Quote:
Originally Posted by ricardodw
My point was that in the regular season the Jets hit a lot more than Nashville. In the playoffs Nashville changed their game to get within the margin of error in hits/game.
I think that physical play (hitting) comes more natural to Winnipeg and Nashville is stepping out of its regular season comfort zone.
The physically play in the playoffs goes way up Minnesota had 22 hits/game against the Jets and almost matched them hit for hit the first game. Over the series they were up over 6 hits a game from their regular season. But by the 3rd game the bruises were more significant that the adrenaline. They reverted back to their non-physical norm.
hits game 1 Jets 39 Wild 31
game 2 Jets 38 Wild 23
game 3 jets 26 Wild 19
game 4 jets 24 Wild 19
game 5 Jets 30 Wild 14
I would be shocked if the Pred's top-4 defense don't get hit 2-3 times as much as they take in the regular season. By game 3-4 they will not be as anxious to take a hit to make the play.
The same goes for Enstom, Morrissey and Trouba on the Jets who will be targeted.
Byfuglien (260) Myers (230) and Chiarot (220) will wear down the hitters. They are all bigger than all of the Predators defensemen.
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Even in the regular season it was pretty close.
Jets 22 hits per game.
Preds 20 hits per game.
The size thing could be a factor but you could argue that Josi, Ellis, Subban are all elite skaters/puck movers. They are going to be harder to hit than any of the Wild defenseman were. And overall the rosters are pretty close - average weight of the Jets was 204 lbs this year, and the Predators were 202 lbs (Only difference is pretty much the extra 60lbs Byfuglien carries over the average player).
Plus most of the physicality from the Jets comes on the back end, it's their dmen punishing other teams forwards more than their forwards punishing d-men.
Lowry, Wheeler Tanev were the only forwards with over 1.8 hits per game for the Jets in round 1. Nashville had Watson, Sissons, Hartman, Fisher, Salomaki, & Johansen all over 1.8 hits per game for the Preds in round 1.
This series should be a great fast paced, physical, and highly skilled affair. My pick for best series of the playoffs.