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[W:279]NHL 2021

Redress said:
Hi CJ, how you doing sir? How do you see the Canadian division shaking out? It looks to me to be maybe the most competitive division out there this year.
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Hi Redress - doing well, thank you, and hope you are doing so as well - all the best in the new year to you and yours.

Realistically, there are six out of seven teams in the Canadian division who feel they are legitimate playoff teams, so there will be at least two disappointed teams. Even Ottawa, with a pretty young team, has some talented players who can cause problems for the other six - gave the Leafs all they wanted in two games in Ottawa this weekend.

I think the Leafs have the best overall talent, but they seem to me to lack the character and need to win that strong teams need to succeed. All the western teams seem pretty iffy - Edmonton has the two best players in the league and pretty much nothing else - Vancouver had a breakout year last year but seems to me like they might back up a bit this year - Calgary always seems to have goaltending problems and Winnipeg, with Laine unhappy, and other issues, could be great or bad, but their defense and goaltending could win it all. Montreal is a tossup to me - some good young talent and a great goalie could put them in the hunt.

One benefit is that for the first time in a number of years a Canadian team will make the final four - hope it's the Leafs, but I won't believe it until I see it.
 
Redress said:
It looks to me to be maybe the most competitive division out there this year.
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Wait... more competitive than a division with:

Capitals
Bruins
Islanders
Penguins
Rangers
Devils
Sabres
Flyers
 
CanadaJohn said:
Your Flyers look terrific so far
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Not ready to go that far yet. Only two games.

Carter Hart is the key so far. Rest of team has been very sloppy at times.

Plus, the Flyers have always managed to put together a strong string of wins in regular season, but then fall completely apart in playoffs.

Hopefully an entire (shortened) season that’s almost a playoff structure to begin with will help Flyers not implode once the true playoffs actually start. Assuming Flyers make playoffs of course.
 
Dragonfly said:
Wait... more competitive than a division with:

Capitals
Bruins
Islanders
Penguins
Rangers
Devils
Sabres
Flyers
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Yes. Caps, Bruins, Flyers are pretty sure playoff teams, Rangers, Devils and Sabres pretty unlikely. The Can00k division does not really have that top and bottom. The Maple Loafs and Oilers, then everyone else, and even those two have major issues.
 
Redress said:
Yes. Caps, Bruins, Flyers are pretty sure playoff teams, Rangers, Devils and Sabres pretty unlikely. The Can00k division does not really have that top and bottom. The Maple Loafs and Oilers, then everyone else, and even those two have major issues.
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Are you forgetting Islanders were in Conference finals last year?

I see Caps, Bruins, Isles taking three places. The forth place is a toss-up for Flyers, Penguins and then a wild card perhaps from Rangers/Devils/Sabres.

Really too early to tell yet, but the division is surely going to be very tough.
 
Dragonfly said:
Are you forgetting Islanders were in Conference finals last year?

I see Caps, Bruins, Isles taking three places. The forth place is a toss-up for Flyers, Penguins and then a wild card perhaps from Rangers/Devils/Sabres.

Really too early to tell yet, but the division is surely going to be very tough.
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I forgot them. Oops.
 
Dragonfly said:
Not ready to go that far yet. Only two games.

Carter Hart is the key so far. Rest of team has been very sloppy at times.

Plus, the Flyers have always managed to put together a strong string of wins in regular season, but then fall completely apart in playoffs.

Hopefully an entire (shortened) season that’s almost a playoff structure to begin with will help Flyers not implode once the true playoffs actually start. Assuming Flyers make playoffs of course.
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Flyers have a 4 game stretch in early February against the Caps and Bruins which could be telling. Hart was much better at home last season, so let's see more on the road.

The OT win against the Isles in the last playoffs was the highlight of the season for me.
 
Flyers playoffs would have been drastically different had two things happened in the playoff games:

1) the core veterans and lead goal scorers continued to produce like they did in regular season

2) the power play didn’t drastically tank once the post-season began

Change those two things and who knows how far the Flyers might have gotten. They at least would have made Conference finals.

Watching the team leaders and the core veterans just disappear more than once in the last few playoffs has left me very cautious to start ringing bells and making claims.
 
Dragonfly said:
Are you forgetting Islanders were in Conference finals last year?

I see Caps, Bruins, Isles taking three places. The forth place is a toss-up for Flyers, Penguins and then a wild card perhaps from Rangers/Devils/Sabres.

Really too early to tell yet, but the division is surely going to be very tough.
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I don't know what to think of the Islanders - how do you beat the Rangers 5-0 and then lose to them 6-0 a day or two later? They had a chip on their shoulders last year with Tavares signing with Toronto but they don't see the Leafs at all this year, so no motivation there. I thought the Rangers would be better last year and they weren't, and worse this year, but maybe better. I agree with Redress though - that division has four pretty strong teams and three relatively weak ones. I could see the top teams feasting on the bottom three and then playing kind of even amongst themselves. In the Canadian division, I think six teams made the playoffs last year and those six all expect to make the playoffs again this year - with only four spots open, that makes it highly competitive and no room to have any kind of bad streak.
 
Dragonfly said:
Flyers playoffs would have been drastically different had two things happened in the playoff games:

1) the core veterans and lead goal scorers continued to produce like they did in regular season

2) the power play didn’t drastically tank once the post-season began

Change those two things and who knows how far the Flyers might have gotten. They at least would have made Conference finals.

Watching the team leaders and the core veterans just disappear more than once in the last few playoffs has left me very cautious to start ringing bells and making claims.
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You could, just as easily, be talking about the Leafs.
 
CanadaJohn said:
I don't know what to think of the Islanders
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Two games. First two games.
I’m sure every team this season is going to have those lopsided series. Better early on rather than late in the season.

I’ll reserve praise AND condemnation until much later in the schedule.

Too soon to know anything. As we’ve seen, the hot goal tender late in season can make all the difference.
 
My Hawks are 0-3 and their top 2 centers are out for months. On track for a top draft pick. 😎
 
Geoist said:
My Hawks are 0-3 and their top 2 centers are out for months. On track for a top draft pick. 😎
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With the format of this season being what it is, injuries are going to be a key component to each team.

How deep is the bench?
How long will those injured be out?
Who loses their goal tender?

This season is going to be special in many ways.
 
Holy smokes turn on the Flyer game it's 1-0. Turn the channel to catch the news, changed it back it's 4-0.
 
CimpleMan said:
Holy smokes turn on the Flyer game it's 1-0. Turn the channel to catch the news, changed it back it's 4-0.
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Yep. Ugly and embarrassing loss.

Now, the big question is how do they respond tonight?
 
Dragonfly said:
Yep. Ugly and embarrassing loss.

Now, the big question is how do they respond tonight?
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Yeah, games like these happen. Want to see how Flyers respond to an ass kicking.
 
3-0 Flyers win. Gave up 40 shots and 2 more injures so not all good news.
 
Flyers were winning in Boston 2-0 at start of third period. Gave up 4 goals then barely squeaked into OT. Rask was playing out of his head, then Flyers lost in shoot out.

So for anyone wondering if the 2021 Flyers are a big threat, I’d say about as threatening as they’ve been in last few years. Might luck into the playoffs 4th spot, might not.

They can still easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
 
Dragonfly said:
Flyers were winning in Boston 2-0 at start of third period. Gave up 4 goals then barely squeaked into OT. Rask was playing out of his head, then Flyers lost in shoot out.

So for anyone wondering if the 2021 Flyers are a big threat, I’d say about as threatening as they’ve been in last few years. Might luck into the playoffs 4th spot, might not.

They can still easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
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A lot of teams up and down so far this season - a lot of big wins followed by big losses against the same teams - a lot of new "rivalries" will develop under the new divisions - I don't think we'll see things shake out until about 30 games in and then it will be a dash to the end. Wouldn't surprise me if the final four teams, division winners, aren't the usual suspects.

Not sure what the official plan is for the playoffs, once they get to the final four division winners - where will the Canadian based team play? Will they go back to the bubble format? I don't think, in a couple of months, that the COVID situation will be sufficiently settle that the Canadian government will allow cross border play without quarantines and you can't have quarantines and have regular travel between cities.
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