This team has shown that it can play NHL level hockey and be competitive with everyone. It has not shown that it can CONSISTENTLY avoid shooting itself in the foot. That is a key difference from last year's team, which was simply not a competitive roster. The record doesn't *yet* look much better, but this team is way better than last year's squad, and when it gets out of its own way, it is actually pretty competitive. Lately they have been better about not being their own undoing, and it shows. They were 0-7-2 to start the season. They are 10-6-3 (.605) since, and are 4-1-0 in the last 5. 19 games is an adaquate sample size of how this team looks with a healthy Celebrini and an "NHL adjusted" Will Smith to start making extrapolations. If you apply the .605 to the remaining schedule, they finish about 90 points... let's say about 40-32-10. If they improve on the .605 to say .650, by being just a little more consistent, they finish at about 98 points -- say 43-27-12. Suffice to say that I actually think when the dust settles, they will be closer to wild card or 3rd in the division than they are to "tank commander" of the lotto balls. I'd still give better odds of them missing the playoffs, but the pacific isn't exactly gang busters, and the central is top-3 heavy. It's not absurd to think they could sneak in as a wild card or third in a weak division. I'd bet against it -- the 0-7-2 to start will probably be too much to overcome, but that we are entertaining it as even being long shot plausible in December is a huge step forward for the franchise.
I will never apologize for winning, but damn it feels like teams will finally start taking us seriously so it’ll be interesting to see how the next results fair
Good game but I would not say play off . They won off a 4 min power play, winning like that doesn’t count . They need to win with every one on the ice on the opposing team.
They won on a powerplay because they trapped the Caps in their own zone for 4 minutes forcing them to take a penalty. Not to mention outshooting a team that's 17-6.
It definitely counts. They put themselves in a position to win. They drew the penalty, they scored the goal, they got the points. If they lost - you’d say wow they suck…. They win and it doesn’t count? Nah dude. This year is exciting. If we touch the playoffs this year that’s puts them ahead of my schedule by about 2 seasons.
The way Celebrini is playing through the painful situations is crazy, he’s so tough
unreal
Man i love these lines right now so much, I'm not sure what to do with Goodrow once he's healthy
Beautiful
This team has shown that it can play NHL level hockey and be competitive with everyone. It has not shown that it can CONSISTENTLY avoid shooting itself in the foot. That is a key difference from last year's team, which was simply not a competitive roster. The record doesn't *yet* look much better, but this team is way better than last year's squad, and when it gets out of its own way, it is actually pretty competitive. Lately they have been better about not being their own undoing, and it shows. They were 0-7-2 to start the season. They are 10-6-3 (.605) since, and are 4-1-0 in the last 5. 19 games is an adaquate sample size of how this team looks with a healthy Celebrini and an "NHL adjusted" Will Smith to start making extrapolations. If you apply the .605 to the remaining schedule, they finish about 90 points... let's say about 40-32-10. If they improve on the .605 to say .650, by being just a little more consistent, they finish at about 98 points -- say 43-27-12. Suffice to say that I actually think when the dust settles, they will be closer to wild card or 3rd in the division than they are to "tank commander" of the lotto balls. I'd still give better odds of them missing the playoffs, but the pacific isn't exactly gang busters, and the central is top-3 heavy. It's not absurd to think they could sneak in as a wild card or third in a weak division. I'd bet against it -- the 0-7-2 to start will probably be too much to overcome, but that we are entertaining it as even being long shot plausible in December is a huge step forward for the franchise.
I'd be happy,just to not have a losing season,
So Im confused. Is the future teal? Or is the present teal?
Yes.
If they can somehow beat Tampa or Florida…
I will never apologize for winning, but damn it feels like teams will finally start taking us seriously so it’ll be interesting to see how the next results fair
Good game but I would not say play off . They won off a 4 min power play, winning like that doesn’t count . They need to win with every one on the ice on the opposing team.
They won on a powerplay because they trapped the Caps in their own zone for 4 minutes forcing them to take a penalty. Not to mention outshooting a team that's 17-6.
It definitely counts. They put themselves in a position to win. They drew the penalty, they scored the goal, they got the points.
If they lost - you’d say wow they suck…. They win and it doesn’t count?
Nah dude. This year is exciting. If we touch the playoffs this year that’s puts them ahead of my schedule by about 2 seasons.