.
Both Games C-bus finds themselves down 2 goals. Both games come back and win it in OT.
I'm Dumb Struck, these lovable losers may actually pull this series off. (but for me 18 years of dissapointment still trumps a 2-0 lead.)

[Brutus Buckeye]

[TyphonInc]

And Washington gets on OT win.