2022 playoff clinch tracker

[sak22]

1 hour ago, bosn111 said:

With clinching the division, but no chance of catching Colorado, what motivation do they really have for the last 4 games? Gaudreau and Lindholm May both press for 40 goals. A few other personal stats. Vladar likely makes at least 2 starts now to rest Markstrom a little, but not too much.

 

Colorado and Florida both pushing for best regular season. Most of the east still playing for positions and pacific division still playing to make the playoffs. It seems like the Flames now have the least motivation to finish the last 4 games.

One thing is to guarantee the 2nd best in the conference, seeding doesn't matter by the conference finals so if the Flames make it and Colorado doesn't, it wouldn't be a guarantee to get home ice for that round especially with Minny and St. Louis one point back.  

[robrob74]

2 hours ago, bosn111 said:

With clinching the division, but no chance of catching Colorado, what motivation do they really have for the last 4 games? Gaudreau and Lindholm May both press for 40 goals. A few other personal stats. Vladar likely makes at least 2 starts now to rest Markstrom a little, but not too much.

 

Colorado and Florida both pushing for best regular season. Most of the east still playing for positions and pacific division still playing to make the playoffs. It seems like the Flames now have the least motivation to finish the last 4 games.

i like what Sutter said pregame. He said that the goal now is to get everyone playing at a level needed and playing to the system, basically getting it all back on the rails. I agree, focus on the system, getting back to how they played mid-season when they played smothering hockey.

[robrob74]

1 hour ago, LouCifer said:

 

That's where Sutter comes in. He's a coach that can manufacture motivation for an unmotivated group. I do hope to see JH and Lindy get their 40th goals

 

he also said, the focus is on us, our game. We don’t care who the opponents are … we need to get all of the players to get back to our game…

 

 

it’s getting them back to the system. 
 

something I want to see them get back to is reversing the play instead of forcing passes up the ice into coverage. I’ve nothing they send passes up I’ve, a guy past the red line and then right into coverage. They haven’t played that small box hockey, supporting each other as much as they did in the first half.

It’s been great though to get the wins. 

[travel_dude]

Sutter doesn't care about the division win.  He's only focused on the next game.  Get guys used to winning battles where there is no space.  Rounding into playoff form.  Getting Markstrom rest isn't a thing, since he feels that a couple of 4 day breaks is all he needs.  It's not about having 2 goalies, since that's what you have when you are a team that wins rounds.  He has one goalie.  That doesn't mean you don't see the backup during the playoffs, but don't expect it.

 

The last week is interesting.  Beating VAN effectively (not officially) puts them out.  A VAN loss and Dallas with 2 points eliminates them.  VGK can still get as high as 97, but they play Dallas and STL.  They also have a B2B.  I'm not counting them out, but Dallas has SEA, ARI and ANA, plus the head to head with Vegas.  NAS has 5 games left with all but one against a playoff team.  

 

The only troubling thing for me is the tendency to play whatever game the other team plays.  We are better we we set the tone.  Maybe it's a product of the reffing right now, as it has seemed very regular season reffing.  Soft calls.  Inconsistent.  That normally disappears in the first round.  Well the soft calls at least.  Maybe it's adjusting to playoff style where you don't get a lot of open ice.  We are close to the right form.  One regulation loss in April.  7 games in 10 nights.  8 in 12.    

[travel_dude]

I guess the other thing to clinch now is 2nd in points in the West.

Magic number for them vs Minny is 4.5.

Magic number vs STL is 4.0

Why is that important?

Only if COL is out in round 1 or 2.

 

[LouCifer]

2 hours ago, robrob74 said:

i like what Sutter said pregame. He said that the goal now is to get everyone playing at a level needed and playing to the system, basically getting it all back on the rails. I agree, focus on the system, getting back to how they played mid-season when they played smothering hockey.

 

This is what I hope for as well. The good news is that this team is capable, as we've seen them play this way before. We've got a few games to iron out some of those details, and I love how Sutter acknowledged winning the division because "we were the most consistent team in the division" - hammering home the need to stick to the game plan. And then further when he said he's won the division many times, but it means nothing - again, hammering home that the only thing that means a thing is a championship. No one remembers or cares who finished 1st in a regular season, it's all about the championship and the work that needs to be done to win one. 

[LouCifer]

 

[travel_dude]

50 minutes ago, LouCifer said:

 

 

He was a distraction and I think their backup played better myself.

But this puts a fork in their messed up season.

[The_People1]

1 hour ago, LouCifer said:

 

 

Topkek, he finally had enough of taking painkillers?

[sak22]

3 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

Topkek, he finally had enough of taking painkillers?

[travel_dude]

Pete DeBoer on if @espn’s report that Robin Lehner will have season-ending surgery is accurate: “Not to my knowledge. It was a maintenance day today. I expect him at practice tomorrow. I expect him dressed on Sunday.”

[LouCifer]

1 hour ago, travel_dude said:

Pete DeBoer on if @espn’s report that Robin Lehner will have season-ending surgery is accurate: “Not to my knowledge. It was a maintenance day today. I expect him at practice tomorrow. I expect him dressed on Sunday.”

interesting eh? Just saw this myself. 

[travel_dude]

Amazing that we still have 5 teams fighting for 3 spots.

LA magic nume is 2, with LA wins and Vegas losses, but needs one win to ensure VAN is below them.

LA has 3 "easy" games left.

Not only are the 3 spots not set, but it's possible that both WC spots go to Pacific teams.

Unlikely, but possible.

Beating VAN tonight will not eliminate VAN, unless DAL wins.

Kinda hoping for the double takeout, and put pressure on NAS.

They play TBL tonight.

Vegas plays SJ Sunday, but SJ also plays tonight.

 

[travel_dude]

EDM failed to clinch 2n.

VGK with an epic collapse.

4-2 lead with 2 minutes left and SJ ties it up with 0.9 seconds remaining.

SJ wins in the shootout.

 

Pacific

EDM 98 with 3 GR

LA 96 with 2 GR

Vegas 90 with 3 GR

VAN 87 with 3 GR.

 

Nobody wanted to eliminate VAN.

Their only path is through the WC.

[The_People1]

5 hours ago, travel_dude said:

EDM failed to clinch 2n.

VGK with an epic collapse.

4-2 lead with 2 minutes left and SJ ties it up with 0.9 seconds remaining.

SJ wins in the shootout.

 

Pacific

EDM 98 with 3 GR

LA 96 with 2 GR

Vegas 90 with 3 GR

VAN 87 with 3 GR.

 

Nobody wanted to eliminate VAN.

Their only path is through the WC.

 

What a loss by VGK.  Under 1 second to go in regulation... And then lose in a shootout.  With 3-games remaining, they have to win all 3 to hit 96-points.

[travel_dude]

4 hours ago, The_People1 said:

 

What a loss by VGK.  Under 1 second to go in regulation... And then lose in a shootout.  With 3-games remaining, they have to win all 3 to hit 96-points.

 

Well, Dallas and NAS are in the driver seat, but neither have clinched.

Dallas goes head to head vs VGK, but then plays ARI the next night and ANA to finish.

NAS plays us then a B2B with COL and ARI.

Vegas has a B2B with Dallas and CHI, then last game is STL.

 

The spoilers are making it interesting.

 

[conundrumed]

5 hours ago, The_People1 said:

 

What a loss by VGK.  Under 1 second to go in regulation... And then lose in a shootout.  With 3-games remaining, they have to win all 3 to hit 96-points.

Meier said beforehand it was their biggest game of the season. Scored the tying goal.

Spoiler teams: if we're not going neither are you.

[The_People1]

1 hour ago, conundrumed said:

Meier said beforehand it was their biggest game of the season. Scored the tying goal.

Spoiler teams: if we're not going neither are you.

 

Sharks sure did celebrate that win like they won the Cup.

[bosn111]

If Dallas beats Vegas tonight, both they and Nashville clinch. Vegas would no longer be able to catch Dallas in points (5 points back with 2 games remaining), would still be able to tie Nashville in points at 94, Tie for Regulation wins but Nashville holds the edge in overall wins.

 

A Vegas win tonight keeps both their, and Vancouver’s hopes alive.

[The_People1]

If we beat NAS tonight and DAL beats VGK, then we could be playing DAL first round.

[travel_dude]

10 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

If we beat NAS tonight and DAL beats VGK, then we could be playing DAL first round.

The only thing for sure is we won't play VAN.

A Vegas loss in OT and NAS loss in any fashion keeps VGK as a possible WC1 spot.

A Vegas loss in regulations shuts out a WC1 spot.

 

This is almost like the year we faced COL in round 1.  Would be poetic justice for them to lose in 5 games to WC2.

Just don't want it to be Vegas.

Not that I think VGK would be trouble, but that they deserve to be put out.

[MP5029]

I’d say Dal is in and LVK is out..LVK is all but eliminated now, Dal only needs one OT point to finish off LVK 

 

personally, I’d tester Dal over LVK for a number of reasons…1. LVK is one of

those teams that manipulates the cap so it’s fitting that they don’t get rewarded and 2. If we need to face One of Dal or

LVK seems we have done better against Dal over all than LVK and now with the cap not so much an issue for LVK they can ice a full team, which is quite strong…though I’m sure Cgy or any other team would be quite strong with 20 mil over the cap too but that goes back to my first reason lol 

[LouCifer]

I prefer VGK misses the playoffs as well MP. As far as matchups for us goes, I don't care who we play. NAS and DAL are both good squads. We just have to make sure we bring our A game to the table in whichever matchup.  

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, MP5029 said:

I’d say Dal is in and LVK is out..LVK is all but eliminated now, Dal only needs one OT point to finish off LVK 

 

personally, I’d tester Dal over LVK for a number of reasons…1. LVK is one of

those teams that manipulates the cap so it’s fitting that they don’t get rewarded and 2. If we need to face One of Dal or

LVK seems we have done better against Dal over all than LVK and now with the cap not so much an issue for LVK they can ice a full team, which is quite strong…though I’m sure Cgy or any other team would be quite strong with 20 mil over the cap too but that goes back to my first reason lol 

 

Dallas doesn't even need to win any games, as long as Vegas gets 1 point or less tonight.

Saros is a bad situation for NAS.

BSD can probably get them one more win if he has to, but would be bad for his head to have to start the playoffs against CGY in CGY.  Wardo messed him up here.  Saros didn't just have a cramp last night, as he wouldn't need to be evaluated if that was all it was.  Might just be coach misinformation of course.

[zima]

So in the standings it's Nash and Dallas @ 95 points but Dallas has more wins right now so shouldn't it be Dallas on top of the wild card ?