2019-20 NHL Season

[Vic Boss 612]

The "give up 40 shots and shoot less than 20" strategy finally caught up to them. 5 games in 7 nights too ?

[dr. b 492]

Expectations weren't super high for the Canucks going into the season, right? 

[Vic Boss 612]

Yeah. I think they were expected to hang in the playoff race, making the playoffs would be a bonus. Winning two rounds (though one of them didn't exist last season), one to the defending Stanley Cup Champs, and then taking the round they lost in to Game 7 was blowing those expectations out of the water.

 

Sophomore slump next year maybe, Vegas wrote the blueprint for cancelling out the Canuck offense

[dr. b 492]

I guess it's a good experience for the team then (mostly young players, I assume?). Maybe they can learn from it and come back stronger next year.

 

I hope the Blue Jays can accomplish something similar this year. They're on a bit of a roll right now and in the thick of the AL Wild Card race. If they can get in as the WC team, they have the potential to cause some trouble for whatever team they would play in the Division Series. I doubt they'd win a series, but it would be a good experience for the team and they could make the other team sweat a little bit. 

[Vic Boss 612]

Yeah, all of the major building blocks are under 25 (Quinn Hughes is only 20, what the fuck) so theoretically this group should be together awhile unless cap troubles or injuries hit

[Eizan 126]

I'm surprised the Stars are still in this. 

[dr. b 492]

I'm surprised they're still playing hockey at all!  

[Vic Boss 612]

Arigato, Eizan's team, for wiping out Vegas.

[dr. b 492]

Not looking good for the Isles

[Eizan 126]

Welp Lightning probably your Cup Champions. I guess it makes up for last years choke? 

[dr. b 492]

I don't know a single person who is still watching hockey

[Vic Boss 612]

Let me just boop in an asterisk right by Tampa Bay's listing as the prospective/probable 2020 Stanley Cup Champions

 

Good job playing pretend hockey, guys

[Vic Boss 612]

Eyyyy, Canucks signed Braden Holtby from Washington to buy time for Demko

 

Did lose Markstrom and Tanev to Calgary tho

[dr. b 492]

When OHL hockey comes back in Feb., bodychecking will not be allowed

 

 

Who knows, games might be more fast and exciting without checking ... not that I watch fuckin' minor league hockey ... but it's not really going to look like hockey.

[Vic Boss 612]

Oh, it's just for covid reasons.

 

That kinda sucks for the youngins because they're not gonna develop a decent sense for protecting themselves from a body-check

[Vic Boss 612]

BRUH

 

THE NORTH DIVISION

[dr. b 492]

That's pretty cool. Not that I'll be watching much, but I like the idea of a shorter schedule too. 82 feels like too much. With half the league making the playoffs, they don't need to play that many games to figure which teams should make the cut. And playoff hockey is far more interesting. Shorten the regular season and get ib to the good stuff.