2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread: Carolina's tries revolutionary new strategy: Never lose games

[Cacophony]

I can’t do this

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Just saw the Wild score and said “6 to 9, bro!” in Bill and Ted’s voices

[sutterfamily]

Fans aside, the team itself is pretty much as likeable as it gets

...no?

[sutterfamily]

My extremely good predictions:

SNES in 7 (they have to win a game 7 some year don't they?)
Buffalo in 7 (I hate most of their players, their fans, and coach but LOVE Josh Norris, so good for him)
Habs in 6
Flyers in 6

Avs in 4
Wild in 6
Goil in 5
Mammoth in 7 (seems unlikely but fuck the Golden Knights)

Decent, I got 5/8 and four of them the number of games was right. I woulda traded it for a 1 for 8 and the SNES winning tho

Buffalo in 6
Carolina in 4

Avs in 6
Vegas in 6

[nick]

Fans aside, the team itself is pretty much as likeable as it gets

...no?

As an outside observer, kinda ya. I can't see any objectionable (on or off-ice) personalities, coaching and management say the right things and don't leave a bad taste, team culture seems quite positive, vibes are high.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Admittedly most of my ire towards Montreal stems from their fanbase, which rivals Brady / Belicheck era Pats fans in terms of DEMANDING you respect their guys and never being satisfied with how much you do it, in addition to their long-standing “greatest franchise” smugness. (Not to mention the “Halah + Ryder + 2nd” mindset of their fans on trade proposals.) That said, Habs I dislike:

Brendan Gallagher: The classic “nice goalie you have there, would be a shame if someone ran into him” pissant, made worse by the tendency of refs to allow his antics in the Bell Centre.

Slaf: Part of it is Habs fans simultaneously bemoaning that they didn’t get a generational talent at #1 while insisting that he’s underrated and you don’t respect him enough (see broader comment). But he’s also dirtier than people think (breaking Matt Luff’s arm in his first year, for instance).

Josh Anderson: Occasionally dirty, just like how he occasionally plays hard and occasionally scores goals. It’s a fucking insult when you get A Good Josh Anderson game when your team plays him.

You can’t gripe about Lane Hutson without being A Hater, because he is legitimately good and I do not want to admit that, but I’d rather watch Quinn Hughes or Makar do elusive stuff at the blueline. Someday he’s going to get lined up and obliterated and I’ll watch it on a loop.

[sutterfamily]

+ to all of those points (including begrudging of Hutson being very good). They also have Arber Xhekaj AND his brother. Struble also sucks.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Is Xhekaj store-brand Gudas?

[Grand Moff Larkin]

The Canes are going to have like three weeks off before the conference finals

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Apparently they could be the first team to ever go 8-0 to start a playoffs

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Carolina’s leading in shots 24-9

[nick]

Love to see Taylor Hall succeeding as he is

Not bad for the throw in on the Rantanen trade

[sutterfamily]

Yeah, he's a great guy! Only one single head-shot ending someone's season in the playoffs due to concussion, not too shabby.

[nick]

Can’t say anything right about hockey it seems

Man

[nick]

:ridleygreigsuckerpunch:
:bradytkachukslashingguysfromthebench:

I mean, we can all do this about each of our teams

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Todd Bertuzzi Actual Angel

[nick]

:benchiarotbuttendssimonnec:

:markscheifelerunsadudeattheendofthegame:

See, it’s ok to acknowledge that one’s own shit stinks

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Hallsy is a classic CL favourite.

We'll forgive him in time, just not yet.

[sutterfamily]

No I won't

[sutterfamily]

Niiiiick, simply stop praising the things I hate and all will be well! But for the record: You're the best guy, not trying to make you feel bad, sorry it came across as a personal attack

(Not to be pedantic, but I also don't see how being mad about a thing a guy did to my sweet boy Jake equates to me saying there aren't shitbags on Ottawa. NA openly hates on the Riddler and Brady constantly - with good cause - and I don't make a thing about it)