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Well … let’s preview the Stanley Cup Finals, I guess. Carolina/Vegas, Series starts June 2

jeffbear

jeffbear

Mod Squad
Staff member
This is a quick placeholder for now, but we can fill in the gaps later.

Series Schedule … all games on ESPN/ABC and all games start at 8PM Eastern
Game 1, Raleigh, Tuesday June 2
Game 2, Raleigh, Thursday June 4
Game 3, Las Vegas, Saturday June 6
Game 4, Las Vegas, Tuesday June 9
*Game 5, Raleigh, Thursday June 11
*Game 6, Las Vegas, Sunday June 14
*Game 7, Raleigh, Wednesday June 17

*if necessary

Not loving the extra day gap between Games 6 and 7 because that would be torture, but otherwise this is fine. A couple of extra days in the rotation is nothing compared to recent years … and the NBA. A few personal quirks to get out of the way, I will NEVER refer to the team from Vegas as the Golden Knights. They will be Vegas or the Knights. Sorry, but they stole that name from the Army without permission and I won’t do it. Plus the whole gold schtick with the sparkly uniforms is part of why people don’t like you, Vegas. I also will NEVER refer to that team as VGK. I hate it and it ticks me off when broadcasters do it. You don't calls the Leafs TML on air, or the Kings LAK … knock it off.

I’ll get into the hockey later but there are a ton of similarities in this Finals and a ton of contrasts. It’s a weird, intriguing matchup and anyone pawning it off as boring or somehow deficient is either an idiot or has a rooting interest in some other team that they can’t get past. Except the league office, of course, because the rating are gonna suck with what amounts to two small market teams. That’s the textbook definition of not my problem, though.

Now, if you’ll excuse me there a squirrel in my attic and I’ve got to get to work getting him out of there. No, this is not a euphemism for some sort of mental health issue. I’m serious.
 
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I had bats in my attic. Cost me about $1,200 to get them out.

Jaccob Slavin can become the 2nd American ever to win an Olympic Gold Medal and Stanley Cup in the same year. Or Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin will become the 2nd and 3rd ever.
 
Squirrel update … caught his ass. One of those humane traps, some sunflower seeds and peanuts in the shell … boom. Released onto the golf course.
 
OK, back to the Finals.

This is going to be billed as star power versus the grind and frankly, I think that narrative is pretty lazy. As usual, I guess. The hockey media is nothing if not lazy.

So, who are Vegas’ stars exactly?

Stone? Yeah, he’s still dangerous but he’s slow and rickety at this point. Get him in the right places and he’s still got the hands to make it pay off on both ends of the ice. But he ain’t what he used to be either.

Eichel? Terrific two-way center and one of the better puck carriers in the game. Star player for sure, but we ain’t talking McDavid or MacKinnon here. Eichel is more of a Barkov kind of star player. He can take over a shift, but his influence is far more subtle than the advertising would indicate.

Marner? I mean, yeah. You guys know where I stand on Marner. I think he’s an elite playmaking winger one a similar level as Panarin, Pasternak and Kucherov. And he adds a defensive element that those guys don’t, so you get the benefit of his offensive danger on the PK and in tough defensive matchups. That one, I’ll allow.

But, that’s really it for the shiny objects. Dorofeyev, Barbashev, Karlsson and Hertl are nice secondary pieces. Their D is absolutely nothing spectacular but they can all pass and they play together really well. Hart has been sturdy and steady in the playoffs after an average run in 16 games after he returned to the game in the spring. He’s been good, but they’ve mostly been just tougher to break down in the D Zone under Torts, which has made good pay off. I really think the series will end up boiling down to systems and execution. Who can break down the other’s version of pressure? Who can make the plays when you do get a rare open look? Who can finish their transition chances? Who gets frustrated and starts making mistakes?

Vegas doesn’t do anything particularly sexy or exotic, but they generate pressure in an entirely different way than Carolina. It’s a difference of where on the ice the pressure is applied and to what end. Vegas looks to turn you over in the neutral zone and flip to the rush from there. Old school. Carolina tries to turn you over in your O Zone or at your blueline as you try to exit the zone, and they look to get quick 3 on 2s when they force a bad pass or get a strip. Same idea, wildly different placement. Turnovers will absolutely be a key, as will maintaining composure under pressure … for both teams.

I think this is going to tight, tense hockey, and that the winner will be the team that makes the most of the chances that come … even if they’re few and far between. I’m thinking 6, maybe 7 games and I like Carolina to wear them down over time.
 
HNIM said:
When my parents moved out of their house and into assisted living years ago, we found a huge squirrels nest in the attic. It had probably been there ten years. We spent a full day cleaning out squirrel poop.
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Omg no..... shit! (no pun intended)
 
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I like that the media is thinking we’re done and it’s because of Stone, Marner, Eichel and the predator Hart. More specifically, the Hurricanes lack a player willing to put the team on his back 🤔
 
And … again … I don’t give a crap what anybody says will happen. What matters is what actually happens. This is North Carolina. Look up our State motto. Esse Quam Videri
 
Oh, also … not for nothing, but the sports books have Carolina as an opening line favorite to win the Cup and most if not all of the stats nerds’ models also have them as favorites. If the talking heads want to say something different, let ‘em. You still have to go win the four games.
 
On the tiny chance anyone has any tickets available for either game 2 or game 7 and are interested in both eternal gratitude and money, we are dearly searching for a pair without paying astronomical markups.
 
Staal Tactics said:
On the tiny chance anyone has any tickets available for either game 2 or game 7 and are interested in both eternal gratitude and money, we are dearly searching for a pair without paying astronomical markups.
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Get in line……I’d be willing to give up some of my autographed collectibles. Who wants a Dwayne Jetski autograph or Paul Coffey😀 only Patrick Roy stuff is off limits
 
Fayettenamcanesfan said:
It’s easy. I don’t even watch/listen to that crap. I fire up the TV when the game starts. Too many dumb people with dumb takes. The great one picked Carolina to win, so I’m going with that
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I just saw that. Wayne really likes our team and says both teams are tops of the league. He favors Carolina for game 7 home ice advantage with great fans to cheer them along to victory.
This is going to be a really fun time for our guys and us fans.

Go Canes!!
 
KTown11 said:
I just saw that. Wayne really likes our team and says both teams are tops of the league. He favors Carolina for game 7 home ice advantage with great fans to cheer them along to victory.
This is going to be a really fun time for our guys and us fans.

Go Canes!!
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Finishing in game 5 would be even sweeter.
 
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